Zypher: Hello hello everyone and welcome to another wondrous chapter of Yami no Game: Dark Saga! Glad you all enjoyed the last chapter so here's another for you all.

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Yami no Game: Dark Saga

Chapter 3

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As the boat docked onto the shores of Duelist Kingdom, everyone left the boat and waited for the next set of directions. Yami, with his arm around Yugi's shoulders, looked through the pack of children and spotted Haga not far away from them. Haga took a glance over to them and gulped when he saw Yami. He grinned, showing his fangs and he flinched. 'Yes, you should be scared. I don't take kindly to people trying to ruin our deck.' he thought before the same burly suit that was on the boat pointed over to the looming castle not far away from them. "All duelists must first head towards the castle for an important announcement! When you arrive, wait in front of the gates!"

They all looked to the castle as they walked towards it. "A castle for a kingdom...it's like the middle ages!" Honda whispered. "Yeah. How bourgeois!" Myrrh added. They soon reached the top of the staircase and more suits waited on top of a balcony. "We will now explain the rules!" Another claimed before turning to someone who waited in the doorway. "Mr. Pegasus, if you would do the honors..." he spoke and he walked forward to look down at them, a big smile upon his face. "Welcome everyone! Welcome to Duelist Kingdom!" Yami snarled in anger as he saw the silver haired male stand before them, looking as if nothing happened days before. 'Pegasus, you will pay for what you did.' he thought as Pegasus continued with the introduction. "Let me explain the rules of this special, special tournament! The duels will take place with officially licensed Duel Monster cards! I hope you all brought your most powerful decks! If you're not completely confident of your decks, you may trade cards with one another. Each participant should have already received a duel glove and two star chips. At this time, please place the glove on your left hand."

Everyone did so before waiting for the next set of directions from Pegasus. "On the gauntlet, you'll see 10 spaces where you can insert your star chips. Go ahead and insert your two star chips now." Again, the kids did as they were told as Pegasus started to speak again. "These star chips are your life as a duelist! Whenever you fight, you must stake one or more star chips on the outcome! The duels will take place "Battle Royale" style, all around the island. The first duelists to win ten star chips will be allowed entry into the castle. Only they will have the chance to obtain the "honors"!" he spoke. Yami thought about what he said earlier about the duels and was wondering to himself. 'He said the duels will take place around the island...but what does a card tournament need such a large playing area?' Then he replayed what Haga said to Yugi back on the boat.

"By the way, did your friend happen to hear about the new rules being introduced to Duel Monsters at the tournament in Duelist Kingdom?"

'It seems we'll be playing in a more advanced Duel Monsters game than before...' He smirked at the challenge. 'I think I'll have fun with this.'

"The dueling begins in just one hour! The time limit for the game is 48 hours! At that time, those who have less than ten star chips will be eliminated! They will be declared losers and deported from the island! Now duelists! I pray for your success!" After that was done, Pegasus headed back inside the castle along with the two suits beside him. Yami watched him go, a slight growl being heard. 'Just you wait, Pegasus. You will pay for what you did!'

-One Hour Later-

"Duel Start!"

-Time Remaining: 47 hours, 58 mins-

"Ok! Let's check this place out!" Jounouchi declared. They all looked around silently. "It looks so peaceful here! It hardly seems like a place to play Duel Monsters." Diamond hummed. "And look over there. Those people aren't playing either. I guess we're not the only ones who have any idea of what to do." Myrrh said. Kaiser looked around some more before spotting a sign not far away. "Hey! There's a sign over there!" Kaiser called and they walked over to it, reading what was labeled on the two arrows pointing in different directions. "A forest to the left...and a lake to the right..." Yami spoke before sniffing the air. "Let's go to the forest. I can smell Haga's foul stench going in that direction." They nodded and were soon on their way towards the forest, walking through the dimly lit foliage silently. Jounouchi shivered as he looked around. "Creepy..." he whispered before they heard a voice call out Yami's name. Yami smirked, showing his fangs again. "So, you whipped up some courage to come and face me." he hissed. "O-Of course! All I know is that if I defeat you first, the rest of the competition will be easy pickings." Haga claimed, still showing hesitance to be going up against the demon but knew that he would be praised all around for defeating him.

"I challenge you to a duel, right here and right now!"

"You asked for it then." Yami replied. "There's a place to duel right here in the forest. This way." Haga spoke as he led them to an almost secluded duel box. "Look! It's one of those duel box things!" Jounouchi stated as Haga continued to head over to the duel box. Haga took a glance back to Yami. 'You may scare me but I will defeat you! Already you have fallen into my trap and I will make sure you are off the island in a matter of seconds!'

"Be careful, Yami. Haga may have more tricks up his sleeves." Yugi whispered as he wrapped his arms around him in a loose hug. "I will be fine. Don't worry, my love." he said kissing the tips of his hair softly before making his way to the duel box and entering inside. The door closed as he went to sit down. He crossed his arms and Haga took a glance at his glove. "What? You're already down to one star chip? You, the fabled duelist, actually lost a game?" he said then snickered. "Then all I need to do is take the last one and you'll be booted off the island!" he snipped as he took a star chip from his glove.

"Then I shall stake one of my star chips."

"No, you'll stake both." Yami hissed.

"What?!"

"I told you. I'm taking you out first. It's like Ryuzaki said—It's kill or be killed and if I took that literally, you would be dead right now." Haga gulped in horror then narrowed his eyes. "Well, it isn't fair if I have to stake two star chips and you only stake one! What else are you planning on betting?!" he questioned. "I'll stake my life," he responded. "And taking a demon's life may make you even more well-known than just defeating Kaiba and I." Haga laughed at the proposition. "Well! What a new twist but I'll take it! I'll stake two star chips while you stake one and your life!"

"Fine by me."

"C'mon, Yami! Squash that little roach!" Jounouchi called. Some kids wandering through the forest saw them ready to start the duel and started calling out to others.

"Hey! A duel is starting over here!"

"It's Haga, the Japanese champion, and Yami, the duelist that defeated Kaiba!"

"Wow! And this is only the first match?!" Yami and Haga drew their cards and Haga took the first turn. "I'll play Killer Bee in attack mode!" he called, placing the card onto the field and the large bee appeared onto the field. "I counter your move with Mammoth Graveyard! They have the same attack so this should be easy!" Yami spoke as the large skeletal monster appeared onto the field. "Go Mammoth! Attack his Killer Bee!" With a roar, the monster charges in to attack. "Killer Bee counters! Poison Sting!" Haga called and both attacks hit but Mammoth Graveyard was the first to fade away. 'Their attack points were the same yet my mammoth was defeated. Haga is trying to keep something hidden from me.' His suspicions were confirmed when he heard him laugh. "Yami...you haven't figured out why I chose the forest as the stage for our duel, have you? Do you want me to tell you?" he questioned.

"It would be nice unless you want to lose your pretty little head like the praying mantis." Haga shivered as he saw Yami's hands shift into claws for a brief second, tapping across the hologram table, before speaking. "Pegasus gave me a special preview of the new rules for Duelist Kingdom! You really want to know? Then look down at the table!" He looked down and raised a defined eyebrow as he saw the field resemble the surrounding area. "This display shows the landscape 40 meters in all directions from this battlefield! The place we're in right now is 80 percent forest and 20 percent wasteland! Do you get it now? My insects thrive in the plant life of this forest! As a result, they get a field power bonus that increases their attack and defense power! You can't win against me, Yami! Your life is as good as mine!" Haga declared with another laugh as he swallowed his fears. Yami only chuckled, his eyes closed. "Hey, what are you laughing about...?" Haga asked uneasily. He opened one eye and smirked. "Look at your insect!" Haga turned to his Killer Bee and squeaked in horror.

"No! My Killer Bee is dying!" he exclaimed as his monster, now with two broken tusks stuck inside its body from the mammoth, fading away. 'Yami's undead monster got a field power bonus from the wasteland portion of the field!' Yami grinned, showing sharpened fangs again. "Listen well, Haga! I figured out the new rule as soon as I sat down to duel you! You're nothing but an insect next to me and also my prey! I will defeat you!" Haga growled in irritation. "Fine...the first battle was a draw. But don't count on that happening often!" he hissed. 'How could he have figured out the rules so quickly and counter my perfect strategy?! I thought he wouldn't have learned about the field power bonuses so easily until he realized why he lost against me! Oh well, he may know of the power bonuses but he'll never figure out the other rules associated with the bonus.' Haga thought with anger. "So you figured out the rules...Good for you! It doesn't matter either way! I'll turn this forest into your grave!" Haga claimed. "You can do it Yami! Beat Haga into the ground!" Yugi called. "Smush those bugs!" Jounouchi cheered. Haga drew his card before picking one out his hand. "I'll play Hercules Beetle! And he gets a power bonus from the forest, making his attack 1950!" he spoke as the giant beetle appeared onto the field. Yami looked to his hand in thought as he drew his card.

'I don't have any good wasteland cards and most of the field is made up of forest. Time to go for a combo.' he thought. "I play the Feral Imp in attack mode! Next, I'll equip him with Horn of the Unicorn! This will raise his attack enough to defeat your beetle!" he spoke as the little green imp appeared on the field and its small horn glowed, growing into the magical item that increased its attack power. Haga snickered to himself mentally as he called out his attack. "Go Hercules Beetle! Scissors Boomerang!" Haga commanded as the beetle shot out various blades towards the Feral Imp. "Feral Imp, counter!" Yami called but his monster didn't move. 'Why isn't it attacking...!' he wondered as his imp was sliced to ribbons by the blades from the beetle monster and disappeared from the field. Haga chuckled as he watched Yami's reaction.

"Hercules Beetle's attack is 1950 while your imp's true attack was at 1300! You lose 650 life points!" he said with another cackle as Yami's life points decreased to 1350. Yugi watched in worry as the Feral Imp was destroyed. 'Why couldn't Feral Imp attack? It clearly had the advantage over Haga's Hercules Beetle so why couldn't he attack...unless the monster that gets the field power bonus has the initiative?!' Yugi thought, Yami thinking the same. Haga grinned, knowing that Yami was thinking why his imp was destroyed. "In the forest, my insects always win the initiative! That means I have more of an advantage in this battle!" Haga spoke. Yami growled. 'Normally, the insects are weak but on this forest field, they are formidable opponents!'

"No way! Yami can't lose ta bug boy!" Jounouchi demanded. "He won't! I know he won't! Yami will win against him!" Yugi said, wringing his hands. Aqua walked over to his side and wrapped his arms around him. "Shh, Yugi, don't worry. I know Yami won't lose to the likes of him." Aqua whispered and Yugi nodded. "Ok. I'm just a little worried that Haga might actually have a chance to defeat Yami..." Yugi replied. "I agree with Aqua on this, Yugi! I think Yami will pull out a strategy to win!" Ryou spoke up and both Kaiser and Diamond agreed with him. "It's your turn, Yami! Play your card!" Haga declared. "I don't have a card in my hand to defeat your Hercules Beetle...so I'll play a pawn and end my turn." he said, playing Griffor onto the field. "Hmph! Already on the run by a simple attack? I think we both know who will win!" Haga jeered before drawing his card and picked up his next monster card. "Now time for my special combo! I play Basic Insect and equip it with the Laser Cannon Armor!" he said as the bug monster appeared onto the field along with the cannon armor on its back, increasing its attack to 2000. "And we can't forget the power-up from the forest field." he continued as Basic Insect's attack increased to 2600 from the forest field. With Haga's called for an attack, Basic Insect powered up the cannon on its back before blowing Griffor away in one blow. Haga laughed with glee. "You're not even worth fighting if you can't counter!" he said and Yami growled as he drew his next card. "Saiga (or Torike) in defense mode!" Yami called. 'Hang in there, my cards. I'll figure out something soon.'

"It's not worth my time to wipe away all your stupid low-level monsters...so...instead, I'll play this secret card...face down!" Haga spoke as he placed the card face down on the table. 'A trap card...? It has to be.' Yami thought, eyes narrowed. Haga snickered again. 'My trap card will activate the moment Yami declares an attack! All his monsters will be destroyed!'

'I can't risk attacking him as long as he has that card on the field!' Yami drew his card and placed another face down on the field. 'I'll just have to play a face down card of my own.'

"Yuk yuk...! Let me guess, a spell card, right? Well, it won't work on me! That card is useless like your monsters!" Haga jeered as he placed Gokibore onto the field. "My insect army is growing! So what's wrong, Yami? Just try and attack my unbeatable insects!" he gloated. Yami only hissed in anger as he passed every turn with nothing to do as long as he's suspicious about Haga's face down card. "And with each turn you wait, my army grows!" he said as he placed onto the field Giant Flea and Big Ant with the turns Yami passed. "Prepare to meet the end of your dueling career and your life!" Yami sneered viciously as he placed another low-level monster into defense. 'More and more...like the plague of insects they are! But if I attack, I'll be playing right into his hands!' Yami judged as he looked to the line of insects against his two defense monsters. Haga laughed joyfully as he drew his card. "How does it feel, Yami? You're caught in my two-layer trap with no way to attack me!"

"How is he gonna get out of this? Haga has him majorly boxed in." Kaiser murmured. "He'll think of a way. I know it. He won't lose." Yugi pleaded; worry coursing through the link. Such worry made Yami angry to have Yugi become this way with the fear of him losing against Haga of all people. Haga laughed in his annoying way as he watched Yami. "Today we celebrate your death!" He only snorted as he drew his card. "I play the Black Magician!" he spoke. 'But since I can't attack...'

"…In defense mode!"

"Oho...the Black Magician! That's one of your best cards, isn't it? Instead of indiscriminately raining doom on you like I was planning, I'll destroy that first!" he goaded with a grin. "Basic Insect Laser Cannon! Your target...the Black Magician! Attack!" Energy gathered through the cannon before the shot was made, directed towards Black Magician. "Death! Death to the Black Magician!" Haga declared and Yami laughed. 'Huh?!'

"Hey! What's so funny...?!" Haga demanded. "You said attack, right? And you can't take it back!" Yami spoke. "Huh?!" Haga squawked, now trembling with fear. "Remember that card I played face down?" he questioned tauntingly and Haga gasped. 'No way...a trap card?!' He smirked. "That's right! When you attack, you fell for my trap!" Yami said, flipping over Mirror Force. The blast came in contact with the iridescent shield, reflecting the blast in all directions back towards Haga's monsters. "My Mirror Force reflects your attack and destroys each of your monsters." Yami concluded as each monster was demolished by Haga's own attack. "No! My insect army!" he cried. 'The first one to attack falls into the trap...' he thought as his life points fell to 450. "You must've won the tournament by dumb luck...maybe, just maybe..." Yami whispered, chuckling at the gullibility that Haga easily fell for his trap with the bait he left. "The weakest player on this island...is you! No wonder you are such easy prey to bait!" Yami said, outright laughing now and Haga glowered. "Oh yeah! Now do ya get it, bug boy? Ya don't even come close ta Yami!" Jounouchi cheered.

"Yeah! To fight a trap card with a trap card! Yami's amazing! He went beyond his opponent's trap to set up a counter-trap!" Ryou added. Yugi smiled as well, glad that Yami was able to put a good move out before he could risk defeat. 'And if that happens...we would never save jii-chan...' A short laugh was heard from behind. "That was a smooth move, all right...but Yami-chan's only taken a small lead..." Mai spoke. They turned to see her there and both Honda and Jounouchi immediately started to drool rivers again. "Kujaku Mai!" They both called but out of nowhere, they were both on the ground. The two rolled around in pain, holding huge knots on the back of their heads. "Back down, you wolves." Kaiser preened smugly, leaning against a random tree branch he picked up. "A Duel Monsters game can go from victory to defeat in a single turn! It's too early to get cocky!" she continued, not paying attention to Jounouchi or Honda again. Myrrh hissed angrily. 'What's she doing, butting in like that?!' she thought. "Who're you calling 'Yami-chan'? He's definitely not a kid!" she countered, wishing she could tell her exactly what Yami was but held her tongue. "Listen...Insector Haga is the Japanese champion! Master planner with several winning strategies! The real duel is just beginning and you never know who will win but I'm not gonna bet much on Yami." Mai stated.

"I gotta agree with Kujaku-san on this, Myrrh!" Jounouchi claimed.

"Yeah, me too!" Honda joined.

"What's with you guys?! You should have more faith in Yami!" she hissed. "I'll show them faith..." Again, they were on the ground, another huge knot beside the first. Myrrh laughed before taking a glance to Mai angrily. 'Yami's going to duel her one day and he'll put her in her place about who has skill around here.' Mai only stayed silent now and watched the duel with a smirk. 'That's it, Yami...show me all your tricks!' she thought, knowing that when she heard about him dueling already, she wanted to take the chance to see what kind of competition she would have against the one who defeated Kaiba. "Yami! Beat Haga quick!" Diamond called. "Go for it, Yami!" Kaiser cheered along with her. "You'll regret this, you demon! Now you've really made me mad!" Haga hissed. "Talk is cheap. Take your frustration...and send it to me through your cards! And I'll give you mine in return!" Yami said, still smirking. 'You're the one who talks big! I still have the ultimate weapon in my insect deck! If I can play that card, victory is mine! Yami! You can't escape the death you placed upon yourself!'

"Your side's a little empty, Haga~ Maybe you should stop stalling and play some monsters. Or shall I go ahead with my turn?" Yami teased and Haga growled. "Shut up!" He took a card from his hand and placed it on the field. "I play Larvae Moth in defense mode!"

'Hmm, Larvae Moth...a weak card in both attack and defense...he must be planning to use a combo...' he pondered. Haga hid all emotions but inside, he was grinning. 'Attack me, Yami...with playing such easy bait, I know you'll take it while you have the chance.' Yami knew what Haga was planning and wasn't going to fall for it easily. 'His trap card is still active on the field...if I attacked, all my monsters could be destroyed. I can't risk losing them and becoming vulnerable to lose more life points.' he drew a card before picking one out of his hand. 'So time to get rid of it!'

"I play this card! Monster Recovery! Return to your cards, my faithful monsters!" he spoke as the monsters started to return to their cards. "Hmph! Very clever!" Haga muttered. 'Should've known he would try a way to avoid my trap but too bad that even with the trap, he's not aware of the true reason I place Larvae Moth on the field!' Yami returned his cards to the deck and shuffled before drawing a new hand. "Now, from the weakest out of my hand, I sacrifice it to set off your trap." he spoke, placing Kuriboh onto the field in attack mode and called out to attack. As directed, the trap sets off, destroying Kuriboh but only doing little damage, Yami's life points decreasing to 1050. "Now, I play Beaver Warrior and end my turn." he spoke, placing the monster into defense mode. Haga grinned as he laughed. "This is rich! You did just as I wanted you to do!" Haga said and Yami snarled. "You little insect!"

"This is my true key card!" he whispered, pulling the card from his hand before placing it onto the field. "The Cocoon of Evolution! I equip it on Larvae Moth!" Yami watched as the cocoon formed around the Larvae Moth until the transformation was completed. Haga laughed in glee. "For the next five turns, Larvae Moth will gradually evolve into Ultimate Perfect Great Moth! If that happens, the Great Moth will be invulnerable!" Haga told him and Yami growled. "And not only that, its forest surrounding it gives it an extra defense boost!" he continued as the cocoon's defense went from 2000 to 2600. "None of the cards you have can penetrate it now! In five turns and Great Moth will chew you up like an old coat!"

'If that cocoon hatches, I won't be able to win this match. Nothing in my deck can possibly beat that thing!' Yami thought as he drew his card. 'I need to defeat it now before it hatches!' He looked to the card he drew before placing it out on the field. "Go Gaia the Fierce Knight! Attack that cocoon!" Yami called and with a whinny, the horse charged forward, its rider prepared for his attack.

"Spiral Saber!"

"It's no use!" Haga declared as Gaia's saber hit the cocoon but it recoiled, causing Yami to lose life points. 'The defense is too high now! I won't be able to penetrate it fast enough!' Yami thought. "Come on, Yami! You can defeat that cocoon!" Jounouchi called. "Keep trying, Yami! I know you can find a way!" Yugi cried, holding onto the arms wrapped around him. "Give it up, Yami! You can't puncture my cocoon!" Haga gloated. 'And he's right. The Cocoon of Evolution combo is a combo no one has beaten before. So what will you do now?' Mai thought. 'This is tough to deal with. None of my monster cards are suited to the forest field and even if I used a multiple-card combo, with my current hand, nothing could surpass the defense of that cocoon.' he thought. "Of course, while the Cocoon of Evolution is on the field, I can't play another card until my monster reaches its perfect form...in other words, that's the end of my turn but inside, my monster is steadily growing into a beast you can never compete with!" With nothing else to do that could help to defeat the cocoon, Yami passed his turns. 'Wasting turns and still hasn't found a solution!' Haga snickered to himself as he saw the slight enraged look upon Yami's face with the thoughts of not being able to beat his cocoon.

'In just two more turns, the Ultimate Perfect Great Moth will be born! I'll win once he appears!' he thought with glee. "Hang in there! You can't lose to him!" Yugi called. "Yami! We came to this island together to win the honors of the Duelist King! Ya can't lose here! Burn down the forest if ya have to! Just take out that damn cocoon!" Jounouchi called out, jumping off from his place on the ground as well, and that triggered a plan. "You amateurs talk too much. Once a duelist sits down for a match, the only person they can believe in is themselves. A real duelist wouldn't even pay attention to you calling out his name over and over all the time..." Mai stated and Yugi glared at her. "He listens to us! He knows our feelings and always takes them to the highest consent! Even when in duels, he knows we're behind him all the way! He'll find a way to win this duel! He made a promise to me that he is not planning to break!" Yugi told her. Mai only snorted. 'What a softie...' she thought before looking back to the box and saw Yami gave a smile and wink to his friends before turning back to Haga with a near murderous look that scared the bug duelist.

"Yes! He's good ta go!" Jounouchi said happily. 'No way...are you telling me that what they said actually helped him find a way to defeat Haga's combo...!' she thought as she watched. "You're gonna regret taunting me, Haga. It's surprising enough you haven't run out scared like you did on the boat." Yami hissed before playing two cards onto the field. "Come out, Curse of Dragon! Now combo attack, Flames of Hell!" With a screech, Curse of Dragon flew into the air before letting out a mighty breath of flames towards the cocoon and Haga only laughed. "That was a dumb move! That accursed dragon's attack is 600 points lower than my cocoon's defense!" Haga spoke. Yami chuckled and Haga demanded yet again what was so funny.

"You assumed I attacked your cocoon but I wasn't aiming for it. I was attacking the forest itself!" Haga gaped and looked down to the board to see that his forest was nothing but a burned away wasteland. "No! My forest..." he whimpered. "Now your cocoon has lost its field power source, making it a big target for Gaia! Now Gaia, attack that cocoon again with Spiral Saber and sunder it!" Again, Gaia's horse charged in for the attack and with a hit from his saber, the cocoon burst apart. "Yeah! He finally defeated that thing!" Honda cheered by Ryou wasn't looking incredibly happy. "Wait though! What's that thing?!" he cried, pointing to the shadowy form emerging from the cocoon. "No! The monster inside the cocoon is still alive!" Myrrh gasped. Haga grinned as his monster appeared. 'He may not have made it to 'Ultimate Perfect form'...but the Great Moth is still strong enough to beat you, Yami! I will rule this battlefield!'

"Watch yourself! That looks like one tough monster!" Kaiser called. "Who's laughing now, Yami? Who's laughing now?! Has the fear of seeing my Great Moth shriveled any chances of your victory?!" Haga teased. "You wish. I was just thinking of a way to swat that overgrown mosquito." Yami growled.

"Oooh, scary! I'd like to see that happen!"

"Then let's continue this battle." Yami hissed. "Fine! On my turn, Great Moth, take flight!" Haga said. 'Great, now that giant pain in my backside attacks from the air!' Yami thought, eyes narrowed. "First, I'll take out the earthbound knight and beaver warrior!" Haga stated, grinning all the while and Yami snorted. 'I can't lose Gaia now! He's my main attack force!' he thought as he drew his card. "It all rides on this card!"

"You don't have a chance! Stuck on the ground where he is, Gaia can't raise a finger to attack my moth while he's in the air! That card you drew is useless! Now Great Moth, attack! Moth Hurricane!" Haga declared as his monster flapped its giant wings, sending gust after gust of strong wind down toward Yami's Beaver Warrior and Gaia. His life points decreased down to 600 and Haga wailed in laughter. "Gaia the Fierce Knight is dead! Your main power source is gone now!" he jeered. "Or so you think. You must've missed the writing on my card." Yami spoke smugly as he showed him the Polymerization card he played on his turn.

"No! That can't be...!"

"Yes. Meet Gaia the Dragon Champion! His attack is the same so now we can enjoy an interesting air battle!"

"Or so you think. He doesn't look all that strong to me~" Haga said and Yami looked to his monster. Curse of Dragon screeched in anger, twisting around angrily as a mysterious phenomenon caused the two combined monsters to lose attack points. "My monster's attack is dropping rapidly! How can that be happening? Unless..." Yami pondered, then looked at Haga and his Great Moth. Haga grinned even more. "Allow me to explain...Great Moth's attack doesn't only wipe out flightless monsters but also scatters poison scales into the air which poisons your monster and makes him lose attack points with each passing second!"

'I can't let Gaia's attack decrease any lower or else I'll lose with Great Moth's next attack!' He drew his next card and smirked. "I'll play Magic Mist!" he said, placing the card onto the field. A cloud of mist drifted over the field, washing away the poison in the air and freeing Gaia and Curse of Dragon of the poison scales that clung to them. "So you think you're clever, huh? You may have washed away the poison but that won't stop Great Moth from using his ultimate attack! Go my monster, Moth Burning Death Tornado!" A giant ball of wind gathered before it shot out in a gust of massive damaging wind, destroying Gaia. "No, this can't be the end." Yugi whispered and Aqua brought him closer. "It's not over just yet."

But Haga didn't see the same for as he laughed, waiting for Yami to lose the last of his life points, he finally noticed that he was still hanging on by a mere 100 and was smirking. "Ha ha indeed." he whispered. "Now what's so funny? How dare you keep laughing when you lost your best monster?!" Haga yelled, nearing tears that everything he went through still hasn't defeated Yami yet. "Because, Gaia was only a decoy for the true monster that will defeat you." Yami said as he drew his card. "Now, meet my exterminator, the Summoned Skull!" The large skull demon appeared onto the field and Haga sighed in relief. 'And to think, I was worried for a second that he would bring out some all-powerful monster to defeat my moth. If he attacks, his life points go down to zero and he would kill himself!'

"You haven't learned, have you? There was a specific reason that I use Magic Mist and not just to save my monster from writhing in pain from your moth's poison..." Haga thought about it before he gasped. 'Oh noooo! Because of the mist...my Great Moth is soaking wet!' he thought, looking at his moth that was flapping wildly, trying to dislodge the water gathered on it. "That's right...the Magic Mist soaked your monster and made it a stepping stone for a combo attack with Summoned Skull. And with its effect, your moth becomes vulnerable to electricity and makes it into one giant, flying lightning rod! Not only that but my demon's attack raises as well. Can you guess what I'm going to do next?" Yami taunted and Haga nodded his head slowly. "Good cause I don't feel like explaining it to you! Go Summoned Skull, attack that drowned rat with Demon Lightning!" Yami called and with a hiss, the demon gathered up the lightning before sending it towards the moth. The moth screeched in pain at the attack hit and with the water, it added more power to the damage and soon, it fell to the ground, scorched. Haga cried out as he watched the loss of his most powerful monster and the last of his life points. 'My...my poor insect...my poor, poor Great Moth...destroyed...'

"Nothing like kin to settle the score." Yami spoke as he looked down to his Summoned Skull who gave a roar of victory before the board cleared away and he stood, picking up his cards. "Yeah, Yami won!" They cheered and Yugi hugged Aqua tightly, glad that Yami made it through the battle with no problem. Mai smiled as well. 'So, even in the toughest situations, he can come out on top...perfect!' she thought before walking off along with most of the kids, now pumped up and ready to duel after seeing this match between them. "This can't be true...my insects never lost. Maybe Sickle was right..." he whispered. "Now now, those are the rules! I'll take these two star chips!" he said, grabbing them from the table before grabbing Haga by the collar of his shirt, lifting him clear of the ground and walked out. He dropped the still stunned duelist as his tail appeared, taking his dueling glove and passed it to Jounouchi who placed it on before placing his own star chip in. "Now, get off the island, you low down insect! Or shall I pull off your legs one by one instead~" he hissed, crouching low to the ground, in full demon form and ready to pounce. Haga jumped up quickly, running off with a cry. Yami lunged. A rip was heard and Haga gave a startled squeak as he ran, a giant hole in his pants revealing his insect-printed underpants. They all laughed hysterically as they watched the exposed duelist still running, Yami grinning as the cloth was caught in his fangs.

-20 Minutes into Dueling: Insector Haga—Retired-

He spat out the cloth before standing once more, placing the two star chips into his glove. 'Three down and seven to go.' he thought, demon features fading as he looked towards the direction where the castle stood.

'I'm coming for you, Pegasus!'

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Zypher: With this act, thus the nickname Weevil "Underpants" was born in the anime version of Yu-gi-oh! -laughs- And that's all for today's chapters. Sorry for the long wait since I was hoping to get this out yesterday but then I left out with my dad for a while and didn't get back til late. -scratches head sheepishly- Sorry for that but then again, it's a good thing since it gave me the chance to get some more Yu-gi-oh manga.

With it, I decided to add the little Dungeon Dice Monsters match with Ryuji in through the manga, Jounouchi should be happy since he won't be embarrassed by becoming Ryuji's dog in this, but then I may have to wait it out a little since I don't have volume 9 but hopefully I won't be going on a wild goose chase for this one like I did with volumes 1 and 2. -sighs- Oh well. Enough of my problems and back to the story. Here's another page of the Duel Monsters world. Enjoy.

-Shadow Realm: Yami and Yugi's Deck-

Celtic was rushing towards the spellcasters home. He heard about Yami winning the duel with a fatal blow from Summoned Skull but also learned of Mahaado's close encounter with being destroyed. He spotted the purple robed magician not far away and with a huge smile, he crashed into the magician with a hug, surprising him and causing both to lose their balance. "Oof! Celtic! What's wrong?" Mahaado asked with surprise. "It's nothing, Mahaado! Simply happy to know you weren't defeated by some lame insect! A monster was talking about the duel between Master Yami and Haga. He mentioned that you were almost destroyed if Master Yami didn't cast Mirror Force." Celtic explained as he stood and helped the magician up.

Mahaado gave a small smile as he looked down to Celtic. "You were worried about me, weren't you?" Celtic's face flushed slightly and he turned his head away shyly. "Not really. I knew you wouldn't be injured much with a monster with just 100 more attack points than you." he whispered. Mahaado's smile became a light smirk as he placed a hand upon the warrior's shoulder. "Oh really? From that almost distraught tone when you tackled me says you were." Celtic flinched lightly and turned to glance back at the magician with a small grin. "Well, look at the time! I better get back and train some more just in case Master Yami gets into another duel! Want to be in top shape!"

"Not so fast, Celtic. I know you were worried and I'm curious, why so much?" Mahaado spoke. "You'll laugh..." Celtic whispered. "Is that what you worried about when you tell me? You shouldn't think such thoughts, Celtic. We're best friends," he said. 'Even though in my heart, I wish it were more.' he thought. "So go on. Tell me why you were so worried if I was hit with that attack?" he pressed. A full red blush appeared on the elven warrior's face before he spoke silently.

"Speak up, Celtic. I can't hear you."

"BecauseIlikeyoualittle."

"Celtic. Speak louder and clearer." Celtic took a deep breath before speaking again. "Because I like you a little." he emitted and Mahaado was a little taken back. "Did I hear what I thought I heard?" Celtic sighed and nodded. "Yeah. I like you. Really like you and I was so worried if you were hit with that attack, you would be injured badly." Celtic explained before sighing and turning away from him, removing Mahaado's hand from his shoulder. "But I didn't say anything cause I know you wouldn't feel the same for me. Besides, you're a strong monster compared to me and wouldn't find me all that appealing." He kept his face hidden away from the magician so he wouldn't see the crystalline tears coursing down his face as he walked off. "I better go. I will understand if you're disgusted with me and never want to see me again..." he whispered as he started to leave but felt a hand grab his own and he turned to see Mahaado looking down to him, a sincere smile upon his face. Mahaado raised a lithe hand and wiped away Celtic's tears before pulling him into his arms in a loose hug.

"And what makes you think I wouldn't like you back, Celtic? Frankly, ever since Master Yugi's jii-chan assembled this deck, I have harbored feelings for you for your tenacity in battle for your power. As I didn't want to ruin the friendship we created, I didn't say anything myself." Celtic looked up to him, smiling now as he knew the magician's words were always true. "Thank you, Mahaado. You don't know how much I worry about telling you. Each day I wanted to but I couldn't cause I didn't want you to reject and cast me away." Celtic whispered and Mahaado only wrapped his arms firmly around the warrior, raising a hand to stroke blonde strands showing from beneath the green and silver helmet he wore. "Never think that. I myself thought more that you would reject me. I'm glad you haven't." Mahaado leaned down and place a gentle kiss upon the warrior's cheek. "For now, let's keep this our little secret and take our new-found love step by step." he said and Celtic agreed. "Well, now that this is settled, I better go and train like I said I would." Mahaado chuckled.

"And I thought that was an excuse to run off from me."

"No! Of course not! I may not be the strongest monster in this deck but I'm going to help Master Yami the best I can do. You should go and practice your Magical Hats trick. It's starting to become a little easier to guess where you are." Celtic stated with a laugh. "Does it really show? Maybe that trick is starting to wear down a little." Celtic laughed again and leaned up to kiss Mahaado's cheek before leaving the magician to head into the other direction to practice his magic. But even with the future duels ahead, they were both happy to know that they know they liked each other and deep in their hearts, knew that this would soon bloom into something deeper.

And they will wait patiently for that time to come.

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Zypher: -hiding behind a barrier- Is it safe to say I won't be pelted with sharp items? Oh well. Hoped you enjoyed this little page out of the big book of Duel Monsters stories and the added Mahaado and Celtic fluff. They're not fully together just yet but I won't leave them like that for long. Well, keep on reading great stories and I shall see you all soon with another duel filled chapter.