WHAZZUP! That's right, G.O.T. Nick has finally returned to Tokyo Tournament after a nearly three-month-long hiatus. Without further ado, it is now time to continue Tokyo Tournament with the long-awaited and highly anticipated (at least by some of you…) twenty-seventh chapter.
But first, a recap: …Screw this, just go back over the last few chapters if you can't remember anything…
Tokyo TournamentChapter Twenty-Seven: In Cold Blood
Also Entitled: Happy Holidays…Stay Warm…
Giyan, Yamato, Lin, and Term sat in a circle in one corner of their prison. They knew that outside the Shadow Realm, Yugi and the others would continue to duel for the right to face Youkai. Should Yugi face Youkai and lose, the world would be doomed no matter what they did. However, if Yugi lost before he could face Youkai, he would be sent to the prison they currently resided in. If and when that were to happen, they would have to find a way to get everyone out of the seemingly impermeable prison.
"Alright," said Yamato, "let's review our current situation. We need to get out of this room. It has no conceivable exits. The walls allow strikes of sufficient force to pass through them, but instantly reform afterwards."
"I could solve that problem," Giyan spoke up. He held his palms together, and a ball of light and dark energy sparked into existence, "I could probably make a tunnel and hold it up long enough for everyone to get through. Only problem is, I don't know what's on the other side of these walls or how thick they are. I don't know if the tunnel I make will be long enough to penetrate the entire wall or if there's something outside guarding us… the list goes on."
At this time, there was the distant sound of howling wind. "What's that?" asked Lin.
"Dimensional tunnel," replied Term as he pointed upwards at a strange vortex that had appeared in the middle of the ceiling, "it's how Youkai's been dumping us here. The loser of the last duel will fall out of it pretty soon."
"Better break their fall," muttered Lin as he quickly stood up and walked to the center of the prison. He then braced himself to catch whoever had lost the previous duel. Mai's unconscious form soon fell into his arms. "Hm, well I guess that Kai guy one," he mused as he began to set Mai on the floor. That was when Kai fell onto his back.
"Guess not," murmured Term as Lin groaned from beneath Kai.
"It must have been a draw," prompted Giyan, "and that means only six duelists remain. We'll have to work quickly if we're going to get out of here." He then stood up to help Lin, and as he did so he looked over the others who were imprisoned with them. The three teenage duelists -Kevin Hunter, Zachary Kiselob, and Mike Sullivan-, who had all been so passionate and determined during their duels, now seemed very much subdued. Mokuba was hunched against a wall, calm and silent. Giyan knew that he was worried, but was confident that his older brother would rescue him. Then there were Joy and Serenity. The two young girls were falling apart, and were being comforted by Tea and Tristan, who themselves were as calm and collected as they could be under the circumstances.
Breaking his train of thought to lift Kai off of Lin's back, Giyan sensed three things happen in quick succession. He felt the realization of someone missing. Next he heard Tea gasp and scream, "Giyan! Look o-!" And finally, he felt and saw the blade of a very sharp knife being stabbed straight through his back…
-…Earth…-
Yami activated his Duel Disk and stared across the dueling field at Kirbin, whose face was still downcast. From what Joy said about Kirbin's multiple essences, Yami thought, there's no telling what kind of strategy he'll use. I'll just have to be prepared for anything.
Yami suddenly noticed that Kirbin was changing again. His pink hair was paling and growing in length. His skin was also paling as well. This continued until his hair was completely white and hung over his shoulders, while his skin was only a few shades darker than white. The Kirbin's new essence raised his head and opened his eyes, revealing cold, light blue irises. "My name is Frost," he said in a voice that was calm, matter-of-factly, and emotionless, "I shall be dueling on Kirbin's behalf."
Youkai grinned, I hope this Frost can give the Pharaoh a decent challenge. I'd hate to take his Millennium Puzzle without his having warmed up. "Let the quarter-finals begin!"
Frost: 4000 Yami: 4000
"I shall begin this duel," stated Frost as he drew six cards. Yami nodded and drew his own starting hand of five. The Frost selected one of the six cards in his hand and placed it in one of his Duel Disks Spell/Trap slots. "I shall begin my turn by playing the Spell known as Cold Wave." From Frost's card erupted a blast of water that soaked both duelists before quickly dissipating. Yami felt himself shiver violently as the water slammed into him. The water was unfathomably cold, and it left the former Pharaoh rolled into a ball in an attempt to keep himself warm. Stunned by the sudden blast of cold, Yami could only listen as Frost talked, "You've probably never felt nearly this cold, being from a place like Egypt. Of course, the effect of a wave of water whose temperature is more than one hundred degrees below 0 would be devastating to the majority of the human race. I've dealt with things much colder, though. You probably don't know just how deadly the cold is. Extremely low temperatures can cause many horrible things to a person. Numbness, frostbite…I could give you a very long list. Of course the effects of the cold are not usually instantaneous, but rather happen over time as the victim is slowly weakened. The Cold Wave's effect represents that weakening: it will prevent both of us from playing or setting any other Spell or Trap cards until the end of your turn. Until then, I'll set a monster in defense mode and end my turn." The card appeared in a facedown horizontal position in front of him.
Yami got to his feet, feeling the initial effects of the Cold Wave beginning to vanish. He calmly drew his card and grimaced. Without the ability to play or set Spell or Trap cards, his hand was nearly useless! As soon as my turn is over, Frost will no doubt go on the attack, and I'll have practically nothing to defend myself with! The best I can hope for is to attempt to destroy his monster and leave him less to work with. "I shall summon Beta the Magnet Warrior (1700/1000) in attack mode!" The now-familiar yellow magnet being appeared from the shadows without a sound. It raised its claws in preparation for attack, and centered its strange, beady eyes on the monster Frost had set. "Beta, attack his facedown monster!" The Magnet Warrior charged forward, its metal feet sounding against the ground loudly. As it reached the horizontal card, it raised its arms and brought them down hard on the card, which flipped up to reveal a purple penguin wearing red shoulder pads and clutching a short-bladed sword in its unwieldy wings.
"You've attacked my Penguin Soldier (750/500)," said Frost, "and now that's he's been flipped, I'll use his effect to return himself and your Magnet Warrior to our hands." The Penguin Soldier avoided Beta's strike and swung its sword through the air, generating a gust of cold wind that blew both it and Beta off the field. Yami grimaced and took Beta off his Duel Disk and Frost did the same with his Penguin Soldier. "Since you've already summoned this turn and cannot play Spell or Trap cards for the duration of the turn, I assume your turn is over." Frost drew another card, bringing his hand up to six cards again. Then he selected three of the cards in his hand and placed them in his Duel Disk, "I'll set two cards facedown and also summon my Cannon Soldier (1400/1000) in attack mode." The two cards appeared in front of Frost immediately before the purple machine appeared. "And with nothing standing in my monster's path, I'll order Cannon Soldier to attack directly!" The robot adjusted the black cannon on its torso, and fired a burst of red energy at Yami. Yami quickly summoned a barrier of energy from the Millennium Puzzle to deflect the blast, but stumbled backwards as the attack struck him.
Frost: 4000 Yami: 2600
"I'll end my turn there," concluded Frost.
Yami drew and allowed himself to grin as he looked over his hand. "You've made two grave mistakes, Frost. The first was allowing me to use Spells and Traps this turn, and I'll take advantage of that by setting two cards facedown." The two cards appeared across from Frost's own two cards. Yami felt a bit of relief in the knowledge that he was now able to defend himself. "The other mistake was attacking with a monster as weak as the Cannon Soldier. You knew very well that I had a stronger monster in my hand, and I'll take advantage of the weak target you've left on the field by re-summoning Beta the Magnet Warrior and attacking again!" The yellow magnet being appeared on the field once again, and immediately began to charge the weaker Cannon Soldier, intent on swinging the tide of the duel.
But then something that Yami had never seen before happened: a sheet of ice appeared just a foot over the ground, sweeping across the field to trap the legs of both Beta and the Cannon Soldier. His and Frost's legs were also trapped. "What is this?" blurted Yami as he felt the cold touch of the ice chilling his lower legs.
"One of my Trap cards was Gravity Bind," explained Frost, motioning to one of his facedown cards, which had flipped up, "it prevents all monsters above level 3 from attacking. It appears the physical representation of the card's effect has been altered by my own abilities."
Yami frowned at this. None of his monsters had over 1400 attack and were below level 3, which meant none of his monsters would be able to attack and destroy Cannon Soldier while Gravity Bind was on the field. Luckily, one of the cards he had just set would be able to destroy Gravity Bind… As Yami thought, he suddenly became aware of the lack of feeling in his lower legs. He gasped and looked down, realizing they had just gone completely numb.
"I see you've finally realized the deadliness of the cold," said Frost as he observed Yami's actions. He inwardly thought how the unexpected effects of his cards were limiting Yami's abilities. This gives me a distinct advantage. If I can dull the pharaoh's concentration enough, he may not even be able to defend himself. For now, though, I'll stick to my original strategy. "And now I'll practically insure my victory by activating the card known as Scapegoats." Four small, spherical goats appeared around Frost's Cannon Soldier, and Yami stared in shock.
Oh no! With Penguin Soldier in his hand, he'll be able to sacrifice a total of six monsters to Cannon Soldier's effect. And at 500 points damage per monster, I'll be defeated immediately!
Frost drew, and immediately his four Scapegoats vanished in a flash. Then the Cannon Soldier four bursts of energy at Yami in quick succession. The pharaoh brought up another barrier of energy in an attempt to ward off the attacks, but his defenses were growing weaker with each assault.
Frost: 4000 Yami: 600
But the former pharaoh could not be defeated so easily. Struggling to stand with his feet held immobile, Yami still managed to press a button on his Duel Disk, and one of his facedown cards flipped up, "I activate my Raigeki Break, which allows me to destroy one card on your field at the cost of one card from my hand!" He quickly flipped a card from his hand into his Duel Disk's graveyard slot, then pointed a finger at Frost's Cannon Soldier. "I'll target your machine!" A bolt of lightning shot from his fingertip, striking the purple robot and causing it to explode.
Frost frowned, then played a single card from his hand, "I'll play my second Cold Wave." Yami immediately braced himself as the blast of freezing water poured about him. He had to hold his breath for several seconds before the water dissipated, leaving him soaked and lying flat on the ice. "I'll also set a monster in defense mode and end my turn."
Yami's eyes widened as he realized what Frost planned to do. If he had just set Penguin Soldier, then he would only have to flip it to return any monsters on Yami's field. Then the path would be clear for the Soldier to attack, which would finish Yami off. He could only hope that the card he had drawn would help him…Yami glanced at the card and sighed in disappointment. "I end my turn."
"Then it's time for me to end this duel," said Frost as he drew. He glanced at his new card and immediately played it, "I play Mystical Space Typhoon, which will destroy your last facedown card." The dreaded whirlwind appeared from Frost's new card and swept towards Yami's facedown card. In mere moments the last defense will fall…
…Or so it appeared. "That's not going to work!" cried Yami as he waved his arm and the card flipped up, "the card you targeted was Waboku, and I'll activate it now before you can destroy it!" The trio of blue-robed priestesses emerged from the card just as the Mystical Space Typhoon destroyed it. The card was destroyed, but its effect had been activated.
"That card will buy you just one more turn," stated Frost as he grabbed the monster on his Duel Disk and flipped it, "I'll activate my Penguin Soldier's effect, returning he and Beta the Magnet Warrior to our respective hands." The Penguin Soldier appeared a second time and immediately slashed its sword. The resulting wind blew it and Beta off the field once again. "I'll then set a monster in defense mode and end my turn."
Yami closed his eyes and sighed as the priestesses of Waboku vanished. He had saved himself for one turn, but knew that he was running out of options. If Frost drew another Cold Wave, any Trap that Yami set would be useless. There was only one card that could save him now, and he had to draw it or lose the duel. Yami placed two fingers on the next card of his deck and began to slide it free. Then he gripped it with his thumb and silently prayed. Heart of the Cards…I ask you, please give me the card I need to win this duel! He pulled the card free, opened his eyes, and smiled.
"I begin by playing the Pot of Greed, which will allow me to draw two new cards!" Once again he could only hope for the right cards as he drew. And once again his deck rewarded him. "I play Curtain of Black Magic!" he yelled as he played the Spell, "At a cost of half my Life Points, I may now summon the Dark Magician (2500/2100) directly from my deck!" A large black curtain appeared in front of Yami, then fell to the ground to reveal the dreaded mage clothed in purple robes and armor. Its eyes and staff glowed green as it stood at the ready.
Frost: 4000 Yami: 300
"Then I'll play a card known as Baptism of Light and Dark!" Yami's next card caused the Dark Magician to glow a brilliant white. And as he glowed, the mage began to change. His flowing robes melded into his armor, which had become leather; his pointed helmet became a horned headdress; his hair became longer and unkempt; and his staff elongated and became a simple rod with a jewel at its tip. "By playing Baptism of Light and Dark, I can transform my Dark Magician into one of the most powerful mages ever known! Behold, Dark Magician of Chaos (2800/2500)!" The mage stopped glowing, revealing a new spellcaster that was adorned with leather armor of dark blue and red. His skin was a lighter shade of blue, and his eyes were a brilliant yellow.
"Your monster is powerful, but useless," commented Frost, "look at how even he is imprisoned by Gravity Bind!" Sure enough, the Magician's legs were trapped in the ice, and he was struggling to free himself.
"Don't have so much confidence in your Gravity Bind," said Yami, "because my turn is far from over. First, I'll use the effect of my Dark Magician of Chaos, which allows me to regain a Spell card from my graveyard." He immediately ejected his graveyard stack from his Duel Disk and selected one card from it. Then he added the card to his hand and placed the remainder of his graveyard in the slot again. "And now I'll play another Spell, called Move Dead, which allows me to shuffle one monster in my graveyard back into my deck. I'll select the only one there: my Dark Magician."
"I don't see how that will help you," stated Frost.
"I do," murmured Nick.
Kaiba had seen it too, and he was grinning openly, Leave it to Yugi to snatch victory from the jaws of defeat…
"You seem rather ignorant, Frost," said Yami, "because the Spell card I added to my hand from my Dark Magician of Chaos was this: Curtain of Black Magic! Now I can Special Summon my Dark Magician a second time!" The purple-robed mage reappeared from its trademark curtain, ready to do battle once again.
Frost: 4000 Yami: 150
"You seem to be neglecting the cards I have on the field, Pharaoh," said Frost. There's no way either of your Magicians will be able to get past my Gravity Bind."
"Is that so, Frost?" questioned Yami, "Because now that I have my Dark Magician on the field, I can wipe out your Gravity Bind with this card: Dark Magic Attack!" The Dark Magician raised its staff and gathered dark energy, then released in a wave of force that blew away the ice that imprisoned he and the Dark Magician of Chaos.
"My Trap is gone," admitted Frost, "but it doesn't matter. Once my Penguin Soldier is flipped, it will eliminate the threat your Magicians pose."
"Your Penguin Soldier will never get the chance to use its effect!" cried Yami as he played another card, "because I play Thousand Knives, which will destroy your monster immediately!" Six knives immediately appeared in the Dark Magician's hands, and he skillfully threw them towards Frost's facedown Penguin Soldier. The remaining nine hundred ninety-four appeared from the air around the Dark Magician and quickly followed the ones he had thrown. Frost's monster was skewered. "And now, with the path clear, its time to end this duel. Dark Magician, Dark Magician of Chaos, attack together! Double Dark Magic Attack!" The two mages raised their staffs and launched enormous waves of black energy at Frost, hurling him backwards and ending the duel.
Frost: 0 Yami: 150
"Well, that was boring," said Youkai, "I really wish the pharaoh could've frozen a bit more…Oh well! Begin the next duel! Shaun vs. Seto Kaiba!"
-…The Shadow Realm…-
Giyan stared dumbly at the blade that was now stuck through his chest. His entire mind was screaming to do something, but his body had gone into temporary shock. The knife was pulled out of his back, and he was aware that it was now being held against his neck. A voice right next to his ear was saying, "No one make a move, or I'll slit this bi-haired freak's throat."
Giyan immediately knew who it was. This was Wraith, the spirit that resided within the Millennium Ring that Bakura wore. Giyan had been wondering where the British boy had gone… Giyan's thought pattern was interrupted as he realized his hair had just been insulted. He tried to say something to the millennia-old thief that he desperately needed to see a barber, but his mouth refused to respond.
Giyan's mind was now spinning, and he was unable to concentrate on anything. The possibilities of what to do only flashed momentarily in his mind before he focused on something extremely unimportant. As his mind wandered, he became more and more aware that there was a howling of wind over his head, and it bothered him. But he was also aware that Wraith was too busy talking to notice it at all. As the howling grew louder, Giyan tried more and more to figure out what it was. Just as he figured it out, he felt his face hit the floor. Kirbin had fallen on Wraith, knocking him unconscious.
Eventually Giyan's head cleared, and he became aware that bodies were being lifted off of him. As he himself was helped up by Yamato, Giyan suddenly had a flash of inspiration.
"You all right?" asked Yamato.
"Yeah, I'm fine," assured Giyan as he slumped against a wall and used his powers to heal the wound in his torso, "and I've come up with an escape plan…"
Next time on Tokyo Tournament: Giyan outlines his plan and Shaun takes on Kaiba! Happy Holidays to all!