I'm back. Heh, heh, heh. Did ya' miss me? Maybe so? Well, on wit de story.
The bell rang, signaling the blessed release from school. Time for my little duel, Bakura thought to himself, forcing Ryou back into his soul room.
Kanthra, Sai, and Anay walked out on to the plaza. "Well, that was the usual bore," Kanthra remarked.
"What exactly did you expect?" Sai questioned.
"Oh, I don't know. I thought maybe someone would challenge me to a duel sooner than later."
"Kanthra, you're just asking for trouble thinking like that," Anay cautioned. "You know Yugi Moto goes here, don't you?"
"Yes, but I don't expect him to challenge me. I'm not ready to lose yet."
"Reality check, Kanthra," Sai butted in. "You've lost to me, what, three times?"
"Shut up. It's your fault you didn't say you liked Duel Monsters," Kanthra countered. "Besides, I don't think anyone is as good as you except Yugi."
"Think again," a voice said. Bakura stepped out from behind a tree. "I assure you I am superior to all of you and could beat you even if you dueled as a team. But I'll be kind and pick you mortals off one by one."
"You'd have a better chance dueling against all three of us," Sai commented. "Though, it is your funeral."
"Very well. I'll duel you later, Sai. Today, I do believe, I'll duel your friend Kanthra." He smirked. "After hearing your conversation, it seems you'll be quite enthusiastic about our little game."
"Yeah, yeah. I object to your eavesdropping and all, but what the hell I don't have anything better to do," Kanthra said nonchalantly.
"Believe me, you have no other recourse but to accept my challenge and your inevitable defeat."
"Hmph. Why worry about defeat? Good things come to those who wait." Kanthra grinned.
Bakura handed her an extra Duel Disk. "You'll be needing this. Now, to the Shadow Realm!"
BAKURA VS. KANTHRA
"Interesting." Bakura mused. "You can actually retain mentality here."
"And you have no trouble because you have no mind, no?" she countered the fiend.
"Shut up woman and just duel." Bakura angrily drew the five cards from his deck.
"As I recall, I wasn't the one talking." She drew her cards; the game was now under way. Perfect, I seem to be having luck. She smirked down at the Tiger Carcass in her hand. Sai's luck is rubbing off on me.
"I'll start out by playing Yaranzo in defense mode, and this card face down. Now lets see your brilliant failure, woman."
"I don't think I'll fail. Plus I'm not the one with bunny ears as a hair do. So for now, I'll just play my tiger carcass in defense mode and end my turn. Your move, snow hare."
"You insolent girl! You dare insult me when all you have is that on the field? And besides that, WHAT THE BLOODY HELL IS THAT CARD?!?"
"Oh, don't you know, snow hare?" Kanthra taunted. Bakura's eye was twitching with rage. "It's an American card. You should know. Well, maybe not. On with the duel, snow hare."
"Very well, mortal. I'll continue." Bakura drew a card. Well, this is useless, for now. "I summon Dragon Zombie in attack mode. Then I switch Yaranzo into attack mode. Yaranzo, attack that mortal's Tiger Carcass!" Yaranzo charged forward and destroyed the Tiger Carcass. "Now, just to be kind for a moment," Bakura continued, "I'll end my turn."
"Thanks, snow hare. Heh, heh, heh. For destroying my Tiger Carcass and ending your turn so graciously without attacking my life points. Yet, you made a fatal mistake. You see, tiger carcasses were once used for something rather special. I don't think you'll know right off the top of your rabbit head, so I'll tell you," Kanthra smirked. "Tiger carcasses were used as bait for...dragons. By destroying my Tiger Carcass, you destroyed a dragon's food, and it's hungry."
"Get to the point, bitch," Bakura spat.
"The point is, by destroying my Tiger Carcass, you have permitted me to summon the Eternal Dragon! Now! Eternal Dragon, attack his Dragon Zombie!" Kanthra ordered. She smiled in satisfaction as her monster launched its attack to demolish Bakura's Dragon Zombie. Bakura braced himself as the attack took away 1400 of his life points. "Your move."
Bakura smirked. "You have no idea how your monster is about to be used against you."
"Shit. I bet I do," Kanthra admitted nervously. "You drew a damn Change of Heart, didn't you?"
"You're clever, for a mortal girl. Yes, I did draw the Change of Heart last turn. This turn, however, I drew another card you'll love to hate when you're sitting trapped in the Shadow Realm for eternity."
Kanthra sighed, knowing she had been defeated. I'm such a damn fool to rush things.
Meanwhile, Sai and Anay stood outside the dark, ominous bubble. "Do you have the feeling Kanthra is about to lose?" Anay asked.
"I've known she was gonna lose from the very beginning," Sai boasted.
"Do you think I could touch this bubble without being vaporized?" Anay asked randomly.
"I don't know. Why don't you try?" Sai pushed Anay into the bubble only to see her fly out on the other side.
"So you're accepting your defeat?" Bakura taunted.
"Is there any way of denying a fate so clearly placed before you? Please stop stalling and finish me off, my patience is wearing thin, and I don't enjoy postponing the inevitable."
"But you were this entire duel, mortal," Bakura sneered.
"Yeah, you're right. Now that you've won just finish me, or do you expect me to forfeit?"
"I was actually thinking you would beg for mercy."
"Would you beg me for mercy?"
"Ignorant mortal! What do you take me for?"
"Someone who wouldn't beg for mercy, just like me," Kanthra responded, letting the reality of it all sink in. Bakura had won, she was as good as banished.....forever. "Now, end this duel! You have the power! Why don't you use it?!"
"Your anguish is too enjoyable to waste."
"If you want me to be calm, fine. I can do that. Laugh at me all you want. It's not as if I don't know I've lost. I know what I get for losing, and I know why I lost. I came into this duel over confident. You did an excellent job of making me that way. I've lost, as always; me and my damn mistakes. If you want me to beg, I'm right where you would want me. Do you want me to beg?" Kanthra was depressed. Whatever, she thought. He's just gonna laugh and jeer. Maybe submission will take some of the venom from this damn adder.
"Heh, heh, heh. Very well, beg, girl," Bakura ordered coldly.
Here we go, Kanthra thought. She fell to her knees obediently. "Please," she began with her head bowed and eyes hidden. "Please just finish me off. I have no desire to wait for eternal punishment any longer. I'm.....begging.......you, sir, to please destroy me." I hope he's happy with himself. She gritted her teeth and waited.
"Heh. I play the card Change of Heart to take control of the Eternal Dragon! Then, I equip the Eternal Dragon with the Axe of Despair, which raises its attack power by 1000. This, of course, brings the monster's attack power to 4000, just enough to finish you off with one attack. Now, Eternal Dragon, attack Kanthra directly."
Ice, Kanthra thought. That's what his tone is like. Ice. She braced herself for the attack. Since she was still kneeling, she hoped it would hurt a little less.
{All those life points in one turn! Bakura, she'll die!} Ryou cried in the back of Bakura's mind. {Stop the attack! no reply Stop the attack!}
{The bitch asked for it, now shut up, vassal!} Bakura ordered.
Kanthra felt the attack tearing through her like a thousand knives. She turned her face upwards. Her pupils constricted in pain. She could not cry out; the pain was too much. Then, it was over. Her life points fell to zero. The duel was over, and the bubble of the Shadow Realm began to fade. All Kanthra heard was her heartbeat. Then Sai murmured her name, hardly believing the sight before her eyes.
She doesn't care, thought Kanthra, feeling infinitely betrayed. She collapsed and expected to feel the hard cement. In stead, she felt someone catch her. It was Ryou, though she couldn't really tell. Somehow, he had managed to imprison Bakura for a moment or two.
"Kanthra," he shouted. It was a faint echo in the girl's ears. "Kanthra, stay with us! Don't black out! Don't give in or he'll win!"
"He's.....already.....won," Kanthra spoke. Then she fell unconscious.
Okay. That's chapter 2. Now for some explanations.
Ahem. Tiger Carcass and Eternal Dragon are cards made up by the brilliant Dbox. Dbox also assisted ??? in writing the first part of the duel.