Back to Battle City Part I
'Attention, duellists,' Roland's voice came on over the PA, 'we are now back on course for KaibaCorp Island for the conclusion of the Battle City Finals.'
'This is it, Mokuba,' Kaiba said. 'There are only four finalists left, including myself. And before long I'll be crowned World's Greatest Duellist on top of my Duel Tower. Plus I'll have the most powerful deck in Duel Monsters once I win the three Egyptian God Cards. When I defeat Marik I'll get his Winged Dragon of Ra, which seems to be the most powerful of the three Eygptian God Cards. Then I'll gain Slifer the Sky Dragon when I wipe out Yugi.' Kaiba pulled out his own Egyptian God Card. 'And since I already possess the mighty Obelisk the Tormentor, my deck will be completely unstoppable! And then I'll be respected and feared by every duellist on Earth!'
Mokuba looked up at him and muttered, 'Not again.'
Kaiba narrowed his eyes at the island ahead. 'And now it's only a matter of time before the winner takes all.'
YGO
Elsewhere on the Blimp, Yugi, Sharee, and their friends had more substantial concerns.
Sharee, for her part, panted to get her breath back as she stood with Ishizu. 'Okay. He should be safe there, especially if the next round of finals is about to begin.' She looked at Ishizu. 'Just in case, you better hold onto this.' She held up her key card.
'You expect to have your pocket picked?' Ishizu asked in surprise.
'I wouldn't discount the possibility.' Sharee looked back at Odion, who had been relocated and hidden in her room. 'I'm sort of impressed that Kaiba had medical staff here, but he could've hired more guards, eh?'
'You told the doctor about the attempt?' Ishizu asked.
'Yeah, and he told the security Kaiba does have on board. So they all know where Odion is. But Marik – sorry, Malik – has the Winged Dragon of Ra. We all – us and his staff – know that Kaiba's not likely to do anything aside from put security on high alert while he's got that.'
Ishizu nodded. 'I do wish he would accept what is happening.'
Sharee frowned. 'I have the impression from Mayet that there's a bit more to the story that we're not privvy to.' She straightened up. 'Well, I better go find the others.'
YGO
Joey stepped into Mai's room.
Serenity turned, still somber. 'Hey, Joey.'
Joey walked over. Worry gnawed at his gut. 'Hey, sis. Has Mai said a word?'
Serenity shook her head.
The worry quickly rolled into rage. 'I still can't believe Marik trapped her mind in the Shadow Realm!' He crouched down by her side and watched her face, blank and slack and not at all like it was supposed to be.
'I know! What did she ever do to him?' Serenity tearfully demanded.
'Come on, Mai. Wake up!' Joey squeezed her hand. 'Don't worry about a think, Mai. I'll save you. If losing to Marik got you there, then maybe if I defeat Marik it'll bring you back!'
'Just promise me you'll be careful,' Serenity said.
Joey smiled at her. 'Sure! That's my middle name.'
YGO
Ishizu sat in the common room and looked out the window. My brother must be saved from the evil that's controlling him!
A dark chuckle made her turn.
'It's you.' She hardened her resolve. Odion was safely hidden away.
'Yes, and I've come here to get some vital information from you concerning your friend, Odion. What have you done with him?'
Ishizu stood. 'Nothing.'
'I can see through your lies.'
'It's true.'
'Odion has the power to stop me so you're protecting him,' Malik stated.
'Even if I was, Malik, you're the last person I would tell.'
'Huh. Care to reconsider those words?' Malik lifted his Millennium Rod. 'Or not?' He advanced on her. 'Without your Millennium Necklace, you're powerless!'
Ishizu drew back, her hand instinctively went up to her neck.
'Were you foolish enough to lose the one thing that could've protected you from me?' Malik asked mockingly. 'Not only did your Millennium Necklace allow you to see the future, it also sheilded you from my Shadow Magic.' He lifted the end of the Rod and pressed it to her cheek. 'So are you going to tell me where you hid Odion, or shall I send you to the Shadow Realm?'
Ishizu felt herself break into a sweat. Her brother might have talked a big game when he took the other two Egyptian God Cards, but he would have never used the Millennium Rod against her. This, on the other hand, was not her brother. Her heart raced. She was afraid, but she couldn't put Odion at risk.
'Well, is that fear I see in your eyes?' Malik gloated. 'I must say I like this side of you!'
The announcement suddenly came over the PA. 'Attention duellists. We are six miles from KaibaCorp Island. Preparing for descent.'
'Oh.' Malik lowered the Millennium Rod. 'Well, then. It seems I have a tournament to win, so I'll deal with you later.' He stepped away, only pausing at the door. 'Once I win this tournament, I'm coming back to finish our conversation, Ishizu. So I wouldn't get too comfortable if I were you. For once I acquire the two remaining Egyptian God Cards, and the Millennium Puzzle, I'll focus my attention on banishing you and that fool, Odion, to the Shadows.'
Ishizu narrowed her eyes.
Malik headed out. 'Now, if you'll excuse me, I have to strip the former Pharaoh of all his powers. I must say, it's been lovely chatting with you, sister, and I'm looking forward to spending more time with you in the days to come.' The door closed behind him.
'Good day,' Ishizu said with a relieved sigh.
YGO
Yugi stood in Bakura's room. This tournament is getting too dangerous. Now Bakura's in the Shadow Realm, thanks to Marik.
The Pharaoh appeared over his shoulder. It's true. Everyone who has duelled with Marik has paid a large price. First, Odion was struck down. Then Mai's mind was trapped in the Shadow Realm, and now Bakura's gone.
'I'm sure Marik's already planning his next move,' Yugi said. 'Why should my friends have to suffer when it's me he wants?'
He wants us. The Pharaoh put a hand on Yugi's shoulder.
'What's he waiting for?' Yugi asked.
I think that Marik's trying to weaken us by targeting our friends, Yugi. He know that to take the Millennium Puzzle and our Egyptian God Card, he must first defeat us in a duel so he's taking down our friends one-by-one in order to crush our confidence.
'We can't let him get away with that!' Yugi insisted.
That's true.
'If Marik thinks he can bully us around with his Millennium Rod, he'd better think again! Cause you and I are gonna win this tournament! And hopefully when we do, and Marik's plan fails, everyone who fell victim to him will be okay.' Yugi turned to face the Pharaoh. 'I know we can do this!'
The Pharaoh smiled in approval. You're right. When we work together, there's no stopping us. Just as Ishizu told us, we have to win this tournament and save the world!
Yugi smiled and nodded.
At that moment, their friends arrived.
'Hey, Yugi,' Téa called.
'It's almost that time, dude,' Tristan said. 'So grab your duelling deck and let's go.'
Yugi already had his duelling deck strapped to his hip. He headed out to join them.
At that moment, though, Tristan noticed. 'Hey, wait. Bakura's in no shape to be out of bed, guys.'
'Yeah,' Duke said. 'He was looking pretty bad.'
At that moment, Sharee arrived. 'We had another Marik Incident last night. Téa can tell you about it.' She nodded to him. 'Come on, Yugi. We have three friends to save.'
'Right.' Yugi fell into step with her. He winced when he heard her mutter under her breath as Téa started telling the other two what'd happened last night.
'And before we get our duel with Marik, it'll probably be four.'
The worst part was...she was probably right.
YGO
'We are now beginning our decent upon KaibaCorp Island for the conclusion of the Battle City Finals. When we touch down, please exit the aircraft and await further instructions.'
The Blimp came down for a landing.
In the cockpit, Kaiba was riding a euphoria as they watched the rest of the passengers disembark. 'The moment I've been waiting for is finally here! Soon I'll be crowned the World's Greatest Duellist!'
YGO
'Whoa. Check it out, guys,' Yugi remarked as he and his friends stood at the foot of a massive tower.
'That must be the Duel Tower Kaiba was yapping about,' Joey remarked. 'Now what?'
'I'm sure we'll find out soon enough,' Yugi said.
Sure enough, that was the moment Kaiba disembarked. 'The island we're standing on is the site of the original Kaiba Corporation, but I tore it down.'
Yugi glanced at the ruins around the Tower. Then he turned to Kaiba. 'And is that...?'
'Yes,' Kaiba said. 'That's my Duel Tower and I plan to defeat you on the very top, Yugi!' He pointed up.
With that statement, Yugi reliquished control of his body over to the Pharaoh.
Behind him, he sensed Sharee relinquish control of her body to Mayet.
YGO
The Pharaoh watched in idle amusement as Joey immeidately jumped in.
'Look, rich boy! In case you forgot, I'm in this tournament too! And you won't be getting past me! I'll duel so many circles around you, you won't know your trap cards from your graveyard, punk!'
Kaiba just smirked. 'Must you insist on embarrassing yourself, Wheeler? You shouldn't even be in my tournament, you amateur!'
'And you know what I said to that,' Mayet remarked.
Kaiba grunted. 'Whatever. We're wasting time, so let's go.'
He led the whole group towards the tower.
As they got to the tower, Malik made an appearance. 'It's such a lovely day, isn't it, Pharaoh? Too bad some of your friends can't enjoy it from all the way in the Shadow Realm.'
The Pharaoh ground his teeth at the reminder.
Joey, next to him, growled. 'Hey, watch it! You're going down!'
'Then let's get on with these duels.' Malik turned his attention to Kaiba. 'When do I find out whom my next victim is?'
'Just chill out!' Mokuba snapped. 'We'll tell you inside the Tower! Is that clear?'
Malik chuckled. 'Then why don't we proceed so the fun can begin?'
YGO
Mayet stood with the rest of their friends, looking around the inside of the tower, as the explanations started. She knocked on the wall as she went. The sound...was strange. It was as if the building around them was mostly hollow. This room was small and had an escalator leading to the space above.
'Your attention please!' Roland said. 'Step to the centre of the Tower. The second half of the Battle City Finals will take place right here.'
'So far it's not so impressive,' Joey remarked.
'This place doesn't look like a duelling arena,' Téa agreed.
Mayet was still looking up. 'Does this have anything to do with the fact this seems to be the only room, so to speak, in the whole tower?'
Mokuba had his arms folded and was grinning, no doubt a pose he mimicked from his brother. 'Oh, you noticed that? Good.'
Roland continued. 'As you know, there are four finalists remaining: Yugi, Joey, Marik, and, of course, Mr. Kaiba. You'll notice we're surrounded by four doors. Each finalist must choose a door through which to enter. Choose wisely.'
'What's behind them?' the Pharaoh muttered, more to himself.
The doors slid open.
'Before we may proceed with the next round of the Battle City Finals,' Roland said, 'Each participant must choose one of the four doors that surround us.'
'How am I supposed to know which door to pick?' Joey asked. 'What do you think, Yug?'
'I don't think there's a "wrong" choice,' the Pharaoh said.
Mayet examined the inside of the Tower again. 'Yeah. I get the feeling...it doesn't actually matter.'
It turned out...they were right. After the slightly amusing incident of Joey getting confused over the doors, all four Duellists went in while the rest of them filed onto an escalator after Mokuba. He led them up into an area with all the enthusiasm of someone who wanted to show you something awesome.
They stepped into a room with life point indicators next to railings of some sort, going right up to the top.
'Whoa!' Téa looked up. 'I can barely see the top of this thing.'
'So what gives, Mokuba?' Tristan asked.
'Yeah,' Téa said. 'You mind telling us where the duellists are?'
Mayet looked at the floor around them. 'I got a pretty good idea.'
Roland entered after them. 'Here they come right now.'
As Mayet expected, the four duelling platforms rose up through the four holes in the floor against the walls. The four duellists stood in the platforms as all four rose up to be level with the 4000 life points indicators around the room. Joey, as expected, was the only one who made any noise. The other three stood there silently.
'Well,' Duke remarked. 'It looks like the gang's all here.'
'So, what's the deal?' Joey asked. 'Is this some kind of a four-way duel?'
'Roland will explain the rules,' Kaiba said, 'and I've asked him to speak slowly so you can follow.'
'You're lucky I'm over here!' Joey snapped.
Roland did, indeed, explain the rules. 'Before the winner of Battle City can be crowned, we must first narrow down the finalists. So in the semi-final round, the four remaining duellists will be reduced to two. So, first, gentlemen, the preliminary duel must be played. This special duel will determine who faces who in the semi-finals, and all four duellists will participate at one time. As you lose life points, your terminal will climb higher. The first two duellists to reach the top will face each other in Round One.'
'Hear that? It's a duel to see who duels,' Joey quipped.
'Each duellist will begin with 4,000 life points, and when it's your turn you can attack any of the other players,' Roland said. 'And now for some new regulations. You must all limit your duelling decks to no more than 40 cards, so take this time to prepare your decks.'
Mayet watched the duellists do as such and then all four duel disks were activated.
'Now,' Roland finished up his explanation, 'connect your duel disks to the monitor in front of you. This screen will display the images of the cards you play.' All four duellists plugged a cord into their respective duel disks. 'Remember: winning or losing this duel has no effect on how you place in the finals. This is simply a strategic way to determine who your opponent will be in the semi-final round. Again, this duel will not affect your overall placement.'
'That's good,' Téa remarked to the others. 'So at least all the pressure's off cause it doesn't really matter who wins or who loses in this duel. Right, guys?'
'Apart from personal preferences on who they'd like to face in the semi-finals, no,' Mayet agreed glibly.
Duke cracked a grin. 'I'd say this could actually be the most important duel these guys play.'
'Huh?' Téa looked at him in confusion.
'And how do you figure that, Duke?' Tristan asked.
'They can control who their opponent will be,' Duke explained. 'So they might change their strategies depending on who they wanna face in the semi-final round. Two duellists can even gang up on one if they want.'
'Gang up, huh?' Tristan considered that. 'I wonder which one of those guys is in danger of getting double-teamed, Téa. Knowing Joey's luck, they'll go after him.'
'Hey!' Joey suddenly yelled.
Both Téa and Tristan jumped.
'Yes?' Tristan asked.
'You talking about me?' Joey demanded.
'We were, uh, just making up a cheer for you,' Tristan insisted. 'Yeah, that's it.'
Joey didn't look convinced. 'Okay, but it better have lots of cool rhymes.'
Mayet chuckled and turned back. 'I don't think it's likely. Yugi wouldn't. Marik will go after anybody. And Kaiba doesn't think Joey's worth the effort. I can see him only attacking Joey directly in retaliation.'
'You got a point,' Duke agreed. 'I mean, the only unity up there is Yugi and Joey.'
YGO
The Pharaoh carefully regarded the current situation.
This entire duel was set up to make us choose the opponents we'll face in the semi-finals, Yugi remarked in his head. But who should I pick?
Perhaps, the Pharaoh suggested, it would be best to simply let the duel play out.
YGO
In order to win this tournament, Kaiba thought, and all three Egyptian God Cards, I'll have to face Marik last. Since his Winged Dragon of Ra is the most powerful of the three, I'll need the other two in my deck to win it.
He turned his attention to his rival.
And that's where you come in, Yugi.
'Prepare yourselves, duellists,' Roland called out. 'The four-way battle is about to begin. Remember, the first two duellists to lose their life points will face each other in the semi-finals. It's time to begin! Now, to determine which duellist will make the first move.'
'Why don't I just go first?' Joey demanded.
'Why don't you pay attention to the rules that Mr. Kaiba worked so hard to create?' Roland shot back. 'Now, you'll each draw a monster card and the attack points will determine who goes first. However, the monster you choose cannot be used in this duel.'
Kaiba noticed Sharee smirk slightly at Roland's retort. She might not have liked him for the whole "Bakura" fiasco, but she did respect a good retort – even if it was aimed at one of her friends. As Roland explained the caveat, Kaiba also noticed the alarm that crossed Yugi's face.
Obviously, he would not pick one of his more powerful monsters.
In order to ensure that I face Yugi in the semi-finals, I'll need to make the first move. Kaiba smirked.
The allocated time passed.
'It is now time to reveal your cards,' Roland declared.
All four duellists held up their cars.
'Yes,' Roland said. 'Hold them up so all the players can view them.'
It looks like my card is the most powerful, so I get to start things off.
'The results have been tallied,' Roland declared. 'The order of duellists is as follows: first, Mr. Kaiba. And then Marik, then Yugi, and then Joey.'
Kaiba smirked as he set up his deck for the duel ahead. Everything is going according to plan. I'll spare Yugi, so I can face him in the semi-finals. And I'll focus all my attention on eliminating Marik. And getting rid of Wheeler will be simple. In fact, Kaiba expected Wheeler to do most of the job for him.
YGO
As much as I wanna crush Kaiba, and put an end to his insults once and for all, I have more important reasons for being here. Joey closed his eyes. I promised Yugi – and Mai! – that I would take Marik down.
YGO
The entire world is depending on our victory! Yugi insisted. But what if we fail? The stakes are too high!
Yugi, we joined this tournament to save the world. And, right now, that means stopping Marik from completing his evil plan. So letting him win is not an option. The fate of the entire world rests on the outcome of the Battle City Finals and we mustn't lose hope.
Yugi smiled and nodded. You're right, and together you and I can do this!
'All right!' Kaiba's voice pulled them out of Yugi's head. 'Enough waiting around! Let's start this duel!'
All four duellists drew their first hands.
Then Kaiba started the opening move.
YGO
Kaiba drew. 'Now, I'll place one card face-down and then I'll summon Vorce Raider in attack mode!'
Both card appeared on the field and Vorce Raider emerged from his card.
'That ends my turn.' Kaiba smirked again. I have to make sure that Marik and Wheeler lose this duel, or my entire plan is ruined.
There was a part of him – a very small part – that worried about what would happen when Marik and Wheeler duelled in the semi-finals.
But that was what his medical staff was for.
'Not bad, Seto Kaiba,' Marik drew and played the card. 'Then again, your monster's no match for my Newdoria.' The monster appeared on the field in defence position. 'That's all for now.'
'All right then. My move!' Yugi drew. He added the card he'd just drawn to his hand and took another one. 'I summon Big Shield Gardna to the field in defence mode!' The monster and its card appeared in front of him. 'And place these face-down.' Yugi set two cards and the appeared on the field behind his monster.
'Last but not least...' Wheeler drew. He set a card. 'I place one card face-down and end my turn.'
'Which brings it back to me!' And Kaiba really doubted Wheeler had used a trap. He drew. 'Just as I suspected: you don't belong here, Wheeler. So I think I'll do us all a favour and eliminate you from this duel. Vorce Raider, attack his life points now!'
Vorce Raider charged. Joey drew back.
'Joey doesn't have any monsters on the field to protect him!' Taylor cried out.
'That's not good!' Téa responded.
Kaiba laughed. 'Say goodbye to those life points!'
But he wasn't expecting Yugi to intervene. 'I'll protect you! And I'll do it by activating my trap card, the Regulation of Tribe!'
The card flipped around and chains flew out. They quickly wound around and clamped to Vorce Raider. The monster was stopped dead in its tracks.
'Oh, no!' Kaiba had entirely forgotten about Yugi's tendencies when it came to his friends. And, because of that, he'd forgotten to add a rule that stopped Yugi from doing that.
'Oh, yes!' Wheeler grinned at Yugi.
'Thanks to this trap card, I can stop the attack of one type of monster,' Yugi said. 'I choose Beast Warriors,' he pointed to the one he'd just caught, 'like Vorce Raider.'
Kaiba ground his teeth.
'Thanks, Yug,' Joey said.
'Joey, you and I are a team,' Yugi said, 'and I'll always protect you.'
