Yu-Gi-Oh! Avatar
Fanfic Chapter 153: The Long-Awaited Rematch Pt 1: Yugi vs. Kaiba
Episode Basis: Clash in the Coliseum Pt 1
Amara: Joey was incredible! He took a blast from that Winged Dragon of Ra and was still standing. I would've been blown all the way to Mars. Joey was ready to summon a monster and deliver the final attack, winning a spot in the finals and an Egyptian God Card to boot. But before he could declare an attack, he collapsed. Marik won by a default. Anybody besides me wanted to boot that ref right in the… well, anyway Joey's coma sent everyone into periods of despair, especially Serenity, not that I could blame her. But all news is not bad, the next match is a match all Duel Monster fans have been waiting for: Yugi versus Kaiba. This I have to see.
Kaiba and Roland stood on the dueling platform. Roland checked his watch and commented, "If Yugi doesn't show up for the duel soon, you automatically win, sir."
"He'd be a fool not to show up," Kaiba responded. Thanks to Wheeler's little mishap, Yugi's wasting his time in the Medical Ward. But even his pathetic friends couldn't keep him from our duel.
As he rode up the elevator, Yami consoled Yugi, "We mustn't let Joey's struggle interfere with our concentration. In order to defeat Marik, we must first get past Kaiba."
"You're right, Yami, let's do it." The two merged their spirits and Yami-Yugi exited the elevator and up the stairs and onto the roof of the tower.
"So you decided to show up after all," Kaiba said
"Of course, to miss this duel is to deny my destiny."
"Spare me the melodrama." Kaiba made a gesture with his hand and arena started to rise. "So why didn't the Nerd Herd show up to cheer you on? Are they still trying to wake Wheeler up from his nap? Serves the idiot right for thinking he could stand up to an Egyptian God Card."
"Joey's in a great deal of danger!" Yami-Yugi snapped, outraged of how dismissively Kaiba was treating Joey's condition.
"The dweeb shouldn't have even been here in the first place. I warned him not to play with the big boys but he didn't listen to me and if you ask me, he got just what he deserved… a slap in the face by Ra. If that didn't teach him any sense, then nothing will."
"That's enough! You have no idea how dangerous this Duel Monsters tournament of yours has become, Kaiba! The outcome could put the whole world at risk!"
"The only one at risk is you," Kaiba said pointing his finger for emphasis. "Once I win, you'll no longer be number one."
"It's not always about being number one, Kaiba, it's about dueling with bravery, honor, and respect. And that's something Joey Wheeler did every single day of his life."
"Pathetic, Wheeler can do whatever he wants; I'm only in it for one reason: to be recognized as the Greatest Duelist in the World. As far as I'm concerned, an imbecile like Wheeler has no place in a Duel Monsters tournament." Yami-Yugi was ready to go over there and belt Kaiba one but that wouldn't prove anything. He suddenly realized this is how Harold felt when Amara dismissed Serapheem's destruction like it was nothing. He knew that the only way to prove Kaiba wrong was to use three things: his faith in his deck, his belief in his destiny, and the heart of his friends to guide him.
At her brother's bedside, Serenity rubbed Joey's still hand in both of hers. Suddenly his hand closed in around hers. "I just felt Joey's hand move," she said excitedly.
The Doctor shined a light in Joey's arms before somberly saying, "It's just a reflex."
"Where the heck is that emergency chopper?" Tristan asked.
"Chill, Tristan, it'll be here," Duke assured him.
"Just the same, I'm going to find Mokuba." Tristan ran out.
"Hang in there, Joey."
Tea stared at the ground. When this tournament got so out of hand, she wondered. Why should my friends have to suffer?
"You seem distraught, Tea," Ishizu commented. "Have faith."
"How can I have faith, Ishizu, when both of my oldest and best friends in the world are locked in battles of life and death?"
"Yugi is always telling you to believe in the heart of the cards, is he not? Well now you must believe in him, believe in Yugi and in the light. Even though it may not seem like it, I have faith that my brother will be saved. You must have faith too."
Ishizu's right, Tea thought. I have to have faith in both Yugi and Joey. I know they can win their battles. But I also know that it won't be easy.
Yami-Yugi literally had his game face on as he and Kaiba stared each other down. I must win this duel, Yami-Yugi thought. For Joey… and the world.
Every duel I ever fought in this tournament has led up to this moment, Kaiba thought. The moment I take down Yugi Moto and regain my top dueling status.
"The second match of the Semi-Finals will now begin," Roland announced. "Seto Kaiba will face Yugi Moto. The winner of this will go on to face Marik Ishtar for the Battle City Crown."
"Get ready, Yugi, we're about to find out which of our Egyptian God Cards will reign supreme!"
Amara ran off the blimp. "I hope I haven't missed anything," she said running for the Duel Tower. "A duel between Kaiba and Yugi is like witnessing history." Ever since rumors of Seto Kaiba's first defeat at the hands of Yugi Moto started circling the Duel Monsters community, every Duelist would try to do anything to see it again. There was one particular rumor going around that Kaiba and Yugi faced off again at Duelist Kingdom but Amara didn't see how that was possible since Kaiba publicly dropped out of the tournament after his first battle with Yugi. If she could see it, even if it was for a second, she herself would be a legend as one of the few who saw Yugi and Kaiba duel for the ultimate prize.
"A duel this momentous deserves an appropriate setting, wouldn't you say?" Kaiba pressed a button on his Duel Disk and the four pillars suddenly transformed into holo projectors. Light swirled around them and formed an ancient roman coliseum. Virtual spectators were chanting Kaiba's name. "In ancient times, roman gladiators would face each other to the end to see who was the strongest. Now it's our turn to see who deserves to call himself the greatest in the world. Now draw your first card and let the battle begin!"
Everything is riding on this duel, Yami-Yugi thought as he drew his initial hand. I have to stay focused and win.
"Let's duel!"
(Y: 4000)
(K: 4000)
Yami-Yugi discovered that the sixth card he drew was one of the Knight cards Harold gave him. "I summon Queen's Knight (1) in defense mode." A woman with tightly-pulled back blonde hair in colorful clothes carrying a sword and shield appeared. "I also lay one card face-down. That ends my turn."
"How weak," Kaiba commented as he started his turn. He was delighted to find out that he drew his Egyptian God Card immediately. Looks like fortune once again favors me. Crushing Yugi will be easier than I thought. However, I still need three monsters to sacrifice to summon it. And that's where Yugi comes in.
I wonder if Kaiba is going to use the same strategy on me that he used on Ishizu, Yami-Yugi wondered.
"Mudora, attack his Vorse Raider!"
"Thank you, you activated my trap! Reveal face-down cards!" Kaiba commanded as his two face-down cards flipped up. "First up is the magic card Shrink which cuts my Vorse Raider's attack points in half! This makes it the perfect carrier for my Crush Card virus!" Ishizu let out a little gasp as the purple smoke went into her deck. "Now you have to send every monster with higher than 1500 attack points straight to the graveyard!" Mudora was destroyed.
Using the same trick twice really isn't Kaiba's style. He's obviously been waiting for this rematch; he probably has something different planned.
"I summon X-Head Cannon (2) in attack mode." A robot with a ball for legs and two cannon barrels on each shoulder appeared. "I also play a magic card, a magic card you should recognize."
"It's Spell Sanctuary!"
"That's right, with this we can each pull a magic card from our decks plus we can use it during any turn. So looks like you were wrong when you said that I help out nobody but myself."
Yami-Yugi took the Change of Heart magic card Bakura lent him before the tournament all the while casting a suspicious glance at Kaiba. Why would Kaiba give me instant access to my favorite magic card? Whatever card he chose must've been worth the risk.
"Now I set one card face-down and end my turn." It won't be too long before Yugi will be staring into the face of defeat.
Tristan came onto the bridge where Mokuba was fiddling with the communication consol. "Mokuba, what's up with the rescue team?"
"Bad news, we can't get through, Something's interfering with the communications."
"Don't tell me that," Tristan snapped yanking the headset away from Mokuba. "We need that rescue team now. Mayday, mayday!" He yelled into the microphone. "We need a rescue team over here now!"
"Serenity, are you okay?" Harold asked.
The girl gave him a weak smile. "Yeah, I'm fine, Harold, I'm just hoping Joey wakes up soon."
"I'm sure Joey won't succumb to the shadows without taking half the planet with him."
"And what makes you say that?" Kevin asked. "Mai wasn't able to withstand the darkness."
"Because Joey's one stubborn guy," Harold said. "He won't give up so easily."
Serenity nodded. Kevin had a feeling that Harold was saying that mostly for Serenity's comfort.
Serenity continued holding her brother's hand. "Don't give up, Joey."
"Don't give up, Joey."
Joey looked around. "Huh, who said that?" He looked down at his hand and saw his deck. "Oh yeah, that's right, I'm in a Duel Monsters Tournament." He walked over to his opponent. I'm gonna kick butt.
In a bathroom, Yami-Marik ran his head under cold water. Shaking it dry, he stared at himself in the mirror. "It won't be long now before I control the world," he said to his reflection. He turned and left the bathroom. "A battle between Slifer and Obelisk would be very interesting. Not once in their long history has two Egyptian God Cards been played against each other. Oh yes, it will most definitely be amusing."
As Yami-Yugi started his turn, he wondered why Kaiba didn't attack his Queen's Knight. Did he believe it would be pointless to attack a defense-positioned monster? Or is he simply holding out until he gets enough monsters to sacrifice for his Egyptian God Card? Yami-Yugi decided that his best bet would be to try to summon his own Egyptian God Card before Kaiba could. "I play Alpha the Magnet Warrior (3) in defense mode and set another card face-down. That ends my turn."
If Yugi thinks he can hide behind those pathetic defense monsters of his, beating him will be easier than I thought. He drew a card. Everything is falling into place. Soon, Yugi will be where he rightfully belongs: on his knees worshipping me as the number one Duelist in the land. "I activate the magic card Soul Exchange! With Soul Exchange, I can sacrifice your monsters along with my own." Yami-Yugi's two monsters came over to Kaiba's side. "Now I have all the monsters I need to sacrifice."
"No you don't," Yami-Yugi rebuked. "Go, Change of Heart! This card I got as a result of your Spell Sanctuary card so now I can play it to take X-Head Cannon away from you!" X-Head Cannon floated over to the other side. "So now you no longer have three monsters to sacrifice. You won't summon Obelisk that easily, Kaiba"
"So you saw through one move, I still have plenty more, like this one. I play Enemy Controller. Now by paying 1000 life points I can get X-Head Cannon back. X-Head Cannon joined the two monsters Kaiba already controlled. "You see, I've had this duel under control the whole time. Your only use was to turn over your Egyptian God Card to me. Now I sacrifice Alpha, Queen's Knight, and X-Head Cannon…"
"Stop right there, Kaiba!" Yami-Yugi interrupted. "Go, Lightforce Sword!" His trap card flipped up. A sword stabbed through the Obelisk card. "This removes your Egyptian God Card from play for three turns." He smirked at his opponent. "What's your rush, this duel's just getting interesting."
Kaiba was enraged but only briefly. "You may have brought yourself a little time, but you'll have to face Obelisk sooner or later."
I'm opting for the later, Yami-Yugi thought.
"Where the heck is Tristan?" Duke wondered. "That helicopter better be on its way."
"I'll go check," Kevin volunteered and ran out.
"Hey, has anyone seen Amara?" Duke asked.
"I'm pretty sure she was with us when Joey was first brought in," Tea said.
"Let's just hope she's not doing something ridiculous," Harold said.
During their conversation, Ishizu slipped out. The darkness in my brother must be put down, she thought. But will the winner of today's duel be strong enough to stop him?
Back at the duel, Kaiba's cards have expired which meant that all the monsters returned to their original owners. "I end my turn," Kaiba announced. "But that doesn't mean your safe yet, Yugi."
Yami-Yugi drew a card. He's right, though I have more monsters than him, his X-Head Cannon is the strongest monster currently on the field. And Lightforce Sword can't hold off Obelisk forever. What I need to do is summon my own Egyptian God Card, Slifer the Sky Dragon. I already have two monsters but I still need one more. The only problem is I haven't drawn Slifer yet. I'll just have to hold out and build my defenses. "I place one card face-down and leave my monsters in defense mode."
"That's all? I expected more of a challenge from the world's top-ranked Duelist." If Yugi keeps playing it safe, Obelisk will wipe him out in no time. "It's my move."
Yami-Marik came through the holographic wall. Keeping to the edge of the arena, he said, "I wonder which of these fools will summon their God Card first… not that it matters, since they both will belong to me in the end."
"I play Y-Dragon Head (4) in attack mode." A robot dragon with no legs appeared. "Notice anything similar about these two monsters? Come on, it shouldn't be too hard. One is X-Head Cannon and the other is Y-Dragon Head."
It clicked.
"Are these monsters able to combine together?"
"Very good, Yugi, yes, any two of the three X-Y-Z machine monsters can combine for added power. Observe!" A hatch opened up on the top of Y-Dragon Head and X-Head Cannon inserted itself into it. "Behold XY-Dragon Cannon (5)! And once I summon my Z monster, my Dragon Cannon will get even stronger."
Yami-Yugi was worried. If Kaiba merges his Z monster with the others, it will become unstoppable! I'll have to keep my monsters in defense mode. And once Obelisk is free, he can sacrifice his three-headed monster to summon it. I have only three turns to figure out how to stop him.
"XY-Dragon Cannon, attack his Magnet Warrior now!" The machine fired an energy blast from its barrels and destroyed the warrior made of magnets.
Good thing my monster in defense mode, but if I don't find a way to turn this duel before Obelisk is free, he could finish me off in one blow.
"You look so worried, Yugi," Kaiba noted. "Afraid of losing in shame? Once a Duelist starts thinking about defeat, he's already lost. You might as well forfeit your Egyptian God Card now.
"Kaiba seems to be in control," Yami-Marik observed. "I'll enjoy seeing the Pharaoh squirm."
"I hope I made it in time." Amara ran through the holographic wall. "Good, looks like it just started."
"It won't last long though," Yami-Marik commented. "Kaiba already has the duel in the palm of his hand."
Amara gasped in surprise and turned to look at the white-haired psychopath. Uh-oh, I better keep away from this nutcase. Amara slid away from Yami-Marik towards Kaiba's side of the field. Yami-Marik chuckled at the girl's fright.
"I play Lullaby of Obedience," Kaiba announced. "Now by paying 1000 more life points I can take any card from your deck and add it to my hand."
(Y: 4000)
(K: 2000)
"And I think you can guess what card I want."
"You want my Egyptian God Card," Yami-Yugi grunted.
"It was only a matter of time before the God Card went to a more worthy Duelist." Yami-Yugi and Kaiba walked out to the center of the dueling ring. He removed his deck from his Duel Disk and found Slifer towards the bottom of his deck. Kaiba snapped up the card. "Don't feel too bad, Slifer was buried so deep in your deck that there was no way you could've drawn it so early without my help." He returned to his side of the ring. "Now both God Cards are mine and do you know why? Because everybody gets what he deserves."
To Kaiba's surprise, Yami-Yugi chuckled, "I completely agree," he said calmly. "And I'd like to thank you for helping me claim what I deserve."
"Huh?"
"Knowing how greedy you are, I knew you would try to steal my Slifer so I had a little surprise ready." He gestured to his face-down card. "Open face-down card: the magic card Exchange."
"No, you can't do this to me!"
"I just did, now I can take a card from your hand and I think you know what card I want." Grumbling, Kaiba walked back to the center of the field. "My card, please." Kaiba thrust the card back into Yami-Yugi's hand. "Thank you, now so that there's no hard feelings, you pick a card from my hand." Kaiba grabbed one of Yami-Yugi's trap cards. "A pleasure doing business with you." They returned to their respective sides. "You're right about one thing, Kaiba, Slifer was so deep in my deck that I never would've been able to draw it without your help."
"Don't get cocky, you little upstart," Kaiba exploded. "You're still only a few turns away from feeling real torment and I'll make sure you hurt for each and every insult you've given me!"
To Be Continued
Duel Monster Database
(1)
Name: Queen's Knight
Level: 4
Type: Warrior
Attribute: Light
ATK: 1500
DEF: 1600
(2)
Name: X-Head Cannon
Level: 4
Type: Machine
Attribute: Light
ATK: 1800
DEF: 1500
(3)
Name: Alpha the Magnet Warrior
Level: 4
Type: Rock
Attribute: Earth
ATK: 1400
DEF: 1700
(4)
Name: Y-Dragon Head
Level: 4
Type: Machine/Union
Attribute: Light
ATK: 1500
DEF: 1600
(5)
Name: XY-Dragon Cannon
Level: 6
Type: Machine/Fusion/Effect
Attribute: Light
ATK: 2200
DEF: 1900