Yuri

"Ow," Yuri groaned softly when Patty inadvertently elbowed him on the ribs as they lay in bed together.

She tossed and turned again for the umpteenth time. Yuri had grown tired of it. Still, Patty looked rather cute in her little top designed to look like a teal and white sports jersey and she wore no pants. She caressed her pillow and cooed softly. Yuri chuckled and got out of bed with the greatest of care so as not to wake his sleeping beauty. He put on some jeans and a t-shirt then snuck downstairs to see what he got in the pile of presents.

Once he climbed down the steps and reached the foyer, he surveyed the damage. Tyson was asleep on the couch by the fountain holding a statue of a naked goddess in his arms with a party hat over her head. He had a perverse grin hilariously formed on his face with a trail of drool oozing down his chin. The floor was littered with plastic cups, confetti, napkins, and even a few cards someone might have lost.

"Mine now," Yuri said, picking them up. "Cool," he said when he found an ultra-rare Malevolent Nuzzler card. As he approached the pile aiming to get the biggest presents first, he stopped once he heard a peculiar sound. Ringing.

There was a sort of ringing coming from the table, which was buried underneath the presents. To make things even stranger, he felt his musical pendant vibrating. "What in the world?" he muttered. He saw a black velvet box. It was small, but it sure stood out from the others for some reason. He picked up the box, undid the ribbon, and opened it.

There was a pendant inside. The chain was made of platinum that flashed like a thousand stars when the light touched it. Attached to the chain was what looked like a cross with beautifully curved engravings and seven colorful gems going down the base. A ruby, amethyst, sapphire, opal, a diamond, topaz, and a lapis lazuli. They were tiny and were carved with hundreds of facets.

"Wow!" said Yuri, as three cards fell out. Giant Rex. Two Gilasaurus and a fusion monster called Horned Saurus. "Neat," he whispered. He took off his musical necklace and put on the new one. When he did, something strange happened.

Yuri felt as if his soul was sucked right out of his body and he zoomed over the ocean and into the sky. Next, he zoomed through a portal and soared over vast fields, mountains that could touch the sky, and cities with strange, but beautiful-looking castles.

Then, he saw intense and bloody battles taking place all around him. The sky was blood red and he saw the silhouettes of three, mighty titans smashing the earth with their power. Standing atop a mountain was a tall figure clad in platinum armor and a cape of shimmering white cloth flowing behind him.

Another flash and he was back in the entrance of the compound. "What the hell!" Yuri shouted, struggling to take the pendant off. He tried tugging it off. Nothing. It would not budge. Was he just dreaming things or was the pendant actually struggling to stay around his neck? "Get off! Get off!" he shouted. It wouldn't.

"Morning, baby," Patty chimed as she walked down the stairs, not caring at all that she was pantsless. "Enjoying your presents? Get anything good?"

Yuri tried his best to stay calm. But the flash through the fantasy world and the pendant - somehow having a will of its own - were filling him with fright. "Uh...yeah," he croaked. "I've got some pretty interesting things here." He tugged the necklace. "Really...really interesting things."

"You okay, Yuri?" Patty asked. She laughed softly. "You look a little perturbed."

"Uh...I suppose so," Yuri answered, forcing himself to stop tugging at the pendant. "The party was a little rough last night. And you know me." He tugged again. "I'm not a party type of person. I tried telling Crystal that, but naturally, she's not listening."

"Hey, that's a beautiful necklace, Yuri," Patty said. She bent forward unnecessarily so she could examine it and get Yuri to flush being so close to her. "Who gave you that?"

"Daveed!" a powerful voice rang out inside his mind. Yuri jumped and let out a yelp when he heard it. "Wh-wh-what was that?"

"What was what?" Patty asked. "What's going on, Yuri? You didn't have anything to drink last night, did you?"

"I'm hearing voices," Yuri gasped. "Something's wrong. Something is terribly wrong."

Patty chuckled. "You probably didn't get any sleep last night." She took his hand and kissed it. "Come on. Let's go upstairs and take a bath in some really hot water. I can...wash your stresses away...yeah."

"Tell her no!" the voice said again.

Yuri screamed.

"What's gotten into you?" Patty snapped. Now she was getting annoyed. "Am I that bad?"

"Abandon the girl and listen to me, boy! Playtime is over."

Crystal came sauntering down the steps. She heard Yuri's screaming from her room on the third floor and came down to investigate what was riling him up. From the looks of Patty standing there, she supposed that the two of them were having an argument. "What's going on down there?" she asked. "Why is Yuri screaming?"

Patty looked up at her. "You got me," she said. "Yuri, baby, what's going on? Are you okay?"

"Do you not hear his voice?" Yuri shouted. "Don't you hear it?"

"Hear what?" Crystal demanded. "Yuri, calm down you're freaking me out."

"Where is it coming from?" Yuri sobbed.

"Over here," the voice said from the back of Yuri's brain.

That was the last straw. Yuri let out an ear-piercing howl and ran down the halls of the compound, yelling like a madman. "HELP!" he shouted. "This pendant is cursed! I'm being haunted!"

Yuri ran and ran until he was sprinting through the backyard jungle of the compound. He dashed through palms, pushed vines out of his way, and almost sprinted right over the cliff into the ocean. He felt his body grow stiff and was lifted up into the air.

"Enough!" the voice shouted. "You're making a fool of yourself!"

"Easy for you to say," Yuri wailed, trying to move his stiffened limbs. "You're not the one being haunted. What are you? What do you want from me?"

"I am not here to haunt you," said the voice. "I am here to help you."

"And yet you have control of my body," said Yuri. Upon saying that, he felt the force holding him up let him go. He fell to the ground on his butt. "Ow!" he yelled, rubbing his backside. He looked at a waterfall next to him. The water was so smooth, so clear - one could use its surface as a mirror. He looked at his reflection but he did not see himself. He saw...a knight! A knight in armor made of platinum. His face was concealed behind a helm crafted to look like a dragon's head. Yuri tapped his fingers on his face. The knight was doing the same actions he was. "What the hell are you?"

"Ever since the beginning of the year," said the knight. "You've been having dreams. Dreams of intense duels with a boy. A boy with spiked hair and a golden puzzle around his neck."

"Oh no," said Yuri. "Not this 'King' business again. I know what this is. I'm seeing things. It seems like every time I attend a party, you and these other figments of my imagination come to me and fill my head with crap. For all I know, you're some champagne that didn't go down right. A glob of hot dog in my guts. There's more of gravy than of grave about you. You're just a figment of my imagination."

"Figment!" shouted the knight in his reflection. He reached for Yuri. Yuri felt like someone grabbed him by the neck and held him up. He coughed and kicked his legs back and forth violently. "Can a figment of your imagination do this?" the knight growled. "Listen to me, boy! I am not like those kind-hearted fools who came before me. I am not here to speak to you through dreams or Duels. This is a matter of grave importance. You have now reached your eighteenth year, meaning that your life will now undergo a few changes. Changes you will not enjoy."

"Yeah, well no one said puberty was a good thing," Yuri croaked

"What!" the knight shouted. "Spare me the jests boy and listen well! I am no ghost and I am not here to haunt you! Do you heed my words!"

"I'm heeding! I'm heeding!" Yuri cried, wriggling like a worm on a hook.

"Good!" said the knight. "Am I correct in assuming that there is a tournament to be had here in the summer of next year."

Yuri clasped his neck, trying to find some way to free himself from the knight's grasp. "If you're talking about the Millennium Tournament, then yes, yes it is."

"Just like Battle City?" the knight asked. "So it's happening again. I knew that arrogant fool, Seto Kaiba, couldn't resist adding his brand to these games."

"Seto who?" Yuri gasped. "Why does that sound familiar?"

"That is of no concern of yours just yet," said the knight. "I swore an oath to the Pharaoh to keep you under my watch, and I shall. There is a great evil entering this tournament, boy. Something is coming for you. Something you cannot comprehend."

"Perhaps I would if you stopped speaking in riddles," said Yuri. "If you want to tell me something, just tell me."

"I will in due time, but you must prove it to me when you play in the upcoming games. Prove to me that you are worthy of the knowledge you seek, and I shall tell you all there is to know about who you're up against and what is needed of you." He let go of Yuri.

"Ow!" Yuri cried out when he landed on his butt again. "Hang on, hang on. That doesn't make any sense to me. You said you're here to protect me. Don't you think sharing vital information with me is key to my survival?"

"I am the only key to your survival, boy. I am your shield and sword against the powers of the Shadow Realm. I was tasked to protect you, but I never said I would tell you everything such as who I am or who you are destined to be. To have access to such knowledge, I need to see your Dueling skills. A little quid pro quo if you will."

"So you're saying all I have to do is Duel and then you'll tell me everything? Everything I need to know about all this crap that's been happening? My dreams? These Rare Hunters who are after me? This Black Tyranno card that everyone wants, even if it means killing me and my friends? And all this stuff about being some king? Will you?"

"Perhaps," said the knight. "That all depends on how I see you Duel and who you choose to Duel. I require you to be pushed to your limits, as do those who have sent me to guide you on the road to your destiny."

"Whatever," said Yuri. "I can handle myself. I'm on a winning streak."

"Is that so?" said the knight. "Impressive. Let's see how long that lasts."

He vanished as if he knew Patty and Crystal were already coming. Yuri saw his own reflection on the water. "Yuri!" Patty cried, running towards him with Crystal trailing far behind her. "Yuri!" she called out again. "Yuri, what the hell is going on? Why did you act that way? Come on, baby, tell me what's wrong. You're scaring me."

"Oh...uh..." Yuri said, looking at his reflection. "Nothing. Nothing's wrong. I just had a bad dream is all, and I was freaking out. I'm better now, really. I just needed some fresh air."

"If you say so," said Crystal, crossing her arms in irritation. "But you've been acting really weird lately Yuri. Look, with all the parties and stuff out of the way, I think it's time we spoke a little about your Dueling."

"What's wrong with it?" Yuri asked. "I've been kicking ass."

"Sure you have," Crystal agreed. "But remember, no one is using starter monsters from Metal Raiders or Spell Ruler anymore. A lot of new cards have come out recently, and word on the street is more sets came out today; all of them loaded with monsters that make your Black Tyranno look like a scrawny lizard by comparison. You have to spruce your deck up a bit with a sponsor."

"A sponsor?" said Patty. "I thought this was just a tournament for beginners, not the pro leagues."

"Yeah, but in order for Yuri to get the cards he needs, he requires money. And Jacob Montgomery doesn't let any Duelist slide. Not even his own kids. If he did give Yuri money, he wouldn't have to be working with Sergei at the shop, would he?"

"I guess not," said Patty. "But then again, if Yuri didn't have any money, then how did he buy that new car?"

"Oh...well..." Yuri tried to come up with an excuse. "My dad got it for me."

"You sure about that?" Crystal asked. She could see he was lying. "Jacob isn't one to encourage freeloaders. He forces you and your siblings to work hard for the things you want. It's so unlike him to just give you that expensive car for the sake of giving it to you."

"I got good grades," said Yuri.

"Ha!" laughed Patty. "Bull to the shit. You didn't score any higher than a C on your tests last month. So what the hell are you talking about good grades?"

Yuri started getting furious. "Whatever! He got it for me. End of story!" He could not tell them of the fortune in his account. If anyone got wind of that, he'd be in big trouble, and at that moment he decided not to go too crazy on the cards or material goods. Just buying the car got him into trouble, and it cost him more than what Sergei paid him in two years.

"I have no choice but to believe you," said Patty. "You know if anything's up you can tell us right? We're your friends. And you can tell me especially. I love you. All these secrets and your abnormal behavior are making me worry about you, honey. Are you sure everything is on the up and up? Are you all right?"

Yuri walked towards her and kissed her long and hard on the lips and then he smacked her butt for good measure and with the wan hope that her amorous behavior would keep her from asking so many questions. It worked. "Oh," Patty said when her lips were freed from his. "I guess you are."

"Woo, Yuri," Crystal said, fanning herself. "I didn't know you had that in you. I'm impressed."

"Uh, yeah, my bad," Yuri said, rubbing the back of his head awkwardly.

"No complaints from me," Patty swooned, pressing herself against Yuri and wrapping her arms around his neck. She kissed him repeatedly grunting and moaning in pleasure.

"So..." Yuri said as Patty smooched his chin and neck. "Who's this sponsor you're looking for, Crystal? I have to admit those new cards you're talking about are making me quite nervous."

Crystal suppressed her laughter with a giggle. "Well, once you two lovebirds have cooled down, meet me at the Center Station in two hours. I'll take you to him. And Patty, go easy on him. I don't think he knows what he's gotten himself into."

"Neither have I," the knight mumbled in spirit form next to Yuri.

"So, any signs of those Rare Hunters?" Tyson asked as they approached the estate of the wealthy Martinez family. Their son, Marco, asked Yuri and his friends to pay him a visit and talk about sponsorship for the tournament. The boy was the son of a billionaire who was also one of the investors of Phobos Corp. They had to travel deep into the center of Sapphire Island, home to the most powerful and richest families on Aquarius. This island has as much security as the Center where Yuri lived - if not more. RAPTOR Black Hawks prowled the airspace like a large flock of birds, and special operations craft patrolled the waters around it diligently as Yuri and the others rode the magnet train towards the island.

"None so far," Patty replied, sharing a box of very salty fries with Yuri. "Still, I'm really worried. What if they're watching us right now?"

"You shouldn't fear them, babe," Crystal said, sitting in front of her and Yuri. "With RAPTOR on patrol, I don't think those goons will try anything soon. Besides, this is Sapphire Island. They got this place secured tighter than Fort Knox. The most powerful men in the world. Wealthy heirs, safe deposit boxes bloated with cash and other goods. There's more money in here than in Jacob Montgomery's wallet. We'll be safe."

The train stopped at the station. When they walked out, they each felt like they walked into an oven. "Don't worry," said Crystal. "Marco's house isn't that far."

"I sure hope so," said Yuri. "But I don't know why Marco wants to sponsor me so badly. Crystal, you know him better than any of us here. Do you know why he called us all out here for?"

"I haven't the slightest idea, Yuri," Patty replied with a shrug. "All he told me was that he wanted to hang out with you. I guess your reputation precedes you. Marco may be young, but getting to know him is not easy. He's strictly A-list."

"And being the son of the island's founder and creator of Duel Monsters doesn't do that already?" Natalya asked, fanning herself to cool her face from the humidity.

They were walking under the shade of palm trees which had sprinklers neatly hidden to spray passers-by with a refreshing mist. Natalya stopped where she was and let the cold droplets sprinkle her face with a refreshing briskness. Crystal found one near the base of a larger palm tree, and she and Crystal ran underneath it to shower themselves. They laughed and hollered. Tyson ran in, grabbing them both, and he held them up like dolls until they were directly underneath the sprinkler. Once they cooled off they followed a white pebble path into a forest of decorative trees with ruby red leaves.

"Wow, this is beautiful," Patty whispered. "And it's not so hot in here. It's like we've stepped into the autumn season or something."

"Glad to see you guys finally made it," said one of two girls who came out from behind a tree. They were twins with chestnut-colored hair that went down to their backs. They both wore black knitted crop tops, pleated skirts, velvet arm warmers, and black boots with leg-length socks. To tell them apart, their color schemes were different. The girl on the right had a black skirt and red socks. Her sister, however, wore a red skirt and black socks.

"Hello," said Yuri. "Where you expecting us or something?"

"I sure as hell hope so," said Tyson. "Damn, you two girls look fine."

"We were," said the girl with the red skirt. "My name is Autumn and this is my sister, Trinity."

"Hello," Trinity said, bowing. "I must say, I've been looking forward to this since you beat Randall Lawson, Mr. Yuri."

"I take it you two ladies want to Duel?" Patty said, placing her hands on her hips. "Why?"

Trinity smirked. "You must be the girl with the Diabolos Dragon. I'll Duel you next when I find the time. Anyways, we seek Yuri for two reasons. One is a surprise and the other is quite obvious. The two of us are here to claim the bounty on you."

"You serious?" Yuri said, backing away nervously. "I should have known." He sighed. "To be honest I'm a little disappointed. You two have far too much class to be running around claiming bounties set up by a low-life sore loser like Randall."

Autumn laughed. "Perhaps, Yuri. But you can never say no to a million dollars. Do you need a spare Duel Disk, sir? We've got one if you need one."

"I do, actually," said Yuri. "Toss it over here."

Trinity ran back to her hiding spot and picked up a canvas bag. She handed it to Yuri and bowed politely before returning to her sister. Yuri unzipped the bag and pulled out a jet-black Duel Disk with A and T in written in curvy letters behind a coat-of-arms, which appeared to be the emblem of their family.

"Wait a minute," said Yuri. "There's only one. Don't I need a partner?"

"No," said Autumn, shifting her leg to the left and placing her hand on her hip. "If you're as good as you say you are, then you'll Duel as both. Alone."

"What!" Carter cried out. "That's not fair!"

"What's not fair is Yuri having such an all-powerful beast like that Black Tyranno in his deck," said Trinity with a beautiful smile. "From what I hear Yuri talks a big game. Now it's time for him to prove it against us. The Lancaster Twins."

Carter squealed with joy and jumped up and down waving his hands in the air in a very feminine manner. "Omigod! Omigod! Omigod! I knew it! I just knew it! You're them! You're them! You're them! Your names sounded familiar but I had to wait to see if it was truly you. You two are the United States Tag Team Champions! This is such an honor."

"You know them, Carter?" Natalya asked.

"That I do. These two ladies some of the best players around. I'm a big fan. My boyfriend and I love your designs from the autumn fashion collection."

"I'm glad to hear that," Autumn said, taking an elegant bow for her adoring fan. "We'll make sure to put on a show for you, my friend." That caused Carter to squeal. "Okay, Yuri. You ready to Duel?"

Yuri nodded and strapped the Duel Disk to his forearm. "Yeah, I am. Let's do this."

"Okay, here's how it's gonna work," said Trinity. "First, my sister Autumn will start. Then it will go to you and finally back to me. Neither player attacks until their first turn is complete. Is that fair?"

"Yes," Yuri replied with a nod. "Good luck."

"Thank you, now ladies first," Autumn said drawing. She smiled confidently and looked at her sister who nodded. "I Summon Queen's Double in Attack Mode!"

She gently placed the card on her Duel Disk. It flashed and whirred before it finally rendered the beautiful, red-haired woman wearing a bluish-purple robe with lavender trim that was so short it barely covered her thighs. She had on long periwinkle boots and wore a blue headdress with three crystals dangling from either side of it.

ATK/350 DEF/300

LV 1

"That ends my turn," Autumn said. "Your move, Yuri."

Tyson chortled at the sight of the monster's attack points. "Mm-mmm. She's a fine-looking monster. But those attack points are at the bottom of the charts. There's no way she can win if she plays monsters like that."

Patty scoffed. "Now you're starting to sound like Nick. These girls aren't Tag Team Champions for nothing. I'm sure Autumn played a monster that weak for a reason. I sure hope Yuri doesn't underestimate them the way you have, Tyson. Otherwise, he's in major trouble."

"I draw," said Yuri. "I set a card face-down and summon Tomozaurus in Attack Mode!" He summoned a fifteen-foot-tall carnivorous dinosaur with dark brown scales who stood upright and dragged its tail on the ground. It had burning yellow eyes and smelled of a swamp on a hot summer day.

ATK/500 DEF/400

LV 2

"My turn," said Trinity. "I place a monster face-down in defense position and place two cards face-down. Your move, Autumn."

"Oh, indeed," she agreed. "I set this card face-down and attack your Life Point directly with my Queen's Double! Attack!" Queen's Double conjured six very sharp crystals which she used as daggers to throw at Yuri's chest.

Yuri - 3650 LP

"Ow!" Yuri cried. He wasn't really hurt but the hologram was so real he almost felt a sting irritating his heart. "Hold on a minute. How can you attack my Life Points directly if I have a monster out on the field."

Autumn chuckled and tossed some hair over her shoulder. "My Queen's Double was able to bypass your monster with her Special Ability. As you can see, her attack points are much too weak to take on any monster head on. So, she comes equipped with the skill to sneak by your monsters and take a shot at your Life Points instead."

"I see," Yuri said, drawing. "Good move, but not good enough. I'll still take her down." He looked at his card and smiled. "You wanted my Black Tyranno? Well, here he is. Go!" He finally summoned his ace monster. Tyson and Carter clapped and whooped as they jumped up and down. One strike from him and it was all over for Autumn. But their celebration was short-lived. Black Tyranno stepped on something metallic. A green light on the side of the machine flashed and it started to whirr and beep.

"You fell right into my trap, Yuri," Trinity said, activating her card. "Compulsory Evacuation Device. This card lets me target one monster you have on the field and it sends it right back to your hand!"

"No way!" Patty shouted.

"He's gone!" cried Crystal. "Just like that!"

Black Tyranno was launched sky high. "Oh no!" shouted Yuri. "Black Tyranno!"

Autumn gave her sister a high-five. "Nice! I knew you had my back, sis."

"No problem, Autumn. I knew he was going to play his Black Tyranno as soon as he drew it. There's no way he could resist trying to take you out with it."

"Yeah, yeah, yeah," said Yuri. "But you didn't destroy him. You only sent him back to my hand. You're only prolonging the inevitable. I still have my beast in my hand. I'll summon him again next turn and take you two out. In the meantime, I'll rid the field of your Queen's Double. Tomozaurus, attack!"

Autumn laughed. "Are you are so blinded by your overconfidence that you failed to remember my face-down card? Reinforcements! This trap will increase the attack of my Queen's Double by five hundred points, making her stronger than your smelly dinosaur. Queen's Double! Counter Attack!"

Queen's Double jumped out of the way of the charging dinosaur. She held out her hand and conjured a golden rapier. She grabbed the weapon and dove down onto the top of Tomozaurus' neck. She held up the rapier and jabbed it into the back of the dinosaur's head. It moaned in agony and shattered into a thousand pieces. Yuri was left stunned. How could he be so careless as to let this happen? Without a word, he placed a card face-down and ended his turn.

Yuri - 3300 LP

"Yuri what are you doing?" shouted Carter. "That isn't like you!"

"I warned him plenty of times," said Crystal. "Overconfidence can lead to your downfall. I had hoped that playing Duel Monsters would have helped boost Yuri's confidence but I never thought it would grow to be this inflated."

Yuri hated to admit it, but Crystal was right. He was careless. Now he was paying for it. "I place two cards face-down and end my turn."

"My turn," said Trinity. "Draw! I flip over my face-down monster. Reveal, Princess of Tsurugi!"

Her monster jumped out of the card. She looked like an exact replica of Queen's Double, only she was blonde and her robes were bright pink and rose red, and the headdress was teal in color. The Princess had a nasty ability of her own. She dealt 500 points of damage for each Spell or Trap card Yuri had on the field. He had two, so he would lose 1000 of his Life Points. She jumped into the air and performed a dramatic flip before she showered Yuri with crystals that damaged his Life Points, shaving the score down to 2300. Princess of Tsurugi and Queen's Double looked at each other. They bowed.

ATK/900 DEF/700

LV 3

"Wow, they're like twins or something," said Natalya. "Just like Trinity and Autumn."

"Aight, I like where this is goin'," Tyson said bobbing his head up and down. "Man, I love it when Duelists summon pretty little thang-thangs like these two monsters. Hah! It's almost a crime to call them monsters. Those two are hot."

"Chill the hell out, you creeper," Patty groaned in repugnance. "They're just holograms."

"Oh, I'm not through with you yet, Yuri," Trinity chuckled. "You boasted about finishing us off with Black Tyranno on your next turn. Well, sorry, but there isn't going to be a next turn for your beast. I activate the Spell Card, Confiscation. With this card, I can pay one-thousand of my Life Points to see your hand. Then I can select one card and discard it. And you know who I'm looking for."

Yuri balled his fist and growled. "Fine!" he yelled. He sent his Black Tyranno to the Graveyard.

"Did what I see happen...happen?" Natalya said. "They destroyed Yuri's Black Tyranno without him even summoning it to the field."

"I told you they were good," said Carter. "These two girls are some of the toughest Duelists around. I think Yuri bit off more than he can chew in this Duel."

Autumn - 4000 LP

Trinity - 3000 LP

Yuri-2300 LP

"Your go, Autumn," said Trinity.

"I draw!" her sister said. "I play Polymerization, fusing together my Hibikime and a Queen's Double from my hand to form the lovely, Empress Judge!"

The Empress appeared on the field from a vortex of warm light. She stood nine-feet-tall, was tan-skinned and had flowing ruby red hair decorated with gold ornaments. She was wearing a beautiful scarlet dress that exposed her shoulders and was armored with solid gold trim. She carried a golden staff as a weapon.

ATK/2200 DEF/1700

Autumn flung hair over her shoulder with her fingertips and chuckled confidently. "Lucky for you, the new rules state that Fusion Monsters have to wait one turn before attacking. But that doesn't mean Queen's Double can't take a chip out of your Life Points!"

Queen's Double jumped and threw her crystal daggers at Yuri's chest, dealing 350 more points of damage to his Life Points and bringing them down to 1950.

"Uh oh," laughed Trinity. "Your Life Points don't look so good. You better come up with something fast or this Duel isn't going to last very long."

"There's nothing he can do, sis," said Autumn. "His best monster is in the Graveyard. That million-dollar bounty is as good as ours."

"That's what you think," said Yuri. "Draw!" He examined his hand. It was completely useless to him. Thankfully, he drew just what he needed to clean that mess up. "I play Card Destruction. Now we toss our hands to the Graveyard and draw a whole new hand." He folded up his hand and drew. "Next, I play Pot of Greed, which lets me draw two new cards. "Okay. Now, I set a card face-down and summon Anthrosaurus in Defense Mode!"

ATK/1000 DEF/850

"Running scared are we?" Trinity said, drawing her card. "I will also play Polymerization. Fusing together my Sonic Maid and Beautiful Headhuntress to form, Warrior of Tradition!"

A tall woman walked out of a curtain of cherry blossom petals that fluttered in the breeze. She wore a dark pinkish-orange kimono that fused into yellow at the hems of her sleeve and the bottom towards her feet. Her hair, tied into a traditional ponytail with yellow silk ribbons, was colored teal and she carried a cleaver-shaped katana that was taller than she was.

ATK/1900 DEF/1700

"But I'm not done there," she laughed. "For I summon the beautiful, the amazing...The delicious," she licked her lips. "Allure Queen Level 3!"

A pillar of flame burst out of the ground. From it, a young and very beautiful woman stepped out, blowing a kiss to Yuri before doing a dramatic spin. Her hair was dull blonde and tied into a small bun. She wore ornate red robes and a black skirt. Queen's Double and Princess of Tsurugi bowed for her respectfully.

Allure Queen LV 3

ATK/500 DEF/500

Carter scratched his head. "That's their ace card? Its attack strength is almost nothing. Anthrosaurus is one of the weakest monsters in Yuri's deck and even he can clobber that queen."

"Allure indeed," Tyson said with a creepy voice. "Hot damn I love the cards in their decks. "But Carter, seeing how those two play, I don't think it's wise to judge their move like that. They wouldn't have summoned that fine-ass queen for nothing."

"No, indeed," chuckled Trinity. "Watch what my rarest and most prized card can do. Okay, my Queen, do your stuff!"

At once, Allure Queen leaned forward on one leg tantalizingly while placing her hand over her upper right buttock. Her eyes started to glow like molten gold, and she wagged her finger lovingly as if beckoning Yuri to come to her. Only, it wasn't Yuri. Anthrosaurus got up from defense position and slowly walked towards the Allure Queen as though it were in a trance.

"Uh, is it just me or does that dinosaur have the hots for Trinity's Allure Queen?" Carter said nervously. "What's going on here?"

Autumn laughed once Anthrosaurus bowed and stood behind the Queen. "Really? As if the name itself doesn't ring any bells? She's the Allure Queen. This beauty can use her good looks to lure in stupid monsters. Once under her spell, they become so madly in love with her that they will even disobey their masters just to be by her side."

"Aw, man," drooled Tyson. "Can she take me, too?"

"It's my turn," said Autumn. "Now, Queen's Double, attack his Life Points directly!"

Yuri yelped when Queen's Double threw her knives at his chest. He fell to his knees and his Life Points decreased to 1600.

"There's no way you can stop us, Yuri," said Autumn. She looked at her sister. "Where do you think we should go on a holiday trip?"

"I dunno," Trinity replied while rubbing her chin. "Dubai, maybe. The Keys with our boyfriends. Maybe the Maldives."

"Don't go planning your vacation just yet," Yuri said, getting back up. "I still have plenty of Life Points left." He drew. "He may not be Black Tyranno, but he can still pack a punch. I summon Black Dragon Jungle King!"

Black Dragon Jungle King appeared on the field, snarling ferociously with drool oozing down his mandibles. His 2100 ATK points were enough to make both sisters worry. Meanwhile, Yuri's friends cheered for the summoning of the beast, who was by far Yuri's second most beloved monster behind Black Tyranno. Before that beast came around, everyone knew that Black Dragon Jungle King was a monster Yuri heavily relied on to get him out of a tight spot.

"Next," Yuri continued, "I use the spell Double Summon. This card allows me a second Normal Summon this turn, so I call upon the mighty Giga Gagagigo with an attack strength of twenty-four-fifty! Now I'll use the spell Double Attack. Here's how it works. I discard a monster whose level is higher than that of my Giga Gagagigo's. And I choose to discard Gogiga Gagagigo to the grave to give my Giga the ability to attack twice. Now, my beast, attack her Queen!"

"You going to attack our Allure Queen?" teased Trinity. "Please, you're only going to be wasting your time. Allure Queen..."

"Who said I was going after your Allure Queen?" laughed Yuri. "Giga Gagagigo is going to attack your Queen's Double."

Autumn gasped. There was nothing she could do for her monster. She could only watch as Giga Gagagigo slashed Queen's Double to ribbons. Queen's Double screamed in agony and shattered.

"My Queen's Double!" Autumn cried.

"And next, he will attack Princess of Tsurugi!"

"Oh no!" cried Trinity. She counted one mighty slash after which, Giga Gagagigo returned to Yuri's field. Princess of Tsurugi was suddenly assaulted by multiple slash attacks as though Giga Gagagigo was faster than his own strikes. Both girls lost a significant amount of Life Points.

Autumn- 1900 LP

Trinity - 1450 LP

Yuri-1600

He attacked next with Black Dragon Jungle King, this time taking out Warrior of Tradition and reducing Trinity's Life Points down to 1700.

Tyson leaped with excitement. "YES! This outta even the odds."

"Nice moves, Yuri," Patty said, clapping her hands. "You almost got 'em, baby."

"Come on, Yuri," Natalya muttered. She noticed both Trinity and Autumn smiling despite having suffered considerable damage from Giga Gagagigo's double attack. Something didn't feel right.

"It's my turn," Trinity said. "And now, my Allure Queen evolves from Level Three to Level Five." Allure Queen's hair grew longer and her clothes got even shorter.

Allure Queen LV 5

ATK/1000 DEF/1000

Just like before, Allure Queen could take control of one of Yuri's monsters. This time a Level 5 or lower monster. And Trinity chose Giga Gagagigo to be enticed by her Queen's beauty. Yuri grimaced at the sight of one of his best monsters going under her Queen's spell. He was reduced to nothing more than an equip spell to protect her from danger. Yuri checked the card's effect on his phone. If he attacked, the monster seduced by their Queen would be destroyed instead. And there was still one final form left. One who was more alluring and even more dangerous. Trinity ended her turn with a horrid laugh.

You seem to be in a rather precarious position. Ser Norman came out of hiding and stood beside Yuri. Yuri checked to make sure if anyone else saw the giant man clad in platinum armor standing beside him. Don't bother asking them. No one can see me but you, boy.

"Look, I have a lot on my plate right about now," said Yuri. "The last thing I need is you standing over me and belittling me."

Belittle you? You have done that yourself. You put too much confidence in a single card that you would turn a blind eye to all the other cards in your deck. It doesn't work like that, Yuri.

"What doesn't work? A deck is a deck. Once it's stacked up, there's no going against it. You saying I can perform a miracle or something?"

If you put faith in all your cards, miracles can happen. Every card has a heart, Yuri. And their hearts are bound to yours. Give ALL your cards your trust and they will aid you no matter what situation you're in.

"The Heart of the Cards..." Yuri muttered. "That's what Yami and Yugi keep telling me." Yuri looked at his deck. "Are you sure I can just bend my deck to my will? And draw what I need when I need it?"

All you have to do is believe...

"Yuri who the hell are you talking to?" Patty asked.

"Uh...nothing. Just an inner monologue."

"Oh, you have those, too?" asked Carter. "I thought you were just really slow or something."

"He probably is," Autumn said drawing her card. "I use the Equip Spell, Invigoration. This will increase my Empress Judge's attack by four-hundred points, making her strong enough to take out your Black Dragon Jungle King. Attack!"

Empress Judge held up her staff and conjured a ball of light that hung over the battlefield. She spun her staff dramatically and aimed it at the ball. She fired a gold-colored laser at the ball of light which then caused it to implode and shower the field with a rain of sparks. Black Dragon Jungle King was destroyed and Yuri lost 500 of his Life Points. He was now at 1100 Life Points.

It was now his turn. He took a deep breath and looked at his three face-down cards. Now was the time to use them. He activated the first, which was Jar of Greed. The trap allowed him to draw one card. He smiled at what he drew, but he knew he had a long way to go to make his plan work. Perhaps the ghostly knight wasn't as crazy as he thought he was. He activated Call of the Haunted, which brought back the 2950 attack point, Gogiga Gagagigo from his Graveyard. With one powerful swipe, he destroyed Empress Judge and reduced Autumn to 1550 LP.

At once, Trinity began her turn and evolved Allure Queen to her final form. Allure Queen LV 7.

Her hair went down to her back and her robes were much more extravagant and revealing. She took control of Yuri's Gogiga Gagagigo. It was then that Yuri realized that they would keep doing this to him again and again and again. He had no more powerful monsters left and who knew how many more Trinity and Autumn had in theirs. If his plan didn't succeed, he would lose the Duel, his winning streak, and what's more, all that boasting would be shoved down his throat.

Autumn recovered her 1000 of her Life Points with the spell, Dian Keto the Cure Master and ended her turn.

It's all down to this. Yuri, do you have faith that your deck will lead you to victory?

"I...I..." He felt his cards slipping away. "Oh no, my deck is doubting me, too!"

Concentrate. Put all your faith in your deck. There are more than just the youths standing behind you who want you to succeed, Yuri. Do you believe your deck will lead you to victory? Have you placed all your trust into it?

"Yugi..." Yuri whispered. He drew. "I activate Monster Reborn to bring back Black Tyranno!" Yuri shouted. He held the Spell Card up high for his two opponents to see. It started glowing gold and then summoned the prehistoric beast back to the field.

"We took him down once, we can do it again!" boasted Autumn.

"Not this time you won't," said Yuri. "I attack your Allure Queen!"

Black Tyranno stomped forward and instead attacked Gogiga Gagagigo per Allure Queen's effect.

"I told you attacking our Queen would be a waste of time," laughed Trinity. "And on my turn, I'll use Allure Queen to seduce your Black Tyranno to our side. You'll be all out of monsters to use, Yuri. The game is finished no matter what you do."

"Yes, I agree," Yuri chuckled. "I now use the Quick-Play Spell, Revenge Attack!"

"Oh no, Trinity!" cried Autumn. "That card can allow Black Tyranno to attack again!"

"What?!"

"Because your Allure Queen was targeted and not destroyed by battle, Revenge Attack will give Black Tyranno another chance at destroying her."

"And it gets worse," Yuri added. "Revenge Attack will increase Black Tyranno's attack by one thousand, raising his attack points up to thirty-six-hundred attack points?'

Black Tyranno reared up his head and roared at the sky as he felt his power increase. He smashed Allure Queen to the ground with his foot and reduced Trinity's Life Points to 0. Trinity screeched and fell backward.

"Oh no, sis!" Autumn shouted. She looked at Black Tyranno, who was thirsty for another attack. Autumn shook her head and placed her hand over her deck. "The Duel is yours, Yuri."

"Huh?"

"I surrender, Yuri. You win. If my sister goes down, I go with her. She and I fight as a team. And besides, I have nothing else in my deck that can contend with that Black Tyranno. Especially not with a power bonus that great."

The holograms disappeared. A graceful breeze blew through the ruby trees and cooled them all down. "Uh, thanks," said Yuri. "Play you again, one day?"

"Hey, I look forward to that," Trinity said getting back up. "But you won't be so lucky next time. See you around, Yuri. Thanks for taking the time to play with us. Good luck to you."

Trinity and Autumn bowed, then disappeared into the forest.

They finally made it to the estate where they had to get their ID's checked at a checkpoint run by the family's private security detail. They looked like soldiers dressed in Kryptek Typhon uniforms and gray tactical gear. Their main weapon of choice was the GALIL ACE, a personal favorite of Mr. Martinez. However, this estate didn't belong to him. It was his son's personal property. In fact, the island was enlarged for the sake of accommodating Marco's own land. Once they got through the gate, Marco was there to greet them and so was...

"SAM!" Patty cried out.

"Hey, Patty, baby, it's about time you made it," he said looking at Marco. "What did I tell you, Marco? Isn't she the hottest?"

"Yeah, she is," Marco agreed, lifting his sunglasses to get a better look at Patty, Crystal, and Natalya. "Yuri, I see you keep some very nice company. Welcome, welcome."

"Whatever for?" Yuri asked. "Don't get me wrong, Marco, I'm flattered you invited me down here and all, but it feels so random. You and your family never had any dealings with me before."

Marco chuckled bashfully, realizing that he never did have reason to invite Yuri before. "Well, you're now making headlines. You're the favorite to win the tournament next month and the big one in the summer. Well, in the eyes of some, anyway. My dad and many others have their money on me. After all, I won the Citrus Cup three years in a row."

"These games are going to be nothing like the Citrus Cup," Crystal assured him. "And with all those new cards coming out next week, don't expect the competition to be any easier."

Marco laughed, as did Sam who had high confidence in his friend. "I already know," Marco replied. "I preordered a whole box of new packs."

"It's not the cards in your deck, kid," Crystal continued. "It's how you use them. I mean, everyone thought Yuri's deck sucked, but look how that turned out. Even the weakest cards can become powerful in the hands of someone who knows how to use them."

Marco shrugged. "Whatever you say, dollface. Come on, I didn't invite you guys just to stand around here. Come one, let's head into my place." He led them down a hexagon-tiled path with dense jungle on both sides. There were black railings, rusted by the salty air that blocked off exhibits housing all sorts of wild animals from crocodiles, Komodo dragons, a pride of seven lions, four tigers, giraffes, zebras, even elephants, and a rhino. A lagoon on the bottom of a cliff where his mansion was perched was the home to hundreds of flamingos. He had an aviary where he showed off his collection of exotic birds and a reptile house for his anaconda, which he let Crystal, Patty, and Natalya hold. He let them play and feed his animals. More than anything, he wanted Yuri to play with his lion, Scarface. Yuri was nervous about it, but he finally mustered the courage to pose alongside it.

"I can see it one day, my friend," Marco said. "You're going to be a king."

"Damn right he is," Crystal said, doing all she could to keep herself from biting her nails. Once the stunt was over, Yuri breathed a sigh of relief when he was out of the lion exhibit, surprised that the animal did not get impatient and attack him.

"Your own zoo," Natalya said, helping herself to a vanilla ice cream. "I must say, I'm impressed. Thanks for inviting us out here today, Marco."

"My pleasure, ladies," Marco said, leading his friends up a spiraled path to his home. "Say, you guys look hot and exhausted. Would anyone be interested in chilling in my pool?"

"We didn't bring any swimwear," Tyson said looking at his clothing. "How can we?"

"Not a problem," Marco chuckled while calmly waving of his hand. "I've got everything I need for my guests. I've got rooms in the east wing. You fellas can find what you need in there. Ladies, the same for you. I'll meet you guys out there in a few minutes. I have some business to take care of. You see, I'm about to launch my own gaming console and my father pitched in a little extra for my own E-Sports franchise."

"Well, you've been busy," said Yuri. "Is that where you intend to venture when you get older?"

"I can venture in it now," Marco replied. "Yuri, my man, so long as you have the cash, they don't care what age you are. Oh, by the way, Yuri, while they get changed, why don't you come with me. I'd like to discuss some of my own business with you if you don't mind. I think this will benefit for both me and you."

Yuri looked at his friends and scratched the back of his head. "Hey, I'll meet up with you guys in a little while."

He followed Marco to his room which looked more like an office. Except for the flatscreen television on the wall with the PlayStation and Xbox set up, you'd never guess it was a room for a child. The walls were made of stone with water running down into a river that outlined his room. An aquarium with an array of tropical fish was built in the wall behind his four-poster bed. Posters of Crystal and other female champions clad in bikinis were pinned on the wall left of his bed. Marco walked to his desk where his pitbull puppy was sleeping underneath it. He scratched the dog's head and picked him up as he sat down on his black leather chair. Behind him, the word Blazers was on the wall, the name for one of his shoe brands.

He set his feet up on his desk and instructed Yuri to sit on the chair in front of it.

"Can I interest you in a soda? Water? Anything?" Marco asked.

"No, it's okay," Yuri said, feeling intimidated by the size and glamour of Marco's room. "So what's this about? What do you need me for?"

"It's very simple," he said. "I wanna sponsor you for the upcoming Millenium Tournament. The one hosted by that brother of yours, Leon."

Yuri crossed his arms. "We don't call each other that anymore."

"Regardless," said Marco, "you two were once family, but that's beside the point. I like you, Yuri. I've been watching you and following you on Social Media ever since you defeated that creep Randall Lawson, who I understand has a bounty on you. Talk about low."

"You have no idea," sighed Yuri. "It seems everywhere I go, I get approached by someone who wants that bounty. In fact, I two Duelists wanted to cash in on it while I was on my way up here."

"Ah, yes, Trinity and Autumn. Don't worry about them, I gave them plenty of money just to Duel you. They'll get paid regardless."

Yuri had to ponder on that for a second. "Wait a minute. Do you mean those two girls were some kind of test? You paid them to face me?"

"Of course," said Marco. "I want to invest a lot of money in you and I want to see if my investment is going the right direction. And you took them both out. I'm very impressed. It's a real shame your dad is super strict on the money. If he allowed you a generous allowance like my old man does, you would be King of the Dueling World by now. I want to help you. Think of the cash you and I will be rolling around in."

"And you're not rolling around in it already?"

"Not my money, anyway," laughed Marco. "It's my father's money. I want to go out there and make my own cash so that I can prove to everyone that I don't need just my dad to get money. Yeah, I've got my shoes and my Esports thing on the table, but it's going to take forever before I can make that happen. I need to come up with a way to make money now and show them all that I can take care of myself and make money my own way. And that's where you come in. I can make you into a franchise, my man. You've already got the name for it. You're Yuri Montgomery."

He leaned back in his chair and snapped his finger. "The Prince of Aquarius," he continued, "and the Underdog everyone wants to root for. You already made yourself a big hero for the Stowaways when you stood up for them the way you did during the election. And just think, if you win the tournament, every major Dueling League in the world is going to want you to sign with them. We're talking millions and millions of dollars here, Yuri. We can split the profits. Fifty-fifty. And, I can offer you a very generous starter package to help you go on a Duel Monster's shopping spree. Your deck is good, Yuri, but it needs some work. And just think, you and Patty will no longer have to work in that diner anymore."

He leaned forward. "And she's a fine catch if you ask me. She's a hottie, bro. A babe! She needs the best." Marco held out his hand. "Well, what do you say, Yuri? You in?"

Yuri smiled and shook Marco's little hand.