"Why do you resist Joey? I've already told you it's useless… We are destined to be together… You can't change that…"
"Mai… As much as I'd love to have you… It can't be… ugh… like this…"
"Playing hard to get eh? I like that… But it won't change anything… You will fall and then you will join me in eternal life."
"Life or living death? And besides how can you be so sure you'll win this duel while I still have life points left?"
Mai laughed, "Joey, you're already dead."
"How can you tell? I haven't even moved yet."
"Oh it won't be on your next turn… It'll be eight rounds from now."
"I'll believe that when I see it! In the meantime… Agh!"
The Curse of Nosferatu was already taking its toll on Joey. Since his life points were at 600 the card was already slowly taking away over ¾ of his blood.
"I've got to turn this thing around… I've already lost 3400 life points, and Mai hasn't lost any… But I don't have anything in my hand strong enough to defeat those vampire Harpies. I'll just have to stall for time until I can draw something that can."
Joey drew his card.
"I play Scapegoat! This spell card lets me summon four Scapegoat tokens to protect my life points!"
(4x ATK: 0 DEF: 0)
Mai laughed, "Do I look surprised to you? You use that card in every duel. I knew you'd play it, and I know you'll lose this duel in seven more turns. But while I wait for you I'll have to settle for your precious little tokens. I summon Harpie Lady 2 in attack mode!"
(ATK: 1300 DEF: 1400)
"And don't forget, thanks to the effect of Harpie Lady 1, Harpie's Hunting Ground, and the Curse of Nosferatu, she becomes a vampire and gains 1000 attack points!"
Mai's Harpie Lady 2 changed to resemble her Vampire Harpie Queen and Vampire Harpie 1, and it's attacks strength shot up.
(ATK: 2300)
"Now my Vampire Harpie Queen and Vampire Harpies 1 and 2, destroy three of his Scapegoats!"
All three of Mai's monsters attacked, shredding three of Joey's tokens with their razor sharp talons.
"Three down and one to go… Now make your move Joey… Not that it will matter… in just a few more turns you will be mine… forever…"
The Curse of Nosferatu continued to take it's toll on Joey. His skin was getting paler and paler, and he kept feeling weaker… But he refused to say die.
"Mai has at least one more Harpie Lady waiting somewhere in her deck… Even if she doesn't draw it she'll probably find some way to bring it out… But the only thing I have on the field right now is my last Scapegoat token… and she already has three deadly Vampire Harpies…"
Joey drew his card.
"Excellent! This could buy me some time… But wait! If she summons that final Harpie Lady then Hunting Ground's effect will kick in…"
Joey looked over the rest of his hand.
"I summon a monster in defense mode… and play… two cards face down…"
"Play any card you like hun, it won't change a thing…"
Mai drew her card.
"Perfect… I summon Harpie Lady 3 in attack mode!"
(ATK: 1300 DEF: 1400)
"You know what happens next."
Mai's Harpie transformed into a vampire and it's attack points rose.
(ATK: 2300)
"Now the effect of Harpie's Hunting Ground kicks in. Since I just summoned a Harpie Lady I can destroy one spell or trap card on your side of the field!"
"If she destroys the right card I'm finished!" thought Joey.
Mai's Vampire Harpie Lady 3 flew over to Joey's side of the field and shredded one of his face down cards.
"Now my Vampire Harpies, attack!"
All four of Mai's Vampire Harpies flew at Joey.
"Not so fast Mai… I activate my face down trap! Negate Attack!"
Mai's Harpies were stopped in their tracks. And because of Negate Attack's effect her battle phase was over.
"No matter… I knew you'd counter some how… But don't forget… you only have six turns left… Then you'll be all mine."
"I can't give up… I won't! As much as I love you Mai, I will not become a monster to be with you…"
Joey drew his card.
"Yes! I summon Marauding Captain!"
(ATK: 1200 DEF: 400)
"And when Marauding Captain is normal summoned I can special summon a level 4 or lower monster from my hand… and I choose… ugh… another Marauding Captain!"
(ATK: 1200 DEF: 400)
"As long as I have Marauding Captain out you can't attack another one of my warrior type monsters without destroying him first, but since I have two out that means you can't attack either of them or any other warrior monster I summon. Like the Rocket Warrior I summoned last turn."
(ATK: 1500 DEF: 1300)
"I doesn't matter Joey… You have only prolonged the inevitable… One way or another in five turns you will be mine…"
After the next two rounds Joey still didn't have anything in his hand that could take out Mai's Vampire Harpies. The only thing Mai had succeeded in doing was destroying Joey's last Scapegoat because it wasn't protected by his Marauding Captains since it wasn't a Warrior, but Joey didn't need that token anyway. Still the Curse of Nosferatu slowly continued to drain him of his blood.
"What's wrong Joey? You're as pale as a ghost… Don't worry; as soon as we're done here I know just the thing to perk you up."
She winked.
"… Just make your move…"
"Very well, I'll just play this card face down…"
Joey still didn't have anything in his hand that could take out Mai's Harpies… But he was still unwilling to give up.
"I summon… euragh… a monster in defense mode."
"It's probably another warrior type monster… Not that it matters… The Curse of Nosferatu is slowly wearing down any resistance that he has left… And in just two more turns he'll be all mine…"
Mai drew her card.
"Since I still can't attack any of your monsters I'll pass… Hope your hand is hot… Not that it will matter… In just two more turns you'll be mine forever and ever…"
"It's not over yet Mai…"
Joey drew his card, as he did he looked down at the crucifix that was around his neck.
"Come on God show me some love… Oh yeah that's what I'm talking about! I summon… agh… I sacrifice both my Marauding Captains and my Rocket Warrior… ugh… to summon Gilford the Lightening!"
(ATK: 2800 DEF: 1400)
"And since I sacrificed three monsters to summon him… err… All the monsters you have out are destroyed!"
Gilford raised his sword and lightening burst out of the tip of the blade and rained down on Mai's Vampire Harpies.
"And that was just his special ability! Gilford attack Mai directly!"
Gilford jumped at Mai and slashed her with his sword.
(Mai: 1200)
"Ooo, Joey you are such a man…"
"You should know by now I never go down without a fight… I'll end my turn by playing one card facedown."
"It doesn't matter Joey… You'll still be mine… And then we'll know the pleasures of immortal love…"
Mai drew her card.
"Looks like my prophecy was wrong… You won't lose next turn… You'll lose this turn… I activate the trap card Hysteric Party!"
"Not that! … Wait I've never even heard of that card."
"It's really quite simple Joseph… By discarding one card from my hand I can special summon as many Harpie Lady cards as possible from my graveyard."
Mai's Harpie Queen and Harpie Ladies 1-3 all came back to the field.
"That's not good."
"It's getting even better. Next I activate the spell card Fiend Sanctuary, which let's me summon a Metal Fiend Token!"
(ATK: 0 DEF: 0)
"Next I'll activate the spell card Cost Down! This let's me reduce the level of one monster in my hand by 2. Now I'll sacrifice my Metal Fiend Token to summon Harpie's Pet Dragon!"
(ATK: 2000 DEF: 2500)
"As you may remember my Harpie's Pet Dragon gets 300 attack points for every Harpie Lady on my side of the field, also thanks to the effect of Harpie Lady 1 it gains an additional 300, plus thanks to the Curse of Nosferatu it becomes a Vampire and gets a 500 point boost!"
Mai's Harpie's Pet Dragon turned from pink to black, it's eyes turned crimson, and huge fangs erupted out of it's mouth. And to make matters worse was the creature's attack strength.
(ATK: 4000)
"Holy crap!"
"Now Joey I really don't need to use this next card, but I'm going to do it any way just to show you there is no way you can possibly beat me… I activate the spell card Raigeki!"
"What! That's one of the rarest cards in the game!"
"And with good reason, because now all the monsters on your side of the field are destroyed!"
Lightening rained down from the sky destroying all of Joey's monsters.
"Now my monsters, attack Joey and bring us together!"
But none of Mai's monsters moved.
"For those of you who may not have been paying attention, I said attack!"
Nothing happened.
"Sorry Mai… They can't attack… because it's not your turn…"
"What do you mean it's not my turn?"
"Did you forget about the face down monster I played two turns ago? It was my Neko Mane King, and since you just destroyed it with your Raigeki spell card your turn automatically came to an end."
"Why do you resist me Joey? I already know the outcome of this duel… I already know you'll lose this turn… Why prolong your pain and misery any longer? Join me… I know you've always wanted me… and I've always wanted you… Place your hand on your duel disk and join me in eternal life… At last we can be together… forever… I'll include everything you see here" she said gesturing to her body "Plus everything you don't."
Joey couldn't believe she just said that. Immediately the image was forming in his mind.
"No! Must resist… temptation…"
But something else was telling him, "Give in… Give in… She may be a vampire but she's so hot!"
Mai was right... it was useless. None of the cards in Joey's hand could help. He did have his Red Eyes Black Dragon, but he had no way of summoning it. Even if he could it didn't have anywhere near enough attack points to take the rest of Mai's life points.
"No! I can't give up! My sister does not want to have a vampire for a brother! And if I've learned one thing from all I've been through it's that it only takes one card to turn the tide…"
Joey reached for his deck.
"Sorry Mai… But the only way I'm giving up is if I suddenly pass out from the massive blood loss… agh… Which may very well be the case…"
"Going out like a man eh? How sexy."
Thanks to the Curse of Nosferatu Joey was about as white as the snow covered peak of Mount Everest. He felt faint and short of breath, he could barely stand up… but he refused to say die.
"I… play… the spell card… Pot of Greed!"
Joey drew two more cards.
"How appropriate… I trust you remember my little friend Mai… After all this is how I beat you in our very first duel…"
"You mean?"
"That's right… I… summon… The Time Wizard!"
(ATK: 500 DEF: 400)
"And now I'll activate his special ability!"
Joey pulled a coin out of his pocket.
"You know what happens next… Heads… my Time Wizard destroys every monster on your side of the field… Tails… not so lucky…"
Not so lucky was an understatement. If it landed on tails then Joey's Time Wizard would be destroyed, half it's attack points would be dealt to him as damage, then he would be at the mercy of Mai's vampire Harpies and their dragon.
"Even after all these years you're still relying on luck to win a duel… You'd risk our entire future together? Joey when are you going to learn that you can't put something like that up to chance?"
"Mai, life is full of risks… Years ago back at Duelist Kingdom I constantly risked everything to save my sister… Not too long ago I risked everything to save you from Marik and then Dartz… Life is full of risks… but some of them are worth taking… and besides… you know me… I make my own luck."
Mai laughed.
"Yes you make your own luck… and it's all bad… Besides… Prince Vlad already showed me the outcome of this duel in his crystal ball… You'll toss that coin and it will be tails… Then you'll be mine for eternity." she thought.
"If you think it can save you then go ahead and flip it. But remember… As I've prophesied this is your last turn… You'll lose because it is fate. You and I are destined to be together!"
"Sorry Mai, as much as I like the idea of you and me… I never wanted you like this… besides… I don't believe in fate."
Joey flipped the coin in the air and caught it… It was tails.
"Let's go again."
"You can't!"
"Oh yes I can." said Joey smiling "See I've already activated this card… Second Coin Toss! With it I can negate the effect of my Time Wizard and redo the coin toss… Sure it doesn't… agh… guarantee me a victory dance… but at least… ugh… I have another… shot…"
"No… the prophecy only showed one coin toss."
"I told you I make my own luck Mai… Let's do it again…"
Joey tossed the coin again and caught it… It was heads.
"Time Wizard, Activate Time Magic!"
The Time Wizard raised his staff in the air and the entire time space continuum started spinning out of control, eons were passing like seconds. Within moments all Mai's monsters started to age until they turned to dust.
"Now I activate the spell card Double Summon! With this I can normal summon another monster this turn… And I… agh… choose… Red Eyes Black Chick!"
(ATK: 800 DEF: 500)
"But this little guy won't be staying around for long… Because now I'm going to sacrifice him to summon… aahh… to summon… ohhh… to summon… Red Eyes Black Dragon!"
(ATK: 2400 DEF: 2000)
"Red Eyes, attack Mai directly with Inferno Fire Blast!"
(Mai: 0)
"Ah ha! … I… win…"
Joey's strength had given up on him… He stumbled and fell off the edge of the tower. Wind ripped past him as he started to fall towards the suspension bridge below. Suddenly two huge bat like wings erupted out of Mai's back, she swooped down and caught him, then landed on the bridge below. She could tell Joey was in a lot of pain because of the Curse of Nosferatu.
"Relax Joey… It will all be over soon…"
She moved in on his neck when suddenly.
"!"
Joey had managed to grab one of his garlic bombs and set it off. Mai stumbled back coughing.
"I'm sorry Mai… But this is for your own good…"
Joey reached for the vial of holy water he had been carrying, popped it open and flung it at Mai.
"!"
Mai collapsed to the ground just as several bright car lights came up behind Joey.
"Joey! No!" screamed Serenity.
Duke ran over and checked Joey's vital signs.
"Thank God… He's still alive."
"Somebody get him in the car, we need to perform a blood transfusion ASAP!" said Tristan.
As Pegasus' goons placed Joey in one car and Mai in the other, Prince Vlad was hanging over one of the suspension cables unnoticed. Normally he'd be angry right now… But something… or someone… had caught his attention.
"… I think it's time I started seeking my bride." he said with a wicked grin.