Rise of Destiny

Chapter 21

Kaiba VS Auros: Board the Winged Ship! Part 1

Atem, Anzu, and Honda walked through the door to find a plain looking room with just a stairway winding up in circles.

"Let's go!" Honda exclaimed. "There might be another chance to find Shizuka!"

Anzu nodded approval. "I hope she's okay..."

"Yes." Atem said shortly. "But what bothers me most is that she put herself in the danger line to save us. I feel guilty...like I should've done something. Yugi feels the same way.

"I understand, Yugi." Anzu said solemnly.

Honda started up the stairs. "I'm coming, Shizuka!"

Anzu sighed, and followed. Atem was the last to follow.

Kaiba and Mokuba were at the top of the twisting stairwell.

"This is it, Mokuba. It's time to face Auros. Thank you for giving me the strength to go on, instead of hiding like a rotten coward." Kaiba said solemnly.

Mokuba smiled. "Thanks, big brother."

Kaiba smiled. It was a small smile, but Mokuba was delighted to see his brother smile all the same.

They walked through the next door...

Kaiba and Mokuba were standing in a large, circular room with the most amazing thing either of them had ever seen right in front of them, taking up almost the whole room.

It was a massive wooden ship that seemed to shine with radiance. The sails were up and open. A maidenhead was strapped to the front of the ship. A large golden angel wing was painted on both sides of it.

"Woah...that thing's huge!" Mokuba exclaimed. He started to go toward it, but Kaiba placed a hand on his shoulder, keeping the younger boy from moving.

"No, Mokuba." Kaiba said softly. "It could be one of Auros's traps."

"Oh," Mokuba replied. "Yeah."

Suddenly, a portion of the wall facing Kaiba and Mokuba detatched from the ship, and slowly lowered down, like a bridge, to the floor. A man with long black hair wearing a blue trenchcoat that was buttoned up over black pants and boots walked down from the deck of the ship. Kaiba and Mokuba both recognized the figure immediately.

"Auros!" Kaiba exclaimed. "Have you been waiting for us here?"

"You could say that, yes." Auros said nonchalantly, flipping his hair over his shoulder carelessly. "I've lured you here for one reason: To challenge you to a Duel!"

"Why should he duel you?" Mokuba asked angrily, clenching his fists.

Auros didn'y reply. Mokuba took a step forward, and Kaiba held him back.

"Wait a minute. What do you mean, lured us here?" Kaiba asked, his eyes watchful and intelligent.

"Ah," Auros said. "I suppose I can tell you, seeing as neither of you will have a soul soon, anyway. I used dark magic to lure you here."

"You mean---like a Millenium Item?" Mokuba asked.

"No. My powers go much deeper then that. To medieval times, where sorcerors were the most powerful. They used black magic to manipulate reality and distort people's vision of the world. That's what I've been doing this whole time. Unfortunately, my magic is weak, and confined to the inside of my tower. I made this room appear conveniently at the top of the stairwell, so you and your little brother would find me here."

"Nonsense!" Kaiba barked. "Stop feeding us this half-baked magic stuff! I've absolutely had enough of it!"

"Believe what you want, Kaiba." Auros replied, smiling mysteriously. "But it's true. And you will soon find that out. Are you going to duel me, or not?"

"I will. I want to put a stop to this madness once and for all! Let's duel, Auros!" Kaiba shouted heroically, flourishing his Duel Disk.

Auros smiled again. "We're not Dueling here, Kaiba. We will have an aerial battle above my Wooden Ship!" He spread his arms out above his head, gesturing to the ship.

"Fine." Kaiba said. "Come on, Mokuba."

He and Mokuba were about to follow, when the door behind them burst open. Atem, Honda, and Anzu burst in.

"Kaiba!" Atem shouted. "Don't accept his challenge! He's trying to separate us, using a 'Divide and Conquer' strategy!"

"Quiet, Yugi!" Kaiba shouted. "I'm making my descisions, not you!"

"Kaiba, you must listen at least this once! Trust me! It'll do good for all of us!" Atem said. Kaiba scoffed, and stepped toward the Pharoah, sizing him up. Then he took the handle of his sword and deftly thrusted it into Yugi's neck, making Atem gag. His eyelids drooped, and the former Pharoah fell into a state of unconsciousness. Anzu caught him, and laid him gently on the floor.

"Kaiba!" Honda shouted, enraged. "You didn't have to go and do that!"

"You're way out of line!" Anzu said, holding her arms in front of her torso as if to protect herself.

Kaiba didn't say anything. "I'm sorry. You can tell him that when he wakes up. But this is something I have to do. You wouldn't understand."

Honda and Anzu glared at Kaiba as he and Mokuba walked onto the ship. The ship lifted off the ground, bringing up a torrent of wind that blew Honda and Anzu back a bit. Atem still lay unconscious.

Kaiba and Auros faced eachother on the deck of the ship, Duel Disks in Duel Mode, the wind blowing furiously. Mokuba stood behind Kaiba.

"Open Soul Cards!" Kaiba shouted. Auros did the same. Blue Eyes White Dragon, Blue Eyes Ultimate Dragon, and God of Obelisk appeared behind Kaiba. Three cards appeared behind Auros.

D U E L S T A R T

Kaiba: I'll go first! I summon Lord of Dragons(1200/1000)! And I'll equip my monster with two Flute of Summoning Dragons cards! These cards allow me to Special Summon four Dragon type monsters to the field! But luckily for you, I'll only summon three! My three Blue Eyes White Dragons(3000/2500)!

A muscular man in a blue jumpsuit with dargon-bone plated armor appears on the field. He blows two horns with wide mouths that resemble dragons, and then three huge dragons with deep blue eyes appear on the field.

Kaiba: And next I'll play Polymerization, to fuse my Dragons into one! The Blue Eyes Ultimate Dragon(4500/3800)! I end my turn, Auros.

The three white dragons disappear with a flash of blinding light, and in their place appears an even large dragon with three heads, with a total of 6 piercing blue eyes staring right at Auros...

Auros: First off, I'll play the Spell card Judge Man's Gavel! This card deals 600 points of damage to your Life Points.

A Spell card appears on the field. It's picture shows a large gavel coming down on an unfortunate man. A large gavel appears in the air, and comes down with lightning speed, smashing into Kaiba. It raises up, and Kaiba is unscathed. His Life Points drop.

Kaiba/3400 Auros/4000

Auros: And I'll just play one card face down and end my turn. Your move.

Kaiba: I draw! And I'll equip my monster with Megamorph, doubling it's ATK power!

Blue Eyes Ultimate Dragon (9000/3800)

A circular stone slab, brown with age, appears behind the dragon. It doubles in size.

Kaiba: Now, kill him, my mighty dragon! Attack and win the duel!

Blue Eyes Ultimate Dragon fires three blinding blasts of white energy toward Auros, who does nothing except press a button on his Duel Disk. The button to activate a Spell or Trap card...

Auros: I activate my Trap card - The Red Judge!

A Trap card appears on the field. It's picture shows a metallic red suit of armor holding a gavel.

Auros: Let me explain. This card forces you to roll a die. The number rolled on the die times 1000 will determine the damage your monster does to my Life Points.

Kaiba: Hmph! I'll still wipe you out if I get anything higher then a four!

He takes out a die from his pocket, and rolls it on the deck of the ship. It lands on a 1.

Kaiba: No! I was supposed to win!

Blue Eyes Ultimate Dragon fires it's three attacks, and Auros's Life Points drop.

Kaiba/3400 Auros/3000

Auros: And, if you remember, your Megamorph card will now halve the ATK points of your Dragon, seeing as you now are in the lead.

Kaiba: Damn! You're right.

Blue Eyes Ultimate Dragon (2250/3800)

Auros: It's my turn, so I set two more cards face down and end my turn.

Kaiba: I draw! And even though my Ultimate Dragon has been weakened, he can still put you out of commission! Blue Eyes, attack again!

Blue Eyes Ultimate Dragon rears up for another attack, but is stopped by another trap card.

Kaiba: What the hell?

Auros: I activate the Trap card Final Judgement!

A Trap Card appears on the field. It's picture is blank.

Auros: This Trap Card will judge your monster and deem it worthy or not of attacking my Life Points. Go now, Final Judgement! Judge the Blue Eyes Ultimate Dragon!

A picture of Blue Eyes Ultimate Dragon appears on the previously blank picture of Final Judgement. The card shatters.

Auros: Oops. Looks like my card deemed your Dragon unworthy. Which means that your monster is automatically destroyed. Are you going to finish your turn?

Kaiba: I end my turn now.

Auros: Very well, then. I draw!

He draws one card.

Auros: laughs I've just drawn the card that will assure your demise! Kaiba! You have not experienced Hell before this duel!

To Be Continued

NEXT: Board the Winged Ship! Part 2