See You Again

by Yung Warrior

Unable to let go of the past, Kaiba pursues the pharaoh into the afterlife, intent on meeting his friend and rival one last time. A what-if match based on the ending of Dark Side of Dimensions.

See You Again

A YGO One-Shot

"Back again, Kaiba?"

The gently amused voice was more infuriating to him than anything else. It almost would have been better if the pharaoh was sputtering with rage, or at least weary with annoyance. But no, he seemed genuinely glad to see Seto Kaiba again, even when his only objective was to claim victory over his hated enemy in an 'epic' card game battle.

"I am surprised that you have chased me this far, even to the afterlife. Souls are meant to be at peace here, which makes your presence rather anomalous." Atem, first of his name, intoned from his golden throne. The beige and brown bricks of the palace were painted gold, and the king was always surrounded by his loyal court guard. Each member wielded one of the sacred Millennium Items, auric implements of shadow magic empowered by the blood of the villagers ritually sacrificed to pay the price for their creation. The item holders could summon powerful ka spirits to do battle on their behalf, and none were greater than Atem himself, who could casually call upon the strength of the very gods themselves.

But none of that mattered to Seto Kaiba, regardless of his own status as the reincarnation of the priest Seto, the champion of the Millennium Rod. He was a man of the future, a man normally unconcerned with dusty histories and ancient lore. No, he would rather look to his own legacy, to mold things the way they ought to be, not the way they were. And that was why he was here, far-flung into the past and beyond the borderline of life and death - to right a wrong that should never have been. He was and always would be the pharaoh's superior in battle, no matter how many times Atem felled him in previous contests. A single victory was all that was needed to prove the real truth, and then Kaiba could finally be free of his self-imposed vendetta. Finally free to enjoy his life, to shape the future with his own hands, and ensure the history books only mentioned the pharaoh as an antagonist in Kaiba's story, a stepping stone necessary for the development of true greatness.

"I have never sought peace." Kaiba said firmly. Wicks and scraps of energy leaked from his physical body, which was forcibly made shape through the wondrous technology of his brainchild, Kaibacorp. Once he wrested the corporation from the unworthy hands of his adoptive stepfather, Kaiba had developed technologies so advanced as to be indistinguishable from magic. And yet, they were superior to magic - not just because their systems and processes followed a logic that sorcery did not, but because the devices were made by his own mind, if not his own hand. "Only victory."

"And yet for all you have sought such glory, it only seems to flee from your grasp." Priest Seto spoke imperiously with a wave of his Millennium Rod. Kaiba was stunned to see his own face looking back at him with the same sneer he so liberally dealt to others. His own medicine tasted rather unpleasant. The only difference was Seto's bronze skin in comparison to Kaiba's pasty complexion, and the tall blue headdress and loose robes he wore in comparison to Kaiba's modern coat, pants and boots, alongside the life-supporting apparatus attached to his skin. He had come here against Mokuba's wishes, testing a dangerous prototype, but it was well worth it. Nothing ventured, nothing gained, that was the true nature of this life, this cold struggle for survival…

Ignoring the doppelganger, Seto attempted to do the same to the other members of the court, his focus only on the king, as it should be. And yet, he was momentarily stunned by the visage of another, a woman garbed in unassuming beige silks. He remembered her face, the face of Ishizu Ishtar…and yet, her eyes were different, they looked upon with judgment as well, not the fondness he treasured so much back in his time…with great difficulty, he ignored the wielder of the necklace as well as the faint stirrings of emotion within his own heart.

"My time is limited here. It was only through experimental technology that I have crossed the borders between heaven and hell…I only have one wish, one desire, and it is not to speak with you, pharaoh." Flourishing his arm, Kaiba's duel disk activated, the shimmering blue holographic displays were so alien in this time and place, and yet not so different from the dark magic the king himself mastered…

"I understand, and I respect your wishes, my old friend. I shall begin the sacred ritual of battle this time…" The pharaoh's golden Diadhank glimmered in the torch lights of the court. Instead of physical cards, Atem held glowing squares of light in his hands, conjured effortlessly through sorcery.

"You had better not be cheating with those silly little magic tricks of yours." Kaiba narrowed his eyes in suspicion at the golden implement on his rival's arm. He had no assurance that Atem was following the rules, apart from the man's word.

"Really, Kaiba, have I not earned your trust by now? Defeating you through trickery is meaningless for the both of us and a waste of our time. And I would certainly never cheat in front of my own court guard squad, lest I risk losing respect. We are warriors, and I will meet you as one to another." The king assured as he stepped down from the throne. "You have my vow that this will be a fair match. I will even agree to the stipulation of eight thousand life points, since those are the regulations back in your time."

"How very gracious of you…" Seto drawled, gathering holographic cards to form his opening hand. "Well, my apparatus should last a long time, but I would prefer not to tarry. Let's do this, now!"

"As you wish! For my first move, I shall summon Kuribandit (1000/700) to the field!" Atem's first monster was a black, round furball with a pirate's eyepatch and a loose yellow bandanna. "I'll then set three cards face-down before activating the final card in my hand, Legacy of the Duelist!"

The court guard squad began to surround the pharaoh and Kaiba, causing the modern man to bristle at their cold stares. "This match will now abide by the old laws…" Karim intoned.

"What the hell does that mean?" Seto wasn't familiar with this new continuous spell.

"While this card is on the field, we can each only set one spell or trap per turn." Atem explained. "Which is why I set all of mine beforehand. During our draw phase, we can each add a monster from the grave to the hand again instead of picking up a new card. Any monsters summoned from the fusion deck will not be able to attack the turn they are summoned."

"The extra deck." Kaiba interjected, causing Atem to quirk an eyebrow. The brown-haired man followed up with, "The extra deck. There are more than fusion monsters in there now, at least in my time."

"Is there really? You will have to explain that to me sometime. Or perhaps you will be so kind as to demonstrate?" Atem said magnanimously.

"We shall see…" Kaiba trailed off, obviously unwilling to give Atem any inkling as to his strategy.

"Indeed we shall. One more thing. Whenever I attack with one of my monsters, I can negate the attack to destroy a spell or trap you control instead." Atem finished with a nod of his head.

"Hmm…quite strict regulations. A bit like Battle City, with some differences. Well, it doesn't matter. Is that all for now, pharaoh?" Kaiba bid, since his opponent had no cards left in hand.

"I will end my turn, which will trigger Kuribandit's effect. By sacrificing it, I can look at the top five cards of my deck. From there, I can add one spell or trap among those cards, and send the rest to the grave." Five golden pieces of light shot forth from Atem's diadhank, hovering in front of his face. The cards then turned to face Kaiba. He saw Advance Zone, Joker's Knight, Queen's Knight, Soul Servant, and Palladium Oracle Mana.

Atem paused for a moment before adding Advance Zone to his hand. The other four cards dissipated into light and returned to his diadhank, which absorbed them seamlessly. Kaiba glanced at his duel disk, and indeed, the system displayed the four cards in his opponent's graveyard accurately. "What? How is my duel disk able to see your graveyard? You're just wearing some weird slab of metal." Kaiba protested.

"Your technology is very impressive, but I assure you, it is far from immune to the magic of the Millennium Items. A simple magical bond I wove before I started my turn, just to ensure you have the information available you would have in a regular match." Atem explained simply, knowing Kaiba would not be interested in learning the 'mechanics' of the magic in particular. "It is nothing more than that…"

"Hmm…well, as long as that is all you are doing…if I find out you're using any magic to influence the outcome of this duel, we'll just start over. I won't rest until I have obtained my perfect victory." Kaiba swore.

Atem just chuckled, his long, spiky hair quivering a bit as he did. "Always so suspicious…you'll stress yourself into an early grave with these worries, my friend. Now then, before you take your turn, there is one more effect at the end phase. Joker's Knight will add itself back to my hand, while shuffling Queen's Knight back into the deck. Your move."

"Fine…let's go!" Kaiba drew with a flourish. "I don't like this place…the golden tomb of the past…it sickens me! Time for a change of scenery, with the field spell Mausoleum of White!" The arena transformed immediately, the pharaoh's court suddenly awash in blinding shades of silver and alabaster as it was thrust into the future. Cairns and hieroglyphs were replaced with computers and screens filled with code. Between Kaiba, Atem and the rest of the court appeared a statue of the Blue-Eyes White Dragon, flickers of azure and white spirit energy sparking near its frame.

"Very interesting…unfortunately, Kaiba, I cannot let you grow too bold just yet…" Atem smirked as one of his trap cards showed itself. "Reveal face-down card, Joker's Wild! This lets me send a spell from the deck to the graveyard that mentions the three poker knights. Then, I shall copy its effects. By sending the spell card Joker's Straight, I can summon the three face card knights from my deck!"

In the pristine laboratory, a flash of lightning and the faint cackling of the Joker's Knight heralded the arrival of the three knights, who served their lord with great speed and paid little heed to those they did not respect. With a swelling surge of crimson energy, Atem announced, "Come to me, Queen's Knight (1500/1600), King's Knight (1600/1400), and Jack's Knight (1900/1400)!" Clad in red, gold, and blue armor, the three knights raised their swords and joined the tips before brandishing them at Kaiba.

Kaiba was a bit disturbed at how quickly his opponent had readied his field. Perhaps the claim that the knights possessed the 'fastest summoning capability' was not so ridiculous after all. Still, the CEO was not worried yet. "You should have summoned those servants last turn if you really wanted to call upon a god. As it is now, I'll just lay waste to them…"

"Will it really be that easy?" Atem smirked, causing Kaiba to pale. "I'll now show you another of my set cards…Thunderspeed Summon!" Wind howled and thunder flashed throughout the playing field, the bolts of electricity dancing around Kaiba's vision as his smirk faded into horror.

"This card will add a divine-beast to my hand, then allow me to summon it by sacrificing three of my monsters!" Red energy flashed in the sky, with Atem's body surging as similarly crimson flames of duel energy burst from him, causing Kaiba to throw up his arms to shield his eyes from the light. "Mighty sky god, heed my humble prayer and grace our humble game with your divine presence! Prepare to experience a power like no other - the power of Slifer the Sky Dragon (X000/X000)!" The red light suddenly gained form, shape and vivid detail, the serpentine, two-mouthed dragon curling around its king protectively with talons sharp and unfurled. Its divine power caused the court guard members to reflexively bend their knees in respect and deference, their heads bowed in the god's presence.

For a mad moment, Kaiba himself was inspired to genuflect before the heavenly dragon, as his own ancient Egyptian heritage, which he tried so hard to deny, sang within him. But his self-control won out - he remained proud and upright, even as the fear rooted him to one spot. "Whatever…it only has one thousand attack points…" Kaiba said slowly, more to assuage himself than anything. He could practically feel the dragon's breath upon him, see the sheen of its rows of white teeth up close…

"True enough, but do remember Slifer's second mouth. If you summon any monster in attack position, it will instantly lose 2000 attack points, and if it is reduced to zero this way, it will be smote by the dragon's thunder…" Atem said solidly, standing regal and resplendent under the protection of the god's wings.

"I already know that…" Kaiba nearly slapped himself. Atem looked so unearthly, so superior in this moment, he could not abide it. "He's no god. He is just a man. If I cut him, he will bleed red, just like me. I can beat him this time, I just know it! You hear me! You are not better than me!" The modern man reminded himself harshly.

"What's the matter? You can continue any time you wish…" Atem said, his voice stopping just short of mockery, or at least it appeared that way to Kaiba's ears. He knew that Atem was the same as him, deep down. He was a man of pride, a man who loved the feeling of accumulating strength and wielding it, a man who loved victory more than life itself, and hated failure more than death.

"Yes, for all your noble words, you are just like me…" Kaiba thought, hoping it was true.

"I will! I normal summon Sage With Eyes of Blue (0/1500)!" To Kaiba's side spring up a slender young man with long, flowing silver locks in elaborate braids. His baggy blue robes were ornate and ceremonial, and the tip of his scepter glowed with a deep blue sapphire gem.

"Slifer, vanquish him!" Atem commanded, and the god loosed a stream of concentrated electricity from its toothy maw. To his surprise, however, Kaiba's spellcaster nimbly dodged the beams with a jump and a twirl before landing gracefully on one knee.

The white dragon smirked, regaining a bit of his confidence. "That effect doesn't work on a monster that already has zero attack points…" He pressed forward. "On summon, my sage adds The White Stone of Ancients to my hand. From there, I'll use one of my field spell's effects. By sending my Blue-Eyes White Dragon to the graveyard, I can boost my sage's strength by one hundred attack points per the level stars of my Blue-Eyes." Although the intent of the move was to simply get Blue-Eyes in the graveyard, Atem found himself a bit unsettled how the sage was rather close to Slifer in battle power.

"Then, I'll discard The White Stone of Ancients using the magic of Cards of Consonance! This will allow me to draw two more cards!" Kaiba was beginning to pick up speed now that he had gotten over his initial fear of the god's power.

"And from there, I'll cast Super Rejuvenation! At the end of this turn, I can draw cards equal to the number of dragons I've discarded or tributed this turn." This spell would already replace itself, as Kaiba had discarded one dragon this turn. But he was far from done.

"I'll banish The White Stone of Ancients (600/500) in my graveyard to add Blue-Eyes from the grave to my hand…" Kaiba carefully considered his next play. This was like an improv performance where a single misstep or flubbed line would mean certain failure.

"I'll then use Magical Stone Excavation! This discards two cards from my hand to return one magic card back to me!" He discarded Blue-Eyes White Dragon and Primal Dragon, the Primordial from his hand, two more dragons to ensure two additional draws at the end phase. However, Kaiba would draw more than that, as the magic card he added back was Super Rejuvenation.

"Super Rejuvenation's effect is not limited to one activation per turn! By using it again, this will double my draws at the end of the turn!" The CEO declared. He would have to play things very cautiously in order to amass as many resources as possible while ensuring he wouldn't have to discard any useful cards at the end phase.

"Interesting, he doesn't seem to be going for an immediate offense…Kaiba has grown more patient than I would have anticipated." Atem thought with a curled lip.

"Due to Mausoleum of White's effect, I can normal summon or set twice per turn. I'll set one monster in face-down defense position from my hand." Kaiba declared, ever mindful of Slifer's ability.

"And now, with only one card left in my hand, I can maximize my profits from this! Card of Demise!" Kaiba declared. "This will let me draw until I have three cards in hand. However, I cannot deal any damage to you for the rest of the turn, and I must discard my hand at the end phase…" Kaiba peeled three cards off the top of his deck, his ocean eyes peering over them quickly.

"...Was that always how Card of Demise worked?" Atem questioned, wondering if his memory was deceiving him. He did not doubt the veracity of Kaiba's description, but the card itself seemed weaker than he remembered. His innocent query deflated the dramatic airs of the battle ritual, causing some of the court to withhold breaths of amusement.

"Yes, unfortunately, Pegasus deemed it necessary to re-word this card, as it was being abused in many tournaments with its prior strength." Kaiba explained a bit sheepishly, as he disliked being beholden to that fop's whims. But he was the game's creator…in a fashion, anyways, and even for all his power Seto had no choice but to abide by his rulings in this regard.

"Well, it is good of you to play by the rules. You know that I have no way of observing events in your time. You could have used the old version of that card and I would have been none the wiser." Atem commented, a note of admiration in his voice as he noticed his rival's commitment to playing fair.

"I will not let there be any excuses or what-ifs. My victory will be perfect, unmarred, indisputable. This, I assure you! And the cards I have just drawn will realize that victory!" Kaiba regained his fire, white aura flaring around him.

"The gods do not serve you alone, pharaoh…they will abide by my will as well! And that is the key to my ultimate ascendancy to the throne. Not the throne of Egypt, or the title of pharaoh, but the regime of the white dragon that will echo far into the future, into eternity! I alone will carry the legacy and bear the mantle of king! The king of games! And my reign begins now, with the magic card Lullaby of Obedience!"

Violet bolts of power curled around Kaiba's free hand as he raised it in the air. "By paying 2000 life points, I can add a monster from your deck directly to my hand, as long as I can name the monster!" Kaiba breathly stumbled and lost his breath at the hefty cost of the spell, but it was well worth it. (Atem 8000/Kaiba 6000)

The pharaoh's court erupted in outrage. "What?! Surely you cannot be serious!" Aknadin gasped, while the priest Seto was livid with indignation. "You insolent cur! How dare you?"

"Obelisk the Tormentor, take your place at my beck and call!" Kaiba cackled as a blue streak of energy shot out of Atem's diadhank against his will, taking shape as a physical card as it formed between Kaiba's fingers. He felt a rush of pleasure as he held the god once again, its power humming from within the shell of the card.

Atem, for his part, did not share the disbelief of his servants. Rather, he looked impressed. "I see…now show me what you can do with it, my friend."

"Oh I will, by using the quick-play magic of Soul Crossing! This lets me sacrifice monsters from both sides of the field to call forth a god! I'll offer up my Sage With Eyes of Blue alongside my set C - Crush Wyvern. Additionally, I'll use your pathetic Slifer as fodder!" Kaiba proudly blasphemed the gods, knowing that no punishment would be coming his way…or so he thought.

Slifer cried out as it went up in a pillar of light along with Kaiba's two other monsters. From above, their collective energies coalesced into a pillar of blue light that hung in midair for a moment before crashing down like a fist, casting Seto into silhouette. "Hahaha! Show yourself, Obelisk the Tormentor (4000/4000)!" The muscular blue titan seemed a bit saddened as it faced down its true king on the opposite side of the battlefield, but it would serve Kaiba's will nonetheless, just as it had several times before.

Kaiba stood triumphant, as now he was the one with a god on his side, while Atem's field was empty of monsters. "This feels good…it feels right. Obelisk has always looked better by my side, pharaoh…just admit it!" Kaiba jeered.

"This arrogant mortal can wield a god?! Surely they should immolate him where he stands for this sacrilege?!" Shada exclaimed, not having put two and two together by this point.

"It is not such a surprising thing, my friends…the blood of the pharaohs runs through Kaiba's veins as well, though he is loath to admit it. And with that lineage comes mastery over the gods." Despite their earlier exchange, it was clear the court was not eager to believe that Kaiba truly was the priest Seto's successor.

"How typical…people simply see what they wish to see and not a speck more, regardless if the truth is right in front of their eyes. And the truth tastes bitter, doesn't it? Well, enjoy the dish, because I plan to serve up second helpings for each and every one of you, starting with this. Your god serves me now, and Obelisk will bring me victory in this fight!" Kaiba threw his arms back, as if daring one of the court to rush at him with blades drawn.

However, they held themselves back, not willing to interrupt the sacred battle ritual of their king. Atem held a hand up, signaling them to stay put. "Peace, my friends. This duel is far from over…"

"Tch, right…" Kaiba couldn't inflict any damage this turn due to Card of Demise. "I set one card and end my turn…"

"I see, now that your hand is empty, you won't have to discard anything. Shrewd." Atem said, wondering how this next move would play out.

"It would appear that Card of Demise would conflict with my Super Rejuvenation…however, by placing Card of Demise's effect on chain link two, I can first discard my empty hand, then draw with Super Rejuvenation's effect. I discarded or tributed three dragons this turn, which would normally allow me to draw three cards. However, since I activated Super Rejuvenation twice, I can draw six cards in total!" Kaiba ripped the cards off the top, greedily drinking in his abundance of resources.

"Well done…" Golden bolts of lightning curled around Atem like a cocoon as his diadhank glowed crimson. "But no less than I expect…" Thinking, he decided, "I'll use the effect of Legacy of the Duelist. Instead of drawing this turn, I can add a monster from the cemetery back to my hand." It was no mystery which one he chose.

"Now, I'll call upon the magic of Joker's Straight once again, summoning Queen's Knight, King's Knight, and Jack's Knight from my deck to the field!" As the pharaoh called upon the three poker knights, Kaiba realized that he could potentially summon Slifer every single turn with his current setup, regardless of how many times the god was destroyed. With that in mind, Kaiba tried to be more flexible in his thinking…he often focused too much on large boss monsters to his detriment. Defeating Slifer wasn't the goal, it was dismantling the pieces that made summoning the god so easy.

"By sacrificing my three knights, I tribute summon Slifer the Sky Dragon back to the field!" With a heavenly roar, the sky god stared down the azure titan, reminding both duelists of their match in Battle City all those years ago…for them, that was the best match they ever had, and they smiled as they remembered those days. Even Kaiba, who disdained the past and despised the very concept of nostalgia, had to think fondly of it.

"From there, I'll banish the spell Soul Servant from my graveyard. I sent it from my deck earlier due to Kuribandit. Since I have Palladium Oracle Mana in my graveyard, Soul Servant lets me draw one card." This increased the pharaoh's hand to three, resulting in Slifer harnessing three thousand attack points - insufficient to battle Obelisk and win. And yet, the spiky-haired king moved to declare battle anyways.

"Slifer, attack Obelisk with thunderforce attack!" He declared with a leonine roar, causing Kaiba to tense up despite the fact that Slifer was weaker than Obelisk.

"What the hell are you planning?' He snarled out as Slifer charged up spheres of electric energy in its maw and fired them with a shocking burst of static. However, to Kaiba's further surprise, the energy bolts were not directed at Obelisk at all, or at least they didn't appear to be. With unexpected agility, Obelisk ducked and weaved around Slifer's energy blast volley, causing the attacks to desecrate the Mausoleum of White instead, burning and warping the metal constructs and shattering the statue of Blue-Eyes. When the dust settled, they were back in the pharaoh's golden court, the blinding silver sheen of the field spell gone.

"The answer is right in front of you, my friend. The bitter truth, as you put it earlier." Atem led Kaiba on like the clever magician he was. Kaiba snarled, having no regard for these cunning tricks. Atem continued, "I used the effect of Legacy of the Duelist. Each of us can negate our own attacks to destroy a spell or trap instead. By negating my own monster's attack, I chose to destroy your Mausoleum of White."

"No matter, it served its purpose. I'll just wipe out Slifer next turn." Kaiba sneered.

"Always so hasty…" The pharaoh chuckled. "Next, I'll play the continuous spell Advance Zone. This card will give me certain benefits at the end of the turn, depending on how many monsters I sacrificed for tribute summons this turn." At that point, he decided to end his turn. "Since I sacrificed three monsters, I have access to three new effects! First, I can destroy a set card of yours!"

Kaiba hissed as his set Union Scramble went up in smoke. "Then, I can draw one card. And finally, I can add one additional card from my graveyard to my hand." By returning Kuribandit to his grip, Slifer now equaled Obelisk in attack strength.

"But I'm afraid it will get worse. Joker's Straight and Joker's Knight activate in my graveyard at the end phase, shuffling back King's Knight and Jack's Knight into my deck to add themselves to my hand." Atem smiled as he was the one now holding six cards in hand, Slifer roaring triumphantly as it wielded six thousand attack points. The air was rank with ozone and heavy storm clouds, the golden desert sunlight occasionally peeking through the coverage. Empyreal rays peered down upon the pharaoh, casting him in resplendent, celestial brilliance.

"It's a nightmare…he's got me stuck in an endless loop! Those ridiculous poker knights are just going to keep recycling along with Slifer itself!" Kaiba's eyes widened as he realized just how much of a predicament he was really in. He may have wielded Obelisk, but his position was about to be overwhelmed by the sheer card advantage the pharaoh was massing. Panic set in like a chill fog upon him.

"I need to do something!" Kaiba thought frantically as he drew. Not helping matters was the way the pharaoh's court eyed him like a shark might eye a fresh bucket of bloody chum. He had no friends here - that part, he was used to. Still, what hurt Kaiba the most was not his own face judging him through the persona of the priest Seto, it was the frigid stare of Isis, the holder of the Millennium Necklace. Once again, she reminded him of Ishizu…one of the few people he held some small affection for in his gnarled, twisted heart. Her sky blue eyes were not so different from his, despite their starkly divergent backgrounds and upbringings. To see her face look upon him this way, as if he were weak and unworthy…it gave Kaiba the rage to push on.

"Play your song, The King of D (1200/1100)!" The spellcaster's arcane, old-looking armor clashed vividly with the three-necked guitar in his hand, but the image lasted only a moment before Slifer wiped it off the map with a blast from its second mouth. Still, it lasted just long enough for Kaiba to use its effect. "By discarding a spell or trap from my hand, I can play a very particular tune…The Melody of Awakening Dragon! By discarding another card, I can call two dragons to my hand!"

He wasted no time in revealing the familiar face of his true lover. "I reveal Blue-Eyes White Dragon in my hand, allowing me to unleash Blue-Eyes Alternative White Dragon (3000/2500)!" From the stone tiles burst forth a new version of Kaiba's ace monster, or at least it was new to Atem and the pharaoh's court. The priest Seto narrowed his eyes as he took in the cybernetic augmentations and electric panels of the dragon's scales.

"She was beautiful the way she was…" Seto murmured, which Kaiba picked up on and laughed.

"Oh, I agree. And I very much appreciate the original form of the Blue-Eyes…but beauty does not win wars, nor more than friendship and bonds do. Only overwhelming strength can do that!" Kaiba threw out his arms and boasted.

"That must be why you summoned your dragon in defense mode." Atem pointed out with a bit of uncharacteristic edge, tiring of the hot air Kaiba was spewing. "Still, there is wisdom in avoiding Slifer's second mouth this way."

"I won't need to avoid it for much longer! First, I'll trigger the effect of the trap I discarded earlier, The Ultimate Creature of Destruction. Since I just summoned Blue-Eyes, I can set this trap from the graveyard, but it is banished when it leaves the field. Then, I activate Alternative Dragon's effect, wiping out your Slifer the Sky Dragon with a white lightning attack!"

Targeting Slifer, Blue-Eyes unfurled its wings and released a concentrated pulse of fierce azure energy at the god. The sheer ka of the white dragon was enough to rival the gods despite not holding an official place in the divine hierarchy. Despite the gap in strength, Blue-Eyes did succeed in casting down the god, although Kaiba suspected it would be back again soon.

For now though, he had to capitalize on this chance. "Obelisk, attack directly with fist of fury!" Rearing back a mighty hand, Obelisk hesitated for only a moment before committing to strike his master. However, Atem did not look worried even as his own monster bore down on him, wind unfurling from the fist due to the sheer speed and force of the blow.

"I reveal my face-down trap, Ultimate Divine-Beast! By discarding the trap Joker's Wild from my hand, I can revive Slifer in defense mode and force you to attack it!" The red dragon materialized from nothingness, quickly curling around its owner to defend from the oncoming attack. Obelisk's fist bounced off of Slifer's tough hide, forcing the titan to reel back in pain. It clutched his hand tightly, static pulsing around the spot where it had struck Slifer. Since Atem still had five cards in hand, Slifer was strong enough to beat back Obelisk's onslaught and punish Kaiba for his aggression in the process. (Atem 8000/Kaiba 5000)

"Grr…" Kaiba picked himself up quickly after the concussive force of the clashing gods forced him off his feet momentarily. "I won't let this stop me…I will break through this…I'll destroy everything! Everything! By banishing Mausoleum of White, I'll add this magic card to my hand, a card that can only be wielded alongside Blue-Eyes! I activate Burst Stream of Destruction to wipe out Slifer again!"

With another crashing wave of blue fire, the sky god was buried and burned once again. Although Kaiba was frustrated at his seeming lack of progress in damaging his opponent, Atem was quietly impressed. Most duelists would have folded in the face of Slifer's wrath, or any of the gods. But Kaiba had managed to fell Slifer three times now - three more times than most would have managed. As the CEO set a card and ended his turn, Atem knew that the battle was far from done.

"At the end phase, Joker's Wild will shuffle Queen's Knight into the deck and add itself to my hand." Atem calmly explained. He seemed untouchable in this moment, with the poker knights all ready to be summoned once again. "And instead of drawing, I will return Slifer to my hand through Legacy of the Duelist…"

Just like before, Atem played Joker's Straight, calling the three poker knights from the deck back to the field, and also like before, he called upon Slifer once again, giving Kaiba immense deja vu. It was always like this…the pharaoh was an impassable mountain for him, his strength boundless, his strategy infinite. Without realizing it, Kaiba had mythologized Atem in his mind to the point where he was not a man, but a symbol, an insignia of everything the modern man felt he lacked, despite his achievements. None of them would ever matter unless he could win…unless he could get the one thing he truly wished for. And yet, it still seemed so far away. The only consolation was that the pharaoh only had four cards left in hand now, so he could not match Obelisk…

"And now, I'll cast the magic of Card Destruction! Both of us will discard our hands to draw cards equal to the number discarded." Although both of them lost quite a few cards as they replaced them with new ones, the graveyard was often just as good of a place for them as the hand.

"Just what I needed…my trust in my deck has rewarded me with this! The quick-play magic Thunderforce Attack! This will allow me to wipe out every monster you have since I control Slifer! Then, I can draw one card for each of your monsters that are destroyed this way!" Atem roared as Slifer rose higher into the air into the open blue sky of the courtyard, its red frame striking against the cloudless sky. Likewise, lightning was not ordinarily supposed to strike from the blue, and yet it was about to bore down on Kaiba all the same.

"Grr…I chain my trap card, The Ultimate Creature of Destruction! This will make my Blue-Eyes Alternative Dragon completely invulnerable for the rest of the turn!" A protective barrier of white and blue energy surrounded the dragon, ensconcing it from the heavy bolts of lightning that rained on Kaiba's field.

The man threw his arms up to shield his eyes from the burning light. More than that, it was difficult to watch Obelisk get roasted, blackened and burned to a crisp by Slifer's assault. The only consolation was that since Obelisk was originally the pharaoh's card, he did not draw any cards from Thunderforce Attack.

Although losing Obelisk was a heavy blow indeed, Kaiba was able to pause and catch his breath as he assessed his position. "I should be safe for this turn…if he tries to attack my Blue-Eyes the way it is now, he'll just destroy his own Slifer…" The duel disk gave Kaiba a notification, which he was glad for. He intended to follow up with a counter-strike now.

"From the graveyard, I'll use the effect of a trap card, Induced Explosion! Since you destroyed one of my cards through a spell effect, I can banish this trap to blow up one of your cards! I'll take out your Ultimate Divine Beast!" Pressing a button on the side of the machine, Kaiba triggered a remote burst of flame on Atem's side of the field, taking out his continuous trap in an upswell of orange heat.

"Tch…I see, you must have sent that to the grave earlier with The King of D…" Atem surmised, the explosion causing his golden headdress to fall off his head, Mahad swiftly grabbing the tarnished accessory for disposal. As Atem spoke next, red waves of power unfurled off of him like a desert rose blooming, his hair seeming to spike sharply and elongate a bit. "You've done well to destroy Slifer over and over again…it appears I must call upon more power! I'll use the magic of Divine Evolution to take things to the next level!"

Kaiba tensed, bolts of fear running through him as the red dragon grew larger, faster, stronger. Six rows of teeth sat in three mouths, and its wings grew so expansive that they furled around the entire courtyard. And the thunder it harnessed grew thicker and more violent as well, the stench of ozone permeating. "This magic card will permanently raise Slifer's attack and defense points by one thousand, and ensure that its effects can no longer be negated…" Atem intoned, completely unbothered by the oppressive aura Slifer exuded, which was enough to bend the knees of the other court guard members even further.

"And furthermore, when it attacks, you must send one of your monsters to the grave!" The pharaoh thrust a fist forward, the boosted Slifer slithered towards Kaiba and flexed its aura, the godly presence enough to melt lesser beings - it was all Kaiba could do to maintain his sense of reason in the hall of the gods.

"Grr…my Blue-Eyes is protected from all card effects and from battle! It is invincible!" Kaiba roared through grit teeth, trying to convince himself of it, but it was a facade - he knew the real truth.

"Blue-Eyes Alternative White Dragon is unaffected by my cards, yes. But Divine Evolution is forcing you to send Blue-Eyes to the graveyard instead…since you're the one doing it, all of the protection that The Ultimate Creature of Destruction provides you is bypassed!" Atem declared. Indeed, Kaiba had to send a monster he controlled to the grave, and Blue-Eyes was the only one he had…there was no getting around this.

"Damn it all…how dare you do this to me?! How dare you make me toss my Blue-Eyes aside!" Kaiba's emotional outburst was met with stoicism from Atem, who remembered the way Kaiba tore up the Blue-Eyes White Dragon belonging to Yugi's grandfather Solomon.

"Such is the way of Duel Monsters, Kaiba. No card, no strategy is truly invincible…" Atem trailed off as Blue-Eyes Alternative melted in Slifer's presence, and Kaiba had to watch as the once-beautiful dragon became dust and ash.

"If it makes you feel better, I only have one card left in my hand. Combined with the augmentation provided by Divine Evolution, Slifer has two thousand attack points. Nonetheless, I'll still strike you directly with a Thunder Force attack!" As Atem's aura flared further, Kaiba found himself flung back several dozen meters by the concussive force of the god's lightning, his white jacket blackening like coal and smoke furling from his body as the wind was knocked out of him. (Atem 8000/Kaiba 3000)

As he gasped for air, Kaiba snarked, "Somehow, that doesn't make me feel better…"He struggled to his feet and reclaimed the cards that flew out of his hand from the attack, trying to avoid direct eye contact with the imposing god.

"I thought not, but this might. I'll set one card and end my turn, reducing Slifer's attack points to one thousand…however, Joker's Wild and Joker's Straight will activate once again in the graveyard, shuffling back my King's Knight and Jack's Knight to add themselves back to my hand, bringing Slifer back to three thousand." Atem smiled as his hand was replenished. "And furthermore, the effects of Advance Zone will activate since I tributed three monsters this turn. I'll add a monster back to my hand, draw one card, then destroy your remaining set card!"

With another bolt of lightning, Kaiba's field was completely cleared…or so it seemed. He may have been injured from Slifer's wrath, but Kaiba had no intentions of giving up. "That's exactly what I was hoping for! You destroyed my set Boo-Boo Game! This trap card allows me to set two normal traps from my graveyard when it's destroyed!" The CEO felt much better about his position as he was able to grab two traps to shore up his position, and he had managed to survive another turn.

With his next draw, he found a second wind, and was fixated on seizing it. "I'll use the magic of Monster Reborn to revive a monster that I discarded earlier! Return to the field, Primal Dragon the Primordial (2000/2000)!" The sight of this new dragon caused Atem's eyes to widen in curiosity. It had no scales - rather, its skin seemed to be woven from stardust, blankets of starlight making up its wings with bright golden armor covering the rest of its frame. He summoned it in defense mode to avoid Slifer's wrath.

"I'll show you I have a lot more than just the same old tricks….I'll activate Primal Dragon's effect, banishing Blue-Eyes Alternative from my graveyard to boost the attack and defense points of Primal Dragon by three thousand." This raised its values to five thousand each.

"Impressive, but I see that your dragon's effect prevents it from inflicting battle damage, and it is in defense mode besides." Atem narrowed his eyes, interested in this new angle Kaiba was working.

Kaiba's hands trembled as he raised his next card skyward. "This card cost me a fortune, but it was well worth it for this moment. I knew I could spare no expense in my quest to be the greatest of all time. I will prove to everyone that I was always the worthy one! I work the hardest, I spend the most money and time, and I want it more! That's the difference between us, pharaoh. To me, it just means more! I'll show you the results of my training now! Come forth, Ten Thousand Dragon (10,000/10,000)!"

By sacrificing Primal Dragon, whose attack and defense points combined to reach ten thousand, Kaiba could call upon a massive beast, large enough to rival the newly evolved Slifer in size. Its serpentine frame was entirely covered in gleaming, ornate golden plate, each ounce of it precious and rare enough to bankrupt entire kingdoms. The flames that spewed from its maw were multicolored, and left behind afterimages of nebulas and starlight, because ash and dust were too common and banal. And on top of everything else, the effect of Primal Dragon allowed Ten Thousand Dragon to attack twice this turn.

Although the pharaoh was momentarily overcome by the sight of this new creature, he recovered quickly. "Slifer, counterattack!" The god's second mouth opened, sieging Kaiba's dragon with a barrage of violet energy blasts. The blows did significant damage, but with Slifer only at three thousand attack points, reducing Ten Thousand Dragon to eight thousand points wouldn't make much of a difference.

"Ten Thousand Dragon, push through!" Kaiba roared with the utmost determination, the golden dragon pushing forward past the seemingly endless energy volley that Slifer was putting out, neither monster willing to give up. However, Ten Thousand Dragon inevitably bore down and vaporized Slifer with a concentrated, up close and personal stream of flame. The starry streaks of energy pushed Atem backwards with a grunt as he finally took damage. (Atem 5000/Kaiba 3000)

"Argh…that is quite a monster, Kaiba…" Atem praised even as he clutched his ribs in pain. For some reason, the congratulatory words pissed Kaiba off more than if Atem had simply mocked him.

"Well take a good look, because Ten Thousand Dragon will finally prove that I have been and always will be your superior! Soar on golden wings to ultimate victory with a second attack!" Using the second attack granted by Primal Dragon, Kaiba's white aura surged as the beast descended upon the pharaoh, aiming to cast him down from his throne.

However, it was never that easy, and Kaiba could not even delude himself. The pharaoh always had a way to wriggle out of a seemingly impossible situation. "Reveal face-down card, Court of Cards! Since I control no monsters, this continuous trap will summon Queen's Knight from my graveyard to block the attack!" Summoning the blonde, red armored warrior in defense mode, her beautiful visage only remained on the field for a moment before she was messily devoured by the greedy dragon.

"Tch, no surprise…" The CEO was actually a bit relieved, as it would have been quite embarrassing if Atem's trap had been Magic Cylinder. "I set one card. It's your move…" He placed a third trap on the field, and his position was now the dominant one. Even if the pharaoh brought back Slifer again, there was no way it could overcome Ten Thousand Dragon. Even if Atem managed to get nine cards in his hand by some miracle, Kaiba's traps would keep him at bay. He could feel that sweet, delicious victory drawing closer…Kaiba wiped some drool from the corner of his mouth, causing the court to give him weird looks.

"At the end phase, the effect of Joker's Knight will return Queen's Knight back to my deck, then add itself to my hand. And with that, it's my turn. Instead of drawing, I will use the effect of Legacy of the Duelist to add a card from the grave to my hand." As the pharaoh's hand reached for his graveyard, Kaiba was overcome with smug joy.

"Go ahead! Bring back that pathetic Slifer over and over again! Crushing it never gets old!" A hint of madness overtook Kaiba's expression before he paled, seeing that the card Atem was adding was not Slifer, but Obelisk. "Oh…"

Atem could not help but chuckle softly at how quickly his rival's expression changed. "Yes, I'll choose to add Obelisk the Tormentor to my hand this time." Peering over his plentiful hand, Atem's first instinct was call on Obelisk, but he knew that was the wrong move. It would be what Kaiba expected, to use the god against him as a form of revenge. Indeed, it was tempting to teach the arrogant, grasping CEO a lesson, but the pharaoh suppressed those feelings. There was another way to play this.

"With the magic of Joker's Straight, I'll discard Joker's Knight to summon forth the three poker knights once more." Atem enjoyed Kaiba growing visibly frustrated.

"Yes, yes, we know! Just summon Obelisk with them!" He paced back and forth, wiping his sweaty brown hair out of his eyes as he did so.

"And by sacrificing all three of them, I'll revive Arcana Triumph Joker (?/2500) from the graveyard!" The pharaoh called out.

"Wait, what?!" Kaiba exclaimed, not expecting this at all. Arriving accompanied by a parade of horns and brass instruments, the pharaoh's next monster strode through the court with streamers and confetti alongside it. She was a wiser, more experienced version of Queen's Knight, her ceremonial armor, bejeweled sword, and flowing blonde hair seeming more fit for the top of a parade float than a battlefield. And yet, her cool expression signaled she was nothing to be trifled with. "Why didn't you summon the god?!" Kaiba hissed.

"You of all people should know that the god cards are not an automatic ticket to victory in a duel. Indeed, sometimes they can be more of a hindrance than a help. Their power and stature blinds us, and we neglect the other paths that lay before us in their presence. But in some ways, I am certain Obelisk will be the key to victory…just in another way." The pharaoh patiently explained. "But first, you must know that my knight gains five hundred attack points for each card in our hands. Since I have four and you have two, she gains 3000 attack points." Arcana Triumph Joker raised her sword proudly, the precious gems inlaid at the hilt glittering in the light.

"So you summoned this instead of Obelisk…? Why? What's so special about her, she looks just like your Queen's Knight!" Kaiba exclaimed, this card unfamiliar to him. While it was true he once sacrificed Obelisk to summon his Blue-Eyes, there were many extenuating circumstances at play in that instance. And besides, the Blue-Eyes was his lover, the one he gave his heart to…this Joker was just a regular monster!

"It's about to get worse, my friend. I activate Arcana Triumph Joker's effect. By discarding a monster, spell, or trap card from my hand, I can destroy all cards of that type on your field. By discarding a monster such as Obelisk, all of your monsters will be destroyed!" Atem brazenly discarded the god, causing Kaiba to blanch. Meanwhile, the blonde warrior's sword glowed with rainbow light, divine power imbued with the essence of the blue titan. She hefted the blade above her hand with two hands before leaping into the air. With a heavy swipe, she sent crescent waves of power towards Ten Thousand Dragon, carving apart the golden beast with no care for its wealth or value…such things had no place on the battlefield….

Kaiba snarled as his monster was vanquished, but Atem was not done yet. "Then, I'll use Court of Cards once again, banishing the three poker knights from my graveyard to draw three cards!" With each card he drew, Arcana Triumph Joker only became more powerful…the shimmering spectrum of light from its sword became bolder, more intense waves of red, yellow, blue and green.

"I'll normal summon Kuribandit to the field, then move to battle!" Atem declared as he was accompanied by the furry black fiend. Victory appeared close at The only trick now was considering what to do…due to Legacy of the Duelist, he had the option to destroy one or both of Kaiba's set cards…or, he could try and push through with both Kuribandit and Arcana Triumph Joker…

As Atem considered his options, Kaiba worked to keep his stance and expression neutral, not wanting to give away anything. He felt it was likely the pharaoh would destroy one of his set cards, but not both. If he destroyed the right one, then the game would be over…it was a gamble that would decide everything.

Atem searched Kaiba's face and body language, but found nothing…this would have to be a guess. "I'll attack directly with Kuribandit…however, I'll negate the attack with the effect of Legacy of the Duelist, which will allow me to destroy one of your face-down cards, Kaiba!"

Glancing between the brown backs of the cards, the king made a snap decision. "I'll destroy the card to my right."

"Damn it!" Kaiba cursed as his set Union Scramble was vanquished. "No, I really needed that!"

Although Atem felt vague unease, he had to press on anyway. "You put up a valiant effort…again…but this is the end for now, Kaiba…Arcana Triumph Joker, finish this duel with royal judgment!" She briefly let the jeweled sword rest at her side before lunging at Kaiba with a deadly serious gaze.

Kaiba feigned despair for a moment….feigned. His expression changed in one instant to a smirk as she drew near. "Activate trap card, Counter Gate!" Arcana Triumph Joker's momentum was turned against her as she leapt into a swirling portal that materialized in the short span between her and Kaiba. She was roughly deposited on Atem's side of the field by another portal, her attack stopped. The knight looked up at her king with embarrassment as she was dumped on her arse. Atem did not appear perturbed though, and gently chuckled as she rose again.

"This trap will negate your attack and draw me a card in the process." Kaiba somewhat hoped it was a monster, but it was not. As the battle phase was over, the billionaire couldn't help himself from talking. "Aww…did I spoil your perfect victory?"

"You're the one who's fixated on such nebulous concepts as the perfect victory. Is it so hard to believe that others are not like you? I'm really not trying to look down on you or anything like that, Kaiba…I'm just enjoying the game. Especially with the twists and turns you've provided. It's been fun. I'm actually glad it's not over yet." Atem's consoling words seemed to have the opposite effect, only agitating Kaiba more.

The frustration became too much, and he exploded, "Don't patronize me! I see it in your eyes! You put on that air of nobility, but you can't fool me! I remember how it was when you first met…you weren't enjoying the game, you enjoyed casting me down into the dirt…it's always been the same, no matter what else changes!"

"Kaiba…we were both different people back then. I hoped you had grown beyond this." Atem said sadly, although Kaiba's words weren't exactly wrong. Atem did enjoy defeating Kaiba…usually because Kaiba himself made it more satisfying with his endlessly arrogant boasts and psychotic obsession with victory.

"How could I, when no matter how hard I've tried, no matter how much I've worked, I can never catch you…when the one thing I want more than anything else in the world is constantly just beyond my grasp!" Kaiba fumed, finally letting out his feelings, which had festered and intensified over the years. It felt therapeutic to finally speak from his cold heart, even as the pharaoh's court judged him harshly. "If you were in my position, you would feel the same way!"

"Perhaps I would. But what you want is something I cannot give you…if I just let you win, you could not call it a true victory. And it is against my nature to do such things anyways. It spoils the game for all involved. I can't help you, Kaiba, because the only way for you to get what you want is to take it by force. So show me your strength!" Atem roared as he set one card face-down. He glanced at the court, seeming to quell them as they remembered their manners. They were proud duelists as well…they did not truly have the right to judge the pharaoh's challenger, regardless of his unpleasant personality, for they understood his desire for glory.

Strangely, Kaiba felt some validation from those words. "Yes, you're speaking my language…the song of battle, this is what matters to me, not meaningless platitudes!"

"At the end phase, Kuribandit's effect activates, sacrificing itself!" The pharaoh roared, getting back into the rhythm of the bout. He saw the top five cards of his deck. "Come to my hand, Monster Reborn!" He grasped the spell that meant so much to both of them before sending the other four cards to the cemetery. "It's your move!"

"Draw!" The card was good enough for Kaiba to fully pivot his strategy. "I am ready for another change in scenery, away from this dusty old place. I play Union Hangar!" The landscape shifted, and the golden throne room was transformed to the image of a vast, wide-open garage, filled with yellow shipping containers and steel flooring. "On activation, this field spell adds a light machine union monster from deck to hand. Come forth, Y-Dragon Head (1500/1600)!"

Atem crossed his arms as he took in the sight of the red dragon mech emerging from one of the shipping containers. But it was not alone. A yellow vehicle with twin tank treads and a cyclopean visual receptor in its center accompanied the dragon. "When I summon Y-Dragon Head, Union Hangar equips it with Z-Metal Tank directly from the deck. From there, I'll follow up with the magic card Fusion Deployment! This lets me summon a monster that is listed as a fusion material directly from the deck, allowing me to summon X-Head Cannon (1800/1500)!"

With that, all three pieces of the true mech had assembled themselves. X-Head Cannon's blue chassis glimmered in the overhead fluorescent lights of the field spell, and its twin cannons were long-barreled and iron. "Ah, this again. I'm surprised you're still using these without a god in your deck." Atem commented, as Kaiba originally played the union machines to facilitate the summon of Obelisk back in the day.

"Their own power is nothing to disregard! I banish X, Y and Z to combine them together into XYZ-Dragon Cannon (2800/2400)!" Y-Dragon Head attached itself on top of Z-Metal Tank, and from there X-Head Cannon stacked itself atop the dragon. Although his ploy with Obelisk had failed, his Blue-Eyes were wiped out, and even Ten Thousand Dragon had failed, Kaiba would not give up…his azure eyes gleamed with determination.

He felt constricted by the boundaries of the Legacy of the Duelist…it reminded him of the past too much, and he was best rid of it. Everyone was best rid of it. "I activate XYZ-Dragon Cannon's effect, discarding The White Stone of Legend to destroy your Legacy of the Duelist spell!

With a crack of cannon fire, Kaiba's mech blasted the card into pieces of shattered glass, startling Atem a bit. "And when The White Stone of Legend goes to the grave, I can add my third Blue-Eyes from deck to hand!" Kaiba continued. His guns had far more than one bullet in the chamber, and he had a feeling he would need each one to have a hope of winning.

"I'll follow up by revealing my face-down continuous trap XYZ Hyper Cannon! Since I control my dragon cannon, this card will gain an effect depending on whose turn it is." Kaiba smirked as his machine hummed with energy, its systems operating at maximum efficiency. "Since it's my turn, I can shuffle back a banished union monsters into the deck to draw a card. I'll return Z-Metal Tank." With another card, Kaiba had the opportunity to keep blasting at the enemy, since XYZ Dragon Cannon's effect was not once per turn.

"I'll discard another card to take out your set card!" With another round of gunfire, Atem's set Mirror Force was similarly shattered, causing him greater concern…especially at the pharoah saw the card Seto just discarded.

"Ah yes, you see it now." Kaiba's smiled widened. "That card I just pitched was B-Buster Drake. And with that, I have gathered all of the necessary pieces in my graveyard to combine three more of my machines together. By banishing A-Assault Core, B-Buster Drake, and C-Crush Wyvern, I can merge them to form ABC-Dragon Buster (3000/2500)!"

Alongside XYZ-Dragon Cannon appeared a similarly three-pieced mecha with two long cannons protruding from its shoulders. Two draconic heads, one in a purple metallic chassis and the other in green, protruded from up top as it rolled along on an orange tread base. Rockets and torpedo launchers were outfitted to its side.

"Now that your field is clear, I can end this…" The CEO breathed in deep, relishing the moment.

"Is that what you think?" Atem prodded with a subtle smile, causing Kaiba to doubt himself. Indeed, his fists clenched as he sought another move.

"No, I'm not finished yet! I'll go even further! ABC and XYZ, combine to form A-to-Z Dragon Buster Cannon (4000/4000)!" Kaiba was eager to show he could still fight without the gods, or even the Blue-Eyes, at his side. They were part of him, but did not define him, and he would prove that now as the six-pieced mech stood out in the Egyptian landscape. "See if you can stop this, pharaoh! Battle!"

"Uh, well actually Kaiba, I can stop it. I sent Electromagnetic Turtle (0/1800) to the grave earlier with Card Destruction. By banishing it, I can simply end the battle phase." The king declared calmly, only to yelp in surprise as he was shocked by a wave of electricity from A-to-Z Dragon Buster Cannon.

"Uh, well actually pharaoh," Kaiba took jeering pleasure in mirroring his rival's tone. "I can simply discard the Blue-Eyes in my hand to negate your monster's effect with my Dragon Buster Cannon!" The machine's hyper cannons took aim and fired at Atem unimpeded, six rounds of concentrated blue laser cannons punctuated by volleys of rockets and missiles that left tails of brown smoke in their wake.

Sharply taking in breath, Atem was forced to move to his secondary line of defense. "I'll discard Ankuriboh (300/200) in response to your attack! This will let me revive a monster until the end phase!" For a moment, a dark violet version of Atem and Yugi's old monster shimmered onto the field, its fur inlaid with golden bangles. But it swiftly disappeared, and its replacement was far more intimidating. "Obelisk the Tormentor, repel the attack!" Right before the barrage from A-to-Z Dragon Buster Cannon could connect with the pharaoh, the blue titan returned to the field with crossed arms, blocking the lasers and tanking the missiles with grunts of effort. Its defense points were equal with A-to-Z's attack points, resulting in a stalemate.

"Getting desperate, are we?" Kaiba smirked, feeling as if he had finally gained some control over the duel. "I'll activate the effect of Union Scramble in the graveyard, banishing it to add one of my banished light machine monsters back to my hand." Kaiba retrieved A-Assault Core, which would give him fodder for A-to-Z's negation effect cost next turn. "It's your move…"

Obelisk faded into the ether seemingly as soon as he appeared, giving the pharaoh a nod of acknowledgement as it successfully defended its king. The court stirred and murmured as it appeared the pharaoh's opponent was gaining ground on him. Apart from the immense power of the six-sided mechazord, A-to-Z could hold Atem down with a once-per-turn negation. A drop of sweat rolled down Atem's brow as he immediately fired off his next card.

"Monster Reborn, revive Obel-!"

"WRONG! A-to-Z, negate!" Kaiba laughed madly as he pitched A-Assault Core. For a brief instant, the teal ankh of the ancient Egyptian kings glowed above Atem's head, but it was shattered in moments by another round of gunfire from the mecha, bullets clattering across the metal plate flooring of the Union Hanger.

However, a slight smile of relief crossed Atem's face as he was free to pursue a secondary game plan. "In that case, I'll summon Keeper of Dragon Magic (1800/1300)." Next to the pharaoh appeared a knight resplendent in teal, European-styled knightly armor with draconic accents. A long lance twirled between the knight's gloved fingers. "This monster will discard a card from my hand to call a fusion spell from the deck…" Kaiba narrowed his eyes as Atem spoke, assuming that he was about to search for Polymerization. Instead, the card that manifested from his diadhank was Face Card Fusion.

"Good luck with that, all three of your tribute fodder knights are banished." The brown-haired man felt the need to point out the obvious.

"Then it's lucky I have Burial From a Different Dimension to return them to the graveyard." The pharaoh spoke with growing confidence as the image of a black and gold laced coffin briefly appeared above them.

Now Kaiba was even more puzzled about what his enemy was planning. Face Card Fusion could not fuse from the graveyard anyways, so surely there was no way for the pharaoh to summon his Arcana Knight Joker this turn…at least, that's what he assumed Atem would try and play.

"Now that the poker knights are back in the graveyard, I can use Court of Cards to banish them and draw a card for each one. I'll just banish Jack's Knight this time to draw one card." Atem said cautiously.

"What? Why wouldn't he try and draw as many cards as possible?" Kaiba thought a bit frantically.

"From there, I'll use the second effect of Keeper of Dragon Magic. By revealing the Arcana Knight Joker in my extra deck, I can summon set one of its fusion materials from the grave." Atem calmly set Queen's Knight from the cemetery to shore up his position. "That's all for now…"

"What?!" Kaiba grew disappointed. "Two weak monsters, no face-downs…just admit it, you're done. You've got nothing left to fuse with. Nothing to defend yourself against my monster, or the offense I'll mount next turn."

"We shall see, Kaiba…overconfidence has been your downfall many times in the past. Do not assume too much. Perhaps I know something you do not?" Atem suggested playfully, wanting to enjoy the match as he would with an old friend - but Kaiba cared nothing for such camaraderie.

"Don't lecture me!" Kaiba drew and immediately faced a hard decision. To use the effect of A-to-Z Dragon Buster Cannon to negate something, he needed to discard a card. However, he had only one card in his hand, and it would be a fine card to play indeed. What was the best way - to take an aggressive risk, or hold back? Perhaps it would be smarter to hold back, but it wasn't who Kaiba was. Even if he won, a part of him regretted that he had to play like Yugi to do so. It had to be this way.

Atem seemed to be thinking the same thing, wondering what Kaiba would do next. And in some ways, it was not surprising to see Kaiba select the bolder path. "I play the magic card Dragon's Mirror, banishing the three Blue-Eyes White Dragons from my graveyard for a fusion summon!"

Shimmering white contrails swirled around Kaiba's frame, casting him in smoky silhouette until the jetstreams eventually dispersed, revealing a three-headed dragon with silvery metallic plating and blue energy wiring through the veins on its plating. "I fusion summon Neo Blue-Eyes Ultimate Dragon (4500/3800)!"

The hydra roared down at the pharoah, who couldn't help but feel mixed emotions at the sight of it - nostalgia for the days gone by and shame for the lapse at Pegasus' castle, when he had almost killed Kaiba in the heat of battle. It was only Yugi's better judgment that saved both of them that day, though none of them liked to dwell on it. And now, no matter how far they had come, it had seemed time was a flat circle, and Atem was facing the beast again. Their inexorable fate was to be locked in battle, it seemed.

Kaiba either seemed not to realize this, did not care, or more than likely had already realized the nature of the vicious cycle himself and did not have the strength or will to break free of it. "Neo Blue-Eyes, wipe out his Keeper of Dragon Magic!" With three neutron blasts charged between its heads, the dragon combined them at one point before firing the burst of energy down at the pharaoh, the concussive force embedding him in the palace walls with a THUM and causing the royal court guard squad to rush to his aid. "Majesty!" Isis called out, the first to check on him. Once again, seeing a woman with Ishizu's face rush to Yugi's…erm, the pharaoh's side and not his made Kaiba's pride chafe. (Atem 2300/Kaiba 3000)

With a shake of his head, the CEO ordered, "Dragon Buster Cannon, annihilate Queen's Knight!" The mecha burned away the defensive monster with ease, ensuring that the pharaoh had no monsters left on his field.

"Urgh…" The golden king's composure was visibly shaken by the hard attacks, a trickle of red life running down from his temple and staining his headdress. He noticed the trade-off, Kaiba choosing to press the attack rather than hold onto the remaining card in his hand. It was difficult to say whether that was the right decision or not at this point…it would all depend on the next card the pharaoh drew.

"Take your final turn and let's end this once and for all…." Kaiba panted, growing exhausted from the extended duel. He could feel it, he was very close to finally overwhelming his opponent…just a little more of a push, and he would finally have it…the sweetest victory, the fruit that always seemed to hang just out of his grasp.

Atem waved away the assistance of the court guard members and took to his feet. "I can feel the end drawing near as well…the end that starts now!" A card materialized into his hand from the golden panels of the diadhank. "First, I'll revive Queen's Knight using Court of Cards!"

Like a phoenix, the sunny-haired warrior stood again and again, defiant against the dragon. "And now…I'll cast the magic of Double Spell! By discarding the spell Dark Magical Circle from my hand, I can copy the effect of a spell in your graveyard!" Twin spheres of pink and azure formed around the pharaoh, coalescing to form the teal ankh of the ancient kings…the key of life itself. "With the power of Monster Reborn, I'll revive one monster from either of our graveyards…" He bid softly.

The bottom of Kaiba's stomach dropped out as he heard the name of the monster the pharaoh was summoning. "Blue-Eyes Abyss Dragon, come to me…" The pharaoh intoned, and in a flash of light, Kaiba saw something that should not be, should never be…the image of his lover curled around the pharaoh's frame, her neck genuflected in service to him…to another man.

It would have been better if a feral rage had filled him, but what Kaiba felt instead was deflation, a sense that this was it, this was how things were, how they would always be… "No, don't take her…" He pleaded before remembering himself, digging deep and tapping some hidden well of rage. "Don't take her! She's mine! You hear me?! She belongs to me! She'll always belong to me…!"

Atem's gaze was still and even. "Remind me, Kaiba. How was it you first held the Blue-Eyes White Dragons in your possession?"

The CEO's gaze widened as long-forgotten memories dredged up from the undertow, brought to light once again by the very same man who cleansed him of his sins, of the evil in his heart. But that did not change the actions Kaiba had done through his own will, his own hand…the words from the past echoed through him. He remembered how deeply he submerged his hands in blood to feel the sweet embrace of his lover, the Blue-Eyes White Dragon.

"I made deals with the mafia…forced men into bankruptcy…one of them even committed suicide…" Kaiba recalled with shame. Even though he did not speak the words, it was as though Atem and the court could hear them.

Slowly, the pharaoh raised his final card skyward, his energy and grace seemingly returned. "I'll use the power of Face Card Fusion. Since I control one of the poker knights, this will let me use one monster from my deck and one monster on the field as material for a fusion summon! I'll merge the Buster Blader sleeping in my deck with Blue-Eyes Abyss Dragon on the field!"

"Not like this…I don't want the game to end yet…" And yet, despite the regret at his past actions, a greater part of Kaiba felt a pang of that childhood joy at simply playing a game. As a lonely boy, he often dreamt of a friend to play chess or other such games with, but none came, and he suppressed those desires. Atem, and Yugi too, were the friends he had wished for all those years ago…he realized it now as he was blinded by the gleaming white armor of Atem's new monster. The warrior hefted a glittering silver greatsword, its armor spiked, violet and ornate.

"Bond of enemies, merge together to form an unbreakable blade! Buster Blader, the Dragon Destroyer Swordsman (2800/2200), come forth!" Atem roared with a flutter of his crimson cape, unleashing the last of his power in the process. The swordsman's mere presence was sufficient to force all dragons to kneel, and the Neo Blue-Eyes fell to the palace floor in deference to its king. Kaiba himself stood standing, but was dazed, having never expected this turnabout.

"The gods alone were not enough to grant me victory in a battle against one as powerful as you, Kaiba. But this particular friend of mine is well-suited for you, and I am lucky to have him. Buster Blader's sword will absorb the souls of the dragons in your graveyard or on your field, and gain 1000 points of strength for each one!"

From the graveyard slot on Kaiba's duel disk, white streams of energy shot out from the machine and flew towards the dragon destroyer's sword, hefted above his head and glowing pearlescent in the desert sunlight. Gathering the powers of Blue-Eyes Abyss Dragon, The White Stone of Legend, Ten Thousand Dragon, Primal Dragon the Primordial, Buster Blader gained 6000 attack points for a total 8800. And the sword inflicted piercing damage as well…

"Buster Blader, attack Neo Blue-Eyes Ultimate Dragon with Destruction Sword Flash!" With a hefty swipe of its greatsword, Buster Blader leapt into the air, bringing down the executioner's judgment upon the three-headed beast, the game ending in a silent flash of light… (Atem 2300/Kaiba 0)

Kaiba fell to his back at the game's end, and despite losing again, his heart was not seized by bitterness and envy, not entirely…a small part of him was glad to see his friend again, even if they would always have their differences. "Argh…" He slowly sat up to see the pharaoh standing above him with an outstretched hand. The gazes of the court guard squad were not so cold and judgmental now either. Some of them inclined their heads in respect and acknowledgment of him, even.

"It was a good battle, Kaiba…I thank you for it…" Atem said, continuing to hold his hand, Kaiba staring at it as if were somehow poisoned.

"Heh, I guess it was…" With an odd feeling stirring within him, Kaiba reached up to take Atem's hand, only for his fingers to phase through the other man's.

Atem's eyebrows shot up. "I don't know what I'm more shocked about, the fact that you went to take my hand or that your hand seemed to have just passed through mine." He said, nonplussed.

"It's the dimensional emulator…" Kaiba explained as he stood, his form flickering and sparking as the battery in his device was beginning to fail. "It used up a lot of power during the duel. I still don't have the 1.0 version complete yet, unfortunately. But it was good enough for this, anyways." He said with an odd calm.

Atem didn't pretend to understand technology, but he picked up the general meaning of Kaiba's words. "This device of yours isn't finished yet? Kaiba, you attempted to cross the borders between the afterlife and the earth! You could have easily died for good!" He chastised.

"It would have been worth it to see you again…to fight you again…dying is a small thing, compared to the desire that consumed me day and night after you left this world." He admitted, unable to place a word on what he felt for Atem. Was it love? Hatred? Respect? Kinship? Perhaps it was an even mixture of all such emotions.

Atem shook his head with a gentle chuckle. "You really are something else, Kaiba. Well, I believe you once said that the victor has the right to say whatever they wish…so I want you to listen well, and perhaps you will hear my words this time. This is my wish."

Kaiba had no choice but to nod as his own words were thrown back in his face, even as that face was trailing off into ash and dust as the emulator began to pull him back to the real world. "Speak, then. What is your wish, that I make nice with those foolish friends of yours and draw a smiley face on my hand with a permanent marker? Because I will never grant such a thing…you have a duelist's pride as well. You should understand."

"That is not my wish." Atem's face, and the form of those behind him, was beginning to fade into light once more. "It is this. Live well. Build a future for your brother, for yourself, and for all of the duelists to come. Laugh and love when you can, for it is good. Tell Yugi I will always be proud of him. Hold onto your pride if you wish…but I hope you find another way to live, for your own sake. Don't come back here until you die…live your life to the fullest, while it lasts. After all, I'll always be here."

Even though Atem and Yugi's words simply bounced off Kaiba like rain upon a tin roof before, for some reason they seemed to pierce through his heart this time as his body crumbled away completely. Before he could reply, Kaiba was gone, and that was for the best…a moment of silence, nothingness to contemplate the man's words.

Priest Seto approached Atem along with the rest of the court. Although some of the others murmured their congratulations on a well-fought victory, Seto knew that Atem had no use for such words, especially not now. "That man is me from the future…?" He questioned.

"Worry not, cousin. It is none of our concern, not anymore. I don't believe any other travelers from that time will be visiting us. Let us be at peace in this place, for our story has ended in light, and theirs is only beginning." Atem closed his eyes, the memories of his adventures with Yugi nourishing him, but not consuming him. It was time to let go.

Kaiba emerged from the cool sanctuary of the storage pod aboard his space station. He had a pounding headache and his body was stiff as a board, but apart from that he was ok…although Mokuba's shrieks did little to soothe his headache.

"Big bro! Big bro! I was so scared, you disconnected and…" Before Kaiba could even fully extricate himself from the capsule, Mokuba's arms were around him, his teary eyes staining his white coat. "You're back! You're here…"

"Yeah…" With a small smile, Kaiba hugged his younger brother. "And I'm here to stay this time…there is nothing for me, for any of us in the past."

Mokuba wanted to ask if he had finally achieved victory over the pharaoh before the meaning of Kaiba's words sank in. "You're right…I'm just glad you didn't die realizing that." He lightly smacked Seto on the arm. "You are just crazy sometimes, bro…"

Kaiba nodded. "Let's go home…I wish to be free of this place, at last…" And so they went into the future.

A/N

Hope you enjoyed. I did consider another finish with Kaiba winning, but then dying as his machines overloaded from the exertion, the final move assuring his perfect victory but also costing his life. This is the sweeter ending, you might say…after all, you're not gonna get everything you want in life, but you may find peace of mind if you can let go of those unachievable desires.

Unfortunately I finished the duel part right before they announced the new XYZ Dragon Cannon cards so I was cucked in that regard lol. Oh well.