-Chapter 10-
The Wrath of the Phoenix Drago
Yusuke and Haruka awed at the mighty monster on Atsushi's side. Ms. Aiko looked quite amazed, too while Mr. Sazaki watched as he grinned.
Atsushi snorted, but then smirked slyly. "Impressed of my monster?"
Yusuke nodded excitedly. "Heck yeah! I mean, this is your ace monster! I've seen video footage of you summoning this monster on TV many times before, but man! I can't believe I am actually facing in right in person!"
I am very excited, too, Yusuke, but I recommend you to re-focus on the Duel.
"Oh right!" Yusuke rubbed the back of his head.
"Hmph! Battle!" Atsushi said, ignoring Yusuke. "Phoenix Drago will destroy your Battle Gargoyle Lady! Dragon Rush!"
His ace monster charged up until it burst itself in fire. It flied quickly toward Battle Gargoyle Lady as Yusuke sweated bullets.
"Trap Card, open! Shift!" A classic Trap card flipped up on Yusuke's side. "When this card is activated, I target the attack to another monster on my side of the field! I change your monster's target to Iron Chestnut!"
"What!?" Ms. Aiko gasped.
"Woah!" Haruka surprised.
Battle Gargoyle Lady and Iron Chestnut switched side quickly before the phoenix-dragon hybrid landed its attack.
"And thanks to Iron Chestnut's ability, he is not destroyed!"
Atsushi looked unbothered. "Hmph, that was not a bad move. You use Shift to switch my monster's target for the attack to your Iron Chestnut and use its ability to block my monster's attack."
Yusuke felt praised. "Thanks. I was saving my Trap in case I was to face your most powerful monster, Atsushi."
"…Hmmm, I end my turn." He said calmly.
"Wow, that was a nice save!" Haruka praised.
"That boy, Yusuke Kagami is actually doing quite well against Mr. Kai-san." Ms. Aiko said.
"Yes indeed, but of course that won't stop the King." Mr. Sazaki stated.
"OK! Now it is my turn and I draw!" Yusuke exclaimed as he drew his card flashily.
"Yusuke…" His other-self appeared next to him. "If I were you, I would recommend switching all of your Gargoyle monsters to Defense position."
"Yeah, but this is my Duel, my other me! I think I know what I am doing, so don't worry about it!" He said.
"I am not worry about you, Yusuke, but I am more concerned what that Atsushi Kai over there is planning to do."
"Don't worry! I got this! Just trust me." He said with assuring smile.
"Seriously, that kid may need to see a doctor after this." Atsushi thought.
"OK…well, I will just switch my remaining monsters to Defense position, set a card, and end my turn." Yusuke finished. "Alright, Atsushi! I hope to see what you can do with my defense!"
Atsushi narrowed his eyes at him. "My turn, I draw."
He looked at the card he drew, which was a Spell card. "I declare Phoenix Drago to attack your Battle Gargoyle Lady this time. Dragon Rush!"
His monster strike back and this time, it destroyed the previous target.
"Battle Gargoyle Lady!" Yusuke moaned.
"Next up, I activate the Spell, U.M.C. Hunter's Prey!" He played the Spell card he drew. It depicted a tall field of corn with two glaring red eyes as a goblin farmer looked around, sweating and held a pitchfork with both of his hands.
"OK, so what does that do?" Yusuke asked.
"Simple. When my opponent controls more monster than the number of my U.M.C. monster on my side of the field excluding Pendulum Zone, I can destroy one of your monsters and you'll be inflicted with damage equals to the destroyed monster's ATK by half!"
"Say what!?" He gasped.
"Attack one more time on Battle Gargoyle! Dragon Rush!" Atsushi exclaimed as his monster strike with another attack. It obliterated its target as BG roared in pain before it burned into ashes.
"Argh!" Yusuke covered his face as his Life Points decreases.
Yusuke's LP: 2100
"I end my turn." Atsushi said.
"Wow! He destroyed two of Yusuke's monsters in one turn and lowered his Life Points!" Haruka shocked. "If Yusuke don't do something to his Life Points, he might lose!"
"You know. Instead of staying in Defense, you may need to get more offensive, but of course, even if you do, I know that you won't defeat me."
Yusuke looked quite shock when Atsushi said that. "Well….you will never know until the very end, right? That is what makes Dueling fun!"
"Dueling fun?" Atsushi repeated before he smirked. "Heh! One thing that gets on my nerve is that."
"Um, what?" Yusuke asked.
"Your belief in Dueling is for fun. What is so fun about Dueling anyway?" Atsushi said.
"What do you mean, Atsushi?" Yusuke began to look worry.
"I don't see how Dueling is fun or can even be fun. Like anything else in life, it gets boring and old if you just keep doing it over and over again. I am like the strongest in the world, and I know from experience. Dueling is no fun when there are a lot of people who's under me while I stay at the top and continued to be so. What's so fun about Dueling if there is no one who can even beat me?" Atsushi said.
The situation became silent as everyone watched at the King. "Hmm, anyway, let's get this over with. Just start your turn already and end this boredom. I am really getting impatient."
"I…I draw." Yusuke said softly. He thought to himself until he brought his head up.
"Hey Atsushi!"
"Hmm?"
"I'm sure there are a lot of people out there who are as strong as you are, and someday you will meet someone who is at least equally or even stronger than you! So…just don't feel sad about it."
"Me? Sad?" He said before he chuckled. "I am not sad. I only want to face a strong Duelist that is all who can actually give me thrill, put me on the edge; I want a Duelist who can actually defeat me."
"Well…maybe I will be that guy! Besides, we're Dueling right now, so maybe I will be you and I am attending to!" Yusuke exclaimed as he fist pawned.
"You?" He then laughed. "In your dream, kid!" His expression then changed to more serious and cold look. "You're nowhere near my level. Nonetheless, defeat me in a Duel."
"We will see about that!" Yusuke replied. "My turn, I draw!"
He drew his strongly and looked at the card. It was the one and only his ace card. "Sweet! OK! First, I play the Spell, Monster Reborn!"
A familiar, classic Spell appeared as light shone from it. "I resurrect my Battle Gargoyle!"
His gargoyle warrior returned to the field. "Then, I tribute my two monsters I have currently on the field to summon my one and only Ace! Prepare yourself, Atsushi! I am going to summon my ace monster, Masquerade Caped Crusader!"
His two monsters shone in light before they disappeared in sparkles. The sparkles gathered together as they merged into one figure. The light popped, revealing his monster as it made its entrance in a beautiful fashion.
Everyone except Atsushi awed at the beautiful magician. "Alright, Atsushi! Here I go! Masquerade Caped Crusader, attack with Magic Beam on his monster, U.M.C. Phoenix Drago!"
His magician bowed to everyone and the monster with his hat off until he waved his hands around until he blasted out a rainbow-colored energy beam at his target.
Atsushi just crossed his arm, staying cool. "At this point, my monster's effect comes to play! You see, when he attacks a monster with 2000 or more ATK, that monster is destroyed and your Life Point is inflicted with damage equals to half of that destroyed monster's ATK!"
His ace monster's attack reached Atsushi's phoenix dragon monster and blasted the monster away before it roared in pain and then exploded.
Atsushi's LP: 2500
"Alright!" Yusuke exclaimed. "I did it finally! I did some damage on your Life Points, Atsushi!"
Yusuke jumped up in joy as he does that in a cycle.
"My! Mr. Kagami has dealt damage on Mr. Kai-san's Life Points!" Ms. Aiko claimed. "Could he be!?"
"Now, now, Ms. Aiko." Mr. Sazaki spoke up. "You should not go into conclusion just yet. Care to take a look at Atsushi-kun."
She looked at him, noticing his same posture, but most importantly his expression; the stoic, yet calm glare. She gasped, realizing it.
"It seems to me that this Duel is in the King's favor now." Mr. Sazaki said before he grinned.
"So, what did you think, Atsushi? Pretty cool monster I have, huh?" Yusuke asked.
Atsushi just ignored him. "U.M.C. Phoenix Drago's effect activates!"
"What!?" Both Yusuke and Haruka yelled in unison.
"When it is destroyed by battle or card effect, I can immediately Special Summon it back! Revive!" Atsushi declared as a portal opened and fire burst out of it. Out of the flame, his monster came back, roaring definitively before the portal closed up below it.
"No way!" Haruka exclaimed. "How!?"
"Just like a true phoenix, it revives itself even after it was killed. And that is not all. After it comes back to the field, my opponent gains damage equals to his or her monster with the highest ATK. You have your one and only ace monster, Masquerade Caped Crusader, meaning you will take 2500 points of damage!"
Phoenix Drago shot fireball at Yusuke. It hit him as the blast caused him to blast off from his feet.
"Not so fast! I activate my Trap card, Undying Soul!" A card flipped up, revealing a man's soul in a spirit form protecting its body while a giant dragon shot a fireball at him, hurling onto him.
"When this card is activated, I only take half of the damage for this turn!"
The soul spirit in the card popped out of the card itself, protecting Yusuke from the blast, but some of it leaked through the soul, hurting Yusuke.
"Grgh!"
Yusuke's LP: 850
"Huh? So you're still going to continue on? Now at this point, this Duel is not that boring as I thought it would be." He thought. "But it will be over soon, very soon."
"Phew! That was close!" Yusuke relieved. Haruka was also relieved, too.
"Amazing…" His other-self said. "Atsushi Kai, even with your persistence and counter, he is still calm."
"Well, he is the King after all!" Yusuke exclaimed.
"But, what I am concerned the most is his monster on the field, U.M.C. Phoenix Drago. It is very powerful with terrifying effect. Yusuke…" He looked at him. "I think it is time to perform that."
"Huh? What do you…oh, I get it." Yusuke said with sly eyes. "Well, if you say my other me, and he said little while ago that he wants to see it, so let's show him that!"
They nodded as his mirror-self merged with Yusuke. Atsushi noticed something different as heart felt strange beat.
"What the? What is this feeling?" He asked.
Yusuke had his eyes closed, but he opened up, now fully became into his other self. "Atsushi Kai, you are very impressive. Your Dueling is admirable. No matter how many I counter back, you manage to say calm even if the situation looks bad in your favor."
"Oo." He said. "And, you began to talk with big words, but whatever. Just finish your turn so I can end this."
"Before that, I would like to present you something…something you want to see!" Yusuke exclaimed as he raised his hand into the air.
"This is it!" Mr. Sazaki stated.
"Could it be?" Ms. Aiko questioned.
"I use my Masquerade Caped Crusader as a material for Mirror Summon!" Suddenly, the blue mirror appeared behind his Spellcaster monster. It opened up, swallowing up the monster.
"Huh." Atsushi widen his eyes with a spark of interest in him.
"Mirror, mirror, hear my wish! Reveal my monster's true color and strength! Bring out the dark crusader who fights for justice from the shadows!"
The portal shone with purple light. "Mirror Summon! Release from your mirror prison! Dark Sealed Avenger!"
His ace Mirror monster popped out of the portal, creating a crack sound of mirrors. It landed on the field, crossing its arm and looking determined to fight. Phoenix Drago roared at it as it looked up to the foe.
"So, that is the Mirror monster." Atsushi said. "I thought you would not summon it, but…here it is."
"Yes, impressive to see, don't you think?" Yusuke asked. "And now, I activate my card in my hand! Fight the Power!"
This card was a Spell card, depicting a crowd of people fighting against soldiers as a dictator who commands the soldiers looked little terrified by the crowd of people rampaging against his stack of soldiers.
"When this card is activated, any monsters that have not attack this turn may attack! I declare my Dark Sealed Avenger to attack your Phoenix Dragon!"
Dark Sealed Avenger leaped forward with his fist clenched up tightly as it jumped over the monster.
"At this point, his effect activates! When Dark Sealed Avenger targets a monster with 2000 or more ATK, that target's ATK is cut in half and the other half is increased to his ATK! Now, my monster's ATK gains 1500, increasing it to 4000!"
Phoenix Drago roared weakly as its Aura shucked into Dark Sealed Avenger, increasing its ATK to 4000 as the result of its effect.
"Alright! With this attack, Atsushi will be dealt with 2500 damage and his Life Point is right now 2500, meaning…!" Haruka said.
"Dark Sealed Avenger, Charged Fist of Justice!"
"Yusuke wins!"
Its attack landed on its target, causing a huge explosion. The smoke blew around. Ms. Aiko and Haruka covered their faces from the smoke caused by the impact while Mr. Sazaki watched.
Yusuke watched quietly as the smoke faded away. Once it was, he was shock to see what was in front of him. Atsushi was still standing with his Life Points unchanged.
"What!?" He gasped.
"Wait, hold it! Why is he still standing with 2500 Life Points!?" Haruka asked out loud.
"U.M.C. Griffon' pendulum effect is activated! If I were to take a battle damage that involves a U.M.C. monster, the damage for that attack is nullified!" Atsushi admitted, showing his Griffon shining brightly and roaring with red aura with its wings span out.
"You...used a Pendulum Effect to protect yourself!? I…I forgot about that you had that monster in your Pendulum Zone!" Yusuke gritted.
"Next, I activate U.M.C. Pegasus's pendulum effect. Any damage I take is instead it restores my Life Points by half." He said as Pegasus flapped its wings as yellow sparkles flow down on Atsushi.
Atsushi's LP: 3750
"No way! You can also do that." Yusuke said.
"Indeed. And I think you know what I will do next." Atsushi said calmly as his ace monster returned back, rising up from the Graveyard behind him. It roared strongly.
"No..I…I have miscalculated this." Yusuke said depressingly.
"It looks like you realize, just like everyone else I faced…how hopeless it is to defeat me. Now, Phoenix Drago, finish him." Atsushi commanded.
His ace monster shot one final fire ball at him and his monster. First, Dark Sealed Avenger got caught in the fireball. It cried in pain as it burned into crisps before the fireball landed on Yusuke.
"YAARRRRGHHHHH!" He yelled.
Yusuke's LP: 0
Atsushi Wins!
The wave field turned off, causing the monsters to disappear. Phoenix Drago gave a final victorious roar before it faded away. Yusuke laid down in defeat. His opponent walked up to them, but did not offer a hand and just stared down on him.
"I will admit one thing; your Mirror Monster is quite interesting, but even with that, you like all other people I Dueled in the past can't defeat me. I will tell you this, so you won't forget…"
Yusuke slightly opened with one eye. "The only person who can truly defeat me in a Duel is…me."
After that, Yusuke fainted.
"Yusuke!" Haruka screamed, running up to help her friend.
Meanwhile, an image of the past popped through his head. He saw that same woman again. Her face revealed to be light skin with long blue hair with two strands curved upward and downward back to her hair on each side. Her eyes were light blue. She looked terrified although as her hands tried to reach to him before she zoomed out and disappeared into the darkness.
Yusuke tried to reach her with his hand, but couldn't. "Lady….!"
-New Cards Cheat Sheet-
U.M.C. Hunter's Prey-Type: Normal Spell Effect: When your opponent controls more monster than the number of U.M.C. monsters you control on the field, excluding the ones in the Pendulum Zone, select one monster on your opponent's field; that monster is destroyed and sent to the Graveyard.
Undying Soul-Type: Counter Trap Effect: Cut the damage by half.
Fight the Power-Type: Quick-Play Spell Effect: Any face-up monsters that you control on the field and haven't attack may attack this turn. All monsters affected by this effect cannot attack or change Battle Position for the next turn.
U.M.C. Pegasus-Pendulum Effect: Any battle damage you take that involves with a U.M.C. monster restores your Life Points instead.
U.M.C. Griffon-Pendulum Effect: Any battle damage you take that involves a U.M.C. monster you control is reduced to zero for this turn.
U.M.C. Phoenix Drago-Normal Effect: When this card is destroyed by battle or card effect, Special Summon it immediately after it was destroyed. When it does, target one monster your opponent controls with the highest ATK; his/her Life Point is inflicted with damage equal to that monster's ATK. Pendulum Effect: Unknown
So, what did you all think about that? I hope all of you readers and followers enjoyed reading this chapter and found the end of the Duel to be satisfying. Please leave any criticism in your review for this chapter. Also, if you have not read the annoucement in my other Yu-Gi-Oh fanfiction (Yu-Gi-Oh Muikai), that one will be in Hiatus for the upcoming crossover movie with this fanfiction. I don't know exactly when I will post the first chapter for it, but it will be coming next year, so I hope you guys are excited to see what I have plan for that, and anything else coming from me besides Yu-Gi-Oh related stuff.
I just want to say that this fanfiction will be updated frequently from now on, but not daily. Probably like every other day or two days in between each update. So, next times in Yu-Gi-Oh Mirror, it is the summer field trip, but after the great loss, will Yusuke ever regain his confidence and old, positive self again in "Regaining Confidence"? See you guys soon in the NEXT CHAPTER!