Ser Joey - The Spire of the Kings
Tel. V - Year 18 4AOS
The Spire of the Kings, the place where the High Kings of Termnnia called home. Ser Joey Wheeler the Black Dragonknight happily made his way down the halls of the castle located at the top of the mountain known as the King's Mountain.
He passed by patrols of Black Luster Soldiers and Buster Bladers who defended the Spire with their lives. He entered the throne room where his friends would be discussing the new alliance which would bring Termnnia together. Two Dragonic Knights had to open the horrendously tall doors for him.
"Thank ya, gentlemen." Joey nodded his head, feeling quite proud of himself for he had just won a Duel Jousting tournament. He coughed confidently and marched into the throne room.
"Mornin' everyone!" he called out so his friends could hear his voice over the thundering waterfalls. They were standing together over a war table in front of the majesty of the Diamond Throne, the main seat of power on the continent.
Tristan, Duke, Téa, his sister; Serenity, Mai, and Ser Yusei of the Five Dragon Knights surrounded it.
"So good of you to join us," said Yusei.
"We've only been waiting like an hour," grumbled Mai Valentine, the most beautiful Eldori in Termnnia. She was often called the Delight of Termnnia and even The War-Starter because of the countless, foolish wars that many lords, nobles, and even kings, have started to just claim her.
"Yer, lookin' radiant as ever, Mai," Joey said.
Mai smiled and defiantly rolled her eyes. "Don't think you can flatter me just because you're an anointed knight, Joseph."
"Heh, heh, ha!" laughed Joey. He looked around and noticed someone was missing. "So where's Yuge?"
"If you would have been here earlier, you would have already heard the news," said Ser Yusei. "Looks like Master Yu-Gi-Oh took a head start and left for the Senate meeting."
"What?" Joey cried out in shock. "Without us?"
Serenity gently handed him a note. Joey scanned the note repeatedly with his brown eyes to his brain could comprehend what he just read. He couldn't believe it. "What!" he cried out. "And he's not gonna join us for Serenity's briefing either. He says he's going south to find some 'secret weapon' that will put a halt to the Naralians. Man, the nerve of dat guy. At least he could'a let one of us tag along."
"Maybe it's for the best," said Ser Tristan Taylor. "Yugi and the Spirit of the Puzzle work well when they're alone."
"What do we do now?" Yusei wondered as he stroked his chin. "I got my Duel Runner fueled up for nothing."
"Well..." said Serenity. "We're just going to have to trust Yugi. If this so-called 'secret weapon' is capable of putting a stop to the violence taking place up north, so be it. He's got his quest and I've got one for all of us."
"So let's hear it," said Mai. "Prince Daveed is coming back. Soon, we'll have our High King. Maybe then, he'll get us out of this mess with those religious radicals from the Covenant up north and the Orcs who threaten war across the sea."
"If the lions don't eat him first," said Ser Yusei. "When we bring Daveed back from hiding, we're putting him in the den. There has been so much backstabbing and corruption over the years. Three times already we have kept bad people from sitting down on the Diamond Throne."
"Ah, we got nothin' t' worry about," said Joey. "The Divine Beasts are just gonna strike down da person dey hate and see unfit to sit on it, right?"
Yusei tapped on the map. "Of course, but that was in the days of the Kings of Old. Nowadays, they just stand idle and do nothing. As I recall King Antilles of Dragonrock summoned Slifer before Daveed was born."
"Yeah, before," said Joey. "But den Slifer came to his senses and went to a real heir to da throne in Prince Daveed. He summoned all three Divine Beasts just as a baby."
"Talk about power," Yusei said sharing Joey's wonder at the boy's gift. "I certainly can't wait for him to come home. I imagine he goes by another name, right Serenity?"
"Yeah, he's been given a cute nickname," Serenity giggled. "It means flower because they say he's so sweet and delicate like one."
"What do they call him?" Joey asked.
Serenity giggled. "Yuri."
"Yuri?" Joey scratched his head for a moment and smiled. "Yeah, I kinda like it. It suits him. It's less serious than Daveed of House Whatchamacallit. "
"Right," said Mai. "Well, let's get down to business. I know Yugi's putting up a valiant effort in the senate, but we all know they're going to veto his request to bring Yuri back early. They say they need a better track on his progress."
"Say what?" said Tristan.
Yusei chuckled in his throat. "It's politics for creating a waste of time to keep Yuri off the throne. Antilles's Three Points Plan they call it."
"What's it do?" Joey asked.
"You remember how Yuri's been adopted by Jacob Montgomery, right?" asked Mai. "According to the report given to us by Yugi's top spy, Yuri's been groomed for a life of responsibility as the future President and CEO of the company Jacob owns. Antilles has taken advantage of that situation. Right now, Aquarius has three problems. One: Yuri is the Prince of that city but he doesn't know how to Duel. In fact, he's almost terrified to play the game in front of big crowds."
"It's that curse Bakura placed on him," Serenity whispered in anger.
"Right," said Mai. "It messed with Yuri's heart. Yugi and the Spirit of the Puzzle have been giving it their all to try and expel the curse by Dueling. However, progress is going slow and Yuri's no better as a Duelist. From what I understand, he makes the old you from Duelist Kingdom look like a pro by comparison."
Joey frowned. "Gee, thanks for the vote of confidence, Mai."
"Anyway, Yuri's got until Kaiba's big tournament next summer to get his act together. If he fails to win the tournament or even enter it, he will be deemed a failure as a High King."
"That's so stupid!" said Tristan. "Why do his Dueling skills matter so damn much?"
"Because of the Dueling Pact," said Serenity. "Because of that stupid law, if Yuri comes back without the skills to play, he could lose everything. A greedy king like Antilles or even that brat Prince Hector will challenge him under the pact and beat him and take the crown."
Joey rubbed his cheek in fear. "Well...that ain't good. What are the other points of his so-called plan?"
"Aquarius is dealing with a severe problem concerning the mafia," Duke replied, twirling a lock of his jet-black hair around his finger. "Antilles has proposed that Yuri take them on and rid the city of their influence as one of the points to his plan."
"But why?" Joey asked, almost raising his voice in anger.
"It's what kings do," Duke replied. "And he's been influenced by darkness so badly that many here question his ability to be High King. I saw his speech a little earlier. He went on and on about the trials certain High Kings had to undergo before they sat on the Diamond Throne. Unsurprisingly, many Senators agree Yuri must undertake this challenge so they can measure his leadership skills. But...given how scared and timid he is, that task seems impossible. Flower was the right nickname for him indeed."
"And that brings us to the Third Point of Antilles's plan," said Serenity. "The curse that Bakura put on our little prince was made public. Everybody knows about the damage it's done to him — what it turned him into when he was younger. If Yuri cannot find a way to overcome the darkness Bakura placed in his heart, he cannot be High King. The dark curse Bakura put on him was one of fear and doubt. Yuri's poor heart is rank with it. So much so that he might not even want to take on his responsibilities as CEO of his father's company. A High King cannot show fear and the God Cards will not answer to anyone who has fear."
"Aww, man!" Joey grumbled. He rubbed his hands up and down his face. "So those are the three points. Yuri has to be the best Duelist in the Standard Dimension. Has to defeat a criminal organization to prove he has the skills to be High King and he has to dig deep and overcome the curse Bakura placed on him."
"It's not impossible," said Mai. "So long as we do our part to help him. In secret, of course. And thanks to Serenity we found a way to keep tabs on Yuri's Dueling skills on Earth."
"Yes, I have," said Serenity. She set her messenger bag on the table, opened it, and took out a stone of black glass veined with what looked like burning amber.
"Seeing Stones," she said. "Thought to have been lost in the Inquisition but there's still a few left. And Yugi knew just where to find some for all of us."
"Sweet," said Tristan. "So we can keep tabs on Yuri any time we want, right?"
"Uh oh," said Mai. "Yuri's still just a child. What if I catch him..."
"Don't worry, Mai," Serenity said at once before Mai could finish. "The stones only give you visions of the target when they're Dueling, so we don't need to worry about any surprises."
Yusei burst out laughing. "Man, that's a relief. You all sure know how to prepare for anything, huh? It's no wonder you practically won the Gate Wars by yourselves."
"Thanks, Ser Yusei," said Mai. "I just hope our preparing will be enough to grant us favor with the Senate."
"And if they don't?" Duke asked. "Just what do want us to do, Serenity?"
Serenity cleared her throat and paused to gather her thoughts. "We all know about Jacob Montgomery. He's a good father and he loves Yuri to death. However, he doesn't spoil him. He's very strict when it comes to money. So strict that he won't even lend him a few coins or whatever they use for a pack of cards. It's because of this that Yuri has to work for little to no pay at a card shop."
"What!" everyone shouted.
"The future High King of Termnnia working retail!" shouted Joey. He slammed his fist on the war table. "Man, dat makes my blood boil."
Mai's face turned pink and her lips trembled. "That guy is the richest man in the Standard Dimension. How could he do this to him?"
"I don't know, " said Serenity. "That's just the way it is. The father believes that the only way Yuri should get money is if he earns it. And with that...curse Bakura placed on him, his spirit is clouded by doubt and fear. He doesn't want excel any further than where he is right now. Simon McMooran believes that Yuri can overcome this curse by Dueling. However, since he can't have access to good cards, his deck is..."
"Crap," Joey said.
Serenity clicked her tongue. "I was about to say not good, but that will do, I guess. So I started thinking. What if we could lend Yuri some money?"
"How, pray tell, do you plan on us doing that?" Duke asked.
"The Monster Hunters Guild," Serenity answered. "Now that the days are getting darker and we're another year without a High King on the Diamond Throne, the pathways to the Shadow Realm are getting wider and more abundant. Monsters are popping up everywhere. The Guild Masters have called it the gold rush. And I want all of us to take part in it. Yugi agrees."
Joey leaned over the table. "So lemme get dis straight. You want us to take on contracts for da Monster Hunters Guild. And we use the money we earn to give Yuri some funds to get new cards?"
"That's just the first phase of my plan," Serenity said, brushing some hair over her ear with her fingertips. "Thanks to the House of Intelligence, I've uncovered the location of a very powerful artifact that is sure to convince the Senate to bring Yuri back. Mai knows a person who can get me to the secret location of this artifact, however she charges a fortune. A king's ransom pretty much because she's the best."
Tristan scratched his head and sighed. "So you want us to travel all over Termnnia, find guildhalls for hunting monsters and earn enough money to not only finance your expedition to find some long-lost artifact but also give Yuri a bit of spending money? This is crazy."
Serenity placed her hands over her lap and made an expression with sorrowful eyes, her cheeks started flushing pink. "Tristan. I know it sounds crazy but you're all the best warriors in Emboldor. You're the only group of fighters I know who can help me with this. Won't you please be a part of this? For me? Tristan? Pretty please."
Tristan suddenly smiled and puffed out his chest. "Of course, I will! You can count on me, Serenity! Ser Tristan is on the job!"
"Idiot," said Duke. "All she has to do is flutter those long eyelashes of hers and she can get you to delve into a Blue-Eyes White Dragon den. Well, if this is for Yuri, then I'm on board. His dad's philosophy might be the end of us. So we cannot afford to let him hold us back."
"I don't know what good I'll do," said Yusei. "But if I or the other knights come across any contracts while we scout for the long-lost Dragon Summoner, then we'll take the jobs and send any funds back to you as soon as we can."
"I guess I'm in," said Mai. "It sure beats sitting around the Spire of the Kings all day waiting for something to happen."
Joey crossed his arms and sighed. "Fine. I'm in. We put Yuri in there. So it's up to us to get him out. I'm in. When do we leave?"
"We best leave now," said Serenity. "I have a feeling the Senate is going to be of no help to us today."
Yuri - Ruby Dragon Gaming
Tel V. - Year 18 4AOS
"Ah, finally," Yuri said when saw his friends coming in through the door of the store. "Hi guys," he said, sweeping the floor behind the counter clean of stickers and bits of cardboard.
"Hey Yuri," Patty said, wearing a black hoodie in the shape of a dragon. The sleeves had claws, her hood was adorned with horns, and cloth frills ran down the back to a tail that hung near the bottom. "Let go you little twerp!" she said sternly to Sam, playing with her tail.
"Well, you know me," Sam said, playfully swinging her tail from side to side. "I love chasing tail."
"Oh!" said Sergei. He maliciously drummed his fingers on the counter in disapproval of the young boy's insensitive behavior. "Audacious, isn't he?"
"You have no idea," Patty said, swiping her tail from Sam's grip. She walked away from the boy and leaned close to Tyson for some protection. He grinned and placed both hands on her shoulders, lightly pushing her away from his view.
"Hey, Sergei," said Nick. "I came to get some new cards."
"Ah, you got money?" Sergei asked, raising his chin in greed.
"And how," said Nick, showing him a wad of twenty-dollar bills he earned from recycling the garbage in the marina of the slums. "So, what've you got on display today?" Nick leaned over the counter to look at the new shiny cards.
The bell over the door jingled again. it was the girl Yuri claimed to help study for her exam. Natalya Darkova, a beautiful red-headed girl with snowy-white skin came running in with a skip in her step. Because of her love and mastery of Winged-Beast and Wind monsters, she earned the nickname, The Gale. The strap of her backpack was struggling to stay on her shoulder. Her face was red from running in the heat and soaked from perspiration.
Natalya Darkova - The Gale of Aquarius
"Hi Uncle!" she called out, running quickly to the counter to kiss Sergei on his scruffy cheek.
"Natalya," said Sergei, wiping her sweat from his cheek with his knuckles. "So how did it go?"
"You're going to be so proud of me, uncle," Natalya said running to the stockroom of the store. She smelled of cinnamon spice and perfumed the air with her scent as she passed by.
Proud. Hah. She didn't need to tell him that. He already knew Natalya had good news. She was a very gifted girl, already earning herself a spot in the school's top ten. Had she been registered as a citizen of Aquarius much earlier, she would have been attending Phobos Corp. Academy with the sons and daughters of the island's most elite families. Sergei had a twinkle in his eye. From where he stood, Yuri could tell his godfather was being filled to the brim with pride again.
For the longest time, he boasted about Natalya's grades and accomplishments at parties and when having dinner at Yuri's house, which was a common occurrence. Natalya came out of the stockroom lickety-split, tying her apron over her tank top and jeans. "I scored the highest in the exam!" she cried out proudly.
"That's my girl," said Sergei. He pounded his chest with the utmost pride and admiration.
"What exam?" asked Tyson, reading a comic book from one of the stands near the store's front window.
"Natalya's been taking extra classes at St. Christina University," said Yuri, carefully stacking booster boxes on the shelf behind the cash wrap. Nick was eyeing them all greedily, as did Sam and Carter. Yuri saw the greed in their eyes and laughed before he said: "It's a requirement for the school she wants to go to."
"Sheesh," said Tyson, putting the comic back where he found it. "I aim for a good school, too, but I don't have to work THAT hard for it."
"Well, Tyson, my friend," said Sergei. "My Natalya isn't going to any other school. She's going to an Ivy League school in New England."
"Wow, I wish I could," Nick said drearily, feeling a tad jealous.
"Congratulations," said Patty, leaning against the counter and swiping her tail away before Sam could play with it. "You must be working really hard if you have to juggle school, a job, and our pal Yuri at the same time."
"Hey!" said Yuri, feigning insult.
Natalya laughed at her joke while picking up boxes of Magic the Gathering cards. "If I can handle Yuri, I can handle anything. He's a handful, he is. When will I get to meet your other two friends, Yuri?"
"Y-you won't see them as often," said Yuri, his voice getting shaky when he felt his nerves getting the best of him. "They're rather busy."
"Oh dear," Natalya said, feeling upset. She smiled again and picked up another box of cards. "Maybe some other time, I suppose. I really want their autographs."
"Judge!" A player called out from one of the tables to report a foul. Natalya held out her palm. "Be right there," she said before she walked away.
"Autographs?" said Patty, backing herself against the counter when she noticed Sam was circling her legs to look up her skirt. "Just who are these friends of yours, Yuri?"
"Never mind that, Patty," said Yuri, pulling Sam away by the scruff of his neck. "Get over there!" he commanded him, pointing toward the fountain. "Anyways, if you're here to buy, I'll help you on register one. If you're here to Duel, the tables are open. But you have to be quick; we have a tournament later on."
"A tournament," said Sam glowing with excitement. "Where do I sign up?"
"If you want to register, make it fast," said Yuri. "That's why there's a crowd over there."
"Oh snap!" said Sam, rushing away.
"You're not going to join, Nick?" Carter asked. "This is a tournament for novice players. It could be a chance to spruce your skills."
"I'm no beginner," said Nick, confidently crossing his arms. "I can handle myself."
"Yeah, that's why your record stinks," said Patty. "I'm going to register for the Halloween tournament, Sergei."
"Da, right this way," he said, leading her to the sign-up list on the column nearby.
"What? What about the Halloween Dance?" Yuri asked. "You were really looking forward to that."
"I have no one to go with," Patty replied. "And as you know, I was recently dumped."
"Again!?" said Carter. "But I thought things were going well between you and Morty."
"I thought so too, but he made me an offer I had to refuse. Don't ask me what it was because you don't want to know."
"Do you have anyone to take you to homecoming?" Natalya asked, returning from the table after settling the dispute between the players. "That's coming up really soon."
"I haven't found anyone who would take me," said Patty with a shrug.
"You can always ask me to go with you, baby," Sam said, leaning against her leg. "I see you like pink."
Patty cringed and yanked her mini-skirt down as far as she could to keep him from seeing anything. Sergei lightly placed his hands on Sam's shoulders and pulled him away from her.
"Mind your manners, boy," he said. "That is no way to treat a lady."
Patty smiled at Sergei for coming to her defense. "I'd sooner ask your brother out, Sam."
"Really?" Nick asked.
"No!" Patty proclaimed at once.
"Come on, boys," said Sergei. "Leave her alone. If you bother Patty again, I'm booting you from my store. I'm warning BOTH of you."
He led her away from the brothers. Carter followed behind him and tapped his shoulder. "Mr. Sergei," he said. "I was wondering if, Yuri and I could have a Duel."
"I'm working right now, Carter," said Yuri.
"Oh," said Carter, rubbing the back of his head in embarrassment. He fixed his fedora nervously. "Oh, yeah, I forgot."
Sergei patted Carter's shoulders gently. "No, no, no," he said. "I think Yuri Dueling is just what I need right now. Besides, my boy," he looked at his wristwatch, "you are long overdue for a break."
"Okay," said Yuri, undoing his apron. "I'll go get my stuff." He headed for the stockroom.
"Thanks, Yuri," said Carter. "I'll hold a spot for you at table twelve."
"You must be pretty proud of that deck if you're going to take on Yuri," said Patty, signing her name on the tournament list.
"I managed a few wins the other day," said Carter. "Five victories."
"Great job," said Tyson. "You're coming along great."
"Da," Sergei agreed. "I told you that Water deck would do you wonders. Makes sense you chose that element, seeing as how you want to join the Navy after school ends, ya?"
"Carter, you serious?" Patty asked. "You're going to the Navy?"
"Well..." Carter said nervously. "No. It's something my dad wants me to do. I'd rather work my magic at the salon up in Diamond Street."
Patty fluffed her hair. If ever she had a problem with it or needed something done with it, Carter was the person to see. "Actually, I think that suits you so much better, baby. Why not do that instead? Just let your dad know that RAPTOR isn't for you and become a hairstylist. No one knows hair quite like you do."
"Da. I agree with Patty," said Sergei. "Follow your dreams, my young friend."
"You're right," Carter said. "I'll have a talk with my old man tonight. I'm going to put my foot down and let him know that I am no sailor. Yuri, I'm feeling pretty boosted right now, man. I hope you have your best cards on you. Like that Black Dragon Jungle King. He's your best card, right? I want to test myself against him."
Yuri came back out of the stockroom with his deck in hand. He and Carter sat down at their table. Their friends gathered around them. A liquid-crystal screen over their table displayed an empty Colosseum with torches lighting up the night. Their Life Points were displayed on the screen as well.
"Let's Duel, Yuri!"
"Show me what you've got, Carter," said Yuri, setting down his deck. The hi-tech playmat scanned his deck.
LP 2000
"I'll go first, seeing as I'm the challenger," said Carter. "I play the Field Spell Card, Umi!"
He slapped his Spell Card on the mat. The Colosseum then turned into an ocean with a rocky island at the center housing the ruins of a temple that resembled the Parthenon. Carter searched his hand wondering what to play.
"Now that's what I'm talking about!" Carter beamed at the new scenery on the Duel Screen. "I summon Turu-Purun in attack mode!"
The screen displayed a short and stubby sea creature with one eye, a large mouth with two large teeth coming out the corners, blue skin with an anchor tattooed on his chest, two gold armbands, a red cape, and a tail. His weapon of choice was a trident.
ATK/450 DEF/500
"Oh, I love it," Carter hooted, clapping his hands, for he was very excited to see the action on the screen beside him. It sure made him feel like he was summoning an actual monster. "Also, Umi will give him a field power bonus, raising his attack to six-fifty. Can you top that Yuri?"
"I'm sure he can," said Patty. "It was smart of you to use the Umi card to give your water monsters a field power bonus, but it's still pretty weak."
"You can beat him, Yuri?" Carter asked. "But. I've got a field power bonus. Doesn't that count for something? Aw, fuck me, you can beat him, can't you?"
Yuri let out a friendly laugh. "Yeah, with this guy, Mechaleon,"
He summoned a large chameleon-like monster. Its attack was 800, more than enough to beat Turu-Purun.
"Aw," said Carter, watching Yuri's monster destroy his on the screen. His Life Points now at 1850. "Damn!" He discarded Turu-Purun to the grave.
"Yuri is Dueling!" Sam said, squeezing past Nick and Tyson to get a better look. "Why didn't anyone tell me? I've always wanted to see Yuri play."
Patty scooted towards Yuri a little more to get away from the kid. She filled Yuri's nostrils with her scent of amber musk perfume, pleasing him, for he was tired of the smell of burgers, french fries, and cardboard.
"I play a card face down and end my turn," said Yuri.
"My turn," said Carter. He drew slowly, praying for something good to summon. "I summon Liquid Beast!"
He summoned a monster made of orange goo with five blue eyes. It had an attack strength of 950, plus the field bonus from Umi made him 1150. He looked at the Mechaleon's attack. 800. He smiled confidently, pushed his glasses up the bridge of his nose, and attacked.
"I use Reinforcements," said Yuri, flipping over his trap card.
Carter groaned, fanning his cards over his face to control his temper. "Aw, come on. What does it do?"
Yuri nodded. "It will raise my Mechaleon's attack points by five hundred, so he beats your Liquid Beast."
The monsters battled on the screen making the score 1700.
"Got to do better than if you want to beat Yuri," Patty said.
"I know, I know," Carter retorted. "I think I'm getting the hang of this. Good play, Yuri. You're good."
Yuri shook his head. "No, man, you're just a beginner. I can teach you sometime if you want. My students, however, end up being better than me."
"Like me," said Sam. "Have you seen me Duel yet, Patty?"
"Can't say that I have," said Patty. "Did you really teach him, Yuri?"
Yuri replied with a shrug. "Just the basics. Seems like he got better at the game if he feels confident enough to play in the Halloween tournament. Anyways, it's my turn. I summon Trakadon in attack mode."
"Dinosaurs, huh?" said Sam. "You always were the dinosaur nerd, Yuri."
"They're the sole reason I got into the game," said Yuri. "Sucks there aren't that many of them. It's your move, Carter. Got anything to stomp my dinosaur and my Mechaleon?"
"At thirteen hundred attack points, your Trakadon is tough," said Carter. "But wait till you see this. I summon Wow Warrior in attack mode. His attack is twelve-fifty, but with my Umi, it raises him to fourteen-fifty. I will destroy your Mechaleon!"
Yuri picked up the card and set it down in the discard pile. "Well, you finally got him."
On the screen, the scaly blue creature reared on its hind legs and roared. It dashed across the temple and attacked Mechaleon with a powerful bite.
The chameleon-like monster gave a horrid croaking noise after the dagger-shaped teeth of Wow Warrior crunched on his flesh. He wobbled about and fell dead. His body was consumed by rays of light, and then he disappeared. Wow Warrior stomped on the ground victoriously. He snarled as if telling Trakadon that he was next. Yuri's Life Points went down to 1350.
Carter snapped his fingers three times, jerking his head from side to side. "Mmm-hmm, now you're my bitch, Yuri."
Patty let out a loud, astonished, gasp. "Wow, Carter got the lead!"
Sam looked up at her with a wide grin. "Man, if a 350-point lead is all it takes to excite you, I can't wait for you to see me Duel!"
"Ew," said Patty. "What are you going to do now, Carter?"
Carter sneered. "I'm going to play this card face down, and activate Pot of Greed so I can draw two cards. Your move, Yuri."
Yuri drew.
"Mammoth Graveyard in attack mode," said Yuri, "and I use the Equip Spell Card, Invigoration, which raises the attack of Earth-Attribute monsters by 400 points, but decreases their defense by 200."
The Mammoth Graveyard's attack went up to 1600. The Duel Screen now showed the skeleton of a large mammoth pawing its right foot on the ground, ready to charge. Yuri attacked with it, but Carter was ready. After his Wow Warrior was destroyed and his Life Points went down to 1500, he activated a Trap Card.
"It's called Attack and Receive," said Carter. "This card activates when I take damage. I will inflict seven hundred points of damage to you."
"What?" said Yuri now standing at 650.
"Wow, Carter, that's brutal," said Tyson. "You've almost got this."
"I knew Yuri wasn't good," said Sam.
Yuri wished for a way to turn the Duel around, but he was not so fortunate. Carter beat him with a new monster called Roaring Ocean Snake; a Fusion monster with an ATK of 2100. On the screen, the powerful red serpent summoned a massive tidal wave that drowned Yuri's monsters and dropped his Life Points to 0.
"My turn," said Sam, "Though I wanted a challenge."
"Forget it," said Yuri, picking up his cards. "I have to get back to work. Good game, Carter. That was really good."
"Thanks, Yuri!" Carter said happily. "Let me know when you want another ass-kicking. I'm always available."
"How's about a little one-on-one Patty?" Sam asked.
"Sure, I'm game," Patty replied with a shrug.
"With cards or without cards?" Sam raised his eyebrows up and down.
"Hoo! Hoo!" went Tyson. "Damn, this kid's dangerous."
"On second thought I think I'll pass," Patty said walking away.
Natalya hopped over the counter. She knew Sam was only joking and it was funny the first couple of times, but enough was too much. He was beginning to get on her nerves. "Why don't I play him?" she asked. "If I can?" She looked at Sergei for approval. Her uncle scratched his scruffy chin and gave a shrug.
"Well, why not? It's a slow day. You can play, darling, as a reward for all your hard work at school."
"Thank you, Uncle," said Natalya, kissing his cheek again. She removed her deck from her back pocket. "Okay, Sam. You and me. Let's Duel right now!"
Sam leaned back casually in his chair as he crossed his arms. "Don't get your panties in a twist, babe. I have lots of time. I can Duel you." He had a look on his freckle-sprayed face that Yuri quickly identified as trouble. Sam took a cherry-flavored lollipop from his jacket, undid the wrapping, and put it in his mouth while he waited for Natalya to undo her apron. "Say, Natalya," he said, sucking on the candy. "I heard you have yourself a bird deck. That true?"
"Oh yes," Natalya said. She removed her apron and hung it over her chair before sitting down on the other side of the table. "I love Winged-Beast monsters."
"Word on the street is you have yourself a pretty powerful one. Why don't we make this match interesting by say...putting it up on the line? What do you say?"
"I'd say you're out of your mind," said Natalya. "My grandmother gave me this card. You'd have to put your money where your mouth is in order to make me put my best monster up."
"Funny you should say that," sneered Sam, his eyes twinkling with confidence. His grin grew so wide it was ear-to-ear. "I have a hundred bucks right here!" He showed her the money, much to Nick's disapproval.
"Where did you get that?" Nick said, almost with a yell.
"Wouldn't you like to know," said Sam.
"No, no!" yelled Nick. "You can't put that money on the line for a card, Sam. Even if it is rare, it's not worth putting a hundred bucks at stake, we're on a very tight budget!"
"I accept," said Natalya. "I saw this really nice jacket in the mall the other day. That money could help me buy it."
Nick grimaced as he turned to look at her. "No offense, Natalya, but I hope you don't win. You have no idea what this idiot is costing us right about now."
Natalya shrugged at him and looked back at Sam with a venomous gaze. "I accept the terms of your challenge, Sam. You're on."
"You'd better come prepared," said Sam. "I practice Dueling every day. Even on weekends. There's no way I'll lose. Your rarest card is going to be all mine."
Natalya narrowed her eyes and set her cards on the LED touchscreen playing mat.
"You sure you know what you're doing?" Sergei said, coming up behind Natalya. "Your babushka scrapped up for months to save enough money so she could buy you that card."
Natalya said something to him in Russian, causing him to nod in reply. Natalya winked and said, "I've got this. He is not going to win."
"Let's get this over with, please!" Sam said impatiently.
LP 2000
"Very well. I'll let you start first," said Natalya.
"Fine by me," said Sam, drawing his first card. "See how you like this! I summon Battle Warrior in attack position!" (ATK/700 DEF/1000). "I set two cards and end my turn. Your turn, beautiful."
"Ha, you're so funny," Natalya said sarcastically. She looked at Patty. "So, this is what you have to put up with every day, huh?"
Patty's eyes rotated and she crossed her arms. "You have no idea. Welcome to my world."
"Don't worry, my friend. I'll show him some manners. I summon Kurama in attack mode!" She slapped her card onto the LED playing mat. The screens on the wall then showed a fiendish, featherless, blue bird with a whip-like tail and dragon-shaped wings. (ATK/800 DEF/800). "And now, your Battle Warrior goes bye-bye. Attack!"
The bird squawked and dove toward Sam's warrior. But he was one step ahead of Natalya. "Not too bright," he vexed, flipping his face down. "I activate the Trap Card, Reinforcements! This will increase my Battle Warrior's attack by five hundred points, making him more than a match for your monster." (ATK/1200)
Everyone watched the screen as Battle Warrior raised his fists and leaped into the air. His right fist started glowing blue and he punched the bird in the stomach.
"OH!" Everyone shouted as the bird was blown up by the impact.
Natalya wrinkled her nose impatiently, feeling rather annoyed with herself for not seeing that coming. She was so focused on making Sam pay for her arrogant attitude and his rudeness towards Patty, that she failed to even see the face-down cards he had. He had such a pretentious grin on his face as he drew his next card and said: "I'm even better than you high school, kids. I'm good"
He examined his hand, wondering what to play next. "If you can't handle my Battle Warrior, there's no way you can handle this. Here comes Masaki the Legendary Swordsman!" He viciously slapped the card onto the mat. The screen displayed a samurai with green armor and a long katana. (ATK/1100 DEF/1000)
"Your turn, Natalya. Can your birds handle my mighty swordsman?"
"I'll make you eat your words you little brat," Natalya muttered. "I play Pot of Greed, allowing me to draw two cards. Next, I summon Droll Bird and..."
"No you won't," Sam sneered with sickening overconfidence. "Check it out, Natalya. House of Adhesive Tape. If your monster has a defense of five hundred or less, it automatically gets destroyed.
Natalya sighed, ending her turn.
Natalya-1600 LP
Sam-2000 LP
"This is going to be one easy victory, man," Sam said drawing his card. "Ha, this monster is gonna make you change your underwear. I summon Cyber Soldier of Dark World. With an attack of fourteen hundred, I doubt you have anything that can stop him."
Natalya smirked. "You must be really full of yourself to be thinking like that. I draw! Oh, perfect. I play the Spell Card, Card Destruction. Now I can get rid of my crappy hand, and draw a new one. You do the same."
"Ha, a crappy hand," Sam scoffed, tossing his cards into the Graveyard. He picked up a new hand per the effect of Card Destruction. "You know, these aren't exactly my best monsters, and they still have been kicking your pretty Russian butt." He looked at his new collection of monsters and grinned. "I hope you have something good on that hand of yours, Natalya. Otherwise, your prized bird is mine."
"Keep dreaming, punk." Natalya was losing her patience. "I play the Field Spell. Mountain!"
Patty clapped with joy. "Oh, here we go. Now things are getting interesting."
She saw the Colosseum turn into the ruins of a fortress perched atop a tall mountain surrounded by smaller ones. The wind howled fiercely, causing the ancient tattered banners running along the top of the fortress to flap violently. The sky was a shade of cold gray, and thunder rumbled within the thick veil of clouds.
"Wow, what have you done?" Sam asked, marveling at the new scenery on the screens. It was a beautiful change compared to the dull Colosseum that was the default playing field, but he knew it only meant trouble for him and his monsters.
Natalya smiled. "This Field Spell grants a field power bonus of two hundred points to my Winged-Beast monsters. After this, you'll find they won't be so easy to take down. I play my Spell Card, Double Summon! This card allows me to conduct two Normal Summons this turn. First, here's Queen Bird!"
The screen displayed a giant vulture with white wings, tinged green at the tips. The feathers on its head and chest were scarlet red, and its neck was the size of the arm of a full-grown man. (ATK/1200 DEF/2000).
Natalya searched her hand, wondering what card to play next. "And here comes Takuhee!" Natalya joyfully put the card down on the map. The newest monster of the match was a large brown eagle with a golden beak. (ATK/1450 DEF/1000).
With the field power bonus, Queen Bird's ATK was now 1400 and Tukahee's was 1650. Sam gulped when he saw that Natalya's Winged Beasts were no mere spring chickens like he joked they were. Tukahee attacked Battle Warrior. The bird spread its wings, taking off into the air. It circled over the ruins and dove with incredible speed. BOOM! A cloud of dust and debris burst into the air.
Yuri and his friends jumped and cheered when they saw the violent impact being displayed. Finally, Queen Bird made her move. She took flight and grabbed Masaki with her talons, taking him up into the sky and over the mountains. She let him go. Maskai screamed as he plummeted to his death.
"Dude that sucks!" Nick laughed, pointing at Masaki's misery.
Sam's mouth hung wide open while his eyes darted across the field, wondering what just happened. He was in the lead. And now he was trailing behind with a mere 750 Life Points.
"Get ready to pay up," said Natalya, feeling confidence brimming through her once again.
She was finally smiling, and her frustration towards Sam was long gone now that she was satisfied with his displeasure at the current situation. She just loved the way he looked at the field and his hand, wondering what he did to get himself to such a disadvantage.
Sam gulped and started to bite his lollipop, crunching it to pieces. It was now that he realized his hundred-dollar bill was slowly slipping from his grasp along with any hopes of getting the Ultra Rare card he so longed for from Natalya. He drew his next card. What he got made him smile.
"Perfect!" he yelled. "I activate Polymerization! Fusing together my Lesser Dragon and Steel Ogre Grotto Numer One to become Metal Dragon!"
The screen showed a metallic serpentine dragon with a body made of bright chrome, with claws of gold and ridges of spikes down its back colored red. (ATK/1800 DEF/1700).
"And next, I use the Equip-Spell, Machine Conversion Factory to increase his attack and defense by three hundred points raising him to twenty-one hundred! Now roast her pathetic Queen Bird, Metal Dragon!"
Metal Dragon charged a red laser inside of its mouth and fired. The beam of bright red light struck Queen Bird in the chest. She exploded and dropped Natalya's Life Points to 900.
"And next I use the Spell known as Dian Keto the Cure Master, raising my Life Points up by a grand, bringing me back up to the lead."
Natalya-900
Sam-750
"Impressed, Patty?" Sam sneered, looking at his crush who was many years his senior.
Patty tossed her hair over her shoulder and looked away. "Humph. I've got to admit, you've turned things around, Sam."
Sam slapped a hand over his heart. "That means a lot coming from you. Maybe one day I'll impress you enough that we can go out on a date."
"Keep dreaming, punk," said Sergei. "Make a comment to Patty like that again, and you're out of my store."
"Thank you, Sergei," Patty said with a smile.
Sam shrugged, not at all feeling remorseful for his behavior. "Sheesh. Nobody has a sense of humor nowadays. Well, Natalya. I hope you're ready to fork over that bird of yours. Is he powerful?"
"Why don't you ask him and see for yourself. I play Shallow Grave, allowing us to bring back a monster from our Graveyards in face-down defense position. Now I shall tribute Tukahee and my revived Queen bird so I can summon Simorgh, Bird of Divinity!"
Yuri and the others went silent and watched in awe as Natalya's favorite monster soared out of the clouds.
Sam gasped in shock, wondering how he could let this happen. Not only was her rarest monster coming towards the field, but it was an effect monster. He was sure it was going to have a nasty surprise for him when Simorgh landed.
He was a monstrous bird with brilliant feathers of jade green. The wings were transparent and trimmed with solid ones at the top of the wings. The solid feathers were decorated with brilliant gold chains. He had four large tail feathers made of gold. His legs were braced in anklets of gold crusted with gems. On the top of his head, he bore a red crown.
Simorgh, Bird of Divinity
ATK/2700 DEF/1000
Nick moved closer to the screens to get a better look at the giant bird. "Wow, Natalya, that's an impressive monster. Trade for it?"
"No, I'm not going to trade for it," snapped Natalya. "You must be out of your damn mind. Now, Sam. It's time I taught you some respect. I use Mystical Space Typhoon to destroy your Machine Conversion Factory, weakening your dragon's attack points. Simorgh, attack and destroy the Metal Dragon!"
Simorgh raised its mighty wings and gave a powerful flap which sent a mighty flurry of razor-sharp feathers flying toward Metal Dragon. They cut him down to size.
"My dragon!" Nick yelled, watching his dragon get blown to pieces on the screen in front of him. His Life Points dropped down to 850.
Natalya smirked. "Now, I place two cards face down. I end my turn."
"M-my turn," stuttered Sam. "I draw. I use Monster Reborn to bring back your Queen Bird in defense mode. With a defense of two thousand boosted to twenty-two hundred thanks to your mountain. She'll defend my Life Points. I end my turn and...HEY!"
His Life Points dropped to 0.
"Wha-what happened?" he cried out.
"Simorgh's special effect," said Natalya. "During our end phases, Simorgh inflicts us with one thousand points of damage. However, the damage is reduced by five hundred for each Spell and Trap card we have on our fields, thereby keeping my Life Points safe, but since you didn't have any out, you took the full blast. Sorry, Sam, but Simorgh stays with me. And I believe you owe me a hundred bucks."
"NO!" Sam wailed slamming his head on the table. "I was so close to winning!"
"You gotta pay up, bro," said Nick.
"That's okay," said Natalya. "Sam learned his lesson, which is all the reward I'll need. You played a good game, Sammy. But you got a lot of mouth. See to it that you learn a little respect."
Natalya picked up her cards. The battlefield on the screens faded and returned to the logo of the card shop.
"Okay, you two," said Sergei, patting Yuri and Natalya's shoulders with his big hands. "Fun's over. Get back to work."
The door to the store opened and the store's jingle rang to announce another customer. It was Andre, looking for another afternoon of Dueling. "Aww, man," he said when he noticed Yuri's uniform. "I guess there's no playing against your right now, is there?"
"Afraid not. You'll have to wait another nine hours before my shift is done."
"I'll take him on, though," Patty said.
"You'd Duel me?" Andre asked, his face getting red.
"Yeah. To make up for your match against Nick. Also, didn't you say you were going to Duel against Yuri during the week? Where did you go?"
"Oh...uh, I had other stuff to take care of. You understand."
Patty's lips formed that cocky smirk again and her eyes flashed with confidence. "Or you were scared of my friend's strength."
Yuri chuckled, wiping the glass countertop. "I'm not that strong. Table 4 is free. I'll keep it reserved for you guys." He picked up the store's tablet and with a few taps, the table was theirs.
Patty waved her hands happily. They were covered deep in her sleeves, which flopped around. "Ooo, Table 4. That's the one with the view of the water." Patty skipped away. "Thanks, Yuri. You're the best." She pulled up her chair and sat down. Andre sniffed the air, which was scented with her cotton candy perfume.
Andre sat down, took out his cards, and they began their Duel.
"Ladies first," he said.
"Okay, then," Patty said. She whistled as she drew the top card of her deck and added it to her hand. "I summon a monster in defense mode."
"You don't want to reconsider that move? I've got good cards in my hand. They're going to give you a tough time."
"Just go," Patty said.
"If you insist," said Andre. "I summon Flame Champion. And now I'll strike down your monster!"
Patty picked up her card after it was destroyed on the Duel Screen. Flame Champion sliced Patty's mystery monster in half with her flaming sword. Flame Champion posed victoriously and jumped back to Andre's side of the field.
"Claw Reacher, huh?" said Andre. "You trying to psyche me out with that weak opening move?"
"Maybe," Patty said. "I summon Terra the Terrible!"
She called upon a hideous green swamp creature with big red gloves and red marking on his chest and arms.
"Patty," Andre said smiling. "I have a feeling you have something in store for me. Bring it."
"If you say so. I activate the spell, Flame Chain. I select one monster on the field and its ATK decreases by 400 points. And now I'm going to boost Terra the Terrible's power with Archfiend's Staff of Despair. Now, your monster's ATK gets decreased by half of Terra's ATK points, so her power is now 900. Terra the Terible attack Flame Champion!"
Terra the Terrible jabbed Flame Champion with lightning-fast punches and destroyed her, bringing Andre down to 1700 LP.
"Not bad," said Andre.
Patty waved him off with a yawn. "Your move."
Andre stroked his chin. "Wow, that fast, huh? All right. Let's see how you handle this card. I call on the diamond dragon, Hyonzanryu! At 2100 points, your creature doesn't stand a chance. Attack, Hyonzanryu."
The diamond dragon appeared in a flash. As soon as it was rendered on the field, it flew up high and blasted Terra the Terrible with a prismatic beam that turned him to ashes.
Patty blinked in surprise. She didn't expect Andre to have such a strong card in his deck. She blew a bubble with her gum while discarding her fallen monster to the graveyard. "Well," she said. "That was unexpected."
"I'll understand if you want to quit. He's one of the strongest cards in my deck."
"Quit? No, no, no. I don't quit. I summon this card. Dark Chimera!"
"That card?" Andre said. He leaned over to see the card. "But he's only got sixteen-ten attack points. What a strange offense. How are you going to beat my Hyozanryu with that card? I'm interested."
"Equip-spell cards," Patty said. "The same stuff you lectured Nick on using, remember? This is the Black Pendant. This will increase its attack points by 500 points. Now Dark Chimera is stronger than your diamond dragon. And with this attack, you lose..." Patty giggled. "Ten Life Points."
"Geeze," said Andre. "You're a livewire, huh? All, right, let's see where this goes. I summon this card in defense mode."
"And I call on Reaper of the Cards," Patty said, sliding her card onto the mat so it could be rendered on the screen.
"Reaper of the Cards?" Andre said with a gulp. "Such a dark deck for one so pretty and bright."
Yuri passed by and laughed at him. "Compliments don't work on her, man. Don't even try and get into her heart."
Andre looked at him and shrugged. "Just trying to be nice. I summon "
"Not to me, babe," said Patty. "Too many scars. I use the Zera Ritual card and summon my man."
"Zera the Mant," said Yuri. He patted Andre on the shoulder and walked away. "Have a lovely night."
He pated Andre on the shoulder and walked away.
The Grand Council Chamber - Yami Yugi
The hearing was not going at all as he planned. Yami Yugi placed a hand over his eyes and listened as the voices of the few favoring his notion were drowned out by those favoring the scheme known as The Three Points Plan, a proposition devised by his opponent, King Antilles Dragonheart of Dragonrock.
Eeesh, Midjourney sucks with faces XD
He stood beside Yami in a metal box with iron rails coiled with vines. He looked at Yami and grinned, knowing full well he had all but lost this battle.
He was tall and lithe for a man his age. He was balding, losing most of the hair in his forehead and dome. The wisps that remained were a pale color of blond mixed with silver. The sunlight caused his bluish-green eyes to twinkle with arrogance.
Yami turned his gaze away and looked at the councilors, leaders of the Termnnian senate with Pegasus in the middle as High Chancellor of Termnnia. The Right-Hand of the High King, a title dubbed to those who found themselves in such a position. Pegasus and the Councilors were sitting along a fifty-foot curved wall shaped to look like the wings of a mighty dragon. The head was where the High King's chancellor sat and dealt with these problems. The throne was carved underneath its mouth, a glowing crystal embedded in its head.
That was where Pegasus sat. Surrounding the wall was a deep moat with small lit fountains. Behind the wall, four tall stained-glass windows illuminated the Grand Council Chamber in an explosion of colors. Violet, blue, purple, red, yellow, and green were clashing for dominance.
At the moment, they were discussing what were the current threats to Prince Yuri's safety. The greatest of them all was a dark and powerful wizard named Denethon the Black, who once served as a court magician for the Dark Lord Anubis when he reigned long ago.
He was back and running amok with his own assassin's guild of female phantoms known as the Sisterhood of Odiva. They brought great fear to even the greatest warriors in Termnnia. None dared to cross paths with them.
Councilor Jane Chrichton stood and said: "The recent wave of assassins is a matter of great concern. But there is no evidence that Denethon the Black was involved in any way."
Lord Gwendon Smith, another member of the council spoke, too. "The investigations led by the House of Intelligence have turned up no evidence to support your claim that he or the Sisterhood is of any threat."
He held up a large stack of papers. "Per command of the council, we have sent an agent to keep an eye on him. Said agent sends us long and very detailed reports of the prince's daily activities. We have read them very thoroughly and thus fall, he reports no wrongdoings or strange activity. Besides the curse that was put upon him, the prince is safe and sound. We have no need to fear about Bakura because he was captured by Lady Akiza Izinski and banished into the Shadow Realm with her Blood Rose Dragon. He hasn't been heard from since."
"I never said Bakura was a threat anymore!" Yami countered, pounding his fist on his desk, and shaking the green lamp. "I'm aware he was banished by the Knights of the Crimson Dragon. But that gives us no cause to sit back and assume the worst is over! Listen to me. My friend, Joey slew a whole group of assassins trying to make for the Gate the day before yesterday. And they carried this!"
Yami held up a hood ripped off from a cloak. A golden eye was emblazoned on the top. Those on his side gasped, while those opposed howled in contempt.
"It's the mark of the Rare Hunters," he said. "They are trying to find him! Come to your senses. Denethon the Black is not the only one involved in this matter."
"The one who should come to his senses is you, Master Yu-Gi-Oh," sneered Antilles. "We are only trying to help the boy."
"How is keeping him in danger going to help him?" Yami retorted. "We must bring him back to Termnnia now!"
"And have him in even more danger?" said Antilles. "You wish to bring him back here without even giving him the time to adjust to his destiny. Think of the trauma you will put upon him."
"He has to find out sooner or later."
Antilles bowed his head respectfully.
"I understand that, Master Yu-Gi-Oh. There will be a time and place for that. But now is not said time. The prince needs to learn how to Duel if he is to survive as High King here. I've read the reports the agent from the special activities division has written. His Dueling skills are quite poor. Lackluster and unworthy of a High King. What is to happen if he returns to rule with his undistinguished skills and someone were to challenge him with the Dueling Pact? He'd lose and the challenger takes everything away from him. All the lives lost and the money spent to keep him secure would have been for nothing."
"Hear! Hear!" shouted a senator on Antilles' side.
"Rare Hunters," Antilles spat. "You said the leader of those so-called Rare Hunters was a poor excuse of a youth who let his own greed and jealousy consume him to the point he was taken over by a vile spirit. The Rare Hunters are nothing but sodding mercenaries picking off the scraps of whatever job they can find. And I am sure everyone here is wise enough not to take the word of a Wheeler seriously."
The leaders who favored Antilles laughed and pounded their desks. Yami turned his head quickly to look at Antilles and snarl at him. Councilor Lockwood pounded on the arm of his throne with a jeweled mallet. "Order! Order!" he shouted. "That's enough! Settle down all of you!"
"No disrespect to your friend, Master Yu-Gi-Oh," said Councilor Kastark. "But the testimony of a knight with a track record like Joey Wheeler's is hardly compelling proof."
Those on Yami's side began to bicker and yell. Senators of the beast folk roared in his defense.
On a balcony overlooking the chambers, Alexandra giggled at the chaos. She waved a fan up and down to cool her face and neck. "My uncle always knows what to do," she sneered.
"Order! Order!" shouted Councilor Lockwood.
"You're just mad Slifer the Sky Dragon chose another!" shouted one of the senators.
"Enough!" said Pegasus, finally breaking his silence. "The chosen Duelist of the God Cards is not the purpose of this meeting."
Antilles smiled again. "This meeting has no purpose. Councilors and Senators. Master Yugi and his friends waste your time. And mine."
"You cannot hide behind your cronies, forever, Antilles!" snarled Yami.
"There is still one issue that is most noteworthy!" called a senator by the name of Arthur Hawkins. "Yugi, what about those visions you said you have? Where you visit the prince and Dueled him. Didn't he say that Bakura had some influence on him?"
"A dream?" Antilles said to the councilors. "A dream to be used as evidence? How am I to prove my case in safeguarding the prince with a corroboration such as this?"
"I agree," said Councilor Lockwood. "My apologies, Senator Hawkins, but this testimony is of no good here. The judgment of this council is based on facts and evidence. Not horrible nightmares and the speculations of a paranoid individual."
"Do you have anything else to add to this case, Yugi-boy?" Pegasus asked, before taking a sip of wine.
Yami hung his head. "You've made your decision. I will say no more on the matter. Let the Senate decide what to do with the boy."
"So be it," said Councilor Chricton. "In accordance with the bylaws of the Termnnian Kingdoms, a vote is required. All in favor of the Three Points Plan please say Aye."
"Aye!"
"Aye!"
"Aye!"
"Aye!"
Hundreds of Ayes followed.
"All those opposed?" asked Pegasus.
"Nay!" said Senator Hawkins,
"Nay!" shouted a Teegrai, senator.
Hardly any came out.
"The Ayes have it," said Councilor Chricton. "The Senate has found no evidence of any connection with Bakura and the assassins looking to jump for the Gates. Lord Yugi, your petition to have Prince Daveed returned to Termnnia is denied."
Antilles scooped up his scrolls and looked at Yami one last time. "I am glad to see justice was served. If anything, you're the one doing the most harm to the boy, Master Yu-Gi-Oh."
"This meeting is adjourned," said Pegasus.
Yami said nothing and watched as Antilles walked away.