"All right, Bakura," said Yami Yugi. "We accept your challenge. Now release Tea!"
"Hmph," Yami Bakura muttered. "Very well then."
Tea looked determined. As soon as she was free, she walked a small distance away and then turned to face him. The same resolve was on her face as earlier, when Yami Bakura first told the duelists the terms of this duel.
"Wait," she said, and everyone looked at her. "I'll duel you."
"And why would I want to do that?" sneered Yami Bakura.
Tea turned to her friends, and they looked at her intensely. As she looked at them, her face softened.
"I can't let you risk both your souls and your millenium puzzle." Tea said firmly. "Not unless this evil Bakura defeats me. No, I won't let it happen!"
"Tea, be careful!" Joey said.
Tristan, still floating, frowned.
"And this fool, I will return to his body now," Yami Bakura said. "I have no further use for him."
Tristan's eyes where he was standing next to Bakura lit up again, to his friends' great relief, and he walked over to them and glared angrily at Yami Bakura.
"You know," Yami Bakura said with a slight grin on his face, "I think I like him better this way."
Tristan's eyes narrowed. What was that supposed to mean?
It means I can cause you pain in your body, Yami Bakura thought. Oh, how much pain I will cause you and your friends who remain in their bodies.
"A little flea like you won't give me a challenge," he said, "But I will be glad to cut your life short, to be bound in the darkness of the shadow realm! Ha ha haha!"
Yugi, Joey and Tristan looked at Tea with slight alarm.
"No, Tea!" hollered Yugi, "I've dueled with him before, and he's powerful! Please let me handle this!"
"No, I have to do this," said Tea, her voice trembling slightly. "I've been training, and I think I have a good chance."
"All right, then," said Yami Bakura, grinning evilly again. "I'll set three cards face-down and one monster face-down. I look forward to your terror, fool! I end my turns. Let's see what little Tea's planning!"
"You're going to be sorry you ever messed with me!" cried Tea. "I'm going to stand up for myself and for my friends! I also place three cards face-down and set one defense-position monster. Now I activate Solemn Wishes! This trap adds 500 to my life points every time I draw a card or cards. I end my turn."
"Yeah, Tea, great opening move!" cheered Tristan. "Way to go!"
"Be careful," warned Joey.
Yami Bakura began to guffaw. Then he said, "You didn't think I'd actually make this a regular duel, did you? Heh heh heh...!"
"Urgh," Tea said.
Joey, Yugi and Tristan were suddenly more apprehensive than before.
"No, this is a shadow duel!" grinned Yami Bakura. "And so, with the power of my millenium ring, come forth, shadows! Envelop us in darkness, so the loser will pay with her soul!"
"Oh no, not this!" Tea yelled.
"Ha-hah!" laughed Yami Bakura triumphantly. "And now, I summon my Man-Eating Treasure Chest. Hm... I end my turn. Go – while you still can!"
"I will!" exclaimed Tea passionately. "Now, I sacrifice my face-down monster, in order to summon Marie, the Fallen One!"
Marie had 1700 attack points, while Man-Eating Treasure Chest had 1600.
There might be a trap, Tea thought, But I'll take the risk if he means to sacrifice this monster to bring out an even stronger one!
"I activate Sword of Deep-Sea," announced Tea, "And I attack Man-Eating Treasure Chest!"
"Not so fast!" sneered Yami Bakura. "I activate my Reinforcements trap card, which increases Man-Eating Treasure Chest's attack force by 500 points for this turn!"
"Hold on!" Tea said. "Reveal Seven Tools of the Bandit. Now I can pay 1000 life points to negate the activation of your Reinforcements!" There! Tea thought. Even if I paid so many life points, I think it'll serve him right.
"Now attack again, Marie the Fallen One!" said Tea. "Destroy Man-Eating Treasure Chest."
Yami Bakura threw back his head and laughed. "Reinforcements was only a test. I knew you had face-down cards too, so I had another. Activate Rush Recklessly! This increases by 700 the attack of my monster to 2300 attack points for this turn! Your minute Marie has a grand total of 2200 from your Sword of Deep-Sea; so falls Marie the Fallen One! Hah ha ha!"
Marie attacked the Treasure Chest and broke into a million digital pieces, a look of surprise momentarily on her face.
"So ends the first round," grinned Yami Bakura at Tea. "And you have no monsters to defend your life points. How does it feels, Tea, to be on the brink of destruction?!"
Tea was very shaken. "I'm not beaten yet!" she declared as her life points dropped to 7400.
"Oh, but you are," said Yami Bakura devillishly. "Look at my life points! They're still at 8000. You couldn't even take one point!"
"We'll see," said Tea, ending her turn.
We'll see.
