My Little Duelist Volume 2

by Baldwin17

After the grand tournament that was Duelist Kingdom, the meeting of Rebecca Hawkins, the defeat of the Big Five and the meeting of Duke Devlin, it seemed like life was back to normal for Twilight and her friends in Domino City. But not all peace can last forever, as a new darkness approaches the city of games.

9. Chapter 8: Chain Destruction

Chapter 8

"Chain Destruction"

'Nice going, Yuge. Now that you're on to this creep's game, it's only a matter of time before my Red-Eyes Black Dragon is back where it belongs and this Rare Hunter gets booted out of Battle City!' Joey thought. 'I may have figured out his plan to summon Exodia, but now I need to find a way to stop it.' Yugi thought. "I'll admit, you did well finding out my strategy, but it's too little, too late." Seeker said. 'Already I have four of the five pieces needed, and I have a strong hunch that my next draw will bring about the final piece of my deadly puzzle, Exodia's left arm. Once I combine all five pieces, I'll summon Exodia and claim an automatic victory along with his Dark Magician.' he thought as he looked at his deck with his x-ray contact lens.

At KaibaCorp, Seto's technicians found out how Seeker was dueling. "Our satellite imaging indicates that Seeker's cards are coated with an invisible ink." one of them said. "Marked cards? That means he'll always know which card he'll draw." Mokuba said. "We have no choice but to let the duel play out." Seto said. "But Seto, the guy's nothing but a cheat! First he hacked into your database to enter himself into the contest, possible with other Rare Hunters that may have done the same, and now this?! What's the deal?" Mokuba responded. "Mokuba, I'm well aware that the Rare Hunters have hacked into my database to enter into the contest, but I'm willing to overlook it, because it's part of my plan, remember?" Seto stated. "Sorry, big brother, but you made me Battle City commissioner so that I could enforce the rules, and we both agreed having Twilight and her friends on the job as enforcers can help bring these Rare Hunters to justice. Give me one good reason why I shouldn't have Twilight activate her ring and call the Domino City police to arrest that punk right now!" Mokuba responded, clearly looking to do his job of enforcing the rules of the competition.

"Because, like the other Rare Hunters he runs with, I need him. This Seeker character, or any of his fellow Rare Hunters, may have either of the two remaining Egyptian God cards Ishizu told me about, Mokuba." Seto explained. 'Besides, if I'm to take Yugi down, I need all three of them. But as for now, I'd love to see, if what I suspect is true about this Rare Hunter's strategy, what would happen if Yugi is forced to face the same monster he used to defeat me.' he thought, knowing far well he'd love to see Yugi/Yami have to face Exodia himself. Back at the duel, Yami was about to make his next move. "It's my move, now! I'll set one card face down on the field, and I'll attack with Chimera, the Flying Mythical Beast! Destroy his Stone Statue of the Aztecs!" he said before his monster attacked and destroyed the Seeker's statue. "You're left with one monster to defend you." he concluded. But Seeker just laughed.

"That doesn't matter to me! I knew you couldn't beat me within one turn! All I have to do is draw my next card, and not only will I win this duel, but I'll gain an even greater prize! First I won Joey's Red-Eyes Black Dragon, and now I'll take your Dark Magician! My master will be extremely pleased! Farewell, Yugi! It's time to complete the Forbidden Puzzle!" Seeker stated as he reached for his deck. "Not so fast, Seeker!" Yami declared. "What's that?!" Seeker asked, shocked at Yami's outburst. Then, he saw exactly what Yami had up his sleeve. "Time Seal?! That stops me from drawing this turn!" he shouted. "And that means you can't draw the final Exodia piece yet. This duel is far from over, Seeker!" Yami added. "A desperate move for my desperate prey." Seeker stated. On the sidelines, Twilight and Joey were relieved. "For a second there, I thought Yugi was going to lose the same way Kaiba did against him." Twi said as she wiped the sweat from her forehead.

'My Time Seal trap only lasts one turn, so I have to stop him, and fast! That way, I can start figuring out the secrets from Yami's past. The fate of the world depends on it. I can't let him draw the final piece of Exodia, but I can't just keep making him skip his turn. I know there's a card in my deck that should be able to stop him from summoning the unbeatable Exodia. And I need to draw it right here and now.' Yugi thought. And so, with faith in his deck, Yami draws the card he needed. "I play Lightforce Sword! It randomly banishes one card in your hand, preventing you from using it for three turns. And I have a feeling my aim will hit, a piece of Exodia!" he declared as the sword appeared above both players. "Oh, no!" Seeker shouted. 'I can't control which card my sword will strike, but if it doesn't hit an Exodia piece, I'll lose the duel!' Yugi thought before the sword darted downward and hit a card in Seeker's hand.

"Not that one! You pierced Exodia's right arm!" he shouted. Up in KaibaCorp, even Mokuba and Kaiba were impressed. "Seeker's got only three of the Exodia cards in his hand now!" Mokuba pointed out. Back at the duel, Yami continued his turn. "And I'm not done yet, Seeker. To wipe out your monster I'll start by sacrificing Chimera to bring forth my Summoned Skull!" he added as Chimera was destroyed and replaced by the mighty Summoned Skull. "Summoned Skull, attack, with Lightning Strike!" he commanded before Gear Golem was completely destroyed. "Alright! Looks like that caped clown of a hunter's on the endangered species list!" Joey said with a beaming smile. "You see? Exodia may be unstoppable when he's put together, but the five pieces that make him are easy prey." Yami stated. "Then it's my turn." Seeker said in chagrin before drawing Exodia's left arm. "Seeker, you have no monsters to defend you. Looks like we have a whole new game." Yami said slyly.

But Seeker just laughed. "What's so funny?" Twilight asked. "Maybe he's just as nutty as a fruitcake, and he might be one, too." Joey suggested. "You claim this is a whole new game? Hardly, Yugi. You really think you can stop me with one card?" Seeker asked. "I do think so." Yami responded. "A professional card hunter like me is prepared for any situation. Take this for example, I play Swords of Revealing Light!" Seeker stated as he activated said card. "Oh, no! Not the swords!" Yami shouted as said swords came down around his Summoned Skull. "These swords will prevent your monster from attacking my life points for three full turns. And once your Lightforce Sword wears off, Yugi, I'll regain Exodia's right arm and summon the beast!" Seeker declared. 'Please, Yugi, you have to stop this guy before he can regain the final piece of Exodia!' Twilight thought. At KaibaCorp tower, the Kaiba brothers watched on.

"Seto, I know you don't like Yugi at all, but why are we letting that cheat beat him? What if he doesn't have either of the two remaining Egyptian God cards?" Mokuba asked. "If this Seeker doesn't have either of the last two god cards, inform Twilight of everything we know about how he's cheating so that he can be disqualified and arrested." Seto answered. 'Even so, I think it's time Yugi knew what it was like to have to stare down Exodia.' he thought. Back at the duel, Yami was about to draw. "It's my move. I'll just draw, and end my turn there." he said, knowing there wasn't much he could do. "Thanks to my Swords of Revealing Light, that's all you can do. You've been reduced to just a spectator of your own duel, unable to attack or make a move against me. Perhaps I should just end your misery. Why wait for your Lightforce Sword to vanish, when I can draw a new right arm of Exodia from my deck? The Exodia cards are so rare that most Duelists don't even own a single piece! But I have three copies of each piece, which means there are two more right arms of Exodia waiting in my deck!" Seeker stated, confident he had the duel in the bag. But Yami just smirked and chuckled.

"Hey! What's so funny?!" Seeker asked. 'I know that look, and that means certain doom for anyone who's challenged Yami to a duel.' Twilight thought. "Your deck is loaded with so many Exodia body parts, the odds of drawing another right arm are slim to none." Yami stated. "Well, we'll find out, won't we?" Seeker asked. "Your mistake is relying on one monster, but a good dueling deck requires the right balance of cards. And your one right arm of Exodia is still pinned down by my Lightforce Sword. Which means I have two turns to stop you." Yami explained. "Wishful thinking, Yugi. It's my draw!" Seeker responded before drawing the head of Exodia. 'I knew it! A second Exodia head. It doesn't help, but I've still got the upper hand. And thanks to my Swords of Revealing Light, my life points are safe.' he thought. "Come on, Yuge! You can do it, buddy! Like you said, you've got two turns to stop this card thief!" Joey shouted before Yami drew. "I set one card face down, and I summon Alpha the Magnet Warrior in attack mode!" he stated before his new monster, a level four, Earth attribute Rock monster with 1400 attack points and 1700 defense points, appeared.

"You forget about my Swords of Revealing Light? You can't attack me with that new monster." Seeker pointed out. "You're right, I can't. Yet." Yami responded, confusing Seeker. "But once I destroy your swords, my monsters will be let loose." he continued. "You won't!" Seeker retorted. "And remember, your deck has a tragic flaw; its cluttered with so many Exodia pieces that you squeezed out room for other cards needed to protect your life points. You need more magic and trap cards to destroy my monsters. But all you have in your hand are Exodia cards. And take a look in front of you, Seeker. I've already destroyed two of the few monsters you have in your deck that aren't Exodia pieces, leaving you with nothing to protect yourself against a direct attack. The only thing stopping my monsters is Swords of Revealing Light, a temporary shield which is growing weaker by the second. Once my monsters are free, I'll go after your life points." Yami stated calmly. "Impossible! You'll never break free from my trap before I summon Exodia and obliterate you and your monsters! It's over, Yugi!" Seeker shouted, determined not to let Yami rattle him.

"Not until the last card is played, Seeker!" Yami retorted. "Take him down, Yugi!" Joey shouted. "There's no way you'll be able to summon Exodia in time." Yami stated. "You seem to forget that your monsters are trapped behind my Swords of Revealing Light, and it's my turn!" Seeker responded before drawing the right leg of Exodia. "I bet you drew a duplicate of one of Exodia's body parts." Yami joked. "It makes no difference to me! Your Lightforce Sword will soon disappear and I'll finally have the final piece of Exodia I need to gain an automatic win!" Seeker responded sharply. "But not soon enough." Yami retorted, calmly. 'What if Yugi does discover some way to destroy my Swords of Revealing Light? His monsters will devastate my life points, unless I block them with a monster of my own. Yugi must be forgetting that each individual Exodia piece is a monster on its own, so I can defense myself with my second copy of Exodia's head. I'll be protected, and still have the necessary cards in my hand to summon Exodia.' Seeker thought before reaching for his card of choice.

"I summon the head of Exodia in defense mode! Now you can't strike my life points!" he declared as his Exodia head, which was a level three, Dark attribute spellcaster/effect monster with 1000 attack and defense points by itself, appeared. But Yami just smirked. "That's exactly what I wanted you to do, Seeker. Now it's time for me to destroy Exodia." he said. "What?!" Seeker asked. "You made a costly mistake, and activated my trap card, Chain Destruction!" Yami answered as his card activated, piercing through the head of Exodia that was on the field before striking the ones in Seeker's deck. "It struck my deck!" the Rare Hunter shouted in disbelief. "While it can't destroy your Exodia head on the field, it can destroy the one in your hand and the remaining one in your deck!" Yami explained. "Oh, no! My Exodia heads!" Seeker shouted. "Are gone." Yami concluded, confident in the fact that he was the first to have destroyed Exodia, completely shocking Seeker and everyone around. Even Twilight. "I never thought I'd see the day! Exodia, destroyed!" she said, still in shock.

"Your two remaining Exodia heads have been eliminated from your hand and your deck. And with no heads left to play, you can no longer draw all five pieces into your hand to summon Exodia." he continued. 'No! That's impossible! He found a way to stop the unstoppable Exodia!' Seeker thought, still reeling from what happened. "And I'm not through, Seeker. I also found a way around your Swords of Revealing Light. I activate Dust Tornado!" Yami stated before his trap card was revealed. "This trap allows me to destroy one magic card, allowing me to shatter your Swords of Revealing Light, which allows my monsters, to attack!" he explained. "Next I'll play, Monster Reborn, to revive Chimera the Flying Mythical Beast!" he continued as his fusion monster returned to the field. "Alpha, destroy the final Exodia head!" he commanded before Alpha struck and pierced Exodia's head, destroying it and prompting Seeker to scream for his life. "Now your life points are defenseless against my final attacks. Chimera, will strike first!" he continued before Chimera struck, taking Seeker's life points down to 1900. "And finally, Summoned Skull, will finish you off!" he concluded as Summoned Skull struck Seeker down, dropping his life points to 0, knocking him flat on his back and ending the duel.

"Alright, Yuge! You won!" Joey shouted while Twilight just smiled. Even the crowd was impressed. Even the Kaibas were amazed. "I can't believe it! Yugi defeated Exodia!" Mokuba shouted. "He may have beaten the previously undefeatable Exodia, but I have one of three cards that he'll never be able to defeat, and I'll soon have the other two." Seto said with a confident smile. "I'm heading into the city to join the tournament players." he added as he walked away. "And I better head out to, after all, I am the Battle City commissioner." Mokuba said before starting to follow behind. "If any of you get a signal from Twilight and her friends, transmit it to our contacts at the Domino City Police Department. But if you detect a Duelist using an Egyptian God card, let us know right away!" he said to the technicians, who agreed.

In the city, Yami, Joey and Twilight were examining Seeker's deck. "Way to go, my man." Joey said. "Thanks, Joey." Yami responded before finding Joey's Red-Eyes Black Dragon. "There it is. I'll be taking Joey's Red-Eyes Black Dragon and your Locater Card. There's no need for you to find the location of the finals, now." he said to his fallen opponent before he noticed something. "What is it?" Twilight asked. "Something's rubbing off on my fingers." Yami answered. "Let me see." Twilight suggested before feeling the same thing. "You're right. All these cards have been marked...with invisible ink!" she said in shock. "And I think I know how he managed to find out how he would draw the card he needed." she continued before using her magic on him, to reveal his x-ray contact lens. "This is how he was able to see his next draw, an x-ray contact lens that could see through this invisible ink, letting him see which card he'd draw next!" she concluded. "That guy's nothing but a big fat cheat!" Joey shouted before Yugi tore his cards apart, along with Twilight destroying the x-ray contact lens. "Not anymore!" they both said as Seeker came to.

"I lost... I've failed! Forgive me master! I tried my best!" he shouted, catching the attention of all three. "No! Please don't be angry!" he begged before he started screaming and holding the sides of his head. "No, master! Don't! Please, spare me!" he pleaded while the threesome watched on in slight horror. "Yugi, Twi, that whacko must've completely lost his mind!" Joey suggested. "I think it might be worse than that, Joey." Twilight pointed out, a little spooked as she saw what was happening. "I think Yugi seen this before." she added as the Eye of Anubis appeared on Seeker's forehead. 'That's the Eye of Anubis! It must be the guy who was mind-controlling Bandit Keith!' Yugi thought. "We meet again, Pharaoh! Remember me?" said the puppet master once he gained control of Seeker. "Actually, perhaps you don't. You were within the Puzzle while I dueled little Yugi." he stated, confirming Yugi and Twilight's suspicions. "Congratulations on defeating Seeker, though he was the strongest Duelist in my crew, until you proved that the unbeatable Exodia could be stopped. My other minions will prove much more formidable than Seeker." he continued. "Yuge, Twilight, what's with this guy?' Joey asked.

"It's just as he described before. Seeker is being mind-controlled, like a puppet on strings." Twilight answered. "Pharaoh, I've waited for you for years. Finally, after all this time, I will destroy you." the puppet master said, shocking Yami. "I will not allow my other Rare Hunters to fail me like Seeker here did. I have little time for failures like him, so I've taken over his body and trapped his mind in the Shadow Realm. I am in control!" he continued before demonstrating his power by making Seeker move and flip like he really was a puppet. "This guy's creeping me out!" Joey said, spooked. "You trapped his mind in the Shadow Realm?! Then that means he'll slowly die from his brain. He won't be able to eat or drink anything!" Twilight said in absolute shock. "How are you controlling Seeker?" Yami asked. "Each of the Millennium Items contains its own unique power. So mind control is a simple task with my Millennium Rod." the puppet master answered. "No good can come from a power like that." Yami stated. 'He must be the great evil Izhizu spoke about.' Yugi thought, remembering what Ishizu had told him and Yami.

"Allow me to introduce myself, remember my name... Marik." the madman said. "What is it you want from me, Marik?" Yami asked. "I want what belongs to me, and I'll take it using the strength of the Egyptian God Cards!" Marik answered, puzzling both Yami and Twilight. "Egyptian what?" they both asked. "Millennia ago, a trio of powerful behemoths rampaged throughout ancient Egypt, they were so powerful that the people of ancient Egypt revered them as gods. These Egyptian god monsters spread destruction throughout the world, not just Egypt, until the Pharaoh sealed them away for eternity. But when Maximillian Pegasus created Duel Monsters, he resurrected these mighty beasts as cards. With these Egyptian God Cards, I can destroy you and claim the power I deserve!" Marik explained. "These Egyptian god monsters you speak of, are they more powerful than Exodia?" Twilight asked. "Far more powerful than Exodia, my dear. One can crush armies, while all three can make even the heavens tremble in fear!" Marik answered.

"You speak of claiming the power you think deserve, but you'll never claim the Millennium Puzzle!" Yami stated. "You misunderstand, I want more than the power of the Puzzle, I want the Nameless Pharaoh's power. The boundless energy of the ancient ruler himself! With it, no one will stand in my way! I'll use the almighty magic I gain, to conquer and lead the world! I will be unstoppable! The end is near, Pharaoh! It's my world, now!" Marik clarified. "Not yet, Marik. I'm beginning to understand why Ishizu Ishtar told me to participate in Battle City, its my destiny to stand between you and the power that you seek. And I will." Yami said boldly. "And this time he won't do it alone. He has me and my friends to help him." Twilight added. "I did, indeed, take notice of your own magic. But I have no use for it. I'll let my Rare Hunters deal with you and your friends. They're all over Battle City looking for good prey even as we speak." Marik stated. "Well, we'll stop them. And have them arrested. Your days of stealing cards will soon be over!" Twilight retorted. "And your stealing will be over forever, once I defeat you myself, as per my destiny." Yami added. "Then your destiny is easier said than done, you fool." Marik responded. 'I can't let Marik win, or who knows what darkness will come? He may possess the magic of the Millennium Rod, but I have the strength of my Puzzle! I have to beat him, no matter what!' Yugi thought.

"Pharaoh, your days are numbered. So enjoy the game while you still can, because your reign is coming to an end!" Marik said before releasing the now mindless, and essentially lifeless, Seeker from his control. "Man, that was weird. I knew that Seeker was a creep, but I had no idea that he was a front for an even bigger creep." Joey said. "That's why neither Yami, me or my friends can let Marik accomplish his goals." Twilight stated before Yami tried to return Joey's Red-Eyes. "Here you go, Joey. Take your Red-Eyes back." he said. "No, Yami. You hold on to it. It's not mine to take. You won it from Seeker, fair and square." Joey responded. "But, Joey, it's your best card." Twilight said. "So? The Rare Hunters already collected tons of rare cards, based on what Seeker and his goony boss, Marik, told us. And that means their decks are gonna be tough to beat, even for Yami." Joey responded. "What are you saying, Joey?" Yami asked. "I'm saying, one day, you're gonna need all the powerful monsters you can get, plus, you can think of me whenever you play my Red-Eyes. It's the least I can do to repay you. After all, during and even before Duelist Kingdom, you taught me rules, killer strategies, and everything else I needed to know to get to the finals. I couldn't have done it without your help." Joey answered as he had a flashback to his duel against Yugi/Yami in the finals of Duelist Kingdom.

"That's what friends do." Yami said. "That's my point exactly, Yami. You and Yugi always have my back, so now it's time I helped you for a change. That's why I want you to keep my Red-Eyes Black Dragon. I know it's gonna come in handy for you sometime." Joey pointed out. "Are you really sure?" Twilight asked. "Of course. Besides, this means that a part of me will be a part of Yugi and Yami's deck." Joey answered. "I guess so, and in a way, its like you're helping Yami in his quest to save the world." Twilight pointed out. "Don't get me wrong, I'm still in the contest, and later on down the line, if it comes down to you and me, Yami, I'll have to duel you to get it back." Joey pointed out before pulling his deck out of his Duel Disk. "Not to mention I have another rare card, one that Yugi gave me on the boat to Duelist Kingdom, remember?" he added before pulling it out. "The Time Wizard." Yami said. "Yep, it bailed me out of jams at Duelist Kingdom, and I know it's gonna serve me well in Battle City." Joey concurred before putting the card back in his deck.

"You know, the more I think about it, the more I'd say you each put your hearts in each other's decks. Yugi gave you the Time Wizard that was once his, and you're letting Yami keep the Red-Eyes Black Dragon that was once yours." Twilight said. "Yeah, you're right. And I have a feeling that all of us, you, me, Yami and all the others, we'll beat Marik and his goon squad of Rare Hunters so hard, they won't know what hit em! They'll be sorry they ever decided to target us or even think about setting FOOT in Domino City!" Joey concurred. "Thanks, Joey. I'll take good care of your Red-Eyes Black Dragon." Yami said with a smile. "Don't sweat it, its yours. And good luck." Joey responded before extending his hand, which Yami accepted. "You're a true friend, Joey. And I know that, together, we can take on any evil that comes our way." the wise pharaoh said. "Alright, time to find me a duel! Kaiba set them up, and I'll knock em right back down!" Joey shouted before both Duelists went their separate ways. "Good luck to both of you." Twilight said as they headed off before she, herself, went off in another direction. 'Watch yourself, Marik. Yugi, Twilight, her friends and me will be trailing you and your Rare Hunters ever step of the way in this tournament.' Joey thought.

'Time for the Rare Hunters to become the hunted.' Twilight thought to herself as her two friends went on, both ready for whatever Battle City wanted to throw at them.