Disclaimer: I don't own Yugioh, but I do own the characters that you don't recognize. Unless you don't know who Mai Valentine is.

Chapter 21: The Trouble with Angels

Osmos sat in a large, soft and cushioned chair. He was in the utmost of comfort at the moment. His plans were coming together, he had Chiro, the seal holder, participating in his tournament. And in the tournament itself, Yugi Moto would be offering a special duel to whoever made it to the finals. 'And of course, I'll make sure Kou, Ryuko and Kamishiro are the finalist!"' his lip curled as he pictured the many different ways he could get Shisei and Namia out of the way. Dismemberment, torture, or just the old fashioned Soul sealing? He was going with dismemberment when the boy with the Blue-Eyes approached him.

"Master Osmos, Mr. Kamishiro told me to tell you that the Oracle has come." he stated. Osmos's happy, relaxed face turned a nasty shade of puce, in anger, he jumped from the chair and rushed over to the startled Ryuko. "Um-" the child didn't get to finish his sentence before Osmos grabbed him by the shoulders and began to shake him.

"WHERE!" he exclaimed madly. Before Ryuko could attempt an answer, he was shaken again. "Does she know that the boy has the seal holder!" he exclaimed, still angrier.

"Sir- your hurting me!" Ryuko exclaimed. Osmos suddenly seemed to notice where he was. He paused and looked at Ryuko. Finally he let the boy go, straightening his robe, which was black and had diamonds laced in the cuffs.

Ryuko looked dizzy as Osmos sat down. "No matter, inform Kamishiro to strip the boy from Chiro, he'll know what I mean." Osmos informed Ryuko. The boy nodded and stumbled from the room. 'Damn, if that woman dare interfere…. I'll have to call Specter, Piercer, and Blocker, I suppose."' he thought to himself. Just as he thought this, a giant man strode into the room.

He wore a large black cloak, and was at least 8 ft tall. He had broad shoulders, but you couldn't really see much more of him as he had his eyes, mouth, and hair covered with the hood of the cape. "Ryuko has informed me of the plan." he stated. His voice was deep and powerful, like a bullfrog. "I shall do as you wish, but is it really wise, with Oracle here?" he asked Osmos looked at him for a moment, as though deciding on how much to tell.

"Oracle won't interfere if she thinks we won't use the Seals' power, which we won't." he hesitated, but continued. "We simply want to kill Chiro, so he doesn't make the mistake of losing control over the seals. The Divine Seal especially." he looked out the window, where the sky was a beautiful blue. "With all the hyper activity in the Egyptian Gods, you'll surely understand why we must do this." he finished. Kamishiro made no movement to acknowledge that he had heard, he simply turned and swept from the room. Osmos watched the door close, and sighed. 'I suppose I should meet Yugi and the others at the island's air station."' he thought, thinking about how they would be arriving any minute now. 'Aw well, they can wait."' he sat back and closed his eyes in a restful state.

Seto Kaiba was not used to doing things the "pedestrian" way, he hated it, as a matter of fact. 'Damn people can't even unload your bags properly!"' he thought, grinding his teeth at the way no one would bother to address him in how he wanted them arranged in his room. "Hey, Seto?" the voice of a child, no older than ten or eleven, reached the ears of the brown haired businessman. He turned to see his little brother, Mokuba Kaiba, looking up at him with a question lighting up his young eyes.

"Yes Mokuba?" Kaiba allowed a small smile to reach his lips as he addressed his brother. They had been through all of life together, he couldn't have imagined dueling without the black haired Kaiba brother behind him.

"When are we going to build Kaiba Land?" Mokuba had a slightly pouty expression on his face. He was tired of all the publicity and duel tournaments his brother got invited to. His lifelong dream was to build a land where children and adults could have fun as a family, even if they weren't family. This made sense, considering he had never had a life even remotely close to being so happy and friendly. "I thought the Grand Prix was the last tournament?" he asked.

Seto looked nervously at his watch. He loved dueling, every single aspect of it. Seeing the monsters appear and glare at your opponent. Seeing the effects of your beasts and the magic/traps that reinforced them. But most of all, he loved winning. Of course, his brother liked it well enough, but he also liked having real fun, not hologram fun. "As soon as this one is over, I promise." Seto said. Mokuba looked skeptical.

"You say that every time." he replied.

"Mokuba, the only reason I came to this stupid tournament was because Yu-" he stopped, about to say that Yugi was going to be there, and instead said: "you seemed so bored with watching me duel Yugi all the time, I thought maybe I'd let you duel in my place this time." he responded instead, thinking on automatic. 'Oh crap!"' he realized what he had said a little to late.

Mokuba's face lit up. "ALRIGHT! I can't wait!" the young Kaiba began to run around in a circle yelling, "I get to duel", as Seto thought about how he was going to let his younger brother down, or if he could find it in his heart to do so.

Shockingly enough, only a few feet away, Yugi Moto, Seto Kaiba's arch nemesis, was with his three best friends. "So a Priest and a Rabbi walk into a wrestling match.." a blond boy with a very strong accent started.

"Come on Joey, this is gonna' be like the fifth joke you've forgotten the punch line to!" a brown haired boy interrupted. "Don't do it man!" he acted as though a bomb were about to go off. The blond gave him a punch in the shoulder, and he responded with a tackle.

"Guys, have you seen my purse?" Anzu asked, searching everywhere. She moved a bag strapped over her shoulder out of the way to look under another bag on the luggage rack. "Darn, I can't find it anywhere!" she exclaimed. Yugi, a small tri-colored hair (purple, blond, and black) boy, sweat dropped and pointed to the bag on her shoulder.

"Um, isn't that it, Anzu?" he said, his finger still raised in a point. Anzu looked at the bag for a second, then shook her head.

"This is my carry on bag." she stated, lifting a stick of lipstick out of a small purse at her heel.

Yugi blinked and pointed to the one she removed the lipstick from. "Um, what about that?" he asked. Anzu placed the lipstick, which was a vibrant red, in the purse after using it, and shook her head.

"No, that's my make-up kit." she stated.

"How many bags do you have?" Tristan asked, stuffing a purse in Joey's mouth to stop him from finishing his newest try at a joke.

"AH!" Anzu reached over and grabbed her purse, Joey grabbed his jaw as she wiped the spit from it and placed it alongside her carry-on bag. "There it was." she smiled politely as the others face fell.

"Well, Kaiba's leaving, we should probably follow." Joey stated, picking up his duel disk, the only thing he had brought with him. Yugi nodded and the aura form of Yami, a Pharaoh that had gotten trapped in the millennium Puzzle, appeared beside him.

"I sense a great evil brewing, we must be careful." Yami stated. Yugi nodded to him, and followed his friends.

'Whatever it is, we can handle it, I know we can!"' Yugi responded happily, catching up with his friends, and preparing for the challenge of Dragoon Island.

Kou drew his five cards, and upon a signal from his opponent, the cloaked woman named Oracle, had drawn his sixth. "Okay, I'll summon, Warrior Dai Grepher (1700/1600) in attack mode!" the bulging eyes and biceps of a warrior leaped from the cards, and then the rest of his body formed. "And I'll set one card face down behind him!" Kou ended, his Magic or Trap appearing.

Oracle nodded and drew. "I'll activate Pot of Greed." she stated. "Now don't follow in my greedy actions, child, you must continue to see the light." she said mysteriously.

"Just duel, old hag!" Kou yelled, then covered his mouth. "Sorry." he replied. He had the sudden feeling of hatred toward the woman.

"Ah, the darkness does already obscure your path." she said, a sad tone in her voice. "I must bring you to the ways of light, I'll activate my Polymerization magic card," she stated Kou bit his lip, knowing a strong monster was coming. "Now I send to the graveyard my Marie the Fallen One (1700/1200) and The Forgiving Maiden (850/2000), to bring forth, St. Joan (2800/2000)!" she exclaimed. A woman with a beautiful glow around her appeared.

"No way!" Kou exclaimed, realizing exactly how luck of draws she had.

Oracle slid another card into her disk. "I'll also activate, Defusion, to divide my monster and bring it's original components to the field." she stated, true to her word, the angels returned. One was a dark faced woman on her knees, and the other was a praying woman.

"What? That doesn't fit!" Kou informed Oracle. She only continued with her move.

"Next I'll sacrifice my monsters for Guardian Angel Joan (2800/2000)!" her next angel, a kinder looking St. Joan, appeared, her wings spread wide. "I'll equip my protector with Cestus of Dagla," she motioned to a magic card she just played, raising her Guardian Angel Joan's (3300/2000) attack power. "now my monster has the ability to increase my LP by an equal amount to the battle damage she gives you." Kou gulped as she told him this. "And finally, I'll activate Premature Burial, reviving my St. Joan (2800/2000) at the cost of 800 LP." she finished by add in that last card to the duel disk.

"Oh crap!" Kou exclaimed as she called for her St. Joan (2800/2000) to attack.

"I'll end my turn with an attack from my Guardian Angel Joan (3300/2000) increasing my LP by 3300." she stated calmly, as though not caring about LP increases or decreases.

Kou-3600

Oracle-10500

Shisei's jaw dropped. "Did you see that!" he asked Namia, who also had a look of shock on her face. "To pull a combo like that together!" he gulped. "Now we lost a finger!" he cried, unfortunately loud enough for Kou to hear and gulp as well.

Kou drew, looked at the card and set it in his monster zone. "I'll end my turn there." he stated, not confident in victory at all.

Oracle drew and looked at the card for a moment, then she activated it. "My Sanctuary in the Sky activates, as well as my Marie the Fallen One's (1700/1200) effect, I gain 200 LP for her being in the graveyard during my every standby phase." suddenly, the duelists and their monsters were on a large church like sanction. Their surroundings nothing but clouds, some of which showered Oracle with restoring waters. "Now I'll attack your defense with my St. Joan (2800/2000)." she called. Her sword wielding woman lunged and stabbed the facedown Throwstone Unit (900/2000) into pieces. "And I once again end my turn with a direct attack by my Guardian Angel Joan (3300/2000)." The angel blew a kiss at Kou, one which stung a little, and decreased his LP count again.

Kou-300

Oracle-14000

Kou gulped, and drew his next card. Seeing it gave him an idea. "I'll set this card facedown, and one monster in defense mode, end turn." he ended with two facedown magic or traps and a monster.

The woman drew. "I'll activate the Card of Sanctity." she stated, drawing six times to replenish her hand, Kou eagerly drew three cards. "Now I'll activate, Shinato's Ark." A mighty boat with a glowing white sail appeared, glowing with energy. "Then I'll discard my Moisture Creature in my hand, and bring forth the mighty, Shinato King of the Higher Plane (3300/3000)!" the most beautifully winged angel so as yet to appear, extended from the top of the ark, and flew over to join it's friends. "Shinto (3300/3000), attack his defense monster." the monster, Big Shield Guardna (100/2600) was blown into digital dust.

Kou-200

Oracle-14200

"Now my next creature shall end this duel!" she didn't say which one, the Guardian Angel (3300/2000), stepped forward though, blowing another kiss.

"Hold on, you haven't gotten to meet my facedown card, Guardian Angel Joan (3300/2000), say hello to Negate Attack!" Kou smirked as his trap blocked her attack.

"End turn." she said, not at all afraid at this point.

Kou drew. "Okay, say hello to , Mataza the Zapper (1300/800) in attack mode!" his double attacking samurai appeared, glaring at its mightier opponents. Oracle didn't snicker or laugh, she simple motioned for him to continue. "Okay, I'll also activate, Monster Reborn!" he clenched his fist, hoping that this worked. "Now I'll revive my Big Shield (100/2600)!" his large shielded warrior was brought back in defense mode. "I'll also be activating, Warrior's Final Wish!" Oracle didn't look puzzled, but Kou explained its effect anyways. "Now I tribute a warrior type monster, to bring another type of monster on your side of the field, to my side!" he smirked as Guardna disappeared, and Shinato appeared in his place.

"Ah, your seeing the light, good, you must find the power of your deepest soul! Let it be light, not darkness!" Oracle exclaimed vaguely again.

Kou blinked, but shook off the confusion. "Finally, I'll activate, Burning Soul Sword, to tribute your Shinato, and increase my Mataza's attack by the a same amount as Shinato's!" he pointed to his Mataza (4600/800). "Now, Mataza, double attack!" he motioned for her monsters to be destroyed. They were, and she was left defenseless as Kou ended his turn.

Kou-200

Oracle-14400

Oracle drew her next card. As Kou blinked in confusion at the LP count. "Hey, why didn't your LP go down?" he asked. Oracle was busy looking at the card, but she motioned to the Field Magic card.

"Sanctuary in the sky makes all battle damage from Angel type monsters on my field zero." she placed the monster on the summon slot. "Now you lose, I'll summon The Agent of Force - Mars (0/0) in attack mode." she informed him.

Shisei's jaw dropped, but Kou and Namia held back a snicker. "Um, your monster is a little t-" he cut off as he saw the monster's attack growing.
Agent of Force- Mars (14200/14200). "My monster gains the difference in our LP as attack and defense, so long as I have The Sanctuary in the Sky on the field." Oracle said. Kou dropped to his knees in disbelief. "Now, I'll play my facedown card, Hinotama, you lose 500 LP, ending this duel." she picked up her strong cards, and placed them back into her deck.

"Why didn't you use that before?" Kou asked, looking up at her. He was shocked by the loss, but all in all, he didn't find anything wrong with losing to her. Shisei rushed over to hit Kou, but Namia held his hand back, with some difficulty. "Or you could have attacked." Kou finished, as behind him, a desperate struggle was going on, Shisei reaching out to slice off his head with his own blade. Who knows how he got it. And Namia was holding him back.

"Your very strong willed, you must not fall to the darkness brewing within, here, take this, the signature of light." she slid a card out of her pocket, and gave it to Kou, who stood up and took it. "it will surely come in handy." she finished.

Kou looked at the card, Archlord Zerato (2800/2300). "This doesn't fit my deck theme." he said, not even reading the effect. Oracle pointed to the effect at the card's bottom.

"Oh no?" she asked in amusement. The first emotion Kou had heard from her. The shock of this made him look at the card in puzzlement, then gasp to see that it required the Warrior of Zera (1600/1600). He looked up to tell her thank you, but the Oracle, was mysteriously gone.

Next time: After the Oracle fiasco, the group still has three of the ten fingers they need. But suddenly they find themselves being challenged to a double shadow match. Its Namia and Shisei vs. Piercer and Blocker, which team will win? Find out next time on Duel Monsters: Maximum

A/N: I hope the duel satisfied you. Its getting harder and harder to make Kou lose, but this will be his last duel for a while anyway. And to all who care, Chiro will be having his own duel a few chapters from now, so don't stop reading, and reviewing.

To John: No Matrix jokes,sorry, but as for the mystery of Ryuko's BEWD, it will all be explained soon.