And here it is, the duel that was never to be. When I started writing this, way back when Yu-Gi-Oh! was still in its second season here in the United States, I had one rule: that my characters would only ever meet and fight Yugi if I could think of a genuinely good idea. It couldn't feel forced. It had to fit seamlessly into the story. It had to add something to the story. For years, as I was building this story into what it is now, I thought that I would never come to a point where those criteria would be met, and I decided that Yugi would never appear.
Then the Orichalcos arch of Yu-Gi-Oh! aired, and the Legendary Dragons were introduced, and I loved them. I loved them so much that I had to include them in my books, if only for a very brief time. That would mean bringing Yugi, Kaiba, and Jonouchi into the story, as the dragons were bound to them. But having John fight Yugi still had to contribute something to the story, so I came up with what ends up being the true supernatural climax of this book, which is largely not supernatural. To see what that is, you'll have to read the next chapter. The heavy supernatural elements come kinda out of nowhere, but I think you'll like how it turned out.
Also, Yugi is a BAMF, seriously.
Chapter FourteenJohn vs. The King of Games;
The Fiend Megacyber vs. The Dark Magicians
Yugi met my eyes respectfully, smiled kindly and said, “You know, when we met I had a feeling that you’d go far today. I could somehow feel it.”
“Thanks,” I said, not allowing myself to succumb to being star struck, returning Yugi's smile. “I’ve wanted to fight you for a while, and I can’t think of a better chance. After all when I beat you I’ll go home with the title.”
Yugi's smile turned competitive, the same smile that I’d seen him wear in the tournament footage, yet still somehow different, like the Yugi in that footage had been a slightly different person, “You can try to beat me, but I’ll have you know, I’m strong.”
Yugi drew a card, and I swear that the air moved with his gesture, even though I didn't sense an ounce of Shadow Magic in him, “I play ‘Pot of Greed’ to draw two cards.” He drew, and said, “Next I play ‘One Into One’, adding ‘Kuriboh’ to my deck to search for ‘Watapon’, add it to my hand, and to draw one card. And because ‘Watapon’ was added to my hand by a Spell card effect, I can Special Summon him,” a white puff ball appeared, and disappeared, “to tribute for my ‘Dark Magician Girl’!” There was a flash of pink light, and a beautiful blond girl in a skimpy blue and pink dress and a blue witch’s hat appeared, wand in hand (ATK: 2000).
“I place two cards face-down," Yugi concluded, calm and collected as ever, "and I end my turn.”
This is pretty awesome, I thought. I’m fighting Yugi Muto’s legendary Magician Deck!
“I counter,” I said, “with my ‘Guide to the Different Dimension’!” A man in a black cloak appeared, but not on my field. He was summoned to Yugi’s side of the field (ATK: 1600).
“Now, because you have two more monsters than me," I explained, trying to project as much purpose into my words as Yugi had into his, "I can Special Summon ‘The Fiend Megacyber’.”
There was a burst of black and yellow static, and the yellow warrior appeared, fists charged with power (ATK: 2200).
“What’s stronger,” Yugi asked thoughtfully, “your warrior’s fist, or my sorceress’ magic?”
“Let’s find out,” I replied, brimming with pride, my eyes alight with anticipation. “Megacyber Impact!”
‘Fiend Megacyber’ charged and punched, and ‘Dark Magician Girl’ slid back, floating in the air. A question-marked cylinder appeared, catching the energy from my monster’s fist. The cylinder faded away, and a second cylinder appeared, launching that energy back at me in the form of a bolt of black and yellow lightning (8000-2200=5800).
My monster jumped back to my side of the field, and the ‘Dark Magician Girl’ winked at me playfully, daring me to attack her again.
“Good move there with ‘Magic Cylinder’," I said, mostly to save face, "but not good enough to shake me. I’ll place a card of my own face-down,” I declared, “and play ‘Soul Absorption’. Now when a card is removed from play I gain five hundred Life Points.”
“I draw,” Yugi declared, his face thoughtful as he considered what I might be planning.
“When you do,” I cut in, “my ‘D.D. Guide’ forces you to choose and remove from play one card in your Graveyard.”
Yugi took ‘Magic Cylinder’ from his Graveyard and placed it in the deck box at his waist, and my Life Points went up (5800+500=6300).
“Not a bad move, but your ‘Guide’ benefits me as well,” said Yugi. “I tribute ‘D.D. Guide’ to summon ‘Berfamet’!”
A four-armed, horned demon appeared (DEF: 1800).
“When ‘Berfamet’ is Normal Summoned I can move ‘Gazelle the King of Mythical Beasts’ in my deck to my hand,” Yugi explained confidently. He fanned out his deck and selected a card, shuffling and then replacing his deck. “This means I can play the Spell card ‘Polymerization’ and fuse ‘Berfamet’ and ‘Gazelle’ into the two-headed beast, ‘Chimera, the Flying Mythical Beast’!”
A lion-like creature appeared and merged with ‘Berfamet’ to form a creature with ‘Gazelle’’s body, the heads of both monsters, white-feathered wings, and a serpent for a tail (ATK: 2100).
I smiled, Yugi’s monsters are both weaker than mine, but I can’t expect power to decide this. Yugi Muto is known for his complex and brilliant strategies that seem to come out of nowhere. He left both monsters in attack mode, which means he likely has a plan. Just because I’m curious, I’m gonna take the bait.
“I draw,” I declared, “and I attack ‘Dark Magician Girl’ again with ‘The Fiend Megacyber’.”
My monster charged at the sorceress, and Yugi revealed his remaining face-down card with a smile.
“Reveal face-down card ‘Union Attack’,” he declared, “combining the attack points of my two monsters and allowing them to counterattack.”
‘Dark Magician Girl’ raised her staff, and ‘Chimera’ raised his claws. They caught my monster’s fist and pushed him back. Then ‘Chimera’ slashed and ‘Dark Magician Girl’ brandished her staff. They released a powerful wave of energy that flew toward my monster. The energy was a moment from destroying him when he flickered and disappeared, reappearing as the energy hit the ground just behind him, exploding harmlessly.
“I reveal,” I countered, “my Trap card ‘Interdimensional Matter Transporter’, removing my monster from play temporarily (6300+500=6800).”
“I managed to force you to use your face-down card,” said Yugi.
“But I also managed to force you to use your face-down card,” I countered.
Yugi smiled, “But now it’s my turn, and I can tribute both of my monsters to summon my favorite card.” His monsters disappeared, and a man carrying an emerald green staff, clad in purple and blue leather and a purple leather hood and wizard’s hat appeared.
“Behold,” Yugi declared, “the ‘Dark Magician’ (ATK: 2500).
“My ‘Dark Magician’ has stood by me for years,” Yugi explained, looking up at his monster fondly, “and with him at my side I can turn the tables in this duel. ‘Dark Magician’, attack ‘The Fiend Megacyber’ with Black Magic!”
‘Dark Magician’ flung a shining green and black sphere from the tip of his staff, hitting my monster, blowing him away (6800+2200-2500=6500).
“You’re as good as I’ve heard,” I said, “but I’m not done.”
“Neither am I,” Yugi replied, enjoying the banter as much as I was. “One face-down card, and I end my turn.”
“Alright,” I replied, “I draw, and I summon my ‘D.D. Warrior Lady’!” The blond in the silver jumpsuit appeared, her glowing sword raised in front of her (ATK: 1500).
“Attack,” I commanded, “with Dimension Katana!”
My monster raised her sword over her head and lunged. Just before her attack hit, an action that would result in both her and the sorcerer being removed from play, the ‘Dark Magician’ retreated into a large black silk top hat. The hat became four hats, and my monster's sword cut harmlessly through the hat closest to where the ‘Dark Magician’ had been. That hat disappeared, revealing that there was nothing beneath it.
“Let me guess,” I said, “you revealed your face-down ‘Magical Hats’.”
“You guessed right,” Yugi replied, his voice so confident that it shook my confidence to hear it. “For my turn I’ll simply place a card under the hat containing my ‘Dark Magician’ and end my turn.”
Any Spell or Trap card hidden under a hat will activate as soon as I attack that hat, I thought, remembering the card’s full effect. If this is a bluff then my next attack could clinch me the duel, but if it’s not, it could cost me the duel. And of course there’s still a two out of three chance that I’ll hit a hat that’s totally empty. If I hit an empty hat, or if I don’t attack at all, Yugi has more time to build up his hand for a counterattack. His strategy is perfect. Combos like this are what made him King of Games in the first place!
“You’re good,” I said.
“So are you,” Yugi replied.
“No,” I insisted, “I really mean it: you’re good. Really good. You don’t overwhelm your opponent, choosing to force their hand instead, and keep them on their toes until they trip themselves up. If I had to choose between fighting you and fighting three ‘Blue-Eyes White Dragons’, I’d choose the three ‘Blue-Eyes’, because at least then I’d know that there weren’t any surprises waiting.
"But then, when you need to, you can combine truly strong monsters with your tactics, making you even more dangerous. Even stronger. I’m impressed, but I think it’s time to stop feeling each other out and see who’s strongest. I’ll face your ‘Hats’ with my ‘D.D. Warrior Lady’. Attack the middle hat!”
My monster lunged and slashed, and she suddenly found herself trapped in a hexagram, a glowing eye on her forehead. The hat, now shredded, fell away, revealing the ‘Dark Magician’ in all of his glory.
“You triggered my Trap,” Yugi explained, “the ‘Illusion of Circle’. It strips your monster of her special ability and five hundred of her Attack points (1500-500=1000).
“Now I counterattack,” Yugi declared, “Black Magic!”
‘Dark Magician fired his attack, and ‘D.D. Warrior Lady’ fell (6500+1000-2500=5000).
“Brilliant,” I said in a purposefully arrogant tone. “Last turn you forced me to waste my defensive cards, destroyed my most powerful monster, and then set up another defensive combo to paralyze any counterattack that I might make. I’m not saying that I didn’t expect it, but it’s still impressive. That’s why you’re the King. But regardless of how badly I’m being beaten, I now have a good idea of your true upward limits, and I know what I have to do to win this day. I’ll never give up, and I will come out of this ahead.”
Yugi didn't even flinch.
Card of the Day:
Dark Magician
Played by: Yugi Muto
Of course this is the Card of the Day. It's Yugi's mother flippin' "Dark Magician"!
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