Yugi and his friends all survived Death T-3, but in the process Yuya inadvertently revealed his secret to Yugi and Atem! How will that be handled? Also, Yugi vs Vivian rematch! Let's get to it!
Yugioh: The Hope of Six
Chapter 24: Kaiba Arc – Part 14
The platform elevator came to a stop not long after Yuzu's group barely managed to escape the rising acid pit with their lives. The door before them had not opened, but there was a red button to the side. "Looks like we got one way to go." Mai said nonchalantly, looking at the button and the door.
"Um, what are the chances we will meet some not very nice people on our way out?" Miho asked nervously.
"With our luck, I'd say pretty close to a one hundred percent chance." Bakura told her. This made her groan a little.
"Got no choice." Valon said, holding his chest while wincing.
"The sooner we leave, the sooner we can get you to the hospital." Shuzo told him. Yuzu agreed with her dad.
"Then let's go." Yuzu said as she started toward the door.
"Wait." The girl stopped as a familiar voice chimed in. The whole group froze.
"W-Who was that?" A startled Miho asked, looking around.
"Can it be?" Yuzu said as she lifted up her Duel Disk. She and the others stood stunned as Aqua emerged from the Disk.
"Hello Yuzu. I am glad you are alright." Replied the Ignis. Yuzu couldn't speak for a moment. She never expected Aqua to appear like this.
"Aqua? I thought you were with Yuya's dad. How did you…?" Yuzu questioned.
"Before I transferred myself to Yusho's Disk, I formed a wireless link with yours. This way, I can instantly move myself back to your Duel Disk no matter where I am. I explained this to him and those with him before I came." She then looked over and saw Shuzo. "Hello Shuzo. I am very relieved you are also okay." Shuzo smiled down at her.
"Thanks. Believe me, so am I."
Yuzu then felt a sudden surge of anger. Seeing Aqua again made her remember something she and everyone witnessed upon arriving at this horrible place. She was about to bring up that very serious subject when someone spoke up first.
"Um, guys… what's going on? What exactly IS that?" Miho demanded, pointing at Aqua. She sounded both curious and a little scared. Yuzu sighed. Miho was the only one of her friends to not know about the Water Ignis. She should get that out of the way first.
"Miho, it's fine. This is Aqua. She's a very intelligent A.I. and a friend. She won't hurt you or anyone else." Aqua nodded as she turned to Miho.
"She is correct. I mean you no harm, Miho. It really is a pleasure to finally meet you. Serenity talks about you a lot." Miho gasped.
"Serenity?! My best friend?! She knows about you too?!"
"Actually, pretty much everyone in this tower does… except maybe Noah and Vivian. They don't know you're here, do they?" Bakura asked, concerned for the Ignis now that she was here. Aqua shook her head.
"No, they do not. The moment I arrived here, I sent out a faint signal that would slightly modify the cameras so that they do not see or hear us converse. To Noah and Vivian, it would appear as though you are all just standing around and talking to each other."
"That's a relief." Valon said, letting a out a sigh.
"You… can really do that?" Miho asked, her curiosity now overcoming her initial fear. Aqua nodded.
"Yes, Miho. I can do many things regarding technology." She answered. Miho was very impressed.
"That's so cool! How come no one told me about you before?" Yuzu decided to speak up now.
"We're sorry about that, Miho. We felt you shouldn't know unless it was necessary. Protecting Aqua's existence is a really big deal for us. You know, the things she can do and all…" She said with a pang of guilt. Miho nodded vigorously.
"Oh of course! I totally get it! I would never hurt a friend, even if that friend isn't human! Plus, Aqua seems to be really nice! I don't want anything bad to happen to her! I promise not to tell ANYONE!" She swore as she placed a fist over her heart. Yuzu and the group smiled.
"That's great to know Miho, thanks. However…" Yuzu then turned to the Ignis, now not looking so friendly anymore. "She has some explaining to do."
"Explain what?" Shuzo asked.
"I think I know." Mai said, dreading what was coming. She was right.
"When we last saw you, you said you had a plan to protect Mokuba from Noah. The moment we stepped inside this place, Noah killed him! A laser beam shot through his heart and he fell to the ground!"
"What?! Kaiba's little brother is dead?!" Shuzo exclaimed in horrified shock. He was the only member of the group to not know about it. The others all nodded, though no one said anything.
"Yes Dad! Aqua was supposed to protect him!" Yuzu didn't break eye contact with the Ignis when she answered him. "Why didn't you?! What went wrong?!"
Aqua waited until Yuzu was done before she gave her answer. When she did, she sounded as calm as ever. "Nothing went wrong, Yuzu. Mokuba is alive and well." The whole group gasped.
"What?! How?! We all saw what happened!" Miho added.
"The Mokuba you saw being "killed" was a fake. It was a hologram I created using one of Seto Kaiba's Action Disks. Mokuba never arrived here with the rest of you. I came here in his place using the hologram as a disguise."
"Wait… then it was you I talked too before?" A surprised Yuzu asked. Aqua nodded.
"Yes. I told you that everything would be fine no matter what happened. You just had to trust me." Yuzu now felt ashamed. It wasn't just Aqua. Yusho also told her to believe in the Ignis to know what she was doing. Even Yugi told her that, even though he had to have been in the dark too. Was he?
"Wait a minute. Who was clued in on that plan?" Mai asked.
"The only ones who knew were Seto, Mokuba, Yusho, and Pegasus. I discussed this with them. Out of all of them, only Seto came with you. Therefore, he was the only one among you that knew Mokuba wasn't really dead." Aqua explained.
"Only Kaiba knew? But he looked so upset when we saw…" Miho said.
"He had to pretend Mokuba was indeed killed in order to fool Noah." Aqua told her.
"Why didn't you tell me, Yuya, or any of us?" Yuzu demanded. Aqua sighed.
"I deeply apologize for that. The deception was done so that Noah would not kill your father and Yoko while he still had them prisoner. The less people knew of this, the more effective it would be. It was done to ensure their safety, as well as Mokuba's."
"Where is Mokuba now?" Bakura asked.
"He is with Yusho's group. They will look after him." Aqua assured. Yuzu sighed, relieved that Mokuba was actually okay. Her dad and friends were just as relieved.
"Aqua… I'm sorry for doubting you. It's just I couldn't help but worry when I didn't know what was going on. Thanks for keeping Mokuba safe." Yuzu said. Aqua patted Yuzu's hand with hers.
"You're welcome. Also, your behavior was understandable. I hold nothing against you, Yuzu." The Ignis then looked down. "Unfortunately, I'm afraid Noah has caught on and has taken action."
"What do you mean?" Shuzo nervously asked. Aqua went on.
"The Action Disk did more than impersonate Mokuba. It also allowed me access to Noah's systems within the tower. This enabled me to assist whenever possible…"
"Woah, hold on a minute! Was it you that helped us escape Death T-F?!" Valon asked, stunned.
"I did, Valon. I also provided aid to Yugi's group during the various Death-T games throughout the tower. They were all fine when I last saw them on Death T-3. But now, Noah has learned about the fake Mokuba and destroyed the Action Disk. I no longer have that advantage. That is why I came here myself." This left everyone deeply shocked.
"He's found out?" Yuzu asked, now concerned for Mokuba once more.
"That's not good. We gotta get out of here now!" Valon declared. They all agreed. They had to catch up to Mokuba and those with him before Noah could.
"What about Yugi, Yuya, Yoko and everyone else?" Shuzo said, still very worried about them all.
"I intend to do something to help them." Aqua then looked up at Yuzu. "Yuzu, I will need your assistance."
"How can I help?" The young girl asked. Once Aqua explained her new plan, she was all for it. Her father was understandably skeptical.
"Are you sure about this? You just risked your life to save your old man and now you want to go into even more possible danger?" Shuzo protested. Yuzu gave him her most determined look.
"I'm sure, Dad. If there is a way to help Yuya and all our friends, I'm taking it." Mai then stood beside her.
"I'll stay and look after them." This made Shuzo feel somewhat better.
"I'm counting on you, Mai. Keep my daughter safe." He ordered. Mai nodded.
"I will. Yuzu and Aqua are both safe with me." She stated. Both the teen girl and the Ignis were glad for Mai's support.
"Then it's settled." Valon said as he stood poised to press the button. "You girls help out the others while we skedaddle. We'll meet you at the copter." They all nodded. Valon then turned to his girl. "Mai… come back to me." He said in a softer tone. Mai smiled as she walked over and pecked him on the cheek.
"You got it, tough guy." With everyone on board with their plans, Valon pressed the button. The door slid upward, revealing a long dark tunnel. Once he determined the coast was clear, Valon motioned for almost everyone else to come out. Only Yuzu, Aqua, and Mai were still in the elevator.
"Good luck ladies." Valon said to them. Bakura, Miho, and Shuzo also wished them luck. The trio thanked them as the elevator door closed again. With a deep sigh, Valon marched ahead with the group right behind him. He had a feeling their walk out will not be so pleasant, and feelings like those often turned out to be right…
/\/\/\/\/\/\
Yuya regained consciousness several minutes after everyone made it out. Yugi and everyone were crouching or kneeling over him. He groaned a little as he rubbed his head while sitting up. "What happened?" He looked and saw the couple he just helped to safety. "Tristan! Serenity! You're both okay!" Yuya said, relieved to see them alive and unharmed.
"Yeah we are. Thanks to you." Tristan told him.
"Thank you Yuya. Are you alright?" Serenity asked. Yuya nodded.
"I think so. Just a little tired, thanks." He then looked to see Yugi, Joey, and Tèa also okay. "I'm glad we all made it."
"You and me both." Yugi said. He then asked the question that was on everyone's minds. "Yuya, how did you stop that block from falling on Tristan and Serenity?" Yuya flinched and gritted his teeth nervously.
"Well, that's uh… kind of hard to explain." He replied. To the younger boy's surprise, Yugi then turned unusually serious.
"I saw him, Yuya. Atem and I both did." Yugi said quietly.
"Saw who?" Yuya asked, sounding confused.
"Zarc." The entire group gasped in shock. Yuya's face began to lose color.
"Hold up Yug! Do you just say Zarc?!" Joey demanded.
"As in the demon/dragon dude that tried to kill us all?!" Tristan added.
"He's actually here?!" Serenity shouted, frightened to hear he might be near them.
"Where is he?!" Tèa asked, taking a frantic look around. Yugi kept his eyes on his friend.
"Yuya should be the one to answer that." He told his girlfriend. The rest of the gang now faced Yuya, staring fearfully at him. Yuya grew increasingly uncomfortable from this.
"Yuya… what's Yugi talking about?" Tèa asked him, her voice shaking.
Yuya looked away, not knowing what to say. He hoped his secret wouldn't come out like this. He wanted very much to tell them the truth, to assure them that he and the others were in no danger. But the promise he made to the good Zarc kept him from doing so. 'What do I do? What do I say? I can't stand to see them look at me that way, like I'm a ticking time bomb waiting to blow. I wish I could just tell them…'
"Then tell them." Yuya was stunned to hear it.
'Zarc? You want me to…?' The good Zarc sighed and seemed tired.
"Yuya, it's okay. You and Yuzu kept my existence a secret for a whole month. Neither of you gave any kind of hint that I was here all that time. I'm grateful for that. After what just happened, I think now's the time for no more secrets. Don't you agree?"
Yuya couldn't believe it. Zarc was actually releasing him of the promise he had been keeping? He felt warmth and gratitude of his own. 'I definitely agree. No more secrets. Thanks Zarc.' Zarc smiled back at his partner.
"Thank you Yuya." With that matter settled, Yuya turned back to everyone and stood up on his feet. He let out a breath he didn't know he held.
"Okay guys. Here's the truth… and please hear me out until I'm done." He then proceeded to explain everything. He started from hearing the unknown voice during the Duel against Leo Akaba and finished at the moment Zarc's pure self asked Yuya himself and Yuzu to not tell anyone about him. He left nothing out. He saw all of them becoming more and more shocked with each detail. When Yuya was at last done, they were all silent as they digested all the astounding facts they were told.
Joey was the one that broke the silence. "You gotta be pulling my freaking leg! You're telling us there's now two different versions of Zarc?! And the good one's with you?!" He asked incredulously while pointing at the boy.
"So this good Zarc is the reason Yuri got his body back and ended up on Judai's world?" Tèa questioned.
"You and Yuzu both knew all this and kept tight lipped about it for the past month?!" Tristan asked, just as astounded.
"He also helped you saved me and Tristan earlier?!" An amazed Serenity added.
"This was what you promised not to tell?" Yugi asked more calmly. Yuya nodded toward them all.
"Yes to all of that." He then looked down. "Listen, I'm sorry that Yuzu and I didn't tell you before. It's just that Zarc, the good one, was worried you would all see him as much a threat as his evil self is. I was skeptical at first myself, but I could tell he wants nothing but to help me… help us. I convinced Yuzu he had no desire to harm me or any of us. I hope all of you can see that too."
Everyone was silent again as they turned to Yugi. He appeared to be deep in thought. After a minute he walked over to Yuya, his face neutral. "I have to admit Yuya, this all very hard to take in. However…" Yugi then smiled at him. "If you truly believe this Zarc is here to help, then I believe you." Yuya looked up at Yugi, stunned.
"You do?" He asked in wonder. Yugi nodded as he placed a hand on Yuya's shoulder.
"Yeah. You believed the same about Yuri, and you were right on the mark. I have no reason to doubt you about this. Atem feels the same way." Yugi then turned to his friends. "What do you guys think?"
They all glanced at one another for a minute before giving their replies.
"Yuya, Yugi's my best friend. If he says the Zarc with you now is on the level, then I'm all for it." Joey said.
"So am I, especially since he helped you save me and Serenity." Tristan told him.
"Me too. I'm grateful to both of you." Said Serenity.
"Same here. If we are to going to survive this place and save your mom, we'll could use all the help we can get. I just never imagined a not so evil Zarc being part of said help." Tèa said.
Yuya felt overwhelmed by their words that he came close to crying. "Thanks guys. That means everything." They all smiled at him, fully accepting their newest addition to the team. He also felt the warmth and gratitude coming from Zarc. It was then Yuya remembered something Noah said earlier. "Speaking of help, Noah mentioned something about us not getting more help like with Chopman. What did he mean by that?" He asked. They all shrugged and shook their heads.
"We don't know, but it sounded like someone was giving us a hand during these Death-T games." Yugi said, recalling how they miraculously escaped Chopman in Death T-2 and how Yugi himself being released when he was briefly locked in place in Death T-3.
"Who?" Serenity asked.
"No idea. Whoever it was, Noah apparently made sure that someone could not help us again." Yugi told her.
"Sounds like we're on our own now." Tristan stated.
"And we don't know how many more of these "games" Noah still has for us or what they involve." Tèa said with apprehension.
"Doesn't matter. We'll plow right through 'em, save Yoko, and kick Noah's digital butt!" Joey said confidently.
"Joey's right. We just have to believe in ourselves and we can get through anything. Agreed?" Yugi asked everyone. They all nodded in agreement. "Okay then! On to the next game!" With that declaration, Yugi and his group headed through the hallway before them.
It was about ten minutes later when the hallway opened up into a huge anti-chamber. On the other side was a huge metal wall with "Death T-4" printed in the center. "Guess we've arrived to whatever game of death Noah has for us next." Tristan surmised.
"Don't get ahead of yourselves just yet." Yugi and the others saw a very familiar figure step out of a shadowed spot nearby and stood in front of the massive door.
"Vivian!" Yugi and Yuya shouted. The Asian champion Duelist smirked.
"Hello kids. I'm actually very surprised all of you made it this far. I thought at least you would be dead by now, Tèa." Vivian said to her. Tèa stared back at the woman hatefully.
"Sorry to disappoint you Vivian." She replied. Vivian shrugged.
"No matter really. The person I really want is finally here." She then stared lustfully at Yugi. "Yugi, it has been way too long since we last met in person." Yugi struggled to keep his growing anger in check.
"You have a lot to answer for Vivian!" The woman giggled.
"Come now, not need to get like that. Our game is just about to start."
"Our game?" Yugi questioned her.
"Let me guess. Death T-4 is us taking you on in some crazy game where you have an unfair advantage?" Joey asked. Vivian shook her head.
"Not really. This isn't Death T-4. It's actually right through this door here." She said while pointing behind her.
"If our next game is in there, then let us pass." Yuya told their enemy. Vivian waved a finger.
"Uh-uh. No one's going in until I make Yugi mine… by defeating him in a Duel!" She revealed.
"A Duel?" Yugi questioned.
"Yes, indeed." Vivian confirmed.
"I told you before! Yugi isn't anyone's property, and certainly not yours!" Tèa yelled. Vivian sneered at her.
"So to enter Death T-4, I have to duel you and win?" Yugi guessed.
"You're half right, my cute future love slave." Vivian said in sickeningly sweet voice. "We will duel, but you will not be going through that door… for I will defeat you and take you at last!"
"Tough talk coming from someone who got bested by Yugi last time." Joey told her, sounding cocky. Vivian scoffed at him.
"This will not be like before, I promise you that."
At this point, the Millennium Puzzle glowed as the spirit of Atem merged with Yugi. "I accept your challenge, Vivian! But know this! For what you did to Leon, Zigfried, Yoko, and Shuzo… I will show you no mercy!" He loudly declared as he stepped forward and activated his Duel Disk. Vivian smiled confidently as she did the same.
"I'm not expecting any less from you than your best." She told him as they started their long anticipated rematch.
"DUEL!"
(Yugi: 4000) (Vivian: 4000)
"I'll go first! My turn! Draw!" Yugi studied his cards for a bit and liked what he had in mind. "I activate Polymerization to Fuse Swift Gaia the Fierce Knight and Curse of Dragon, the Cursed Dragon in my hand! These Monsters combine into a new force or reckoning! I Fusion Summon Gaia the Magical Knight of Dragons!" (WIND; Level 7; ATK: 2600; DEF: 2100) Yugi's Fusion Monster was a purple clad warrior mounted on a ferocious yellow horned dragon.
"That looks a lot like his old Gaia the Dragon Champion." Joey said, recalling all the times his friend dueled with that Monster.
"Reiji no doubt upgraded it, along with the Monsters Yugi Fused to bring it out." Tristan said.
"Upgraded it how?" Tèa wondered.
"This Monster is treated as "Gaia the Dragon Champion" while on my Field! I then Set two cards facedown and end my turn! Your move Vivian!" Yugi declared as he finished his opening turn. Vivian smiled.
"My move indeed. My turn! Draw!" She giggled. 'Yes! I've drawn one of them already! This is going to surprise him!' "You've started off big Yugi, so I will do the same! First, I Special Summon Summon Wicked Servant since you control no DARK Monsters!" (DARK; Level 4; ATK: 1300; DEF: 900) A hunched figure in a dark brown robe appeared before Vivian.
"Vivian didn't have that when Asuka and I dueled her." Tèa noted. The merged pair figured the same thing.
"It would seem she made some changes to her Deck too." Atem said.
'Yeah, but by how much?' Yugi inquired, more curious than afraid for the moment. That would soon change.
"Now for Wicked Servant's Monster Effect! When it is Special Summoned this way, I can Special Summon two Servant Tokens to my Field!" Two more identical figures materialized beside the original. "Now I have what I need to bring out a dragon like beast of my own! I Sacrifice my Wicked Servant and Servant Tokens to Advance Summon my new god of darkness! Feast your eyes on my deadly weapon… The Wicked Eraser!" (DIVINE; Level 10; ATK: ?; DEF: ?) Something long and huge emerged from a cloud of darkness above Vivian. Yugi and his group stared up on shock at the new monstrosity that descended before them. It appeared to be Osiris the Sky Dragon that had suffered some form of corruption. It was pale red, had skeleton like armor and huge horns on it's head.
"What the?!" Yugi exclaimed.
"What is that thing?!" Yuya shouted.
"Is that supposed to be some kind of new God card or something?!" Joey asked. A familiar chuckle could be heard then.
"It is actually. Not pretty to look at, is he?"
"You again Noah?" Tristan said, feeling annoyed. Noah ignored him.
"What you see is one of a trio of Monsters Pegasus had begun to secretly work on to keep the Egyptian God cards in check. Known as "The Wicked Gods", they were said to be their opposites. Pegasus never got to finish them due to being afraid of the power they could possess, similar to the Egyptian Gods themselves. During the past month, I discovered their existence and had the cards completed. Now it seems Vivian is giving one of them a go at you, Yugi. I'll be enjoying this, even if you're not!" After that, not another word was heard from him.
"You know, his unexpected comments are really starting to get on my nerves." Tristan said, wanting to shut up Noah for good.
"Wicked Gods? Is he serious?" Yuya asked.
"If he is… then let us hope Yugi can defeat Vivian quickly before things get out of hand." Zarc said, now concerned.
"So Vivian's using a God card knock off? Pfft, I'm betting it can't hold a candle to the real deal." Joey guessed.
"Somehow I doubt Vivian will give Yugi that chance." Serenity told her brother.
"Yugi…" Tèa prayed her boyfriend will be alright.
Yugi, meanwhile, got over his shock and regained his determination. "I managed to defeat the Egyptian Gods in battle, and I'll do the same with your Wicked God!" He declared.
"We shall see." Vivian told her target. "The Wicked Eraser gains 1000 Attack and Defense Points for each card you control. You have a Monster plus two facedown cards. That means Eraser's Attack and Defense Power is now at 3000!"
(1000 x 3 = 3000)
(The Wicked Eraser's ATK: 3000; DEF: 3000)
"That Effect is similar to Osiris'." Yuya noticed, having remembered seeing that very Egyptian God in action against Leo.
"Give it your best shot Vivian!" Yugi dared his opponent. He figured though there were similarities, there had to be some differences too. He hoped that one of those weaknesses was that they would be vulnerable to Trap cards. Strangely, his enemy did not take the bait.
"Sorry Yugi. I'm not in the attacking mood. I'll just go ahead and end my turn."
"Why didn't Vivian attack?" Serenity questioned.
"She could have. Maybe she's concerned about Yugi's facedown cards." Tristan said.
"Could be." Tèa said.
Yugi felt suspicious of Vivian's sudden end to her turn. Still, he wasn't going to let her get the upper hand. "Regardless of what your new Monster can do, I'll still defeat it! My turn! Draw!" He knew his Monster wasn't strong enough to destroy Wicked Eraser in battle, but thankfully he wouldn't have to attack. "I activate the Monster Effect of Gaia the Magical Knight of Dragons! Once per turn, during my Main Phase, I can take away exactly 2600 Attack Points from my Monster! By doing so, I can target one card on the Field and destroy it! I will now erase your Wicked Eraser!" Vivian watched her new beast being blown to bits as Yugi's own Monster lost all it's Attack Points, making it 0.
"Oh hell yeah! In your face! You should've tried to attack when you had the chance!" Joey cheered. Unexpectedly, Vivian grinned widely.
"There was no need. My beloved Yugi just did all the work for me!"
"Say what?" Yuya said, confused.
"By destroying The Wicked Eraser, it's most powerful Effect was activated! Now all cards on the Field are destroyed along with it!" Vivian revealed.
"No! Gaia!" Yugi lamented as his whole Field was blown away from Eraser's explosion.
"That thing had a Dead Man's switch Effect? Not cool!" Tristan complained.
"Do not underestimate my newfound power Yugi!" Yugi gritted his teeth in frustration.
"You shouldn't underestimate me either Vivian! I Set one Monster facedown in Defense Mode and end my turn." Vivian giggled.
"So you're playing it safe now? Too bad, my love slave. I, however, am planning to spice things up. My turn! Draw!" Her eyes had an evil glint. Her true Ace had just been drawn. Now she just had to bring it out. "I Summon Summoner Monk!" (DARK; Level 4; ATK: 800; DEF: 1600) Vivian's new Monster was an old beard man with blue skin and red eyes wearing a cloak. "This bad boy cannot be Sacrificed, but that won't be an issue for long! When this Monster is Normal Summoned, it is switched to Defense Mode!" Her Monk then knelt in Defense. "Then I activate it's other Effect! Once per turn, by discarding a Magic card, I can Special Summon a Level 4 Monster from my Deck! However, that Monster cannot attack this turn! I discard De-Spell to Special Summon Leraje the God of Archery from my Deck!" (DARK; Level 4; ATK: 1800; DEF: 1600) A dark purple robed man in a mask appeared alongside Summoner Monk.
"Now what's she up to?" Tristan asked himself.
"Next I play Star Level Shuffle! This Magic card card allows me to send a Monster I control to my Graveyard in order to Special Summon a Monster from my Graveyard with the same Level as the first Monster! I'm sending my Level 4 Summoner Monk to the Graveyard to revive my also Level 4 Wicked Servant!" Seeing Vivian switch her Monsters made him even more weary.
'Vivian got rid of Summoner Monk because it couldn't be used as a Sacrifice.' Yugi observed.
"Yes. She must be planning to Summon something so powerful that she needs all her Monsters to be used. I have a bad feeling about this…" Said the Pharaoh. Yugi felt the same.
"Now then, since Wicked Servant was Special Summoned from the Graveyard, I can Special Summon a second copy of it from my Deck! Not only that, but now I can Normal Summon a Level 7 of higher Monster this turn! And guess what Yugi…" Vivian paused for dramatic effect. "I have such a Monster!"
"Don't tell me!" Yugi said, now sounding worried. Vivian giggled again.
"That's right! I Sacrifice both my Wicked Servants and Leraje the God of Archery to Advance Summon the biggest bad boy in my Deck! Come out and show your wickedness in all your glory, my great dark god… The Wicked Dreadroot!" (DIVINE; Level 10; ATK: 4000; DEF: 4000). An dark cloud formed, this time from below Vivian. First, a pair of skeletal wings sprung out, followed by gigantic arms and the main body of bone and green muscle. Finally, the head that popped up was a green face adorned with a helmet of a horned skull.
"Another Wicked God?!" Tristan exclaimed.
"And that one sorta looks like Obelisk the Tormentor!" Joey noted, once more seeing similarities.
"Obelisk?" Yuya questioned, then he remembered. It was the only one of Yugi's Egyptian Gods he had not seen during the war in Maiami City. From what he was told, Obelisk was a humongous brute that was in the same league as Osiris. Now he was looking at a supposedly much more evil version of that giant.
"So you have two of those Wicked Gods Noah talked about?" Yugi inquired of his obsessive opponent.
"You've seen them for yourself, and now you'll see this one in action! Battle! Wicked Dreadroot, attack Yugi's facedown Monster! Fierce Knockdown!" With two tightly clinched fists, the evil being smashed them down on Yugi's Monster, revealed to be a kneeling mage dressed in blue robes. Yugi stood his ground as his only defense was demolished.
"My Skilled Blue Magician!" He mourned for yet another of his fallen Monsters. He was glad he had put in Defense Mode or he would have taken some serious damage otherwise.
"Don't be so upset Yugi. This Duel won't last much longer, and we will spend some truly nice quality time together. I Set one card facedown and end my turn."
"Yugi won't lose to you, even with your Wicked Gods standing against him!" An infuriated Tèa told her.
"I beg to differ." Vivian said, smiling evilly. 'Besides, the Wicked Gods are not the only new power my Deck holds…'
"We will see. My turn! Draw! I play Card of Sanctity! Now we both draw until we hold six cards in our hands!" After they drew their cards, Yugi started to see a way out of this. His next move surprised his opponent. "I play another Magic card, Card of Destruction! At this time, we discard all the cards in our hand and draw the same number of cards from our Decks!"
"Why would Yugi pull a move like that?" Yuya questioned as both Duelists discarded and drew cards once more. Yugi discarded and drew five cards while Vivian did the same with six.
"Yugi's got a plan. Let's just hope it works." Joey said, confident in his best friend.
While Vivian was stumped and a little annoyed with Yugi's latest move, she wasn't that upset. In fact, she was elated when she drew one of the cards she anticipated. Now she just needed the other to obtain victory and claim her "prize".
"Alright Vivian, time for me to do away with your Wicked God! I have just the Monster in my hand for the job! To Special Summon it, I must banish one DARK Monster and one LIGHT Monster from my Graveyard! I banish my DARK Curse of Dragon, the Cursed Dragon and my LIGHT Clear Kuriboh from my Graveyard to Special Summon Black Luster Soldier – Envoy of the Beginning!" (LIGHT; Level 8; ATK: 3000; DEF: 2500) Yugi's strongest, armored warrior emerged to stand against the dark being opposite it.
"How is that going to beat Dreadroot? It's Attack Points are lower." Yuya noticed.
"And they are about to be even lower! The Effect of Wicked Dreadroot cuts the Attack and Defense Points of all other Monsters on the Field by half! Now your Soldier is less threatening than it used to be!" Vivian countered.
(Black Luster Soldier's ATK: 3000 / 2 = 1500; DEF: 2500 / 2 = 1250)
"Yugi's Monster is so much weaker now!" Serenity said in alarm.
"Attack Points aren't everything, sis." Joey said to her. Yugi hadn't lost his confidence.
"That won't be a problem for long! Now I activate one of Black Luster Soldier's Monster Effects! I can banish a Monster on my opponent's Field once per turn, but by doing so it cannot attack this turn! I'll banish your Wicked…!"
"Not so fast, love slave! I activate my Continuous Trap card, Safe Zone! As long as this is in play, one of my Monsters cannot be targeted by your card effects, cannot be destroyed by battle or your card effects, and it cannot attack directly! I'm using it to protect my Wicked Dreadroot!"
"Dammit." Tristan cursed. "Yugi can't banish it and it's way to strong to destroy in battle, plus destroying it with card effects won't work either."
Yugi grunted from his latest setback. 'She's more prepared than we thought.'
"We will defeat her, Yugi. We did it before and we can do it again." Atem replied. Yugi definitely agreed with that.
"You have protected your Monster this time, but I will bring it down! I Set a Monster in Defense Mode and end my turn."
"More defenses even after all that discarding and drawing cards? How boring. My turn! Draw!" She grinned with twisted delight at what she just drew. "Yes! At last! It's here!"
"I don't like the sound of that." Tèa said fearfully.
Vivian looked from her card to Yugi. "I finally have everything I need to win both this Duel and you!"
"What are you up to?" Yugi demanded. The lustful woman grinned even more. She almost appeared crazy.
"I'm about to show you! This next card is sure to give my dark god a hell of a boost! I activate… THE SEAL OF ORICHALCOS!"
"WHAT?!" Nearly the whole group shouted in horrified unison when Vivian revealed her latest card.
"Did she say what I thought she said?!" A shocked Joey shouted.
"No way! There's just no way she can have that!" Tristan said, also terrified.
"She can't!" Tèa said in absolute disbelief.
"I thought that card didn't exist anymore!" Serenity assumed.
"What? What's wrong?" A deeply concerned Yuya asked. No one answered. A trembling Yugi almost couldn't speak… almost.
"I-It's not possible!" He said to himself before trying to stop her. "Vivian STOP! Don't play that card!" His warning came too late as the unthinkable happened. The moment Vivian placed her card in the Field slot, a dark green light shot out from below and formed a barrier around her. She screamed from the power coming from the card. It expanded until both Duelists were covered in it. Then green lines formed and crossed on the ground beneath their feet until it formed a very familiar looking symbol.
When Yugi and the others gazed at Vivian Wong again, she had that same green glowing symbol on her forehead and a slight red glint in her eyes. Her smile became even more twisted. "Oh… I like this! I can feel it! This card… it's unlike anything I've ever experienced! The power! I feel like nothing can stop me! Nothing!" She then laughed like she had completely lost her sanity.
Yugi shook from both fear and anger… but not towards Vivian. 'Noah… what have you done?'
Noah, meanwhile, chuckled at the sight before him. He was very pleased. "Ah, I was hoping Vivian would get to play that card. My gift from Lightning seems to be giving Yugi and his bunch quite a shock. So far, everything is going as planned. Heheh…"
Elsewhere, both Mai and Valon felt a sudden chill running down their spines. When asked by their friends if something was wrong, they told them it was nothing. However, the two had a feeling something really bad had just happened. Even Aqua could feel something was amiss and felt a growing dread.
Back in the Duel, Vivian stopped laughing and gazed greedily at Yugi. "Yes, I can feel it Yugi! You will be mine very soon! Thanks to The Seal of Orichalcos, all my Monsters gain 500 Attack Points! My Wicked Dreadroot's more powerful than ever!" She declared as her Wicked God got stronger and gain the Orichalcos mark on it's forehead and the red eye glow like it's controller.
(The Wicked Dreadroot's ATK: 4000 + 500 = 4500)
Yugi couldn't be any less pleased with the situation. 'Atem, How can it be that Vivian has The Seal of Orichalcos?! That power was destroyed when we stopped Dartz and the Great Leviathan!' Yugi recalled.
"I have no answer for this. When we fought Dartz and those that served him, all copies of the Seal came from him. All that power dissipated along with the evil it was born from. Somehow that evil magic has returned and is now in Vivian's hand." Atem said. He and Yugi needed answers.
"Vivian! Where did you get that card?!" Yugi demanded. His opponent stared down fondly at her Deck.
"From Noah of course, along with the rest of my new Deck. He insisted I'd use this to defeat you. I'm glad I took him up on that."
"How did Noah get that card?" Tèa asked.
"Maybe Dartz returned and is working with Noah?" Tristan guessed. It wouldn't be the first time an old enemy came back from the dead, with Noah being the prime example.
"What's the big deal? It's just a Field card, isn't it?" Yuya inquired. Joey, Tristan, and Tèa gave the boy and a hard look.
"Kid… you don't know how wrong you are." Tristan said in a heavy tone.
"I heard that card is really bad for anyone who plays it." Serenity said. She heard about the whole Dartz and Orichalcos affair from her brother a while back.
"Huh?" Yuya replied, still not getting it.
"You should listen to Yugi. I think he'll fill in the blanks for ya." Joey told him. No sooner had he said that than Yugi spoke up again.
"Do you have any idea what you just did?!" He said angrily. Vivian smirked.
"Of course I do. I've just taken the next step to making you mine at last."
"Wrong! Do you not realize the danger you just put yourself in?! The danger we're both in?! Did Noah tell you nothing about the card you just activated?!" Vivian looked at him confusedly.
"What are you talking about?" Yugi sighed from her ignorance.
"Vivian, listen to me. The Seal of Orichalcos is not like any card you've ever seen or played. It is pure evil! Yes that card may give you a tremendous advantage in a Duel, but the price of using it is a terrible one! It poisons your mind, filling it with thoughts of aggression and power! You lose yourself to it's influence! You start to lose who you are! Trust me, I know exactly what that feels like!" Yugi told her, remembering that awful day. He and Atem still wished that "event" never happened in the first place. "And that's not even the worst part!"
"The worst part?" Yuya asked, scared to know.
"What are you getting at?" Vivian asked, clearly not believing what she was hearing.
"The worst part is this. When a Duel concludes while The Seal of Orichalcos is in play, the losing Duelist ends up having their very soul taken away, leaving their lifeless body behind! Now because of your foolishness, you put your own soul at risk as well as mine!"
"The loser loses their soul?!" Yuya yelled. He couldn't believe a card could be capable of taking someone's souls away.
"That sounds much worse than what Academia did." Zarc said, also sickened by what was revealed.
There was a moment of silence… before Vivian laughed again. "Nice try Yugi. Your little scare tactic won't work against me." Yugi was stunned.
"I'm telling you the truth! You can't possibly be that naïve?!" Vivian maintained her manic grin.
"You're the naïve one if you think I can be distracted by a pathetic lie like that. Now if you don't mind, I want to focus on beating and claiming you!" And she did just that to Yugi's reluctance. "While my Seal made Dreadroot stronger, it still isn't enough to win me the Duel. This next Magic card will change that: Divine Evolution! Not only can this card and it's effects not be negated, it gives my DIVINE Wicked God 1000 more Attack and Defense Points this turn!" Wicked Dreadroot gave a rumbling growl as it felt it's power increase even further.
(The Wicked Dreadroot's ATK: 4500 + 1000 = 5500; DEF: 4000 + 1000 = 5000)
"This is seriously bad!" Tristan shouted. It was about to get worse.
"Battle! My Wicked Dreadroot shall now attack your Black Luster Soldier! And with that attack declaration, I can use Divine Evolution's last Effect! This turn, Dreadroot gains a new Effect! When it attacks, I can force you to send a Monster you control to the Graveyard! Normally it would be your choice, but there's only one other Monster you have!" Vivian said as she gave a sick chuckle. Yugi grunted.
"Fine. I'm sending my Big Shield Gardna to the Graveyard." He definitely did not sound pleased.
"Definitely not good!" Tèa said.
"Yugi!" Yuya shouted in dismay. They knew that if the attack goes through, either Yugi or Atem would lose their soul!
"Prepare to be my plaything Yugi Muto! Wicked Dreadroot… finish it!" Vivian ordered. Once again, Dreadroot raised it's clinched fists before slamming them down on Yugi's Soldier. The impact shook the ground and covered Yugi in a cloud of dust.
"YUGI!" Everyone screamed. Vivian smirked victoriously.
"I win Yugi!"
"Not yet!" Vivian and everyone else gasped as the dust settled. Black Luster Soldier was gone, but Yugi was still standing with all his Life Points intact. The reason why was obvious when they all saw dozens of little furry creatures floating around him.
"What?!" Vivian yelled.
"Right before your Wicked God could inflict damage, I discarded Kuriboh to negate the damage!" Yugi confirmed. One of the Kuribohs winked at Yugi while making a "kurikuri" sound, making him smile and nod back.
"At a boy Yugi!" Joey cheered.
"Thank goodness." Tèa said softly.
"I'm glad he was prepared for that." Yuya said. Tristan and Serenity were also glad Yugi survived. Even Noah seemed pleased… but not for the reasons one might think.
"I have no intention of being your "play thing" Vivian! Now or ever!" Yugi told her. She sneered.
"You will belong to me! Just you wait Yugi! I end my turn, and with that the Effects of Divine Evolution wear off!" As She said that, Dreadroot's Attack and Defense Points went back down to 4500 and 4000 respectively.
"Why Vivian? Why are you so obsessed with Yugi in the first place? Why hurt innocent people just to get to him? You don't make any sense!" Yuya suddenly asked of her. Vivian glared at the boy.
"I wouldn't expect a child to understand. I'm a girl that knows what she wants, and I want the King of Games more than anything. And I'm willing to do what I feel is necessary to claim my prize, even if it means I have to not play so nice with others."
"But why Leon and his brother of all people?! Why attack people Yugi actually knew?!" Yuya persisted. The vain woman snorted.
"I honestly don't care about them. It isn't my business to ask when I'm told to aid in assaulting and kidnapping." Noah tensed in his seat. Yugi and the others stared at her, startled.
"Kidnapping? Who said anything about kidnapping?" Joey asked while blinking in surprise.
"Both Leon and Zigfried are in a coma! It was confirmed on the news!" Tèa said.
"Is there more to what to happened to them than what was reported?" Yuya wondered.
"Explain yourself!" Yugi told his enemy. She was about to reply when she was cut off.
"Not another word Vivian." Noah commanded in a heated tone. Vivian scoffed at her boss.
"Oh like it matters if they know or not. No one will live to tell anyway." She said without a care.
"Know what?" Serenity asked.
"Vivian…" Noah warned once more. The deranged woman smirked.
"I did put Zigfried in a coma, but little Leon… I never even touched that kid. He was actually taken away and replaced by some robot lookalike to fool everybody. All I had to do was just cause a very convincing scene so that no one would suspect anything. Boy did I have a blast with that."
The whole gang stood speechless from Vivian's revelation. None of them expected this. "Leon was… kidnapped?" Serenity gasped after a moment, her hands covering her mouth.
"Where is he now?" Yuya questioned. Vivian shrugged.
"Don't know, don't care. I did my part and got paid handsomely."
Yugi clinched his fists tight, gritted his teeth, and his whole body trembled. He was furious. The look he gave Vivian was full of rage. It actually surprised her. "How dare you?! Leon von Schroeder was a kind, innocent boy who wanted to be a great Duelist! You hurt his older brother and had him abducted! And you… you don't even care! He did not deserve any of it!" He then prepared to draw. "I swear to defeat you here and now Vivian Wong! MY TURN! DRAW!" The moment he saw the card he drew, he knew he would be able to keep his word as a certain memory played back…
Flashback
"Yugi, wait! I have something for you!" Duke then gave Yugi a small envelope.
"What's this?" Yugi asked.
"Your grandpa asked me to give it to you. He thinks it'll help you."
Curious, Yugi opened the envelope and was very surprised by the contents. He smiled at his friend.
"Thanks Duke. Tell him they'll be a big help." Duke nodded, telling him he would.
Flashback End
The card Yugi just drew was one of the gifts he received before leaving for the Death-T Tower. Now he was all set to use it to bring out his "other" gift. Yugi then turned back to his opponent. "Before this Duel started, I told you I would show you no mercy for the sins you committed. Now is the time!"
Vivian seemed amused. "Oh? Just how "merciless" do you plan to be? Cause right now, you still have no means of taking down my Wicked God." To her surprise, Yugi smirked.
"Actions speak louder than words, do they not? My actions are sure to be VERY loud from here! From my hand I play a powerful Magic card of my own: Magicalized Fusion! This allows me to Fusion Summon a "Spellcaster" Fusion Monster from my Extra Deck by banishing the Materials it needs from my Field or Graveyard! And I have just the Monster in mind for this!" At that moment, a powerful swirling vortex of energy started to form around Yugi.
"What is this?" Vivian wondered.
"From my Graveyard I banish Dark Magician, Dark Magician Girl, Skilled Dark Magician, Skilled White Magician, and Skilled Blue Magician! Their combined power shall now bring forth the strongest of all Magicians! BEHOLD! QUINTET MAGICIAN!" (DARK; Level 12; ATK: 4500; DEF: 4500) Arising from the vortex before Yugi was the biggest Spellcaster anyone has ever seen. It was about 9 feet tall, wore robes of black and gold, had a pale blue face and long blond hair. In both it's hands was a scepter as long as it's body.
"Woah baby! Where did Yugi get that?" Joey said excitedly at the sight of Yugi's new Monster.
"Who cares? As long as it puts Vivian down for the count!" Tristan replied. Yuya, Tèa, and Serenity thought that as well. Vivian snickered.
"Summoning another super strong Monster will do you no good Yugi! My Wicked God shall see to that!" Vivian taunted as Quintet Magician lost half it's power due to Dreadroot's Effect.
(Quintet Magician's ATK and DEF: 4500 / 2 = 2250)
"My new Monster doesn't need to attack." Yugi revealed.
"Excuse me?" Vivian asked.
"Because it was Fusion Summoned using five "Spellcaster" Monsters with different names, Quintet Magician can destroy all cards you control!"
"WHAT DID YOU SAY?!" Vivian shouted, sounding completely shocked for the first time.
"Your Safe Zone protects your Monster from destruction by battle and card effects, but not when all cards are destroyed at the same time! Both it and your Wicked Dreadroot are obliterated!" Yugi declared proudly. Right then, Quintet Magician raised it's weapon high above before crashing it's bottom end into the ground. The resulting shockwave ripped apart Vivian's Wicked Dreadroot and the Trap protecting it. The Seal of Orichalcos, on the other hand, remained intact. Yugi didn't seem surprised by that.
"Wait, why wasn't the Seal destroyed too?" Serenity asked.
"Yugi tried once with a Trap card, but no dice. That card is simply too strong to get rid of once it's on the Field." Joey explained.
"Looks like even the destruction effect from a Level 12 Monster can't put a dent in it." Tristan said.
"Guess that means the Seal Vivian has is the real deal after all." Tèa said.
"What a troublesome and terrible card." Yuya noted.
"Indeed. At the very least, Vivian has no more defenses." Zarc said, sounding pleased that Yugi's finally turned the tide to his favor.
"With Dreadroot gone, my Magician regains all it's lost power!" Yugi said as his Monster's Attack and Defense Points returned to normal.
Vivian started to back away, only she couldn't because of the barrier maintained by the Seal of Orichalcos. She was the one trembling now, but with extreme fear. "No! No no no! This wasn't supposed to happen! Not again! You were meant to be my love slave! It can't end like this! It can't!" She shrieked.
Yugi felt no pity for the evil woman standing opposite him. "For all the people you hurt… for what really happened to Leon… you deserve nothing less! QUINTET MAGICIAN… DIRECT ATTACK! SUPREME MAGIC BLAST!" A giant dark and gold energy ball formed atop of the Monster's scepter and fired straight towards it's master's adversary. Vivian screamed as she the attack knocked her hard against the barrier before dropping to the ground facedown.
(Vivian: 0)
Vivian then struggled to get up and managed to get to her knees. "Dammit. How could I have lost to Yugi again? My new Deck was supposed to help me win. What went… huh?" Vivian looked around and noticed something odd. The Seal of Orichalcos was still active. "What's the deal? The Duel's over. Why didn't the Seal vanish?" She then saw the barrier began to retract itself and encase her. "Hey! What's going on?! Noah, this is so not funny! Shut off my Duel Disk now! Noah!"
"He can't help you Vivian." Yugi said, getting her attention.
"What do you mean?" She demanded, sounding terrified. Yugi frowned.
"I told you earlier. The Seal of Orichalcos is unforgiving to the defeated Duelist, even if that Duelist was the one who activated it to begin with. Noah may have given it to you, but you chose to use it. You have done this… to yourself."
Vivian started crying and begged for someone to save her, but there was nothing anyone could've done. Within seconds, the Seal just contained Vivian herself and covered her in a beam of dark green light shooting upward. Once the light and the Seal itself vanished from sight at last, Vivian Wong fell back down to the ground. And this time… she did not get back up.
To be continued.