"I set two cards face-down and end my turn!" Makoto yells, as two zones on his side of the field light up.
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"Still on the defensive? With this, you have no more cards left in hand. All that's left now is for me to destroy your monster, and that will be that. Go, Curse of Dragon! Fireball attack!" Yugi yells.
Instead of looking worried, Makoto just smirks as the fireball approaches. "Heh, maybe you should learn to watch your words, Yugi…" As the fireball hits Makoto's monster, it flips to reveal some kind of weird jar.
Yugi's eyes widen as he recognizes it. "The Morphing Jar?!"
You look over at Joey, wondering if he knows what that monster is. Joey just coughs and begins to rub the back of his head. "Uh, well, ya see, Morphing Jar, it um..."—he trails off awkwardly.
Mai rolls her eyes and picks up for him. "Morphing Jar: when it's flipped face-up, both duelists have to discard their entire hand and draw five cards," she explains, eyes still locked on the field.
All of your eyes widen at that. "Wait, then that means—!" Tristan starts.
"That's right! I get to draw five cards! What was that about me having no cards left in hand, Yugi?!" Makoto finishes, a grin returning to his face as he looks across at Yugi, who just scowled and discarded four cards before drawing five more.
Joey scowls and clenches his fist. "What?! Yugi had him on the ropes, but now they're practically even again!" he yells in frustration.
Mai just sighs and crosses her arms. "I told you, Joseph. Makoto isn't the National Champ for nothing. Don't assume he's lost until his Life Points hit zero," she says seriously.
You gulp and look back at the field, praying Yugi can get through this.
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Yugi just scowls, sets one card face-down, and ends his turn.
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Makoto's grin only widened as his turn began. "Didn't I tell you, Yugi? Soon enough, you'll be facing only despair—and that begins now! I summon my Red-Eyes Black Dragon!" A grin spread even wider across his face as the monster appeared, almost painfully wide.
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Mai's eyes widened as she looked at the monster. "Red-Eyes?! Where did he get his hands on a card like that?" she asked, shocked, as everyone turned to look at her.
"Eh? What's so special about that monster?" Joey asked, worry thick in his voice.
Mai took a calming breath and began to explain. "I'm sure you've heard of Kaiba's Blue-Eyes White Dragon, so I won't go into details about that, but I suppose you can think of Red-Eyes as a mirror to it," she started, causing everyone's eyes to widen.
"What?! But that dragon only has 2400 attack points! Even the dragon he had at the start of the duel had more attack points!" Tristan said, clearly not understanding what made this dragon so special compared to the other.
Mai just shook her head and continued. "Attack points aren't everything in Duel Monsters. Some monsters, like the Blue-Eyes White Dragon, have power in spades, but others have more subtle uses. Red-Eyes is one of them—you could even argue he's the poster boy for it. They say that while Blue-Eyes is the dragon of power, Red-Eyes is the dragon of potential. As for what that means? Well, we're probably about to find out…" Mai trailed off, worry evident in her voice, and everyone turned their attention back to the duel.
"Go, Red-Eyes! Destroy his pathetic Curse of Dragon! Inferno Fire Blast!" Makoto bellowed, glee in his voice as his dragon shot out a massive fireball from its mouth.
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Yugi just smirked rather than looking worried. "You seem to be getting hasty, Makoto. Perhaps it's time you learn—sometimes, it's better to look before you leap. I activate my Mirror Force!"
Suddenly, a barrier appeared in the path of the fireball. As soon as it impacted the barrier, the attack shot back, heading directly toward Makoto's dragon.
Joey and Tristan bounced in excitement, pumping their arms. "Alright! Doesn't matter how much 'potential' his dragons have if Yugi destroys them before they can do anything!" Tristan cheered.
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Makoto's grin grew even wilder. "Ha! Maybe you're the one who needs to learn to look before you leap! I activate my Monster Reborn and Polymerization! Allowing me to fuse my Red-Eyes with another monster in my Graveyard!" Makoto cackled as his Red-Eyes turned into black light, shooting into his Polymerization card.
Your eyes widen as you realize what's about to happen. "Oh no! He's going to fuse it with the other dragon Yugi destroyed earlier!" you call out, panic thick in your voice.
Joey and Tristan's eyes widened at that.
"Yugi!" you all cry out in worry, but…
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---------->
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"Ha! While I'm sure my Tri-Horn and Red-Eyes would make a frightful beast—and I'll be sure to torment some poor soul later with it—for now, I choose to fuse my Red-Eyes and Giant Germ together and show Yugi true suffering! Come—!"
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"—Red-Eyes Plague Dragon!" Makoto announced grandly, sweeping his arm to showcase his beast.
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------------>
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You couldn't help but take a step back as his monster appeared—an almost sickly, undead version of the Red-Eyes that was slowly rotting. But you took another step back as the smell hit you next—a sickeningly sweet stench of rot and decay.
You quickly bring your hands up to cover your eyes and mouth as your eyes begin to water from the foul odor.
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------------>
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Makoto seems unaffected by the stench, his grin widening even more. "Just you wait, Yugi! While my Plague Dragon lies in wait for now, as soon as my next turn begins, it will show you the meaning of true suffering!" Makoto bellowed, cackling to himself.
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Yugi's jaw clenched as his turn began. He drew a card and inspected his hand before a smile appeared on his face.
"I will admit, your monster does look mighty, but that only means I need to slay it before you have a chance to use it with a fusion of my own! Come forth, Gaia the Fierce Knight!" Yugi declared as his Gaia appeared on his side of the field. "Now, I activate Polymerization! Fusing my Gaia the Fierce Knight and Curse of Dragon to create—!" He raised his hand as his monsters began to meld together. "Gaia, the Dragon Champion!"
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Makoto scoffed as he looked at Yugi's monster, its 2600 ATK. "How pathetic. Did you forget the Field Power Bonus? Dragon Champion is a Wind monster, which means its attack power isn't boosted. I expected better from you, Yugi," Makoto mocked, a smug grin spreading across his face at what he saw as Yugi's 'misplay.'
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Yugi remained calm, a smirk playing on his face as he responded. "I'd have thought you'd know better than to judge what a monster can do by its attack points, Makoto. After many fierce battles against ferocious dragons, my Gaia has gained enough experience to gain an advantage when fighting them—boosting its attack by 50%! Now, go, my Gaia—Spiral Rage!" Yugi commanded as his monster surged forward, while you and the others let out a cheer.
.
---------->
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For some reason, Makoto doesn't look worried—in fact, his smirk only begins to stretch wider. "...Oh, sweet, naive Yugi. You've just guaranteed my victory," he murmured quietly, and you barely manage to hear it over the sound of battle as Gaia pierces through Plague Dragon's scales, destroying it.
Even as the monster is destroyed, it leaves behind a cloud of disgusting-looking reddish-brown gas that doesn't look good, causing you and the others to take a step back to stay as far away as possible.
As the gas cloud expands, Makoto throws his head back and begins to cackle, pure joy filling his voice.
Yugi scowled as he looked at the field and listened to Makoto's laughter, eventually slamming his fist down on his Duel Pod. "Tell me what's happening!" he demanded.
Makoto's laughter slowly began to die down, but his grin only grew wider as he explained. "It's quite simple, Yugi. My Plague Dragon's effect is that when it's destroyed, it unleashes a deadly virus that will wipe out all monsters you control!" He chuckled gleefully as the cloud suddenly shot forward toward Yugi's side of the field.
Joey's eyes widened. "Wait! If all of Yugi's monsters are destroyed and he takes damage equal to half their attack—uhh!" Joey suddenly started counting on his fingers, trying to calculate the damage.
"It'll wipe out the rest of his Life Points!" you cry out, instinctively taking a step forward before Tristan reaches out, grabbing your arm and pulling you back. "Yugi!"
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---------->
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Yugi quickly threw down a Spell Card from his hand. "I activate my Living Arrow!" he yelled, as his card appeared on the field.
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-------->
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Makoto scowled in confusion, narrowing his eyes. "Living Arrow…?" he muttered quietly to himself.
"Yes! My Living Arrow allows me to copy one spell in your Graveyard! And I choose Mystical Space Typhoon! I then use it to blow the poisonous gas cloud away from my monsters!" Yugi shouted, as a giant gust of wind swept the cloud away—toward the opposite side of the arena from where you all were standing, and away from Makoto himself.
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-------->
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Makoto clicks his tongue again, narrowing his eyes as fury burns deep within them. "Fucking stall all you like, rat. Soon enough, I'll have that Puzzle—even if I have to rip it from your cold, dead throat," he hissed.
Without missing a beat, he continues as your heart rate slowly returns to normal. "My Plague Dragon has a second effect: when it's destroyed, I can search for one card with 'Virus' in its name and add it to my hand. And I think I'll choose my 'Full Force Virus!'" He begins searching through his deck and adds the card to his hand.
"You've avoided one plague, little Yugi. But will you be able to avoid the next?" he asks, poison practically dripping from his tongue.
Yugi remains calm amid Makoto's provocations, taking a steadying breath. "I suppose we'll just have to see, won't we? I end my turn," he finishes.
.
----------->
.
Makoto smirks as he beholds his draw. "I suppose if Gaia reigns supreme over all dragons, then I'm left with no other choice but to come at it from a different angle. And I'll start with this—my Pre-Preparation of Rites!" You hear Mai let out a gasp from beside you.
"...I was afraid of this. With that, Makoto can get his Rites of the Underworld and go for Hades," Mai mutters worriedly, beginning to bite at her nails again.
Joey just keeps his eyes on the duel, fists clenched. "Don't worry 'bout it! It don't matter what kinda creepy monster he brings out—Yuge will deal with it no problemo!" Joey states confidently, though you can see beads of sweat running down his face.
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---------->
.
Makoto just let out a laugh at that. "Ha! Come on now, don't be rude! There's certainly nothing creepy about the monster I'm about to summon!" Makoto grinned.
"You're bluffing! Even if you do get your Rites of the Underworld, you haven't got any monsters on the field to tribute for Hades! Even a novice like me knows you need that!" Tristan yelled confidently from beside you.
Makoto just smirked. "...Who said anything about Hades," he drawled smugly, finally pulling out—
.
----------->
.
You… don't know. You've never seen that card before. Before you can turn to Mai and ask what it does, Makoto continues.
"I just won this little gem off one of those dweebs from earlier after I slammed him into the ground. I haven't actually had a chance to use it yet, or summon this monster. You should be honored, Yugi!" Makoto yells, a certain weight filling the air.
"I activate Advanced Ritual Art! By sending 1 monster whose level matches the exact level of a Ritual Monster I possess, I can summon that monster! So, by sending Gluttonia from my deck to the Graveyard, I call forth—my Black Luster Soldier!"
You hear Mai let out another gasp from beside you, but your eyes are glued to the Duel Arena as a majestic warrior in black and red armor appears on Makoto's side of the field.
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.
"H-He has a Black Luster Soldier?!" Mai exclaims, shock thick in her voice.
Finally, you manage to blink, snapping yourself out of your enrapturement and turning to Mai.
"What's that monster, Mai?" you ask. She hadn't had this big a reaction to even Red-Eyes.
Mai turns to you, an almost frantic look on her face. "That is one of the rarest cards in the world! There are only ten in existence! Makoto could sell that for millions!" she gasps, shock and awe plastered across her face.
…Oh.
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------------>
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Before you could fully process that thought, Makoto continued. "That's right! And now, let me demonstrate its mythical power! Go, Black Luster Soldier! Requiem Slash!"
His monster shot forward instantly—appearing to move without hesitation. One second it was there, and the next, it was behind Yugi's Dragon Champion.
For a moment, everything seemed almost frozen. Then, Yugi's monster disintegrated into hundreds, if not thousands, of tiny pieces before shattering all at once, dealing 400 damage to Yugi's Life Points. Yugi grunted in pain and began to pant as he bent over his Duel Pod.
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---------->
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Makoto just grinned in satisfaction as he watched Yugi hunched over his Duel Pod, while you could only look on in worry.
"Ah, now that's what I expect from you, Yugi—prostrating yourself before your king. That must feel so much better than keeping your head held high," Makoto sighed, his voice full of deep satisfaction as Yugi pushed himself up.
"Y-You're no king of mine, Makoto! I would never bow to someone so consumed by their own avarice!" Yugi yelled, finally straightening up.
Makoto just scowled as he watched. "...If you choose not to live on your knees, then you can die on your back," he said, a dark promise lurking in his words.
"I set two cards face-down and end my turn," Makoto finished, his eyes still firmly locked on Yugi.
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-------->
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Yugi begins his turn, and his jaw tightens as he looks at his hand. "I summon Koumori Dragon in defense mode and end my turn…" he murmurs.
"...Yugi's not gonna lose this, is he?" Tristan muttered, despair creeping into his voice.
Mai shrugged. "It was bound to happen. Makoto is the National Champion for a reason. Don't get me wrong, Yugi put up a good fight—better than most could ever hope—but with the powerhouses Makoto's packing, this was only ever going to end one way. I wouldn't worry too much, though. Makoto already said he'd let us out once he gets your friends' Puzzle. I'm sure that other comment was just a bit of chest puffing," she said confidently, though you could detect a hint of worry buried in her voice.
"...What was it you said before, Mai?" Joey asked, eyes locked on the Duel Arena, a surprising seriousness in his voice. "That we shouldn't count Makoto out until his Life Points hit 0? Well, I'm gonna say the same to you—until Yugi's Life Points hit 0, he's still in this, and he'll find a way to make a comeback. It doesn't matter how many powerful monsters Makoto has, because I know Yugi has just as many ways to knock 'em down!" Joey finished with a cheer, and Yugi looked over at him with a smile.
"Yeah! As long as we believe in him, Yugi will never lose! The minute we accept he's lost—that's when the duel's over!" you said, puffing your chest out.
Makoto looked over at all of you, a scowl on his face. "God, you're gonna make me barf," he said. "If you're gonna cheerlead, at least put the cute girl in a uniform. It doesn't matter how much you believe in him or what you say—reality doesn't change. The reality is, I'm going to kick your friend into the dirt and take my Puzzle. Accept it, and learn that your place in life is just to make me shine brighter on my path to glory," Makoto finished, and you all scowled at him.
…Though, for a second, your cheeks did brighten at being called cute, but you quickly stamped that down.
.
-------------->
.
"Hmph." Yugi quickly catches Makoto's attention with a huff. "You go on and on about being the king, about your greatness and power, but all I see is a lonely man standing alone—propped up by a power he neither understands nor controls. You are no monarch, Makoto—merely a fool."
Makoto's face goes dead at that. "...You remember my offer about letting you leave unharmed? That's now off the table. You're dead. And if your little friends don't shut their mouths, they can follow you to the grave," Makoto finishes, a dark aura beginning to surround him.
"Go, Black Luster Soldier—Requiem Slash!" Makoto orders. But before his monster can vanish again, Yugi speaks up.
"Your monster is mighty, Makoto. There's no one who would deny that. The number of monsters that could defeat it naturally could be counted on one hand. But it just so happens I possess one such monster," Yugi starts with a smirk.
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------------>
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Makoto's eyes narrow further, and the dark aura surrounding him begins to thicken. "...You're bluffing. And even if you're not, it doesn't matter. What you have is just words in the wind and two weaklings on the field. Now, continue—Black Luster Soldier, destroy that eyesore of an Imp," he commands.
But even as Makoto's monster disappears and crashes down on Yugi's side of the field in a shroud of smoke, Yugi just laughs. "I suppose I should show you, then—the monster I'm talking about."
As the smoke begins to clear, it reveals Makoto's monster crossing swords with something on Yugi's field. When the smoke fully disperses, the scene is revealed—
.
--------------->>
.
Another Black Luster Soldier?! Makoto's eyes widened, and his previously deadpan expression finally shifted to one of shock. "What?! What kind of trick is this, Yugi?!" he snarled, demanding an answer, as Yugi just smirked.
"...No trick," Yugi replied. "The Black Luster Soldier is a mighty and rare card, indeed, but as you should know, there's more than one in existence." Makoto just scowled, his face twisting further in fury.
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-------->
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".... I'll enjoy this, Yugi—very much so. All your resistance will only make your fall even sweeter. But for now, Black Luster Soldier! Return to me!" At his command, Makoto's Black Luster Soldier finally breaks the sword lock, jumping back to his side of the field.
"I summon Beast of Talwar in defense mode, set two cards face-down, and end my turn," Makoto finishes, his face returning to that dead expression.
.
----------------->
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Yugi smirks as he looks at his draw, and you know, then and there, that this is the last turn of the duel.
—--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Your heart soars at the sight of Graceful Charity, knowing your deck is returning your faith tenfold after such an arduous battle.
Ever since you watched the finals on TV, you had a bad feeling about Makoto Yuzuki. But after he was nothing but cordial to you on the ship and at the docks, you dismissed your fears as old paranoia—misconstruing his persona as his true self. However, the moment you stepped foot in this cave and felt the air, you knew something was wrong.
Something ancient and dark was hanging over him like a shadow, subtly guiding him to fulfill its own sinister objective—which you realized deep in your bones and soul was to get its hands on your Millennium Puzzle. And you knew you could not let that happen.
"I activate my Graceful Charity! Allowing me to draw three cards from my deck!" you bellow, activating your cards and drawing, smiling as your faith is rewarded.
"Then I summon my faithful companion—the Dark Magician! When boosted by the Field Power Bonus, it brings its attack all the way to 3250! Now, go! Dark Magic Attack!" you order, watching as your friend raises his staff toward Makoto's Black Luster Soldier, but your eyes widen as you feel the dark aura enshrouding him grow even stronger!
.
------------>
.
"Not so fast, Yugi! You're in for a true nightmare now! I combo my set Polymerization and Rites of the Underworld—tributing my Pendulum Machine and Beast of Talwar to fuse my Hades, Lord of the Underworld, with my Black Luster Soldier! Now, Yugi—taste oblivion!"
"Come forth! True despair! The peaceful and the tormented! Bring everyone to your realm and make them suffer just as you did!—" Makoto screams, as a black pillar encases his entire field as he begins to cackle as it slowly shrinks, revealing…
.
------------->
.
…The source of the dark aura enshrouding Makoto, which only grows stronger with its summon, nearly encasing him entirely and blocking his body from view.
"HOW DOES IT FEEL, YUGI?! AS SOON AS MY TURN BEGINS, YOU WILL LEARN WHAT HAPPENS TO ANYONE WHO DARES STAND IN MY WAY!" Makoto cackles, his voice now unrecognizable—gone are any traces of sanity, replaced by greed, pride, and a sadistic hunger rather than reason.
You merely take a deep breath and then look upon your enemy as Makoto continues to laugh.
"So, this is the monster influencing you. If I have any hope of saving you, that is the beast I must defeat," you say calmly, as if you weren't facing down a monster with 4550 ATK and an unknown effect.
Makoto just scowls at the lack of fear in your voice. "Bluster all you like, Yugi. We both know this is your end. Go out with some dignity and end your turn already," he bites out.
You raise an eyebrow. "And why would I do that when I still have a move?" That just causes Makoto to scowl even harder—practically hearing the grind of his teeth all the way from across the arena.
"...I'm sick and fucking tired of your bluffing. If you have something, then do it! OR STOP WASTING MY TIME!" he snarls, leaning against the Duel Pod as shadows envelope him completely.
You sigh, taking the last card in your hand and activating it. "If you so wish, I activate Polymerization!" you yell, watching Makoto's eyes widen.
.
------------->
.
"Fusing together my own Black Luster Soldier and Dark Magician—to create my ultimate monster! Master of Chaos!" At your command, your monster emerges, materializing from the fusion of the Dark Magician and Black Luster Soldier.
.
------------->
.
The black figure that now stands where Makoto once did begins to rage, already sensing what's about to happen.
"YOU DON'T DESERVE THE PUZZLE! IT IS OURS! WE SUFFERED FOR IT! WE DESERVE IT! ALL OF YOU LACKED THE VISION AND STOMACH TO USE THE BOOK TO ITS FULL POTENTIAL! WE WOULD HAVE BEEN GODS! UNCHALLENGED, UNCONTESTED, UNSTOPPABLE! WE ARE THE ONLY ONES WHO CAN DO IT!"
Yugi remains steady, unsure of what the figure is speaking of. "...I don't know the full history of my Millennium Puzzle, nor what powers it truly possesses," he begins, glaring at the figure across from him. "But there is one thing I do know." He pauses, his voice firm. "I will never allow it or its power to fall into the hands of a man like you—a slave to his own greed!"
The figure freezes for a moment, and you swear for a fraction of a second that Makoto's face flicks through. "Now, with this, I cast you out! Go, Master of Chaos! End of all things!" you shout, feeling your Puzzle respond to your resolve. Your words empower Master of Chaos's attack as it finally crashes into Makoto's monster, shaking the entire cavern and bathing everything in a black-and-white light.
.
------------->
.
You slowly blink the stars out of your eyes as the light fades from the cavern, clearing your vision. Standing before you is Makoto, slumped against his Duel Pod, blood dripping from his nose and mouth as he pants, looking on the verge of fainting.
A part of you is tempted to stay put, to demand the duel continue, to win and then claim his Star Chips—whatever it took to get your Grandpa back. But as you look at your opponent, clearly suffering and in need of help, those thoughts quickly vanish. You take back control, leaving your Duel Pod behind, and rush over to assist him.
You were fucking exhausted.
That's the only thought running through your mind as your platform slowly descended, and Joey and Tristan grabbed and laid you against the Duel Arena.
You had never felt like this before. You knew you could really get into a duel, but at the end, it had felt like you were on fire—every thought, every emotion burning with an intensity so hot it could have torn the world asunder. You had felt like a god.
...Then, suddenly, everything was doused the minute your Stygian Luster Swordsman was destroyed. You had gone from feeling like you were on top of the world to feeling like you had one foot in the grave.
Finally managing to catch your breath—at least somewhat—you looked up at Yugi and his friends, who were staring at you warily. Surprisingly, there was also worry in their eyes.
...Heh, they really were naive.
You leaned your head back against the Duel Arena, still exhausted, and began to speak. "So, anybody have any fucking idea what just happened? I feel like I've just been hit by ten trucks in a row."
You didn't have any fucking idea what caused you to go off like that, but it seemed connected to Yugi's Puzzle—take it—so maybe he had an idea.
Yugi sat across from you, crossing his legs. "I'm not entirely sure, but it seems to be connected to my Millennium Puzzle. How about you talk about what happened from your perspective?" Yugi asked kindly.
That was fair, you supposed—considering you'd definitely been the aggressor here. Closing your eyes, you tried to get your thoughts in order as you laid them out.
"...Things were pretty normal. I was waiting for duelists to approach, then I'd lead them to this Arena. I caught the ex-American national champ, Bandit Keith, loitering around with some goons, so I challenged him—then—" You stop there, eyes widening.
...You'd fucking liquidized him. How the fuck had you done that? Not just that, but you also cut off the entrance. In the moment, it had felt so natural—you just wanted it done, and it happened—easy as breathing. But last you'd checked, you weren't some fucking sorcerer.
Either way, Yugi and his friends were watching you, waiting for you to continue. You weren't sure how comfortable you felt telling them you'd murdered a man—no matter how much he deserved it—so you decided to brush past that part.
"—I-I beat him. He got angry, and we got into a fight. Eventually, he ran off with his goons, but not long after, the rest of you came in. And the minute I saw your Puzzle, I just—"
You had wanted it more than you had ever desired anything in your life—more than women, more than fame, more than cards. It had been all-encompassing. It wasn't just a desire at that point; it was a NEED.
But now, as you look at the Puzzle around Yugi's neck, that same compulsion seems to have vanished. It's a snazzy piece of jewelry, to be sure, but not something you'd go out of your way to get.
"I've never needed anything more in my life than I needed your Puzzle. It felt like I was going to die if I didn't get my hands on it, right then and there," you finish, still staring at the Puzzle, waiting to see if even a spark of that obsession would suddenly reappear.
Yugi falls quiet, holding his Puzzle in his hands and turning it to face him. "...This is the Millennium Puzzle. My grandpa found it years ago when he went on an expedition to Egypt, and eventually, he gave it to me. But ever since I completed it, my life has just gotten stranger and stranger—"
From there, Yugi told you what little he knew about his Puzzle: that it seemed to have ties to ancient magic, and that Pegasus possessed a similar item and had taken his grandpa's soul to force Yugi to come here so he could take his Puzzle.
Yugi's friends offered him support as he spoke—comforting him as he talked.
"You go on and on about being the king, about your greatness and power, but all I see is a lonely man standing alone—propped up by a power he neither understands nor controls. You are no monarch, Makoto—merely a fool."
And a part of you couldn't help but feel jealous.
Mai finally piped up as Yugi finished his explanation. "Okay, ignoring that entire can of worms—what's up with Makoto, then? Does he have one of those Millennium Items?" She glanced at you, curiosity glinting in her eyes.
Before you could respond, Yugi continued. "No, I don't think so. I believe the thing influencing him was that monster he played at the end—well, one of its components," he said, glancing at the deck still tightly clenched in your right hand as you began to shuffle through it.
"...You mean Hades?" you asked, turning and presenting it to Yugi for inspection.
Yugi stared at it, narrowing his eyes for a few seconds. "...Yeah. It's much weaker now, but I can still sense a dark aura around it."
"Well then, there's only one thing to do, right? Let's rip that freakazoid up!" Joey said, reaching out to snatch the card from your hand.
Your eyes widened, and your heart pounded as he reached for your Hades. "NO!" you barked. A wave of something—anger, adrenaline or something else—seemed to fill the cave as Joey froze in place for a second, then stepped back, holding his hands up in surrender.
"H-hey now! I was only yankin' your chain—no need to pull out your magical powers or whatever," he said, slightly shaken, as Tea stepped forward and slapped his shoulder.
You took a calming breath to steady your pounding heart. "...Yeah, that's not an option," you stated firmly, looking at Joey.
Yugi just smiled in understanding. "It's your favorite card, right? Of course you don't want to destroy it, no matter what."
He spoke as if it were the most obvious thing in the world.
"How about, for now, you come with us? Maybe some fresh air will help calm you down instead of staying in this cave," he asked genuinely, even as his friends looked at him in surprise.
...Was he serious? You had threatened him and his friends, trapped them in this cave, threatened to steal something precious to him, and just snapped at him again. Yet, somehow, he was okay with you staying with him and his friends?
"....Sure thing, I guess. I don't mind taking you up on that offer—if your friends are fine with it," you say, giving Yugi's friends a look.
He may be unbearably naive, but you could understand if his friends didn't want anything to do with you right now.
Joey just shook his head and shrugged. "Eh, if Yugi thinks you're cool, I'm not abouta question it. Welcome aboard, Makoto!" he said with a grin and a thumbs-up.
Tea seemed slightly more unsure, fidgeting in place for a moment. "...I guess it's fine with me. If you were like possessed or something, this really wasn't your fault," she said, shooting you a shaky but genuine smile.
Tristan, however, just stared at you with a serious expression, almost glaring. "...I guess it's fine, but if you make one step outta line, I'm dropping you on the spot," he said firmly.
At least one of them had some sense, you supposed.
Lastly, you looked over at Mai, who just shrugged. "Don't look at me. It's not like I'm with these twerps. I only led them here because I wanted to watch Joey get ground into the mud. Speaking of…" She glanced toward Joey and then back at you, causing him to tense up suddenly.
You chuckled as you slowly stood up. "Heh, I think I'm all duelled out after that. Want to get out of this cave before I start thinking about dueling again." you said, leaning against the Duel Arena to steady yourself before Joey came up and offered a shoulder.
He grinned as you took it. "Heh! You can just admit you're scared of losing to me! Don't worry, I won't hold it against ya," he said, and together you all began to make your way out of the cavern—your trap having disappeared along with Hades' influence.
You didn't dignify that with a response as you approached the entrance of the cave. But as it came into sight…
"...Makoto, did ya really need to block off the main entrance as well? Pretty sure that weird portal thingie ya did was enough," Joey said, pointing at a massive boulder blocking the entrance.
You just stared at the boulder deadpan. Just your fucking luck—the minute you wanted to leave, this happens. And you had a pretty good idea of what went down.
"This one wasn't me, honest. My guess is that the goon squad must have blocked the entrance as soon as they got out," you explained, even as Joey shot you a skeptical look.
"Whatever ya say, dude. Now just sit back while good ol' Joey here shows ya how it's done," Joey said, leaning you against a nearby wall before going to push the boulder out of the way.
After a few seconds of fruitless effort, Tristan rolled his eyes and sighed, beginning to roll up his sleeves. "Looks like I'm gonna have to handle this one. Guess Joey here spent too much time dueling and not enough time working out," he grunted as he and Joey pushed against the boulder.
A minute later, they both fell to the ground, panting.
"I swear it budged! Just let me catch my breath real quick," Joey said, on his knees and panting.
Mai rolled her eyes and leaned against the wall. "We're at an angle, idiots. Even if you could move the boulder, you're also pushing against gravity. We're stuck," she said, checking her nails.
Tea turned to her, biting her lip in worry. "Then what are we gonna do? Go through the other caverns? Who knows where they lead!"
You raised your hand. "Actually, I do. One of the rewards for winning Nationals was the full rule list for Duelist Kingdom and a map of the island. That's how I knew about this Duel Arena in the first place."
You reached into your bag, pulled out a notebook with a map of the island, and flipped to the section with the cave. "Hmm. If we get past my Dark Arena and the Graveyard Arena, we'll eventually reach a labyrinth area. From there, it looks like the closest exit is near one of the Duel Arenas," you said, inspecting the map as the others blinked in surprise.
"Wait, so you knew all the rules on the ship? And you didn't tell me?" Mai asked with a huff, glaring at you.
You smirked. "Heh, we're competing at the end of the day, gorgeous. And I'm not the type to give handouts," you replied, then turned back to the others. "In any case, does that plan work for everyone?"
They all nodded, and you began to walk. But suddenly, Joey perked up. "...So, how'd you two meet? All Mai said is she was taking us to a Duelist that'd destroy me and send me on a one-way ticket back home," he asked casually, giving you and Mai a curious look.
You looked at her with a raised eyebrow, silently asking if she wanted to speak. She just shrugged and kept walking.
Looks like she was leaving it to you.
You shrug and decide to give only half the story. "Met her on the cruise and talked for a bit. Had a for fun duel—I won, of course," you say, making sure to add that last part before they got any funny ideas.
"Ah, you figured out her perfume trick," Joey said, slamming his fist into his palm in understanding.
You looked at him in confusion. "...Perfume trick?" you asked, seeking elaboration.
Joey nodded. "Yeah, you know—putting perfume on her cards so she can tell which is which and pretending she's got ESP or whatever," he explained, as if that was perfectly rational.
A smirk involuntarily appeared on your face at that. You approached Mai and leaned a shoulder against her. "So, that was the trick? Well, I guess that explains something about what happened later," you whispered, alluding to the little fetish she had confided in you about.
Mai just rolled her eyes, though a small blush crept onto her cheeks. "Whatever. You really should be embarrassed—even little Joey here managed to figure out my trick, but you couldn't?" she said, with a teasing drawl.
Part of you wanted to point out that you'd been pretty preoccupied during the duel, but you weren't quite shameless enough to do so in front of everyone.
"Heh, maybe if you spent more time improving your skills than coming up with cheap tricks, you might've given me a harder time," you teased, a cocky grin on your face.
From there, you all fell into some good old banter—mainly you, Joey, and Mai—though Tea occasionally piped in. Before long, you arrived at the door leading to the exit.
Looking up from the map, you turned to the others. "Okay, so we go in here, and there's a Duel Arena. Then there are two doors—one leads to the surface, and the other goes even deeper into the caverns. But for some reason, my map isn't clarifying which is which," you said, holding up the map for them to see.
Mai just shrugged as she examined it. "We can always double back if we take the wrong way. It shouldn't take us too long to realize we've chosen the wrong door," she said, pushing through the door.
Suddenly, you and the others were jumped by two bald martial artists who introduced themselves as the Paradox Brothers—a pair of Eliminators hired by Pegasus to get rid of the chaff.
As it became clear they were looking to do a rare tag duel, you were tempted to step in. Winning here would probably net you your final Star Chips, and if you lost, you'd be stuck down here anyway. But the idea of stepping up—potentially summoning Hades—made you hesitate, especially as the others looked at you nervously when you shifted.
Mai bowed out as well; she had participated in a few tag duels before and believed that partner synergy was the most important factor.
As you looked at Tea and Tristan, waiting to see if either of them would step up, they just looked at you in confusion.
...Weird. Maybe they just weren't confident in their skills?
In the end, Yugi and Joey stepped forward, and as the duel began, you leaned against the wall near the entrance, still feeling slightly out of breath but much better than before.
Right as the Paradox Brothers summoned Labyrinth Wall and the field started to change, you suddenly felt someone reach out and cover your mouth. Before you could react, you were yanked backward through the entrance, dragged into parts unknown.
-x-X-x-
After a few minutes of being dragged around, whoever had you suddenly kicked a nearby door open and threw you inside. You quickly rolled to your feet and got into a defensive stance, getting your first clear look at your attacker.
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—Okay, good. At least you weren't manhandled by someone pathetic-looking.
But you wanted answers—and you wanted them now. "I'm giving you five seconds to tell me who the hell you are and what the hell you want," you growl.
The big guy just stared at you for a few seconds before speaking. "They call me Stratos. As for what I want? It's quite simple: Hades, Lord of the Underworld. A pathetic gnat like you isn't worthy of him."
Alright, this fucker just wanted to die. You'd be more than happy to oblige. "That the plan, then? Drag me here and try to forcefully take him, you fucking steroid-filled ape? It didn't end well for the last guy who tried—let me tell you that," you spat, glaring at him.
Stratos seemed immune to your fury, merely raising an eyebrow. "You speak of Bandit Keith," he said, his smirk widening.
Your eyes widened at that. Stratos noticed and continued, "Did you think Pegasus wasn't watching you, fool? And in accordance with the agreement between my master and Pegasus, all information about you is to be funneled straight to me."
...Okay, so Pegasus knew you smoked a guy. Considering he apparently stole Yugi's grandpa's soul, this was surprisingly not the worst-case scenario. But before you could dwell on that thought, Stratos pressed on.
"I will admit, my master thought you had potential. Seeing how you dealt with that wretch Bandit Keith, I almost began to agree. But then you allowed the Pharaoh to bring you low, and that, neither I nor my master will tolerate. I will take Hades for myself, as you have clearly shown you are unfit to wield him," he said, stepping toward you.
You jumped back, ready to throw your hands up in resistance, but you quickly bumped into something metal—Stratos just walked past you and scoffed, revealing another Duel Arena.
"As satisfying as it would be to break your bones and claim my prize now, I'd merely share Bandit Keith's fate if I did. I'll have to leave that for after I win here," he said, settling onto his platform as it began to rise.
You clenched your teeth at that. "And why the fuck would I agree to a duel against you here?" you snarled, eyeing him as he had the nerve to look down on you with a raised eyebrow.
"What other choice is there? To run away?" he replied simply.
And, as much as you hated to admit it, he had a point—those were your only options.
But you would never let yourself be so scared that you ran from a simpleton like this.
Turning, you made your way to the opposite Duel Pod, watching as the field rose into view.
—Unfortunately, it didn't look like a dark field. Instead, the arena was encased in a vibrant forest.
"Heh, afraid to fight in an arena that doesn't give you an advantage, fool? Cowards will always look for any excuse to run," Stratos taunted.
He was baiting you. This field would clearly benefit him. The smart move would be to leave, maybe try to make it back to your dark or neutral field and force a duel there.
But you weren't a coward. You would crush this wretch on his own turf. Grind his face into the dirt after you won—that was the only option left.
With that decision made, you locked eyes with your opponent. "Keep talking. It only makes my victory all the more satisfying. But for now, let's begin."
Both of you set your decks on the pod, and as the arena lit up, the duel finally commenced.
You quickly put your hand on the top of your deck and rip the top card from it. "Considering you so rudely challenged me, I think it's only fair if I go first!" you yell, ignoring any response he might have as you inspect your hand.
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Hmm, a strong hand—good. The sooner you put this fucker in the dirt, the better.
"I set three cards face-down and end my turn!" you declare. If you're lucky, he'll summon something relatively weak to attack your Germ, and during the End Phase, you can blow up any defenses he sets up with Storm and then destroy his Forest field, setting up an OTK with your Black Luster Soldier.
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Stratos keeps his cool as he draws, inspecting his hand.
"Let me guess: your set monster is Giant Germ, perhaps Apprentice Magician or Scapeghost if your opening hand was particularly weak. But my guess is the Germ. It seems to be your favored opening move," he says casually.
You grit your teeth at that. Was this fucker calling you predictable?
"Ah, judging by your reaction, I'm correct? In that case, I'll simply set three cards of my own and end my turn," he says as three of his zones light up.
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...Fuck.
You quickly try to school your expression; you don't want him to read you. Normally, you had a pretty good poker face—at least until you pulled off a big move—but everything with Yugi and Hades still rattled you.
While it's not the OTK you'd hoped for, being able to destroy two backrow cards is still a good result. With that in mind, you decide to start your attack.
"Not so fast! Before your turn ends, I activate my set Heavy Storm!" you exclaim, revealing your Heavy Storm.
Stratos' eyes narrow into a glare. "In response, I activate Scapegoat!" he barks, and suddenly one of his set cards flips.
...Annoying. That's a pretty solid wall he's set up. But before it can resolve, you cut him off.
"I activate my Pre-Preparation of Rites!" you shout, revealing your last set backrow.
Stratos' almost glare morphs into a full-fledged death stare. "I activate my Exchange!" he snarls, clearly frustrated.
You feel a jolt run up your spine as you see his card.
...He's trying to steal Hades.
He hadn't exactly hidden his intent, but it's clear he's not content to wait until after the duel to snatch him.
Rage begins to build within you at the thought, but a whisper at the back of your mind questions: if it's truly yours, is Hades forcing you to feel this? Maybe he likes your flesh sack more than Stratos' and doesn't want to switch.
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You shake your head free of that thought as the chain begins resolving.
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------------->
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No obvious immediate options, but the best choice is probably—
His field spell. He's running a Beast deck, so it could add up. And though it's about to be destroyed, you don't want to see how it might interact with the natural field...
"I'll take your Closed Forest!" you declare, and Stratos nods, placing it on his field.
"I shall take your Advanced Ritual Arts," he says calmly, taking a breath as you both think.
Fuck. There goes Black Luster Soldier, you think with a scowl as your Duel Pod takes your Advanced Ritual Art and deposits his Closed Forest.
As his Sheep Tokens begin to appear, you reach into your deck and grab—
You can't contain a flinch as you clutch Rites of the Underworld, your hand almost shaking as you look at it.
Stratos clearly notices. He smirks, even as your Typhoon wipes out his Forest.
"Afraid to use Hades' power? I knew you were a coward. You'd do yourself a favor by forfeiting now and handing him over to me—you could never be his true master," Stratos taunts.
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You grit your teeth and ignore his provocations, beginning your turn and drawing.
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------------>
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What to do next...
You need to go on the offensive. You don't know exactly what he's planning, but it can't be good. The sooner you end this duel, the better.
"I summon my Red-Eyes Black Dragon!" you shout as your dragon appears. You then inconspicuously set two cards face-down.
"Now, attack his set monster—Red-Eyes! Inferno Fire Blast!" you roar, watching as your Red-Eyes unleashes a massive fireball toward his monster, revealing—
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A fucking Floater. You grit your teeth as his Hyena is destroyed, only for another copy to swiftly replace it. Stratos smirked.
"What's the matter, boy? You seem upset," he mocked, his tone condescending.
Your teeth clenched even harder. "...Fuck magic. When I win this, I'm killing you with my bare hands. I promised you that," you growled, your voice low and fierce, even as Stratos' smirk only widened.
"We shall see, I suppose," he said as he began his turn.
"Hmm, no rush. I simply activate Pot of Greed," he explained with the smugest smirk imaginable as he drew two cards, then ended his turn.
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You took a deep breath and focused on the game. It didn't matter what he was planning—you're going to win this, and afterward, you'll enjoy the look on his face as you kick him into the dirt.
You drew and revealed Mirror Force.
...Okay, you could work with this. If he went on the offensive, you could really mess him up.
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But for now…
"Go, Red-Eyes! Attack his Hyena! Infernal Fire Blast!" you shout, once again destroying his Hyena, which is immediately replaced with his last copy.
Stratos just shook his head. "Is this really the best you can do, boy? Futilely attacking my monsters? I don't know how Hades doesn't strike you down right here and now for the humiliation," he tutted, his tone dripping with condescension.
Your rage grew hotter and hotter, but unlike with Yugi, you were confident this time—you knew this was all you.
"Keep talking, shitstain. It'll only make it all the more satisfying for me when I win," you growled, your voice low and dangerous, as Stratos continued to smirk.
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Stratos' smirk somehow became even more insufferable as he looked at his draw. "I suppose it's about time I start preparing the cards I need for your funeral, boy. So I'll activate Big Cattle Drive! Allowing me to draw one card for each Beast monster I control. And as you can see, I currently control five," he exclaimed, preparing to draw five cards from his deck.
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....Should you Solemn? Five cards is an enormous advantage—an almost unimaginable amount. But it might be better to save it to stop an actual push from him later.
You grit your teeth and decide against it. You can't let him rattle you now. It's best to save Solemn for an actual threat rather than the risk of him drawing something dangerous.
Though that thought offered little comfort as you watched Stratos draw five cards, smirk, and then set three cards before activating another Closed Forest.
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"Make your turn boy, I want to wrap this up soon." He said with an infuriating calmness in his voice.
You take another breath, trying desperately to stay calm as you draw—revealing Trap Hole.
Not the worst, but definitely not the best either. For now, all you could do—
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—Was to try and keep up the pressure!
"Go, Red-Eyes! Finally take out that damn Hyena!" you shout, as Red-Eyes destroys the Hyena once and for all.
"Then I set one card face-down and end my turn," you declare, placing Trap Hole on the field.
Stratos just grins. "Not so fast, fool! I activate my Polymerization!" he exclaims, activating one of his backrow cards.
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-------------->
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..... He was going to combine his Tokens? What could that even become? Should you activate Solemn to cut this off now?
No, even if it was a strong monster, this was also good for you. It meant you wouldn't need to waste resources trying to tear through all his Tokens.
With that thought, you let the Polymerization go through.
"Now, come forth! My four Sheep Tokens fuse together to create my strongest monster—Rain-Goat Emperor!"
At that moment, his monster finally appeared, resembling his normal Sheep Tokens but enormous—wearing a crown, with multi-colored fur. But the most important part for you—
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—Was its massive 3000 ATK stat, which was raised to 3300 thanks to Closed Forest.
Stratos smirks as his monster materializes. "How does it feel, boy? Knowing that your loss is almost upon you," he taunts, as you simply observe his monster.
"…You know, I get that this is supposed to be threatening," you say deadpan, "but honestly, it's pretty cute." It really was—not as cute as your boys, of course, but still.
The anticlimax somehow calmed you more than any deep breaths so far; you felt your heart rate begin to steady.
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Stratos scowled at your reaction—or rather, your lack of one—as he began his turn. "Let's see if you feel that way soon enough! First, I activate my Emperor's effect! Allowing me to summon a Sheep Token!"
At his words, his monster lets out a loud "Baaaa!" and, from its fur, a normal Sheep Token appears, taking its place beside the Emperor.
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"Now! Allow me to introduce a card that will sow fear into your very soul—Cerberus, the Hound of Hades!"
At his cry, a fire enveloped his field, and a monster slowly emerged from the flames.
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A massive three-headed hellhound, and as you looked upon it, even as it snarled at you, you felt a faint emanation from Hades—almost as if he was resonating with the card on the field—causing you to blink in confusion.
Stratos hummed as he noticed your expression. "Ah, I see. Hades must be attempting to synchronize with Cerberus. Good," he said with satisfaction in his voice.
Your eyes narrowed at his words, wondering what exactly he was talking about. "Want to elaborate on what you mean?"
Stratos closed his eyes and hummed thoughtfully. "I suppose it would be ungracious of me not to fulfill the final request of a dead man. Very well." He opened his eyes and looked directly across from you. "You know of the card designer who whisked away with the XIII, yes? Well, after managing to distribute all but one of them, he was brought under the employ of my master, who then used his skills to create a few support cards for the XIII, utilizing the lingering energy from their tablets."
Your eyes narrowed in confusion at that, but before you could ask, Stratos continued. "And Cerberus here just so happens to be one designed for Hades. Don't worry, boy—once I gain control of Hades, I shall put them to great use," he finished with a smirk.
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As much as you wanted to try and get more info, at the moment you had to focus on the duel and dealing with this dog.
"Ha! Talk all you want, ape! It doesn't matter what that card does if I can destroy it first! Go! Trap Hole!" you shout, activating your trap.
Stratos simply shakes his head, a cocky smirk on his face. "Heh, as if I wasn't prepared for such a simple trap. Go! Escapegoat!" he exclaims, activating his card. "By tributing one Token I control, I prevent the destruction of my monster," he explains confidently.
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------------>
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Ah, now you see his plan. Combined with his Emperor, that would mean he could potentially make his monsters nearly invincible on the field. Lucky for you—
You had an answer.
"I activate my Solemn Judgment! By paying half my Life Points, I can negate the activation of your trap!" you exclaim, as your Life Points drop by 1000. The explosion from your Solemn Judgment cancels his trap, allowing your Trap Hole to go through. A hole opens beneath Cerberus, and it falls in.
You smirk in satisfaction, watching Stratos' Life Points decrease by a total of 1300. "Heh, looks like you weren't prepared for that trap," you taunt, noting his face reddening and his arms beginning to shake before he takes a deep breath.
"You don't understand, do you? You've just sealed your fate. With Cerberus destroyed, my Emperor gains another 100 attack points. And with your Life Points at only 1000 and your Red-Eyes in attack position…" he trails off as your eyes widen.
…Fuck!
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"Go, my Rain-Goat Emperor! Rainbow Reign!"
At his command, the Emperor floats up, then suddenly puffs up dramatically. Tens of thousands of sharp rainbow strands of hair shoot out toward your Red-Eyes!
You had to do something.
But there was only one option available...
Yet, what if he started influencing you again? What if he went further this time and took full control? What if—
"Makoto!"
You hear a voice call out sharply as you turn to see Mai running toward you.
…
Well, you couldn't afford to lose now.
"I ACTIVATE MY RITES OF THE UNDERWORLD!" you scream, feeling your heart race as Hades' energy begins to course through you.
…Strangely, though, you feel normal.
You can sense your glee starting to grow—your desire to humiliate and bring Stratos to his knees becoming more intense. But you realize you already felt that way; now, it's just amplified.
As Hades rises from the ground, taking the place of your Germ and Red-Eyes, you stare directly into his back, trying to sense for anything unusual.
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-------------->
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Even as Stratos begins to scowl and redden, you ignore him, your focus entirely on your partner.
"...I don't know why you want the Puzzle Hades, but listen closely to me. I am the king here. You can support and enhance my desires all you like, but don't you ever—ever—try to directly influence me again. Because if you do, you'll find out why, at the end of everything, I'll be the one standing at the top of the world," you command with an almost unearthly calm.
Though you receive no response—no words, no sudden understanding—you somehow feel that Hades has approved of your stance.
Straightening your back, you take a deep breath and then glance at Mai, slowly smiling.
"...No need to worry, gorgeous. I'm still me," you say, hoping she feels reassured. Seeing her shoulders relax slightly, you think you've succeeded.
…Heh, was there ever any doubt?
Something must have shown on your face, because Mai sighed and rolled her eyes.
"...Good. Now hurry up and beat this guy. I swear, if Yugi and Joey manage to win first and have to wait on us, I'm going to be so embarrassed," she says.
You smirk and turn back to Stratos, whose face is practically boiling at this point.
"It shouldn't take long. I'm just about to put this ape in his place."
Stratos trembles at your taunt, his face growing even redder.
"...Do you think you've won? Just because you managed to summon Hades?" he growls, trembling. "DON'T BE SO NAIVE, BOY! IT MATTERS NOT IF YOU'VE WORKED UP THE GUTS TO SUMMON HIM! I WILL DESTROY HIM AND THEN TAKE HIM FROM YOUR COLD, DEAD FINGERS!" he screams at the top of his lungs, his voice echoing throughout the cavern.
You chuckle and shake your head.
"Heh, I thought it was small dogs that were all bark? I guess big ones aren't so different," you taunt, as Stratos continues to snarl and ends his turn.
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-------------->
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You draw, but before you can make a move, a sudden desire to activate Hades' effect wells up within you. You glance at his back, a snarl forming on your lips for a moment, then realize—the urge is not your own. It's unmistakably coming from Hades himself.
…Okay, you can deal with this.
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------------->
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"I activate the effect of my Hades! By paying 250 Life Points, I can revive one Dark Monster!" you shout, as Hades opens a portal to the Underworld at his feet.
Stratos grits his teeth. "It's useless. Even if you revive your Red-Eyes, neither he nor Hades have the strength to overcome my Emperor," he growls.
You just smirk. "Who said anything about Red-Eyes?" Before he can question that, his Graveyard begins to glow, and slowly, a beast claws its way out of the portal Hades summoned.
As Stratos witnesses the creature that appears on your side of the field, a vein begins to bulge in his forehead, and he starts to pant visibly in rage, bending over his duel pod.
"M-my Cerberus…?" he barely whispers, on the verge of exploding.
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-------->
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Your grin widens even further at his reaction, reveling in his humiliation.
"It looks like he's a smart dog—knows who his TRUE master is," you taunt, as Stratos finally explodes. He slams his fists down on his Duel Pod, and from the sound, you can tell he's probably breaking something.
"I WILL FLAY YOU ALIVE, YOU INSOLENT FOOL! AND AFTER I'M DONE, I SHALL TAKE MY TREACHEORUS BEAST AND DESTROY IT! TEAR IT TO SHREDS! LEAVE NO TRA—!"
As he begins to rant, you can't hold back anymore and burst into laughter, cutting him off.
Slowly, a dark aura begins to seep over the Duel Field, shadows swirling and encasing the area in darkness.
After a minute, you lean over your Duel Pod, wiping a tear from your eye as Stratos stands glaring at you—his whole body trembling with rage, yet he can't seem to tear his eyes away from the encroaching shadows.
"God, you're so pathetic. All that bluster, and now you're acting like a little kid afraid of the dark. What were you saying before? That you were gonna murder me? Take my Hades? Where'd that energy go? Or are you all bark and no bite?" you taunt with your most insufferable smirk, setting your Mirror Force and ending your turn.
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---------->
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Your taunting seems to have the desired effect, as Stratos begins to scowl, tearing the top card from his deck.
"I shall teach you to mock me, vermin! You have sealed your fate by making this a Shadow Game!" he snarls before continuing. "First, I summon my Berserk Gorilla! Then, I use my Emperor's effect to summon another Token! Next, I activate both Wild Nature's Release and Big March of Animals, boosting my Emperor's attack to 7200!"
He screams as his monster grows larger and larger—almost as big as the cavern itself.
You toss your head back and laugh at what seems to be a major misplay.
"Can't you read, roid monkey?! Your Wild Nature's Release will destroy your Emperor in the End Phase! And both my monsters are in defense position! You just cost yourself the game!" you mock relentlessly.
But for some reason, Stratos just smirks.
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------------>
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"Oh, have I now? You have much to learn about Shadow Games, boy! Like the fact that all the monsters are real now, which means…" he trails off, glancing at his enormous Emperor.
"Go, my Emperor! Rainbow Reign!" he declares.
As his monster's fur puffs up and begins to fire, your eyes widen in alarm—you realize it's not just going to hit your monsters, but you and Mai as well!
Even as Mai freezes in place at the approaching attack, you can't help but smirk and then burst into a cackle.
Stratos grits his teeth even harder. "What are you laughing at, fool?! You're about to die!" he screams, his face turning crimson from your laughter.
But still, you continue to laugh, feeling Hades amplifying your emotions—gladly letting him, anything to indulge in this joy and anticipation of what's to come next.
Just as the attack is about to hit you, it suddenly stops dead in its tracks.
Stratos' eyes widen as he stares at his monster's attack, frozen mid-air.
"What is this?!" he demands, slamming his fist down onto his Duel Pod.
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-------------->
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You smirk as you watch the prey's reaction, your laughter finally dying down.
"...Your ace monster really is quite fitting, Stratos. All you've ever been is a sacrificial lamb," you say, finally revealing your Mirror Force.
Stratos' eyes widen in fear as he sees your card.
"Mirror Force—!" he begins, but he doesn't even finish. Suddenly, his monster's attack changes course, flying backward—bursting through his Emperor, Gorilla, and two Tokens—and heading straight for Stratos himself, wiping out the remaining of his Life Points as he screams in pain.
…God, it's good to be the Champion.
(300 DP from beating Stratos)
As you win the duel and your Duel Pod begins lowering, you make your way over to Mai, a smirk on your face.
"What did I tell ya, gorgeous? I was just wrapping things up," you say confidently. Mai just rolls her eyes, but you catch a faint sigh of relief escape her lips.
"...Did you really need to let his attack get that close? Getting impaled by a lance of sheep hair isn't exactly how I wanna go, you know," she says sarcastically, taking a step behind you as you approach whatever remains of Stratos.
As you get closer, you see that Stratos is surprisingly still alive—badly injured, bleeding profusely, with what appears to be a hole in his stomach, but alive.
…Guess all that muscle comes in handy.
But with the Shadows encircling him, just waiting for your command to strike, it's clear things aren't looking good for him.
"Well, well, well. I'm surprised you survived that Ape, though I bet right now you're wishing you hadn't," you say with a smirk, crouching down beside him. "First, I think I'll be taking these." You reach out and grab the majority of the Star Chips from one of his gauntlets. "Now, how about we have a little talk? I want to know exactly who this so-called 'master' of yours is, what he wants with me, and where he's hiding," you demand, glaring down at Stratos as he looks at the surrounding Shadows with growing fear.
Stratos takes a deep breath, then looks at you, gritting his teeth.
"...Don't think of me as a disloyal beast like my wretched Cerberus. My master has given me everything. I don't care what you do to me—I will never betray his faith," he says, glaring at you.
…Shame, it looks like you're not going to get any info from him—at least, not without doing whatever it takes. And with Mai at your back, that's not a path you're eager to choose.
Although, you probably shouldn't liquefy him like you did Keith either. It'd be better to knock him out—maybe, if he's lucky, one of Pegasus's goons will stumble upon him and save him before he bleeds out.
"Welp, if you wanna be that way, then… as for your punishment…" you say with a smirk, unable to resist toying with him a little.
But the way Stratos's eyes widen and dart toward the Shadows suggests he expects to share Keith's fate.
"I won't let the Shadows take me, fool! I'll drag you down to hell with me!" he suddenly yells, reaching into his robe and pulling out what looks like a switch, then pressing it.
…Was that a detonator—?!
Suddenly, Stratos is engulfed in a fiery explosion.
After a minute of holding your breath and clenching your eyes shut, you finally manage to open them. You see that you and Mai are both encased in some sort of dark cocoon, with her desperately clinging to your back.
…Okay, magic was kinda badass.
Giving yourself a quick once-over to make sure everything's in place, you eventually turn to face Mai, who is still holding onto you tightly.
…As much as you're enjoying this, you should probably let her know that you're both okay.
"Hey, gorgeous. It's fine to open your eyes now. Everything's okay," you reassure her gently.
Mai begins to slowly open her eyes and looks around. "...Please tell me this is some kind of weird magic thing and we're not dead," she says, fear in her voice as she beholds the walls of your cocoon.
"Yup," you reply, probably a little too casually, popping the P as you do. "Looks like having a potentially evil spirit in one of my cards isn't all bad, huh?" you joke, trying to lower the tension.
Mai just swats your shoulder at that, ignoring your attempt at humor, and starts poking at one of the walls.
"It feels like rubber. You CAN remove this, right? We're not gonna have to dig our way out?" she asks cautiously, desperation clear in her eyes.
You close your eyes and focus. "...Yeah, I think I can break it down. Just give me a second," you declare.
A few tense moments pass, and your cocoon begins to crumble around you, revealing—a complete disaster zone. Ash covers everything, small fires flicker around, and the Duel Arena is utterly wrecked. Without turning around, you know the only trace of Stratos will be a red smear on the ground.
Quickly, you grab Mai by the shoulders, turn her to face away, and start heading for the exit before she catches a glimpse of the gruesome sight behind you.
As you make your way through the hallways back toward Yugi and his friends, your eyes suddenly widen in realization.
"...That bastard had my Advanced Ritual Art," you mutter, fury rising within you. But then, you feel a cool sensation coming from your deckbox.
Blinking in confusion, you reach in and pull out four cards: your Advanced Ritual Art, along with Scapegoat, Super Nimble Mega Hamster, and Skull Dog Marron.
…Okay, Hades was officially back in your good graces.
Mai leans over your shoulder, inspecting the cards curiously.
"...More magic stuff?" she asks, sounding done with everything.
You simply nod.
"Yup. More magic stuff," you reply confidently, as Mai just rolls her eyes.
Finally, you arrive back just as Yugi and Joey are wrapping up their duel.
"Go, Labyrinth Fiend! Destroy their Gate Guardian! Labyrinth Assault!" Yugi yells. You watch as a gnarly-looking Summoned Skull fusion commands the Labyrinth Wall to rise before collapsing onto Gate Guardian, destroying it and winning the duel.
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Next, the Paradox Brothers attempt one last trick—using a riddle and lying to force everyone further into the caverns. But luckily, Yugi sniffed it out, and with a clever trick involving a coin and some lies, he managed to guess the right answer.
…Good. If they'd tried to force everyone through the other door, you probably would've had to unleash some Hades bullshit.
As you walk out of the cave, you explain that another Pegasus goon had snatched you while everyone was focused on the duel, but you managed to beat him in the end.
You omit mentioning that he had tried to suicide-bomb you—that would probably kill the good mood—and honestly, you just needed this sense of victory right now.
You do mention, though, that he appeared to be working for someone other than Pegasus and seemed to know more about your Hades. And for some reason, he called Yugi "Pharaoh."
As everyone contemplates what that could mean, you finally see the exit, leading out into the night air.
Thank god, some fresh air finally.
And as you step outside—
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…God, you just couldn't catch a break.