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Fanfic Chapter 111: Kaiba vs. the Future Pt 2: The Blue-Eyes Strikes Back
Episode basis: A Duel with Destiny: Kaiba vs. Ishizu
Previously on Yu-Gi-Oh! Revelations were abundant as the mysterious Tenth Duelist was revealed to be Ishizu Ishtar, the sister of Marik Ishtar. She revealed how she and Kaiba organized it to lure Marik and the Rare Hunters out of hiding. She was also the one who asked Dr. Adam Hunter to guard Obelisk the Tormentor, a request which she believe led to the death of the archaeologist and Kevin's father. Even though she claimed to be able to predict the future, Kaiba seriously hurt her by using his crush card to destroy all her powerful monsters. But Ishizu doesn't seem worried. Has she seen the future or is she just in denial? My money's on denial.
"Tell me, Ishizu, do you still think destiny's on your side?" Kaiba taunted. "Because from here, it looks like your future's growing dark."
(K: 2950)
(I: 2400)
Kaiba is wrong, Ishizu thought. I have seen this duel quite clearly, and Kaiba will lose at the hands of his own Egyptian God Card.
"I've got to hand it to Ishizu," Joey said. "She's about to get stomped but she's keeping her cool."
"Well that's the sign of a great Duelist," Amara said. "The ability to stay calm even when losing seems imminent."
"Maybe she does know something we don't," Tristan theorized.
"Nah, it's just an act," Duke dismissed.
"One thing's for sure, she's in major trouble," Harold said.
Yami-Yugi mentally agreed then suddenly had a terrible thought, what if Ishizu does lose this duel? Will the evil inside Marik grow stronger? One thing's for sure, I won't be able to beat him if he grows stronger. Ishizu must win!
"Look at yourself," Kaiba spat. "My Crush Card has sent all your powerful monsters to the graveyard and soon the rest of your cards will join them!"
"I'm quite aware of your plan," Ishizu said calmly.
Kaiba is naïve to think that mere skill will win this duel, Yami-Marik thought. If he truly wants to win, he must confront his ancient past.
Ishizu has no idea what she's in for.
Kaiba will next come after my magic cards.
"I reveal my face-down magic card, Virus Cannon! Virus Cannon wipes out ten magic cards from your deck." Purple smoke engulfed Ishizu's Duel Disk. Kaiba laughed at her, "Look at your pathetic deck! First my Crush Card destroyed all your powerful monsters, now my Virus Cannon destroyed most of your magic cards! Your deck's no threat any more!"
"Come on, Ishizu, get it in gear," Amara cheered.
"You're cheering for her?" Joey asked.
"Let's just say I don't like ego stroking."
"Do you still think you're going to win?" Kaiba asked.
Ishizu simply discarded ten magic cards. "I do indeed. You've played right into my hands and now you've sealed your fate."
"Nonsense! I'm sick of hearing your false predictions!"
"My predictions are quite real," Ishizu said calmly. "And while I may not have monster or magic cards, I still have my trap cards, like this one: Reveal face-down card: Exchange of the Spirit!"
"I never seen that card before," Harold said.
"It's kind of like Toon World," Yami-Yugi exchanged. "There was only one ever put into circulation."
"For a cost of 1000 life points," Ishizu explained.
(K: 2950)
(I: 1400)
"It allows us to exchange the cards in our decks for the cards in our graveyards."
Kaiba looked horrified, But that leaves me with a deck of only six cards!
Mokuba sighed for the umpteenth. "This last line, it seems like not even the Industrial Illusions computer can translate it." Mokuba leaned back, "What could it mean?" Mokuba happened to glance over and saw the status of the duel on a side monitor. "Oh no, Seto's in trouble!" Mokuba ran out of the room.
Kaiba was still in shock from the upset. How could I have let this get so out of hand? He wondered. Has she been leading me on from the beginning?
"Wow, what a comeback," Harold said. "By playing Exchange of the Spirit, Ishizu brought all of the cards destroyed by Kaiba's cards back from the graveyard."
"And dealt a number on his deck to boot," Amara added. "One thing I've learned about Duel Monsters is that it's full of surprises."
"Once Kaiba uses up those six cards in his deck, he'll lose," Yami-Yugi commented.
"But doesn't Kaiba still have that Egyptian God Card in his hand?" Tea asked.
Ishizu hasn't lost her touch, Yami-Marik thought. She strung Kaiba along just as she used to string me along when we were children.
"It's my move," Ishizu announced. "And I summon Kelbek (1) in attack mode. Next I'll place one card face-down and end my turn."
This is my tournament! If I lose, I'll be humiliated!
"I love seeing Kaiba squirm," Joey said chuckling.
"Shows what's happens if you spend too much time ego stroking and not enough dueling."
Mokuba ran onto the observation platform, "Seto, are you okay? What happened?"
"Never mind," Kaiba said dismissively. "Have you finished translating the text on that card yet?"
"Almost, I'm on the last line."
Kaiba's hand was trembling as he drew a card. "The card you'll draw is Virus Cannon," Ishizu told him. And it was. "You can't escape your fate, so play your magic card if you want."
"I won't listen to any more of your nonsense! I activate Virus Cannon!"
"I counter with my trap card Muko!" Muko stopped the activation of Virus Cannon and destroyed it. "Have you accepted the power of my Millennium Necklace yet?"
"Just make your move," Kaiba growled.
"Kaiba's Dark Gremlin is way more powerful than Ishizu's monster," Joey pointed out. "So why doesn't he attack?"
"Maybe he doesn't want to attack yet," Yami-Yugi said. "Maybe he wants to beat her with Obelisk the Tormentor."
"That's got to be the stupidest decision I ever heard someone make," Amara said. "A sensible Duelist would attack with the monsters he or she's got and not wasted time for perfect scenarios."
"Whoever said Kaiba was sensible?" Tristan asked.
"It doesn't matter," Harold said. "Kaiba doesn't have enough monsters to sacrifice for Obelisk anyway."
I wonder… could Kaiba be trying to sacrifice Ishizu's monsters instead?
The only monster that can save this duel for me is Obelisk the Tormentor. Ishizu will cower in fear at the very Egyptian God Card she gave to me!
"I summon Zolga (2) in attack mode." Soon, Kaiba will sacrifice my monsters to summon Obelisk continuing his path to defeat.
I may have only a few cards left, but I have everything I need to win this duel right here in my hand.
"Kaiba, listen to me!" Yami-Yugi called. "You're dealing with a force you can not understand! With this force, mere skill is not enough you have to have faith as well."
"Faith," Kaiba snorted. To Ishizu, he said, "Just move!"
"Zolga, attack his Dark Gremlin with Cape of Destruction!" Zolga's cape revealed little spikes which destroyed the Gremlin. "Kelbek, attack his life points directly!" Kelbek sliced through Kaiba's Duel Disk.
(K: 1350)
(I: 1400)
"I set one card face down and that ends my turn."
Face-down? She must've set another trap for me, but what kind of trap? I have to protect my life points long enough to summon Obelisk. "I draw…"
"Reveal trap card: Muko!" Muko sent the card Kaiba drew to the graveyard.
"Kaiba's running low on cards," Duke noted.
"Yeah," Joey agreed. "If Kaiba wants to summon Obelisk, he better do it fast."
"Is that even possible?" Tristan asked.
"It's possible," Harold confirmed. "But it's a long shot."
"Come on, Seto, I know you can do it! Play your secret weapon! Play Obelisk the Tormentor!"
Mokuba's right, Kaiba thought. My only hope is to summon Obelisk, but first I must sacrifice three monsters, but I don't have any, so I'll have to use Ishizu's monsters. When she summons another monster, I'll activate Soul Exchange to sacrifice her monsters instead of my own. "I place one card face-down and end my turn."
"One more direct attack and Kaiba's history," Joey commented. "So whatever face-down card he has better be strong."
"Knowing Kaiba, it is," Harold commented.
If Ishizu's right, then there's no way Kaiba can win this duel; he's destined to lose this duel, Yami-Yugi thought.
But of course, Ishizu knew what Kaiba wanted to do, Kaiba is going to use Soul Exchange to sacrifice my monsters to summon the Egyptian God Card I placed in his deck and then victory will be mine! "I place one card face-down."
Play a monster card, Kaiba mentally urged. I need three monsters for my plan to work.
The trap card I just laid is the key to my victory. Blast Held by a Tribute places a biotic bomb inside one of my monsters. When Kaiba sacrifices them, the bomb will transfer into Obelisk. "I summon Agido (3)."
There, the stage is complete for my sacrifice, Kaiba thought. But then he hesitated. Wait a minute, what if Ishizu's expecting me to use Soul Exchange, I could be walking into a trap… no, this is my only chance to summon Obelisk, I must seize the opportunity now! "Kelbek, Agido, Zolga, these three monsters are now mine to command! Open face-down card: Soul Exchange!" Ishizu's three monsters disappeared. "Now I summon my Egyptian God Card: Obelisk the Tormentor!" Light particles formed a shaft of light as Obelisk rose from the ground. Kaiba let out a triumphant laugh.
"Guys, I just realized something," Harold said. "If Obelisk is anything like the other two Egyptian God Cards, then it can cause serious damage if it attacks a Duelist directly, which means that when Obelisk attacks, he won't just take Ishizu's life points, he might even take her life as well."
"We have to get Kaiba to stop before he injures Ishizu!" Tea said worriedly.
"It won't do any good," Joey rebutted. "You couldn't convince Kaiba to give a bone to a starving dog."
"Relying on a piece of jewelry is pathetic!" Kaiba chided, "To win a duel takes skill and a very powerful deck! And that means I will triumph and you will be humiliated!"
Kaiba is sorely mistaken, Ishizu thought. When I set my trap card, Blast Held by a Tribute, I infected Zolga with a highly-destructive bomb. When Kaiba used Soul Exchange to sacrifice my monsters to summon Obelisk, he unknowingly transferred the bomb into Obelisk's body. The moment Obelisk attacks, it will detonate destroying Obelisk and taking the rest of Kaiba's life points.
"How can Ishizu win this?" Amara asked.
"I don't think she can," Duke said solemnly. "Obelisk is just too powerful."
The future is clear for me, Ishizu thought. Kaiba will be defeated by his own Egyptian God Card the moment he makes an attack.
"Now, my Obelisk, attack her life points directly!"
"Activate trap card: Blast Held by a Tribute!"
"NOOOOOO!"
This duel won't last much longer, Yami-Marik decided as he turned to leave, unaware that his Millennium Rod was glowing.
"Now, my Obelisk," Kaiba commanded. "Attack…" Suddenly the Millennium Rod shot out a beam of energy towards Kaiba. Kaiba stopped, What… what is this feeling?
In his mind, he could see the stone tablet Ishizu showed him at the museum. What is going on here? Is this another of Ishizu's illusions? The stone tablet became different, more rectangular in shape, and the image it showed was of his Blue-Eyes White Dragon. Kaiba suddenly found himself in a strange stone ruins. An Egyptian Priest was kneeling in front of the Blue-Eyes White Dragon stone tablet. In his arms was a girl with long blonde hair. He heard a dragon roar.
The roar of his Blue-Eyes.
"Someone else is controlling my Millennium Rod!" Yami-Marik concluded. "I can't stop it!"
"Somehow, Marik's Millennium Rod is affecting Kaiba!" Yami-Yugi realized.
Kaiba found himself back in reality. What was that strange hallucination I had? It felt like my Blue-Eyes White Dragon was calling to me. He looked at the dragon in his hand. Maybe I should attack Ishizu with it instead of Obelisk. This goes against my entire strategy but this feeling is too strong to ignore. I now know what I must do: I must summon my Blue-Eyes White Dragon. "I play Silent Doom which lets me bring a monster back from my graveyard in defense mode and I choose Gadget Soldier (4)!" A cyborg carrying a missile launcher appeared.
Ishizu gasped, My necklace didn't predict this!
"I will not be controlled by anybody or anything!" Kaiba declared. "I decide my own future! Now, I offer two of my monsters on the field as tributes!" He removed Obelisk from the duel tray.
"Impossible!" Yami-Marik gasped.
For once, Yami-Yugi agreed with him, to sacrifice monsters to summon Egyptian God Cards is one thing, but to sacrifice Egyptian God Cards to summon other monsters… that was something he would never think of.
"Obelisk and Gadget Soldier, I sacrifice you two to the graveyard! Now I reveal a monster that has never failed me before, a monster that contains my pride and soul as a Duelist! I summon Blue-Eyes White Dragon!" The dragon let out a triumphant roar, like it was declaring itself to be better than Obelisk. It landed nearby Kaiba.
"Kaiba defied Ishizu's predictions!" Yami-Marik realized. "What did he see? What did my Rod show him?"
Yami-Yugi had a theory about that, Marik's Millennium Rod must've showed Kaiba the key to win this duel. Kaiba's destiny is somehow connected to the Blue-Eyes White Dragon and it called out to him, like it was saving him from a horrible fate.
"You're so quiet, Ishizu," Kaiba observed. "Do you realize now that the future can not be predicted with a gold trinket? It is set by skill, intelligence, and fortitude. And that has come together to bring forth the instrument of your destruction! Now, my Blue-Eyes, attack her life points with White Lightning!" The Blue-Eyes let out a blast of energy that engulfed Ishizu.
(K: 1350)
(I: 0)
"The winner of this duel is Seto Kaiba!" Roland cried.
"All right, Seto!" Mokuba cheered. "I knew you could do it! You're the best Duelist I know!"
"Congratulations, Kaiba," Ishizu said calmly. "You flouted the predictions of my Millennium Necklace and won the duel using not the Egyptian God Card, but your soul guardian." She handed him a monster card, Kaiser Sea Horse (5). "You taught me a valuable lesson this night, that destiny is not set, but can be changed by one with a strong will."
Kaiba looked down at her, "If you spend so much time trying to look into the future, you'll never realize what's right in front of you." Ishizu knew Kaiba was speaking metaphorically, but she took it literally. Kaiba turned and walked down the ring steps.
"Here comes Johnny Sunshine," Joey groaned as Kaiba walked by.
To Yami-Yugi, Kaiba said, "I suggest you start preparing for our duel, Yugi."
"I will," Yami-Yugi replied. Kaiba chuckled and walked away.
Kaiba taught me more than he realizes, Ishizu thought as she watched him from the dueling ring. The future is not set, and there's still hope for my brother. When the time comes, I'm sure that Kaiba will play a partin returning Marik to what he once was.
The End
Duel Monster Database
(1)
Name: Kelbek
Level: 4
Type: Fairy/Effect
Attribute: Earth
ATK: 1500
DEF: 1800
(2)
Name: Zolga
Level: 4
Type: Fairy/Effect
Attribute: Earth
ATK: 1700
DEF: 1200
(3)
Name: Agido
Level: 4
Type: Fairy/Effect
Attribute: Earth
ATK: 1500
DEF: 1300
(4)
Name: Gadget Soldier
Level: 6
Type: Machine
Attribute: Fire
ATK: 1800
DEF: 2000
(5)
Name: Kaiser Sea Horse
Level: 4
Type: Sea Serpent/Effect
Attribute: Light
ATK: 1700
DEF: 1650
