Wolfie: I don't own Yu-Gi-Oh, I only own Yuki and all plot alterations to add her in. Please read and review.
Chapter 8: Into the Hornet's Nest
"Man, this Duelist Kingdom looks like a pretty big place, Yuki. Finding your grandpa's not gonna be easy." Joey said as the boat was getting close to docking at the island, which was humongous now that their so close to it.
"I don't care about that. What I care about is we gotta start looking somewhere." Yuki said as she looked around as the boat comes into port, there was alot of ground to cover.
"Yea, but where big sis?" Yugi asked as he was looking around as well, still being held up by his sister.
"Dunno yet Yugi." Yuki said as part of her doubted that whatever contained her grandpa's soul was out in the open.
As Yuki was deep in thought the boat dropped anchor once it was at the docks and the men in suits were getting everything ready for all of the duelists to get off the boat. Joey wasn't to worried about getting off since he had everything necessary to stay on the island. Yugi wasn't worried either since he doubted they would send a defenseless 8 year old all the way home alone. However Tristan wasn't as cool headed as the other two boys were, he actually didn't understand how they could be calm. Not when at least three of them stowed away on the ship. Those three being him, Tea, and Yugi and if anybody finds out that they aren't duelists then they'll get in trouble and be sent back home or worse.
They could get arrested for being uninvited guests on private property. All of these what if thoughts were making the brunette male sweat bullets as he looked around nervously at all of the men in suits. These men were scattered around the beach near the docks as well as on the docks. Yuki noticed the guys in suits as well as she had a deadpan look on her face. She really didn't think all of the security was needed for a tournament like this. Especially since the tournament is on an island in the middle of the ocean in the middle of nowhere so its not like anyone can runaway before they get kicked out. Plus nobody can get here because to do that they would need a boat or a plane or helicopter ans they would also need to know where the island is in order to get there.
So the end result is no one can get off of the island on their own and no one can get onto the island on their own. So once again the excessive security was not needed. Of course her opinion is just one persons opinion, and if Pegasus was paranoid enough to need to have tens of thousands of security guards then whoopty-fucking-do for him. All Yuki is here for anyways is her grandpa's soul, so she could care less about how many security guards are here. So long as they don't get in the way of he reclaiming her grandpa's soul then everything would be fine.
"Whoa. Check out the suits." Joey said as he noticed all of the guys in suits on the ground.
"Honestly this seems a bit overkill to me..." Yuki mumbled as she looked at the guys in suits. They had all moved from the bow of the boat to the deck. Other duelists were also on the deck so they weren't the only ones out there.
"Attention, all duelists. Please disembark in an orderly fashion." A man said over the P.A. system as the duelists do as he says.
"Hey, Tea, what if one of those security guys finds out you, Yugi, and I are stowaways?" Tristan asked, voicing his concerns as he leans down in order to talk to Tea. This caused said girl to look at him with a frown on her face at his paranoia. "We oughta just play it safe and swim back." Tristan said as he glanced at the guys in suits out of the corner of his eye.
"We're in the middle of nowhere, lamebrain!" Tea said loudly and fairly harshly as she gave Tristan a "your insane" look. This caused said male to recoil slightly at how loud she was being as he was still nervous. "If you can just try and act normal, we'll be okay." Tea said before they started to get off the boat with Yuki, Yugi, Joey, and the rest of the duelists.
"Ah! Land sweet land, oh how I've missed you!" Yuki said, glad to have her feet back on solid ground once again.
"Dramatic much, Yuki?" Yugi asked as he looked up at his sister, he had decided to walk off of the boat.
'Just act cool. Act cool.' Tristan thought to himself as he walked down the ramp behind Tea. He was hoping if he told himself to act cool then he would automatically act cool. 'Cool as a cucumber. Keep it cool-' Tristan continued to think that to himself as he walked stiffly past the men in suits like one of those wind up soldier toys.
"Hey, you!" One man in a suit said as he cut off Tristan's train of thought and made him go stiff as a statue. This caused Yuki, Joey, Yugi, and Tea to look back and see what the commotion was about. "Don't look so nervous. You guys are our guests." The man in the suit said to a nervous Tristan who was once again sweating bullets.
"That's right!" Tristan said as he quickly composed himself and turned towards the man. He was so relieved that the guy in the suit just assumed he was another duelist. "I'm your guest." Tristan said with a small bow before quickly and stiffly walked away.
"Ha ha! Ooh you sure told him." Yugi said once Tristan go over to where their group had been standing and waiting for him. Said brunette was squatting with his hands on his knees as he was panting.
"I think I just had a heart attack." Tristan said as he stood up straight and placed a hand over his racing heart.
"Way to play it cool, Tristan. That wasn't suspicious at all." Tea said sarcastically as she placed her hands on her hips.
"All right! Every single one of us made it here safe and- AH-CHOO!" Joey started to say only to cut himself off as he sneezes.
"Eww!" Tea exclaimed as she jumped out of the way in order to dodge the sneeze since Joey had sneezed right at her.
"Dammit, you wouldn't have caught that cold if that little weasel Weevil hadn't done what he did." Yuki said bitterly as she looked up at Joey, the memory replaying in her head.
Flashback beginning
"Say good bye to Exodia!" Weevil said as he threw the golden sarcophagus over the side of the boat.
"No!" Yuki shouted as she ran over and jumped over the side of the boat, going after the sarcophagus that held her extra deck.
Though in the heat of the moment she forgot that she couldn't swim and was sinking down towards the golden sarcophagus rather than swimming towards it. All she was thinking about was saving her extra deck from sitting at the bottom of the ocean. She would worry about the consequences later as she saw that the sarcophagus was a little ways from her. It was sinking fast though as she willed herself to sink faster, managing to grab it as two of the Exodia cards floated out. She lost what little air she had left before she could grab them and put them back though. She didn't remember much after that but she knew that Joey jumped in after her. Then their friends and her brother helped them back on deck with a rope ladder they had found.
Flashback ending
"Speaking of our wormy friend, looks like he just slithered his way off the boat and is already looking to start some trouble." Joey said as he was looking past his friends towards the bug duelist they were talking about. Said cyan haired boy was looking over at them from his spot a few ways away from them. "That slimeball. I'd love to wipe that smirk off his face." Joey said as Weevil was indeed smirking at the moment as he continued to look at them.
'You're not the only one Joey, but Weevil is not our main priority at the moment.' Yuki thought, her eyebrows furrowing in frustration as she grits her teeth slightly.
"Welcome, all duelists! Please, follow the stairs to meet your host." Kemo said as he motioned to a long set of stairs that lead up to the castle that oversees the whole island.
"Wow, a big castle, on an even bigger island. Yea, that definitely doesn't make it seem like Pegasus is compensating for something..." Yuki said sarcastically as she looks up at the castle that most definitely belonged to Pegasus.
"What do you mean by that sis?" Yugi asked as he looked up at his sister, to innocent to know what she was talking about.
"I'll tell you in 9 years when your my age." Yuki said with a small smile as she ruffles her little brother's hair.
"Aw no fair, I wanna know now!" Yugi said with a pout as he fixes his ruffled hair, not liking how he was too young to know the meaning behind what she said.
"Whelp, that castle is most definitely Pegasus's." Yuki said as she looked back towards the castle as duelists began to go up the stairs.
"Then what are we waiting for?" Joey asked as he walked past Yuki and Yugi towards the stairs.
Yuki, her friends, and her brother then began the trek up the flight of stairs that went in a zigzag shape. It was designed this way in order to follow the natural rock that leads to the cliff/mountain that the castle was on. Since Yugi was smaller than the rest of them it wasn't long before his sister had to start carrying him alongside her big back pack full of everything that she thought she'd need. The older Muto sibling didn't make a fuss in regards to carrying her brother, after all it was her job as the older sister to do things like this. However it really didn't help that she was doing this whilst on a long flight of steps. It was definitely giving her quite the work out as there was at least 1,000 steps that she had to climb. That being added to also carrying the weight of her brother and her back pack full of stuff.
Joey and even Tristan had offered to lessen her burden by carrying her back pack or her brother for her. She kindly declined their offers because it was her stuff and her brother. Nobody was going to carry either one of them but her, after all she had basically dragged her friends and brother into what might be a dangerous situation. So she didn't want to become an inconvenience to them. So they just kept going, and the farther up the stairs they went the harder the trek got. They simply just pushed on though because they needed to get up to the castle before Pegasus comes out to talk. Though, once again, in Yuki's opinion things would have gone by alot faster if Pegasus hadn't made the decision to put his castle atop a mountain/cliff. That and then hadn't decided to forced his contestants to climb up towards it.
"Ugh... if Pegasus... is rich enough... to have... an island... then why... couldn't he... have added... an escalator?" Yuki asked in between her panting as she was only at the first break between stairs. Setting her brother and backpack down for a moment she leaned over, hands on her knees to support herself. "Good god, I need to work on my cardio..." Yuki mumbled as she took a moment to catch her breath.
"It's okay Yuki, I'm not good at that either." Yugi said as he patted his sister's back, reassuring her she's not the only one with bad cardio.
"Huh? What's that?" Tea asked as she stopped walking and looked down towards the forest on the left side of the stairs. She thought she saw someone near the trees and that that someone looked like Bakura.
"What'd you see?" Yuki asked as she had finally caught her breath, looking back at Tea.
"It looked like... Bakura." Tea said as she pointed towards the tree she had saw him by.
"Bakura? As in the soft spoken adorable albino from school?" Yuki asked as she turned towards Tea before looking where she was pointing, she had always thought Bakura was adorable. In an innocent sort of way and nothing more since he just wasn't her type.
"Again with this Bakura stuff?" Tristan asked as he glanced down towards the forest as well to see if Bakura was really there.
"Where is he, Tea?" Joey asked as he looked around for the disappearing reappearing albino as well.
"I don't see nothing..." Yugi said as he had been hopping up and down in order to see over the stone railing of the stairs.
"That's two times that I've seen him now, but he's not there anymore. Maybe it's all in my head." Tea said as her head tilts to the side in confusion as she speaks.
"Come on. We're on a rescue mission, remember?" Tristan asked as they all started walking again as soon as Yuki picked up her backpack and her brother again. Though unbeknownst to them Bakura peeked out from behind the tree he was hiding behind, watching them closely.
"Wow, look! That's Weevil Underwood! He's the Regional champion." One duelist said from beside another duelist as they had all gathered below the stone balcony of the castle.
"And that's the runner up- Rex Raptor." The second duelist said as he glanced over at said dino duelist after looking at the bug duelist as well.
"And there's Mako Tsunami. He was ranked third." A third duelist said as he looked at a tan shirtless male with navy blue hair, equally navy blue eyes, a spear in his hand, and a scar on his left cheek.
"Wow, these are all the best duelists in the world, but wheres the World champion Kaiba?" The seconded duelist asked since he didn't see the cobalt eyed brunette CEO anywhere.
"Didn't you hear? Some kid beat him. On his own turf, too." The first duelist said, relaying the news that he had heard from other duelists on the boat.
"Are you serious? I thought Kaiba was the best." The second duelist said, shocked that someone beat the person who was supposed to be the best of them all.
"He was, but not anymore. Yuki's supposed to be the kid to beat now." The first duelist said as a near by Yuki began to blush in embarrassment at the fact that they were talking about her. Plus the fact that her friends and brother were giving her smiles in regards to her sudden popularity didn't help much.
"Attention! Please gather around. Your benevolent host is anxious to greet you all." Kemo said into a megaphone from the balcony as everyone looks up towards said stone balcony.
"Humph, benevolent my ass..." Yuki mumbled to herself as she looked up towards the balcony with a death glare on her face.
"Boy, would I like to get just five minutes alone with that guy." Joey said as he looked up at the balcony with a glare as well as Pegasus steps out onto the balcony.
"There will be a line Joey, if anyone's getting a crack at him first it'll be me." Yuki said softly since she also wanted a piece of Pegasus as she remembered all to clearly what happened.
Flashback beginning
"Tsk, tsk, tsk. When next we duel, we shall play for..." Pegasus began to say as he trailed off, moving the curtain of hair from infront of his Millennium Eye. This gave Yami Yuki a good look at the golden eye that was so alike to the one on the front of her puzzle. "Far higher stakes." Pegasus said causing the bearer of the Millennium Puzzle to gasp in shock as she watches him with wide eyes. She was just unable to move as she continues to just watch everything happen in shock. "You see, I have found that given the proper incentive, anyone can be made to play my game." Pegasus said before his Millennium Eye begin's to shine brightly.
All Yami Yuki could do was shield her eyes as a bright golden light bursts forth from the TV and strikes the frozen form of her grandfather as it is absorbed into his body. The frozen form of Solomon flashes white before his soul is forcibly pulled from his body. Then it got sucked into the TV by an invisible force as it becomes just a bolt of white light. Before she could even blink his picture appeared on the TV, glitching out as it was over the static of the now finished video tape that had once been her dueling partner.
"Yuki!" Solomon said, his hands pressed to the screen of the TV and his mouth agape.
"Grandpa!" A now back to normal Yuki said, practically yelling as she held onto the sides of the TV as the image of her grandpa faded away.
Flashback ending
'I don't care what happens, I'm not gonna leave this damn island till I've saved Grandpa. Come hell or high water, I will not be beaten by whatever Pegasus has planned for me.' Yuki thought with a frown and furrowed brows as she looked up at Pegasus who was looking down at her as well for a moment.
"Greetings, duelists! I am Maximilian Pegasus! It is my great honor and pleasure to welcome you all to the Duelist Kingdom. You stand before me, the world's greatest duelists! But come tournaments end, only one shall be crowned King of Games!" Pegasus said with the occasional dramatic hand gesture as he looks down at the collection of duelists infront of him.
"Or Queen, ya sexist bastard..." Yuki mumbled as she pulled out her deck, looking at it for a moment.
"Yea, there are girls here too." Yugi said with a frown, thinking it was weird that Pegasus made it seem like only a guy could win the tournament.
"I implore you all to assemble your dueling decks with care, with creativity, and with cunning, for this competition will test your skills like never before!" Pegasus said as this caused all of the duelists to look down at their decks. Most of them had traded whilst on the boat so they felt pretty prepared for the tournament. "To track your progress in the tournament, you've each been given a dueling glove. You've also been given two precious star chips. You must wager these star chips on each duel you compete in." Pegasus said as he held up a dueling glove in his right hand and star chips in his left hand to show what they are.
"At least now we know that the star chips are for." Yuki said as she took out her own dueling glove and slipped it onto her right hand. She was honestly surprised that it fit her hand, and also creeped out because how did they know what size her hand was? Shaking her head slightly at that thought she placed her one star chip in one of the star shaped slots as she looked at it.
"To advance to the final level of competition for a chance at the 3 million dollar prize, you must win ten star chips! Ten star chips will admit you into my castle, where you'll face me in one final duel!" Pegasus said as he held up a single star chip, continuing his explanation as to why the star chips were needed.
'Grandpa, if he is here, I'd bet my dueling glove that he's hidden somewhere in the castle. Though I'll never get in there with all of the guards around this place.' Yuki thought as she looked up at Pegasus one last time before looking at Joey. Said blond was just holding his one star chip because he doesn't have a dueling glove to put it in. 'Joey and I are just gonna need to win enough star chips so we can get inside then. Not exactly a fast plan but it's a plan nonetheless...' Yuki thought as she turned her focus back towards Pegasus.
"This will be a tournament unlike anything you have ever experienced. State of the art dueling arenas cover this entire island, and intriguing new dueling rules will be in effect. I could tell you what these new rules are, but what fun would that be? You'll discover them as you compete, or you won't last very long. Remember, play boldly, think strategically, and duel mercilessly!" Pegasus said as he hoped the duelists would take his advice to heart since it may save them. Then again he hoped they didn't because then it would be far more entertaining for him to watch. "You have one full hour to prepare, both your cards and yourselves. When the skies light up with fireworks, the duels will begin!" Pegasus said before he turned and began to head inside as the crowd of duelists begin to cheer. As the crimson suit wearing billionaire walks back inside his castle he was deep in thought. 'The duelists have arrived. Yuki has taken the bait, and the games are about to begin! Everything goes according to plan.' Pegasus thought as he walked down the pastel colored hallway of his castle to where he could view the duels in absolute comfort.
'I have gotta win my way into the castle. I just gotta!' Yuki thought with a clenched fist as she looked up at the stone castle.
After making the trip all the way back down the stairs Yuki, Yugi, Tea, Tristan, and Joey decided to wait in a meadow until it was time for the duels to begin. The small girl would have worked on her deck if she had known what kind of rules this tournament had but since she didn't she was going in blindly on this one. However she was confident that her grandpa's deck had the right cards to help her overcome any challenge that may come her way during this tournament. Besides, with the heart of the cards on her side and the support of her friends and little brother she knew she could do this. She knew this even more so now than she did when she was on the boat coming here. However Joey wasn't as confident and optimistic as Yuki was about this situation.
Unlike her, he was still technically considered a newbie to the tournament scene and to the game itself. He honestly felt like he was going to get crushed in his first duel before he can even come up with a decent strategy that'd actually possibly help him win any duel. So right now Joey just felt like dead weight holding Yuki back from achieving her goal of rescuing her grandpa. Even if he was here dueling for a cause that is just as good as her cause for dueling is. Nevertheless, even though his sister needs that money for her operation. He didn't think it would be right for his friend to lose one star chip just because he didn't have time to get to the level of dueling that she is at.
"Yuki, I don't think I can win this thing. Maybe it'd be best for you to take your star chip back." Joey said as he held up said star chip, prepared to give it back to her.
"No, keep it Joey. You have your little sister counting on you to get her that money, and I'll be damned if I'm letting you chicken out now cause you have some concerns over being the only newbie here." Yuki said as she crossed her arms, giving her friend a playful smirk. She really wasn't about to let him drop out now, especially when the fate of Serenity's eye sight rests on whether he gets the money or not.
"Besides, it's not like your a total newbie. I'm sure you can win." Yugi said as he smiled up at the older boy, after all any friend of Yuki's is a friend of his.
"Thanks Yuki, Yugi." Joey said with a smile as he held the star chip in a closed fist once again. What he had assumed had been a pep talk had been unorthodox to say the least but it did its job.
"You can do it. You just gotta steer clear of the more experienced duelists at first." Tea said which cause Joey to turn in order to look at her as she talks.
"Yeah, it's just a matter of working your way up." Tristan said as he was also on the pep talk wagon for the time being.
"Thanks, you guys." Joey said as he gave both Tristan and Tea a smile in regards to their encouragement. Then he turned back towards Yuki, who had been silent as she stood with her brother. "Well, Yuki, between your grandpa and my sister, we don't have any room for mistakes." Joey said because in this situation any mistakes may cost them everything.
"Yeah, we need to tread carefully..." Yuki said as she nodded slightly in agreement towards the fact that they can't afford any mistakes. Though fireworks soon began to light up the sky, which meant the hour was up and it was time for the tournament to start.
"The fireworks! It's starting!" Tea said as she was the one out of their group to notice the fireworks as she drew everyone's attention to them.
"Let's do this guys!" Yuki said with a smile as this meant she could finally get started on working her entry into the castle.
As the fireworks soon died down the group of five were walking through the meadow that they had been in for the past hour just waiting around for things to start. Nobody knew the game plan, and if there was one Yuki certainly wasn't telling them what it was as she seemed to be really deep in thought as she walks. Said girl actually deep in thought just like she had appeared to be as she was thinking about what her next move will be. She just honestly couldn't get over what had happened on the boat. For gods sake she had almost drowned all because Weevil wanted to get rid of her Exodia cards so that she couldn't use him as her go-to monster and win every single duel she is in. Yuki would never do such a thing like that though because she has standards for how she duels. Infact she hadn't even been planning on having Exodia in her deck during the tournament. She didn't want people to assume that she relies on one set of cards in order to win all of her duels.
That was why she had planned as leaving Exodia as a last resort for one opponent and that was Pegasus. If there was ever a duel that she would have needed the unstoppable power of Exodia. It would be during the final match in the tournament finals against Pegasus because she was determined not to lose to him twice. Though beating him won't even be a possibility when he can read her mind. As of yet she has not found a way around that since its not like she can just put a shield up around her brain. Sadly she will have to wait until she get's into the castle before she even comes close to needing to know how to win. This will be despite the fact that Pegasus can see any and all cards in her hand.
"So what's your plan, Yuki?" Joey asked as he had had enough of being in the dark about her plans.
"Well, might as well stick with Weevil. I've got a score to settle with that little rat bastard." Yuki said with a frown as she continues to look at where she is walking.
"I was hoping you'd say that." Joey said with a grin as he looked forward to seeing Yuki school Weevil in a duel.
"Isn't that him?" Tea asked as she noticed someone up ahead as this caused the heterochromic eyed girl to gasp as she saw him too.
"Weevil. Weevil we've got a score to settle so I challenge you to a duel!" Yuki shouted so he could hear her since he was far away from where they are. Though much to her shock the bug duelist ran off into the woods, cackling as he goes.
"Hey, wait-" Tristan said in shock as none of them expected Weevil to run away from a challenge.
"I can't believe it! Weevil's running away!" Joey said just as shocked as Tristan as he cuts said boy off.
"Hurry sis or we may lose him!" Yugi said whilst tugging on his sisters hand, trying to get her to run after Weevil as she was just watching him in shock.
"He's not gonna lose me that easily!" Yuki said as she started running after Weevil's retreating form.
"Hey, wait up!" Joey called out after Yuki as him, Tristan, Tea, and Yugi had to start running in order to catch up with her as she chased a still cackling Weevil through the woods. Though as they ran a swarm of moths burst forward from the trees above the group as they get closer to the end of the forest.
"Ugh! Where are all these moths coming from?" Tristan asked as he noticed all of the moths above them as he had never seen so many in one place.
"Ecch! They're disgusting!" Tea said, not liking how they were running under and now through so many moths.
"He's fast for a small guy." Tristan said as they were much farther behind Weevil than Yuki was at the moment.
"Or your just slow for a big guy." Tea said as she was covering her head as if that would protect her from the moths.
"We're never gonna catch him. As long as the whole island's in bounds, he'll keep running all day!" Joey asked as he thought that Weevil was running to make it so Yuki can't win any duels in order to progress in the tournament since she'll be too busy chasing him.
"We gotta catch him! My sister can't afford to be chasing him all day." Yugi said as he was running a little faster than the older kids but not as fast as his sister.
'Why is Weevil running? He made it clear he's wanted to duel me ever since we first met on the boat. If that's true then why would he suddenly run when I challenged him?' Yuki thought as she was panting slightly as she tried to catch up with Weevil so she can duel him. Though something dawned on her the more she continued to chase after the retreating bug duelist. 'Hang on a second! What'd he say on the boat?' Yuki thought as she thought back to when Weevil first talked to her on the boat.
Flashback beginning
"Everyone will soon learn that there are new rules on the island that require more strategy." Weevil said as he took a step closer to Yuki who was watching him with a frown.
Flashback ending
'It's gotta have something to do with those new rules, if that's true then I better figure out what... and quickly!' Yuki thought as she was now gritting her teeth and wracking her brain to find the solution to her question.
"There he is!" Joey said as they all come to a stop at the edge of the forest and just see Weevil standing there a ways away.
"Welcome, said the spider to the fly. You flew right into my strap..." Weevil said with a grin as he pointed a finger towards a confused looking Yuki. Said girl kinda wondered if the cyan haired boy had hit his head at some point in time on the boat. "Again!" Weevil said as in his perspective he believe he tricked Yuki into losing her Exodia cards.
"It's time for you to answer for what you did on the boat, Weevil." Yuki said as her puzzle pulsated and glowed as a bright light engulfed her body. A few seconds later her transformation had ended and Yami Yuki stood in the place of Yuki. "Heh. Alright, Weevil. Time to see if you're as good at dueling as you are at fleeing." Yami Yuki said with a hand on her hip as she looks at Weevil.
"Was I simply fleeing or cleverly weaving you into my web?" Weevil asked as he knew that this was a trap that would play out in his advantage.
"Whatever it was it doesn't matter, because it's time to duel!" Yami Yuki said with a grin as she was looking forward to trouncing Weevil and teaching him a lesson at the same time.
"Heh heh heh. As you wish!" Weevil shouted as the ground soon begins to rumble causing everyone but him to look down in confusion and fear.
"It's an earth quake!" Tristan said as he thought that that is what it was.
"Sis I'm scared, what's happening?!" Yugi asked as he hugged onto his sister's leg as this causes Yami Yuki to place a reassuring hand on his head.
"Heh heh heh." Weevil cackled with a grin as he watched the group panic as to why the ground is shaking.
"What've you done?" Yami Yuki asked as she gave Weevil her usual stoic resting bitch face.
"Heh heh heh." Weevil cackled yet again as a seam in the ground behind him flashes rainbow colors. Then the ground opened up revealing that it was metal made to look like grass and dirt.
"Whoa! The entire ground is transforming!" Tristan said as him and everyone else watch this happen in shock,yet Weevil was still unfazed. Suddenly some kind of platform erupts from the ground to fill up the hole that had just been made as the large platform turns out to be a dueling platform when it if finished setting itself up.
"It's gigantic!" Tea said as they all watch what was happening with the duel platform in shock and awe.
"Man, these aren't going to be like the duels back home." Joey said as he had expected something different to happen, but nothing like this.
"You've just stepped into a hornet's nest, and there's no way out!" Weevil said whilst gesturing wildly with his right hand that contained his dueling glove.
"What is that thing?" Yami Yuki asked as it sort of looked like the contraption that was in the middle of Seto's dueling arena. Except this one was on a smaller scale and was designed to collapse back into the ground when the duel is over.
"These giant arenas must be set up all over the island." Joey said as he came to that conclusion after a few minutes of thinking.
"I'll just meet you on the field." Weevil said as he ran over and hopped up on the platform/lift that would take him up to the dueling dashboard of the red half of the field.
"I don't like this. Weevil seems a little too cocky." Joey said as they watched both duelists get into the proper places in order to start the duel.
"Yea, and he's underestimating big sis which is a big mistake." Yugi said from next to Joey as he looked up at his amazing big sister.
"I noticed that you have just one star chip, Yuki. I guess that means I'll have the pleasure of eliminating you from the tournament! Once your gone, everyone else's chips will be easy pickings." Weevil said as he held up his dueling glove that contained his two star chips. He had planned this out with the notion that Yami Yuki isn't smart enough to know how to defeat him without Exodia.
"Not if I win the two you have first." Yami Yuki said as she planned to eliminate Weevil from the tournament as justice for what he did on the boat.
"What?" Weevil asked, not understanding how she could take both of his star chips when he was only planning on wagering one as a precaution.
"This duel will be an all or nothing match for both of us." Yami Yuki said, giving Weevil some elaboration as to what she had meant.
"Ha! Why should I risk both my star chips when you only have one?" Weevil asked, thinking it was laughable that Yami Yuki thought that he would agree to such high stakes.
"Because I have something I think you desperately want- my whole deck!" Yami Yuki asked as she held up her deck so Weevil can see it.
"So, you'd risk your grandpa's deck? Fine with me. Hee hee hee hee! Winning all your cards will be an easy way to exterminate you once and for all!" Weevil said as he believed that the loss of her deck may cause Yami Yuki to stop dueling entirely.
"Exterminate?" Tea asked, not exactly liking how that sounds because exterminate usually means kill.
"Swat that little twerp like a mosquito!" Joey said encouragingly since he knows that Yami Yuki will utterly crush Weevil.
"Go sis go!" Yugi said whilst waving around a banner with his sisters name on it that he pulled out from, somewhere.
"Whoa, sounds like a duel is about to start over there." A duelist said as he glanced towards the dueling platform, having been walking in the woods till now. He had turned and called other duelists attention to the duel that was about to start so they could watch it.
"That's Weevil Underwood, but who's the girl he's dueling?" Another duelist asked as they stood at the edge of the forest in order to watch the duel.
"That girl is Yuki Muto. She beat Kaiba, and I happen to be her best friend, Joey Wheeler." Joey said as he turned towards the duelists that were standing at the edge of the forest, having heard them as he pointed at himself. There was no way that he would miss the opportunity to introduce his friend as the duelist who had beaten Seto Kaiba. "And these three? These three are trespassers." Joey said as he motioned towards Yugi, Tristan, and Tea, all of whom fall over in shock at that part.
"I thought I wouldn't be seeing a Weevil/Yuki match up till the finals." One of the duelists said since he doubted any of them expected a match like this so early in the tournament.
"Weevil's the Regional champ, no new kids got a chance against him." Another duelist said as he was also underestimating Yami Yuki's dueling skills.
"Don't underestimate my sister you jerks!" Yugi yelled at them causing them to jump at how defensive the 8 year old was when it came to his sister.
"Well, Yuki, my adoring public is waiting, so we should begin" Weevil said as a holographic scenery appears on the field making his half a forest and Yami Yuki's a wasteland.
"Duel!" They both said at the same time as their life points counters both go up to 2,000 life points.
"Let's see how you like my Killer Needle." Weevil said and placed a card on the field after drawing it from his deck. Suddenly a bee/wasp looking monster with a long stinger appeared on the forest side of the field as it had 1,200 attack points and 1,000 defense points to start with.
"You'll have to get past my Mammoth Graveyard first." Yami Yuki said a she held up a card that contained the skeleton of a mammoth on it before placing it on the field. Then said monster appeared on her side of the field as it had 1,200 attack points but only 800 defense points. "This massive monster will match your annoying insect point for point. Attack!" Yami Yuki said as she thought that the end result of this turn would be a draw as her mammoth follows her order and tries to attack.
"Killer Needle, let's show the mammoth your stinger. Attack!" Weevil said as his bug followed his order and flew towards the charging Mammoth Graveyard. It jabbed its stinger right into the face of the mammoth skeleton as said skeleton shined brightly as it disappears.
"No!" Yami Yuki said in shock as she had thought it would be a draw just like in any other duel due to the fact that they had equal attack points.
"Ha! Gone after one sting? He must be allergic." Weevil taunted as his Killer Needle was the only monster on the field now.
'Something screwy is going on! Both creatures were evenly matched attack point wise. It should have been a draw...' Yami Yuki thought with gritted teeth as she wondered if this was some kind of trick.
"Have you begun to figure out yet why I led you all the way to this forest area? If you just look around, then you will see that this area is an exact replica of our surrounding environment- one part wasteland and one part forest- and who thrives in the forest? Bugs. The strongest, most powerful insects rule the forest! So as long as I play my bugs in the forest area, I get a field power bonus. I guess you just weren't listening when Pegasus said that this tournament would have exciting new surprises in store for us. Maybe if you were smart enough to steal the tournament's secret new rules like I did, you'd be getting a field power bonus instead of me! Ha ha ha ha!" Weevil said whilst laughing, giving Yami Yuki an answer as to why his Killer Needle destroyed her Mammoth Graveyard when it should have been a stalemate. As he explains this it draws her attention to the fact that his bug is now 360 attack point's stronger than it originally was.
"He cheated! He led us here 'cause he knew he'd have an unfair advantage." Joey said with a scowl at the fact that Weevil led them here on purpose so that he could give himself an added power boost.
"That's so not fair!" Yugi said as he was scowling as well at the fact that someone who was supposed to be a champion would stoop so low as to cheat.
"Go ahead! Call me a cheater! You're all just angry that you didn't swipe the rules yourselves. And because you didn't, little Yuki's about to get stung." Weevil said as he pointed towards Yami Yuki, feeling that his victory is assured since he cheated.
"Ha ha ha!" Yami Yuki laughed all of a sudden which caused Weevil to look at her in surprise at her sudden burst of laughter.
"What? How can you be laughing?" Weevil asked since he hasn't caught onto what has caused Yami Yuki to laugh.
"Because. Look at your ferocious Killer Needle now." Yami Yuki said which drew Weevil's attention to his own monster and away from her. He could now see that his bug was shining brightly as it disappeared, having been destroyed as well.
"W-W-What? Oh no! My monster!" Weevil said with surprise in his voice yet again as he shielded his eyes from the bright light coming from his disappearing monster. When the light died down the field was clear of monsters which left him feeling utterly dumbfounded. "What have you done with my monster?!" Weevil asked, wondering how it happened as he groaned in frustration and began to hunch over his dueling dashboard. Though that is when he noticed that Yami Yuki's life points were still at 2,000 and that her monster had 1,560 attack points as well. 'This makes no sense. My creature was supercharged with the field power bonus, but according to this, Yuki's creature somehow became just as powerful.' Weevil though in slight disbelief as he continued to look at the new monster stats and the unaffected life points for a moment longer.
"Seems my mammoth got a power bonus from the wasteland area of the field just like your bugs do from the forest!" Yami Yuki said with a smile as this meant she got a power bonus as well, but only for the monsters that do well in a wasteland area.
"Grr! The field-point advantage was supposed to be mine alone!" Weevil said bitterly since he had miscalculated on the fact that Yami Yuki may have monsters that work well in wastelands.
"You know I kept wondering something on the boat ride here, Weevil. Why were we being taken to a remote island in the middle of nowhere just to duel? However, as soon as I saw the hologram scenery, the pieces all fit together. Every monster has a field type that it does best on, kind of like a home-field advantage, and what makes this island extremely special is that it contains ever type of field imaginable!" Yami Yuki said as she had finally put the pieces together as to why they were here of all places. The reason is because a tournament with a rule like this cannot be held in a normal setting with just one type of field that is accessible. "So when you deliberately led us to this spot, you were clearly hoping to get some kind of field-advantage over me." Yami Yuki said, summing up Weevil's game plan that he had for trying to eliminate her from the tournament.
"Grr! Hee hee hee hee! You're awfully cleaver to put it all together like that, Yuki, but figuring out one rule won't be enough. There are surprises hidden under every rock, and I know them all." Weevil said because he believed that Yami Yuki knowing about the field power bonus will not save her from defeat.
"You can beat him, Yuki!" Tea said encouragingly because she had faith that her friend would find a way to beat Weevil.
"Don't let that flea scare ya! He's bluffin'." Joey said since he wanted his friend to just focus on the duel rather than what Weevil was saying.
"Really? Then let's see how you handle this bluff." Weevil said as he drew a new card from his deck as Yami Yuki did the same thing. He then held up the the card showing that it was a beetle looking bug as he put it in play. "My Hercules Beetle will find a way to crawl under your skin!" Weevil said as the field power bonus left the beetle with 1,950 attack points and 2,600 defense points.
'Damn, even if I know about the field power bonus now, it's too late to rearrange my deck. I guess a combo attack would be my best bet.' Yami Yuki thought whilst gritting her teeth as she looked at the cards in her hand. Then she pulled one from her hand and put it into play as she hoped that this would work. "I play Feral Imp! And now I'll add this Horn of the Unicorn so it's magic will raise my attack points!" Yami Yuki said as a furry green creature with wings appeared on her side of the field with 1,300 attack points and 1,400 defense points. The monster soon sprouts a long unicorn horn as it becomes much more mean and feral looking as it gains 700 attack points making it have 2,000 attack points.
"Hee hee hee hee! You'll have to do alot better than that! Hercules Beetle, attack!" Weevil said with a laugh because once again he knew something that Yami Yuki didn't know. The beetle roared as it raised itself up, revealing its underbelly as it glows and crescent moon shaped blades shoot towards the Feral Imp.
"Feral Imp, Magic Lightning, attack!" Yami Yuki said as the horn on the Imp's forehead glows and lets out an attack of magic lightning. The attack hit the Hercules Beetle only to disperse rather than destroy it as the beetles attack hit the imp, destroying it.
"Yuki's attack didn't even faze that thing." Tea said as she took a step back in disbelief at the fact that the attack didn't destroy the big bug.
"That bug should've been totally fried!" Yugi said as he was also in disbelief at the fact that his sisters attack didn't work.
"Something's screwy!" Joey said, thinking that foul play was afoot, since in all technicality the 700 points stronger imp should have won.
"My Imp's Magic Lightning attack should've destroyed your ugly bug. Is this another trick of yours, Weevil?" Yami Yuki asked as she was also wondering if foul play was afoot when it came to her attack not working.
"No, Yuki. I just thought you knew that all monsters with a field power bonus where also resistant to any type of magic attack, and since my Hercules Beetle easily deflected your lightning bolts, he has more than enough power left to destroy your puny Feral Imp and continue to eat away at your life points." Weevil said as the fact that Yami Yuki's monster was destroyed it meant that she lost life points and he didn't. So all said girl could do was watch as 640 points were deducted from her life points much to her surprise since how could she have known magic wouldn't work?
Weevil: 2,000 Yuki: 1,350
"Even that four-eyed tick's weakest bugs are gonna be tough to beat so long as he's got that field power bonus." Joey said with what was almost a sneer on his face as he watched how Weevil's bugs had already taken a chunk out of Yami Yuki's life points.
"Yeah, but it's not exactly like it can be turned off." Tristan said because he figured that the hologram would always be there since the platform is near a forest.
"That Weevil's a no good cheat!" Tea said, restating a fact that had been said not too long ago by her friends.
"It's your turn. Make your move." Weevil demanded since the sooner this is over the sooner Yami Yuki is out of the tournament.
'Shit, maybe my nest monster should be used to defend. At least then my life points won't be effected.' Yami Yuki thought as she took a card from her hand and placed it on the field face down in defense mode. This caused the corresponding space on the field to glow, indicating that there was a face down monster there.
"So, we're defending now, are we? Very clever! Since I can't see your monsters defense points, I can't be sure I can beet it. But even your strongest monster can't stand against my Basic Insect." Weevil said as he held that card up before putting it into play as the Prang Mantis looking monster appears next to Hercules Beetle. Due to the field power bonus it also got stronger as it now had 650 attack points and 910 defense points. "Not only does he get a field power bonus, but I'm upgrading him with a level 3 Laser Cannon and a level 2 Power Boost!" Weevil said as a laser cannon appeared on his monsters back and what appeared to be rocket boosters appeared on either side of the cannon.
'Fuck! His insect is really powerful now, my defending monster won't stand a chance, and once it falls my life points will be next!' Yami Yuki thought as she looked up at the supercharged bug that was ready and waiting to annihilate her defense monster.
"Now, Yuki, for all the innocent little bugs you've squashed, stomped, crushed, or fumigated, it's... Payback time!" Weevil said as his monster fires its laser at Yami Yuki's face down monster as it appears for a second as it is destroyed. This leaves her with no defense what so ever as she was hunched over her dueling dashboard slightly after that attack. "Hee hee hee hee! You'll have to do better than that if you hope to survive my bug's laser powered arsenal." Weevil said as he was relishing what was yet another moment of victory for him.
"Then I'll play this card." Yami Yuki said as she held up the card that she was planning on playing for her turn. Then she put it into play in defense mood as the corresponding space lights up, showing a card is there.
'Hmm, another defense card, no doubt, and I'll make sure that defending is all she can do! Heh heh heh.' Weevil thought with a laugh as he knew he had Yami Yuki backed into a corner and he wanted her to stay there. Though sooner or latter she will have to attack him in hopes of turning the tides of this duel of their's. "I'm going to keep you on the defensive. Attack now with any monster, and you will instantly activate this tarp card." Weevil said as he held up the card that would help make it impossible for Yami Yuki to attack his monsters.
"That Weevil's got Yuki cornered!" Tristan said as him, Tea, and Joey were all huddled together in worry over the situation.
"Yeah, she can't even counterattack!" Joey said as he was worried that his friend may never be able to win this duel.
"As long as my trap card remains in play, you're powerless to make a move against me! So, does my tightening web make you squirm?" Weevil asked as he was to busy bragging and boasting that he really wasn't paying any attention to Yami Yuki.
'This dumbass is to busy bragging, he's not paying attention to my moves. Maybe I can set a small trap of my own for him.' Yami Yuki thought as she took a trap card from her hand and put it into play whilst Weevil was still distracted.
"Face it, Yuki! I've got you pinned down, and while you're totally unable to attack me, I can attack you anytime I want! Each turn you cower, I create a new monster." Weevil said as he continued to brag, placing another bug monster into play as it was also a beetle looking monster. He then placed another monster on the field as this one was an ant, and so far he has four monsters as they all are supercharge thanks to the power bonus. "Keep drawing, Yuki. My army of insects just keeps getting bigger! I'm going to wipe out all your monsters in one bug blitzkrieg!" Weevil said as all Yami Yuki was able to do for the most part was draw cards and not put anything into play. He then places another monster on the field giving him a total of five, but he was running out of monster spaces.
'That's it, Weevil. Just keep playing monsters, that's exactly what I want you to do.' Yami Yuki thought as she watched the number of bug monsters on the field increase with every turn.
"Just look at our Yuki. She's so confident up there." Tea said as she was in awe at Yami Yuki's ability to be so confident.
"I know! When she's duelin', it's like she becomes a totally different girl." Joey said, also in awe at how confident the girl with tri colored hair is right now.
"That's my sister for ya, she's full of surprises." Yugi said, he had already been in awe at his sisters skills so this doesn't change anything,
"Hee hee hee! Well, what do ya know? I'm down to my last monstrous insect, and you know what that means, Yuki? You're about to be exterminated!" Weevil said as he held up another card and then put it into play as the monster appeared on the field. Though he was bluffing when he said that that was his last monster because he has an even stronger one waiting in the wings.
"We'll see what my cards have to say about that!" Yami Yuki said as she drew a new card from her deck and then looked at it. She had to keep herself from grinning when she saw that the monster she drew was the Dark Magician. 'Perfect, the Dark Magician! Oh this is fantastic! Hell would have to freeze the hell over before Weevil gives up a chance to attack him.' Yami Yuki thought as she continued to look down at her trusty magician monster. This plan of her's was a gamble and it would take out quite a bit of Weevil's life points but she has to take the risk. "Alright, Weevil! I defend with the Dark Magician." Yami Yuki said as a square on the field flashes, indicating that her monster is there.
"Excellent! I'll destroy your very favorite card first! Now, my pet, power up your laser cannon!" Weevil said, not even thinking that it was strange that Yami Yuki announced what her defending monster was as he was too focused on winning. His Basic Insect lowers itself down as it prepares to fire its laser cannon at the defending Dark Magician. "Hee hee hee! Attack!" Weevil said as his insect follows his order and it begins to fire its laser at its chose target. However Yami Yuki soon begins to start laughing which causes him to look at her as he feels disturbed at the fact that she's laughing. "Wh-Why are you laughing?" Weevil asked with a small stutter since she laughing was making him feel very unnerved.
"Weevil, you aren't the only person who can set a trap card." Yami Yuki said which caused Weevil's eyes to widen in shock at that statement.
"What?!" Weevil exclaimed in disbelief as he continues to look at Yami Yuki who was looking at him unblinkingly.
"You were too busy grandstanding, you paid zero attention to the cards I put into play." Yami Yuki said, drawing Weevil's attention to the fact that one of her cards was in a spell/trap card space.
"But I thought they were all monster c-c-cards?" Weevil said, stuttering yet again as his statement came out as more of a question.
"Nope. While you filled the field with your bugs, I arranged a special surprise, the power of my Mirror Force trap card!" Yami Yuki said with a smile as she held up the trap card that she was talking about.
"Hold your fire!" Weevil shouted but it was too late as the Basic Insect fires its laser at its chosen target.
"Little late for that, Weevil. You already ordered the attack on my Dark Magician." Yami Yuki said as her Dark Magician appeared on her side of the field as it was kneeling in it's defense position. The laser attack hit an invisible force field before bouncing right back at all of Weevil's monsters. "And Mirror Force will send it right back at you!" Yami Yuki said as the deflected attack hit the monsters and destroyed them.
"My life points are devastated!" Weevil said with a whimper as 1,445 points are deducted from his life points.
Weevil: 555 Yuki: 1,350
'Yes!' Yami Yuki thought with a smirk as he friends and brother cheered at the fact that she got the upper hand in the duel.
'She obliterated my army of beautiful bugs. How dare she!' Weevil thought as he had been gaping in shock before he began gritting his teeth.
"Weevil, you're a liar and a cheater, however it was your overconfident demeanor that let me get the best of you. Your insects are destroyed. You have a minuscule amount of life points, and as you said before, you have no more bugs to put into battle." Yami Yuki said as just like with Seto she felt like Weevil deserved to know why he lost. Though just like with the brunette CEO she didn't think the bug duelist would take it to heart, especially when he is about to feel the cold sting of defeat.
"Hee hee hee hee! Actually, I lied about that, too!" Weevil said as he regained his grin at the fact that Yami Yuki fell for yet another lie of his.
"What?!" Yami Yuki asked in confusion as she wondered if he had truly lied to her yet again.
"I still have my most formidable creature waiting in the wings, and this unconquerable insect will swat you down once and for all!" Weevil said as he thought about the monster that would regain him control of the duel. That statement caused Yami Yuki to growl slightly as she gritted her teeth, wondering what he had in store for her next.