Author's Note: Out of all the chapters I've written so far, this is probably going to be the biggest one. But at the same time, you'll see exactly why I called this "Yu-Gi-Oh! Champions".
Shout-Outs…
ABOOKS5117 – Buckle up buddy, the duels only get more intense from here!
ChroniclerDL – 1) I really wanted to sell how creepy Heishin's mind control is. 2) Simon likes a challenge and sees a worthy rival in Cole. 3) Yeah, I figured Britney would have dealt with enough assholes to get a 'sixth sense' of when trouble's afoot.
Yu-Gi-Oh! Champions: Rise of Reshef
Chapter 5: 'King Meets Knight'
Cole Yeager recently made a name for himself when he defeated Simon Kaiser, the Pro Circuit Champion, in a duel. He even caught the attention of pro Duelist Britney Blaze, and she agreed to spend the day with him. Their date was interrupted by Josh Jackson, a Duelist who had wanted to face Cole.
But Josh wasn't himself: he was being controlled by a sorcerer named Heishin. Heishin intends to use the power of the Century Items to raise the titan Reshef – and Cole has one of those items! But it must be won by combat…or as we know it, a duel.
However, this isn't like any duel Cole has ever fought. Heishin reworked Josh's deck around the master thieves known as the Dark Scorpions – and took out half of Cole's life points in one shot in addition to decimating his deck. And since this is a Shadow Game, if Cole loses his soul is forfeit!
Avalon City.
"I admire your tenacity, Yeager," Josh – or rather, Heishin – sneered. "But it's all for naught. You're down to half your life points. You've been forced to discard precious cards thanks to my Dark Scorpions. And you have no monsters on the field. Your chances of winning this duel are slim to none."
"Hey didn't you hear the lady?" Cole retorted. "As long as I have cards, I have a chance! And I have two cards that'll take down your Dark Scorpions!"
He pulled the two cards from his hands. "First, I activate the Spell card, Nobleman of Extermination! It lets me target one face-down Spell or Trap on the field and remove it from play! And the same goes for any copies of it in your deck!"
The sneer quickly disappeared from Josh/Heishin's face. "WHAT?!"
A massive knight appeared on Cole's side of the field, brandishing a broadsword. He let out a mighty yell and dashed forward, slashing the face-down Dark Scorpion Combination in half! Glaring, Josh/Heishin took out his deck from his Duel Disk and pulled the third Dark Scorpion Combination from it.
"And I hope you're not too attached to those Dark Scorpions, because they're next!" Cole continued, slapping another card on his Duel Disk. "I summon the Knight of Twin Swords in attack mode!" Yet another knight appeared, this one wearing dark purple armor. True to his name, he carried a longsword in each hand.
Knight of Twin Swords
(Level 4/Warrior/Earth/ATK: 2000/DEF: 1000)
When this card destroys a monster as a result of battle, it can make an additional attack in a row. At the end of your Battle Phase, switch this card to defense position.
"Knight of Twin Swords has a great special effect: every time he destroys a monster, he gets to make an additional attack. And guess what? He's got enough attack to wipe out all your Scorpions and your life points!" Cole fixed Josh/Heishin with a cold glare. "Still think I don't have a chance?"
The mind-controlled Duelist had no reply.
"Knight of Twin Swords, attack Gorg the Strong!" Cole shouted. "Storm of Blades!"
The Knight of Twin Swords dashed forward, his swords a blur. Soon Gorg's mace fell to pieces as the muscular Dark Scorpion shattered into pieces.
Cole: 2000 LP/ Josh (Heishin): 2700 LP
But Josh snarled, "I won't lose to you! Activate the quick-play spell, Revenge Sacrifice! It allows me to sacrifice your Knight of Twin Swords and summon a monster in its place. And I choose Caius the Shadow Monarch!" (Level 6/Fiend/Effect/Dark/ATK: 2400/DEF: 1000) A hulking figure appeared, clad in jet-black armor. Eldritch lightning danced around its body.
"S***," Cole growled. "I end my turn."
"AAAAAAAGH!" Eleanor shouted, clutching at her hair. "Cee almost had this guy!"
"Hey, calm down Eleanor," Britney said. "He still managed to beat Josh's Dark Scorpion Combo, and took out one of his strongest monsters. He still has a chance."
"Maybe…maybe not."
Everyone turned to see Simon Kaiser standing there, arms crossed. "A Duel is a game of push and pull. One minute you might have the upper hand…the next, your opponent gets the cards he needs to turn the tide. I should know."
"What are you saying…Cole might actually lose to this guy?" Eli said, eyes wide.
"He's not going to lose." This time, everyone looked at Britney, whose eyes were firm as she stared at Cole. "Cole has something this guy doesn't…a Duelist's spirit. He won't give up until he's out of cards or life points. And I have the feeling he might have a trick or two up his sleeve."
"I draw!" Josh/Heishin smirked and looked at Cole. "Prepare to say farewell to your little friends, Yeager…and to enter a world of eternal torment! Caius, attack him directly! Monarch's Twilight!"
Caius held his hands together, eldritch energy building in them, and hurled a massive orb of pitch-black energy! It flew right at Cole, who stared it down defiantly.
"Oh my god…" Eleanor gasped.
Eli buried his face in his sister's jacket. "I can't watch!"
Hana's eyes widened in horror.
Simon lowered his head.
No…thought Britney, her heart hammering in her chest. This can't be the end.
And then they all heard Cole shout, "I activate the effect of Electromagnetic Turtle!"
A card slid out of his graveyard, and soon a massive metal turtle appeared in front of him. Electromagnetic energy shot forth from its shell, stopping the orb in its tracks and sending it flying.
"WHAT TRICKERY IS THIS?!" Josh screamed.
"No trickery, dude, just my Turtle's effect." Cole replied, folding his arms. "I can remove it from my graveyard and end my opponent's battle phase. Really have to thank you man - if your Dark Scorpions hadn't taken out most of my cards I wouldn't have gotten to use it."
Suddenly, an empty cup bounced off the knight Duelist's head and he turned to see his friends glaring at him. "What?"
"YOU JERK!" Hana shouted.
"What's the big idea, scaring us like that?!" Eleanor added.
Simon merely smirked. "There's the Cole Yeager who beat me," he said, mostly to himself.
The Realm of Godai.
Heishin gripped his Century Rod so tightly that his hand throbbed. "How?" he snarled to himself. "How dare this brat defy me?!" Rage lanced through every fiber of his mind – godhood was within his fingertips, and he'd be damned if anybody stood in his way. He spoke through gritted teeth, his anger being filtered through Josh's lips. "I end my turn. But your luck won't hold out forever!"
Avalon City.
Cole drew a card and his eyes widened as he looked at it. He then turned and smirked at Josh. "Oh man, you're gonna regret saying that. I activate Change of Heart to take control of Caius the Shadow Monarch!" A woman, possessing an angel's wing and a devil's wing, flew into Caius's chest. The Shadow Monarch then lumbered over to Cole's side of the field. "Next I use Monster Reborn to resurrect another monster you sent to my graveyard. Welcome back, Knight of Twin Swords!" Once again, the Knight of Twin Swords reappeared, his swords at the ready.
"No…" Josh's eyes dilated with shock. "How could this child defeat me!?"
"Caius, attack Don Zaloog!" Cole shouted out. Once more the Shadow Monarch flung a blast of eldritch energy that encompassed the Dark Scorpions' leader, completely obliterating him.
Cole: 2000 LP/ Josh (Heishin): 1700 LP
"Now Knight of Twin Swords, attack Cliff the Trap Remover!" The Knight of Twin Swords dashed forward and sliced through Cliff, who fell to his knees and shattered into pieces.
Cole: 2000 LP/ Josh (Heishin): 900 LP
"And now time to end this duel. Finish off Chick the Yellow, Knight of Twin Swords!"
Once again the dual wielding swordsman lunged forward and sliced through Chick.
Cole: 2000 LP/ Josh (Heishin): 0 LP
Suddenly, Josh's eyes lost their clouded look. "Hey, what-" But then, before everyone's eyes, a massive hand made of shadows reached up from the ground and grabbed him! He didn't even have time to scream as he was dragged down into the shadows.
"…oh God, he wasn't joking." Cole muttered. Then he wobbled and collapsed to the ground.
"COLE!" Britney shouted, running over to him. She turned him over and placed a palm on his forehead. "We need to get him to a hospital – he's lost a lot of blood."
As if on cue, Simon's limo rolled up. The Dragon Duelist put his phone away and hoisted Cole into a fireman's carry. "Don't worry, I'll take him there."
The Realm of Godai.
Secmeton and Marthis thought they would have time to rest after getting back to the palace. But they were wrong, as Heishin immediately pummeled them with a blast from his Century Rod.
"You had one task! ONE! And you let Muto and Wheeler beat you?!" the elderly mage roared. Secmeton immediately picked himself up, keeling. "My lord-"
"SILENCE!" Heishin snarled, turning back to his stolen throne. "Reshef must be freed, and I need the Items to do it-"
MAGE.
That single world, spoken like a thunderbolt, stopped Heishin mid rant.
"R-Reshef?"
YOUR FAILURE IS BEGINNING TO IRK ME. WHEN YOU CAME TO ME YOU SWORE YOU WOULD GATHER THE ITEMS AND THE POWER OF THE GODS NEEDED TO FREE ME. IN RETURN, I WOULD GRANT YOU AND YOUR FELLOW SPELLCASTERS A PLACE AT MY SIDE WHEN I REMAKE THIS UNIVERSE. WAS I WRONG TO TRUST YOU?
"No…no you weren't! I can still find the Items!" Heishin pleaded, his skin turning even paler than usual.
SEE THAT YOU DO. I CAN ONLY WAIT FOR SO LONG…
As soon as it had appeared, the ominous voice dissipated, leaving Heishin silent for once. Secmeton took this time to stand up. "My lord…before we sought out Muto and Wheeler we obtained the other items you were looking for." From his robe, the Sea Mage produced three Duel Monsters cards and handed them to his master.
Heishin took the cards and looked them over. Soon a sinister smile spread across his face. "You two have done well." He picked up the Century Rod once more, its eye pulsing, and his smirk grew wider. "As for the Items…rest assured, they'll be within our hands soon enough. And we will crush anyone standing in our way."
Domino City.
Another Earth.
As people spilled out into the Domino City Airport, Tea Gardner breathed a sigh of relief. She loved New York. She loved the fact that she was getting to pursue her passion. But there really was no place like home. Fishing out her cell phone, she smiled at the wallpaper – a picture of Yugi and Joey, both giving a thumbs up sign. They'd taken the picture the day she had left for her studies. I can't wait to see them both, she thought. Especially Yugi…
"Tea!"
Tea looked up and saw a younger girl with auburn hair racing toward her. "Serenity!" She hugged Serenity Wheeler, her smile growing even bigger. The two had grown close over the years, sharing emails and letters – Serenity had even told Tea at one point that she was like a big sister to her. "So glad you made it."
"Tell me about it! It's been so long since I saw Joey, and it's nice to be home," Serenity replied.
At that very moment, Tea's cell phone rang, and she picked it up. "Yugi! Perfect timing!"
Outside the airport, a faint blush colored Yugi's cheeks as he and Joey stood outside the airport. "Tea, hi! We're outside if you guys are ready to go."
Suddenly, Yugi's backpack started to rattle. "Uh, Yuge…?" Joey pointed at the bag. Yugi quickly unzipped it and his eyes widened as he saw the Century Key shaking from side to side, with a faint glow.
Back in the airport, a massive flash of light surrounded Tea and Serenity, causing both girls to shut their eyes. When they opened them again, a jet black necklace was laying in Tea's palm.
"What is that…?" Serenity asked slowly.
Recognition dawned upon Tea's face. "This looks like…the Millennium Necklace!"
Avalon City Hospital.
The mood inside the waiting room of Avalon City Hospital was a grim one. After Cole had been admitted, everyone had either sat down or sunk into chairs. Hana was wringing her hands so tightly that they'd turned white, and Eleanor was hugging a distraught Eli. Simon stood there, arms folded, until…
"Why are you here?"
He turned and saw Britney standing there, hands on her hips. "What?"
"Don't play dumb with me, rich boy," the raven-haired Duelist responded. "I've seen how you treat your opponents: the insults, the outright brutality…you couldn't give a damn about anything as long as you win. Then Cole beats you and you just happen to show up? What's in this for you?"
There was a moment's silence. Then Simon let out a sigh.
"All my life, my father told me I had to be ruthless in getting whatever I wanted. For me that was dueling, so I built my deck around dragons and just decimated everyone in my path. It got to the point where I didn't even find the game to be that fun. Then I heard about Cole…how his dad beat my father…and I thought that would be the spark I needed." A wry smirk crossed his lips. "Guess I was right on one part: he's the first Duelist who ever gave me a real challenge. And I want to make sure he's in fighting shape when we duel again."
He turned and walked off, his blue trench coat flapping behind him. Britney sunk into a chair. For the first time in her life, she found herself praying. God…or whoever's out there…I don't know what's happening between me and Cole but he's the first person to really connect with me. Please, please keep him safe.
Her eyes closed, she didn't notice the searing flash of light…until Eli's voice broke her concentration. "Um, Britney?"
Britney looked and yelped.
In her hand laid a jet black ring, with five points dangling off of it.
Another Time & Place.
A figure in a red jacket strolled toward a familiar building. Slung across his back was a knapsack, and sticking out of said knapsack was a black scale with the Eye of Wadjet emblazoned on it.
"Man, wasn't expecting this to happen on our big weekend," the young man in red said, running a hand through his light brown hair. "But if anyone can help me, it's her…"
Jaden Yuki continued to walk toward the Duel Academy, which was celebrating its tenth anniversary…
New Domino City, Another Time & Place…
New Domino City was well renowned for its futuristic architecture, including skyscrapers that seemed to literally reach into the sky as well as the stadium where it held its Turbo Duels. But it was also home to some of the most prominent scientific minds in the world. And one of them was stuck with a puzzle he couldn't quite decipher.
That man stood staring at a jet black orb that laid in the middle of a research table, his crystal blue eyes locked firmly onto it. It looked for all the world like a human eyeball – and the Eye of Wadjet stamped on it only added to that disturbing imagery.
"Where did you come from?" Yusei Fudo muttered.
TO BE CONTINUNED…
Next Chapter: 'Revenge of the Rare Hunters'
With the Century Items having chosen their new holders, Heishin sends out his agents to retrieve them once again. His first target: Domino City. His minions: the newly reborn Rare Hunters!
And yes folks, your eyes are not deceiving you. Jaden and Yusei are back in the fold! And they won't be the only GX/5D's characters that show up…