Chapter 30: Jewels of the Sea, Part 1
Last Time, on Legends Unite…
The Tournament of Time's Preliminary Round heated up with appearances from some of the Legendary Duelists' enemies from across their histories. One such foe is Gozaburo Kaiba, whose company Seto Kaiba took over when he was a child.
He had challenged Jack Atlas to a duel using his Exodia Necross deck, but unfortunately, the second time wasn't the charm for the Corrupt former President, as Jack employed the same tactic Kaiba used against his adoptive father, using a combination of Red Nova Dragon and Red Cocoon.
After his loss, Emperor Shade decided to give Gozaburo a few upgrades and then sent him out to personally challenge Seto to a duel with a new deck. And in order to draw him out, he kidnapped Senator Roy Lassard and his entire family.
Using Roy and a deal the both of them conjured up, Gozaburo challenged Seto to a rematch, one that he couldn't simply ignore. So he headed to challenge his father to a duel that was incredibly personal.
And yet, one must wonder if Gozaburo is the only worst enemy from the Duel Monsters Era to be in this tournament. What of The Big Five? Let's find out, now!
Kaiba takes off for his stepfather Gozaburo in hopes of rescuing Senator Lassard and his family.
"It's bad enough that the tyrant teamed up with Shade, but kidnapping a senator just to get to me? Now he's gone too far!" He finds the warehouse where he was located. He steps inside and sees him standing alone.
"Ah, Seto. I was beginning to think you couldn't make it." Gozaburo smirked.
"Enough formalities! Where are they?!" Seto barked.
"Ah yes, the Senator and his pitiful family." Gozaburo said. He snaps fingers and the curtain in the warehouse opens, revealing the Senator, still chained to the chair and his caged family.
"Do not worry, I haven't harmed a hair on them. But if you value their safety, then all you need to do is defeat me." Gozaburo said.
"That's why I'm here, aren't I?" Kaiba glared. They prepare to duel. Kaiba puts his deck in his Duel Disk. Gozaburo puts his deck in the case in his mechanical arm. Five thin blades protrude from the cybernetic arm, forming a Duel Disk.
"Nice arm. It suits you." Kaiba taunted.
"Enough talk. Let's get started." Gozaburo glared. "I've been waiting a long time for this. Not just to get my revenge on you for taking KaibaCorp from me, but also ending my life permanently after you escaped the Virtual World Simulator. When the facility exploded due to Noah's schemes to destroy us all, I thought I could take you and your friends with me. But you just had to outdo me again!"
"You did this to yourself, Gozaburo. When you challenged me to a duel in the Simulator, you made the one mistake no one in KaibaCorp dares to do, and that's to make me angry." Kaiba hissed.
"You were the one who started this whole mess when you decided to take everything from me! And now, it's time I take everything back. This time, Seto, you won't be the one to say "checkmate!"." Gozaburo said.
"In that case, as soon as I defeat you, I'll make sure you never harm me or anyone else ever again!" Kaiba yelled, activating his Duel Disk.
"LET'S DUEL!" both yelled as the battle between father and son kicked off once again.
But while this duel was going on, others were still going, as the Tournament of Time raged on…
Back at the Resistance base, our heroes reconvened from their duels against some of their greatest enemies. Yuma and Tori back from the 5Ds Facility against Armstrong; Crow and Aster from facing The D in an abandoned castle; Kite and Yusei back from the abandoned theme park after Kite took out Sayer; and Soulburner back with Axel after they beat Lumis and Umbra together, as well as Soulburner taking down Sanders. They all heard the latest news about what Kaiba was doing.
"What?! Gozaburo is still kicking?! I thought Jack took him out for good!" Crow said.
"Guess he's a lot tougher than we believed," Axel noted. "His desire for revenge against Kaiba must've fueled his fire."
"And now he's in one heck of a personal duel. I think some of us know how that feels. Best we let Kaiba handle that." Jaden said before turning to Axel. "But hey, it's been awhile, Axel. I didn't know you were in this thing too."
"I'll be honest, Jaden, I was just as surprised to even be in this tournament." Axel said. "But we'll catch up later. For now, we have more matches ahead of us."
"Axel's right. If we're going to save our eras, we need to be at our best!" Soulburner agreed.
"Who knows what else Shade will throw at us. If he recruited some of our worst enemies to be in this tournament on his behalf, then odds are they're trying to gain leverage in this tournament too." Yugi said.
Tea just thought of something. "This could be a bad thought to consider Yugi, but if Gozaburo is in the tournament, then doesn't that mean…"
Yugi gasped. "Of course! The Big Five!"
"The Big Five? Who are they?" Jaden asked.
"They used to be five of KaibaCorp's most powerful executives, until Kaiba took over the company." Yugi said. "They've popped up more than once to try and defeat us. After Atem and I defeated Pegasus, they personally tried to get Kaiba and us out of the picture twice by trapping us in virtual worlds."
"If the Big Five really are in this tournament, then we need to be very careful." Kite said
"But none of our other friends know about them. We should try and find whoever we can." Yuya said.
"Yeah, good point Yuya." Jaden said. "Axel, if you were thrown into this whole thing, maybe Jim, Jesse and Adrian are here too, right?"
"Not just them, Jaden. There's also a strong possibility that Viper's also in the tournament." Axel shuddered, remembering the things he did under Viper's command. "The things he did and how he turned to Yubel in desperation, I instantly regretted fighting under him. Even now, I still have bad memories about his whole scheme. It's his fault we were transported to that wasteland world and went through all that trouble with Yubel and your Supreme King side in the first place." Axel said.
"Hey, let's not get into this right now." Yuma said. "We should split up and try to find our friends first." He suddenly felt a sharp pain in his torso.
"You alright, Yuma?" Soulburner asked.
"Yeah. I just went through quite a shocker of a duel." Yuma said.
"He dueled someone called Armstrong a while ago." Tori told them.
"Chief Armstrong?" Yusei asked, remembering the facility chief. "Don't tell me. He set you up in a duel using his favorite rules."
"How'd you know?" Yuma asked Yusei.
"That's the way he did it when I dueled him. He rigged the Duel Disks so that when a player took any damage, a powerful electrical pulse filled your entire body." Yusei explained. "Of course, until late in the match, his Duel Disk wasn't connected to the generator."
"That sounds about right." Yuma said.
"Someone like him doesn't deserve to be considered an honorable duelist," Crow said.
"I couldn't agree more, Crow." Yusei said. "Thankfully, Goodwin fired Armstrong for abusing his position and authority."
"You should probably rest up for a bit if the duel was that physical, Yuma. The rest of us will go and look for some of our friends who are out there." Yugi assured Yuma.
"And maybe score some more Link Crystals along the way so we can head to the next round." Aster said. "Remember, we need ten Link Crystals to advance."
"Then, Axel and I will be waiting for you there." Soulburner said before the two Fire duelists revealed the ten Link Crystals they each collected..
"Whoa, awesome! You're in the next round already, Axel!" Jaden said in amazement.
"You bet. Soulburner and I won the crystals we needed off these two cloaked guys with half-masks." Axel explained.
"That must mean you beat Lumis and Umbra." Yugi said, remembering the two he and Kaiba met at Battle City.
"Yep. Their power plays were tough, but once their teamwork began to crumble, we blazed ahead for a victory." Soulburner said. "But anyway, let's get going to see if we can't find the rest of your friends."
"Let's split into groups so we can find them faster." Yusei said.
"Yeah. Axel, Crow, Tea, you will search the east. Aster and Yusei, you two take the north. Soulburner, Jaden, Yuya, you check the south. Zuzu and I will search the west." Yugi said.
The duelists then split up, opting to find whoever they could.
A little while later…
A few miles off from the City of Ophelis, Jesse Anderson is seen dueling against a Paradise Academy student named Nadine Fischer. Jesse had just won the duel itself by attacking her directly with Crystal Beast Topaz Tiger.
"Alright! That oughta do it." Jesse said. "Boy, that was fun."
"You didn't even use your best cards, and you still won. No wonder you're the Top Duelist at North Academy." Nadine said. "Well, I know when I'm beaten." She gives him one of her Link Crystals.
"Alrighty, with this here crystal, I now got seven crystals. All I need are three more and I'll be in the finals." Jesse said as he moved on. "Wonder how many people can get in? Knowin' Jaden and his pals, they're already set to move on, so I gotta hurry up and join 'em!"
"A shame you won't even get the chance." A mysterious voice called out to Jesse. "Because I'm going to make sure you never get there."
"Who's there? Show yourself!" Jesse shouted. A man in a set of blue and indigo armor similar to Deepsea Warrior's appeared in front of him, rising out of a pool of water.
"Are you familiar with the phrase "It's time to duel"?" the mysterious figure asked. "Well, this is the last time you're ever going to hear it!"
"Who the hay are you supposed to be?" Jesse asked.
"Our eras are not too distant from each other, and you don't even know who I am, boy? Now you've gone and hurt my feelings." the figure said. "Well, I'm Gansley, former vice president of business strategy at KaibaCorp., and a proud founding member of the Big Five. But for now, I've taken the form of this virtual avatar based on Deepsea Warrior, thanks in part to the glorious unity of the Link VRAINS system and KaibaCorp's virtual technology."
"Oh yeah, I think I've heard of you and those other guys. Didn't ya try stagin' a coup against Seto Kaiba twice before?" Jesse asked. "So, you guys are in this tournament too, huh?"
"Indeed we are, and I know quite a lot about you, Jesse Anderson." Gansley said.
"Hold up, how do you even know my name?" Jesse asked.
"Your name is everywhere in Duel Monsters. The young man who acquired the Crystal Beast cards from Mr. Pegasus after he won a regional tournament." Gansley said. "That set of cards is extremely rare, and yet Pegasus just gave them to you of all people."
"Hey, they weren't just given to me. They chose me if that makes sense." Jesse said. "Though, I've got a feelin' ya don't."
"Unfortunately not. But that's not why we're crossing paths now," Gansley said. "We're here because we're dueling."
"Ya sure you wanna go? I mean, I don't doubt everybody in this thing can duel, but it's hard to say you'll be able to play against me for the life of ya."
Gansley chuckled. "Did you say for the life of me, Jesse? Once I defeat you, I'll be one step closer to actually having a life again!"
"What're y'talking about?" Jesse asked.
"Did you forget the rules of this tournament?" Gansley asked. "If you or any of your friends from your era win, which you won't, you will be granted one wish. The same is true for me and the rest of the Big Five, but only so many duelists can reach the finals. But, to even reach the finals, you need ten Link Crystals, am I correct?"
"Alright, now I'm gettin' the picture. You're here to duel me for some of my Link Crystals. How many y'got, gramps?" Jesse asked.
"I happen to possess six Link Crystals." Gansley said.
"Well I just got done getting my count up to seven." Jesse replied.
"Impressive, your reputation precedes you. But unfortunately for you, you won't be uniting with your friends in the Finals, because I will be taking the ones you have." Gansley said.
"Now that sounds like a challenge to me, so I accept." Jesse smiled.
A few minutes ago…
Jaden, Yuya, and Soulburner are searching around the southern parts of the planet for any of their friends and warn them about the Big Five. So far, they haven't seen anyone they know.
"See anyone yet?" Yuya asked.
"No luck over here." Soulburner said.
"Nothing here either." Jaden answered.
"How are we supposed to find anybody we know when the venue for the tournament is this entire planet?!" Yuya groaned.
"Complaining about it is not going to help us at all, Yuya." Soulburner told him.
"I know, but there's gotta be an easier way to find someone. It's hard to figure out where everyone is originally." Yuya replied.
Jaden looked around until he saw someone with spiky blue hair and another person in blue and indigo armor. "Is that… Jesse?" Jaden said.
"You see a friend of yours?" Soulburner asked.
"Yeah. It looks like he's about to duel someone." Jaden responded.
"Could be one of the Big Five, let's go!" Yuya said as they rushed to Jesse just as he accepted Gansley's challenge.
"Jesse!" Jaden said in a mix of happiness and worry as they approached him.
"Oh, there y'are, Jay!" Jesse said. "I've been lookin' all over this planet for you."
"Good to see ya too, pal. I had a feeling you got called to compete in this too." Jaden said.
"Unfortunately, he's about to lose, Jaden Yuki." Gansley said, getting the three's attention.
"I'm gonna go out on a limb and guess that you're one of the Big Five, correct?" Soulburner guessed.
"You guessed correctly. And before you so rudely interrupted, this young man and I were due for a duel, which he already accepted." Gansley said.
"Jesse, I know you love a good duel, but y'might wanna have second thoughts." Jaden said.
"C'mon Jaden, don't worry. Fact is, I already have 7 Link Crystals. And when I beat this guy, I'll have enough to advance so we can be in the finals together." Jesse mentioned.
"7 crystals? He must be really good." Soulburner said to Jaden.
"That reminds me." Jesse remembered before showing Gansley three of his Link Crystals. "I'm gonna wager three crystals this time."
"Three crystals, eh?" Gansley asked. "Very well. As for our duel… why don't we make things interesting? As I have taken the form of a Link VRAINS Avatar, it only makes proper sense for us to compete with a special rule."
"Special rule?" Yuya asked
"What kind of special rule?" Jaden asked.
"Oh, you'll find out. But enough chatting, let's get down to business!" Gansley said as he activated his duel disk
"Wouldn't want it any other way." Jesse said as his Duel Disk powered on.
"Time to duel!" The two of them shouted, beginning the duel.
Jesse: 4000 LP
VS
Gansley: 4000 LP
"I think I'll go first, if you don't mind." Gansley said, taking a card from his hand.
Turn 1: Gansley (4000 LP)
"I summon Atlantean Dragoons in Attack Mode." Gansley said as two warriors riding large seahorses appeared.
Atlantean Dragoons (Level 4/ATK: 1800/DEF: 0)
"Haven't seen that card before." Jesse said.
"That's because this is an entirely new deck built especially for me. But we'll get to that later. I place one card face-down and end my turn." Gansley said, placing a card on his field face-down. "Now, let's see what you can do, boy."
"Oh, I will, Gansley." Jesse said. "I draw." He draws a card from his deck.
Turn 2: Jesse (4000 LP)
The card he drew was Crystal Beast Cobalt Eagle. In his hand were Rare Value, Amber Mammoth, Crystal Bond, Crystal Release, and Topaz Tiger.
"I activate Crystal Bond!" Jesse activates his Spell card. "This lets me retrieve a Crystal Beast from my deck and then place a different Crystal Beast in my Spell/Trap Zone. I'm gonna add Sapphire Pegasus to my hand and place Emerald Tortoise in my Spell/Trap Zone." A green stone appears on Jesse's field.
"Looks like Jesse's got some new cards." Yuya commented.
"Yeah, I've never heard of Crystal Bond before." Jaden said. "Where'd y'get it, Jess?"
"Turns out all these timelines mergin' together here is actually worth it. Didja know that farther in the future, new Crystal Beast cards were made that I haven't even heard of before?" Jesse asked. "I'd be glad to show more of them, but first some old favorites! I summon Crystal Beast Amber Mammoth!" Emerging from an orange stone is a mammoth with a round amber stone on its forehead, a white mane, and four large tusks with two smaller tusks underneath.
Crystal Beast Amber Mammoth (Level 4/1700/1600)
"Just say the word and I'll give 'em a good stompin'." Amber Mammoth spoke with a voice that is almost identical to Arnold Schwarzenegger.
"A nice card. Too bad it's weaker than my Atlantean Dragoons." Gansley pointed out.
"Normally, that's true, but I got something to fix that. I play the Equip Spell Crystal Release!" Jesse plays his Equip Spell. "This pumps up my Mammoth's ATK by 800!" Amber Mammoth lets out a loud trumpet sound.
Amber Mammoth: ATK: 1700→2500
"And that gives 'em more than enough power to flatten yer Dragoons! Go for it, buddy!" Jesse said as Amber Mammoth charged with a battle cry.
"An impressive tactic, yet completely predictable. I activate the Trap Card, Sakuretsu Armor!" Gansley revealed his Trap card. A barrier appears around Gansley's monster, blocking the attack.
"WHAT?!" Amber Mammoth yelled before the Trap destroyed him.
"My Sakuretsu Armor not only blocked your monster's attack but it also destroyed it the minute it made contact." Gansley said.
"Well, that's a bummer. But, even if he's destroyed, my Mammoth still goes to my Spell/Trap Zone." Jesse said as it appeared there as an orange stone. "And when Crystal Release went to the Graveyard, its own effect lets me add another Crystal Beast in my deck to join it. I'm choosin' Ruby Carbuncle." A red stone appeared alongside the orange stone.
"Ah yes, the famous ability of the Crystal Beasts, who have second lives as Continuous Spells." Gansley said.
"That's right. And for m'second Main Phase, now that I have three of them there, I can use the Spell Card, Rare Value!" Jesse said. "I take one of m'pals in my Spell and Trap zone and send it to the Grave. In exchange, I get to draw two cards."
Jesse did so, sending Ruby Carbuncle to the Graveyard, to draw two cards. The cards he drew are Crystal Boon and Ancient City - Rainbow Ruins.
"I place one card face-down and end my turn." Jesse said. "Back t'you, Gansley."
Turn 3: Gansley (4000 LP)
"Why thank you." Gansley took his draw Phase. His hand contained Atlantean Heavy Infantry, Mermail Abyssteus, Monster Reborn, Mermail Abyssgunde, and Deep Sea Aria.
"You know, Jesse, I'm a businessman, and in the world of business, there are three secrets to success that are guaranteed to crush your competition, so listen closely." Gansley said. "The first is, build a powerful workforce, so come forth, Mermail Abyssteus!" Gansley played a monster that resembles a Dunkleosteus. He discards one card from his hand.
Mermail Abysssteus (Level 7/ATK: 1700/DEF: 2400)
"Hey, wait a second! You didn't even sacrifice two monsters to summon that guy!" Jaden said.
"Actually, it's quite simple to Summon Abyssteus. All I have to do is discard one WATER Attribute monster in my hand to the graveyard, which I did so." Gansley said. "And since I summoned him this way, I'm allowed to add one other Mermail monster from my deck to my hand, as long as it is Level 4 or Below, and I select Mermail Abysspike." He added the card to his hand.
"The second secret to success is quite a simple one: know your own resources. Since the card I discarded was Atlantean Heavy Infantry, I activated his special ability, allowing me to destroy one face-up card on your field." A scaled Atlantean warrior appears and uses his fists to destroy the Amber Mammoth on Jesse's field.
"I told you you couldn't keep up with the bigwigs." Gansley said. "Now for the last and most important secret of success in the business world. Always keep your competition guessing! And I assure you, you have no idea of the horrors I have in store for you!"
Back with the Battle of the Kaiba's….
Seto Kaiba: 4000 LP
Vs
Gozaburo Kaiba: 4000 LP
"I'll begin, if you don't mind." Gozaburo opts to go first.
Turn 1: Gozaburo Kaiba (4000 LP)
"I summon Chessmate Ivory Pawn!" Gozaburo summons a white pawn-shaped robot.
Chessmate Ivory Pawn (Level 2/ATK: 1000/DEF: 0)
"Chessmate? Never heard of those." Roy noted.
"These cards have been inspired by the highlights of my chess career. Speaking of chess, my Ivory Pawn's ability activates! Once a turn, when you have no monsters out, I can summon a Pawn Token onto your field in Defense Mode."
"MY field?!" Kaiba gasped as a white chess-themed totem appeared on Kaiba's side of the field.
Pawn Token (Level 2/ATK: 0/DEF: 500)
"Why on earth would you summon a monster that would give me one?" Kaiba asked.
"That's for me to know, son." Gozaburo said as he placed a card face-down. "Your turn."
"He really shouldn't have done that, you know." Zaria said. "By giving him a monster, he set Kaiba up for him to summon a more powerful monster."
"Afraid not." Gozaburo said. "That Token I gave him can't be sacrificed or used as Synchro material."
"Are you kidding me?" Roy gasped.
Turn 2: Seto Kaiba (4000 LP)
Kaiba scowled. "I may not be able to tribute it, but why defend with it when I have monsters that make your monsters feel like pebbles." Kaiba draws a card. He sees the card he drew is his Blue-Eyes White Dragon. He sees a few familiar monsters among them, along with some new cards. He chooses to play one of them.
"I activate Blue-Eyes Advent!" Kaiba's card depicts him standing atop KaibaCorp Headquarters holding a shining card and Blue-Eyes White Dragon flying above. "With this, I don't need to sacrifice any monsters to summon my most powerful beast!"
"No! Not that!" Gozaburo gasped in horror.
"Yes! Behold the monster that defeated you in our last match: the Blue-Eyes White Dragon!"
Kaiba's most powerful and favorite card appeared with a mighty roar.
Blue-Eyes White Dragon: Level 8/ATK: 3000/DEF: 2500
"Next, I activate Cards of Consonance. By discarding a Dragon-Type Tuner, I can draw two cards." He discards a copy of The White Stone of Ancients and draws two cards from his deck.
"Next, I summon my Vorse Raider!" His blade-wielding Beast-Warrior appears with a low growl.
Vorse Raider (Level 4/ATK: 1900/DEF: 1200)
"The more things change, the more they stay the same, son." Gozaburo smirked.
"Don't bet on that. Blue-Eyes, send his Ivory Pawn to the scrap pile! White Lightning!" Kaiba called for his attack. His white-scaled dragon fires a stream of charged white energy.
"With monsters like those, Mr. Kaiba's got this in the bag!" Mia said.
"I beg to differ, madam. I activate the Trap Card Chessmate Block! When a Chessmate monster is attacked and you have more monsters than I do, not only is that attack blocked, its second effect activates depending on the Attribute of the attacked monster." Gozaburo reveals his Trap, depicting Light Bishop taking an attack from Dark Bishop that was meant for Brilliant Queen.
A barrier deflects the attack. "Since my Ivory Pawn is a Light monster, I gain Life Points equal to half your attacking monster's Attack Points."
Gozaburo Kaiba: 4000→6500 LP
"You may have stopped one of my attacks, but I have another waiting. Vorse Raider, finish the job!" The Beast-Warrior throws its weapon at the pawn golem and slices it in two, destroying it. Gozaburo shields himself from the damage.
Gozaburo Kaiba: 6500→6000 LP
"It's just like that snake Gozaburo to drag us here just to challenge Kaiba." Zaria said.
"Quiet in there!" Gozaburo shouted.
"I place two cards face-down and at the end of my turn, the effect of my White Stone of Ancients activates!" Kaiba declared as a shimmering white stone appears above him. "I'm now able to summon a Blue-Eyes monster from my deck. Come on out, Blue-Eyes Jet Dragon!" Kaiba calls out a new monster, one that resembles the Blue-Eyes White Dragon jet he used to fly everywhere.
Blue-Eyes Jet Dragon (Level 8/ATK: 3000/DEF: 0)
"I guess being flung around time has some advantages." Kaiba smirked. "Time to see what you can do, father."
Turn 3: Gozaburo Kaiba (6000 LP)
"It's my turn, boy. I draw." Gozaburo draws his card. Gozaburo analyzes his hand. "I summon Chessmate Light Bishop!" Gozaburo's next monster is a bishop in white and blue robes holding a white tome with gold ornate detailing.
Chessmate Light Bishop (Level 3/ATK: 800/DEF: 0)
"A Tuner Monster?!" Zaria gasped.
"She sure knows her cards." Gozaburo said. "I'm activating my Bishop's ability! Once a turn, I can revive a Level 4 or lower from the Graveyard. Come on back, Ivory Pawn!" Light Bishop chants a spell from his tome and revives the pawn-like robot.
Chessmate Ivory Pawn (Level 2/ATK: 1000/DEF: 0)
"And if I successfully revive a monster, I can summon a Chessmate monster from my hand. Rise, Chessmate Marble Rook!" Gozaburo summons another chess-themed monster, this time it's a marble golem with a stone shield.
Chessmate Marble Rook (Level 3/ATK: 0/DEF: 2000)
"Not bad. But I don't think they're powerful enough to get past my dragon, or any of my other monsters." Kaiba taunted.
"Maybe not in their present form, but perhaps this will change your tone, Seto!" Gozaburo said as the field turned gray. A green bolt of lightning strikes behind him as the three monsters transform into pixelated energy. "Level 3 Light Bishop tunes Level 2 Ivory Pawn and Level 3 Marble Rook!" The three sets of rings that formed from the monsters' energy combine into eight glowing blue rings.
"You're kidding me! He can Synchro Summon?!" Roy gasped in surprise.
"With this monster, our match will be over before you can say "checkmate"! I Synchro Summon! Level 8 Chessmate Brilliant Queen!" Gozaburo's Synchro monster is a beautiful queen in a white and blue dress. She is armed with a gold scepter with rubies and emeralds.
Chessmate Brilliant Queen (Level 8/ATK: 2800/DEF: 0)
"Beautiful, isn't she?" Gozaburo asked.
"Not as beautiful as my loving wife." Roy disagreed.
"Aw, Roy." Mia blushed.
"That reminds me. Senator, I must ask: what made you get on his bad side?" Kaiba asked the senator.
"Well, I sorta badmouthed him on the freeway almost a decade ago. He's been on my case ever since." Roy explained. "For the last 9 years, he's been watching my every move. I answer a phone call at my office, I hear his voice; I open my computer, I see his sinister face; I turn on the TV to watch a talk show, there he was." Roy shuddered.
"But after I lost my company to Seto, I fell into a downward spiral." Gozaburo said. "To escape the backlash that came after the takeover, I digitized my mind, which as a result, destroyed my body."
"That made you decide to try and take over KaibaCorp from within my servers and attempt to digitize the world after Noah, your real son, failed to defeat Yugi." Kaiba verified. "After you closed all of the exits, Noah separated us and escaped in Mokuba's body through a secret exit. And to ensure that we wouldn't be able to follow him, he redirected the missiles to destroy his underwater base and the Virtual World with it. But that's when during his escape, Noah remembered that, despite his actions against me and Mokuba, he was still family. It was then that his heart changed. He went to stop the missiles, but by the time he got to the control room, someone destroyed the computer system that controlled them. With little time to spare, he returned Mokuba's body and rescued me, Yugi, and his friends from your virtual trap, just as I had defeated you in our first match."
"But whatever happened to him and Noah?" Zaria asked, glancing at Gozaburo .
"After our first duel, Gozaburo attempted to take my body by force. Yugi came and helped me escape while Noah immobilized Gozaburo and trapped him in the network. The missile destroyed the fortress and the network that contained Gozaburo and Noah with it. That snake made one last attempt to take me down, but I used my airship's turbo thrusters to escape his grasp, leaving him to be lost to the waves. As for Noah, he likely saved himself in a backup file before the fortress exploded, so that he may one day see Mokuba once again."
"I never imagined that both of the sons I cherished would betray me." Gozaburo sighed. "I loved you and treated you honorably and this is the thanks I get?"
"Save it! You ran me into the ground!" Kaiba barked.
"Only to motivate you into running KaibaCorp as I envisioned, but if you won't see my vision, then perhaps my monster will make you see the truth. And in case I didn't get the chance to tell you, my Brilliant Queen can attack all of your monsters one time. But first, I play the Equip Spell Grandmaster's Crown!" Gozaburo plays his Equip Spell and Brilliant Queen puts on a blue, white, and gold crown. "This piece of bedazzling beauty gives whoever wears it 200 Attack Points for every Chessmate monster in my Graveyard." The crown shines brightly, strengthening her.
Brilliant Queen: ATK: 2800→3400
"Not bad, but I'm afraid that Her Majesty will have to take a knee. I activate the Spell Majesty with Eyes of Blue!" Kaiba reveals his Spell. "By sending a Blue-Eyes monster in my hand or deck to the Graveyard, your Queen can't attack as long as she's face-up." A card falls into Kaiba's Graveyard. Both Blue-Eyes dragons stare into Brilliant Queen's eyes, their gaze paralyzing her.
"Nice one!" Liane cheered.
"I expect nothing less." Gozaburo said. "A shame it was all for nothing. The Grandmaster's Crown she's wearing protects her from being affected by your Spells and Traps." The paralyzing aura around Brilliant Queen disappears.
"What?!" Kaiba gasped.
"Brilliant Queen, take out his Blue-Eyes White Dragon! Scepter Smash!" Gozaburo calls his attack. Brilliant Queen charges at Blue-Eyes White Dragon.
"So predictable. You forget that there's more than one way to stop a monster. I activate Negate Attack!" Kaiba reveals his Trap and a barrier deflects Brilliant Queen's attack.
"Curse you, Seto!" Gozaburo sneered.
"How does it feel, knowing that your Battle Phase has ended automatically?" Kaiba asked.
"Don't think you've beaten me yet, Seto!" Gozaburo said. "And don't think I've forgotten the tournament is still underway. Even now as we duel, the Big Five are out searching the planet for opponents so they can take their Link Crystals. While I have you here, we'll be cementing our places in the finals, which will end with me conquering you! You always have to think a few steps ahead, in business, or in chess!"
"Speaking of business, whatever happened to your cronies, the Big Five?" Roy asked. "I was expecting at least one of them to keep an eye on us."
"Like I said, Senator, the Big Five are out searching for opponents so they can take their Link Crystals and secure our places in the finals." Gozaburo answered. "And in case they fail, I'll be able to secure my place. But to do that, I must first be rid of you, Seto!"
"In your dreams! I took you down once before, Gozaburo." Kaiba said. "What's stopping me from doing it again?"
"For one, my new Chessmate Deck! You have no idea what else I have in store for you, Seto. Just wait. When you see the cards given to me this time, you'll wish I still had my Exodia Necross deck!" Gozaburo said.
Back with Jesse vs Gansley…
"My turn is still in effect, Mr. Anderson," Gansley said. "And since I still can conduct a normal Summoning this turn, I believe I'll summon Mermail Abysspike!"
Gansley summoned a merman with silver armor and blonde hair.
Mermail Abysspike (Level 4/ATK 1600/ DEF 800)
"And since I was able to successfully summon him, by sending another Water attribute monster from my hand to the graveyard, I can take one other Level 3 or below Water monster and add it to my hand," Gansley said, discarding Mermail Abyssgunde and adding Mermail Abyssdine to his hand.
"Not a bad move, except y'can't use Abyssgunde's ability right now, since y'got no other Mermails in your grave," Jesse said.
"But I can use Abyssdine's ability! Since an effect added her from my deck to my hand, I can special summon her to the field, strengthening my workforce!" Gansley said, summoning the little mermaid child.
Mermail Abyssdine (Level 3 ATK 1000/ DEF 200)
"And with Abyssdine's ability, I can summon Abyssgunde from my Graveyard." Gansley said, summoning the mermaid with an orange tail, silver armor, and short black hair.
Mermail Abyssgunde (Level 3/ATK: 1400/DEF: 800)
"And since your Crystal Beast monsters can't protect you in their current states… everyone, attack him!" he said as his monsters charged.
"Not so fast there! I play m'facedown, Crystal Boon!" Jesse said. "It lets me Special Summon up to two Crystal Beast monsters in my Spell and Trap Zone. Best part is I gain life points equal to their combined attack points! So, I'll be bringin' up Emerald Tortoise!"
The tortoise with the shell of emerald was summoned from his Spell and Trap zone in defense mode.
Crystal Beast Emerald Tortoise (Level 3/ ATK: 600/ DEF: 2000)
Jesse LP: 4000→4600
"Sorry, but I guess you're wastin' your attacks since none of yer cards can get past Tortoise!" Jesse said.
"NIce move, Jesse!" Jaden said.
"And he can forget using Atlantean Dragoons's ability, since none of his other monsters are Sea Serpents." Yuya added.
"I suppose you're right." Gansley admitted. "Guess I have no other choice. I end my turn."
Turn 4: Jesse (4600 LP)
"I'm up again!" Jesse said drawing a card. In his hand now was Ancient City - Rainbow Ruins, Cobalt Eagle, Sapphire Pegasus, and Topaz Tiger. The card he drew was Pot of Greed.
"I play Pot of Greed. This lets me draw an extra two cards." Jesse draws two more cards, revealed as Rainbow Blessing and Crystal Promise. "Alright. I summon Crystal Beast Topaz Tiger!" A tiger with a blade on his forehead appears on the field.
Crystal Beast Topaz Tiger (Level 4/ATK: 1600/ DEF: 1000)
"Ready?" Jesse asked.
"Why don't you tell our friend here about my special talent?" Topaz recommended.
"I almost forgot. Whenever my Tiger attacks, his power increases by 400!" Jesse said.
Topaz Tiger ATK: 1600→2000
"Okay, Topaz, take a bite out of Abyssdine! Topaz Incisor Shred!" Jesse said as Topaz pounces on Abyssdine.
"An interesting move, Jesse. But a very poor business decision. And now, it's time for you to pay the price!" Gansley said. "I activate my Skill!"
"What?!" Soulbunder asked in shock.
"What's he talking about, Soulburner?" Yuya asked.
"I was afraid of this. Since he took on the form of an avatar from Link VRAINS, he has the power to use a special power known as a Skill. Playmaker and I haven't used ours, but I bet Gansley has a reason to use his."
"Indeed I do! By sacrificing two monsters on my field…. I can use their energy to create this! Reflector Hole! Bounce his attack right back!"
After sacrificing Abyssgunde and Abyssdine, a black portal appeared that sucked Topaz in mid-attack, then spat him out right back at Jesse.
"No!" Jesse said as Topaz's attack ended up hitting Jesse.
Jesse: 4600→2600 LP
"Looks like your Life Points are starting to collapse. And before long you'll be completely drained of everything you have!" Gansley said.
"Ya haven't put me out of business yet, Gansley!" Jesse said.
"It's only a matter of time, Jesse! Soon my colleagues and I will destroy you and your friends in the greatest corporate takeover in history!" Gansley smirked. "Speaking of your friends, I wonder how they're holding up in this planet-wide venue. Think about it. Those fools must be suffering greater losses than you! And you can't save them!"
"Never thought I'd agree with him, but he's right!" Soulburner said.
"Guess I'd better end this and help ya find them!" Jesse agreed.
"One more attack to your small reserve of Life Points and your resources will be completely wiped out, leaving you trapped on this planet forever!" Gansley laughed.
To be continued…
Fan-Made/OC Cards:
Blue-Eyes Advent
Normal Spell Card
Normal Summon 1 "Blue-Eyes White Dragon" from your hand without Tributing.
Chessmate Block
Normal Trap Card
If your "Chessmate" monster is target for an attack: Negate the attack and apply the following effect based on the target monster's Attribute:
LIGHT: Gain LP equal to the attacking monster's ATK.
DARK: Inflict damage equal to half the attacking monster's ATK.
Chessmate Brilliant Queen
Level 8/LIGHT
Fairy/Synchro/Effect
ATK: 2800/DEF: 0
1 LIGHT Tuner + 1 or more non-Tuner "Chessmate" monsters
If this card attacks, and the battle damage would reduce your opponent's LP to 0, your opponent cannot activate cards or effects until the end of the Damage Step. This card can attack all monsters your opponent controls once each. At the end of the Battle Phase: Inflict 400 damage to your opponent for each monster this card attacked this turn.
Chessmate Ivory Pawn
Level 2/LIGHT
Machine/Effect
Cannot attack your opponent directly. If this card destroys a monster your opponent controls; inflict 400 damage to your opponent. Once per turn, if your opponent controls no monsters; You can Special Summon 1 "Pawn Token" (Machine-Type/EARTH/Level 2/ATK 0/DEF 500) to your opponent's side of the field in Defense Position. This Token cannot be Tributed or be used as a Synchro Material Monster.
Chessmate Light Bishop
Level 3/LIGHT
Spellcaster/Tuner/Effect
Cannot attack your opponent directly. If this card destroys a monster your opponent controls; inflict 500 damage to your opponent. Once per turn: You can target 1 Level 4 or below monster in your Graveyard; Special Summon it, and if you do, Special Summon 1 "Chessmate" monster from your hand.
Chessmate Marble Rook
Level 3/LIGHT
Rock/Effect
ATK: 0/DEF: 2000
Cannot attack your opponent directly. If this card destroys a monster your opponent controls; inflict 500 damage to your opponent. At the end of the Damage Step, if this Defense Position card was attacked by a monster whose ATK is lower than this card's DEF: Destroy the attacking monster.