State of the Meta

by Yung Warrior

A self-insert in which a competitive player from 2016 finds himself warped into the world of GX. Between adjusting his deck to make up for the inverted power creep, making grades, and saving the world, there's much to do, but all good players know how to adapt to their circumstances. SI-OC, 1st Person POV

59. Saga of the True Name

AN: The events of this chapter take place concurrently with the chapters depicting the islander's battles against the Light, beginning with chapter 54: The Lion and the Dragon. Thus, this chapter takes place entirely away from the island. However, this chapter is still of primary importance, and it also begins the next arc of the story. I hope you all enjoy!

Chapter 59: Saga of the True Name

"This world may be strange, confusing, and eldritch, but it is only a dream. Like most dreams though, it is most disorienting at the end."

They made landfall a few miles away from the pyramids. From shadowy portals the demons and duel spirits fell, first in small groups and then in a flood. A bevy of creatures stood united, from fiends to winged beasts to pyros and aquas.

"Ah, yes, the human world…it has been some time since I have been here in a true body of flesh." Their leader marveled at the sensation of the air, of their sky – it was so different, and yet undeniably familiar. Yubel wasn't sure at first, be it seemed she had finally absorbed enough souls in her conquest of the dark dimension to physically manifest in this realm. Furthermore, she was fully rested after her battle with the Mad King, and ready to lead her forces from the frontline. "I walk the same ground as Jaden now…at last, he is within my reach!"

"Indeed. But first, we must neutralize the great threat the human world presents. The Sacred Beasts are quite manageable, especially with one in our grasp and the other two separated by Kagemaru's connivance. But this is different. The blast of light and darkness has surely undone the seals binding the old gods…if we can reclaim them, today will mark the first step to victory." Said Blade Knight, who stood calmly alongside Yubel at the front.

"It is fortunate that we have one of Ishtar blood in our camp. He will be able to decipher the ancient seals. And once he does, we will be able to use the cards even without the vaunted lineage of the Pharaoh's court. Then, these so-called gods will serve Jaden Yuki, the true lord and master of all Duel Monsters!" Yubel's thick violet aura cast her form in a dark silhouette, only her heterochromatic eyes distinct through the fog.

"Hail the supreme king." Blade Knight immediately echoed alongside the two other duelists leading the army, Chaos Sorcerer and Mr. Volcano. Jinzo remained behind to keep watch over Hank Ishtar, who was purposefully excluded from the mission in case his loyalties faltered. "Happens quite often with those who are forced into servitude." Blade Knight thought, remembering how he himself was made part of Yubel's army. He had been a lone wanderer until she happened upon him in the aftermath of some big battlefield. They dueled and she won, though it was a close match. Although she had initially planned on killing him, he was allowed to live if he pledged himself to her cause. She claimed to be impressed by his fighting spirit, and sympathized with his reasons for fighting once he explained them to her. However, he had never felt anything resembling kinship towards her or this Jaden Yuki kid. All that mattered was restitution…for the crimes of the Lion.

"I will be the one to wield the gods, and then you will be put down like the mad dog you are, Yubel." He despised her wanton violence and blatant selfishness, not to mention the psychological instability. "The world ill needs a savior like you, or a savior at all for that matter. Life would be better if everyone pursued their own self-benefit instead of grand visions. Once the imbalances in the universe are corrected, I look forward to a quiet life."

He was stirred from his musings by intense flashes of duel energy. He could feel it vividly – the powers of Jaden Yuki, or Sartorius, of Seto Kaiba and the Lion. Knowing the imposter was gaining strength threatened to overwhelm his reason. "How does he improve so quickly? He is almost keeping pace with Kaiba!" He voiced the thought aloud without meaning to.

"I sense it as well, my friend. His odor fills me with hate. And yet, I also see something else…the king is battling the accursed vessel of the Light. He is close to realizing his purpose, the reason he was born. He just needs a little push." With a noticeable effort, Yubel refocused on the matter at hand. "But first, we have work to do."

"We gave Hank our word that his relatives were not to be harmed and captured if possible." It was a promise Blade Knight intended to keep. He knew what it was like to be torn away from family.

However, such words meant little to Yubel. "Did these humans have mercy on your comrades Sky Scout and Command Knight? We were the ones wronged here, and now we're simply enacting justice. Swift, unilateral justice."

The force of duel monsters was met outside the gates by a collected throng of tomb keepers, dozens strong, but numerically far inferior to the hundreds of spirits in Yubel's service. "Ah, this should be quick." She sneered, although Blade Knight was not so sure. They were met by a slight man with platinum blonde hair, similar but markedly different to Hank's sheer white. On one side was a shawled woman with mysterious blue eyes. On the other, a tall bald man with glyphic tattoos running down the right side of his face.

The two Ishtars stared down the two spirits, each silent as they sized up the other. "So, you look like nice folks. How can we help you today?" Marik said as if the snarling mass of demons were simply ill-mannered neighbors.

"This must be the source of the spiritual disturbances I felt. I hope he's on his way." The woman said.

"He's landed, for sure." The bald man replied softly.

"Who has landed?" Blade Knight briefly wondered.

"We are royal emissaries here on behalf of King Jaden Yuki, supreme king of darkness and overlord of the twelve dimensions. Swear fealty to him, forsake your gods and relinquish their card vessels to our care. Then, you shall be left in peace."

"Jaden Yuki?" Marik questioned. "Don't we know someone by that name?"

"Regardless, we have no interest in defiling our vows as tomb keepers by taking a new king. Besides, how do you know the Egyptian Gods have returned? Why do you want them? And what makes you think you could possibly use them?" Ishizu firmly demanded. "In the Battle City tournament, only those of the blessed Egyptian lineage could properly use the cards."

"There is a duelist in my service who meets the proper qualifications." Yubel answered vaguely.

"Impossible! So, that's where Hank crawled off to…for all his talk of independence, he betrayed us only to serve a new master!" Marik realized angrily, not knowing that Hank was coerced into obeying Yubel.

"There is no such thing as freedom. We are all beholden to the will of the gods and the strings of fate." Yubel neither confirmed nor denied Marik's assumption. "Now bend your knees or be destroyed."

"In the name of the pharaoh Atem, we refuse. I will never turn my back on my house or my gods…never again." Marik knew that their position was not good -they were outnumbered, and the enemy's battle powers were unknown.

"We do not want bloodshed. I urge you to reconsider." Blade Knight spoke deeply. Ishizu discreetly passed a card to Marik, their expressions hard and unchanged. The helmed warrior shook his head. "Alright then, I tried."

"Ha, this will be an excellent feast….war spirits, at the ready!" Yubel commanded, the duel monsters manifesting their decks. Simultaneously, the duelists of the Ishtar clan bravely prepared to stand their ground, though they knew their cause was likely doomed.

A movement caught the corner of Ishizu's eye, and she breathed a sigh of relief. "Ah, there he is."

"~Time keeps on slippin', slippin', slippin', into the futurrrrrrrrrre~" Seal's smooth voice interrupted the tense parley.

"Wait, why do I hear boss music?" Yubel questioned hesitantly as the funky sound grew louder. Her confusion turned to fear as she saw three figures crest the dunes.

"~I wanna fly like an eagle, to the sea…fly like an eagle, let my spirit carry me~" One of the men was slim, with long, fluffy white hair the envy of kittens everywhere. His The next man had mussed blonde hair, a lanky frame and a loping smile. His brown eyes glinted with audacity. The third….the third…

"~I wanna flyyyyyyyy….fly right into the future!"

At the top of the hill stood Ryo Bakura, Joey Wheeler, and Yugi Moto.

"I say, it's a bloody mess down there." Bakura said casually, his pale skin likely to burn in the African sun.

"I'm feeling lucky!" said Joey as he activated his duel disk, resembling a rusty athlete recalling old muscle memory.

Yugi smiled down at the Ishtars, whose relief was palpable. "I'm sorry to keep you waiting. Everything is going to be okay now." His voice was serene yet commanding. His frame was calm, solid, belying immense power. In that moment, Ishizu saw an echo of the warrior king. She could vividly picture Atem's cape flowing in the wind as he brandished the golden Diadhank. The image faded, and Yugi stood in his usual indigo jacket and jeans with far too many belts on them. And yet, the energy remained – it was like stepping into the throne room of a king.

XxXxXxXxXxxXx

(Yugi Moto POV)

Looking upon the standoff, Yugi was glad he decided to come to Egypt. It had been a hard decision, knowing that the forces of the Light were liable to strike at Academy Island any day now. With Kaiba at their beck and call, Yugi knew that the islanders had a difficult battle ahead of them. Yugi figured he was the only one who had a chance against the White Dragon, but he also knew that it would take unusually powerful mind control to hold his proud rival captive for long. Mokuba, Kisara, or even the intern Lancaster had the potential to stir Kaiba's true spirit from the chains of Sartorius' power, for they held some small sway over his heart. Although it was difficult to tell for most, Yugi knew that Seto had grown fond of his young informant. Or at least as fond as he could be of anyone who wasn't Mokuba. Taking these factors into account, Yugi made the hard call and accepted Ishizu's call for aid.

After the dimensional fissure caused by the blast, she told him about the return of the old gods, their cards thought lost after the ceremonial battle between himself and Atem. Although Yugi knew that no one would leak the information out of the Ishtar compound, the very existence of the Egyptian God cards would draw some unsavory types out of the woodwork. Ishizu called him to take one of the God cards for protection, while she and Marik would handle the other two.

Yugi needed people he could trust for backup. Joey and Bakura hadn't dueled for real in quite some time, both of them taking up day jobs as a construction foreman and a bookshop owner respectively. But Yugi knew that they had latent strength that could prove valuable. It was easy to get Bakura's help – he always wanted to be included in things, even in life-threatening duels. Joey was more difficult. He could barely afford to take off work since he had to support both himself as well as Serenity's medical school expenses, not to mention the alimony payments to Mai. The years hadn't been kind to Joey, especially since the divorce. But something about the return of magic to the world had also brought back the kid inside him, the one who craved adventure and greatness. Although it took some convincing, Yugi paid him to compensate the time off work and they got on the soonest plane to Egypt.

"All of us here, in Egypt once again…time truly is a circle." Yugi thought warmly. It was comforting, in some ways, to be on a mission with his friends again.

"Just what do you think you're doing here, Yugi Moto?" Yubel, to her credit, did not outwardly show fear in the face of the world's strongest duelist.

The warmth left Yugi's expression as he turned to face Yubel and her army. "So, you must be the ones who intend on raiding the tombs. If so, your attempt was doomed from the start. The Egyptian Gods will never obey those who stoop to thievery."

"They won't have a choice! I will compel them to serve me! If it can be done with the Sacred Beasts, it can be done with your so-called gods!" She boasted.

"The Sacred Beasts…perhaps these duelists hold Raviel and Uria." Yugi knew Seto was tying himself in knots trying to figure out where the other two beasts ended up after Kagemaru's scattered them across the planet. Luckily, one ended up in the hands of North Academy, who were at least reasonable people, if not friends per se. These foes on the other hand did not seem particularly reasonable – Yugi could see that this Yubel creature in particular was slobbering for blood.

Another of Yubel's entourage stepped forward – Yugi discerned it to be Blade Knight. Although his facial expression was obviously inscrutable, he did not look pleased at this development. "I don't relish violence. We can settle this peacefully." The knight declared, causing Yubel to send him a confused glance. "Show us the tombs and we'll spare your lives. Besides, if your claims are true, then the gods will not serve us, and the cards will be useless. Hence, there is little risk in granting our request."

"You? Spare us?" Marik laughed, a far cry from his apprehension only a few moments ago. "Are you aware that you stand in the presence of the greatest duelist on Earth?"

"We are aware. I have traveled across the universe, so don't expect me to be impressed with the greatest duelist on Earth. The greatest in this galaxy, that might be something, but only Earth?" Yubel gazed with envy upon Yugi. "The king of games…there is only one human worthy to be called king, and it's my Jaden! Not you!"

"Nyeh, what the heck is she talking about, Yuge?" Joey wondered as he picked his ear for wax. He wore a faded green t-shirt with jeans, the pants frayed near the bottom. Few would guess he was once the third greatest duelist in the world.

"I say, it's bloody hot out here! Couldn't we do this inside?" Bakura whined, not really listening to the exchange. His cream-colored sweater was proving to be an unwise choice for this climate.

"Jaden?" The name sounded vaguely familiar to Yugi. "Is she referring to Jaden Yuki? Why?"

"Titles do not concern me. This is my final warning. Leave this hallowed ground at once, or I shall be forced to take action." Yugi said with solemn mien, dismissing the question.

Yubel licked her lips before flying up to the top of the dune, suddenly very close to Yugi. Joey and Bakura blanched at the speed of her movements, the former "Nyeh"-ing in shock. Yugi did not move, his expression staid as his hair rippled slightly from the high-speed movement. "That's exactly what I wanted to hear." She was easily twice as tall as him, and far more muscular.

Recovering quickly, Joey leapt into "serious mode". "We'll go down and protect the gate. Good luck, Yuge." He practically dragged Bakura down the hill towards the encampment, leaving Yugi and Yubel alone.

"Yugi! Take this!" Ishizu flung a card towards him, and Yugi deftly caught it, remembering the gift Kaiba entrusted him before his battle against Yami Marik. Flipping over the card, Yugi saw it was not Fiend's Sanctuary, but something else that would likely come in handy. Marik nodded towards him in an expression of trust – Yugi surmised that Ishizu likely gave him a useful card as well.

Yubel narrowed her eyes. "What card is that?" She asked, but received no answer as Yugi calmly shuffled it into his deck. "I know your little poker face is just that, Yugi. I can sense the fear in you. Before this is over, I will reveal your cowardice to the world, and all will know that you are a false king!"

Yugi's expression did not change. "It sounds like you're trying to convince yourself of that. I do not fear such threats, for I have heard them many times before. You're not the first person to use the cards for evil, and you won't be the last. There's nothing special about that."

"Action will unveil the truth." Yubel replied venomously.

"Indeed, it will. I love peace, and take no enjoyment from fighting like this. But talk can be insufficient when it comes to settling certain disputes – on this, I'm sure we can agree." Yugi activated his duel disk.

"It's time to duel!"

XxXxXxXxXxXxXx

On the ground, the duel spirits began to engage the humans, although the numerical advantage was offset somewhat by the need to duel one-on-one. Joey had thrown himself into the fray, trusting his good relationship with Lady Luck to pull him through.

Marik and Ishizu engaged two of Yubel's top lieutenants. Ishizu faced Chaos Sorcerer, while Marik fought Mr. Volcano. "I look forward to honor of taking your God card! This will earn me great favor with Master Yubel!" Chaos Sorcerer activated his duel disk.

"I forsee great torment in your future, though I no longer hold the Millennium necklace." Ishizu replied with a demure smile.

Marik relished a chance to prove his honor. "I hope I'm not in for a lot of fire-related puns."

Not seeming to hear him, Mr. Volcano said, "My deck's gonna be too hot for you to handle!"

"Oh, frig!"

Meanwhile, Bakura stood against the placid Blade Knight. "That's odd, your duel energy feels different than the others. Why is that?"

Far from intimidated, the knight only seemed annoyed that the day's events had turned out this way. "People claim to hunger for the truth, but rarely like the taste when it's served up. If you truly want to know my identity, wrest it by force. Let's get this over with."

XxXxXxXxXxXxXxXx

Yugi won the roshambo, but elected to go second.

"I set a monster and two cards to end my turn." Yubel quickly established her board and passed to Yugi."

"It's my turn! I'll start by activating the magic card Pot of Greed! This allows me to draw two cards from my deck!" Yugi explained helpfully. "One of the cards I have drawn is Watapon (200/300), a monster that can be special summoned to the field if it is drawn outside of my draw phase." The creature was an adorable pink puffball with two drooping antennae.

"You might need something a little stronger than that if you hope to survive." Yubel noted.

Yugi smiled casually. "You might be onto something there. That's why I sacrifice Watapon to summon Dark Magician Girl (2000/1700) in attack position!"

On Academy Island, Syrus sneezed as Yugi called his waifu into battle. The blonde spellcaster bid Yubel a cheery wave as pink bubbles floated alongside her.

Yubel was not amused. "Something stronger than that, even."

"Oh? You want something stronger? Are you sure?" Yugi asked with faux concern. "You may not be glad that you asked me that. I cast the magic card Sage's Stone. When Dark Magician Girl is on the field, I can call upon her master for aid from within my deck! Bear witness to my ardent ally, the Dark Magician (2500/2100)!"

A green runic circle materialized on the field, with a teardrop-shaped amethyst crystal hovering above its center. Suddenly, the crystal shattered, waves of smoke rising from the circle to accompany the summoning. The spirit of the pharaoh's priest, the former guardian of the Millennium Ring, emerged from the haze wearing bright purple garb and a green scepter.

Yubel did not look so confident now. "Quite lucky for you to draw that combination of cards on your first turn." She spat.

"Is it luck? I have found that the cards provide for a duelist who respects and cares about them. I am not sure you can relate – from what I have seen, you seem to prefer using terror and violence to get your way. We shall see whose methods lead to victory before the day is done."

"Your head will be on a spike before the day is done. Spare me your self-righteous diatribes and fight!" For Yubel, Yugi's words were more than repugnant – they were scalding.

"As you wish! I cast a quick-play magic card that can only be used when both Dark Magician and Dark Magician Girl are on my field – Dark Burning Magic!" The two wizards smiled and nodded at each other before rising into the air. Magic energy coalesced at the tips of their hoisted staves – the girl was blazing wildfire, while her master's was a concentrated black orb. "With their combined strength, I can destroy all cards on your field! Go, my magicians!"

The pair let loose a tidal wave of spells, casting as fast as they possibly could. In an instant, Yubel's field was overwhelmed….or so Yugi thought.

"Oh no, how could I have lost so easily!? Perhaps I was wrong after all! I promise to turn back from my evil ways, Yugi!" Yubel pleaded.

"Truly?" The king of games said.

"Of course not, you simple-minded fool! I play my counter trap, Magic Drain!" The torrent of spells was held at bay by a translucent blue barrier. "This will negate your spell card unless you discard another spell from your hand. Do you have another spell to discard?" Yubel asked gleefully.

"I'm afraid I don't." Yugi said, and the magicians stood down. "Be that as it may, my monsters can still go on the offensive. I attack your set monster with Dark Magician!" He thrust his palm outwards, and shattered Yubel's set Mystic Tomato.

"When my mystic tomato is destroyed by battle, I get to summon a dark monster from my deck with 1500 or less attack points." Thick violet energy began to swirl around Yubel's body.

"Very well. Whatever you summon, my Dark Magician Girl will be up to the challenge." Yugi assumed.

"Don't be so sure of that." Suddenly, Yubel's voice had grown deep and masculine…and more than that, the words were spoken in two voices. A mirror image of the demon sprouted from the sand like a stubborn plant, unfurling thick, venous wings. "Allow me to show you who I really am…my true self, Yubel (0/0)!"

Yugi was momentarily taken aback by the appearance of the clone, but recovered quickly. "I suppose I should not be surprised." Pressing a button on the duel disk, Yugi was able to read Yubel's effects. "Curious – I've never seen this card before. It seems battling will not help me. I set a card face-down and end my turn."

"Very well." Yubel smirked at her draw. "I'll start by setting another face-down. Then, I'll summon Armageddon Knight (1400/1200) to the field. When he's summoned, I can send one dark monster from my deck directly to the grave." The rider wielded a light blade with a rounded guard, a black bandanna covering most of his face. "I'll play Tribute to the Doomed, discarding a card to destroy your Dark Magician!" Mummified bandages raced towards Yugi's ace monster.

"Not so fast! When one of my spellcasters is targeted for an effect, I can call upon Palladium Oracle Mana (2000/1700) from my hand!" Yugi's new monster was an ancient counterpart to the Dark Magician Girl. She wore an rich black robe accented with lilac, an ornate golden staff in her hand. "While Mana is on the field, level seven or higher spellcasters cannot be destroyed by card effects once per turn." She casted a protective magic over Dark Magician, the bandages rotting away before they could do anything. Yubel frowned but seemed to expect this.

"During my end phase, Yubel requires a sacrifice to stay on the field." With a grin, Yubel extended a claw and crushed the knight's head like an overripe peach. As blood gushed from its limp frame, Yubel devoured the rest of the body.

Yugi cringed at the disgusting display, unable to maintain his lordly distance. "You cannot be self-sufficient, so you devour the energies of those around you? Are you proud of yourself, to perpetuate your sorry existence in such a manner?"

"Oh, like you can talk." Yubel's voice was thick. "You're nothing without the pharaoh Atem holding your hand. You could never have won Duelist Kingdom or Battle City or anything else on your own." This claim was obviously baseless as Yugi defeated Atem on his own during their final meeting.

"I owe much to his help. He was my brother." Yugi grew somber. "But I have been dueling without him for nearly 11 years. If I were such a fraud as you say, surely Kaiba or someone else would have dethroned me by now. I have nothing to prove to you, or anyone. My turn."

Sadly, Yugi couldn't do much at the moment. "I still cannot attack that Yubel monster, and I have no way of removing it from the field otherwise. The creature stymies a traditional offense – Kaiba would not like this one bit." Yugi smiled at the thought of his old friend. "All I can do is set a card and pass back to you."

"Ha! Are you sure you can do this on your own?!" Yubel mocked. "I can't want to absorb you into my body, Yugi. With the power of the strongest human within me, Jaden's rule over the universe will be secure."

"There's that name again." "Your king is named Jaden? Is he here with you now?" Yugi asked. Jaden…is that the name of a duel spirit? There were no cards by the name of Jaden that Yugi could recall.

"Of course not. Many pressing matters require the king's attention, not trifling skirmishes such as this." Yubel replied a little too quickly.

"Battling the strongest human and stealing the Egyptian Gods is not a pressing matter? That seems quite unlikely." Yugi was certain she was lying. But why?

"S-shut up! I don't need to explain anything to you!" was her eloquent retort.

"Always so angry and violent…Yami Marik was more of an interesting conversationalist than this!" Yugi thought wryly. Quality banter was essential to any duel – apparently Yubel did not get the memo on that unspoken rule. "Of course, pardon me for asking. It's your move."

Yubel snapped the top card off the top of her deck. "This is one of my favorite cards. I play the spell card Dark Hole to destroy all monsters on the field!"

"Very well, but keep in mind my Dark Magician will be protected by Mana's effect." However, Mana and Dark Magician Girl were both destroyed, as was Yubel. "And when Palladium Oracle Mana is destroyed, I can special summon Dark Magician Girl from my hand, deck, or grave." The blonde student made a quick u-turn from the grave and was back on the field.

"I get to summon another monster as well. When Yubel is destroyed on the field, I can call forth my evolved form!" Yubel's eyes glowed, and amber plasma began to rise from the desert sands, morphing into a larger shape that cast a shadow over Yugi's field. It solidified and coagulated, eventually forming a twin-headed dragon covered in thick black fur and dark purple scales. A huge orange eye opened on its chest, identical to Yubel's third eye. Yubel herself materialized on top of the beast, between its two heads. Within its energy, Yugi heard the countless, unending screams of humans and duel spirits that Yubel absorbed. "Yubel – Terror Incarnate (0/0)! Now, you at last can feel a taste of my true power."

"It's not your power. How many people did you absorb before you were satisfied? Hundreds? Thousands?" Yugi asked with disgust.

"Enough." Yubel responded. "I feasted upon the darkness in their hearts so that I may better serve my king. All I do is for love and duty."

Yugi's look of disgust did not fade one bit. His silent glare caused Yubel to grow nervous after a while. "By what right do you judge me? You would do whatever it takes if it meant protecting those you truly love." She said defiantly.

"The bond between her and this Jaden fellow must be quite strong." "You don't mean Jaden Yuki by any chance…?" He hazarded.

"Of course!" Yubel affirmed to his surprise.

"What? How is that possible?" From what he could recall, Jaden Yuki seemed like a perfectly normal kid, albeit a skilled duelist. Happy, cheerful, optimistic. How could he connect to the hateful demon in front of him?

"Our bond is stronger than time and space. It is fate that we spend all of eternity together. He is the true king of games, not you."

"You truly take orders from that child? This assault is being carried out on his command, is that you would have me believe?" Yugi was having a hard time wrapping his head around the situation.

"Well…I sort of went ahead with it without his…explicit command…but I know he would approve! He's been having some memory problems as of late, but we're definitely in love! He just doesn't know it yet!" Yubel stammered.

Yugi's revulsion mixed with sheer bewilderment. "Well, I have certainly never fought an opponent like you, that's for certain." He said to be polite. "What a pathetic creature!" He thought inwardly.

"And you'll never duel an opponent like me ever again, for this is your final duel! During my end phase, Terror Incarnate destroys all other monsters on the field!" With a roar, vines shot out from underneath the dragon's feet and wrapped around Yugi's magicians. Squeezing them tightly, they eventually shattered into holographic glass. "My evolved self does not need a sacrifice to stay on the field. Your move, false king."

"All of my monsters destroyed so easily…this duel spirit is quite strong indeed. And I haven't even touched her life points yet! However, there is one area I can exploit to my advantage – Terror Incarnate has no attack points, so my life points are also safe." Yugi thought. "I set a card and end my turn."

Yubel did not seem to expect this, cautiously drawing. "What is that, one of your famous traps? I won't be made a fool of! I play Mystical Space Typhoon to blow away your set card!" Unluckily, Yubel had not drawn any Predaplant cards to mount an offensive with yet.

Yugi's set card was destroyed – but the king of games was glad. "Excellent, I was hoping for that. My face-down card was the quick-play magic Chaos Scepter Blast! When this card is destroyed by my opponent's card effect, I can special summon one of my strongest magicians from my deck! Come forth, Dark Magician of Chaos (2800/2600)!"

A double-layered magical circle heralded the magician's summoning, the rings white on black and accented with heavy purple. The sorcerer wore a large, ceremonial headpiece with tight leather clothing much in the style that Yugi himself liked to wear. Its staff was imbued with a dense jade crystal. Although it had a similar face to the Dark Magician, this monster's complexion was oddly blue and pale.

"When this monster is summoned, I can add a magic card from my graveyard to my hand." Yugi retrieved Pot of Greed.

"Hmph! It doesn't matter! I set a card face-down and end my turn, triggering Terror Incarnate's effect again to destroy all other monsters!" Yugi's high sorcerer was not on the field long, entangled in the thorny vines like his comrades before him. When destroyed, Dark Magician of Chaos was banished instead of going to the graveyard. But that was alright – with Pot of Greed back in his hand, Yugi had a chance to replenish his resources some.

"My turn." Yugi immediately used the recovered spell to draw two cards. "Prepare yourself! I play Dark Magic Veil! By paying 1000 life points, I can summon a level seven or lower dark spellcaster from either my hand or my graveyard. Return to me, Dark Magician!" Although Yugi took the first life point reduction, it was worth it to bring back his erstwhile companion. "And now that he's back on the field, I can use this magic card – Bond Between Teacher and Student! Not only does this let me bring back Dark Magician Girl to the field, but I can also set a spell or trap card that specifically mentions Dark Magician or Dark Magician Girl in its card text directly from my deck." Just like that, the dynamic duo was back at center stage.

"Are these little magic tricks all your deck can do? Summoning back the same useless creatures over and over again?" Yubel stated.

Yugi had only shown her a small fraction of what his deck was capable of – so far, he was only relying his Dark Magician cards – but she didn't need to hear that. "For my next trick, I flip over the magic card Dark Burning Attack. When Dark Magician Girl is on the field, I can use this to destroy all of your face-up monsters!"

Wielding her rounded staff with two hands, Dark Magician Girl charged up a volley of murky, violent energy spheres, launching them in waves at the twin-headed dragon. Although each of the blasts made impact, Yugi could see through the smoke that the dragon was not destroyed…in fact, it seemed to be growing, changing…..

"Don't you understand? I cannot de destroyed like that…no human can kill me!" Yubel's voice oscillated from a childish femininity to a deep masculine baritone. The smoke vanished to reveal an even larger dragon that towered above all other creatures on the battlefield. The goat-like features were more prominent now, and there were many warped demonic faces on parts of the body where there normally were not faces. Yubel had melded with the top of the monster, her lower half obscured within black fur. "I summon Yubel – The Ultimate Nightmare (0/0)."

Before, Yugi was hardly phased by any of Yubel's efforts, but he could not deny the overwhelming, oppressive energy emanating from the beast now. The anger and hatred were there, yes, but deep beneath was the sweet poison of amorous obsession. "What do you think of my true self?" Yubel simpered.

"If this is your soul's true nature, then I feel very sorry for you." Said Yugi.

"So self-righteous. What if I told you that I only underwent this transformation to serve my lord? To protect him? I thought you, of all people, might understand what it is like to know a king, to feel responsible for his well-being. I swore a sacred vow."

"Atem would never ask such a thing of anyone. He would not wish this fate upon his worst enemy – death would be sweeter than this sham of an existence. Your king is a cruel master, if this is what he has turned you into." As Yugi spoke, he tried to recall images of Jaden Yuki in his mind's eye, but only found a smiling, simple-minded teenager. Something wasn't adding up here.

To his surprise, Yubel began to tear up. "It is how he shows his affection. Sending me away, hurting me – this is his love."

"Silence!" Yugi's patience had lapsed, and the flames of fury within him were now rising to the surface. "I cannot stomach any more of this!" He thundered with a clenched fist. "Now, prepare yourself, for my turn is only just beginning! I activate Card of Sanctity, allowing us each to draw until we have six cards in hand." Although it allowed Yubel to garner resources as well, Yugi knew he had finally drawn the card he needed to end this. Before he even saw it, he felt its presence. The electricity pulsed between his fingertips.

"I have drawn the monster Palladium Oracle Mahad (2500/2100). When this card is drawn, I can immediately summon it to the field." The ensuing monster was a mirror image of the pharaoh's guard, clad in golden royal Egyptian garb and white linen headdress.

"Now I have three monsters on my side and haven't normal summoned." Yugi channeled ancient energies within him. His lineage, his very blood was being tested for worthiness, lest he anger the almighty.

Yubel's psychotic grin slowly sobered. "No…that card the Ishtars gave you…it can't be!"

"Yes, this is the card Marik and Ishizu entrusted to me. Be thankful, for now you get a firsthand look at the forces you seek to control. I offer Palladium Oracle Mahad, Dark Magician, and Dark Magician Girl to the heavens!"

XxXxXxXxXxXxXx

Ishizu had found her opponent mightier than anticipated. Chaos Sorcerer relied on banishing Light and Dark Monsters from his graveyard in order to special summon creatures with viciously strong effects. Normally, her Gravekeeper strategy would circumvent this, but Chaos Sorcerer had already destroyed one of her Necrovalleys and she hadn't drawn into her second or third copies yet.

On his field was Chaos Sorcerer (2300/2000) and The Chaos Creator (2300/3000), the mad jester's life points sitting at 2500. Ishizu's field had four monsters on it – two copies of Gravekeeper's Spy, one Gravekeeper's Guard, and one Gravekeeper's Recruiter. However, her life points were only at 300 and her defenses wouldn't hold for much longer now that Necrovalley had been destroyed the previous turn.

"I must draw it…please!" Her prayer was rewarded as she felt the power shake her very bones. Ishizu remembered Seto Kaiba, and her heart fluttered.

"Well? Has destiny seen fit to reward your faith?" Chaos Sorcerer mocked.

The three gravekeepers – Guard, Spy, and Recruiter - turned into forms of pure energy, plumes of red and blue and yellow disappearing within the sands. " O Mighty war god, please lend me your strength so that the ancient knowledge may be preserved. Return and quake this mortal realm with your absolute power!" Heavy stones rose into the air, circling into the sky.

Then, with a mighty rumble, the blue titan emerged from the depths, sand rolling off its dense, muscly hide as it saw the light of day once more. Its red eyes glowed, fists as strong as ever. "I summon Obelisk the Tormentor (4000/4000)!"

XxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXx

Marik had been stymied by Mr. Volcano's burn strategy. The smug, humanoid spirit had two Solar Flare Dragons (1500/1000) on his side of the field, their effects preventing Marik from attacking while burning him for 1000 life points during each of Mr. Volcano's end phases. Marik had only the trap monster Metal Reflect Slime (0/3000) protecting his life points from direct attacks, but that wouldn't matter if he couldn't turn things around this turn. Marik had 800 life points while Volcano had 2000.

"I draw." The power of his drawn card brought back mixed feelings. The flames had a dualistic essence – they brought warmth, but they also destroyed and burnt that which he valued if he let them roam unchecked. "I won't lose myself to this fire again…"

"Only one more turn, and this duel will be done. You know what they say, play with fire and you might just get burned!" Mr. Volcano made his thirtieth fire-related wordplay this match and didn't look to be slowing down.

"Right you are, my friend. I actvate the spell card Ancient Chant, allowing me to add Winged Dragon of Ra from my deck to my hand!" The card glowed in Marik's hand as he retrieved it. This finally silenced the red-capped spirit enough for Marik to think.

"Now, by banishing Ancient Chant from my graveyard after using it, I can ensure that Ra will gain attack and defense points equal to the combined attack of the monsters I tribute for it." Marik explained.

"How? You only have one monster on the field and it has zero attack points! Face it, you're toast! Burned toast!" Volcano assumed.

"Why do the bad guys always gloat so much while the game is still going on? Shouldn't they think to wait until the game is finished?" Marik though before realizing he did that quite a lot back in his villain days. Slightly embarrassed, he continued, "By sacrificing Metal Reflect Slime, I can special summon this fusion monster from my extra deck! Come forth, Egyptian God Slime (3000/3000)!" The silvery mass undulated and changed shape, becoming a metallic facsimile of Obelisk the Tormentor.

"It has attack points, but it doesn't matter when you still need three monsters to summon the god! Besides, you still can't attack since I have two Solar Flare Dragons on the field!" Volcano continued to prattle despite the fact that Marik was still in the process of playing out his turn.

"Another annoying thing I used to do quite often…man, self-awareness can be a real bite in the ass!" "Wrong. You see, Egyptian God Slime can be treated as three sacrifices….and I haven't normal summoned yet."

This seemed to bring about another bout of silence from Volcano. Smirking, Marik raised the god card skyward. "Great beast of the sky, please heed my cry. Transform thyself from orb of light and bring me victory in this fight! Envelop the desert with your glow and cast thy rage upon my foe. Unlock your powers deep within so that together we may win! Appeat in our humble game as I call out your name!"

The sun seemed to glow even brighter as a golden sphere emerged form its corona, slowly unlocking its machine-like body as Marik invoked the hieratic chant. "Winged Dragon of Ra (?/?)!"

Fully unfurled from its spherical resting position, the Sun Dragon flew resplendent through the air. Every inch of its body was covered in glorious, shining golden plate. Its body was partially draconic and partially avian, combining the most fearsome parts of phoenix and dragon to put forth a supremely divine aura. Even compared to Obelisk and Slifer, Ra was enormous, unrivaled. The greatest of the gods had returned, and its cry promised holy wrath.

XxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXx

(Yugi Moto POV)

Normally foreign to the desert skies, heavy grey thunderclouds formed above Yugi and Yubel, their bodies thick with rolling thunder. Calling forth his maximum energies, crimson red energy completely encapsulated Yugi's body until only his silhouette could observed "HAAAAAAA!" With a cry he released the energy and it went spiraling into the skies, the duelist's very soul in concert with the summoned deity.

"Noblest lineage of Ancient Egypt, I call on thee; great sky lord, I invoke thy name on this most hallowed ground. In the name of pharaoh Atem, I summon forth Slifer the Sky Dragon (?/?)!"

Great red wings unfurled and the clouds departed, the dragon's serpentine body coiling around one of the pyramids as it descended. Its twin mouths were lined with teeth the size of swords. The emerald crown jewel atop its crest shone with the oldest of magics. Lightning wracked the landscape, patches of sand immediately turning to glass from the pinpointed heat.

XxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxx

The three gods were summoned at the same time, the trinity reborn in the human world after nearly ten years of slumber. Many of Yubel's duel spirits cut and run, summoning portals to escape back to the dark dimension as quickly as possible. On the other side, the human combatants sworn to House Ishtar found themselves emboldened by the mere presence of their patron deities. They fought with renewed determination, feeling invincible within the trinity's domain.

The only duel spirit who didn't seem overly intimidated by the summoning was Blade Knight, although it was obviously hard to tell if he was scared underneath his helmet. "Well, at least now we know that the god cards truly have returned. All the same, we're pretty much fucked. Might be best to call a retreat. I never imagined that Yugi would show up here…I thought for certain he would have been preoccupied with the Society of Light." He ticked. "Still, at least I'm better off than you right now, eh Bakura?"

The white-haired duelist didn't stand a chance against the knight, the spirit defeating him in only a few turns. Bakura was curled up on the ground, covered in burns and wounds from the severe beatdown Blade Knight's monsters had dealt him. Yugi's friend was resilient though and clung to life despite the brutal thrashing he was just subject to. "Apologies, I've just been a bit frustrated lately. Everyone is just so stupid…I can't believe I was forced to ally with such mindless creatures to achieve my goal."

"Nobody's making you do anything, pal." A rough voice sounded out behind Blade Knight. He turned around to see it was Joey Wheeler, his messy hair flying every which way in the wind. His eyes, normally wide and friendly like a puppy dog's, were now narrowed dangerously like a keen hunting hound's.

"You've prevailed over most of the minor spirits with nary a scratch…It seems you're worthy of your reputation as the third strongest human, Joey Wheeler."

"Why don't you back off and leave my buddy alone? If you really don't want any of this, then pack it up and hit the bricks!" Joey demanded angrily.

"…Once, I would have. But I cannot afford to lose Yubel now. Without her, I have no hope of getting what I want."

"Oh yeah? Well, I don't know what ya want. But if it means hurting innocent people and stealing the god cards, then it's probably something I shouldn't let ya have! Put up your dukes, king Arthur!" Joey roared.

"You are skilled at provocation, mister Wheeler…let's end this, now!" The knight activated his duel disk to face his challenger. Joey stepped in front of Bakura and did the same.

"Don't worry buddy, I'll take care of ya as soon as I'm finished with this guy!" Joey said protectively but faltered when he noticed the shift in the air around him. Looking about, he saw the arrival of the three Egyptian God cards. "Looks like Yugi and the others are getting' real serious…be careful, pal!"

XxXxXxXxXxXxXXxXxXxXxxX

To her credit, Yubel did not shrink from the sight of the Egyptian God, though her eyes betrayed deep-seated fear. "I see. So, you managed to summon the monster after so long."

"It's a god, not a monster. Believe it or not, it's my first time really playing one. It was always Atem before, or the "other me" as I knew him at the time. I was not sure I could even do it – the gods only let those of noble Egyptian blood summon them. Even Pegasus could never hope to do it, though he designed the cards. These days, only Kaiba, myself, and those of the Ishtar bloodline could reliably use them." Yugi narrowed his eyes in realization. "That must be why you recruited Hank."

Yubel smirked. "His blood is useful, to be certain. That's why I plan on absorbing him once this mission is complete."

Yugi's lip curled. "With his consent, I'm sure."

Yubel's look told him this was no factor. "I never lied to him, nor did I pretend to be his friend. The only person in this world I care about is Jaden, and I don't want anyone using these Egyptian Gods to threaten his rule over the universe. That's why once I absorb Hank into my body, I'll put every member of the Ishtar clan to the sword and burn all records of their knowledge. The only one in the universe who will be able to summon the gods will be me." She explained as if this was perfectly normal, perfectly healthy behavior.

"The gods will know the difference. They'll never let you wield them." But as Yugi spoke, he knew the words were likely false. If you had the lineage, the gods would obey regardless of moral considerations. After all, Ra was perfectly content to be used by Yami Marik, and Kaiba was no paragon either. "But you will never get far enough to know – your plans stop here. Slifer gains attack and defense points equal to the number of cards in my hand. Since I have four, he sits at 4000."

"He could have a million attack points and it wouldn't matter. Yubel – the Ultimate Nightmare cannot be destroyed by battle, and I take no damage from battles involving it…er, I mean me. You should see what happens when you attack."

"I am not frightened. Make your move." Yugi had other plays but wanted to keep cards in his hand to boost Slifer. He was confident that despite Yubel's strong defense, she had no way of overcoming the god card.

Yubel drew and seemed to ponder her strategy more than before. "I summon Sangan (1000/600) in attack mode." The orange three-eyed gremlin did not stay for long. Slifer's second mouth opened and instantly vanquished the beast with a lightning strike.

"Whenever you summon a monster in attack mode, Slifer's effect activates. The monster's attack points are reduced by 2000, and if they are depleted to zero, then that monster is immediately destroyed." Yugi explained.

"That's fine. When Sangan is destroyed, I get to add a monster from my deck to my hand with less than 1500 attack points. Your Egyptian God's rise will be brief, indeed. Fall into sleep! The Ultimate Nightmare attacks!"

The varying eyes on the monster's body all glowed orange as it rushed towards Slifer, the twin dragon heads sinking their teeth into the red dragon's flesh. "Um…ok." Yugi registered nonchalantly.

"Haha! This duel is over! When the Ultimate Nightmare battles, the other monster is destroyed and you take damage equal to its attack, which is 4000! Enjoy oblivion, fool!" Yubel cackled for a long time until she realized nothing was happening. "I said enjoy oblivion, fool!"

"Uh, yeah…about that. The god cards cannot be destroyed by other monster effects." Yugi scratched his head and chuckled slightly. Awkwardly, the Ultimate Nightmare slinked back to Yubel's field, its teeth failing to even pierce Slifer's hide.

"Oh…oh, shit. I set a card and end my turn." Yubel finished ignominiously.

Yugi was beginning to grow weary. "Perhaps her strategy is just to wear me down. I need to find a way past her evolution. Surely banishing it will work. I may have to weaken Slifer by using other cards in my hand, but she's not giving me much of a choice. Obelisk or Ra may have been better for this particular situation, but beggars can't be choosers."

"I'm ending this now! I activate the ritual magic card Chaos Form! This lets me ritual summon by banishing a Blue-Eyes or Dark Magician from my grave. Obviously, I am not playing Blue-Eyes, so I will be banishing Dark Magician." Dark purple flames began to encircle Yugi, chains rising from the earth. "I ritual summon Magician of Chaos (2500/2100)." Now imbued with the powers of chaos, Dark Magician's armor was more ornate than before, inlaid with multiple glowing green gems. His staff floated beside him, controlled by telekinesis.

Yubel shuddered, reacting rather harshly to the waves of chaos emanating from the spellcaster. "The waves of chaos…. don't you realize what harm that does to the fabric of the universe? Chaos is the very force that caused the blast, the force that has weakened the walls between dimensions."

"This small amount of chaos energy could never fray the dimensional borders the way they have been. Your psychotic obsession has caused that." Yugi assumed.

"Wrong. The true culprit is closer than you may think…the one responsible is none other than Jamie Lancaster, Kaiba's young apprentice."

"Oh, really? You are full of surprises, I must admit. First you bring up Jaden Yuki, and now the Lancaster boy. Does it please you to try and ruin the lives of Central Academy students? Should I watch out for Syrus Truesdale as well? As far as I'm concerned, anyone you consider an enemy can't be all bad."

"You laugh, but I speak the truth. So long as the lion lives, the universe will remain out of balance."

Although he outwardly mocked her, Yugi had to admit that her words carried some true, inimitable weight to them. He would investigate these claims more later. "Now, I'll use the magic card Upstart Goblin! This lets me draw a card but gains you 1000 life points. (Yugi 3000/Yubel 5000) "But more than that, using a magic card triggers the Magician of Chaos' special effect. Once per turn, when a magic or trap card effect is activated, the magician can destroy a card on the field. Go, vanquish this so-called Nightmare once for and all!"

Chanting, the magician trapped Yubel's evolved form within seven magic circles, the inscribed runes spinning as they positioned themselves atop each other. The rings formed a pillar in which violet flames immolated the demon. To Yugi's relief, Yubel had no further evolutions, and his adversary's field was empty of monsters. "It would appear that my little magic tricks, as you put them, were more than sufficient to get the job done this time." Yubel did not look pleased to have her own words turned against her. "Now, it's time to end this duel! Slifer the Sky Dragon, attack Yubel directly with Thunder Force!"

Slifer was quick to charge a hyper beam between its two mouths, a holy thunderbolt capable of smiting any earthly foe. Jagged and violent, the boisterous thunder ripped across the field at blinding speed. With four cards in hand, the attack struck for four thousand damage. Yubel outstretched her arms and seemed to welcome the pain. The wave struck her with an ear-piercing crack, bowling her off her feet and sending her high into the air. The other duelists paused, astounded at the intensity of the strike. Yubel seemingly disappeared into thin air, atomized by the cannon of electricity. (Yugi 3000/Yubel 1000)

XxXxXxXxXxXxXxXx

Obelisk the Tormentor stared down at Chaos Sorcerer, who was frozen in fear. Even if he had some way of countering the god card this turn, he was scarcely able to summon his wits enough to move.

"It's still my turn, spirit." Ishizu continued. I activate the trap card, Rite of Spirit. This allows me to summon a Gravekeeper back from the graveyard. Return, Gravekeeper's Guard!" The big-bellied patrolman knelt in defense mode alongside Ishizu's remaining Spy.

"Then, I shall activate Obelisk's effect! By sacrificing two monsters on my side of the field, I can destroy all cards on your side of the field, and inflict 4000 points of damage to end this duel!" Obelisk tightly clutched the guard and spy, absorbing the energies of the two weaker creatures into its massive, clawed fists. "Attack with fists of fate!"

Obelisk reared back for a single, devastating punch. Ishizu took a moment to brace herself before the fist launched forward with unsurpassable force. The localized shockwave from the punch's impact caused a titantic plume of sand to rise hundreds of meters into the air. The force from Obelisk's attack was concentrated into a pillar of wind that vaporized a cloud flying directly overhead.

When the dust settled, all that was left of Chaos Sorcerer was a pair of jester's boots with smoke furling out of the tops. Obelisk turned to Ishizu, the fearsome expression giving way to a cheesy smile and thumbs-up as the blue titan began to dissipate.

Ishizu chuckled. "Thank you, mighty Obelisk." She looked around to a group of duel spirits who were silently watching the match. "Well, who's up next?" She asked with her usual holier-than-thou calm.

The spirits were fleeing before she had even finished talking. "It would seem Yugi and Marik have summoned the gods as well. Don't be reckless, little brother." She thought, for she had no worries about Yugi.

XxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXx

Pure flames emanated from Ra's metallic scales, the dragon's attack points at 3000. "Now, for all of Ra's power I still cannot attack due to the effects of your two Solar Flare Dragons." Marik began, eliciting a sneering nod from his adversary. "However, that's about to change! First, I'll activate one of Ra's special abilities, the power of point-to-point transfer! I can give up all but 100 of my life points to boost Ra's attack points by the amount I lost!" Giving up 700 life points, Ra's strength rose to 3700. An attack on the Solar Flare Dragon would now deal 2200 points of damage, enough to win.

"It means nothing! You cannot declare an attack, god card or otherwise!" Volcano protested, sensing that the last card in Marik's hand was going to bring the plan together.

"Oh, but with this I can! I reveal the quick-play spell, Blaze Cannon! For the rest of the turn, Ra is unaffected by all of your card effects, and that means he can declare an attack! Now, perish in the face of true flames!" Leaning forward, Ra unleashed a typhoon of unending fire upon Volcano's field, burning away his monsters along with his remaining life points. (Marik 100/Volcano 0).

When the blaze finally receded, all that remained of his opponent was ash. "I guess now we know who are the hotties and who are the notties!" Marik looked around and noticed that the other duel spirits in Yubel's employ were running away, some with their tails between their legs.

"Come on, that was funny! Oh, I get it! When I make a fire-related joke, that's pure evil. But when he does it" – Marik gesticulated towards the smoking crater – "it's like he's mother-frigging-Teresa!" With an annoyed grunt, he decided to be satisfied with the victory, displeased though he was at the hypocrisy.

XxXxXxXxXxXxXx

Yugi could not see where Yubel had gone, until a few minutes later she landed in a deformed heap upon the ground. One of her arms and both of her legs were vaporized by the attack, her wings melted into clay-like lumps. Blood leaked from everywhere, and she groaned in deep, primal misery.

"Not a pretty sight." Yugi felt a pang of pity. "My upstart goblin was necessary for my play but prevented the attack from ending the duel. Still, you ought to surrender. My Magician of Chaos' attack will not be pleasant to endure. Please, spare yourself the suffering."

"I told you no human can kill me!" With a harsh gurgle and a strain of effort, Yubel regenerated her lost limbs, the appendages covered in quickly-drying bloody fluid. Similarly, the bloody wounds began to close, and her wings sharpened as they reformed. "Is that all a direct attack from a god card can do? I'm not impressed." Yubel huffed and puffed, the regeneration using a great deal of her remaining energy stores.

"Be that as it may, this duel is done. Magician of Chaos, strike directly!" Yugi commanded.

"I don't think so. I activate my trap card, Damage Gate. When I take battle damage, I can summon a monster in my graveyard with attack points less than the amount of damage I took. And since I took 4000 damage, any monster in my grave is available to me. I summon my original form to the field!" Yubel's clone reappeared in attack mode, a volcanic orange aura around her. Since the monster was summoned in defense mode, Slifer's effect did not trigger. "Still care to attack with your Magician?"

"No, I have no choice but to end my turn." Yugi was astounded by how strong Yubel's defense was. It reminded him again of his duel with Marik, so long ago. And now that Yubel was back, she could access the evolved forms if he destroyed it.

"This god of yours has many unique abilities. It's only affected by spell cards for one turn, isn't that correct?" Yubel asked. Yugi nodded with grit teeth. "Good, because one turn is all I require! I activate the quick-play spell Forbidden Chalice! This will negate Slifer's effects while boosting its attack by 400."

This proved extremely debilitating – without its ability to gain attack points by the cards in Yugi's hand, Slifer's attack value was reduced to zero, then boosted to 400 by the spell's effect. Although a spell was used, Yugi held off on destroying a card with Magician of Chaos' effect. Destroying Yubel would only ensure the return of Terror Incarnate.

"Now, I'll summon Predaplant Chlamydosundew (600/200)." A frilled plant-lizard crawled onto the field. "This monster allows me to fusion summon a Predplant monster without the use of a fusion spell. Furthermore, I can fuse using any dark monster or any monster with a predator counter! I fuse my lizard with Yubel!"

"Oh no!" Yugi exclaimed as the two creatures were pulled into a dark violet vortex. He was briefly puzzled at this new card before he remembered – the Lancaster boy reported on the Predaplant monsters in one of their meetings as he detailed his duel with Kagemaru. "What can she summon with those materials?" He thought.

"Fusion summon! Predaplant Chimerarafflesia (2500/2000)." Yubel clasped both palms together s the monster unfurled from a flurry of vine. Its pink petals were bright as the teeth on its twin venus flytraps were sharp. "Once per turn, I can use this monster's ability to banish a level seven or lower monster on the field. Farewell, Magician of Chaos!" Emitting a virulent poison gas, the rampant plant vanquished Yugi's magician. "And now, I'll attack Slifer! When Chimerarafflesia attacks, it can gain 1000 attack points while your monster loses 1000. Meaning battle damage will calculate to 3500, winning me this duel! It's over, false king!"

"I discard Kuriboh (300/200) in my hand to reduce the battle damage to zero." Although the cute furball was able to save Yugi's life points, the loss of Slifer was undoubtedly crippling. It pained him to watch the plant's toxins slowly corrode the god's body, until nothing remained. "I am sorry, Slifer….I should not have let that happen." Old, familiar doubts reentered his mind as he compared himself to Atem.

"You may have saved your life points, but things aren't looking so good now that your Egyptian God card has been defeated! What was that you were saying about the likes of me being unable to control them? They seem quite manageable to me, unless it was simply your handling of them that was incompetent." Yubel said hatefully. "I end my turn."

"Destroying Slifer is an impressive feat, I'll grant you. But this duel is far from over." Yugi drew, preparing to switch over to a new strategy. Yubel was taxing her energy reserves to the limit while he was just getting started. "I summon Artillery Catapult Turtle (1000/2000) in attack mode." The mechanical tortoise had dense green plating and a massive cannon atop its shell that doubled as a landing strip. "Catapult Turtle lets me sacrifice one of my monsters to special summon either a Gaia the Fierce Knight or a level five dragon from my deck to the field. I offer up Catapult Turtle!"

With a crack, the turtle fired a signal flare up into the air, the ensuing smoke obscuring its body. A moment later, a cloaked rider burst from the grey plume on heavy horse, his lance inscribed with arcane runes. "I call forth Gaia the Magical Knight (2300/2100). And when this monster is summoned, I can special summon one level five dragon monster from my hand or graveyard. I play Curse of Dragon – The Cursed Dragon (2000/1500) from my hand." Soaring over the sands was a bright yellow serpentine dragon with thin, tattered wings.

"A redundant name." Yubel muttered, not figuring Yugi could hear her.

"That may be, but it has a strong effect. When summoned, I can add a spell or trap that lists Gaia the Dragon Champion in its text from deck to hand." Yugi smiled as he retrieved another card from his deck, which was beginning to get thin. "If I don't finish this soon, I may run out of cards in my deck." Yugi realized, wondering if this was Yubel's plan all along.

"If he doesn't finish this soon, he may run out of cards." Yubel thought with a smirk, this being her plan all along. After all, trying to beat Yugi in a battle of wits was as likely as debating the wind and winning. In strength, intelligence, and favor with the gods, he was unmatched. But there was no strategizing around a brick wall. A strong defense would eventually win the day, or so she thought.

"It seems that fusion summoning is quite popular with the kids these days, so I'll give it a shot. I activate Spiral Fusion, allowing me to merge Gaia and Curse of Dragon on my field." Riding low, the dragon picked up Gaia off of his horse, the knight shedding his heavy cloak to reveal compact armor underneath. His lance mechanically split off into two smaller spears. "I summon Gaia the Magicial Knight of Dragons (2600/2100)!" As the dragon roared, Yubel narrowed her eyes, wondering if there was something more to it.

"Not only is my knight formidable on its own, but my cards in the graveyard give it an additional boost. First off, the spiral fusion spell grants my monster an additional 2600 attack points for a total of 5200. Then, since I fusion summoned it with Curse of Dragon, I can negate all other monster's effects on the field with lower attack points." This way, Yugi would not have to worry about the Predaplants. But Yubel's set card did worry him. "I could win if this attack goes through, but that set card could be Magic Cylinder for all I know. Best to stay patient."

"I activate Gaia's special ability. By reducing its attack power by 2600, I can destroy any card on the field. I'll take out your set card!" Pointing his lance, Gaia directed his dragon companion to shoot a fireball at the face-down. It turned out to be Chaos Burst, a trap that would have destroyed Yugi's attacking monster and burned him for a thousand damage. "Ah, good. She hadn't used it this far into my turn, so I figured it was a battle trap."

"I'll attack with spiral spear strike!" Yugi's mounted knight took a joust at Yubel's rafflesia, successfully cutting apart the plant with a swipe of the lance. Yubel furled her wings to defend from the debris. (Yugi 3000/Yubel 900)

"When Gaia the Magical Knight of Dragons destroys a monster by battle, it gains 2600 attack points." The yellow dragon preened as it returned to Yugi's field, its rider raising his lance proudly. "A face-down will end my turn."

The two duelists took a moment to catch their breath, neither giving any quarter to the other so far. "I have to admit, this spirit is one of the strongest duelists I've ever met." Yugi thought. "Nothing's pushed me this far in a while. I'm not sure even Kaiba or Joey would be able to beat her."

"Yugi is a fearsome enemy. I look forward to assimilating his essence within my flesh." Yubel paid grudging respect to the foe in her own way. "I draw and activate my own Card of Sanctity." The two duelists replenished their hands once more.

"Now, I'll summon Predaplant Ophrys Scorpio (1200/800)." The leafy scorpion had a plant's thorn at the end of its tail. "When this monster is summoned, I can send a monster from my deck to the graveyard in order to special summon another Predaplant monster from my deck. I'll summon Predaplant Darlingtonia Cobra (1000/1500)." The serpent's vine-like hide lead into a purple flower at the end of its tail. "When this monster is special summoned, I can add Polymerization to my hand. Now, let me show you true fusion summoning! I fuse together my two Predaplants to summon forth Starving Venom Fusion Dragon (2800/2000)!"

Pink and purple bubbles of pure poison floated stilly in the air, heralding the dragon's arrival. From a dark portal emerged the serpentine body of one of the four-dimension dragons. Its eyes glared hatefully upon Yugi, its curved horns gold and sharp. Yugi felt an undeniably distinct and foreign energy to this monster. "This does not feel like any of her other creatures…could it be that this dragon is from another dimension?" But he had no time to dwell on the question.

"In a battle between fusion monsters, this dragon is unmatched! You see, when it's summoned, I can boost its attack points by the amount of a special summoned monster on your side of the field!" Violet flames roared as Starving Venom Fusion Dragon's attack points rose from 2800 to 8000.

"Eight thousand attack points…incredible." Yugi said with a ghost of a smile.

"Finally, this will be enough to wipe you out! I attack with Starving Venom Fusion Dragon!" Unleashing a tidal wave of deep purple energy, the blast melted down Yugi's dragon and its rider. Damaged for the first time in the entire duel, Yugi was sent reeling back, his blue jacket erased from the attack. Crossing his arms, Yugi stood in his black tank top and many-belted jeans, both frayed from the attack. Burns covered him all over, and he huffed and puffed with effort. But the look in his eyes was not that of a beaten man. Indeed, his determination and resolve remained no less sturdy than before. (Yugi 200/Yubel 900)

Yubel looked immensely satisfied at finally hurting her opponent. "At last…one more attack will end it. Give up, false king."

"You haven't warmed up to me, huh?" Yugi smiled as he brushed a dribble of blood from his forehead. "I'm sorry to hear that. I hoped we might have come to understand each other through this duel."

"I don't want to understand you, and I will never turn back from my destiny. I swore an oath." Said Yubel, although the malice from her voice was gone. Was it due to fatigue, or something else?

"So did I." Though the smile remained, Yugi's eyes looked sad. "It's too bad. You're really a great duelist. You could live any way you choose with your abilities. Mark my words; you will never be happy going down this path of violence. Isn't there anything else you want to be?"

"No. I swore I would be Jaden's lover and protector, and that's all I want to be. It may be my destiny, and I may be shackled to this fate, but I wouldn't have chosen another path anyways. It's the same with you. Destiny dictated that you complete the Millennium Puzzle and restore your pharaoh's memories. Your battles against Kaiba and Pegasus, Marik and Bakura, that was destiny as well. Would you have chosen it any other way? Of course not. Now draw your last pathetic card so we can end this, Yugi."

"My deck has no pathetic cards." As Yugi drew, he thought of every battle, every step of his journey that led him to this moment. "Tea…Grandpa…Joey…Seto…all of my friends here on Earth, please be with me now!"

"But it does contain this! Buster Whelp of the Destruction Swordsman (400/300)." Yugi's monster was a rather cute little dragon cub, its hide unusually furry, fluffy, and white. "When this monster is normal summoned, I can add a Destruction Sword card from deck to hand." The card Yugi searched seemed to glow a soft golden hue. "Your monster is very impressive, Yubel. But I have plenty of experience battling dragons, and this one does not frighten me! I play the magic card Emblem of Dragon Destroyer, allowing me to add Buster Blader to my hand." Yubel's eyes widened as he realized what Yugi was about to do.

"I activate Destruction Swordsman Fusion, allowing me to fusion summon a monster that lists Buster Blader as a material. I merge together the Buster Whelp on my field with the Buster Blader in my hand to call forth Buster Blader, the Dragon Destroyer Swordsman (2800/2500)!"

The dragon cub was bathed in golden light, its physical body becoming a guardian spirit from which to watch over its master. A mighty paladin took the field, its dark indigo armor turning pearly white as the whelp's light covered it. Hefting an enormous sword taller than his own body, the knight fearlessly stood down Yubel's Starving Venom Fusion Dragon. In fact, the dragon fell to the ground as if on command, helplessly curling up in a defensive position. "What?! I never switched my monster to defense mode!" Yubel protested.

"It has no choice, I'm afraid. While the fused Buster Blader is on the field, all dragons change to defense mode, and cannot activate their effects. In addition, he gains 1000 attack points for each dragon on your field and in your grave. He also pierces, meaning this attack will inflict 1800 damage in total." Raising the sword into the air, the warrior's strength swelled to 3800. Despite the dragon's impressive boosted attack, its defense never moved higher than 2000.

"How? How did you draw the cards you needed? I won't accept this! I won't lose to a mere human!" Yubel cried.

"Isn't this destiny as well? Or is it only destiny when you're winning?" Yugi chided before growing serious. "I made promises as well, Yubel. I vowed to Atem that I would live up to his legacy. I promised to always defend my loved ones using the power of these cards. I promised to honor the gods, to live up to the ideal of a true duelist. There was a time I was completely alone like you. It's taken my whole life to build what I have now, piece by piece – I won't let you destroy it! Buster Blader, attack with destruction sword flash!"

The edge of the blade blazed with white fire, the flames rising into the air as a pillar of hope for the Ishtars. The demons and duel spirits fighting for Yubel saw the torch and began to break down further, abandoning their battles and making for the nearest portal to safety. "Stand and fight! Stand and fight, damn you! No!" Yubel cried in futility as the flames raced toward her, the white overwhelming her vision, her senses… (Yugi 200/Yubel 0)

Near every inch of her body was burned black, a thick stench permeating the air as she writhed on the ground. Yugi walked over to his prone foe. He looked neither pleased nor satisfied with the victory. "You fought well, but this is the end." Wisely, Yugi did not dispel the Buster Blader spirit – rather, he kept the giant swordsman poised to strike by his side in case Yubel tried anything desperate.

After a few long moments, Yubel succeeded in regenerating once again, although it was clear she was completely spent in terms of energy. The burns retreated and left fresh skin in its wake, but it was pallid, blotchy in places. "She's finally hit her limit. Another attack would end it for sure." Yugi thought with some relief.

"Your comrades have forsaken you when you needed them most – it often happens to those who rule by fear. Please, surrender peacefully and I will grant what clemency is within my power." Yugi offered. Despite his kind tone, the positioned buster sword was an implicit threat of what would happen if the olive branch were burned away.

Yubel's eyes darted around like a cornered animal. "Curse you, Yugi…I'll never give up!" She spat at him, the saliva landing on his shoe.

Yugi showed only disappointment. "I believe you, sadly." His voice hardened. "I believe that you feel wronged by others, by existence itself. You won't give up until you've taken revenge on all of life. I have met others like you, and since I spared them, they have become allies and friends. They once lived as you do, but they learned that vengeance and hatred are not valid reasons for existing. It's possible to turn away from a life of hate. Please let me help you. I promise I'll try and make things better somehow. You can go see Jaden, would that help?" Now that he had emerged victorious, the disgust he felt at Yubel was ultimately mastered by pity, and even a measure of compassion.

"Fuck you!" Yubel screamed hoarsely. Apparently, that was the wrong thing to say. "Are you afraid to get your hands dirty or what? Just kill me, scum!"

Yugi set his jaw. "As you wish." With pain and regret in his heart, Yugi bid his Buster Blader to do the deed. With a tremendous heft, the swordsman brought down the blade.

XxXxXxXxXxXxXx

Blade Knight was locked in a heated duel with Joey, and for a time he lost awareness of his surroundings. Once the gods were summoned, however, he kept an acute eye on the match between Yubel and Yugi, writing off Chaos Sorcerer and Mr. Volcano as lost causes. He paused again when Slifer launched a direct attack, fearing that his plans had turned to dust. And yet, she persevered.

He turned back to his own duel. Joey was a formidable opponent indeed, forcing Blade Knight to plumb the depths of his own energies just to keep up. Joey had three monsters on the field – Rocket Warrior, Lord of the Red, and Maximum Six, while Blade Knight only had one – Infernoble Knight Olivier. Each duelist stood at 3000 life points each.

"My move." Blade Knight's gloved hand smoothly peeled off the next card in his deck. "I banish the equip spell Divine Sword Phoenix Blade from my graveyard in order to special summon this! Come forth, Immortal Phoenix Gearfried (3000/2200)!"

In a burst of thick orange flames emerged a giant knight clad in white and red armor. A shield was attached to his left forearm while his right hand wielded a heavy, curved blade. Joey blanched at the sight of the intimidating monster. "Nyeh! I've played Gearfried plenty of times but I never heard of this card!"

"You're about to become quite familiar with it, mister Wheeler. I attack Rocket Warrior with blazing slash!" The fiery warrior shot a burst of energy from the tip of his sword towards Joey's monster. However, instead of destroying it, the energy enclosed around Rocket Warrior and absorbed its essence into the knight's shield. "When Immortal Phoenix Gearfried attacks, I can equip one monster on the field to it. Then, that equipped monster boosts Gearfried's attack by 500. Furthermore, I can send that equipped monster to the graveyard in order to negate a card effect. So don't even try using your Lord of the Red. With that, I end my turn."

"I ain't scared, I can find a way to beat that thing!" Joey said defiantly. "My move!" However, whether Joey truly had a way to out Immortal Pheonix Gearfried would remain undetermined, as Blade Knight's attention suddenly snapped away from the duel.

"Damn it, I knew she would be no match for him…" Blade Knight muttered. "But I can't let her go yet."

"Oi! Don't worry about anything else! You're fighting me!" Joey shook his fist like a curmudgeonly neighbor at his adversary.

"This has been a catastrophe…I must do what I can to salvage it. I truly apologize, mister Wheeler. It is dishonorable for a duelist to leave business unfinished, but I'm afraid I must leave." Blade Knight unsheathed his sword from the scabbard at his side.

"What do you know about honor? And who says I'm gonna let you leave, huh?" Joey countered. Silently, Blade Knight raised the sword and cut through the air. The stroke parted the empty space as if it were curtains, revealing a shadowy portal.

"I come and go as I please with this sword of mine. Again, I offer my apologies. A duelist of your caliber deserves a better fight than this. But we don't always get what we deserve in this world. I know that better than most."

Before Joey could respond, the cryptic spirit jumped into the portal, moving across the battlefield in an instant.

XxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXx

It was with pain and sorrow in his heart that Yugi allowed Buster Blader to swing downwards at the fallen Yubel. A moment before the killing blow would have landed, however, it was intercepted by another sword. Blade Knight had stepped in to protect Yubel. Yugi was shocked – he hadn't even perceived Blade Knight's movements.

"Sorry, but I need this one alive for a bit longer. Hope you don't mind, Yugi." The knight said casually.

"How did you move so quickly?" Yugi was momentarily shocked. "His energy signature is quite peculiar – unlike any duel spirit's. And familiar too!"

With a heave of exertion, the knight fended off the Buster Blader's strike and sent the monster reeling backwards. The dragon slayer made to rebound towards the enemy, but Yugi stayed the monster with a wave of his hand. "Very well, but I assure you I can still duel at my maximum power. If you care to try your luck, go ahead and fight me."

"I'm not that stupid. I know when to cut my losses, no pun intended of course." He raised his sword, but did not attack – instead, golden light cascaded from the heavens and surrounded both Blade Knight and the prone Yubel, a barrier that utterly prevented exit or entry. "I specialize in movement between dimensions. This is a simple spell, but quite unbreakable. I will not accept total defeat, but this round is over for now. Enjoy your victory, for next time will be different."

"Don't run!" With a nod, Yugi sent Buster Blader ahead to break through the shields. However, his great sword bounced ineffectually off the barrier, and the paladin fell over in rather embarrassing fashion.

"Technically we are teleporting, not running. I've already called a total retreat, or a strategic withdrawal if you prefer." The ground beneath Blade Knight's feet rose into the air with them still on it, a sandy platform solidified with magic.

Yugi cursed his powerlessness. "I know you from somewhere. Take that helmet off. I want to see your face." He demanded with coldness most unlike him.

"Ha!" The knight laughed sharply. "Fine. I'm tired of this helmet anyways. You may not be happy you asked, though."

He placed a gloved hand upon the helmet, slowly raising it upwards.

The clamor of battle had stilled completely, friend and foe alike silently rapt at the confrontation. The only sounds were the crackling of flames, the crumbling of stone, the splintering of wood.

As the platform slowly rose, he lowered the silver helmet at his side. The knight looked down at them all. "Well? What do you think? Good-looking, right?

Yugi, Joey, Marik, and Ishizu could not believe their eyes. The voice was just the same as his, once the helmet was off. "How could this be? Who is this person?" Yugi thought, for this was no duel spirit. It was human…

Brown hair, chilling green eyes, the same face. The face of Jamie Lancaster looked upon them.

"My name is Jamie Lancaster. I am the son of Tobias and Joanna Lancaster! Your imposter's days of usurping my body and stealing my identity are numbered. I will see my mother and father again! I will see my friends again! I will take back my name if it is the last thing I ever do!" His eyes burned with hatred and righteousness. "This, I vow!"

Yubel took to his side, her wounds fully regenerated. Violet duel energy flared in an aura around her. "We only seek that which justly belongs to us. Love always finds a way."

The one with Jamie's face dropped the helmet carelessly to the ground. With that, he turned around and they rose into a dark portal, returning Yubel's army to the realm of the Duel Spirits. The desert sands rang with heavy silence.

"Jamie Lancaster…" Yugi breathed the cursed name.

A/N

Thanks for reading and I'll catch you next time. Also, if it catches your fancy please check out my new story, Great Teacher Wheeler. It's a GX story focusing on Joey Wheeler becoming a teacher at Duel Academy. It is mostly focused on humor and teen drama type stuff, and will be updated sporadically.