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Fanfic Chapter 183: Shadow Duel Pt 3: Darkness Reborn
Harold: And so, the duel between Yugi and Panik began. Panik was stuck in the past so he used monsters that he used before like the Castle of Dark Illusions and King of Yamimakai. He was summoning monsters left and right and was even able to remove Yugi's Dark Magician from play. But thanks to Mirror Force, Yugi was able to destroy most of Panik's monsters. But you can bet that this isn't over yet!
Both Yami-Yugi and Panik were panting heavily as they stared each other down.
"This is one of the most intense duels I have ever seen," Serenity commented.
"Hopefully, it's about to end soon," Joey said. "Panik's only down to 300 life points."
"I don't think Panik's ready to end this duel yet," Harold said. "He's waited a long time for this rematch. And now that he has it, he's going to savior it for all its worth."
"But with Yugi's favorite monster removed from the game, there's no way Yugi can summon it back," Serenity commented. "How can he win?"
"It's hard but doable," Joey said. "I just wish Yugi had his Egyptian God Cards, he'd be able to win this duel quickly and save Tea."
"Yugi's been winning duels long before he discovered the God Cards," Harold argued. "He can win this, he just has to find a way how."
"Are you regretting challenging me to a duel, Yugi?" Panik asked.
"You're acting pretty cocky for someone with only 300 life points away from losing."
"You've only experienced Round 1, Yugi," Panik said. "I'm aiming for a three-round knock-out!"
"Then show me what you got."
(Y: 2500)
(P: 300)
Panik started his turn. "I play Card of Sanctity which lets both draw from our decks until we're holding six cards! Next I play two cards: Cure Master and Serial Spell. Now I get 2000 life points."
(Y: 2500)
(P: 2300)
"Hey no fair, he's copying off of me," Joey complained.
"Must be really desperate if he's copying your dueling strategies, Big Brother," Serenity said.
"Actually, I was the one who taught Joey that move," Harold said. "So technically, Panik's so desperate he's copying off of me."
"Oh." Serenity blushed. "Sorry, Harold." Harold patted her on the back.
"Next I sacrifice 1000 life points to activate Darkness Reborn."
(Y: 2500)
(P: 1300)
"Now I can resurrect any dark monsters I choose for 100 life points. So I'll choose to resurrect King of Yamimakai and Mefist the Infernal General. King of Yamimakai, attack Gazelle with Electro-Shock Blast!"
A dark energy blast lashed out and grabbed Gazelle and started choking him. "Mefist the Infernal General, attack his life points directly."
(Y: 200)
(P: 1100)
"Now who's a couple of hundred life points away from losing?" Panik asked as Yami-Yugi was thrown back from the attack.
"Yugi," Tea gasped. She tried to break free but she felt physically drained.
Yami-Yugi was gasping for breath as he stood. He drew a card. "Neo, attack King of Yamimakai."
(NMS: 2200)
The magical warrior stabbed his sword into the monster's chest.
(Y: 200)
(P: 900)
"I set one card face-down and end my turn."
"Seems like Yugi's being more conservative with his plays now," Harold analyzed.
"After the way Panik sent all of Yugi's cards back to his hand and removed his favorite monster, I don't blame him."
I finally have him running scared, Panik thought. With the Shadow Realm backing me up, there's no way I can't win!
Panik thinks he has me beat, but with Tea's life on the line, I can't give in to my fear.
Panik drew a card. "I play Double Spell, now by discarding one card from my hand, I can retrieve a magic card from my graveyard and I choose Cure Master which I play now."
(Y: 200)
(P: 1900)
"I'm giving up 300 life points to summon Castle of Dark Illusions, Mefist the Infernal General and Element Doom back from the graveyard."
(Y: 200)
(P: 1600)
"Next I'll sacrifice all of them to summon Ultimate Obedient Fiend (1) in attack mode!" A large red skeleton monster rose, towering over everyone. Yami-Yugi could only gawk at that creature.
"Look at that thing, it's enormous," Joey cried as Serenity slid behind Harold.
"This monster has 3500 attack points," Panik explained. "More than enough to finish you off, but fortunately for you, I can't attack so long as I have cards on the field. Instead, it will serve as an impenetrable barrier between your monsters and my life points."
With my Dark Magician removed from the field, I don't have anything strong enough to stand against it I can only defend for now. Yami-Yugi drew a card. "I switch my Swordsman to defense mode and summon Mystical Elf in defense mode as well. That ends my turn."
"Excellent, it's my turn once again. And since my Ultimate Fiend is lonely, I think I'll summon some friends for him. I give up 200 more life points to bring back King of Yamimakai and Mefist the Infernal General."
(Y: 200)
(P: 1400)
"Mefist the Infernal General, attack his Magic Swordsman."
"Remember, even though Yugi's monster is in defense mode, if that General's attack hits, he'll still lose life points," Harold reminded the others.
Joey gasped audibly, "That means Yugi will lose 800 life points! He'll lose the duel!"
"Even if I do lose, it won't be this turn," Yami-Yugi said. "I reveal my face-down card Reliable Guardian which increases my Swordsman's defense points by 700!"
(NMS: 1000-1700)
Neo was still destroyed.
(Y: 100)
(P: 1400)
"That was a lucky break," Harold said.
"I don't get it, Mefist the Infernal General's special effect still went through so what was the point in Yugi using that magic card?" Serenity asked.
"As it currently was, if Neo was attacked, Yugi would lose the duel," Joey explained. "But because Yugi increased Neo's defense points, he was able to lessen the attack."
"That's called a buffering maneuver, Serenity," Harold added. "Sometimes you have to let an attack go through but that doesn't mean you can't lessen the impact of the attack."
"You may have escaped this round," Panik said as Yami-Yugi slid another card into the graveyard. "But you won't survive the next one."
"You said that the last time we dueled," Yami-Yugi pointed out. "And I was able to beat you then. And I'll beat you now." Yami-Yugi drew a card. There might be a way for me to win but I'll have to time it perfectly. I can't let Panik affect my life points any more. "I summon Giant Soldier of Stone (2) in defense mode and end my turn."
"Is that all? I'm starting to get bored." Panik drew a card. "I play Malevolent Nuzzler raising King of Yamimakai's attack points by 700."
(KY: 2000-2700)
"King of Yamimakai, attack with Dark Grasp of Fury!" Mystical Elf was destroyed. "Next I sacrifice my Infernal General to summon Metal Guardian (3) in defense mode. That ends my turn."
Yami-Yugi drew a card and wiped his brow. This duel is really taking its toll on me. "I play the magic card Monster Reincarnation. Now I'm able to return a monster to my hand by discarding one card. Next I summon the monster I brought back from the graveyard, Obnoxious Celtic Guardian, in defense mode. And with two additional face-down cards, now you can't attack my life points."
"You must be sick of being wrong," Panik said. "I pay 100 life points to summon Mefist the Infernal General from the graveyard."
(Y: 100)
(P: 1300)
"Mefist the Infernal General, attack his Obnoxious Celtic Guardian."
"Go trap cards," Yami-Yugi commanded. "Staunch Defender and Soul Resurrection. First up is Soul Resurrection which lets me resurrect a monster from my graveyard in defense mode. And I choose my Mystical Elf. Next I'll invoke the power of Staunch Defender which redirects your attack to a monster of my choice and I want my Mystical Elf to take the attack!" The Mystical Elf started to glow as the spear from the general was redirected to it.
(Y: 100)
(P: 1100)
"And you must attack it with all available monsters like your King of Yamimakai." The Mystical Elf actually seemed to be sighing contently as King of Yamimakai attacked and destroyed it.
"Fine, I'll just attack you next turn."
Wow, Yugi's elf actually seemed glad to have taken the attack, Tea thought. I know Duel Monsters are just holograms of cards, but sometimes they can seem so real. Not only that, but they're glad to be sacrificing themselves for their Duelist. Wait a minute… A distant memory occurred to her.
I remember that not long after Yugi started wearing the Millennium Puzzle 24-7, I was assigned to head a booth at a school carnival. I gathered some other kids including Yugi and Joey and we had all these games set up. But then these street thugs showed up and started trashing everything. They were ready to trash our booth too but Yugi threw himself into the line of fire. But he only ended up getting K-Od by a table. Later, the leader of the thugs was found on the ground babbling something about dark power. No one paid any serious attention to it.
When Yugi was knocked out, it felt like my heart stopped. I was afraid he was dead. But not only did he recover fast, but he later said he just wanted to protect all our hard work. Yugi was willing to sacrifice his life just to protect all our hard work… all my hard work. If Yugi is willing to throw himself into an oncoming attack just to protect our hard work, what is he willing to do to save a life? I don't know if I should feel honored or scared that he's willing to sacrifice himself for me. Nobody has ever sacrificed themselves for me before. Yugi, I hope you survive this so I can thank you for putting yourself on the line for me. You're the first, and most likely the only, person to do that for me.
Yami-Yugi started his turn. "Well since this strategy helped you out, I'm guessing it can help me out too. I place 1 card face-down and activate a magic card called Emergency Provisions. Now my life points are raised by 1000."
(Y: 1100)
(P: 1100)
"Now I summon Swift Gaia the Fierce Knight (4)." A large dark-armored knight on a purple horse appeared.
"But that's a level seven monster!" Panik protested.
"True, but its special ability allows me to summon it without a sacrifice if it's the only card in my hand which is why I played Cure Master first. Gaia, attack Mefist the Infernal General with Spiral Spear Strike!" The two horse-bound knights charged forward and clashed their weapons. Gaia stabbed his spear into Mefist the Infernal General's horse's side. The Infernal General fell off his horse and was destroyed. The horse soon followed.
(Y: 1100)
(P: 600)
"All right, Yugi's in the lead again!" Serenity cheered.
"Was there any doubt?" Joey asked.
Yugi has definitely gotten stronger since we met at Duelist Kingdom, Panik thought. I'm going to have to use all my Shadow Powers to defeat him. Panik drew a card. "I call upon Darkness Reborn to revive Castle of Dark Illusions in defense mode and Mefist the Infernal General in attack mode. King of Yamimakai, attack his Fierce Knight now!" The monster charged forward and pounced on Gaia. Now it was Gaia who fell off his horse and was destroyed.
(Y: 700)
(P: 400)
"Infernal General, attack his Obnoxious Celtic Guardian!" The guardian was destroyed again.
(Y: 100)
(P: 400)
"Look at us, each with a small fraction of life points remaining. Me with five ultra-powerful monsters and you with just a pile of boulders for a defense. This duel is mine."
This can't end like this. No matter what happens, I have to rescue Tea, even if I have to exchange my soul in the process! "Panik," Yami-Yugi called. "I'm changing the deal."
"How so?" Panik asked suspiciously.
"Release Tea and if you win, I'll give you… me instead."
"Yugi, don't do it!" Harold shouted.
"You can't risk yourself!" Joey added.
"Don't do it," Serenity pleaded.
"Yugi, no," Tea said, her eyes streaming with tears.
I no longer care what happens to me as long as the people I love are safe and sound. "Yugi, I hope you're okay with this."
"I am, Yami, I feel the same way you do."
"Fine, then prepare yourself, my friend, this may be our final duel."
To Be Continued
Duel Monster Database
(1)
Name: Ultimate Obedient Fiend
Level: 10
Type: Fiend/Effect
Attribute: Fire
ATK: 3500
DEF: 3000
(2)
Name: Giant Soldier of Stone
Level: 3
Type: Rock
Attribute: Earth
ATK: 1300
DEF: 2000
(3)
Name: Metal Guardian
Level: 5
Type: Machine
Attribute: Dark
ATK: 1150
DEF: 2150
(4)
Name: Swift Gaia the Fierce Knight
Level: 7
Type: Warrior/Effect
Attribute: Dark
ATK: 2300
DEF: 2100
