Chapter 3
Yugi groaned as he woke up to see Tea sleeping next to him before he was shocked. Yugi looked at his Duelist Bracelet with the additional Star Chips from yesterday's duel, leaving Yugi saddened that he wasn't able to help his friend.
"Look, kid; it is obvious that you were being held back playing nanny for your pal there, so take the chips and duel a few others for their star chips so you can make it to the Duelist Kingdom's castle, where we can have a real duel instead of your plan being ruined by your friend over there. Let him have at least some pride to nurse his failures."
Keith's words rang in Yugi's head as he looked back and recalled that he had always been there to help Joey in all of his duels but never really tried to help him improve as a duelist. Yugi always thought that if he were there to help Joey in the tournament, then his best friend would be able to make it to the castle with him.
Yugi then looked at the Millennium Puzzle and fiddled with it as he also recalled Issei's words from the first day of the tournament.
"So that you know, I don't believe you really beat Kaiba. I saw the footage, and it was an older version of you that beat him, so either you have a twin older brother, or you cheated somehow. Either way, it matters not, for we'll see how strong you are now that your friend Joey will soon be gone."
Yugi couldn't help but think that Issei had a point that he always let the Pharaoh take over when a duel was about to begin, but the Pharaoh always played with his Deck, so technically, he did still defeat Kiba, right?
"Could they be true? Am I really weak and undeserving of the attention I have received from defeating Kiba?" Yugi muttered to himself as he then looked at the remaining number of members in the tournament before seeing that there were four people in the castle already.
Duelists that have earned their place:
Issei Hyoudou
Vivian Wong
Ishizu Ishtar
Sona Sitri
Twelve out of sixteen spots remain.
Yugi was shocked at this as he thought there would've been more duelists before he placed his Deck on his belt and headed out to the Plains Field. Yugi was hoping to find another duelist but didn't see anyone until he saw a figure walk out of the forest and toward him.
"Hey!" The figure shouted as Yugi froze in place to see a girl emerge from the forest. The figure turned out to be a small girl wearing a short skirt and thigh-high socks to cover her legs. She wore a light blue top over a grey T-shirt, and her hair was in the form of two pigtails. She also had blue eyes, light blonde hair, and light pale skin.
"Your Yugi Moto, correct?"
"Uh, yes. That's me, but who are you?"
"Rebecca Hawkins and I challenge you to a duel," Rebecca said as the bushes behind her ruffled a bit as Mai Valentine emerged from them.
"Hey! Slow down, shorty. We are still a team, after all." Mai said as Yugi was shocked to see a team before him until he spoke and told them he didn't have a partner anymore.
"What? Was your partner taken out of the tournament? Well, that sucks; now we can't duel." Rebecca pouted as this side of her partner amused Mai since she could tell that Rebecca may be a genius, but she's still a child, so her pouts still seem adorable.
"Aw, does the little genius want a hug?" Mai asked as she shoved Rebecca's face into her bust. The Gyaru hugged the little girl, causing her to struggle to breathe until Rebecca pushed her away with a red face.
"Hey! Just because I'm not tall like you doesn't mean I need to be suffocated by those boobs!" Rebecca shouted as she was slightly envious of her partner's feminine wiles and her seductive body, which made Rebecca feel inadequate about her appearance.
"Aw, Rebecca, you know I don't want to hurt your feelings. I mess with you a bit since you need to relax a bit and enjoy yourself. Plus, we make a good team with my dueling skills and your big brain. We are only four chips away from completing our payment for the castle." Mai said as she knew that only a few spots were remaining, and given how many people had been taken out of the tournament already, it was just a matter of time before the spots were closed for good, and they would lose their chance to enter the tournament.
"Oh, right," Rebecca said as she looked at Yugi and pointed to a duelist arena near the trio as she spoke to him. "We'll be having a one-on-one battle, and if I win, I'll take five of your Star Chips, and if you win, you'll receive five of mine."
Yugi was shocked by this deal as he still recalled the consolation Star Chips he received yesterday before clenching his fist as he nodded towards her.
"Deal. Let's begin." Yugi said as he and Rebecca headed towards the arena. Mai looked around to see no one else was around; she then pulled out a picture of Issei and a tall woman with straight black hair and a school uniform.
"It'll be good to see my number one fan again," Mai said with an amused look on her face, recalling the day she lost to the Dark Duelist when he made his name in the Dueling Circuit.
"Hey, Mai! You coming?" Rebecca called over as Mai slipped the photo away in her pocket; as she nodded and headed to the duo, they pulled their cards and began their duel.
"Let's Duel!"
"Let's Go!"
Yugi and Rebecca shouted as the match officially began.
Yugi Moto: 4000
Rebecca Hawkins: 4000
"I'll be going first, so I'll draw," Rebecca said as she drew her sixth card and smiled. "And first, I'll play Double Summon, and thanks to that spell, I'll summon Kaiser Seahorse in attack mode."
Rebecca said as the sea creature emerged on the field. Yugi was surprised by this card before recalling its abilities.
"Wait! That means you have-!"
"Correct. And now I sacrifice Kaiser Seahorse, who counts for two tributes thanks to his ability, which allows me to summon my favorite Angel." Rebecca declared as a pair of Angel wings emerged on the back of a literal Angel. The Angel then smiled at Rebecca as if a mother was looking at their child before turning to face Yugi.
"Meet Guardian Angel Joan. My guardian Angel and part of my master plan." Rebecca said as the Angel stood at the ready. Rebecca then played her next move.
"Then I'll use Foolish Burial to send one card from my deck to the graveyard and end my turn with a facedown," Rebecca said as she smiled at her plan coming together while Yugi began his turn and drew his sixth card before looking at the cards in his hand.
'I have Dark Effigy to help me summon Dark Magician, but even with his power, he's still weaker than the Angel. I don't have any other cards that can destroy her, so I'll have to play defense for now and hopefully come up with a plan.' Yugi said in his mind as he began his turn.
"I'll only play a monster in defense mode and put two cards facedown. That's it for my turn." Yugi said as he recalled his monster. 'I played Big Shield Gardna and placed a special trap card just in case she attacks; that way, the damage I take is minimized while Gardna is safe, so I can play a new monster I've been wanting to use in battle.'
"Really? Only defense? In that case, I'll make my next move." Rebecca said as she drew her second card before smirking. "And I activate Darklord Marie's ability. During my Standby Phase, if this card is in the Graveyard, then I gain 200 life points."
Rebecca Hawkins: 4000-200=4200.
Rebecca smiled as her life points rose by a small amount before she continued her turn. "Then I play Defenders Summoner."
A flash of radiant light, surrounded by swirling magical energy as the monster took its place, a shimmering aura enveloped the summoned monster, enhancing its presence and empowering its abilities, signifying its readiness for battle.
The monster appeared as a wise and noble spellcaster adorned in flowing robes adorned with intricate arcane symbols. It holds a staff glowing with magical energy, emanating an aura of protection and wisdom. Its eyes shine with determination and focus, ready to summon forth allies to aid in battle.
Defender's Summoner
Attribute: Light
Type: Spellcaster/Effect
Level: 3
ATK: 1200
DEF: 1400
Effect: If this card is destroyed by battle or card effect, You take no battle damage for the rest of this turn and look in your Deck for a monster with 1500 defense or lower and Special Summon that card to the field.
"And now I play Field Presence! Which allows me to draw a card for each monster on both sides of the field, and since I have two and you have one, I'll get to draw three new ones." Rebecca said as she drew her new cards before her smile grew wider.
Card Name: Field Presence
Card Type: Spell
Effect: For each monster on the field, including both yours and your opponent's, You can draw 1 card. If there are five or more monsters on the field (including both yours and your opponent's), draw an additional card. This card's effect can only be activated once per turn.
"And now I play another card facedown and end my turn," Rebecca said as Yugi saw his chance to deal some damage to Rebecca before nodding.
"Alright then, I draw and summon Celtic Guardian, who'll attack your Defenders Summoner!" Yugi declared as he summoned the warrior, who then roared as he destroyed the spellcaster. He was glad to deal some damage to Rebecca but was shocked to see her life points didn't change.
"Huh? What gives? I thought you would've taken damage from that attack when your monster was destroyed." Yugi said as Rebecca laughed and replied to him.
"Oh, Yugi. Defenders Summoner prevents me from taking any damage the turn they're destroyed, so even if you had more attacks, they would do you no good." Rebecca said as Yugi felt played before leaving the Battle Phase.
"Then, in that case, I'll sacrifice my Big Shield Gardna to summon his superior form!" Yugi declared that as Big Shield Gardna flipped face up before he vanished from the field, he was replaced by a more battle-hardened version of himself with two shields on his arms.
"Meet Twin Shield Gardna: Supreme Defender!" Yugi declared as the new Gardna roared, ready for battle.
Twin Shield Guardian - Supreme Defender
Attribute: Earth
Type: Warrior/Effect
Level: 7
ATK: 2600
DEF: 3000
Effect:
Cannot be Normal Summoned/Set. It must first be Special Summoned by tributing one face-up or facedown defense position, "Big Shield Gardna," you control. Once per turn, during the user turn, when an opponent's monster declares an attack, You can Special Summon 1 "Big Shield Gardna" from your hand, Deck, or GY, then change the attack target to it.
Once per turn, if this card battles an opponent's monster, You can banish that opponent's monster until the end of the Battle Phase.
"And then I'll end my turn," Yugi said as he was glad to have his new monster on the field and prepared for what Rebecca would throw at him. Rebecca smiled as she then drew her next card and began her turn.
"I should thank you for getting rid of Defenders Summoner because now I can Special Summon a monster with 1500 or fewer defense points from my deck to the field, and I'm bringing out Abyssal Shadow Ghoul!" Rebecca declared as the fiend-like monster appeared and roared as Yugi looked at its massive size of the Fiend.
Abyssal Shadow Ghoul
Attribute: Dark
Type: Fiend/Effect
Level: 8
ATK: 2800-300=3100
DEF: 1200
Effect:
This card gains ATK equal to the combined number of all monsters in both players' GYs. Once per turn, during either player's turn: You can banish one monster from either player's GY; this card gains ATK and DEF equal to that banished monster's original ATK and DEF until the end of this turn.
If this card destroys an opponent's monster by battle, You can banish that destroyed monster.
If this card is destroyed by battle or card effect and sent to the GY, You can Special Summon 1 "Abyssal Shadow Ghoul" from your Deck.
"And now he'll destroy your Twin Shield Gardna!" Rebecca declared as the Fiend roared and headed to Gardna. Yugi stopped her.
"No way! I activate Twin Shield Gardna's ability! I can special summon one Big Shield Gardna from my Graveyard and force you to attack it instead." Yugi declared as the Big Shield Gardna emerged but was quickly defeated by the Abyssal Shadow Ghoul.
"Who cares? Your monster will still get destroyed." Rebecca said as her Fiend destroyed the Big Shield Gardna, which kept Yugi safe before Rebecca continued her assault.
"And since your Big Shield Gardna is banished thanks to my Shadow Ghouls ability, that leaves my Guardian Angel to destroy your defender!" Rebecca declared as Guardian Angel Joan cast rings of Holy Light that grabbed the warrior's arms and held him in place, then summoned a blade of holy light and destroyed the warrior.
"And thanks to her ability, when she destroys an opponent's monster, I gain life points equal to his original attack points," Rebecca said as she laughed as her life points continued to rise while Yugi's dropped.
Rebecca Hawkins: 4400-2600=7000
Yugi Moto: 4000-500=3500
"And I'll end my turn. Make your choice, Yugi." Rebecca said as she giggled at his scared expression before recalling he forgot to activate his trap card.
'What's wrong with me? Why am I playing differently than I normally am? Is it because I can't play without Pharaoh, or maybe I'm really this bad of a player?' Yugi berated himself as the past two days made him question the Heart of the Cards, a special card that Yugi's grandfather told him about how bonds will always help a duelist win, but now it seemed to fail him and his friends.
"Hey! Are you going to play, or are you going to call it quits?" Mai asked as she recognized that look on Yugi's face, which shocked both Yugi and Rebecca.
"H-Huh?" Yugi said. Mai rolled her eyes at the kid and began to speak to him as if she was his mother.
"Look, Yugi, one thing you got to learn is that in duels, you'll win or lose, but what's important is that if you're playing for fun, then it doesn't matter since that's what Duel Monsters is meant to be. A game that everyone enjoys. Sure, the tournaments have a nice cash prize, but if you forget what makes the game so much fun, then you're clearly not going to make it to the castle." Mai said as she recalled how beaten she was after losing to the Dark Duelist and how he saw through her tricks but didn't say anything but instead asked her if she was having fun.
'Fun? Is that what she's talking about?' Yugi asked himself as he recalled that in his previous battles before coming to the Duelist Kingdom, he had only been playing to survive and win, not enjoy the duel itself.
'I've been so focused on Pegasus and my grandfather that I forgot why I loved this game in the first place. Having fun with my friends.' Yugi said as he clenched his fist, forgetting such an important rule before smiling at them both.
"Thanks. I'm ready to give it my all!" Yugi shouted. Rebecca could tell something was different about his eyes now as he seemed distracted by something else, but now Mai's words pushed the thoughts away.
"Well then, let's see what you got, Mister Champion," Rebecca said as Yugi nodded and drew his new card before gasping at it before he began his turn.
"I summon Dark Effigy, and I'll play Double Summon to let me tribute him and summon Dark Magician!" Yugi declared as his ace monster appeared as. Yugi then continued his turn.
"And now I play Pot of Greed! Drawing two cards and now playing the Equip Spell Card: Bound Wand! And this new staff grants Dark Magician a hundred attack points times his level, so he gains seven hundred attack points, and he'll use them to attack your Abyssal Shadow Ghoul!" Yugi declared as Dark Magician and the Fiend attacked each other until Yugi smirked.
"But now I play Stop Attack!" Yugi shouted as he played the last card in his hand before a stop sign appeared in between the two monsters. Dark Magician's staff glowed as Dark Magician gained more power.
Dark Magician: 2500-700=3200 X2=6400.
"And thanks to Stop Attack, my magician can attack once more with double the power!"
"Wait, he can do that?!"
Stop Attack!
Quick Play Spell
Effect: Activate only when either you or your opponent's monster declares an attack. Negate the attack. If this card resolves successfully, the attacking monster's ATK is doubled, and it can attack again. If the second attack is successful, then the attacking monster can attack once more without the doubled effect once again.
"Now Dark Magician! Attack with Dark Magic Attack!" Yugi declared as Dark Magician attacked Abyssal Shadow Ghoul, which was destroyed by the spell. Rebecca felt her life points dive as she looked at her remaining life points.
Rebecca Hawkins: 7000-3200=3800
"And now Dark Magician can attack one last time without his attack points being doubled once again, so Dark Magician! Attack Guardian Angel Joan!" Yugi declared as Dark Magician fired his spell once again. Rebecca's life points took a massive dive once again.
Rebecca Hawkins: 3800-3600=200
Rebecca slowly stood back up as she was excited for this despite the fact she may lose, but that's what made the game so much fun.
"Not bad for a comeback, wouldn't you say, Rebecca?" Yugi asked as he ended his turn, and his Magician returned to normal. Rebecca smiled and laughed before replying to him.
"Indeed. It's definitely a lot more fun now, but this match is over. I draw!" Rebecca shouted as she smiled at her card before playing it. "I play Monster Reborn, and I'm bringing back my Guardian Angel!"
Guardian Angel Joan appeared once again as a mist show-like portal appeared next to Joan as an Abyssal Shadow Ghoul appeared.
"What? But I destroyed him and sent him to the Graveyard." Yugi said as Rebecca explained.
"You did, but when you destroyed my first Shadow Ghoul, his third ability activated since when Abyssal Shadow Ghoul is destroyed, I can summon a new one from my Deck, and now this one is ready to rumble!" Rebecca cheered as her monster roared as it gained more power from the graveyards.
Abyssal Shadow Ghoul: 2800-600=3400
"And now Joan will destroy your Celtic Guardian!" Rebecca shouted as Joan destroyed Celtic Guardian and raised Rebecca's life points.
Rebecca Hawkins: 400-1400=1600
Yugi Moto: 3500-1400=2100
"And now Abyssal Shadow Ghoul will destroy your magician!"
"Not so fast! I play my trap card: Half Unbreak! This prevents my Magician from being destroyed, and my damage is cut in half." Yugi shouted as a bubble shield formed around Dark Magician and protected him, but Yugi still took some damage.
Yugi Moto: 2100-150=1950
"Clever, then it looks like you got one last turn to save yourself," Rebecca said as Yugi looked at the hand and let out a sigh of relief. He was glad to remember the Trap Card.
"I draw," Yugi said as he saw it was a Normal Monster before continuing his turn. "And I attack Guardian Angel Joan!"
"Activate my facedown: Magic Cylinder. Game over Yugi Moto." Rebecca said as she flipped the facedown card she had for the whole duel before ending the duel with Yugi accepting his fate; he saw that he lost but was fine with it as he sent the chips to Rebecca, who thanked him for a fun duel before they got down from the arena as Mai smiled at the two.
'Even though he lost, the kid still made a good comeback and accepted defeat with a smile.' Mai said before seeing Rebecca with those admiring eyes. Mai silently chuckled as she recalled a similar experience with a Dark Duelist who not only gained her respect but her heart as he enjoyed the duel and wanted to battle her again.
'Heh. That dork will be surprised when he sees me again. I can get on that, and I can't wait to see his expression.' Mai giggled to herself as Yugi and Rebecca parted ways as a trumpet sound was heard on their devices.
[Congratulations on gaining your Star Chips! Head to the Duelist Kingdoms Castle with all of the chips, and you'll have your place in the tournament. See you soon.] Pegasus said as the two headed to the castle. Yugi smiled as he watched them leave before looking at the Millennium Puzzle. He thanked the Pharaoh for not interfering with the duel. Yugi then saw the familiar face of Weevil Underwood and Rex Raptor before summoning his duelist disk again, ready to not only duel and win but also have fun.
"Alright! Never thought we'd make it after we destroyed those other brats after that tag team battle with Joey and Yugi." Keith said as Fenris chuckled. He was also glad they were able to get the remainder of their Star Chips as they saw Duelist Kingdoms Castle; the duo headed inside and saw Pegasus standing before them.
"Welcome to Duelist Castle, but before you may enter, do you have the correct amount of Star Chips necessary to enter my castle?" Pegasus said as Fenris and Keith showed they had all twenty-four star chips, and then some as Pegasus also checked their progress in duels before smiling with approval.
"Wonderful. And you two being here makes the competition more exciting, as you'll soon see." Pegasus said as Fenris and Keith walked inside the castle to see Issei Hyoudou and Vivian sitting at a table across from Duke Devlin. Issei cheered with Vivian congratulating him with her bear hug, causing Issei to almost collapse from the chair as Duke merely laughed in amusement before Fenris and Keith saw Sona Sitri typing on a computer and looking over her Deck as Ishizu Ishtar looked at one of the cards in her Deck before looking up at Fenris and Keith before welcoming them.
"Greetings. My name is Ishizu Ishtar, and I am a fellow competitor in this competition. It's an honor to meet the Master of Machines, Keith Bandit, and the Norse God user, Fenris.
I look forward to seeing you two fight when all of the members show up." Ishizu said as she walked towards Issei and Vivian before separating the two and berating Vivian, who shrunk under the Egyptian woman as she scolded Vivian as if she were a child.
"Huh. She almost reminds me of my mother. Kind but tough." Keith said as Fenris nodded in agreement with him before seeing Sona Sitri look up at them temporarily before she went back to her computer and Deck. Fenris then sat across from her and asked.
"And you are?"
"My name isn't important since we're only enemies in this tournament, but if you wish to know who I am, then allow me to introduce myself. Sona Sitri. A pleasure to be meeting you before I crush you under my Deck's tidal waves." Sona said that as Fenris felt a bit of sweat form on his forehead. He was surprised by her bluntness before Issei laughed and walked over to him.
"Ah, don't let her get you down. She's like that with everyone since Sona is antisocial and doesn't have very many friends due to her being the Student Council President back home. She's nice deep down but puts up her guard since she isn't very pleasant with others. She makes me seem extroverted." Issei explained as Sona glared at Issei before flipping him off, which made Issei laugh as he did the same right back at her before Keith laughed at the comedy in front of his eyes.
"Man, this is going to be epic! I can't wait for this tournament to start!" Keith said as the doors opened up once again for Mai. Valentine and Rebecca Hawkins entered the room, but Rebecca was shocked as she looked at Keith's face.
"Keith? Keith Howard?"
"Rebecca Hawkins? What are you doing here?" Keith asked as the two approached each other. Mai asked in surprise.
"You two know each other?"
"Know him? He's my big brother!" Rebecca said with a grin as Fenris and Mai Valentine were shocked. Keith chuckled nervously as he scratched the back of his head.
"Not really, but her father asked me to look after her when she was a kid, and Rebecca didn't have any siblings, so the nickname stuck, and she's the one who cheered me up when I almost quit Duel Monsters," Keith explained as Mai and Fenris were still surprised by this little girl knowing Keith before Rebecca nodded as she then looked at Fenris and shook his hand.
"It's a pleasure to meet you, Mr. Fenris, and thanks for looking after my big brother. He needs someone to help him when he gets overconfident." Rebecca said as Keith faked being hurt by her words. Fenris chuckled and replied.
"Well, I'm glad to be on his team. He's a good guy who wouldn't stop talking about his benefactor." Fenris said as Keith looked embarrassed. He looked away before Rebecca jumped on his back and wrestled with the large American, making Fenris and Mai smile at the scene. She could see them being siblings since Keith acted like a big brother to her.
The brother and sister duo then headed to another part of the room to catch up, with Fenris following behind them as Mai looked at Issei playing against Izushu, who was merely amused and trying to hold in her laugh as they chatted about something before Mai walked over to Issei and hugged his head into her chest as she looked down at his shocked expression.
"Hey there, cutie. Want to duel with me?" Mai asked as Izushu pulled Issei out of her and replied.
"He was speaking to me, and it's incredibly rude to just butt into one's conversation, so please leave," Izushu said as Mai felt a bit annoyed by the woman's remark before replying to her.
"Oh? But Issei didn't seem to mind, so maybe you're the ones who are being rude?"
"I don't think that's on me since I saved him from being suffocated by some concubine's flirtations and fake assets," Izushu said as Issei gasped under his breath. Mai's eyebrows twitched dangerously as she controlled herself.
"I'm sorry, did you just call my breasts fake? That's some big talk coming from an Egyptian cosplayer."
"Better a cosplayer than a Succubus that wears cheap perfume instead of trying to improve her beauty like me," Izushu said as she looked down at Issei and gently placed his head on her lap before rubbing his head, causing Issei to relax. At the same time, Mai felt like ripping Issei off her lap until Vivian interrupted her train of thought as the kung fu actress hugged Mai and nuzzled her cheek next to Mai's face.
"Mai! It's so good to see you again!"
"H-Hey! Cut it out, Vivian! People are going to think otherwise if they see you doing this!"
"But you didn't mind when I gave you a kiss as thanks for being my partner in a duel," Vivian said as Mai saw the interested looks from the group before watering down their thoughts.
"It's not what you think! It was a peck on the cheek! Nothing more!"
"But you didn't mind when we cuddled together that one night when you were cold."
"I was asleep, and you snuck into my bed!"
Mai and Vivian continued to argue as the other duelists began to wonder what their relationship was. The boys thought they were a couple, while the girls were amused seeing Mai act all flustered while Vivian seemed oblivious to what she was insinuating.
The assortment of characters deeply amused Pegasus as he saw that the tournament was halfway completed. He looked at the remaining players in the qualifiers. He saw many more players fall as they were unable to gather any extra Star Chips in the time limit they were given.
"And only six spots remain. Oh, who will win it, who will win them indeed?" Pegasus asked himself as he headed to his office. He smiled as he met Izushu's gaze before nodding in her direction.
'Still, I'm curious who will claim the Winged Dragon Ra and Slifer the Sky Dragon since Izushu only has one, and the other was given for me to use in a competition. It may be time to send out the message. Pegasus said as he began typing his announcement for the 'one of a kind' card for the remaining duelists in the tournament.
"Now, let's see who'll take the bait and accept the challenge," Pegasus said. He wasn't sure why Izushu asked him to participate in the tournament but didn't mind as he was already going to enjoy the duelists battling the Avatar of Slifer the Sky Dragon.
Scene!
Prepare yourselves since the next chapter will be a duel with the Pharaoh versus the Avatar of Slifer the Sky Dragon!
Yugi and Seto Kaiba will be in the tournament, but Kaiba will appear later as Yugi continues to collect his Star Chips and understand the spirit he wields in his puzzle and other Gods of Duel Monsters.
See you all next time. Ta-Ta!~