Here it is! Now here is another Duel that was one of the reasons that I wanted to use the Duel Boxes of the manga, and you will find out why.
I hope you enjoy the chapter!
I don't own Yugioh only Claire and the idea of the Millennium Bracelet.
Please read and review!
Destiny is Strange.
The group ran through the forest pushing low hanging thin branches out of their way before making it to a small clearing with a Duel box in the middle Mai was sat at one end while the other was shrouded in complete darkness.
Inside the box Mai's Harpy Lady Sisters where destroyed and her opponent laughed darkly as Mai's life points went from 800 to 0.
"Bye bye birdies" he said mockingly as Mai closed her eyes in shame.
"No, my Harpies, they're gone, I lost" she lamented.
"I think you mean eliminated" He opponent corrected with another chuckle as his side of the field slowly started to be light again revealing a large man with dark clothes and two massive Dueling Gauntlets each holding twenty Star Chips. "Like you, now hand over all your Star Chips!" He demanded as he held out his gloved hand "you loser!"
Mai pressed something on the bottom of her Dueling Gauntlet making all the Star Chips fall out and onto the table with a small clatter. The man stood up and took them.
"Mai! Are you ok?" Yugi shouted as soon as he saw her making her gasp out his name as she turned to him. This caught the mans attention as he smirked at Yugi.
"Well we'll, this makes my job a lot easier, I have special orders from Mr Pegasus that beating you was top priority." Yugi frowned at this information so there was more people on the island like the puppet master.
"Yugi be careful, he's a Player Killer called Panic, he roams the island beating Duellists and taking all their Star Chips!" Mai warned. As she stood and walked from the Duel Box. The large man followed her out seeming to cause an intimidating shadow with his presence as he stood behind Mia who hung her head in shame he chuckled before grabbing her wrist and yanking it into the air causing Mai to cry out slightly. Holding her wrist high in the air.
"That's right, just like Pegasus pays me to do, root out all the Dueling filth on this island and dispose of it, I have already acquired all of her Star Chips, she fell like the rest and you're next!" He exclaimed as he grinned down at the peculiar teen.
"I'm sorry Yugi, but this is as far as I go, I guess I won't get to Duel you after all." Mai said as she gave Yugi a sad smile.
"This isn't right" Tèa said feeling sorry for Mai, this shouldn't be how this ends. The man barked a laugh as he sneered down at Mai.
"She was one of my easiest victims yet!" he exclaimed before letting go of her wrist and then pushed her forwards as if she was just some piece of rubbish that needed throwing away, Panic gave another loud, maniacal laugh. Mai stumbled a she was released causing the gang to rush forward, Claire getting to Mai first and placed her arm around the elders waist. She then glared at Panic.
"Hey! You might've beaten her in a Duel but that does not give you the right to push her around!" Claire snapped as she helped Mai to stand up once more, she was about to open her mouth again but a hand landed on her shoulder. Yugi stood there standing tall with confidence she only saw at certain times, it was like he becomes another person when someone he cares about is in trouble. Her bracelet pulsed and she felt that calm wash over her yet it wasn't her own, was it from Yugi?
"I've dealt with a lot of bullies in my life, a lot of bullies like you and there's only one way to deal with them" he said sternly before stepping forwards, glaring at Panic. "And that's to stand up to them, facing them head on! Play time is over, it's time to Duel!" He exclaimed.
"Stand up to them?" Panic asked amusement in his voice "you want to Duel?" Seeing Yugi not faultier he chucked before saying "Fine! Pegasus has put a fine bounty on your head for the one to eliminate you from the tournament, saves me the job of hunting you down." He laughed once more as he made his way back into the Duel box and Yugi followed. Yugi sat down across from Panic his face still not showing any fear but Panic just grinned down at him confident that this kid will crack just like the rest of his opponents have.
The rest of the gang gathered round the Duel box all hoping that Yugi would win. They were a little intimidated by Panic, he was so large almost like a wall.
"I have already taken the Star Chips of eight duellists tonight, yours will be easy pickings and then after your defeat the rest of the Duellists on this island will be crushed." Panic said as he grinned widely at Yugi who surprisingly smirked back.
"You're dreaming of you think you can beat me, sorry to burst your bubble but...I won't lose" Yugi said as if he was stating a fact, this however didn't rattle Panic, everyone falls to his darkness soon enough. "You attack under the cover of darkness, that is the cowardly." Yugi declared this made Panic mad.
"You little brat!" He exclaimed but Yugi continued as if he didn't say anything.
"You're nothing more than a lowly thief, I'll teach you that thieves can't take the heart of a true Duelist." Ge said pointing at Panic which made Panic bristle in anger how dare this little nobody talk to him like that! "For this Duel I'll bet all six of my Star Chips for all of Mai's eight that you stole. Also to make up the difference I bet my life!" He declared pointing to his own chest with his thumb.
"That sounds interesting, but excuse me if I don't the believe you" Panic chuckled, this kid wants to bet his life for some Star Chips? Then fine he'll hold him to that bargain. "So to guarantee that stays true I'll do this!" Panic then pushed a button on his massive Duelling gauntlet and a wire rope shot towards Yugi and went over his head and settled around his neck. Yugi gasped and grabbed the wire in surprise.
"Yugi!" Everyone called out in shock and concern for their friend.
"What the hell do you think you're doing!?" Claire exclaimed as she banged on the glass of the Duel Box, Joey came and grabbed her arm before she slammed it down on the box once more. "Hey! Joey let go that creep is going to hurt Yugi!" She snapped as she tried to fight Joey's grip but he held firm.
"I know, I wanna go in there too but we gotta trust Yuge" Joey said Claire tore her gaze from Joey's as she looked at the floor, she felt so helpless just on the side-lines watching and not being able to do anything but she took a deep breath before raising her head to watch the Duel.
The two Duelists ignored what was happening outside as Panic was laughing before he began to explain about the wire.
"Some Duelists try to flee from us out of fear, so we use this wire so they can't get away!" He exclaimed as he grinned widely at Yugi. "You guys are just pray let loose on the island for us to hunt! If I win I'll chock you to death!" He grinned ats he gave a small tug on the wire. This caused Yugi to jerk forward and glare at Panic.
"Fine, if I lose you can have my head" he growled at Panic as he finally let go of the wire before giving a small grin "but if you lose you have to play a penalty game." Yugi declared. Once putting the wagered Star Chips down the Duel started the both drew for their hands and Panic went first drawing his sixth card from the deck.
"Quite the little crowd you got to cheer for you haven't you. Well allow me introduce my friend" Panic paused for a second before saying "the darkness itself! My first card is the Castle of Dark Illusions!" he slapped the card into the monster zone in defence mode it had 1200 attack points and 2500 defence points. A large yellow stone castle that had a thick band type ring around it, in the centre of the ring was a large black circle that had the kanji for darkness emblazed in the middle in a bright blue.
The castle hovered over Painc's side of the game board and right before everyone's a black cloud began to form around Panic's side of the field, it kept getting thicker and bigger until the entirety of Panic's side of the Duel box was covered by a thick black fog that not even Panic could be seen.
"Hey! How is that fair? Yugi can't see what he's attacking with all that black fog covering half the field!" Claire exclaimed in shock.
"No kidding how is he supposed to know what to do if he can't see the monsters?" Joey chimed in.
"That's the point" Mai said solemnly as she watched the exact move Panic used on her. "He makes you hesitate and second guess yourself, he gets in your head and then it's all over, it's what he beat my Harpies with" she explained.
"Yeah? Well he's not going to get into Yugi's head" Claire said almost definitely as she glared in the direction of Panic, she wouldn't believe that Yugi could easily be scared by this guy.
"And if you think you can storm my castle with a field power bonus of your own, think again because just as my shadows block the light from above it blocks the field power from the ground bellow, only the night grants bonuses here!" Panic exclaimed. Yugi had no idea what could be lurking in that swirling mass so he was going to have to play defensively, for now at least. So after drawing his cards and analysing his hand he summoned a monster.
"I summon Celtic Guardian in defence mode" He announced the knight appeared taking a defensive stance feet planted firmly on the table wide apart and his hand on the hilt of his sword ready to strike. The Celtic Guardian only had 1400 attack points and 1200 defence points.
"Not a very bright idea!" Panic exclaimed as he summoned a monster, however Yugi was unable to see what monster it was, knowing that his opponent might be feeling a little unnerved by whatever monster it was that he played made Panic laugh before declaring his next move. "Attack, Dark Grasp of Fury!" Red glowing eyes appeared in the shadows and whatever it was moved quickly but so did the darkness keeping the monster concealed. The knight was quickly grabbed and then dragged into the darkness, Celtic Guardian struggled but was soon destroyed as the darkness seemed to consume him. "Our first victim of the night, now do you see? There's nothing you can do."
"Yugi" Tèa murmured worriedly as she stared on, how could he get out of this one?
"That's cheat how can you defend against what you can't see?" Joey asked in frustration.
"Yeah or defeat a monster you can't find" Bakura also chimed in.
"Anybody got a flashlight?" Tristan asked hoping to lighten the mode a little.
"I think that's what Panic wants, he wants Yugi to feel uncertainty." Claire said as she glared at Panic. Claire still couldn't can't quite believe the man that she knew as her father would do something like this, pay people to knock others out of the tournament that he had set up.
"Even your friends have lost hope for you!" Panic exclaimed as he laughed once more. Yugi looked down at his side of the field and then up to where the dark outline of the castle was. The only way he would be able to see the monsters is to get rid of his Castle of Dark Illusions, but he had nothing in his deck that can get through it's defence. For now he was just going to have to keep defending.
"Winged dragon, Guardian of the Fortress in defence mode." Yugi declared placing the card sideways. The blue dragon appeared with a low growl and crouching low with its wings resting at the sides. It's attack points are 1400 and defence points were 1200.
"Is defensive plays all that you can do?" Panic asked mockingly before he summoned another monster, another set of glowing eyes pierced the darkness. "I won't attack this turn."
"So how is Yugi supposed to take this guy out Mai?" Tèa asked.
"If I was able to figure that out we wouldn't be in this situation" Mai said in a matter of fact tone which made Tèa turn to her.
"Admit it Yugi your courage is all gone, swallowed by my dark fog. All that's left is a trembling Duelist, too scared to attack." Panic sneered at him before laughing once more. Yugi said nothing he knew that he couldn't keep defending, that wasn't going to win him the Duel, he had to try something, maybe he could shed some light on his situation, see what he was actually fighting, might be a long shot but he had to try. So putting his hand on his Winged Dragon card he switched it from defence mode to attack mode.
"Winged Dragon Guardian of The Fortress attack! Fireball attack!" Yugi ordered. The dragon roared and took flight before sending a barrage of fireballs at the darkness, the light briefly illuminated both monsters.
"So you saw my creatures? But I doubt it gives you enough time to stop me, after all your monster can't illuminate the darkness and attack at the same time!" Panic exclaimed with a laugh as it became his turn once more. "Dark Grasp of Fury!" Panic ordered and once again the same fate that befell Yugi's Celtic Guardian a few turns ago was now going to be Winged Dragons fate too, the dragon roared in pain before being destroyed and Yugi's life points fell from 2000 to 1606. "Lights out for your Guardian of the Fortress." Panic then began to laugh once more "you're as good as dead Yugi!" Panic exclaimed gleefully. "The dark is my home, as long as it's dark I'm invincible!" Yugi kept quiet his life points were down while Panic's hadn't even been touched. "Keep struggling Yugi! The game is much more fun when you resist!"
"Tough talk Panic! Coming from someone who makes all their attacks while hiding in the safety of shadows!" Yugi exclaimed back, however this didn't effect Panic, instead it made him chuckle and he yanked on the wire making Yugi jerk forward.
"You insolent little brat, perhaps you should think twice before you insult some who can snap your neck in two with the touch of a button huh?" He asked as he gave another yank once Yugi sat up. "You're afraid Yugi, your lost and alone in the dark and I'm the big bad Bogeyman about to leap out and give you the scare of your life!" Panic mocked. However instead of cowering Yugi chuckled which made Panic confused. "If you can see what I had in store for you. You wouldn't be laughing."
"But that's why I'm laughing, because I can see, right through you" Yugi said confidently.
"What? What are you talking about you little runt?" Panic asked.
"You are the bogeyman Panic, scaring children into being afraid of the dark, until they realise the dark is nothing to be afraid of, like you" Yugi explained, Panic's eyes widened. "Once a person congers up the confidence not to be fearful of the unknown they've disarmed the only weapon that the darkness has." Yugi continued with a smirk.
"You wish it was that simple" Panic started but Yugi cut him off.
"But it is that simple!" Yugi said loudly making Panic pause as he glared at Yugi from the darkness. "I have the card to prove it!" Yugi claimed confidently.
"What card?" Panic asked Yugi lifted the card up towards his face as he continued to grin.
"A card that will expose you, and lift that veil of shadows you hide behind" Yugi continued his face showing his confidence.
"What's that?!" Panic asked feeling a little concerned about what it was that Yugi had.
"It's just a little something that will teach you a tough lesson in broad daylight."
"Hey Mai, why would Yugi tell Panic his strategy?" Tèa asked, she'd never seen Yugi or anyone for that matter tell the other what they planned to do.
"It's panic, same thing happened to me, you start making amateur mistakes" Mai said thinking back to her own Duel with Panic.
"I don't know Mai, he doesn't look like he's panicking" Bakura said as he watched Yugi closely.
"You almost had me there but we both know that card is nothing but a big fat bluff, prove me wrong Yugi!" Panic demanded. "Go ahead, let's see you give me my 'tough lesson'" Panic said mockingly before laughing once more, there's no way this kid could beat him.
"Why should I show you my card after you've gone to such lengths to keep yours in the dark?" Yugi asked after a small chuckle.
"I think you're stalling" Panic said dismissively, trying to shrug it off.
"You don't trust me Panic?" Yugi asked "believe it or not, not all Duelists are lying dogs like you" Yugi said which made Panic growl angrily. "And to prove it I'll show you, after all I wouldn't want you to think I was some kind of liar."
"Show me!" Panic demanded once more showing that he really did care about the mysterious card in Yugi's hand.
"You don't need to prove anything to that slime Yugi" Tristan said as everyone watched in shock at what Yugi was about to do.
"Ready Panic? Here it is" Yugi paused before turning the card around so Panic could finally see it. "The Swords of Revealing Light!" Yugi announced.
"Revealing Light?" Panic asked as he stared at the card.
"The blinding magic of Swords of Revealing Light not only stops all enemy monsters from attacking for three full turns but it baths the entire field in a light so luminous that even your shadow creatures will be exposed" Yugi explained. "Soon Panic the monsters in your dark empire will have nowhere to hide, but rather than play it now I'll take a page from your book and let you worry about when and how I'll use it. Just like you do with the monsters you hide in the dark" Yugi said as he placed the card back into his hand. "Also your going down in five turns. Give turns Panic and this Duel will end." Yugi said with a grin before picking a card out of his hand. "Now it was my turn wasn't it?" Yugi asked as he drew a card. "I'll play Curse of Dragon in defence mode, and I'll play this card face down and end my turn." Yugi said as a yellow bony type dragon curled up over it's own card looking like it was resting. "You have four turns left Panic."
Panic knew that the face down card Yugi had just played was the Swords of Revealing Light, the little brat was taunting him, but he left his trump card completely exposed, that made Panic have an idea.
"What's the matter Panic?" Yugi asked "has bullying lost its thrill?" Yugi asked as he crossed his arms looking very calm even with a metal rope around his neck.
"I'll teach you about loss, just you wait" Panic promised angrily getting frustrated with this kids taunts.
"Hey, Mai, why is Yugi keeping that out of he's not going to play it yet? And is it all right for Yugi to show his cards like that?" Tèa asked hoping someone would have an answer for her.
"I hate to say it but I don't think it's a good sign" Mai said with a shake of her head this made Tèa make a questioning noise promoting Mai to continue "I was able to keep it together for about this long too but after a while Panic has a way of getting to you and making you slip up."
"Not my pal, he knows what he's doing" Joey denied surely Yugi couldn't make silly mistakes, he never has done before
"I sure hope so" Bakura said eyes not leaving the Duel.
"He does" Tristan insisted firmly.
"Listen I know Yugi's good, but fighting Panic isn't about being good it's about keeping a level head while you're lost in the dark or being attacked by shadows, Yugi's going to need guts to win this Duel not just skill." Mai explained
"Well I think you need to get to know him a little more, he has guts." Claire said confidently "while it's not exactly against the rules for him show his cards, but it doesn't seem like the smartest thing to do either. Unless he actually plans to use something else, not that card and he's actually bluffing about using the Swords" Claire said and then frowned, what could he be planning?
"Yeah and he's got heart" Tèa said as she smiled slightly at Mai even though the older women didn't return it.
"Yes but he has just left his best card out fully vulnerable, you don't make those kinds of mistakes unless you're nervous. We don't know if he is bluffing we best hope he is because if not Panic doesn't seem like the one to let it go unpunished." Bakura spoke up once more, he was hoping that Yugi was indeed bluffing that would make this less stressful.
Panic drew his next card looking at it he began to laugh.
"You're an idiot, I've never seen a Duelist dumb enough to tell me his strategy and then show me his cards, you wanted to illuminate me with the presence of that card? Well too bad, I'm going to make you regret telling me what you were going to do and leaving it on the field completely exposed!" Panic exclaimed gleefully as he pointed at Yugi. "If you thought idle cards where safe from attacks you are dead wrong! Reaper of the Cards!" He played the card in attack position it had 1800 attack points and 2000 defence points. A ghostly like figure appeared wearing a dark brown cloak, two glowing eyes and mouth could be seen at where the creatures face should be and three cards held the cloak closed. Two bony arms came out the bottom of the cloak holding its massive scythe.
"The Reaper?" Yugi asked as his eyes widened slightly.
"When The Reaper is summoned all magic cards hear the ghostly toll of doom, he'll be sending your 'Revealing Light' to the discard pile, leaving you defenceless! Reaper attack!" Panic ordered and the Reaper moved, gliding quickly across the table towards Yugi's face down card.
"Yugi!" all his friends cried out worried for him.
"But that card was Yugi's only chance!" Mai exclaimed the Reaper made it to the card an swung it's scythe down time seemed to slow for everyone, Tèa shut her eyes not wanting to watch.
"Your fate belongs to me now Yugi! Call of the graveyard!" Panic exclaimed as the tip of the Reapers scythe finally touched the back of Yugi's face down card however after a few seconds it was clear that something wasn't quite right, The Reaper and stopped moving and nothing was happening to Yugi's card. "What going on? Why isn't it finishing it's attack" Panic asked this made Yugi chuckle once more and made Panic even more infuriated at him for it, Tèa finally peaked open one eye to look at the Duel and seeing the strange sight made he confused so opening both eyes she properly looked over at the Duel. "It should've destroyed your card, the Swords of Revealing Light." Panic said in slight frustration why hadn't the attack gone through?
"I said that the Swords of Revealing Light was the card that would illuminate your monsters, I never said I placed it on the field, you just assumed that" Yugi explained.
"But if that's not-" Panic was cut off by Yugi.
"The card I placed on the field was a different card" Yugi said as he flipped over the card to reveal not a spell card but a trap card that showed a big glowing magic circle. "The Spell Binding Circle! A trap card."
"A trap card?!" Panic asked in shock that he ha been fooled so easily.
"Yes a trap card that snares your Reaper stopping him dead in his tracks. And circling him in a magical prison" A yellow circle with a pentagram in came up from the card and around Reaper of the Cards the Reaper tried to move but was unable to it also lost 700 attack points making it go down from 1800 to 1100. "In Duel Monsters one must be weary of the Reaper of the Cards and it's ability to send magic cards to the discard pile, I figured you probably had one stalking around in your deck somewhere. But now that he's frozen unable to damage my deck I'm free to lay whatever magic cards I want on the field." Yugi explained with a grin.
"Great thinking Yugi!" Tèa cheered happily as the group smiled at Yugi's planning.
"Way to pull one over on him Yuge!" Joey also cheered.
"What is it with this kid? I can't even keep up with him here on the side-lines" Mai said quietly as she stared eyes wide at how this kid plays.
"He's had a lot of practice and learnt a lot from our grandpa." Claire explained with a shrug Yugi just ha a natural talent for all things games and puzzles.
"He's doing good, but it's not over yet." Bakura said making the group outside the box looks his way.
"How dare you! You tricked me" Panic screamed his accusation in frustration and annoyance but Yugi just grinned slightly still looking calm and collected as he drew his card.
"You tricked yourself Panic and wasted quite a powerful card too, but now that the coast is clear, I'll really lay my Swords of Revealing Light!" Yugi exclaimed as he did just that making Panic growl in frustration. "And a second magic card, both face down" this made Panic question what they could be, what could this kid possibly be playing at? "Do you see it yet, Player Killer?" Yugi asked.
"See what!?" Panic asked in slight panic.
"The rope around you neck" Yugi said confidently.
"You fool! It is you that's about to be hanged! There's no rope around my neck" Panic said with a laugh.
"Don't you realise?" Yugi asked "in the darkness you're climbing the steps to the gallows one step at a time, one step for each turn, three turns left" Yugi said and with that Panic had a quick vision, darkness surrounded him but he could see and hear himself step up on creaky stairs a rope around his neck and hands bound behind his back.
He gasped as the vision disappeared just as quickly as it came and once more Yugi was sat across from him. What was that it felt so real he shook his head quickly to clear it.
"Darkness is a mirror that throws your own fears back at you, fear that swallows those with weak hearts, like you." Yugi said, he spoke as if he knew what Panic had just seen but that was impossible right?
"Shut up! So you captured my Reaper, but he's only one of my powerful monsters, the ones that remain will destroy you!" Panic exclaimed as he thought of on particular monster one that will end this Duel.
So that's part one of Panic vs Yugi and I got to say this was fun if not very time consuming as I had the episode playing on my phone and the manga book open. I also wanted to make it a bit more clear on the powers of the Millennium Bracelet and the fact that Claire is starting to realise what they are and she can start to use them. I hope I have made it clear of the powers if not do tell me please
I hope you all enjoyed and please leave a review!
See you next time!
