Yu-Gi-Oh AU
The Ceremonial Duel
Part 1: The Trial Begins
Overview: Now that pharaoh Atem has gathered all 3 Egyptian God Cards and Millennium Item's, he must complete a ceremonial duel in which he exerts his full power against a worthy adversary at his tomb in Egypt. If he wins he remains on earth until his host dies. If the challenger wins, the pharaoh will be released to the afterlife. It was truly the most important trial of the Pharaoh's life. Rather than Yugi taking up the mantle, he decides the opponent he views as his greatest rival for the challenge.
"I choose you Joey!" Yugi exclaims to the groups shock, Kaiba turning red with rage at the declaration while Joey fidgets. Atem's spirit watches chuckling amused.
"This should be amusing my friend." Atem says.
"W-Wha! Me? You gotta be kidding me their yuges." Joey says before being silenced by a roar from a very angry Kaiba.
"Indeed. You can't let a third rate amateur like Wheeler have a shot at the pharaoh. That honor belongs to me, now gear up Yugi!" Kaiba said sternly as he activates his duel disk, but Yugi glares at him before shaking his head.
"What!" Kaiba gasps.
"I want to duel Joey with the pharaoh by my side. He's always been there for me to bring me up, just like Atem. Joey knows me as a friend and duelist better than anyone. There's no one else I'd rather entrust for a duel this important." Yugi said firmly, his tone surprising his friends. They've rarely ever seen Yugi be this firm and resolute, perhaps he was growing up and didn't need the pharaoh anymore, at least as a mentor. Atem smiles as he sees his host stand his ground as Kaiba grows belligerent. Joey smiles and puts Yugi in a friendly chokehold hearing this praise.
"You got it buddy! Just leave dis to me, I'll clobber Atem and show everyone who da man is!" Joey yells enthusiast, which Tea isn't as she hears this. Feeling a bitter sadness arise in her heart she can only keep silent as she eyes the celebration before her.
"If Yugi loses…then the pharaoh is gone forever huh?" Tea curses in her mind. She knew it was selfish but, she just didn't want to lose a friend. Atem, meanwhile, wasn't keen on losing either. As much as he wanted to lose and go to the afterlife to be with his family and friends from there, he had a responsibility as Yugi's mentor and a duelist to give it his all and make sure the young one was truly ready to separate.
"Well done my friend, but be warned. I won't hold anything back even against Joey. It would be an insult if I didn't" Atem said and Yugi nodded in confirmation.
And so….the next day they arrive at the ceremonial shrine in Egypt, friends and family in attendance.
"You ready Joey?" Atem and Yugi ask in unison.
"You bet, you taught me everything you know about dueling" Joey said as he activates his duel disk.
"Almost everything." Yugi and Atem say with a smirk as they activate their duel disk.
"LETS DUEL!"
(The duel will commence with anime rules and card effects (so variations from real life), both players start with 4000 LP and can draw on their first turn. The () icon at the start and end of the turns will indicate cards in hand. Atem will go first.)
Turn 1: Atem draws (6).
"Here we go Joey!" (Yugi)
"Bring it Yug!" (Joey)
"I discard a card to summon the Trickey! (2000 ATK). Then I place 2 cards Face-down and end my turn." Atem (2).
Turn 2: Joey draws (6)
"Lets see here, his Tricky has 2000 ATK, that's tough but so is dis bad boy." Joey thinks to himself as he draws his monster.
"I summon Panther Warrior!" (2000 ATK). Then I activate da magic card Reinforcements of the Army! It lets me knab a level 4 or below Warrior from my deck, so I add Knight of Lanstar! Den I activate da spell card Landstar Forces, which brings out all my Landstar monsters to da field from my hand!" Joey yells.
"Oh I see, Joey is planning to wipe out the Trickey with Panther Warrior then swoop in with his remaining monsters for a direct attack!" Bakura says amazed.
"Way to go man!" Tristen yells his support. Joey then special summons Swordsman of Landstar in DEF (1200), Brigadier of Landstar in ATK (900) and Knight of Landstar in ATK (1000). In response Yugi activates his set TRICKY PILL 4, letting him tribute his Trickey to special summon Tokens of it equal to the number of monsters on Joeys field though forbidden to attack, he has 4 so Atem/yugi gets 4 Tokens (2000 ATK). Joey winces as he sees this.
"Ah nuts! My plan's ruined now!" Joey curses before he sets a card.
"I end my turn!" (Joey) (0 hand)
"Oh man I knew this was a mistake!" Duke says annoyed.
"Tell me about it, that's why wheeler should have stayed in his dog house and let a real champion duel the pharaoh." Kaiba says bitterly.
"Easy everybody, true Yugi got ahead now, but the game is still early. Lets just wait and see what happens before we count Joey out just yet." Solomon Muto said sternly as he glares at the duel intensely, trying not to take his eyes off it for a moment.
"Glad I wore contacts. Now keep your cool Joseph, it's your only hope." Solomon thought. He trained both boys to be champion duelists and couldn't help but feel pride for them both, as well as a somberness at the stakes of this duel. Yet he knew it wasn't anyone elses place to pass judgment so he kept his tongue, he just had to hope something good would come of this duel.
"It's my move Joey!" (Atem)
Turn 3: Yugi/Atem draws. Their eyes flicker at what they drew.
(3)
"Now I sacrifice 3 of my token's, so that I can play OBELISK THE TORMENTOR!" Yugi yells as he does so, Obelisk arises from a quake in the ground and pillar of blue light (4000 atk) , letting out a bellow that shakes the group and Joey.
"Not dat!" Joey cries as he sees Obelisk. Great! Now he had to face an Egyptian god again. He still felt the burn marks on his stomach when Ra blasted him. It wasn't pretty, so he was glad he had an army of monsters to protect him….at least for now.
"Obelisk attack! Destory his Panther Warrior with your fist of furry!" Yugi yells as Obelisk charges up blue energy in its fist, striking Panther warrior and destroying it. (Joey LP 4000-2000).
"I place 1 card face-down and end my turn." (Atem)
(1 in hand)
Turn 4: Joey draws (1)
"I play da magic card Roll of fate! Now I roll a die, whatever the number lands on I draw that many cards so long as I discard that many from the deck." Joey says.
"Great, wheelers using luck again." Kaiba says sarcastically.
"I activate, Magic Jammer Joey, now I discard 1 card from my hand to negate your Magic card." Yugi says to Joey's shock, but as he see's yugi discard he sees what it is and gets an idea.
"I activate da trap Graverobber! Now I steal that trap you just discarded!" Joey yells to Yugi and the other's shock.
"What card did Yugi get rid off?" Duke asks curious.
"I play da trap, Seven tools of da Bandit! Now I can pay 1000 LP (Joey 2000-1000) and negate dat trap so my magic card's not going anywhere!" Joey yells. Yugi smiles as everyone looks shocked at his brilliant play.
"Nice move Joey, using my own cards to your advantage." Yugi/Atem say impressed. Joey just grins wide and rubs his nose amused. The large white die reappears and rolls on 6.
"Bingo! He shoots, he scores, he draws 6 cards." Joey yells as he draws 6 (hand 6) and sends 6 cards from the top of his deck to the graveyard (Ultimate Baseball kid, Command Knight, metalmorph, Gilford the lightning, Lightning Blade, and Silent swordsman LV 1).
"Nice! Now I play Blue Flame Swordsman, and I'm throwing him in atk mode! (ATK 1800). Next I activate da magic card premature buriel, I pay 800 LP to bring my Silent swordsman LV 1 back in ATK mode (1000 ATK) (Joey LP 1000-200) Then I play Burning soul sword and equip it to my Blue Flame Swordsman, now when I sacrifice another monster, Blue flame swordsman gets its ATK, so I sacrifice my 3 landstars to add their ATK points to him, (1800-2700-3200-4200).
"Wow look at that! His monsters even stronger than Obelisk now!" Mokuba exclaims, but Kaiba simply folds his arms in disproval.
"True, but wheeler is forgetting those face-downs, not to mention the fact he's got only 200 LP left. This will never work." Kaiba sneers. Joey here's this and gets mad.
"Oh yeah rich boy!? Just watch me, attack!" Joey cries as Blue flame swordsman unleashes a stream of blue fire at Obelisk. Suddenly it gets shock with electricity and drops the sword to everyone's shock.
"I activate, my electromagnetic turtle, it created an impenetrable defense, ending your battle phase Joey!" Atem says as he takes the card out of the graveyard.
"I never sent dat card there?" Joey protests.
"But I did, when I summoned the Trickey, you'll need more than power to defeat me Joey." Yugi said sternly. Joey sets 3 cards and ends.
(0 hand)
Turn 5. Yugi draws (1)
"I activate Card of Sanctity, now we each draw from our decks until were both holding 6 cards!" (Yugi and Joey hands 0-6)
"Now Obelisk attack, wipe out his silent swordsman and the rest of his Life Points!" Yugi roars as obelisk charges up its fist of fate. The group is horrified, knowing if it strikes Yugi wins!
"Not so fast there pal I activate my traps!" Joey yells.
"But Joey, traps don't work on Obelisk so why?" Yugi asks but Joey smirks.
"I'll show ya, I play ground erosion, and turn jump to move 3 turns ahead. Now that battlefield underneath obelisk is weakened with each turn, and since turn jump moved it 3 turns ahead, any monster standing their like Obelisk loses 500 ATK per turn and can't use their special abilities. (Obelisk 4000-2500). Not only that, but each time a turn passes by my swordsman evolves and gets 500 ATK. (Silent LV1-4, ATK 1000-2500)
"Brilliant move but I activate my summon clock trap card!" Yugi yells to Joey's shock. Yugi tributes The trickey token he has left and gets to add a counter to summon clock each turn that passes. Thanks to turn jump, it gets 3 so Yugi can send it to the grave to summon 1 monster per counter, so 3.
"I summon Queen's knight and kings night which automatically summons Jacks night from my deck to join them (1500, 1600, and 1900 ATK). One left…so I summon SLIFER THE SKY DRAGON!" Yugi cries to the groups shock.
"No way!" Marik yells astonished.
"Another Egyptian God!?" Kaiba yells and Joey gasps. Lightning erupts from Yugi's duel disk as Slifer is played, it's shadow roaring as it materializes in a red glow from the shadow and baring it's fangs at Joey to which he sweats nervously.
"As you all know my dragon's ATK and DEF is based on the number of cards in my hand and I'm holding 3 cards which grants it 3000 each (Slifer ATK 3000).
"I activate my Blue Flame swordsman's ability, now it can transfer 100 ATK points or more to any other monster and I choose my silent swordsman. (Blue Flame loses 600 4200-3600. Silent Swordsman LV 4 (3100 ATK)
"Nice moves, now all of Joey's monsters are stronger than Yugi's, especially since Obelisk can't use its abilities now." Tristen yells confidently. Kaiba nods silently. Having owned that God card once, he knew what Tristen said was true. Obelisk could attack on Wheeler's turn by sacrificing 2 monsters to gain infinite strength or inflict 4000 LP battle damage directly. He hated to admit it, but Wheeler made a smart move.
"Is that what you think?" Yugi cryptically calls out making everyone sweat nervously.
"I still have one final monster to play Joey!" Yugi calls out and Joey gasps as he realizes whats coming.
"Not that card." Joey whispers, his burn scars itching as he sees Atem/Yugioh pull a card from their hand seriously. He knew what was coming no matter how much he dreaded it.
"I sacrifice…my queen's knight, my jacks knight and my king's knight!" Atem/Yugioh yelled.
"Is he?" Kaiba asks despite knowing the truth.
"He is!" Marik yells in confirmation. He couldn't help but feel bad for Joey, remembering what he did when possessed by evil to the poor boy with that card. Now he feared history would repeat itself as he heard the ancient chant and saw Atem glow yellow.
"The ancient chant, he knows it!" Ishizu cries.
"Almighty protector of the sun and sky, I beg of thee please head my cry! Transform thyself from Orb of light, and bring me victory in this fight. I beseech thee, grace out humble game…but first I shall, call out thy name,
WINGED DRAGON OF RA!" Yugi/Atem yells as his card glows yellow and he flexes it in the air to everyone's shock as they see the card.
"BEHOLD THE THIRD EGYPTIAN GOD!" Atem yells as he places it on the duel disk, summoning Ra in sphere mode as it glows bright and slowly unlocks itself.
"Now what am I going to do?!" Joey said in fear, he couldn't imagine how strong under Yugi this beast that killed him once (if temporarily) could be.
As Ra transforms into dragon form, it lets out a roar that ripples through the temple, shaking everyone.
"Unbelievable!" Tea cries out in shock just like everyone else.
"He played all 3 Egyptian Gods at once!" Kaiba yelled.
Joey gulped as he saw the three behemoths glaring down on him, the pressure was enormous, just like what Yugi and Atem were about to say to him.
"Joey! Your true trial will now begin!" Yugi hollers as he stands before his 3 strongest monsters ever played.
Author notes
Well part 1 over. I promise in the next chapters more action and strategies from both duelists. Ever since Joey got back Red eyes I always assumed he won in battle city against Yugi or draw against him, too bad no one saw it happen then he'd get respect. It got me thinking, what if he faced Atem instead of Yugi for all his friends to see? Can he topple the gods in a way Yugi couldn't? Can he even win or will just settle for a draw? Leave reviews to let me hear ideas, they may help in writing the duel.