Daughter Of The Duelist Legend (CONT)

by lcoro528

Due to an unexplained logout, I will now continue this story with this account. I made one earlier with a different account, lethalty60. If you want to know from the beginning and the journey to be started, check my other account and you'll see.

4. Slifer's First Appearance

The first Egyption God is ready for this duel. Get ready to RUMBLE!

Yume was taking a walk out by a bridge where there's open water, pondering about Marik's plan about the powers of the Pharaoh. She needs to ask her father, but not sure if she should talk to him about it or not!

'How is this possible, Yami?' Yume asked her. 'Are you really the Pharaoh's apprentice? And if you do have that kind of power, don't you think we'd know about it? You should've because Pharaoh saved the world with you. But what I'm wondering is, what happened?'

'It's still unclear.' Yami sighed.

'We know,' Yume added, 'that Marik's family has been protecting your tomb for years, and for some reason, he got this crazy idea that he deserves to be Pharaoh instead of your, what, brother or master?'

'The Pharaoh is my father just as Yugi is to you.'

'I'll do everything I can to help make sure that Marik doesn't get away with it! As long as he can't beat us, he'll never get the Millennium Puzzle or the hidden powers. We'll never lose, and we have our friends for support!'

'That friendship,' Yami said, 'means a great deal to me. Together, we'll rescue Yugi from the Shadow Realm! We'll be strong enough to withstand any attack that comes our way!' Then she felt something dark as she looked around. 'Something dark is approaching. I can sense it!'

Yami disappeared as Yume looked around, looking for this dark presence, when she heard her name being called and she turned to the voice. It was some weird person that is different than all the others she met! (Wanna know who this person looks like, exactly? Season 2: Mime Control.)

"Who are you?" She demanded.

"Prepare to duel," the person said, "and lose that Puzzle!"

"MARIK!"

"Yes. And soon, you and the entire world will be calling me Pharaoh! Meet my mind slave- Strings, the Quiet One. And thanks to the power of the Millennium Rod, he shall defeat you!"

"Again, you're such a coward! Using your others to do your bidding when you don't have the courage face to face!"

"Soon enough, Yume. But for now, why should I waste my time when I can duel you through my mind-puppets? Battling with the power of my Millennium Rod is no difference than using the Millennium Puzzle you possess to duel."

"I'd rather call it false! You use your servants to do your dirty work by taking control of their minds against their will. I duel with respect and honor."

"And I'll do what is necessary to claim that Millennium Puzzle."

"You'll need to defeat me first, Marik, and break the heart of the cards. And I can say that it will never happen!"

"Calling yourself the Pharaoh's apprentice, right? You don't know how to harness the power yourself! So destiny has chosen me to take the power of the Pharaoh away from you, and then destroy you!"

"The ancient power," Yume said, "is not yours to take. No way you're getting your greedy hands on this Puzzle! Let's get this duel over with, Marik! You know your plan won't work."

"It already has, I'm afraid. I've drawn you into a duel you can't possibly win! It's all over for you, Pharaoh's apprentice!" Yume took out her deck and placed it in her duel disc.

"No more talk!" They both activated their duel disks, and started the duel.

"Prepare to face the force," Marik-Strings said, "of my Egyptian God card!"

"I've heard enough, Marik! It's time to DUEL! And you and your mind-slave will never win the Puzzle, Marik!"

"We'll see soon." Marik-Strings drew one card. "I'll place a face down and summon a monster in Attack Mode." He set it down. "HUMANOID SLIME!" A slime in armor appeared. (ATK/DEF Points: 800/2000.) "The beginning of your end, Pharaoh's apprentice. So now, make your move. And prepare to lose everything."

"You will fail!" Yume draws her next card. It's a very weak monster, so he wants me to attack it! He'll use the face down next to destroy my monster. He's not getting away with it! "First off, one face down. Then summon Gazelle the King of Mythical Beasts in Attack." Her beast showed up. "Stronger than yours!"

"It is almost twice as strong as mine. But don't get confidence that your Gazelle will prevail. It takes more than strength to win this duel."

"I'm aware of that, Marik."

"Then you won't be surprised when my Humanoid Slime annihilates your monster!"

"I'd like to see you try that, Marik."

Marik-Strings drew his their next card. "I summon Worm Drake!" He summoned a worm with an eyeball inside that's all green and yellow outside. (ATK/DEF Points: 1400/1500.) "Now, my Magic card will activate: POLYMERIZATION! My Humanoid Slime and Worm Drake will be fused together to create my new weapon!"

Both of his monsters fused into a more powerful Humanoid Slime, but with claws instead. (ATK/DEF Points: 2200/2000.) "HUMANOID WORM DRAKE! 2200 is strong enough to wipe out Gazelle, along with a portion of your Life Points!"

"There's that catch, Marik. When you fuse together two monsters, you must wait one turn before you can attack! So, you wasted it, Marik, and left yourself wide open."

"That's no concern because rules are meant to be manipulated. My face down will prove it! I've outsmarted you, Pharaoh's apprentice!" He revealed it. "QUICK ATTACK!"

"NO WAY! You can attack!"

"Very perceptive, Pharaoh's apprentice. Quick attack allows my monster to attack in the same turn it was built! You must've underestimated me as a duelist, and for that you must pay a price. So watch as I destroy your monster and move one step closer to relieving you of the Millennium Puzzle forever! I'm afraid you're no match for me, Pharaoh's apprentice!"

Yume said nothing, but braced the attack about to come. "DESTROY HER GAZELLE, MY BEAST!" His beast started approaching Gazelle, but Yume had a plan all along.

"Hold on, Marik!" She revealed her face down. "DIFFUSION IS UNDER WAY! One monster becomes back to two!" Humanoid Worm Drake split back into Worm Drake and Humanoid Slime.

"You actually knew it from the start."

"As soon as you played a weak monster like Humanoid Slime in Attack, I knew you were trying to lure me into attacking."

"I thought you'd fell for it."

"That's what I wanted you to think, but I was really luring you into using your own Magic card so I could reverse it. I was hoping for a far more challenging duel from you, Marik, but all you've did was disappoint me."

"It's far from over, Pharaoh's apprentice."

"You won't win the Millennium Puzzle if you continue dueling like that!"

"You're as smart as they say you are. But that last turn was only a test. I will not be denied my victory or your Puzzle!"

"You will if you keep up on the amateur moves."

"You'll be able to witness my true dueling skills in due time. And once I defeat you, I'll become the new Pharaoh and banish you to the Shadow Realm! The relentless power of my Egyptian God card will deliver me your Puzzle and assure you destruction! Prepare to face a force the likes of which you have never seen! The Puzzle and power will soon be mine!"

"Only if you win, Marik!" Yume draws her next card: Buster Blader. He's too strong to waste on a weaker monsters. But I'm sure it'll come in handy when Marik plays something powerful, so I'll hold it until the time is right! "Time to dispose you of your weak monsters!"

She summons Beta the Magnet Warrior. "ATTACK THE WORM DRAKE!" Beta released a burst of electricity at Worm Drake, destroying it. "Gazelle, DESTROY HUMANOID SLIME WITH CLAWS OF DESTRUCTION!" Gazelle charged at Humanoid Slime, destroying it with a single slash.

"The difference," Yume added, "in the Attack strengths means a 1000 Points lose!" (3000) "And with no monsters to defend your Life Points, I can end this duel if you don't do nothing on your next turn."

"An impressive dueling, Pharaoh's apprentice. But I'm just testing out your strengths and weaknesses, so that I can ultimately destroy you and take away all that you possess! Time for round two, and this duel is about to get interesting!"

He drew is next card, then turned to Yume. "The card I hold now," he said, "is like nothing you've ever seen before. A creature that simply can't be destroyed. A shapeless being made completely of plasma, with no solid mass, making it utterly indestructible and the perfect defense against enemy attack."

"I'm still waiting, Marik!"

"Then get ready," he said and placed the card down, "to experience Revival Jam in Defense!" A shapeless jam appeared on Marik-Strings' field. "Not sure what it does? Attack it and find out."

"It's actually weak to me."

"Doesn't it? Just take a look at this!" Yume gasped as Marik-Strings plays a Magic card as a whirlwind showed up! When it disappeared, a machine showed up. "JAM BREEDING MACHINE! And it begins the countdown to your destruction!" Something was going on inside the machine.

"I bet you're asking yourself, 'What does it do?' I'll explain. Think of it as a monster-creating machine, breathing life into a new plasma creature every turn. And this machine will continue to provide me with more and more plasma beasts called Slime Tokens!"

"It's obviously your plan, Marik. You're going to produce plasma monsters until you have enough to sacrifice and summon your Egyptian God card."

"Very impressive, Pharaoh's apprentice. Too bad you can't stop me! Once my Breeding Machine creates three Slime Tokens I'll be able to summon the monster that will bring about your ultimate destruction: MY EGYPTIAN GOD CARD! Then the Puzzle will belong to me, forever!"

Yume knew that she might have a tough time defeating his Egyptian God, but decided to act like a tough girl. "Sorry, Marik!" She said with courage. "But as long as I believe in the heart of the cards, your plan will never work." Yume placed a hand on the top of her deck. "Prepare to lose!"

She drew it, then looked at her hand, thinking Buster Blader is the perfect time to end it. I'll need to, she thought, wipe out Marik's Life Points before his breeding monster creates three monsters in total! "Now for sacrificing my two monsters on the field!" Her monsters disappeared in exchange for one. "My all-powerful BUSTER BLADER!" She placed it down.

"My expert swordsman has the power to wipe out your Revival Jam and more than half of your Life Points!" Her swordsman appeared in dark purple armor. (ATK/DEF Points: 2600/2300.)

"That Attack strength is quite impressive, Pharaoh's apprentice, but it's still useless against my Revival Jam."

"We shall see, Marik! Buster Blader, DESTROY HIS REVIVAL JAM!" Buster Blader jumped in the air, then slashed it at Revival Jam, splitting it into multiple slime balls, only to have them reassemble themselves into Revival Jam again, as though it was unhindered.

Marik-Strings laughed. "I told you Revival Jam employed the perfect defense. Even the most powerful sword cannot destroy my plasma monster. It will always reform itself."

"So, I won't be able to attack?!"

"You can, it'll just be worthless to do so!" He laughed again. "He'll protect my Life Points while my breeding machine continues to create monsters for my ultimate sacrifice!"

There's gotta be another way to drop his Life Points and fast! "Your dueling days," Marik-Strings gloated, "are almost over, Pharaoh's apprentice. Soon, my breeding machine will have created enough monsters to sacrifice. Then comes your worst nightmare! MY EGYPTIAN GOD CARD!"

He drew his first card, and a Slime Token appears. (ATK/DEF Points: 500/500.) "Slime Token number one! I'll place one face down and end my turn. Two turns left, and then you'll meet your doom! And soon, that Puzzle's mine."

"I may not be able to stop that breeding machine!" Yume called out. "But that doesn't mean I can't attack your Slime Tokens! Remember, you need three according to the rules. But what happens if I destroy them first? Your Slime Tokens are defenseless against the superior attack of Buster Blader. I can take them out with no risk!"

Yume gained lots of confidence in saying the next bit. "And each time Buster Blader destroys a Slime Token, you'll lose over 2000 Life Points because they're so feeble. And if my calculations is true, you'll lose in just two turns. ATTACK HIS SLIME TOKEN, BUSTER BLADER!"

Her swordsman came after the Token, but Marik-Strings planned it all along. "Or don't! Reveal facedown!" A Continuous Trap was revealed. "JAM DEFENDER!" Yume gasped as Revival Jam went in front of the Slime Token, taking the hit from Buster Blader, then reformed itself again.

"REVIVAL JAM SHIELDED YOUR MONSTER?!"

"Exactly, Pharaoh's apprentice. And as long as Revival Jam is in Defense, Jam Defender forces it to absorb all of your attacks! Which means every one of them will be blocked! I knew you'd attack my Slime Tokens in a desperate attempt to stop me from summoning my Egyptian God card! So I protected them with an indestructible force! THE END IS NEAR!"

Yume gasped. "Now, for another beast to sacrifice." He drew his next card, then Slime Token number two appeared.

"There's only one turn left, Pharaoh's apprentice! Then my Egyptian God card will be summoned to destroy you! But just to be safe," he played a Magic card, "I'll active this Magic card, Nightmare's Steel Cage, and for the next two turns, you can't attack me."

Flame pillars showed up around Yume and her monster as they formed a cage with spikes. "Now," Marik-Strings added, "all you can do is watch while I summon the most powerful force you've ever seen to ANNIHILATE YOU! And you seem to be out of options, thanks to my Nightmare's Steel Cage. You can't attack whatsoever!" Yume just growled softly.

"One last turn, and then you'll be finished with the Millennium Puzzle being around my neck!"

"You won't get it, Marik!" Yume called out. "Believing in the heart of the cards will prove that you'll be defeated. And that means you can't get your greedy hands on it, you coward!"

"That misguided faith," Marik-Strings countered, "is completely pathetic when compared to the overwhelming power of my Egyptian God card! To which, I was able to get back. But you'll see that firsthand in just one more turn when my breeding machine produces the third Slime Token, giving me enough monsters to sacrifice!" Yume stared into his eyes.

"Then," he added, "I'll be able to summon my great beast: an ancient creature of unbeatable strength to destroy you!" She gasped lightly.

"And since history is on your side, Pharaoh's apprentice, but destiny will is on mine as I draw closer to winning the Puzzle that you hold inside your jacket pocket. And once I possess, only the final Egyptian God card will be left to claim. And when that happens, I'll be the Pharaoh! You're not worthy of the powers that lie hidden within you. So, I'll take them!" Yume said nothing.

"For as long as I can remember, I was taught to obey the ancient scriptures, and to help my family protect the Pharaoh's tomb along with his apprentice. And now that I realized that your time as the Pharaoh's apprentice has expired, and I must take the Pharaoh's place! And that Puzzle is the key to obtaining it!"

What is he saying about this 'ancient past?' Yume thought. But that's not the point right now. Right now, I can't let Marik win! Yume draws her card. "I'll just end my turn."

Marik-Strings laughed. "That's a smart move because your time has run out anyway." He drew his next card as he gets his third Slime Token.

'I knew at some point this would happen, Yume.' Yami told her. 'Be careful about his Egyptian God! Who knows which one it is.'

'I'll keep that in mind, Yami! But I think it's Slifer the Sky Dragon. He wouldn't summon Ra because it'll be a monster with 1500 Attack Points, to weak for Buster Blader! Obelisk, well, I'm not sure. We'll see in just a bit!'

Yume saw just in time to see Marik-Strings' three Slime Tokens disappearing and Jam Breeding Machine destroyed in a bolt of lightning. "Now I can summon," he said as he placed his monster down, "the beast of your ultimate destruction! A creature whose power is absolutely limitless!"

She looked up and saw a vortex. "Meet your maker, Pharaoh's apprentice!" An orb of light with an electrical surface fell down as a beam until it hits the ground. "The last monster you'll ever see! The Egyptian God SLIFER THE SKY DRAGON!" The beam cleared, revealing the longest red snake with dragon wings and claws, with a black body and two mouths.

"You're finished, Yume! Prepare to feel his wrath!" Slifer let out a roar as Yume questioned herself on how to stop it. "You're staring into the face of defeat, Pharaoh's apprentice! Slifer the Sky Dragon is one of the three most feared creatures in history: The Egyptian God monsters. They cannot be defeated!"

"All monsters have a weakness, Marik! Whatever it is, I'll discover it on Slifer!"

"You," Marik-Strings countered, "are in no position to make threats! You're trapped in my Nightmare's Steel Cage, with no way to attack. And you're face to face with an Egyptian God monster whose Attack power is limitless! All you can do is watch it grow stronger!"

"But how can Slifer get stronger?!"

"Let me explain how it works. The number cards I hold in my hand determines the Attack Points of Slifer. And since I hold two, it has 2000 Attack Points."

"That'll be a problem when the cage is gone and my Buster Blader can attack it down because he's weaker than my monster."

"It's just the beginning. Thanks to my Magic card Pot of Greed, by which I activate. I can draw two cards, which is good for me. I lost one, but gained two, which means Slifer's at 3000."

"But there's a catch! In Duel Monsters, there's a limit to how many cards a player can hold, which means there's a limit on Slifer's Attack Power!"

"You still don't get it, Pharaoh's apprentice! Every rule is made to be broken, don't you think? And I'm afraid any hopes you have of survival are completely in vain, for no one has ever defeated an Egyptian God card before! Except for one, that is."

"Better make it two people, Marik! My father has defeated all three before, and I plan on defeating you!"

"Such a fool you are! Slifer can take you out in one single attack! Then I'll take your Puzzle and send you to a place of eternal darkness: THE SHADOW REALM! And get ready to lose this duel, Pharaoh's apprentice!"

I have to bring down Marik's Slifer at some point! Buster Blader receives 500 Attack Points for every dragon on the field, so right now, Buster Blader is stronger than Slifer. 3100 can beat 3000, which means Slifer is destroyed. But as long as this cage is up, I can't attack. And by the time I can, it'll already be too late!

"You see now?" Marik-Strings asked. "My Sky Dragon will only get stronger as I draw more cards. So when I draw on my next turn, Slifer would have 4000, more than enough to wipe out Buster Blader with a serious damage in your Life Points! And soon enough, you'll be out of my way." She growled.

"And easy way for you not to face this wrath is to just hand over the Puzzle and accept defeat!"

"Never, Marik! I'll trust my deck." She drew her next card: Lightforce Sword. It'll be useful later, but one more turn trapped. I'll need to hang on until then, so this duel can be turned around. I'll have to trust in the heart of the cards. "This duel is far from over, Marik!"

"How sad because you're finished. Just embrace it. You've had the chance to rescue your father, Yume. And now, it's time for me to take over and rule the world."

I'll be preventing that, Marik. It's my destiny and the time to stop you and rescue Father! She placed three cards down: Two face down and a monster in Defense. "Two face down, and Kuriboh in Defense. And now it's your turn!"

"The moment has now arrived! And prepare to feel the wrath of an Egyptian God card!" The cage started to dissipate. "And the Steel Cage is evaporating, leaving you wide open for annihilation! You're about to witness an ancient force so mighty that it almost destroyed the entire world!" Slifer roared again.

"You're powerless against Slifer! Let's end this!" Marik-Strings drew their next card, raising Slifer's ATK to 4000. "The Attack power is enough to incinerate Buster Blader! Now, my Egyptian God monster, ATTACK!" Slifer opened one mouth, and released a torrent of energy from it, aiming towards Buster Blader, but Yume had plans for that.

"One Trap, coming right up!" She activated it. "LIGHTFORCE SWORD! It will allow me to slash one card out of from your hand for the duration of this turn!" A sword came from the trap and pinned down one of his cards. "Not only that," she added, "Slifer loses 1000 Attack Points, dropping him to 3000, and since you attacked, Buster Blader will now counterattack!"

The attack almost connected, but Buster moved out of the way just in time. "Buster Blader," she ordered, "SWING YOUR MIGHTY SWORD AND SLAY HIS DRAGON!" Buster came after Slifer, but Revival Jam got in front, taking the blow instead due to Jam Defender.

Revival Jam reformed. "You forgot that Jam Defender lets Revival Jam block all attacks you throw at." He said as he played a Magic card down. "Card of Safe Return!"

'Careful, Yume!' Yami warned. 'Whenever a monster gets revived, Marik can draw three new cards from his deck! That's what Card of Safe Return does.'

'Thanks, Yami. I'll need to be cautious in what monsters I play.'

Yume nodded just when Slifer attacked, destroying Buster Blader without anything else, destroying him. Yume let out a short scream as he Life Points drop to 2100. "Do you surrender yet? You're finished. Slifer will only get stronger. And thank to Jam Defender, you still can't attack, Pharaoh's apprentice. For if you do, I'll draw more cards, and Slifer will get even more powerful."

Yume is starting to feel weak from Slifer's attack and got down on her knees. 'Yami, I've been unsteady since Slifer attack! Can we switch quickly?'

'Sure, Yume. You only need to say the word. When your recovered, say the word and we'll switch again.' The Puzzle glowed as Yami took Yume's place and stood up. "Hand over your Puzzle," Marik-Strings insisted.

"Once my Egyptian God card finishes you off, Your days with the Pharaoh's power will be over!" He laughed as Yami looked at her hand.

'None of them are strong enough to beat Slifer, but even then, there's Jam Defender. If only we can take out that Trap, or better yet, remove Jam Defender from the field. How can we possibly win now?'

'Yami, believe in the heart of the cards! You'll get what you need.'

Yami trusted Yume and believed as she drew her next card: Magic Cylinder. 'I just drew Magic Cylinder, Yume, but there's a catch! I need a Spellcaster to play this Trap and I didn't see one.'

'Dark Magician Girl?' Yami looked again, and sure enough, Dark Magician Girl is there! "Here we go, Marik! I'll sacrifice Kuriboh as a tribute!" Kuriboh disappeared in a whirlwind. "In order to play a stronger monster known as Dark Magician Girl in Defense!" She showed up with a wink, then looked at Yami with a nod.

'She still knows us, Yami! I hope the real one isn't hurt after this.'

"By summoning," Marik-Strings said, "a new monster to the field, you've triggered Slifer's special ability!" Yami gasped as Slifer's second mouth, the higher one, started to open. "You've opened Slifer's second mouth!"

"Slifer is full of surprises, isn't he? What's his second mouth do?"

"Even if it's your turn, Slifer will automatically attack every monster you summon with its second set of jaws, wiping out 2000 Points from whichever mode your monster is in. So, say goodbye to Dark Magician Girl!"

"NO! She has only 1700 Defense!" Yami shouted out. 'Yami, Magical Hats!' Yume called out as Yami looked and saw the card.

"Slifer, ATTACK!" Slifer's second mouth released some energy at Dark Magician Girl, but Yami quickly played a Magic card just before the attack connected. "Looks like Dark Magician Girl left us. A pity that she had to leave us so soon." Yami just smiled and said nothing. "She's gone!"

"Look again!" Yami said as three identical hats showed up. "Magical Hats was played just in time. She's inside one of them, preparing to launch a counterattack."

"She's not even strong enough to defeat Slifer! How can you even make her strong enough to withstand the attack!"

"It's true that Slifer's very powerful, Marik." Yami said. "But I have faith." Yami placed two cards down as Magical Hats covered them. "I'll hide two cards inside the Magical Hats, so now, it's your turn."

"Those hats merely provide you with a temporary hiding place. And in the meantime, Pharaoh's apprentice," Mairk-Strings drew their next card, "I'll play my next Magic card, which will make Slifer's power infinite!" He did so. "Infinite Cards will let me exceed the six-card hand limit and hold as many as I wish in my hand!"

"IMPOSSIBLE!"

"And since Slifer's Attack Points are 1000 times the number of cards in my hand, there's no limit to Slifer's power! Slifer Unleash your Thunder Force!" Slifer started charging up as Marik-Strings ordered him to attack the right-hand hat.

"Lucky guess, Marik!"

"You couldn't hide her in one forever, I'll be able to get to her eventually." Slifer unleashed his power at the hat.

"It's not over yet, Marik!" The attack connected, destroying the hat, but surprisingly, not Yami's monster. Instead, Magic Cylinder took it's place. And absorbed Slifer's attack in one barrel.

"The attack is getting absorbed!"

"That's right, Marik." Yami said as she revealed both face downs. "You've forgotten I hid two cards under them! Magic Cylinder and Spellbinding Circle. First off, the attack gets absorbed. Then Slifer gets weaker. Finally, his thunder force attack will be redirected right back at him!"

Dark Magician Girl lowered her wand down quickly, letting the other Cylinder spit out Slifer's attack at him, only to have Revival Jam get in front of Slifer, taking the blow and getting reformed again. "Revival Jam can even block redirected attacks?!"

"Precisely, Pharaoh's apprentice. Then it regenerates unharmed, which also means I get to draw three more cards, raising Slifer's attack by another 3000. Then I'll be drawing again, raising it to a total of over 8000!"

Yami is looking scared against it, thinking that Slifer is unstoppable. "Not only that, Spellbinding Circle will expire, as the few Magic and Trap cards used on an Egyptian God only goes for one turn. And he'll be at full power at 9000! DEMOLISH HIS DARK MAGICIAN GIRL!"

Slifer attacked again, this time destroying Dark Magician Girl. "The five-card combo that I have," he added, "makes me completely indestructible! When all five of them are played together, they complete a strategy that cannot be defeated! My Egyptian God will continue to grow stronger, and you're attacks are completely useless!"

Yami slowly got down on her knees. 'Yume, I'm not sure how to beat Slifer now! The counterattack failed because of Revival Jam! I don't think we can win this.'

'Shut up, Yami! That's not you! My father would've never given up on just one measly strategy!'

'True, but-'

'But nothing, Yami! Look up and to the side.' Yami did so, and saw Seto Kaiba. "Since when," he said, " do you bow to your rivals?"

"Never, Kaiba!"

"Then get up and stop embarrassing yourself, so you can defeat this nobody and relieve him of his Egyptian God card, and do it now! Don't let this punk win. You can take down Slifer the Sky Dragon! All you need to do is find his weakness! Unless, of course, you've lost your touch. If you still have what it takes, then get back up and prove it to me now!"

Yuma realized what he's saying and started getting back up. Once the weakness is learned, he thought, I'll use it against Yume and claim Slifer as my own so I can be unstoppable with the most powerful deck in the world!

"Prove that you're worthy of your reputation and take down his Egyptian God card, Slifer the Sky Dragon. Unless you don't have what it takes. Maybe your Duelist Kingdom championship victory was just a fluke!"

Yami got fully up on her feet. "I will defeat him, Kaiba! I assure you that Marik will be defeated!"

"If you can, which is a no show, because my Egyptian God is unstoppable! Not only that, Kaiba," Marik-Strings looked at him, "you're my next victim. Once Slifer annihilates Yume Orskov, I'll be coming after Obelisk, to which you have, Kaiba!"

"Save your breath, Marik, because your empty threats don't scare me."

"They will in time, fool!" He looked at Yami when she indicated that the duel isn't over yet.

'How can I stop Slifer from hitting me, Yume? If I don't have any monsters to defend, Marik will crush me!'

'All you need is two cards to do this, Yami. But since you don't have it, it's best to place monsters that have Defense Points of over 2000. So far, Slifer has 10000, and he'll continue to grow with every card Marik draws. There's a weakness, I know it!

"My turn, and I'll draw." Yami drew her next card: Monster Reborn. 'One more card, Yami. And it's important that the next card has to be it. Let's play Big Shield Gardna in Defense. He may lose Defense Points, but he'll be safe with 600 left over.' Yami nodded as she played one card face down and summoned it in Defense.

To which, Slifer immediately used his second mouth, dropping Big Shield's DEF Points by 2000 and creating a big smoke. "I'm well aware of Slifer's ability, Marik."

"She won't last long, Big Brother!" Mokuba cried out.

"Hang tight, Mokuba." Seto reassured. "She'll last long enough to learn Slifer's weakness."

"How'll she do that? That dragon will continue to keep growing stronger!" The smoke cleared, revealing that Big Shield Gardna is still there, but with 2000 DEF Points less. (600)

"You're Big Shield," Marik-Strings gloated, "has been cut down to size, and my Egyptian God card will continue to automatically devastate your monsters as soon as they're summoned to the field!" He laughed. "This one attack will render you defenseless. Leaving nothing between you and Slifer! Where's that faith in the cards now, Pharaoh's apprentice?"

Pharaoh's apprentice? Kaiba thought. How is Yume the Pharaoh's apprentice? Yume's just a regular kid who's the daughter of Yugi Muto, my eternal rival duelist! I haven't seen him since that duel with Marik. From what I can tell, I'll have to ask Yume when this duel is over.

"Observe while I draw!" He did so, raising Slifer's ATK Points by another 1000, bringing him to 1100.

"That's almost three times as you Blue Eyes, Seto!"

"And it'll only get stronger, Mokuba! With Infinite Cards in play, it'll allow him to hold as many number of cards as he wants."

Mokuba gasped. "And the more cards in his hand, the more Attack Points Slifer has. That means that there's no limit to how strong his Egyptian God card can grow!"

Or is there? Seto thought doubtfully. Hang on! Slifer's power depends on how many cards the player has in their entire deck! It clicked in Seto's mind. That's it! Slifer the Sky Dragon has one fatal flaw. I want to see if Yume is like her father and figure it out before it's too late!

"Slifer, ATTACK! ERADICATE HER SHIELD, THE ONLY THING THAT STANDS IN THE WAY OF HER DESTRUCTION!" Marik-Strings ordered as Slifer released a lot of energy on Big Shield Gardna, rendering him destroyed. "Soon, that Puzzle and the world will be mine!"

I know exactly, Seto thought, how to defeat this Egyptian God card. I want to see if Yume's like her father and figure it out right now.

"You are now defenseless, Pharaoh's apprentice! The next turn that my Slifer can attack, he'll wipe out the rest of your Life Points, bringing a devastating defeat and overkill! It's undefeatable!"

'He can't win, Yume, but it seems we have nothing to win against now.'

'SHUT UP, YAMI! There's a weakness to Slifer! Listen: Slifer's Attack is dependant to the number of cards Marik has in his hand, right?'

'Yes, what are you trying to say?'

'I've figured out how to defeat Slifer, but I need to take over! I think I've recovered!'

'Be safe, Yume.' The Puzzle glowed again as Yume took Yami's place. "Slifer will be defeated, Marik! But this time, by himself!"

"What makes you think you can?!" Marik-Strings countered.

"Well," she started, "it's a simple matter of common sense. If all of my monsters are too weak, then I'll use your monster to destroy itself!"

"Haven't you realized yet that an Egyptian God card cannot be controlled? It's much too powerful, Pharaoh's apprentice!"

"We'll see!" Yume said as Marik-Strings was confused. "Perhaps you don't have as much knowledge about the Egyptian God card as you think you do!"

"How dare you challenge my wisdom of the ancient ways. I KNOW ALL!"

"We'll find out just how much you really know soon enough, Marik!"

"I'd like to see you try to turn Slifer against me! Make your last move, Pharaoh's apprentice!"

"We'll see soon enough, Marik!" Yume reminded as she was about to draw her next card. I have to draw this next card and get the one I need! She thought. If I don't, then I'm useless for a win because Slifer will destroy me! Heart of the cards, don't fail me now.

Yume drew her card. "This is it, Marik! The card that'll defeat you! First off, I'll reveal my face down!" Yume did so. "Monster Reborn!"

"What good will that do for you?"

"It allows me to bring back a fallen monster sent to the Graveyard. And I'm choosing my mighty Buster Blader! RETURN NOW!" Buster Blader returned.

"My dragon already destroyed that monster once. And also, summoning it to defend your Life Points only delays your ultimate defeat!"

"Who says I was bringing him back in Defense? I'm bringing him back in the offense! I know I can't win by defending. That's why I'm risking this entire duel on one final sword attack from Buster Blader!"

"You're more of a fool than I thought. Not only that, but since Buster Blader was revived, I draw three more cards, increasing Slifer's attack by another 3000." He did so. "Not only that, but Buster Blader loses 2000 Attack Points due to Slifer's second mouth."

Slifer released a small amount of energy against Buster Blader, bringing his ATK Points down to 1100. "My next attack will finish you off forever! Your Buster Blader may have survived that blast, but it's still no match against my Egyptian God card! The Pharaoh has a zero chance of coming back, so prepare to surrender your Puzzle! My next turn will give me the win!"

"I'm afraid that there isn't going to be a next turn for you, Marik! Once Buster Blader attacks you Egyptian God card, you'll be the one defeated! Now, watch as my plan to slay your so-called indestructible dragon begins! Time to end this duel and give me the win."

"I'm ready for that pathetic attack, Pharaoh's apprentice!"

"And as you know, my plan is on strict timing, so if I mess up on it, the win goes for you. Buster Blader, ATTACK SLIFER THE SKY DRAGON WITH YOUR POWERFUL BLADE!" Buster raised his sword and prepared to slash at Slifer, but due to Jam Defender, Revival Jam got in the way, getting splattered by Buster Blader.

"You're attacks been blocked, and my Revival Jam will reform itself now." The droplets of Revival Jam started moving on to Marik's side as Yume waits for the perfect moment to do so, until…

"NOW!" She said as she played a card. "I ACTIVATE BRAIN CONTROL! NOW TO CONTROL YOUR MONSTER!"

"It's not that quite simple. Sorry, Yume. I'm afraid all Magic cards are completely ineffective against Egyptian God monsters! And now you'll pay the price for making such a foolish mistake!"

Yume just smiled. "Don't be so sure, Marik. Who told you I was after your dragon? There's another monster on your field I'm after, and I'll be controlling him!" The plasma of Revival Jam start reforming on Yume's side. "Brain Control," she said, "will seize your Revival Jam!" Revival Jam is completely reformed on Yume's side.

"What could you possible do with Revival Jam? It can't hurt my dragon, so it's of no use to you!"

Yume just sighed. "You still don't get it, Marik. Since Revival Jam has been reformed, draw your three new cards, Marik!"

"That'll raise the strength of my Egyptian God card by another 3000 Points. And with every card I draw, my monster will get even stronger!" He drew those cards, raising the ATK Points of Slifer to 17000. "Now, it's time for me to defeat you, Pharaoh's apprentice! Slifer, wipe out Buster Blader and the rest of her Life Points!"

"I'm afraid it won't happen, Marik! Slifer's second mouth has to attack any new monster that appears on my side of the field!" Marik-Strings gasped as Slifer's second mouth starts to charge. "Before you can destroy me, Revival Jam has to be hit before my Buster Blader!"

The attack connected, destroying Revival Jam. "You know what happens next, don't you think?" Revival Jam reformed on Yume's side of the field. "And each time a monster regenerates, you draw three more cards from your dueling deck!"

Marik-Strings did so, but then Slifer attacked Revival Jam again using its second mouth, creating a never-ending cycle: Destruction of Revival Jam; Revival Jam regenerates on Yume's side; Marik-Strings draw three more cards. The chain will continue to go on and on until…

Revival Jam came back on Yume's side after another Slifer's ability attack. Marik-Strings had to follow Card of Safe Return, but he felt no more cards. When he looked, his entire deck is empty! "You've run out of cards to draw, Marik, to satisfy a drawing ability!" Yume pointed out. "Which means you lose this duel."

"NOOOOOOOOOOOOO!" Marik-Strings got down on his knees as Yume approached him.

"Yume won this duel!" Mokuba cried out as he went down there. "That must've been the most epic comeback I've ever seen!" He approached Marik-Strings. "Hand over Slifer the Sky Dragon to Yume Orskov, Tournament rules!" But he received no response. "Wake up already! I mean, no one likes to lose, but rules are rules, you know? It's just a game, mister."

Mokuba looked down and saw Slifer the Sky Dragon and picked it up. Then he walked over to Yume and handed it to her, to which she accepted it. She also picked up one Locator card. Then Seto Kaiba approached her.

"Yume." He said and she turned to him. "So you figured out how to defeat Slifer the Sky Dragon." He let out a small smile. "Well done. It's also a real shame that you won't have it for too long."

"Tell me one good reason why I shouldn't."

"Because you and I are going to duel for it right now! And then, when I defeat you, Slifer the Sky Dragon will be where it belongs: in my deck! You see, I'm in possession of one Egyptian God card, and I plan to win the others. And once I win Slifer from you, I'll need just one more. Then I can be the number one duelist in the world again!"

Yume growled softly, but Marik-Strings has returned. "Silly fools!" He called out and they both looked at him.

"I'VE HAD ENOUGH OF YOUR MINDS TRICKS, MARIK!" She exploded, which surprised the Kaiba Brothers. "Show yourself!"

"Not to worry, Pharoah's apprentice, you'll meet me sooner than you think. I'm on my way to Battle City as we speak for the second time. And once I'm there, the next phase of my plan will begin. And I assure you that the powers of the Pharaoh will be mine, Apprentice! My loyal mind servants are preparing for my arrival right now."

"Where are they?"

"I have Rare Hunters everywhere in Battle City. And I can see all! I see the Millennium Puzzle that will be mine. And I see a defenseless city waiting to be conquered. And I see every potential mind-slaves in every crowd. I'm always searching for new servants to add to my army of Rare Hunters. I wonder who'll be next. So tell me: Which of your friends would make the best mind-slave?"

"You leave them alone! Let this be a warning! Understand?"

"It appears I've hit your sensitive spot, haven't I, Pharaoh's apprentice? Perhaps I can use your friends to get what I want from you. Namely, the Millennium Puzzle and getting Slifer the Sky Dragon back!"

"I'm saying this again, Marik. Keep my friends out of this!"

"Or else you'll what? Your friends are meaningless to me. And besides, I have nothing to lose and the whole world to gain!" He laughed.

"Do not test me, Marik! If any harm befalls my friends, you will regret it. They did nothing to you, so you settle your score with me and me alone!"

"Just as my dragon's one weakness destroyed it, your loyalties to your friends will soon destroy you." Strings then falls to the ground.

"My friends." Yume said as she turned around and head to the pier very quickly!

"Get back here, Yume!"

She stopped. "Kaiba," she said, "if my friends are in danger, our duel has to wait. Any other reason, and I'd duel you. Their safety is more important to me than anything in the world! Sure, I've only known them during the time I was here, but I still consider them friends because they're Father's friends, too!"

Kaiba closed his eyes and chuckled lightly, then opened his eyes again. "Just one more question, Yume. Is your father-" He was about to say, but Yume was not there.

"She ran off to get to her friends, Seto." Mokuba informed him.

a/n Now, Yume has Slifer the Sky Dragon, one of the three Egyptian God cards! Also, I had to do that last bit because I'd thought it'd be funny.