Disclaimer: I still don't own Yu-Gi-Oh

Ben's pov

" The real Weevil would've lost too." I told Dimitri after our match, echoing Riley's voice in my head as he asked. " Intimations are mere shadows of the real thing. Therefore if the original doesn't stand a chance neither does an inferior copy."

{" Any particular reason we're being kinda rude to this guy?" } I asked fully aware that Dimitri was glaring at me.

{ " First of all that little speech was way nicer than I would've been had I been in control."} Riley said before continuing. { " Second of all he was imitating Weevil of all people just for that he deserved it. Honestly if you're going to be nothing more than a copy of someone else at least copy the best, not some third rate duelist." }

{ " What were you going to say if I wasn't to serve as a filter? "} I asked almost afraid to know the answer. Riley could be kinda rude to others often without even trying.

{ " Probably something like"Game over, at least for you it is," or " You have been weighed, you have been measured and you have been found wanting." you can't go wrong with a good quote."} Riley said casually.

" Next time we meet I'll beat you and I'll do it as a so called inferior copy." Dimitri snarled at us as he stormed off.

We were taken back to the waiting room. For some reason neither of us could understand every participant was kept separated from each other. Turning towards the TV in the room we watched as the next match started. A blond girl was dueling a boy with green hair. The blond girl seemed very skilled her monsters seemed to have some sort of ice skater theme but every time she would back the green haired boy into a corner he would immediately draw something to reverse the advantage.

{ " Ok there is no way that guy isn't cheating."} I declared after the third miraculous draw green haired boy performed.

{ " Maybe? We'll have to duel him to be sure." } Riley said though his denial seemed hollow. { " Her monsters look familiar though."}

Sure enough after a few more turns the blond girl lost the duel and the green haired kid advanced to the next round. The next six matches were relatively uninteresting in comparison no one stood out like the blond had.

We were collected shortly after the last match and escorted back out to the arena. To face our next opponent a blue haired boy named Jason. Setting my deck down in the red corner again I readied myself for the duel.

{ " Do you have to keep taking the red corner. There's a blue corner that is better because it's blue."} Riley whined.

{ " What does it matter."} I said already exasperated with Riley's insistence on color superiority.

{" Because blue is a better color."} Riley said actually managing to sound indigent. Despite the fact I could feel he didn't really mean it.

{ " Enough distracting me. We have a duel to win."} I said secretly grateful for the fact he kept distracting me so I wouldn't get nervous.

" Duel." All three of us said as Jason and I drew our hands.

" I'll go first." I declared drawing a card. Taking a moment to consider my hand which had: Pot of Greed, Cost down, Electric Snake, Nightmare Magician, Double Summon, Command Silencer.

{" Ben play Cost Down first and discard Electric Snake."} Riley said, stopping me from playing Pot Of Greed.

{ " Why? Won't playing Pot of Greed give me the same amount of cards? "} I asked confused as to why Riley was having me do this but switching the card in my left hand to cost down. " I'll play the spell card Cost Down by discarding one card the levels of all monsters in my hand by two until the end of the turn."

A spectral hologram of Electric Snake appeared and dove towards my deck.

" Since I discarded Electric Snake I get to draw two cards." I said drawing, Emissary Of The Afterlife and Polymerization.

{ " Now use Double Summon and sacrifice Emissary Of The Afterlife to summon Nightmare Magician."} Riley instructed.

" Now I'll summon my Emissary Of The Afterlife in attack mode. But that's not all with the magic card Double Summon I can summon another monster so I'll sacrifice my Emissary to summon Nightmare Magician." I said following his plan and relishing in the comforting feeling having my ace on the field gave me. " When Emissary Of The Afterlife leaves the field we can both search for a level 3 or lower normal monster."

I searched through my deck and added my Imaginary Actor to my hand after showing it to Jason. I then grabbed Pot of Greed with the intention of playing it.

{ " Not yet, wait until the next turn for now just set Command Silencer." } Riley said confusing me.

" I'll set a facedown and end my turn." I declared still unsure why Riley insisted I not play Pot of Greed.

" My turn." Jason declared drawing a card. " I'll play Unexpected Dai to special summon Megalomasher X in attack position. Then I'll normal summon Hyper HammerHead in attack mode. Battle Hyper HammerHead attacks your Nightmare Magician."

" Nightmare Magician has more attack, your monster will be destroyed." I said. { " Riley why's he doing this? "}

{ " Hyper HammerHead will return Nightmare Magician to our hand after the battle. Just be glad his hand must not be great, dinosaurs can be annoying." } Riley explained as Nightmare Magician clashed with the Hyper HammerHead and was sent back to our hand. Ripping away my sense of security.

Jason's LP: 3000

Ben/Riley's LP: 4000

" Now Megalomasher X attack his life points directly." Jason declared pointing at me.

{" Quick, play Command Silencer."} Riley ordered.

I flipped the card up and a totem pole like idol appeared loud noise coming from it.

" That was my face down Command Silencer it negates your attack and lets me draw a card." I declared while drawing Imaginary Arc Turbo.

" I'll set three cards and end my turn." Jason said as he set the three cards.

" My turn I draw." I declared drawing Imaginary Arc Tower. { " Now should I play Pot of Greed? "}

{ " Yes, now play Pot of Greed."} Riley instructed.

" I'm activating my Pot Of Greed spell card to draw two cards." I declared drawing Mystical Space Typhoon and Gracesaurus. { " What do I do now? Do I Fusion first or try and get rid of the back row?" }

{ " The back row first." } Riley answered, { " The middle set card first with Mystical Space Typhoon."}

" I play Mystical Space Typhoon to destroy your middle facedown." I declared as I placed it in the spell zone. A typhoon swept across the the field and destroyed his face down which was Magic Cylinders. I moved to activate Polymerization.

{ " This is an intertwined fate, a forbidden existence born from joining. Fusion Summon Cyborg type Metarion Ladonstar"} Riley spoke almost as if he wasn't aware he was doing it while I played Polymerization and fused Imaginary Actor with Gracesaurus. Semi transparent images of my two monsters began merging into a light blue and purple three headed hydra looking thing.

{ " Great now use Metarion Ladonstar's choice effect discarding Nightmare Magician to reduce his Megalomasher X 's attack points to zero. After that use Imaginary Arc Tower." }

" I activate Ladonstar's choice effect. With it by sending one card from my hand to the graveyard I can reduce a monster's attack points by 1500 or if I can reduce all dinosaur monsters attacks by 2000. I chose the second effect." I declared as both his monsters had their attack lowered to zero. " Now I'll play my field spell Imaginary Arc Tower."

Dark colored circus tents appeared and surrounded the field.

" Battle Metarion Ladonstar attacks your Megalomasher X." I said pointing at Megalomasher X.

" I activate mirror force." Jason said flipping up his trap.

"{ "Useless due to Imaginary Arc Tower my level nine light monster can't be destroyed by trap cards."} " both Riley and I said in unison as Ladonstar ignored mirror force and destroyed Megalomasher X.

Jason's LP: 200

Ben/Riley LP: 4000

{ " What now? We don't have anything we can do and his Hyper HammerHead is still on the field."} I asked wondering what Ben's plan was.

{ " Set Imaginary Arc Turbo."} Riley said. {" He'll need to draw something since attacking with Hyper HammerHead would finish him off."}

" I set a card and end my turn." I declared.

" My move I draw." Jason said drawing his card. Looking at it he seemed to be disappointed. " I switch Hyper HammerHead to defense mode and set a monster in defense mode. I end my turn."

" My turn." I said placing my hand on top of my deck to draw a card. My hand was trembling, if I didn't draw something good here Jason could counter attack on his next turn. I wasn't supposed to be here I was ordinary if not for housing Riley. He'd know exactly what to do if he were in control.

{ " Let me take over, your hands trembling. You've gotten us this far now let me take us the rest of the way."} Riley said softly. Riley unlike me could avoid screaming as long as he didn't have to switch more than twice in a day, so I let go allowing him to take over, as I basked in the pleasant weightlessness feeling that came with letting go and no longer feeling any pressure.

" My turn." Riley declared drawing the card even as I felt a surge of pain shot through him. " I'll play the equip spell Fairy Meteor Crush. After all a meteor is all it takes to wipe out some dinosaurs. Battle Metarion Ladonstar attacks your Hyper HammerHead. ! Impact Radiant Trident ! "

The three heads of Ladonstar each charged a beam of light and simultaneously fired them at Hyper HammerHead destroying it and reducing Jason's LP to zero.

Author's Note:

So we get round two of regionals from Ben's perspective. We also get the debut of the Metarion cards from sevens. I wonder if being rude to some "random" Weevil cosplayer will have some impact later on down the road.

As always thanks everyone for reading.

Next time: Round 3 of regionals from someone's perspective.