I don't own Yu-Gi-Oh! If I did, there would be more character development for the other characters, especially the ancient Egyptians like Kisara.
Chapter Ten: Semi Finals
Kisara dried off her hair as she exited her bathroom. After wearing the same outfit for two days, it felt good to really get clean and put on the fresh clothes she'd packed. As much as she despised Pegasus for everything he'd put them through, she had to admit he was a good host. He could have had Tea, Tristan, and Bakura sent home for not participating, but instead he arranged a private room for each of them down the hall. It was better than how some of her previous guardians would have been to uninvited guests.
She pulled on her hoodie over her white tank top and black shorts, leaving it unzipped. Knowing there wasn't time for a large breakfast, Kisara grabbed a pack of PopTarts from her backpack and a bottle of water. A knock sounded at her door just as she finished eating.
"Hey, Kisara," Joey greeted her. "Ready to go?"
"Just have to grab my deck," she answered. She grabbed the box and followed him to Yugi's room where the others were waiting. As they joined the group, the Millennium Puzzle flashed, and Yugi changed into his other self.
"Good luck, you guys," Tea wished them well. "I'm so proud of you. Kick some butt!"
"We'll have to watch you from the balcony. Only duelists are allowed on the arena floor," Tristan told them.
"Thanks," Kisara smiled at them.
Yugi led the way into the waiting where Mai, Rex, and Bandit Keith were already waiting. "Well look who's finally awake," Mai said.
"Mai," Yugi greeted the blonde.
"I was starting to wonder if you'd even show up," she said.
"Hey, dweeb," Keith was ready to push Joey's buttons. "So you all ready to get your butt kicked across the arena and back?"
"Dream on," Joey kept his cool. "At least I didn't have to steal the star chips to make it to the final round of this here tournament, and I won't have to cheat to beat you, Keith."
Kisara didn't like the look on Keith's face and turned away, leading her to stare off with her own opponent. "You ready for the dino demolition?" Rex grinned. "My dinosaurs are itching to sink their teeth into your monsters."
"I thought I told you last night not to underestimate me," Kisara narrowed her eyes at him, keeping her face a mask of calm. Trash talk was Rex's specialty, and Kisara wasn't going to let him get to her. "After all, few who mess with dragons live to tell the tale."
"Attention! Attention!" the eyes on the winged horse carving glowed bright green. It sounded like Croquet's voice. "The duel champion playoffs are about to begin. All finalists will now enter the arena." The wall the horse was mounted on split, revealing the duel arena. The six participants stepped forward, watching the surrounding area cautiously. "And now your host, Mr. Maximillion Pegasus." Doors opposite the finalists opened, revealing a single cushioned chair. A throne. Pegasus intended to show he was the ruler of this castle.
He stepped forward and smiled graciously at all the guests. "Yugi, Joey, Kisara, Mai, Rex Raptor, and Bandit Keith, I welcome all of you to the play off arena. Here is where the last great Duel Monsters duels shall be waged to determine the championship of the Duelist Kingdom. Only one of you shall emerge victorious. Only one of you shall win the $3 million prize. And of course the victor in the play-offs shall also earn the right to challenge me in the final match."
"Challenge you?" Tristan's voice rang out from above the finalists. "And what does the playoff winner get for defeating you in the final duel?"
Tristan, don't egg him on. Not yet anyway. Kisara feared for her friend as Pegasus chuckled at the brunet's enthusiasm. "The victor will be granted one request. Whatever his, or her, heart most desires. And if it is within my vast power to do so, their wish will be granted." The Millennium Eye flickered in the light. "The victor will also be declared the undisputed Duelist Kingdom champion, ranked number one in the world."
"And that'll be me," Mai said next to them.
"Surely any duelist who has come this far must realize that the title, and not the money, is the real prize. Is that not so?"
"You're a regular comedian," Keith spat.
"Listen, you!" Joey shouted at the silver-haired man. "The money's all I need for my sister's operation!"
"Yes, yes," Pegasus moved on. "I'm sure some of you have more riding on this tournament than others. Hmm, Yugi? Kisara?" He chuckled at them.
We'll stop you. You won't get away with what you've done to Seto, Mokuba, and Grandpa. And if I really do have some kind of power, you can bet I'll use it to take you down. Kisara kept her goal in mind. She was going to do everything in her power to save her friends.
"All right, let's get this show on the road," Pegasus grinned as the time to duel drew closer. "Only one of you will emerge victorious, but I wish you all good fortune. Now shuffle your decks, and may the best duelist win!"
A hologram display appeared above the arena, showing the matchups that had been determined the previous night. "The first match will now begin: Kisara White versus Rex Raptor," Croquet announced. "Duelists, please proceed to the arena."
Kisara took her place on the blue side of the arena. Rex grinned at her from the red side. "Ready get stomped?"
"I'm more than ready," she answered. "I need to win this."
"Duelists, before we begin, I must ask you to each show me the card required for your participation," Croquet instructed them. Kisara held up her blank card. Rex held up his treasure card. "Very well, let the match begin."
Kisara glanced to Pegasus before she took the first turn. Just tune him out. I can't worry about him yet. Just focus on Rex and the cards. "I summon Petit Dragon in defense mode." A little golden dragon appeared on her field.
"Is that thing supposed to scare me?" Rex laughed. "It's barely a snack for my Uraby! Go! Destroy her puny dragon!" The brown dinosaur crushed Kisara's dragon in its jaw.
"Go, Yamadragon!" Kisara summoned a three-headed white dragon with purple scales. "Attack Uraby with Dragon Fire!" Rex's LifePoints dropped to 1900.
"Oh, so you played that little dragon to lure out my monster," Rex sneered. "Nice play, but it won't help you against this. I summon Sword Arm of Dragon! Destroy that three-headed lizard with Sword Tail Slash!" Kisara's LifePoints fell to 1850.
I'll have to bide my time for now. I don't have anything yet that can take out that dinosaur. But this should at least hold him off. "I'll play this in defense mode."
"Running scared already? I told you couldn't stand up to my dino demolition." Rex laughed. "I'll add to the fun and bring out Two-Headed King Rex!" The purple dinosaur materialized onto Rex's field, its heads roaring at Kisara. "King Rex, attack that monster with Foot Stomp!"
"Not today!" Kisara's Dragon Dwelling in the Cave revealed itself, its green scales withstanding the assault from the purple dinosaur. Its 2000 defense points made it more than strong enough to protect against the attack, knocking Rex down to 1500 LifePoints. "You should learn to be careful about face-downs. You never know what could be hiding on the field."
"Fine," Rex grimaced. "Make your move."
"I will," Kisara drew her card, watching her opponent's expression. "Hey, Rex, do you mind if I ask you something?"
"Going to beg for mercy?"
She rolled her eyes. "No, I'm not scared of your dinosaurs. I want to know why you're fighting in this tournament. I'm fighting because I've got the fate of my friends riding on this. Why is winning so important to you?"
"Heh, that's an easy one," Rex smirked. "I'm in it to be the best. And to get the respect I deserve. No one can mess with the power of my dinos."
I see. He's almost like Seto in that way. He prides himself on being a champion. Being the best is more important than the prize itself. But I can't let that stop me. Seto and Mokuba are counting on me to win. Kisara steeled her resolve. "I summon Hyozanryu in attack mode. Destroy that two-headed dinosaur with Diamond Devastator!" Rex's LifePoints fell to 1000.
"Alright, Kisara!" Joey cheered for her, followed by the others. "Show Dino-Breath who's boss!" She nodded to them.
"Okay, you want to fight with dragons, I'll show you a dragon," Rex played his card. "Serpent Night Dragon, make Hyozanryu extinct with Nightmare Sonic Blast!"
Black darts flew about the arena, piercing through Kisara's dragon and knocking her LifePoints down to 1600. At least she still had the advantage in LifePoints. I wish he hadn't summoned it; it's so pretty I don't want to destroy it. But I should have expected it, especially since he doesn't have Red-Eyes anymore. Kisara set a monster.
"Yeah, I bet that's all you can do now that my best card is out," Rex grinned. "But I won't fall for the same trick twice. I play Stop Defense. Now your monster has to reveal itself, and it faces me head-on." Kisara's Crawling Dragon revealed itself. "Serpent Night Dragon, destroy that wannabe dragon!" Black arrows pierced the Crawling Dragon, destroying it. Kisara's LifePoints dropped to 850.
"I'm not beaten," Kisara glared at him. "I've got too much riding on this to back down now." She drew her card. Yes! "I summon Seiyaryu in attack mode!" The sparkling, pink dragon she had grown to rely on materialized on her field. "Seiyaryu, destroy Sword Arm of Dragon with Razor Fire Blast!" The dragon breathed blue fire on the dinosaur, knocking Rex down to 250 LifePoints. "I end my turn."
"And it'll end your last hope," Rex sneered as he drew. "I boost my Serpent Night Dragon with Dragon Nails. "Go, Nightmare Sonic Blast!" His boosted dragon blasted through Seiyaryu with its black arrows. Kisara's LifePoints fell to 400.
"Don't give up, Kisara!" Tea encouraged her.
"You still have one play to pull this off," Yugi added.
Kisara nodded to them. I know what I need. I just need to draw the cards to pull it off. She drew Dragon's Treasure. This'll help. "I play a card face-down and leave my Dragon Dwelling in the Cave in defense mode."
"I bet that's all you can do," Rex grinned. "There are only two monsters that could stand up to my powered-up Serpent Night Dragon, and you don't have either in your deck." He sent his dragon to destroy hers.
"Shows what you know," Kisara answered as she drew. Finally. "I play the Blue-Eyes White Dragon!" The dragon roared as it appeared on her field.
"No way!" Rex backed up at the sight of the Dragon. "Kaiba's supposed to be the only duelist with that!"
"No, he's not," Kisara grinned. "There were four Blue-Eyes White Dragon cards made; this is the fourth one. And I've put all my faith in this dragon. I reveal my face-down card: Dragon's Treasure. This boosts my Blue-Eyes by 300 points."
"Oh no!" Rex's eyes widened as he realized he was beaten.
"All right!" her friends cheered. "Take him down!"
"Go, Blue-Eyes, destroy Serpent Night Dragon with White Lightning!" Kisara ordered. Blue-Eyes blasted through Rex's last monster, wiping out the rest of his LifePoints.
"So you beat me," Rex said glumly as the arena powered down.
"You put up a good fight," Kisara commended him. "I can see how you took second place at the Regionals."
"Yeah, whatever," Rex refused to look at her.
"My, my, what a splendid performance that was," Pegasus applauded them. "And to think all four of the Blue-Eyes White Dragons managed to grace my castle for the tournament.
Rex rolled his eyes and left the arena. "You may have beaten me this time, but you can bet I'll stomp you next time. I'm outta here. See you chumps later."
I think I was right. He is an honest guy. Kisara watched Rex walk away. Something told her this wouldn't be the last time she saw him. She just hoped there weren't any dangerous stakes attached the next time they dueled.
"The first matchup of these playoffs is finished," Croquet announced. "Kisara White has claimed victory over Rex Raptor. She will move onto the next round." Rex's image on the display dimmed, signaling his elimination from the tournament.
She exited the arena and walked out the way she came, passing Yugi in the hall. "Good luck," she wished him well. "I'll be up with the others cheering for you."
"Thanks," he gave her a thumbs-up. "You did great by the way."
"We'll stop Pegasus," she promised him.
Yugi nodded before entering the arena. Kisara hurried up to the balcony to join the others. "Before we begin the match, you must each show me your tournament entry card." Mai held up Glory of the King's Hand; Yugi held up his Opposite Hand card. "You both qualify. The duel may proceed."
Both duelists drew their cards, watching the other intently until Yugi started to laugh. "If you're playing honorably, you can't try your psychic act on me the way you did on Joey," he said.
Mai smirked. "No tricks this time, Yugi. I'm not all smoke and mirrors, kiddo. Even without all my tricks, I can still duel with the best of them." She summoned her Harpie Lady to prove her point. She finished her turn with a face-down.
"That Harpie Lady is Mai's standard opening ploy," Tristan commented.
"It works well for her," Kisara said. "It suits her, and I think she cares for it the same way Seto and I care for Blue-Eyes."
"Be careful, Yugi!" Tea warned her friend.
"Don't worry; he knows what's coming," Joey assured her. "He's seen the Harpie in action like a billion times already."
Yugi didn't waste any time and summoned Gaia, the Fierce Knight. Gaia charged at the Harpie Lady, but a reflective surface materialized in front of her. Gaia stabbed his own reflection. "Your Gaia ran smack into my Mirror Wall, which cuts any of your monster's attack power in half," Mai explained. "As soon as your monster attacked, the Mirror Wall rose up to protect my Harpie Lady. Your Fierce Knight met an equal attack from its own reflection, draining half its points. Pretty darn slick, huh, Yugi?" She took her turn and equipped Harpie Lady with Cyber Shield, boosting its attack points before slashing through Gaia. Yugi's LifePoints dropped to 1350.
Yugi frowned as he drew his next card. He seems off. Normally Yugi wouldn't fall for a trap like that, at least not without some back-up plan. Kisara watched Yugi as he brought out his Summoned Skull and sent it to attack Mai's Harpie. The Mirror Wall appeared again, weakening the fiend monster as Mai explained Mirror Wall would stay on the field and trigger every time Yugi attacked. I've never even heard of a permanent trap. But this is the kind of mistake Joey or I would make since we're still relatively new to the game. Did Yugi even check the display before he attacked? Kisara started to worry for her tri-color haired friend as the Summoned Skull drooped from the effects of the trap. Yugi set a card.
"Why isn't he thinking through his moves like he's always telling me?" Joey voiced Kisara's thoughts.
"His game definitely seems off," Bakura commented.
"It's almost like he's distracted," Kisara said, "like he's worried about something other than the duel." She glanced to Pegasus watching the duel. I managed to completely tune him out while I dueled. Is he worried about the Millennium Eye? Yugi kept his glare on his opponent, never once shifting his gaze to their real enemy. No, it's not Pegasus. But why is he dueling like he's in a hurry?
"What is with you?" Mai asked what everyone was thinking. "I expected a real battle from you, and all I get is this lame frontal assault." Yugi narrowed his eyes at her. "The only reason I duel, aside from the island trips, the clothes, the cars, the prize money, is the thrill of trouncing a worthy opponent."
"Are you saying I'm not worthy?" Yugi asked.
"Not today, kiddo," she answered. "Your body may be in this arena, but your head and your heart have split for parts unknown. It's really a letdown."
"You're questioning my fighting spirit as well?"
She's not the only one. Yugi, what is bothering you? Kisara silently watched the exchange between the duelists. Outside the castle yesterday, it seemed it was Mai who snapped Yugi out of his funk as much as Tea. Maybe Mai could do the same now. Kisara didn't expect Mai to give in easily, but she knew the blonde was looking forward to their honorable duel since Yugi saved her star chips. It was why she had earned all those extra ones for him.
"Bingo," Mai answered. "It seems like you're still shell-shocked about the trouncing you got from Kaiba in your last duel. Well get over it! I'm your opponent now, and I want to beat someone at battling at his best, not some duelist who acts like he's afraid of his own shadow. You've got to shape up, Yugi, and get your act in gear, or I'm going to knock you out of this tournament."
"You don't understand," Yugi insisted. "It's not about Kaiba."
I get it now. He is afraid of what happened yesterday, but not of Seto, but of the other Yugi. The one that was willing to risk Seto's safety to win. Yugi must be dueling in a rush so the other one doesn't have an opportunity to do anything to Mai. Kisara sighed. Yugi needed to learn more about tuning everything else out. At the same time, she didn't wish anyone to learn how to the way she did. Her bullies would laugh if they found out their taunting helped her deal with a soul-stealing psychopath.
"Well, whatever's going on, it's boring," Mai rolled her eyes at Yugi.
"I can't let you win, Mai," he insisted.
"Let me win?" Mai spoke with disbelief. "Listen, hon, the way you've been playing today, I don't think there's a single thing you can do to stop me. I promised you an honorable duel, Yugi, and I thought you'd give me the same. You ready to duel for real now? Are you going to put your heart in it? Or are you going to punk out?"
"I wish she'd zip it," Tristan grumbled. "Mai's even more obnoxious when she's winning."
"Yugi, don't let her psyche you out, man!" Joey told his friend. "You just gotta ignore her!"
"But didn't Mai promise an honorable duel?" Tea asked. "I don't think she's trying to psyche him out.
"She's not," Kisara answered. "I can see it. Mai's acting just like she did in her duel against you, Tea. And we all know how that went."
"Believe me, I'm dueling with everything I have," Yugi insisted. "I promise you I'm not about to lose this duel.
No, you're not going to lose, Yugi. We believe in you. But you have to stop holding back. Yes, the spirit of the Puzzle shouldn't have endangered Seto. But I know better than anyone how Seto can push buttons, and he succeeded in hitting yours and the spirit's. But you can't just ignore the spirit. If you split your focus between keeping him out and facing Mai, you will lose. Kisara prayed Yugi could come to terms with the Spirit of the Puzzle. He had to in order to win.
Mai accepted Yugi's words for the moment and made her move. Instead of attacking, she activated Harpies' Feather Duster, sweeping away Yugi's face-down card—Spellbinding Circle. With few options, Yugi switched Summoned Skull into defense mode and set Feral Imp. Mai powered up Harpie Lady with Rose Whip. The Harpie snapped her new whip at the Imp, destroying it in a flash of petals.
"Watch it, Yugi," Joey warned. "Mai's going to try to multiply her Harpies next."
"Don't give up!" Tea encouraged him.
"Yugi, trust the options you have," Kisara said, careful of her wording. She was sure about the two Yugis, but not everyone else was. And she didn't want to tip off Pegasus, assuming he stayed out of her head. "Don't rush your move and listen. Heart of the Cards, remember?"
Yugi examined his hand as Mai drew her card. "Well with this card, my Harpie combo won't be quite complete, but it'll give me more than enough power to vaporize that grungy old Skull." She summoned her monster. "Allow me to introduce the ever-faithful servant of Harpie Lady." A large, pink dragon materialized on Mai's field.
"What is that?" Yugi asked.
"Harpies' oh-so-cuddly Pet Dragon," Mai answered. "Sweet as a Kitten, isn't he? Well sweet as a fire-breathing kitty can be. And he gets 300 more attack points just by sitting near his master." Harpie Lady held a chain leading to the Pet Dragon's neck. The dragon unleashed a fire blast at Summoned Skull, obliterating him from the field.
"No! My Summoned Skull!" Yugi recoiled from his monster's destruction.
"I told you, you've gotta concentrate if you're going to stand a chance against me," Mai chastised her opponent. "Why are you playing so poorly Yugi?" she pressed the issue again. "I've got you on the ropes, and you're barely putting up a fight. I want to duel you at your best, but there's only so far I'm willing to go." She watched him, studying his expressions to get a read on his problem. "You know, I remember Joey once asked me an important question about why I duel. The answer I gave him was frivolous, but honest. Can you answer the question, Yugi?"
"I'm dueling for my grandfather, Mai," Yugi answered without an ounce of hesitation.
"Hey, he's got a heck of a better answer than you did, Mai," Joey yelled at the blonde. "Listen, me and Yugi aren't just dueling for ourselves, you know."
"That's what you say," Mai glanced to the spectators. "But tell me, could it be your motives aren't entirely unselfish?
"Are you saying we should be more like you?" Joey spat. "Well I guess I could do that." He moved like a stereotypical prissy girl, hugging himself like he was the greatest thing in the world. "I'm gorgeous! I'm such a great duelist! I love me!" He glared at Mai. "How's that?"
Mai rolled her eyes at him. "Joey, you are such a twit." Kisara smothered a laugh. "Can't you see I'm trying to be serious?"
"I can see you're trying to seriously mess with Yugi's head!" Joey shot back. "And you're making him and me and everyone crazy and ah—" He fell forward from the balcony.
Tea, Tristan, and Kisara just barely caught him and pulled him back up. "Will you control yourself?" Tea chewed him out.
"Seriously, Joey," Kisara sighed. "She's not psyching him out like she did with you." She focused her attention on the blonde woman. "I think she's seriously trying to help him. But ultimately Yugi's going to have to deal with whatever's bothering him." Come on, Yugi! I know you can do this. Kisara prayed for Yugi to pull through.
Yugi drew his card and played a face-down. Then he summoned Dark Magician in defense mode. Mai played Shadow of Eyes, forcing the Dark Magician into attack mode. The purple-robed spellcaster fired his magic at the Harpie Lady, but the Mirror Wall rose to protect her. Dark Magician's points were cut in half. Mai continued her move with Harpies' Feather Duster, wiping out Yugi's face-down Mirror Force. To finish, Harpies' Pet Dragon vaporized Dark Magician, knocking Yugi down to 300 LifePoints.
Mai smirked. "You don't even have your favorite card left. What are you going to do now?"
"Yugi, you can still turn this around," Tea insisted. "I know you can."
"Come on, Yugi," Kisara encouraged him. "Trust your options."
"Could it be that it was just sheer dumb luck that I beat her before?" Joey asked, considering Mai's dominance over the duel.
"It wasn't luck, Joey," Mai told him. "I lost that duel to you because you knew something I didn't." She held everyone's attention. "I learned more from that duel than any I've ever played. It's true, Joey," she noted the look of disbelief on his face. "I learned a lesson from you that day that I never really wanted to learn. I didn't know it then, but it would change me and the way I look at dueling. I had to take a hard look at myself and admit the reason I relied on tricks was because I was afraid—afraid to trust in my own abilities, afraid to trust in myself. Like you trusted in yourself, Joey. And facing that wasn't easy, believe me." Mai watched everyone, her violet eyes studying each of their reactions.
"You've really changed, Mai," Yugi said.
"Joey, do you know how you made it all the way to the final round of this tournament?" Mai asked.
"Heck yeah, I do," he answered. "I made it this far because I got my friends Yugi and Tristan and Tea and Kisara and Bakura behind me, cheering me on and telling me that I can go all the way." Tristan nodded in agreement to Joey's words.
"That's true," Mai responded. "That's very true. Your friends were with you all the way, but you also have the guts to look inside and face up to what you saw there. You looked your demons in the eye and dealt with them. And that's a lesson everyone should learn."
She's right. Joey never lets his situation keep him down. He always faces his problems head-on. Kisara looked at her friend, considering everything they'd been through. He's definitely one of the bravest people I've ever met, with the biggest heart. I'd just about given up being close to anyone, and he walked right in and talked to me. Mai was right; Joey had the strength to face whatever was thrown at him, especially if he was fighting for someone he cared about. And he dealt with his faults and shortcomings to better himself.
"I did that?" Joey looked at everyone watching him.
"That's right," the blonde told him. "In that game, you taught me that a duelist can learn more from her defeats than from her victories. You taught me to face up to my fears, not just try to bottle them up." She turned back to her opponent, narrowing her violet eyes at him. "So, Yugi, have you faced up to your fears? Whatever freaked you out in your battle with Kaiba, have you come to grips with it?"
Kisara watched Yugi carefully, noting the look of debate on his face. Come on, Yugi. Trust him. There was something different about Yugi's spirit, vastly different from the one in the Ring that took them to the Shadow Realm. The part of Kisara that was slow to trust urged caution against a being she knew almost nothing about. But the part of her that saw impressions and people among the cards just knew the spirit was someone to trust. Like how she knew the Dark Magician would always protect Yugi.
Yugi faced down Mai with a renewed look of determination. "Mai, thanks for reminding me that a true duelist faces his problems. You're right, I was holding back. But not any longer." He made his draw and activated the magic card Brain Control, taking control of Harpies' Pet Dragon. But since the Pet Dragon couldn't attack Harpie Lady, Yugi summoned Catapult Turtle and used its ability to launch the dragon at Mirror Wall shattering it. Mai's LifePoints dropped to 850. Yugi set a card and ended his turn.
"All right! Way to go!" Joey cheered for the tri-color haired duelist. "Now you're socking it to her, Yugi!"
"My turn," Mai drew and examined the field carefully. What did Yugi play face-down? Kisara wondered exactly what surprise her friend had hidden. It was enough to make Mai think this carefully about a move.
"Bring on your assault, Mai," Yugi narrowed his eyes at her.
"Now I will…" Mai eyed the face-down again, "not attack. I'm not falling into your trap, and there are other moves that I can make." She played Elegant Egotist to multiply her Harpie Lady into the three Harpie Lady Sisters and ended her turn.
"That's too bad, Mai," Yugi grinned. "You really should have attacked me."
"Well that's your opinion," she frowned.
"No, it's fact," Yugi insisted. "If you had called an attack, then you would have won."
"But your trap card—"
"It's not a trap card," Yugi revealed his face-down: Monster Recovery. "You fell for my bluff." She stared at the card in shock. "It's a whole new duel now, Mai." The magic card called Catapult Turtle back into the deck along with Yugi's hand, allowing him to draw a fresh one. He grimaced at his hand. It was obvious none of his monsters could stand up to the Harpies.
"Yugi! Don't give up!" Tea encouraged him. "Keep fighting!"
"You can do this," Kisara said. "Remember what you taught us: every card has a weakness, and I know you can find the weakness to Mai's strategy."
He nodded and set a monster in defense mode, one that was immune to Shadow of Eyes: Mystical Elf. Shadow of Eyes could only lure men into battle—the females were safe from its effects. This is why I've never been able to beat Yugi. He knows all these insights into the game that I can barely follow, let alone come up with on my own.
"Whew, he made it," Tea sighed in relief.
"Sure he made it through this round," Bakura said, "but that does not mean he's out of the woods just yet. It won't take Mai long to destroy that Mystical Elf."
"Sure, but we know he's got a game changer somewhere," Kisara said. "We all know not to count him out until his LifePoints are gone. Blue-Eyes Ultimate Dragon was supposed to be invincible."
Mai took her term and played Monster Reborn, reviving her Pet Dragon. And now that there were three Harpies on the field, its attack points rose to 2900. The Sisters attacked Mystical Elf, wiping out the last defense Yugi had.
It comes to this. If he doesn't draw something good now, he's finished. Kisara held her breath as Yugi drew.
"Swords of Revealing Light!" he played his newly drawn magic card. Now Yugi had three turns to turn the duel around. He summoned Kuriboh, and Mai passed her turn. She continued to pass as Yugi built up his field, reviving Gaia with Monster Reborn. The Swords wore off, and it was Yugi's last draw. Whatever Yugi was planning, he had to play it now.
He smirked at his card. "You put up a good fight, Mai, but the duel ends here, starting with the card: Black Luster Ritual!" He revealed the magic card he drew. An altar appeared on his field with two crucibles on either side of it. Gaia and Kuriboh were absorbed into the crucibles, and blue fire roared from them, combining into one blaze. A doorway rose up with a coat of arms carved into it—crossed swords over a black shield with a golden bird on it. Golden light shot out of the door, materializing into a warrior clad in black and gold armor with a long red ponytail. The Black Luster Soldier glared at the Harpies and their Pet Dragon.
"Is that really the legendary Black Luster Soldier?" Mai stared at the warrior.
This monster, it's like a manifestation of Yugi himself. Or maybe the other one. Ugh, I really need some way to distinguish them. Or at least something to call him. Kisara felt the powerful aura the Black Luster Soldier emitted. The Harpies' Pet Dragon didn't stand a chance against Yugi's hidden ace. "Now, Black Luster Soldier, Chaos Blade Attack!" The warrior sliced through Mai's dragon, knocking her LifePoints down to 750
"This is outstanding," Joey said. "For a minute there, I really didn't think Yugi'd be able to pull it off."
"I don't think Mai did either," Tristan commented, watching the blonde.
"Who would have thought there'd be a way of bringing that kick-butt monster out of Yugi's deck?" Joey continued.
"The same way I'm able to bring out Blue-Eyes," Kisara stated. "That monster is a part of him."
Mai slumped over her console, staring at the cards in her hand. Kisara recognized the look of resignation on her face as the blonde placed her hand over her deck.
"Does this mean you surrender?" Yugi asked.
"I'd rather not see my Harpie Ladies destroyed in the next turn," Mai answered. "The duel is yours, Yugi." She flipped her hair and turned away, walking away from the arena.
"Wait, Mai," Yugi called her back. "There's something I want to say to you. Thank you." She stopped her departure. "You said a duelist can learn more from defeat than victory, and you were correct. But you, Mai, you taught me a lot today. I had to confront my own fears, my own weaknesses, or I could never have defeated you."
"It's awfully nice of you to say that, Yugi," Mai kept her back turned to them, "but it seems to me I still have a lot more to learn. About dueling, and about myself. But then I suppose no duelist ever learns all there is to know. And maybe the most important lesson is that defeat doesn't have to be forever. You won this duel, Yugi, but there'll be others. You and I will meet again in the arena, kiddo." She finally faced them. "And when we do, you better watch out."
Yugi gave her a thumbs-up, and she winked and returned the gesture. Then Mai turned and walked out of the arena. "The second match of these matchups has come to a close," Croquet announced. "Yugi Muto has emerged victorious over Mai Valentine. He will advance to the next round." Mai's image dimmed from the display.
"Way to go, Yugi!" the gang cheered for him. The Puzzle flashed, and Yugi returned to his normal self.
Pegasus applauded, his clapping echoed through the arena. "Well done, Yugi. Superb duel. You certainly know how to put on a good show." Everyone glared at him while their host continued to chuckle. "Proceed," he finally instructed his servant.
"The third match of these playoffs will begin shortly," Croquet moved onto the next duel. "Bandit Keith will battle Joey Wheeler. Prepare your decks."
"You can do this, Joey," Kisara encouraged her friend.
"You're going to do fine," Tea added.
"Thanks, I guess I am kind of tense," Joey admitted.
Tristan threw his arm around Joey, locking the blond in a headlock. "Yeah, you've got a few reasons to be," he said. "First off, look who're going up against: Bandit Keith, the intercontinental champion. I mean, the guy makes his living out of winning prize money from tournaments just like these."
Tea pulled Tristan away by the ear. "You're not helping," Kisara chastised him. "Go take him down, Joey."
He nodded and descended the stairs down to the main floor. A minute later, Yugi rejoined their group, and Joey entered the arena. He raised a fist to them and faced his opponent. Or rather the platform his opponent was supposed to be standing on. "What's the deal? Where's Keith?" he asked.
A large yawn drew their attention to a sofa outside the arena. "What time is it?" Keith innocently asked. Kisara smothered her irritation at the older duelist.
"What are you doing? Get over here!" Joey voiced everyone's thoughts at Keith's attitude.
"Hey, chill out," his opponent answered. "The pummeling will commence as soon as I'm good and ready, so don't get your briefs in a bunch. You got that, blondie?"
"Stall as long as you want, Keith," Joey told him. "But you're going to have to duel me sooner or later."
"Tournament verification cards, gentlemen," Croquet requested their proof of participation.
"No problem," Keith held up the treasure card. "Hey, dweeb, show the man your card."
"Sure, it's right here," Joey reached into the pocket of his green jacket. His eyes widened as he felt around.
"Tournament verification cards," Croquet insisted.
"I know!" Joey cut him off, searching his pockets more thoroughly. "Just give me a minute, would you? I—I know it's in here somewhere!"
"Joey lost his tournament entry card?" Tea asked, her blue eyes wide in shock.
"He couldn't be that absentminded," Bakura reasoned.
"Yeah he could," Tristan clawed at his hair in frustration.
"Not with this," Kisara insisted.
"Well, what a shame," Keith grinned. "I guess I won't be needing to get up off this couch after all, huh, Joey?"
"Well don't get too comfortable!" Joey snapped. "'Cause once I find that card—"
"If," Croquet cut him off. "If you find it within the set time parameters the regulations allow." Kisara bit her lip. Joey only had five minutes to find the card. The bracket display shifted to a timer, counting down the seconds he had to find his card. She only hoped he would succeed.
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Joey ran to his room as fast as he could. Not that it did any good. No matter where he checked, his Glory of the King's Hand card was nowhere to be found. He tore his room apart to no avail. Where could it have gone?
He ran the halls back and forth between his room and the arena. It felt like he'd been over the whole castle. He leaned against the closest wall and dropped to his knees, struggling to catch his breath. Why? He survived this whole tournament, fought the toughest duels of his life, defeated duelists with far more experience than him, only to lose because he couldn't find one card. Joey slammed his fist on the floor as tears sprung to his eyes. Serenity, I'm sorry. I came close. I came real close.
"Get up off the floor, Joey!" He raised his head. Mai towered over him, hands on her hips and a fed-up expression drawn across her face. "And quit your crying already! You look like a big baby."
Why did Mai have to see him like this? Joey hastily rubbed his eyes with his sleeve, turning away from her. "Who's crying?" he insisted. "I got something in my eye!" Come, pull yourself together. You can't let Mai see you like this. Try as he might, he couldn't stop himself. "Stupid thing won't come out!"
"Here," Mai's voice softened, and she held a handkerchief in front of his face. "Just don't go blowing your nose in it."
What? Was Mai actually being nice? Joey took the handkerchief, feeling something more solid wrapped inside it.
"You know, every time I think I've got you figured, you surprise me," Mai kept her back to him, her voice more sincere than he'd ever heard her. "Kisara told me about your little sister. How you're dueling to win the tournament's prize money for her, so she can have that operation." Even though she wasn't facing him, Joey could picture her eyes rolling. "Sounded like a bad soap opera to be honest, but then who doesn't love a bad soap opera?" She strolled down the hall and turned the corner. "Anyway, see you around, hon."
Once she was gone, Joey opened the handkerchief. His breath caught in his throat. Glory of the King's Hand. The card he needed to participate. Joey chased after her. "Wait, Mai!"
"Take it," she insisted. "I don't need it anymore."
His heart beat faster. No ulterior motive. Mai was helping him out of the kindness of her own heart. "Does this mean we're finally friends, Mai?" he asked.
"Don't you have a duel to run off to?" she countered.
"Yeah, right," Joey turned to race to his duel.
"One thing though," Mai finally faced him. "Take him down."
"Right," Joey grinned and took off. He wasn't out yet.
He barely heard Mai's last words as he rounded the corner. "Dork, of course we're friends." Joey's grin widened. He would succeed in this duel, aided by the gift of a Harpie Angel.
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Kisara felt her temper rise with every second that passed. "Can't we just disqualify that punk right now?" Keith asked. "We all know he ain't coming back anyway."
"What's that mean?" Tristan snapped.
"You're wrong," Tea insisted. "He'll be here.
"Come on," Keith drawled. "Think about it. You're little friend's been scared to death of me ever since we had our little run-in back at that cave. You know he's not looking for that Glory of the King's Hand card; he's looking for a place to hide. In fact, kiddies, he probably lost that card on purpose, just so he'd have an excuse not to duel me. Pretty spineless, I'd say."
"No way!" Yugi scowled at Joey's opponent. "Joey has never backed down from a duel before, and he's not going to start now."
"Joey's one of bravest people I've ever met," Kisara added. "He's risked his life for us, and he has too much riding on this tournament to back out now. I think if there's any person in this room who's scared, it's you. You're the one insisting this duel isn't going to happen. It will, I promise you."
"Believe what you want, twerps," Keith sneered. "But there's only one minute left."
At that second, the doors to the arena flew open. Joey strode in, and his friends cheered for his return.
Keith rolled his eyes. "Let me guess, you couldn't find that card."
"What are you talking about?" Joey held up Glory of the King's Hand for everyone to see. "I got it right here!" The display flashed red as it struck eleven o'clock.
"Very well then," Croquet accepted the entry. "The duel will proceed as scheduled."
I knew he'd make it. Kisara smiled as the duelists readied their decks.
Keith started the duel with a monster in defense mode. "Do you think his title gives Keith an edge?" Bakura asked.
"Nah, Joey's got something a lot better than titles," Tristan said. "He's got guts."
"And heart too," Tea added. "Just remember what you're fighting for, Joey, and you can't lose."
"And we're with you," Kisara said. "All the way, and until the end."
Joey nodded to them and set his own defensive monster. Bored with the defenses, Keith flip summoned his Pendulum Machine and sent it to attack. Pendulum Machine pulled Joey's Battle Warrior from his hiding spot and slashed through it. Now that Keith's monster was visible, Joey brought out Giltia the Knight to take out the machine.
The magic bounced right off Pendulum Machine. "Why isn't it working?" Kisara asked.
Keith sneered at them. "All of my machine monsters are protected by magic-resistant armor. So that makes all magic attacks worth squat."
So any kind of offensive magic is going to be useless. That's really not good; Joey's warriors rely on magic support, even if he doesn't have too much of it… What does dragon flame count as? If that's not magic, Red-Eyes could turn things in Joey's favor, assuming Keith doesn't have a card stronger than that. Kisara bit her nail as Keith summoned Launcher Spider to destroy Giltia. Joey's LifePoints fell to 1650.
Joey kept up the defense with another set monster and a face-down. Keith set a card and moved to set a monster, but he dropped the card face-up on the display first. A demon started to materialize on the field before Keith picked up the card and set it face-down.
"Whatever that was, it sure looked ugly," Tea wrinkled her nose at the image of the monster.
"But not metal," Tristan commented. Joey grinned as he considered his next move. "Yeah! Check out his look. Something's up!"
"I don't know," Yugi assessed the field.
"Yugi's right," Kisara said. "Keith wouldn't just make a mistake like that." Joey summoned Flame Swordsman and equipped it with his Salamandra magic card.
"That Zoa card also has more attack points than defense," Yugi continued. The other three followed his line of thought. "It makes no sense to play it in defense."
"Joey, wait!" Tristan warned his friend, but it was too late. Flame Swordsman charged in to attack Keith's face-down.
The intercontinental champion activated his face-down: Magic Metal Force. It changed Zoa into Metal Zoa, boosting it by 400 attack and defense points. And since it was now a machine, Flame Swordsman's fire attack bounced of the former demon and hit the Swordsman, destroying it and knocking Joey down to 1150 LifePoints.
Keith continued the assault by activating Stop Defense, forcing Axe Raider into attack mode. Metal Zoa stomped towards the warrior, ready to wipe him out along with the rest of Joey's LifePoints.
Metal Zoa disappeared from the field. A close look showed him trapped in a deep pit, impaled by several spikes. Joey's Chasm of Spikes trap stopped the metal demon, and a quarter of the monster's attack points were taken out of Keith LifePoints, dropping him down to 1250, almost even with Joey's.
"Go, Joe, go!" Tristan cheered for his best friend.
Joey laid another face-down, warning Keith he had another trap, and switched Axe Raider back into defense mode. To finish his move, he summoned Garoozis and sent the lizard warrior in to destroy Pendulum Machine, taking another 50 LifePoints away from Keith.
Fed up with his opponent, Keith ordered Launcher Spider to wipe out Garoozis, believing Joey was bluffing about his trap. Kunai with Chain activated, boosting Garoozis enough to wipe out the mechanical spider and knock Keith down to 1100 LifePoints.
He's improved so much from when we met. He's no longer relying on brute strength to win and actually thinking ahead, analyzing the weaknesses of his monsters. Kisara smiled at Joey's upset. She didn't have an ounce of doubt that he would beat Keith.
"Don't get ahead of yourself, dweeb," Keith glared at Joey. "I got plenty more machine monsters all revved up and ready to totally steamroll your LifePoints. You ain't nothing but a speed bump on my way to duel Pegasus. And that goes double for your dweeby friends Yugi and Kisara."
"Yeah right, Keith," Joey rolled his eyes. "I got news for you, pal. Even if you beat me, which you won't, Yugi and Kisara'd cream you. And you know why, hotshot? 'Cause you're a selfish sleazeball who's only in this tournament for your own greedy reasons." Keith's scowl deepened as Joey went on. "People like you never win. Sure, your tricks may get you a little ways, but only until people with good intentions show up—like me, and like Yugi and Kisara." He drew his card and passed the duel to Keith.
"Oh yeah?" the intercontinental champion drew. "We'll just see about that." He set a card and summoned his monster. "My Barrel Dragon's going to blast you and your good intentions to dust." A large machine materialized on Keith's field, a barrel on each "arm" and one on its head. Those barrels meant that the mechanical dragon got three attacks each turn. Barrel Dragon fired at Joey's two monsters, obliterating them. Joey's LifePoints fell to 850.
"No wonder Keith was so confident before," Yugi commented. "Just look at that thing."
"Joey really has his work cut out for him now," Tea added.
Looks like my idea for Red-Eyes was off. Not even that beauty could stand up to this menace. So what could he do now? Kisara bit her lip as she stared at the mechanical monstrosity.
Joey brought out Baby Dragon and Time Wizard. If the roulette landed right, it'd age the machine to rust and let the little dragon grow up. Kisara grinned—Baby Dragon and Time Wizard were her favorite of Joey's combos. The arrow slowed down… and landed on a tower. Barrel Dragon rusted away, and Baby Dragon grew into Thousand Dragon. The adult dragon snorted at the hunk of rust, its nostril blast wiping out the machine. Keith countered with Time Machine, a trap that let him return Barrel Dragon to its state from the turn before. Barrel Dragon obliterated Thousand Dragon, knocking Joey down to 650 LifePoints.
Joey set a monster and ended his turn. Keith mocked his opponent as he summoned Slot Machine. Barrel Dragon blasted through Joey's warrior. It seemed like defense was the only option Joey had left.
"Poor Joey," Tea whispered.
"He's in a tough bind," Tristan admitted.
"He'll pull through," Kisara insisted. "There has to be something he can do."
"Joey, believe in your cards!" Yugi encouraged their blond friend. "You need to trust them if you're going to beat that thing!"
Whether it was Yugi's words or Joey's own determination, Kisara didn't know. Joey set a card and summoned his strongest monster: Red-Eyes Black Dragon. Keith mocked his opponent and ordered Barrel Dragon to attack. Joey countered with his Copycat, mimicking Keith's Magic Metal Force. Red-Eyes Black Dragon transformed into Red-Eyes Black Metal Dragon. Red-Eyes destroyed Barrel Dragon, and Keith's LifePoints dropped to 900.
Keith set a card and switched Slot Machine into defense mode. Joey attacked with Red-eyes; Keith countered with the magic card 7 Completed. The middle slot on his monster changed to a seven. 7 Completed boosted Slot Machine's defense points by 700, making him strong enough to withstand the Flash Flare Blast. Joey's LifePoints fell to 450. "And I have two more 7 Completed cards in my deck," Keith gloated.
"Yeah, just 'cause you have them, doesn't mean you'll draw them," Joey glowered.
Keith chuckled as he drew. "Well what do you know?" he grinned. "Check out what card I just drew." He revealed and played another copy of 7 Completed, boosting Slot Machine's attack points by 700. The left slot changed to a seven.
"One more of those 7 Completed cards, and that Slot Machine will have powered up enough to destroy Joey's Red-Eyes," Yugi said.
"And any other card he has too," Bakura added.
"It was a lucky draw," Kisara watched the machine duelist. Maybe too lucky.
Keith continued his advantage by summoning Blast Sphere. It attached itself to the Metal Dragon, and at the end of the turn it would inflict 2900 points of damage to Red-Eyes, destroying it and dealing the difference as damage to Joey. Blast Sphere glowed with power as Keith ended his turn. The bomb exploded, shrouding the whole arena in smoke.
Joey! Kisara sighed in relief when the smoke cleared. Red-Eyes Black Metal Dragon stood tall on the field, its claws longer and sharper. Joey had played Dragon Nails, boosting his dragon's points enough to withstand the explosion, and Keith took the difference as damage. His LifePoints stood at 400.
Keith scowled and drew his card and fiddled with his wristband. Those things don't look comfortable. Why does he wear them anyway? He revealed his draw: 7 Completed. "Well looky what I got here," he played the magic card. "I think I'll power up my Slot's attack again." The third slot changed to a seven. Now Slot Machine was tied with Red-Eyes.
Joey drew and set a card. Keith played the Pillager magic card. It let him see Joey's hand and take one of the cards—in this case Shield and Sword. Keith played his stolen spell to swap the attack and defense strengths of the monsters, giving Slot Machine the advantage over Red-Eyes. "Go, Slot Machine! Plasma Laser Cannon!" Keith ordered his monster to attack.
"Activate trap!" Joey revealed his face-down as the laser hit his dragon, filling the arena with smoke.
"I win," Keith grinned.
The smoke cleared, and a small gremlin stood on Joey's field, holding the Time Machine trap card. The Graverobber activated Keith's Time Machine, returning Red-Eyes Black Metal Dragon to the state it was the previous turn. The metallic dragon snarled as it emerged from the machine. Its Flash Blare Blast vaporized the Slot Machine and wiped out the last of Keith's LifePoints.
"All right, Joey! You did it!"
"Joey Wheeler, you are the victor!" Croquet declared.
"Yeah, you lose!" Tristan jumped on the railing of the balcony, mocking the defeated champion. He fell forward, and Yugi and Kisara caught him.
"What is with you boys and jumping off the balcony?" Kisara sighed.
Joey held a handkerchief as he processed his victory. "This duel doesn't count!" Keith protested. "The entry card that Joey showed to play in this match wasn't even his!" he pointed an accusing finger at the victor. "Therefore, the duel shouldn't count, and he out to be disqualified right here!"
"If you're so sure about that, shouldn't you have brought this up before the duel started?" Kisara asked. "Or are you just that sore of a loser?"
"Keith's right," Joey held up Glory of the King's Hand. "My card was missing, so Mai gave me hers. But tell me, Keith, how could you have known that this wasn't my card?" Bandit Keith was speechless, obvious that he'd walked into a trap. "I'm all ears," Joey invited him to answer. "So why don't you explain yourself?" Kisara smiled at how he'd turned the tables on the machine duelist yet again.
"He doesn't need to," Pegasus chimed in. "It's clear that Keith stole Joey's card. That's why he was so certain that you would never be able to find it."
"You snake!" Joey yelled, realizing how low Keith had sunk to advance to the next round.
"Then Keith ought to be disqualified, not Joey," Tristan insisted.
"Oh, Keith ought to be disqualified all right," Pegasus agreed, "but not simply for misdeeds outside of the dueling ring. There was quite a bit of improper conduct taking place during the match that I observed too." The Millennium Eye glimmered as their host looked over the contestants.
"Is that so, Keith?" Joey growled at his opponent.
"Oh, yes," the silver-haired man continued. "Keith kept his set of 7 Completed cards beneath his wristband. That way, he could power up his Slot Machine monster whenever he chose."
That's why he was messing with his wristband! He was pulling the cards from it! Kisara had a suggestion for Seto's duel disks if he decided to mass produce them. If people were going to use elaborate setups, then precautions against cheating were necessary too.
"Man, Keith, that's low," Joey spat, voicing everyone's thoughts.
"Take the scoundrel away," Pegasus commanded his guards. They pulled very reluctant Keith out of the arena. He fought them every step, but they eventually made it out the door. Pegasus turned to the victor. "Well done, Joseph. You should be quite proud. You dueled admirably."
"Hey!" Keith charged back into the room and leaped over to Pegasus throne. He held a knife to Pegasus's throat.
"You truly are a stubborn one, aren't you?" Pegasus didn't even glance at the blade.
"Can it!" Keith sliced the bow on the creator's suit. "You ain't talking your way out of this one. Now hand over the prize money or else!"
Kisara felt her power stir, and she clamped down it. Using it would only egg Keith on, assuming she could even control it. If Keith harmed Pegasus, they wouldn't be able to get Grandpa and the Kaiba's back.
"Oh certainly, Keith," Pegasus feigned compliance. "I'll do whatever you say. Just give my body a moment to recover from the complete paralysis that your terrifying demands have shocked me into!"
"Okay, wise guy," Keith grumbled. "I'll give you till three."
"Hmm… fine. One, two, three," Pegasus tapped his foot on the floor, and a trap door opened up underneath Bandit Keith, gravity taking care of the rest. Kisara's power calmed.
"Now the finalists for the next match will receive a fifteen-minute recess," Croquet announced. "So rest up. Our host wants you all in top form for your duels."
So the time has come. We now have to face each other to achieve our goals. Kisara looked between her two friends. No matter what happened, they would face it with everything they had.
I know I'm basing this on the dub, and the dub tends to sensor things, some of which I keep in. I didn't keep Keith's gun for two reasons. One is more personal: guns just feel really out of place in a series where cards and magic solve everything. The second reason is because I can't for the life of me figure out where Keith kept it. He was sprawling on the couch before the match, and there's no real place for him to hide it. If he had taken it from one of the guards, he would have been carrying it when leaped onto Pegasus's balcony. A knife is easier to hide and can still be deadly.
On a side note, my favorite moments with Mai are in the Duelist Kingdom finals where we get to see how she's grown and how far she's willing to help Yugi and Joey. Also, I added where Kisara tells Mai about Serenity to chapter 5 before dinner was ready.