The first big arc of my story is now concluding with this chapter! After this, it is on to the world of GX! To the guest reviewer that asked why I didn't have Yugi use any of the Egyptian Gods against Noah, it is simply because I'm saving them for later. Plus, there were some cards I wanted to put into the Duel that seemed more fitting. Also, I know I haven't been updating within my two week schedule lately, but that doesn't mean I'm losing interest in writing this. Stuff just keeps happening. I'll get my chapters up when I get them up. Now then, let us see how this thing resolves, shall we? Oh, and I might have thrown in one more Duel that I took great joy in writing…
Yugioh: The Hope of Six
Chapter 28: Kaiba Arc – Part 18
The instant Noah's Life Points had hit zero, the Orichalcos barrier started to retract toward him. This left the Duelist trio free to make a break for it. "Yuya! Get your mother and meet us at the aircraft!" Yugi ordered as he and Kaiba made a run to their ride out of there. They all knew they hardly had any time left before the laser would destroy the tower. They had to run like hell if they were to survive this one.
"Got it!" Even though he was severely weakened from the Duel, Yuya ran as fast as he could to his mom. True to Noah's word, the force field containing her had shut off when he lost. Yoko didn't hesitate as she ran to meet up with her son.
"Yuya!" She cried as the two finally reunited, sharing a brief hug. As much as he wanted to, Yuya knew this was simply not the time to chat.
"Mom! There's no time! We've got to get out of here!" Yuya told her. Yoko nodded, fully understanding the situation.
"Then let's go!" Together, mother and son raced for the aircraft. As this took place, the laser on the orbiting satellite began to charge up for it's big blast…
"Hurry!" Tea urged. Yugi and Kaiba were already onboard and secured. Only Yuya and Yoko were left.
Now basically running on Zarc's power, Yuya ran as hard as his legs would allow, his mother a little ahead of him. She got to the aircraft first and jumped in. Yuya began to stumble as he approached, but Yugi and Yoko each grabbed one of his arms and hoisted him inside. Shuzo then slid the door shut.
"That's everyone Valon! Get us the hell outta here!" Joey barked. Valon gave him a quick nod.
"Got it mate! Hold on tight everybody! It's gonna be rough!"
While Valon was raising the jet and getting it ready for their escape, Yugi and Yuya gazed down at Noah. The Seal of Orichalcos had now surrounded him. Any second the Seal would end him, but he didn't care. He gazed back at them and smiled. "Yugi… Yuya… Seto… all of you… you have fought well. Good luck… and take care." His form then was obscured by the same dark green light that took Vivian's soul. Noah could feel it. Instead of feeling being pulled out, he felt himself being erased. Bit by bit he was being deleted. As he suspected, the Orichalcos detected no soul to take, so it would just terminate him. Just before he was completely gone, Noah gave one final apology. 'Mokuba… I'm sorry. Please forgive me…'
As the Orichalcos' light faded, Yugi and Yuya gasped by what was left of Noah. Where he stood was now some kind of advanced looking robot, which now lay on the tower floor. "Noah…" Yuya mourned.
"Is he really gone for good this time?" Tristan asked.
"It looks that way." Yugi confirmed.
"Guys! Look up there!" Miho shouted, pointing upward. High above the sky, a bright red dot could be seen. It was getting bigger with each passing second.
"That must be the laser!" Serenity shouted.
"Move this thing now!" Kaiba ordered.
"Okay! Let's punch it!" With the pull of a lever, the jet's engines roared loudly and gave a big lurch as the vehicle sped forward to clear the blast radius of the explosion. All onboard held on to their seats for dear life. They were perhaps a mile or two out before they all heard a loud "BOOM!" that rocked them quite a bit.
Yugi held Tèa to keep her from falling of her seat, with Tristan doing the same with Serenity. Miho instantly grabbed the nearest person to her without looking. Yoko held on to Yuya tightly while Shuzo did the same with Yuzu.
Once the shaking had stopped, Kaiba took a glance out the window closest to him. What he saw made him very glad they all got away when they did. At the very spot where the Death-T Tower stood was a huge column of fire and smoke, curtesy of the enormous red laser beam that struck it from space. He knew not one of the group would have survived Noah's kill switch. Kaiba watched as the laser slowly dissipated until it had vanished completely. 'Finally, it's over…'
/\/\/\/\/\/\
Elsewhere, Lightning was in his private chamber observing the Orichalcos stone he had taken. Even though he was safe from it's tempting energies, the Light Ignis couldn't help but study it closely. Recently, it had given a bright glow before producing a card in thin air. Lightning caught it and was very pleased with the byproduct.
Lightning knew the Orichalcos had just claimed a victim's soul… a soul that was now his to manipulate. He continued to watch to see if it produced another. Not long ago, it made the same glow. Strangely, to Lightning's surprise, another card wasn't made this time. He found that curious. After that, the stone seemed to have gone silent, it's glow now having the same rhythm as a human heartbeat.
The Ignis held up the card he held. He chuckled to himself. "Noah Kaiba seems to be doing well if I've gotten this. Yugi Muto and all who survived with him on his world will undoubtedly die by his hand. As for you…" He gazed upon the despairing face of Vivian Wong. "You may have lost a Duel, but I still have a use for your tainted soul." The Light Ignis then laughed, feeling his triumph was inevitable.
/\/\/\/\/\/\
After escaping with their lives, everyone on the jet caught each other up on their experiences in Noah's Death-T Games. Both groups were stunned and terrified of what they each had been through.
Yugi (who was separated from the Pharaoh at this point) and his group were horrorstruck about Yuzu's group nearly dying from their nightmares, but they were downright shocked to learn of Yami Bakura's return. The good Bakura and Yuzu assured them he was gone forever this time. Then they learned of Valon's brutal Duel against Chopman, the latter of which met a very painful death. One less murderer for them to worry about, most of the gang thought.
"Miho… you uh, okay?" Joey asked, noticing she didn't say a word or look at him. Miho kept silent throughout the discussion. This was not just because he was the one she was holding to (she had no idea until she actually looked to see it was him, to her immense embarrassment). She was also still afraid that Joey would not have the same feelings toward her that she had for him. Respectively, no one from Yuzu's group told him the details about Miho's nightmare.
"Miho? Are you okay?" Serenity chimed in, worried for her. Miho appreciated her best friend's concern. She would tell her later when it was just the two of them.
"I… I will be fine. I just need some rest." Miho said softly.
Joey felt there was more to it than that, but didn't press the point. 'Whatever Miho saw in her head must've been really scary if she won't talk about it.' He hoped that she would be alright.
Tristan then turned his attention to the little animal that now hopped onto Yuzu's shoulder. He instantly pulled Serenity away. "Hey! I recognize him! That's the monkey that tried to knife me and Serenity!"
Serenity gasped when she got a good look. "He's right! That is the same monkey!"
"It is?!" Joey shouted. Yuzu petted the primate's head, to the trio's astonishment.
"Ricky is actually very friendly. He only did those bad things because Noah forced a mind control chip on him. Aqua freed him while we were in the tower's core chamber." She told them.
"Are you sure?" Tristan asked, skepticism clear in his voice. Yuzu nodded. To prove her point, Ricky slowly and cautiously approached Serenity. Seeing as Ricky wasn't hurting Yuzu, Serenity held out her hand. The monkey sniffed it and instantly climbed up the girl's shoulder and nuzzled her head. Joey and Tristan's jaws dropped. "I don't freaking believe it." Tristan said in a hushed tone. Serenity giggled.
"Haha. He really is friendly." She said while petting him.
On the opposite side, Yuzu and her group had the same reactions. The lethal laser tag, the puzzle to escape Chopman, the falling blocks of death, the battle against Yami Marik, and lastly the Duel against Noah himself.
Valon was deeply shocked about seeing the Seal of Orichalcos active when he and the others arrived at the top of the tower. He was even more shocked to learn the Orichalcos had taken Vivian. He never thought that evil card would ever return.
Throughout all this, Marik listened throughout everything. He shook his head in disbelief. "I cannot believe I almost tried to kill you guys. I am so sorry."
"None of it was your fault Marik." Yugi told him.
"How did you end up in Noah's clutches anyway?" Mai asked. Marik grimaced as he explained.
"I don't know how long I was in that awful place. Last thing I recall was being in Egypt, bringing back some food and water from the market. During my walk home I felt something sharp and thin poke in the back of my neck. I couldn't do anything before I passed out. When I woke up, I found myself being dragged across the floor by some woman."
"Vivian." Yuya said in his very tired voice. Marik nodded.
"I guess so. I tried to escape, only I couldn't move my body at all. I was as limp as a lifeless fish. Vivian then tossed me in front of her. That was when I saw him… Noah." He gritted his teeth. "He told me he had big plans for me before he stuck something on my head. Everything went blank after that… until I found myself in that arena with all of you."
"Noah must have had Vivian kidnap you and taken you to his tower not long before he came after us." Yugi guessed.
"Good thing it's over now." Yuya said as he looked up at his mom. "You okay mom?" Yoko nodded with a warm smile.
"I'm fine, thanks to you. You and Kaiba as well, Yugi." She said to the two of them.
"You're welcome, Mrs. Sakaki." Yugi said. Kaiba just grunted. Yoko chuckled.
"Hey Kaiba." Yuya said. "Thanks for helping us out throughout the Death-T Games. Most of us probably wouldn't be alive without your hacking tricks." Kaiba snorted.
"I'm not the one you should be thanking." He said as he laid eyes on Aqua, who nodded.
"Seto is correct. I was the one who aided you when you needed it." She said.
"You were the mystery hacker that pissed off Noah?!" Joey exclaimed.
"Indeed." Aqua said. Tèa then thought of something.
"Wait a second! You also disarmed those bombs and freed Marik, didn't you?" She asked.
"She did that alright." Yuzu said, proud of her little friend.
"Damn. We all owe you a hell of a lot." Joey told her. Aqua shook her head.
"It isn't necessary. You are all my friends. I would do whatever I could to ensure your survival… just as I did for Mokuba."
"So the whole fake Mokuba bit was your idea?" Tristan asked. Aqua nodded again.
"Fake Mokuba?" Yoko asked.
"We'll fill you in on that later." Yuya said before he felt his eyes getting heavy. He stopped using Zarc's power just after getting on the aircraft. He was only still awake due to his sheer will to make sure everyone was okay. "Hey mom. I need to rest for… just a bit." Before Yoko could say anything, Yuya collapsed and fell asleep on his mother's lap. She then looked at Yugi.
"Is Yuya going to be fine?" She asked.
"He will be. He just needs a good night's sleep." Yugi told her.
"Hell, we all do after surviving those life threatening "games" Noah and his goons put us through tonight." Joey complained. Everyone agreed.
"Absolutely. Is Yusho okay?" Yoko asked, now concerned for her husband.
"He's fine. He's with my grandpa, along with Duke and Pegasus." Yugi explained.
"It is also where Mokuba is hiding." Aqua added.
"I'm glad to know that. But, there is one thing I still don't understand." Yoko said, worry creeping back into her voice.
"What is that?" Bakura asked.
"Why the hell was Yuya glowing like the moon during the Duel?"
"I like to know that myself." Kaiba said strongly as he eyed the sleeping boy wearily. Yugi sighed.
"That… is not going to be so easy to explain." He then turned to Yuzu. "Yuzu, you should know that Yuya told us the secret both of you kept to yourselves for the past month." Yuzu gasped.
"H-He told you?" She said nervously.
"Yeah, everyone in our group." Yugi told her.
"Wait, what secret?" Mai asked. At this point, nearly everyone's eyes were on the teen girl (Valon couldn't cause he was still flying).
"It's okay. I'll explain." Yugi said, relieving her of the burden.
"I don't care who talks, just spill it." Kaiba rudely insisted.
Yugi prepared himself. "This is going to be extremely shocking, but just hear me out until I'm done." First off, he had to tell Marik and Miho about Zarc and how dangerous he was since they were the only ones who didn't know the current situation. His backstory alone got them more than a little unnerved. Yugi then revealed to everyone all about the good portion of Zarc residing inside Yuya's pendent and that he was the true source of Yuya's new power. Everyone who didn't know about this before was thunderstruck and couldn't think of what to say. After an uneasy silence, Kaiba nearly lost it.
"Yugi, is this some kind of joke?! Zarc came close to exterminating us and now you're telling me a part of him is still with Yuya?!" He shouted while pointing at Yuya, who was undisturbed by Kaiba's yelling.
"I know. I was very skeptical and concerned myself, but Yuya believes in the Zarc that's with him now. So far he has only helped us. Me and the others are giving him a chance to redeem himself." Yugi said. Kaiba clearly wasn't convinced.
"Of all the times for you to be positively naïve, this is the worst time! Zarc could be biding his time so that he can strike at us again when we're vulnerable! The fact that he made that boy and his girlfriend keep him a secret even from you for this long should prove he can't be trusted!"
"Yuya was right about Yuri changing!" Yuzu butted in. "He's positive about this good Zarc too! And so am I!" Kaiba gave her an incredulous look.
"Then you're even more of a fool than he is." He retorted. Yuzu was going to argue more when Aqua spoke up.
"Zarc could have allowed his darker self to kill everyone aboard the Airship, including Yuya, yet he made sure you all escaped with your lives. He also had the choice to not help Yuya save Tristan and Serenity from certain death, but he did intervene. These actions suggest that his intentions are truly benevolent."
"Those are very good points." Bakura said.
"Please. He did all that just to gain the kid's trust." Kaiba countered.
"I disagree." Yugi said. "Zarc, the evil one, had every intention of killing us. He made that very clear while we were trapped; he was not going to let us escape. He may be capable of a lot of terrible things, but deception isn't one of them. I don't think Zarc had any idea that his good self had bonded with Yuya and assisted him. That's why I believe Yuya is in no danger from the Zarc that is with him now, nor the rest of us."
"I'm with Yugi." Yoko added. "My son doesn't seem hurt in any way. From what I've just heard, this other Zarc isn't interested in hurting Yuya at all. I'm willing to give him a chance."
Kaiba wanted to argue some more, but he instead turned his head away and huffed. "Fine. Have it your way then. But if I'm proven right in the end, don't any of you expect me to do anything except to say "I told you so"."
"Sure." Yugi said, closing the matter. He then turned to the Water Ignis. "Hey Aqua. Before he lost the Duel, Noah said we should ask you about Lightning's plan. What did he mean?"
"At the same time Noah was being purged of Lightning's virus, I also scanned his memories. I saw… some troubling matters." She said hesitantly.
"Like what?" Yuzu asked. However, Aqua shook her head.
"I think it would be better if Yuya was awake for this. Tomorrow will be a better time to explain."
"Good enough I guess." Tristan said.
More silenced followed as they neared Domino City. During that time, Kaiba glanced over at Joey, who was trying to impress everyone with how he fought wearing his armor in Death T-4. He couldn't get over the fact that the amateur idiot saved his life. Sure, Aqua was the one that ultimately stopped those bombs from exploding, but Joey had pushed him aside to protect him from Yami Marik's final attack. Kaiba really didn't like the thought of being in the debt of Joey Wheeler of all people. He wanted to clear his conscious as soon as possible. And he might know just how to do that…
"Hey, Wheeler." Kaiba called out, getting the teen's attention.
"Yeah? What do you want, rich boy?" Joey asked. Kaiba sighed inwardly, knowing he might regret what he was about to say.
"You still want to settle things between us?"
/\/\/\/\/\/\/\
Yuya woke up late morning the next day. He yawned and stretched his arms before looking around. He found himself in the bedroom of his apartment. He didn't remember making it when he passed out. Still, he was glad to be back home, warm and safe. 'Home.' The word made Yuya feel homesick. It had been only a month since he and his loved ones came here for refuge from Leo Akaba. It was starting to feel like a lifetime. He got out of bed and opened the blinds to his window. The sun was shining bright in a clear blue sky. Yuya smiled at the scene.
"Had a nice long sleep?" Zarc asked as Yuya put his pendant on around his neck.
'Yeah. I feel like I can take on 10 Noahs.' Zarc laughed.
"Last night was rough for everyone, especially you. You did a lot."
'We all did. I'm glad we all got out of there alive.'
"You and me both, Yuya."
Yuya then opened the door and walked to the living room. There he found both his parents, Yuzu, her dad, and Aqua. They seemed to have just started eating breakfast at the dining room table. He smelled pancakes and bacon. "Morning!" Everyone turned and smiled when they saw him.
"Morning Yuya!" Yuzu replied happily.
"Hey there!" Shuzo said.
"I'm pleased you are awake." Aqua said cheerfully.
"We all are. I heard what happened. Are you feeling better?" Yusho asked. Yuya nodded as he took a seat next to him.
"I'm much better, thanks dad." He then felt, and heard, a low growl from his stomach. He chuckled embarrassingly. "Though I am kinda hungry." Yoko smirked as she brought a big bottle of maple syrup to the table before sitting down on Yusho's other side.
"After all you did at Noah's tower, especially rescuing me, you deserve a big breakfast like this. Now then, let's dig in!" Everyone got a plate full of food and started eating. Aqua, who couldn't actually eat anything, merely passively watched. Yuya loved every bite of his mom's cooking.
"So, what happened with everyone?" Yuya asked a few minutes later, wanting to know what occurred while he slept. Yuzu started.
"Well, after landing at the harbor, we got Valon and Tristan to the hospital to have their injuries looked at. Those cuts Valon got from Chopman were deep but not life threatening. He will be fine. The doctors insisted he remained there for a day or two to be on the safe side. Mai has been staying with him to make his stay more bearable. Tristan's cuts were examined, but they were more superficial so he didn't have to remain there. He was very lucky Ricky didn't do any worse to him. We also dropped off Vivian's body there. Not much they can do though, after what happened to her."
"I see." Yuya said. He wondered if Vivian's soul really was locked away somewhere. If so, where? Even though Vivian did a lot of terrible things, he felt no one should have their soul taken. He put those thoughts aside for now. He had a question about a certain little simian. "Where is… Ah!" Before Yuya could ask where Ricky was, the monkey himself jumped on his head from behind. He almost panicked. "Oh, there you are." Yuya said, calming down. The monkey then made his way across the table and climbed up Shuzo's shoulder. The older man then gave him a small nut.
"He spent the night with me and Yuzu. I was concerned, after all we never had any pets, but he gave us no trouble. Last night, Yuzu asked what we should do with Ricky. Serenity suggested we should take him to the nearby zoo where there are others like him. We've been there a few times and the monkeys there do seem to get along. Later on this afternoon, Yuzu and I will head there and drop off Ricky to his new home."
"That's a great idea." Yuya said, happy that Ricky would get to have a much better life after what Noah did to him.
"Yeah it is." Yuzu said.
"What about Duke and everyone you were with dad?" Yuya asked. Yoko answered for him, though with a little hesitation.
"After leaving Valon and Mai at the hospital, we decided to head to Duke's place to meet with your father and the others. Aqua then told us to go to Solomon's game shop instead. When we asked why, she showed us an image of Duke's home… reduced to rubble." Yuya nearly choked on a bacon bit when he heard that.
"What?! What happened there?! Was anyone hurt?!" Yuya shouted, shocked. Yusho sighed.
"We uh… had our own problems." He then told his son about Duke's father and what he tried to do. "But thankfully, no one was harmed. Duke got us all out just in time before the building fell apart. After that, we headed back to the game shop to wait for you and the others to come back. I should add that Pegasus was more than a little surprised to learn Noah had completed and used the Wicked God cards against you. He was relieved when he learned they were destroyed along with the tower."
"I can't believe it. Duke's own father…." Yuya said, disgusted by that man's actions.
"I was just as shocked as you, Yuya. We all were." Yuzu said.
"It was pretty much a bad night for everyone." Shuzo said. "But we were very relived when we met up with everyone else. From there, after all the catching up we decided to call it a night. Kaiba and Mokuba went to straighten things out at KaibaCorp, Pegasus left to return to Industrial Illusions, and Marik slept at Joey's place. He called his family to let them know he was fine and that he would catch a plane back to Egypt later today."
"Is Marik really okay?" Yuya asked.
"He was shaky from Noah's device, but he said he was alright." Yusho replied.
"And Mokuba really was fine when you saw him?" Yuya asked Yuzu. His girl nodded.
"Yeah. We were more than relieved when we caught up with him. We all thanked Aqua for protecting him." She said as she turned to the Ignis, who nodded.
"Coming to stay with us had been the right choice for her." Yusho said. After drinking some coffee, he turned back to his son. "Yuya, I have also been informed about you and Yuzu keeping this "good" Zarc secret from all of us." Yuya flinched and turned away.
"I'm sorry dad. I promised him that Yuzu and I wouldn't say anything." To Yuya's surprise, his father smiled.
"Don't be. Yuzu and Yugi explained everything. From what I understand, it was a very good thing he was there with you. I'm glad you have a new friend that is "very close" to you." Yuya gapped at him.
"Really? You're not angry or concerned about him?" Yusho shook his head.
"He helped not only you, but he helped save all of us on the Airship. For all that, I am eternally grateful."
"Dad…" Yuya smiled back at him, happy from his words.
"Me too." Yoko said in complete agreement.
"Me three." Shuzo said before taking another bite out of a pancake.
"I am also grateful for his assistance." Aqua added.
"So am I." Yuzu said. Yuya smiled at them all.
"Thank you." Yuya and Zarc said at the same time.
As the group continued to eat, Zarc observed them all, feeling very good inside. He hoped he could do more good in the days to come. More than anything, he hoped that one day, he could see Ray again. He wanted nothing more than to be forgiven by her for all the wrongs he caused when he was consumed by his darkness. He prayed that he would get his chance someday.
"By the way Yuya, after you and Yuzu finish breakfast and drop off Ricky at the zoo, the three of us need to go to KaibaCorp." Aqua told him.
"KaibaCorp? Why?" Yuya asked.
"You will see."
/\/\/\/\/\/\
"Where the hell are they?" Joey asked for what felt like the twelfth time that day. He stood there, arms crossed and tapped his foot impatiently.
"They'll be here any minute." Yugi told him.
"It'll be fine man. Just chill." Tristan advised.
"Just be a little more patient Joey." Serenity said. Joey groaned.
"They should've been here 10 minutes ago!" He protested.
"Try to relax. No one here is going anywhere." Duke said. Joey didn't respond.
"He must be really anxious to get started." Mokuba said to himself. He was excited to see the upcoming Duel, but he was also sad about Noah. He heard what happened just before the gang's escape and lamented that Noah was gone again. He felt that this time, his stepbrother was gone for good. He absolutely hated Lightning for what he did to Noah and made him do all those terrible things. 'Noah… I hope you're finally at peace.'
"I can't believe Kaiba agreed to this." Marik said.
"He felt obligated to." Tèa said to him.
"This is sure to be interesting." Bakura said.
"I hope Joey does well." Miho said to them. She could hardly believe this was happening. Her all time favorite Duelist was about to clash with Seto Kaiba! She truly hoped he would win and prove to Kaiba how wrong he was about him. Just then, the elevator doors open. "They're here!"
Everyone turned to see Yuya and Yuzu step out. Aqua appeared from within Yuzu's Duel Disk as they marched toward the group. They were all standing on the roof of the KaibaCorp building, where a certain event was about to take place. Yuya smiled when he saw the younger Kaiba. Aqua told the teens that she would reveal Lightning's plan to everyone after the event was done.
"Mokuba! I'm glad you're alright!" Yuya called out. Mokuba nodded, smiling.
"Same to you! I heard what happened with you at the tower! Man, I wish I could've seen it! I'll bet it was nuts!"
"It was way more than nuts, believe me." Tristan said to him.
"It's about time you guys showed up! What took ya so long?" Joey complained as he butted in. Yuya chuckled.
"Sorry about the delay. Getting Ricky settled at the zoo got a bit… emotional." Yuzu nodded. She actually did look a little sad.
"He didn't want to leave us at first. I kinda didn't want him to go myself. Still, we knew it was best for him. It took a lot of convincing, but eventually Ricky understood he would be better off with his own kind."
"We finally said goodbye and made our way here." Yuya finished.
"You guys did the right thing." Yugi told them.
"I know Ricky will love his new home." Serenity said. Kaiba felt like gagging.
"Enough with the sappy stuff. Now that everyone is present, let's get this over with." He then put on and activated his Duel Disk. "Ready to lose against me for a third time, Wheeler?"
Joey then thought back to how this came about…
Flashback
"You still want to settle things between us?"
"Huh?" At first, Joey didn't understand what Kaiba was referring to. It took him a few seconds, but it eventually clicked. "Whoa, wait a minute Kaiba! Are you saying what I think you're saying?!" Kaiba glared at him.
"Yes, you moron. To pay you back for saving me from Marik, I'm giving you another chance to try to beat me in a Duel… with emphasis on "try"." I still do not believe you can ever win against me, but I know that's not going to stop you. Do you accept or not?" Joey grinned like a maniac.
"How the hell can I not accept? Name the time and place, rich boy!"
Flashback End
Joey was then told to meet Kaiba there on his company's roof at 1 pm. He invited nearly everyone to watch; he wanted them to see him finally kick Kaiba's ass. He had to wait a little longer for Yuya and Yuzu, but he got over their tardiness. Joey smirked as he activated his Duel Disk too. "Are ya kidding Kaiba?! Third time's the charm!" Kaiba smirked in return as their battle began.
"DUEL!"
(Joey: 4000) (Kaiba: 4000)
"Watch out Kaiba! You only got a glimpse of my new and improved Deck when we were on Yuya and Yuzu's world! Now you'll see a whole lot more! To start things off I'll Summon The Black Stone of Legend!" (DARK; Level 1; ATK: 0; DEF: 0) A black egg like rock appeared before him and gave off a bright red glow. "Now I activate Black Stone's Effect! Once per turn, I can Sacrifice it to Special Summon a Level 7 or lower "Red-Eyes" Monster from my Deck! So now I'm bringing out my big and bad Red-Eyes Black Dragon!" (DARK; Level 7; ATK: 2400; DEF: 2000) Joey's Ace Monster took the place of the Black Stone used to Summon it.
"Joey Summoned his Ace Monster on his first turn!" Miho said excitedly. Kaiba didn't say anything. He wasn't concerned.
"Next, I'll activate the Effect of Black Metal Dragon in my hand! I can Equip it from my hand or Field to a "Red-Eyes" Monster I control, which gains 600 Attack Points!" Above Red-Eyes, a small black metallic dragon materialized before it broke off into several smaller pieces. Those pieces then attached themselves to Joey's dragon like armor.
(Red-Eyes Black Dragon's ATK: 2400 + 600 = 3000)
"Now it's just as strong as any of Kaiba's Blue-Eyes White Dragons." Yuya said. Joey felt he could handle them.
"Then I Set two cards facedown and end my turn. You're up rich boy." Kaiba smirked.
"You did make some changes to your Deck, but in case you've forgotten, so did I! My turn! Draw!" He felt this would be the time to try out something new. "I Summon my Lord of Dragons!" (DARK; Level 4; ATK: 1200; DEF: 1100) His dragon boned and cloaked Spellcaster appeared on the Field. "As long as he's in play, all Dragons on the Field cannot be targeted by card effects! I'm sure you know what comes next! With Lord of Dragons on my Field, I can play The Flute of Summoning Dragon! This allows both of us to Special Summon up to 2 Dragons from our hands!" Kaiba's Monster then gained a dragon like flute and blew into it.
"No Dragons from me." Joey told him, but he didn't sound disappointed.
"Fortunately, I have just the Dragons I need! From my hand I Special Summon two Blue-Eyes White Dragons!" Joey was now facing two copies of Kaiba's 3000 Attack Point Ace.
"That's double trouble for Joey." Bakura said.
"I ain't too worried! Bring it on!" Joey challenged. Kaiba chuckled. "Did I say something funny?"
"Not at all. I just can't wait to see how you'll react to this! I will now Sacrifice both my Blue-Eyes to Special Summon a new Monster! Feast your eyes on my newest Fusion Monster! Show yourself, Blue-Eyes Twin Burst Dragon!" Joey and everyone else was surprised to see a two headed version of Kaiba's Monster. Other than it being Level 10, it's stats were the same as the original Blue-Eyes. But what was more surprising was that it was a Fusion Monster.
"A new Fusion?! But Kaiba didn't use Polymerization or any kind of Fusion card to Summon it!" Serenity pointed out.
"Unlike most Fusion Monsters, Twin Burst Dragon can be Summoned without Fusion cards as long as I had two Blue-Eyes White Dragons on my Field! Now, time to blow away your inferior Monster! Blue-Eyes Twin Burst Dragon, attack Red-Eyes Black Dragon! Double White Blast!" An energy twice as strong as one Blue-Eyes' signature attack came bursting out of the dragon's mouths and collided with Red-Eyes' attack.
"You do know both our dragons bite the big one since their Attack Points are the same!" Joey reminded his opponent. Kaiba still smirked.
"Wrong Wheeler. Due to Twin Burst Dragon being unable to be destroyed by battle, only your Monster gets vaporized!"
"Say what?!" Joey exclaimed in shock. As the two attacks set off a big explosion, only Kaiba's Monster remained just like he said it would.
"Joey lost his Monster while Kaiba still has his. That's not good." Yuzu said.
"At least he didn't take any damage." Yuya said.
"He won't give up that easily." Yugi told them.
"I'm not impressed Wheeler. Your dragon didn't put up a struggle, despite it's meager power up." Kaiba told him. He was, however, surprised that his opponent grinned big time.
"It's true. I didn't expect your Monster to stick around after the battle, but you're still getting the burn!"
"Excuse me?" Kaiba asked.
"By destroying my Red-Eyes, you activated my Trap! It's called Red-Eyes Burn! Now we both take damage equal to the Attack Points of the destroyed "Red-Eyes" Monster! That's a 3000 Point hit for both of us!
"What?!" Kaiba shouted as he and Joey both got hit by fireballs originating from the revealed Trap.
(Kaiba: 4000 - 3000 = 1000)
(Joey: 4000 - 3000 = 1000)
"Oh wow! Joey dealt some heavy damage to Kaiba!" Miho exclaimed.
"He sure did!" Serenity said in agreement.
"But he got damaged too." Marik said. "Why would he play a card like that?"
"Guess he thinks it's worth putting a dent into Kaiba's Life Points." Duke told him.
"Haha! Didn't see that one coming, did ya? Now for the second Effect of Black Metal Dragon! Since it was sent from the Field to the Graveyard, I can add a "Red-Eyes" card from my Deck to my hand! I'm taking Red-Eyes Baby Dragon!" Kaiba sneered at Joey. As much as he wanted to finish him there and then, he thought it would be too risky. Joey had one other facedown card and it could damage him to the point of losing. Perhaps he ought to take him more seriously this time…
"Don't get cocky just because you managed to hit my Life Points! I Set one card facedown and end my turn."
"Why didn't Seto attack with Lord of Dragons?" Mokuba asked. "Joey was wide open."
"I think he didn't want to risk triggering another Trap." Tèa said to him.
"Smart move. We don't know what other surprises Joey's Deck has now." Bakura said.
"Ready for more Kaiba? I'm just getting started! My turn! Draw!" 'This outta get things rolling.' Joey thought as he made his next move. "Since The Black Stone of Legend is in my Graveyard, I can take a Level 7 or lower "Red-Eyes" Monster in my Graveyard and shuffle it in my Deck! I'm placing Red-Eyes Black Dragon back in my Deck and then add Black Stone to my hand!"
'Does he plan to bring out his Ace later on?' Miho guessed, but wasn't sure.
"Next I play Red-Eyes Insight! This Magic card lets me add a "Red-Eyes" Magic or Trap card from my Deck to my hand, except another Red-Eyes Insight, by sending a "Red-Eyes" Monster from my hand or Deck to my Graveyard! I'm sending Gearfried the Red-Eyes Iron Knight from my Deck to the Graveyard to add Red Power to my hand!"
'What is he planning now?' Kaiba wondered. Whatever that idiot was up to, it wouldn't work against him.
"Now I Summon this feisty little fella! Check out my Red-Eyes Baby Dragon!" (DARK; Level 3; ATK: 1200; DEF: 700) A much smaller and younger version of Red-Eyes Black Dragon popped up and looked pumped for action.
"Oh how cute!" Serenity chimed in.
"So adorable! Just like J…." Miho covered her mouth with both her hands before she could finish. Her face started to flush with red. 'Oh gosh. I nearly said Joey was adorable! I hope he didn't notice!' She thought frantically. Luckily for her, her crush was too focused on the Duel to listen.
"Now my little guy is gonna give me a big hand! Battle! Red-Eyes Baby Dragon, attack Lord of Dragons! Red Ferocity!" The young dragon's claws sliced the face of Kaiba's Monster with one arm while the latter punched the former in the face with its own fist. Like the previous battle, both Monsters were equal in Attack Power. Unlike last time, both Monsters were destroyed.
"Now Kaiba won't be able to protect his Dragons from being targeted by card effects!" Yuzu said.
"I have a feeling that won't be a problem for him." Duke told her.
"My Baby Red-Eyes may be gone now, but it's Effects will be worth it! First, when Red-Eyes Baby Dragon is destroyed by battle and goes to the Graveyard, I can Special Summon a Level 7 or lower "Red-Eyes" Monster from my Deck! Meet Red-Eyes Black Flare Dragon!" A slimmer version of Joey's Ace appeared, and was partially covered in flames. It's stats were also the same as the original Red-Eyes. "Now that he's been Special Summoned by this Effect, Baby Red-Eyes can be Equipped to it and give my new Monster 300 extra Attack Points!" The baby dragon reappeared and wrapped it's arms around Black Flare Dragon's neck from the back.
(Red-Eyes Black Flare Dragon's ATK: 2400 + 300 = 2700)
"Mildly amusing, but it is still not strong enough to compete with my Twin Burst Dragon." Kaiba said. Joey snorted, looking annoyed.
"I know. I'm working on that! Now I Special Summon another new dragon from my hand in Defense Mode since a Level 7 or lower "Red-Eyes" Monster was destroyed by my opponent's Monster in battle and was sent to the Graveyard this turn! Come on out, Red-Eyes Retro Dragon!" (DARK; Level 4; ATK: 1700; DEF: 1600) A black dragon with gears on it's legs appeared, kneeling next to it's fellow Red-Eyes. "With that, I end my turn."
"Joey really did improve his Deck quite a bit." Duke said, sounding impressed.
"He really has come a long way since he started becoming a Duelist." Yugi said.
It was true. So far, Joey was doing better against Kaiba than in his previous Duels with him, and he himself knew it. Unlike the last one, everyone was here watching the whole thing and not preoccupied by other matters. That really made Joey feel like this would be his best Duel ever, especially since Yugi and Serenity were there too. He wasn't going to let Kaiba kick his butt again. Not this time.
"My turn! Draw! I activate Pot of Greed, which allows me to draw two more cards!" Kaiba then thought carefully about his next play. 'Wheeler still has that one facedown card and my Life Points are already less than half thanks to that dork. Knowing him, it might either damage me further or stop my next attack in some way. I only have one way of knowing which…' Without anything that could destroy that card, he had only one way of finding out what it was. He had to go on the offensive. "If you think I'm too afraid to attack, then you're going to be proven how wrong you are! Battle! Blue-Eyes Twin Burst Dragon, attack Red-Eyes Black Flare Dragon!" Kaiba's Fusion Monster started to build up it's attack again…
"Hold it! I activate my other Trap, Kunai with Chain! Now not only is your attacking Monster forced to switch in Defense Mode and stay that way, but my Monster also gains 500 Attack Points!" Kaiba's Monster was then wrapped in a long chain with a blade holding it together and was made to kneel. At the same time, Joey's dragon roared while it's power went up even more.
(Red-Eyes Black Flare Dragon's ATK: 2700 + 500 = 3200)
"Nice one man!" Tristan cheered, his fist pumping in the air.
"He didn't change all his cards." Marik said.
"The more things change, the more they stay the same." Bakura replied.
"Heh! Looks like I got you again Kaiba!" Joey said gleefully. Kaiba grunted.
"I'll soon wipe that stupid grin off your face and humiliate you again! I Set one card facedown and end my turn." Kaiba had already started forming a plan to keep that promise. He just had to wait for the right moment to strike back and crush him.
"Yeah, I'm sure you'll try! Until then, it's my turn! Draw! Now I also play Pot of Greed to draw two cards!" He then snickered, thinking how Kaiba was going to react when he saw "it".
"Something amusing?" Kaiba questioned.
"Oh, you bet your ass it is! I'll Summon my Black Stone of Legend back to my Field!" His first Monster in the Duel reappeared. "Now I'll Sacrifice it to Special Summon a Gemini Monster from my Deck called Meteor Dragon Red-Eyes Impact!" (DARK; Level 6; ATK: 1800; DEF: 2000) A dark red and pink dragon fell down like a meteor and crash landed on it's feet.
"A Gemini Monster?" Miho asked, not quite familiar with the term.
"They are a unique kind of Monster that can be treated as Normal Monsters at first, but they can become Effect Monsters and have their Effects activated by Normal Summoning them, a second time if they were Normal Summoned first." Duke explained.
"Time for the other Effect of Red-Eyes Retro Dragon! By Sacrificing it, I can Normal Summon a "Red-Eyes" Monster this turn along with my Normal Summon! I'm Normal Summoning Red-Eyes Impact to make it an Effect Monster and activate it's own Effect! Now all other "Red-Eyes" Monsters I control can't be destroyed by battle or card effects!" The instant Retro Dragon vanished from sight, Red-Eyes Impact glowed orange and roared.
"You really think that will help you against me?" Kaiba taunted, clearly not intimidated by Joey's growing advantages.
"I believe in my Deck and I know it won't let me down! Next I send Red-Eyes Archfiend of Lightning from my hand to the Graveyard to Special Summon Red-Eyes Alternative Black Dragon from my hand!" The dragon that shared Red-Eyes Black Dragon's stats and led Joey to victory against Apollo came to his aid once more.
Kaiba came to the same shocking realization as Yuya and Yuzu just did. 'He's got two Level 7 Monsters! Does this mean…?'
"Alrighty, time to pull out one of the big guns! I'll Overlay my Level 7 Red-Eyes Black Flare Dragon and Level 7 Red-Eyes Alternative Black Dragon!" Both his dragons swirled into a vortex that spat out dark energy. "With this Xyz Summon, I'm bringing out a new potential! Show yourself in all your badassary: Red-Eyes Flare Metal Dragon!" (DARK; Rank 7; ATK: 2800; DEF: 2400) A new, black metallic dragon descended to face it's master's adversary.
"An Xyz Monster?!" Kaiba shouted, totally shocked.
"Joey had one all along?!" Tèa exclaimed.
"Woah!" Yuya and Yuzu said simultaneously.
"What in the world did Joey just do?!" Marik said, being one of several in the group that never witnessed an Xyz Summon. Serenity, Miho, Bakura, Duke, and Mokuba were also just as stunned. Aqua briefly explained the basics of Xyz Summoning and Xyz Monsters, which definitely fascinated them.
Despite Joey's unexpected move, Kaiba remembered something important. "You may have a new Monster, but by using your Equipped Monster as one of it's Materials, your Kunai with Chain is destroyed! That means I can switch my own dragon back in Attack Mode on my next turn!" Kaiba declared as Blue-Eyes Twin Burst Dragon roared as it broke the chain binding it.
"I ain't too worried about that since Red-Eyes Impact protects my Monster from being in destroyed in battle too! And another thing, even without Red-Eyes Impact's Effect, my Xyz Monster can't be destroyed by card effects while it has Overlay Units! To add some spice in this Duel, I'll Equip Red-Eyes Flare Metal Dragon with Red Power! A "Red-Eyes" Monster Equipped with this gains 400 extra Attack Points!"
(Red-Eyes Flare Metal Dragon's ATK: 2800 + 400 = 3200)
Kaiba grunted while he frowned. "If you're going to attack now, remember that my dragon can't be destroyed in battle." Joey smirked.
"You know, I'm actually tempted to take you up on that. Buuut... I won't. So instead I'll just end my turn." This surprised not just Kaiba, but everyone.
"Why didn't Joey attack? He could've given Kaiba a little damage." Tristan said.
"He has two facedown cards. Perhaps Joey thinks one of them might cause trouble for him." Aqua guessed.
"I think you're right." Yugi told her. He was impressed that Joey was choosing when not to attack, even though his Xyz Monster was protected from destruction by both battle and card effects. This proved he was taking Kaiba more seriously than ever. Kaiba noticed this as well.
'Looks like Wheeler is not as dumb as he used to be. If he had taken my bait he would not be gloating so much right now. Guess I'll just have to get under his skin to provoke him on his next turn. For now, I'll just need to set things up.' "I didn't peg you for a coward, Wheeler. That will cost you. My turn! Draw!" He smiled inwardly, knowing he was one step closer to stepping on that punk once more under his boot. "I switch Blue-Eyes Twin Burst Dragon back to Attack Mode! Then I Summon Kaiser Sea Horse in Attack Mode!" (LIGHT; Level 4; ATK: 1700; DEF: 1650) A humanoid wearing blue and purple aquatic armor stood next to Kaiba's dragon. "After that… I end my turn."
"That's all? He didn't do more than that?" Yuya asked, surprised like the others.
"Knowing Kaiba, he must have a plan." Zarc told him.
"He's got to be up to something." Yuzu said.
Joey looked perplexed at his opponent. 'Okay, that was kinda underwhelming. What are ya up to now, rich boy?' He thought as he started his next turn. "I got a feeling things are about to get real interesting. Let's find out! My turn! Draw!" He knew what he should do first. "I'm not leaving myself vulnerable around you, so I'm switching my Meteor Dragon Red-Eyes Impact to Defense Mode!" His weaker dragon knelt to defend it's controller.
Kaiba chuckled. Now was the time to provoke. "Going on the defense, after all that talk of finally defeating me? I thought you had more guts than that, Wheeler? Maybe you're still that pathetic little puppy that needs some serious obedience training." Joey smirked back at him.
"Trash talking ain't going to work on me. Not today, Kaiba. Besides, I still have my stronger dragon to knock you down with."
"Then why not use it? Are you terrified that I may have some dangerous Trap card that will leave you with no defenses whatsoever? I have no Traps here to spring upon you. You can quote me on that." Joey narrowed his eyes for a moment before he snorted.
"Nice try, but I ain't buying it." He said.
"Oh, you doubt me? Or are you just scared that I will make you look bad in front of your nerd squad over there… again? Especially in front of your fragile sister?" Serenity gasped as Joey started to shake now with anger.
"Hey! Don't you dare talk about Serenity like that!" Joey shouted furiously, clearly angered. Kaiba's smile widened.
"Well, well. Looks like I hit a sensitive spot. I understand that she's become a competent Duelist now. But I wonder… is she strong enough to go up against the likes of me? Perhaps I'll challenge her after I've cleaned up the mess you'll make when I smash you into the dirt." That did it.
"THE HELL YOU WILL! I'M NOT LETTING YOU GET WITHIN AN INCH OF MY SISTER! BATTLE! RED-EYES FLARE METAL DRAGON, ATTACK KAISER SEA HORSE! METAL FIRE BLAST!" Kaiba almost laughed in triumph. His scheme worked.
"Got you! I activate my Quick-Play Magic card, Majesty with Eyes of Blue! By sending a "Blue-Eyes" Monster from my hand or Deck to the Graveyard, I can prevent one of your Monsters from attacking while it is face-up! I'm sending Blue-Eyes Alternative White Dragon from my Deck to the Graveyard to stop your Red-Eyes Flare Metal Dragon in it's tracks!" Joey's dragon allowed it's powered up attack to extinguish itself.
"Oh no! Joey can't attack with it now!" Miho shouted in dismay.
"Joey…" Serenity said quietly. She hated that Kaiba had used her to get her brother to make a mistake that might cost him the Duel. Kaiba then laughed.
"Maybe your dragon can't be destroyed by card effects, but it is clearly still affected by them! You are still the hotheaded boneheaded amateur that still has no chance of ever taking me down!" It was then that Kaiba saw that instead of sneering at him, Joey smiled broadly once more.
"Kaiba… I don't agree with that one bit! Thing is… you just stepped right into my trap!"
"Your trap?" Kaiba repeated. Joey then pointed at his Xyz Monster.
"Yep! Red-Eyes Flare Metal Dragon's got another nifty Effect! Each time you activate a card or effect while it has Overlay Units, you take 500 Points of damage after your work is done!"
"What?!" Flare Metal Dragon spat out a dark orange fireball that hit Kaiba squarely in the chest.
(Kaiba: 1000 - 500 = 500)
"Woah, woah! Hold on a second here! Did Joey just… pretend to be pissed off at Kaiba?!" Duke said, dumbfounded by the tactic.
"I think that's just what he did Duke. He even had me convinced." Tristan admitted.
"He tricked Kaiba into damaging himself twice! Nice!" Bakura said, definitely impressed.
"Way to go Joey!" Miho and Serenity cheered at the same time.
Kaiba snarled at his opponent. "You were faking being upset the whole time?!" He demanded. Joey scratched his nose with a knowing grin.
"I had to do something to get you to use a card, which trigged Flare Metal Dragon's Effect. I didn't do it last turn because I was waiting for you to do something first. Doesn't feel so good, does it? Having your own scheme used against ya?" Kaiba actually wanted to punch the living crap out of the punk. But the moment passed and started to cool down.
"You may have hit my Life Points again, but your Monster still can't attack." Joey shrugged.
"I'll get around that next time. I end my turn." Kaiba was going to make sure Joey didn't have a next turn.
"I doubt that very much. My turn! Draw!" He now had what he needed to put that mutt in his place. "My Kaiser Sea Horse can be used as 2 Sacrifices when Summoning a LIGHT Monster. Therefore, I Sacrifice it to Advance Summon my third Blue-Eyes White Dragon!" The final Blue-Eyes copy finally showed itself. "Now I play Blue-Eyes Life! I can make one of my "Blue-Eyes" Monsters have the same Attack Power as an opposing Monster's until the end of this turn! My Fusion Monster is now just as as strong as your Xyz Monster!"
(Blue-Eyes Twin Burst Dragon's ATK: 3200)
"What good will that do ya? Flare Metal Dragon's Effect will blast away your remaining Life Points!" Joey reminded him.
"My Magic card has another effect! For each "Blue-Eyes" Monster I control, I gain 1000 Life Points! That's more than enough to keep me in the game!"
"Say what?!" Joey shouted incredulously.
(1000 x 2 = 2000)
(Kaiba: 500 + 2000 = 2500; 2500 - 500 = 2000)
"Darn it! Joey was so close!" Miho moaned discouragingly.
"It's not over yet." Yuzu told her.
"Next I play Card of Demise! It lets me draw until I hold 5 cards in my hand, but in my 5th Standby Phase after activating this I have to discard my entire hand!"
"That's another 500 Points you lose!" Joey reminded as his dragon blasted Kaiba again.
(Kaiba: 2000 - 500 = 1500)
"I won't have to put up with you or your dragon for much longer! I now have everything I need to wipe you out! Battle! Blue-Eyes Twin Burst Dragon, attack Red-Eyes Flare Metal Dragon! Double White Blast!"
"He's attacking Joey's Monster, knowing it is protected by Red-Eyes Impact's Effect?!" Yuya said, not understanding what Kaiba was thinking
Kaiba's two headed dragon and Joey's dark dragon collided in another explosion… which resulted in a stalemate. Joey was stumped. "Why would you waste an attack? You know both our dragons can't be destroyed in battle now!" He felt nervous when Kaiba gave a victorious smile.
"It wasn't a waste Wheeler. My Twin Burst Dragon has another useful Effect. If the Monster it battles wasn't destroyed in said battle, that Monster gets banished!"
"Banished?!" Joey could only watch as his powerful Xyz Monster disappeared in a flash of white light. "No! Flare Metal Dragon!"
"It's too bad your other Monster couldn't protect it from banishment! Oh, and my Fusion Monster has one more surprise for you: It can attack up to 2 Monsters in each of my Battle Phases!"
"Are ya kidding me?!" Joey and Tristan yelled.
"Blue-Eyes Twin Burst Dragon, attack and obliterate Meteor Dragon Red-Eyes Impact!" One more blast and Joey's Field was empty of Monsters.
"Oh no! Joey's wide open!" Serenity yelled.
"Joey…" Yugi muttered softly. Kaiba looked as smug as he ever was.
"I told you that you will never have the skills to defeat me. My superior skills are proof of that. You may have put up a better fight today, but it still wasn't enough. It will never be enough! Time to put you out of your misery! Blue-Eyes White Dragon, attack Wheeler directly! White Lightning!" Kaiba's Ace fired it's white energy beam, which made a beeline for it's target.
"Joey!" Miho shouted. The attack was almost upon him…
"Stop underestimating me, Kaiba! When I'm about to get a direct attack from a LIGHT Monster, I can Special Summon Red-Eyes Black Fairy from my hand to end the Battle Phase!" (DARK; Level 3; ATK: 1200; DEF: 1000) What appeared on Joey's Field was a small pale skinned female fairy with bright red eyes, black see through wings, and wore a black dress.
"You what?!" Kaiba's attack was halted just before it could touch Joey.
"That's not all! My Fairy can also Special Summon up to 2 Monsters that mention "Red-Eyes" Monsters in it's texts from my Graveyard in Defense Mode when Summoned this way! I'm reviving my Red-Eyes Impact and Black Stone of Legend!"
Miho felt like jumping up and down at that moment. 'Yes! Joey used the card I gave him!'
As Kaiba fumed from this latest stunt, Joey remembered how he came to have the card that saved his butt…
Flashback
"Hey um… Joey." Miho stopped Joey just before he got into the elevator that would take him and the gang to the roof of KaibaCorp, where his hated opponent was waiting.
"What's up Miho?" He asked. The girl then pulled something out of her pants pocket and held it out. It was a Duel Monsters card.
"I… I want you to have this. Please take it." Joey took the card and looked at it.
"Red-Eyes Black Fairy?" Miho nodded.
"It's a recent release and I just knew I had to have it. It was just too adorable to ignore. I know you're probably not into cute things, but… I thought it could help you against Kaiba." She said very shyly while looking down.
Joey was silent for a moment before he smiled at her. "You know, I think she might come in handy. Thanks Miho." He then took out his Deck and added Miho's card in it. As he did so, Miho smiled and her cheeks flushed slightly.
"Y-Your very welcome." With that small deed done, the two stepped into the elevator and rode it to the top of the building.
Flashback End
Joey was really glad he accepted Miho's card. He owed her big time, and planned to when he clobbered Kaiba at last.
Kaiba, on the other hand, felt insulted. 'Damn you Wheeler! You should just give up when you are outmatched!' Still, he wasn't finished yet. "The battle may be over, but my turn isn't! I activate my facedown Defusion to split my Fusion Monster back into the dragons used to Summon it!" Kaiba's previous two Blue-Eyes White Dragons returned and stood alongside their third copy. "Now I play Ultimate Fusion! During my Main Phase, I can Fusion Summon a Fusion Monster that lists "Blue-Eyes White Dragon" or "Blue-Eyes Ultimate Dragon" as material by shuffling the needed Fusion Materials from my hand, Field, or Graveyard into my Deck! I am now Fusing all three Blue-Eyes together!"
"Uh oh! Definitely not good!" Tristan said in a panic, knowing what was coming.
"Kaiba must be desperate to Summon that." Atem said to Yugi, who completely agreed.
"This is the second time I was forced to bring it out, but I never once imagined I had to call upon it to deal with the likes of you! Now face your ultimate nightmare: Blue-Eyes Alternative Ultimate Dragon!" (LIGHT; Level 12; ATK: 4500; DEF: 3800) The most powerful Monster in Kaiba's arsenal now towered over Joey. He couldn't help but tremble a little.
"Ohh man…" Joey said in a shaky tone.
"You should be scared! Now taste the other Effect of Ultimate Fusion! After my Fusion Monster is Summoned, I can destroy face-up cards you control up to the number of "Blue-Eyes White Dragons" or "Blue-Eyes Ultimate Dragons" used as Material from my Field! I used my three Blue-Eyes, so I'll destroy all three of your face-up Monsters!" Alternative Ultimate Blue-Eyes fired three blue energy balls at Joey's Monsters, but a dark red barrier formed and blocked the blasts. "What now?!"
"When Red-Eyes Black Fairy was Special Summoned by it's Effect, it gained the Effect of protecting the Monsters it brought back from being destroyed by card effects until the end of the turn! Sorry rich boy! Heheh!" Joey said, pissing off Kaiba even more.
"The only one that will be sorry is you Wheeler! I Set one card facedown and end my turn." Kaiba still didn't believe for a moment that punk had a sliver of a chance against him. However, he felt he should be prepared just in case…
Joey knew there was one card he needed to help him win. He just had to draw it. "Okay, moment of truth! My turn! DRAW!" Joey hesitated a bit before he looked at the card he had drawn. Slowly, he smiled a big smile. "Alright! I got it!" He returned his attention to his opponent. "Heads up Kaiba! You Summoned your big bad dragon… now I'm gonna do the same!"
"Your Xyz Monster wasn't the best you got?" Kaiba questioned, stunned. Joey chuckled.
"Nope, but you're about to see it! First, I Sacrifice Black Stone to Special Summon Red-Eyes Black Dragon from my Deck again!" Joey's Ace returned and stood next to his other dragon. "Now I play the card I just drew, Red-Eyes Fusion! With at least one "Red-Eyes" Monster as Material, I can Fusion Summon a Fusion Monster from my own Extra Deck using Monsters in my hand, Deck, or on my Field! I'm Fusing together my Red-Eyes Black Dragon and Meteor Dragon Red-Eyes Impact!"
"What's Joey Summoning?" Yuya asked. His answer came in the form of a big dragon wreathed in flames, like it just emerged from Hell. It seemed to have the body of Red-Eyes Black Dragon but with the dark fiery aspects of Red-Eyes Impact.
"Everyone, say hello to Meteor Black Comet Dragon!" (DARK; Level 8; ATK: 3500; DEF: 2000). It made a defiant roar at the rival dragon opposite it.
"I've never seen Joey play that! It looks so cool!" Miho exclaimed.
"And ferocious!" Bakura said in agreement. Kaiba didn't think so.
"That may be your most powerful Monster, but it is still no match for mine!" Joey smirked.
"Hold off on that part for a moment. When Meteor Black Comet Dragon is Fusion Summoned, I can send a "Red-Eyes" Monster from my hand or Deck to my Graveyard and inflict damage to you equal to half of it's original Attack Points! I'm selecting the second Red-Eyes Baby Dragon in my Deck!" Joey's dragon spat out a ghost form of the weaker dragon, which flew right at Kaiba before blowing itself up and taking another chunk of his Life Points.
(1200 / 2 = 600)
(Kaiba: 1500 - 600 = 900)
"Seto's Life Points are below 1000 now!" Mokuba said in worry. Kaiba snarled.
"You are really becoming more than just an constant irritation, Wheeler!" Joey continued to smile.
"Irritation? I'd personally go with "formidable adversary", but whatever works for you. Now then, you said something about my dragon being no match for yours? Well, let's fix that! I can Equip Red-Eyes Black Fairy to a "Red-Eyes" Monster, and thanks to Red-Eyes Fusion, my Fusion Monster's name becomes "Red-Eyes Black Dragon!" The little fairy then flew up and settled itself on the dragon's right shoulder. "The "Red-Eyes" Monster Equipped with Black Fairy has it's Attack Points become that of an opposing LIGHT Monster you control!" The dragon roared again and glowed dark red as it gained power to match it's enemy.
(Meteor Black Comet Dragon's ATK: 4500)
"Now Joey can take out Kaiba's Monster!" Yuzu said excitedly.
'But will he be able to?' Aqua asked herself. Suddenly, she went stiff and felt a wave of data flood into her memory banks. Her eyes widened with each byte of data, and she did not like what it contained…
Kaiba was actually starting to feel nervous. Him, nervous of Joey Wheeler of all people! He shouldn't be. He had the perfect shield lying in wait on his Field, for he knew the attack was coming. "You won't win Wheeler! Not against me! I activate my Trap, The Ultimate Creature of Destruction! This turn, a "Blue-Eyes" Monster I control cannot be affected by card effects except it's own, cannot be destroyed in battle, and the Monster battling it will be destroyed at the end of the Damage Step! Now my dragon isn't going anywhere!"
"That's the best defense any "Blue-Eyes" Monster can have." Yugi noted.
"If Joey attacks now, his own Monster will be destroyed but not Kaiba's." Yuya said. Atem and Zarc agreed with their respective partners.
"What will Joey do?" Miho asked.
"My brother came this far, he's not going to stop now." Serenity told her best friend. What Joey did next stunned them all.
"You think one little Trap card is gonna roadblock me? Hell no! I'm kicking your ass right now Kaiba! BATTLE! METEOR BLACK COMET DRAGON, ATTACK BLUE-EYES ALTERNATIVE ULTIMATE DRAGON! BLACK METEOR STRIKE!" The fire covering the dragon turned black and it streaked toward it's rival.
"He's attacking, knowing what will happen?!" Duke said, thinking Joey was definitely being reckless this time.
"Have you lost it?! Your attack will fail and your Monster will be obliterated!" Kaiba said.
"Not if you go down first!" Joey retorted confidently.
"Meaning what?" Kaiba asked him.
"Red-Eyes Black Fairy gives my Monster one more advantage! When the Equipped Monster battles a LIGHT Monster, it's Attack Points become 1000 Points higher than it's target! So even though I can't blow apart your dragon, I can still knock out the rest of your Life Points! IT'S ALL OVER KAIBA!" Joey shouted as his dragon's Attack Points went up.
(Meteor Black Comet Dragon's ATK: 4500 + 1000 = 5500)
Kaiba stared up, completely dumbfounded. His Trap card had been his last means of protecting himself, but Joey found a way past it. 'This… this is just impossible! Joey Wheeler shouldn't be able to duel like this! He should not be able to… to defeat me!' As Kaiba thought this impossibility coming to pass, Meteor Black Comet Dragon just made contact with it's enemy and one final explosion covered both Duelists.
"Did… Joey win?" Yuzu asked.
"Look!" Serenity called out, pointing at the dissipating dust cloud. Eventually, both combatants reappeared. Joey stood tall, staring back at his opponent. As for Kaiba… his face was lowered and his features were hidden from the others.
(Kaiba: 0)
Everyone stared in surprise and did not say a word.
Mokuba couldn't believe this happened. 'No way. Seto lost… to Joey?' He never once imagined his big brother would lose a Duel to Joey.
Joey didn't say a word. He waited to see how rich boy was going to take this loss. He was actually half expecting Kaiba would deny losing to him and call him more worse names than he used in the past. It didn't matter if he did; it wouldn't change the fact that he, Joey Wheeler, had just defeated the prideful and arrogant Seto Kaiba.
Kaiba himself was silent for a very long minute before he returned Joey's gaze. He slowly walked up to him, taking his time with each step. He stopped when he was right in front of the Duelist that finally bested him. Both young men stared each other in the eye. After a rather intense moment, Kaiba spoke. "Joey… I'm saying this once, and only once, so try to remember every word." He paused before he resumed. "You… are no longer a pathetic amateur in my point of view. Consider yourself one of the big boys now. Just don't let it go to your head." Joey smirked.
"You got it, rich boy."
Kaiba then turned to his little brother. "Come on Mokuba. My business up here is done."
"Oh, coming Seto!" Everyone watched the Kaiba brothers step into the elevator and the doors closed them from view.
Once they were gone, Joey turned to everyone and smiled his biggest smile ever. "I did it guys! I really did it! I finally beat Kaiba!"
"Damn right you did!" Tristan said as he gave his pal a high five.
"Definitely!" Tèa said.
"Well played Joey!" Yugi told his best friend.
"Congratulations!" Yuya added.
"You were awesome!" Yuzu said.
"I never thought you'd actually pull it off. Nice going." Duke said.
"Without a doubt your best Duel ever." Bakura added.
"I was most certainly impressed." Marik said.
"You were amazing Joey!" Serenity said, also smiling brightly.
"Thanks guys." Joey then turned to Miho, who looked the happiest he had ever seen her. He smiled as he walked up to her. "Miho… thank you again for giving me your card. It really did help me." Miho's eyes sparkled from his words.
"I'm happy that it did." And then, she did something Joey was not prepared for. Miho leaned forward and kissed her idol on the cheek. This surprised nearly everyone, especially Joey. He put his hand on the spot Miho had pecked him, looking totally dumbfounded.
Serenity almost laughed from her brother's reaction. She was also pleased Miho was beginning to let Joey know her true feelings for him.
Joey had no idea how to respond. He had never been kissed before, cheek or otherwise. It took a moment before he could talk again. "Uh… that was, um… unexpected." Miho giggled.
"I know." Joey, surprisingly, started to blush.
Yuya also smiled from the interaction. "Looks like Joey and Miho might be a thing soon, like us. Don't you think Yuzu?" Yuzu nodded.
"I do. What do you think Aqua?" When Yuzu gazed down at the Ignis, she immediately knew something was wrong… very wrong. "Aqua, what's the matter? Why are you crying?"
This got everyone else's attention. Aqua was indeed shedding tears, as well as holding her own shaking body. Within seconds, they all gathered around her. "What's wrong Aqua?" Tèa asked her, deeply concerned. Aqua lifted her head up, looking around at the whole group.
"Everyone… I just received a message… from Ray." This got them all on high alert.
"About time we got an update." Tristan said.
"Did she find out where Lightning and the other big bads are hiding out?" Duke asked. Aqua shook her head.
"No. It is about… Ai."
"Is he okay?" Yugi asked. Aqua lowered her head and shut her eyes.
"He was successful in his mission, but…" She paused.
"But what?" Bakura asked. Aqua covered her face with her hands.
"Ai… Ai didn't make it back from the Astral World!" Yugi and the others gasped from the shocking news. They all looked at one another, stunned and sad that their new friend seemed to be lost. Aqua continued to sob, fearing the worst and unable to say anymore.
Yugi wondered what this meant. Did that mean Ai was dead? He didn't want to think so. 'Ai… what happened to you?'
/\/\/\/\/\/\
Around the same time, a door opened into a darkened room that became flooded with a sickly green light. She entered the room with a purpose, a wicked one. She gazed down at the room's sole occupant, who lay on the stone floor, bounded by chains.
"So, you are the one responsible for delaying my plans? You seem… far too small to be an actual threat." The trapped figure looked up to see his jailer. The green glow had illuminated enough to see the purple marks on his dark body. Ai gave a weak laugh.
"I guess I'm a bigger pain in the ass than you thought, eh?" He groaned, tugging at his chains uselessly. He knew he had no way of getting out of there. The woman didn't seem amused.
"Clearly. That is why I'm here." She then shut the door behind her, covering them both in darkness. "Where is the Numeron Code?" Ai didn't answer her. He only gave her a defiant glare. Oddly, his lack of cooperation only made her smile like the demon she was. "Have it your way then. This is more fun for me anyway…"
If one were to stand outside the cell door, they would hear the terrible screams coming from within… the beginning of his torture.
To be continued.
A.N. And that's a wrap for the Kaiba Arc! I loved how it played out and I pray I do the remaining arcs just as well! At the risk of sounding like a broken record, I'm sorry about getting my updates later than intended. I want to able to take the time to make these chapters to my satisfaction. I hope of all you will understand. Also, a quick heads up, I plan to write a Young Justice one-shot about one of my favorite couples before starting the Kaiser Arc, which of course stars the GX gang! It's something I just have the need to do. I promise I'll start on the next arc when I've finished it. Just bear with me on this. You'll see what happens to Judai and his friends before long. See ya'll back here soon!