Chaos Effect

Chapter 93: Chapter 93

I can't believe that they are all just... moving on," Tristan said softly, watching as nearly everyone gathered in the dining room for Seto to announce the next duelists that would be facing each other. "We spent months preparing for a war and now we're just going back to dueling?"

Tea nodded. "I tried to talk to Serenity about it but I could tell that it wasn't registering with her. You know what I mean?"

"I do," Tristan stated. "Same thing with Joey." He sighed as he looked to the empty chair on his right, wishing desperately that his friend was there and not back to being locked up. Despite the fact that he had shown that he wasn't going to hurt anyone and whatever caused him to attack Edwin was gone Kaiba still wants him locked away.

"...why didn't we sit down together and work things out on the ship?" Tea asked.

Tristan could only sigh. "We were so focused on other things..."

It was at that moment that Yugi sat down next to them. "You two okay?"

"Not really," Tea admitted. "You?"

Yugi smiled weakly. "I didn't sleep much. Even though I feel tired and that has nothing to do with what happened to us in the multiverse."

"Yeah," Tristan commented, "it was a long day yesterday even before all that." He shook his head. "All the duels, Brom digging up all that stuff with Joey and Serenity-"

"So Brom is... a god, right?" Tea asked, interrupting Tristan. "Like Selene?"

"Apparently," Yugi said. "I haven't talked to him much but from what I gather he is a god."

"How did our lives get so weird?" Tristan bemoaned. "Gods, pharaohs, Marik and his sister going all super powered and crazy..."

He trailed off but his friends had no answer to that and finally the silence was broken by Duke taking a seat next to them, Koyo beside him looking rather dull-eyed and sleepy.

"You guys toss and turn last night too?" Duke asked. When they nodded he shuddered. "I kept waiting for Marik or Ishizu to burst into my room."

"Even if I were to burst into your room," Ishizu said, slipping down into a chair next to Yugi's like liquid metal, flowing more than sitting, "it would only be because there was a threat to the Pharaoh... something that I know you would care about since you serve him."

"We are his friends," Tea said coldly.

Ishizu snapped her head in Tea's direction. "The Pharaoh has no need for friends. He is a god in mortal form and when you are all little more than bones in the dirt, your souls judged and weighed, he will stand with Osiris and Ra and all others to watch over this world." She paused before smiling faintly. "I know you have delusions of grandeur... your attempts to stand on the same level in this tournament shows that, but you can not believe that you have any hope of matching a god."

Tea narrowed her eyes. "You're in this tournament too, Ishizu, or have you forgotten that? Are you trying to claim you are on the same level as the Pharaoh?"

"Never," Ishizu stated. "I serve the Pharaoh. See to his safety and his protection. I understand my place, unlike you." She smirked. "It isn't your fault... you are merely the result of your upbringing and this decadent world has filled your mind with false beliefs. You will be forced to confront them soon enough, which is why I do not hold it against you that you struck me. I know that by the end of this tournament you will lash your own back as penance for your sins. Then rising up and take your place as a servant of the Pharaoh."

"...that was certainly a lot of words," Duke muttered.

"Joke all you wish but it is the truth," Ishizu stated. "The competitors that remain in this tournament are far above and beyond you, Tea Gardner. The Nameless Pharaoh, rightful ruler of humanity. My brother, corrupted though he may be, is still the leader of his most trusted guard. Seto Kaiba, the reincarnation of the Pharaoh's priest and rival Set. Selene and Brom, the gods of the Moon and Death. Even Endymion, foul that he is. All stand above you... the second child of a corrupt servant who flitters through her life holding delusions that she is something more." Ishizu leaned in. "I have seen all your futures. What may come if you deny the truth and try and grasp for something beyond you. We are all born in a caste and we remain in that caste. The same of you, Tea. You believe you will be some famed dancer, delighting people with spins and leaps? You will be driven from the stage by the time you reach your 25th year on this world. Forced to wait tables and beg for tips. Eventually you will marry a petty little man and have petty little children and you will look to the Pharaoh as he bring this world to new glory and know that you could have served a greater purpose if only you had understood your place."

Tea merely stared Ishizu down. "I don't care for riches. I never did. That was my dad's mistake. I just want to help my friends."

"And yet you deny your destiny. Believe yourself worthy of being his 'friend'. You aren't worthy to carry his chamber pot and everyone knows it."

There was a flash and the Pharaoh took control of Yugi's body. "That is ENOUGH Ishizu."

"No, my pharaoh, it is not. You coddle this child and it does her no good. You show her far too much kindness. Her father is a killer and a traitor... that alone should have seen her cast from your sight. You can't trust her... she will turn against you in an instant."

That made Tristan laugh. "You think Tea would turn on the Pharaoh? Or any of her friends? If that's the case, lady, then your Millennium Necklace must be broken. Tea is the most loyal and kind person in the world."

Ishizu though shook her head. "Blood can not deny blood. Her father is a killer. A corrupt man that served corrupt masters all in the name of his greed and weakness of character." She stared Tea right down and what was the worst thing for the teen was how Ishizu stated such things without a smile. No smirk. No leer. She didn't laugh or mock. She said it all like she was discussing the weather. Facts as well known as that the sun rose in the east and set in the west. "Her sister gave up all chances to try and help her fellow man so she could covert with Selene and Endymion." She turned to the Pharaoh. "How long before she decides that it is better for her to serve a different master? Zorc offers her a chance to avoid her fate as a meaningless little thing that can only trade on her looks and flexibility and she will accept at once."

"That is enough, Ishizu," the Pharaoh warned.

"He doesn't even deny it," Ishizu said, leaning back to stare right at Tea. "He knows it. You know it. You are the weak link, Tea, the piece that doesn't fit. The little girl trying to be with the boys." She rose. "Will you hunt Endymion down and demand he punish me? Or my brother?"

"Or I could claw your eyes out myself."

"And she admits she will attack a servant of the Pharaoh," Ishizu said. "You should allow me to deal with her, my Pharaoh, before her threats turn to-"

Tristan shot up.

"How about you take a walk before you find out what we'll do for her?" he hissed.

But Ishizu merely looked him up and down, not startled in the slightest. "Tristan Taylor... the spare. That's all you are, after all. You do realize that, don't you? Everyone else has a role, even if they are ill suited for it or are nearing the point where they will no longer be needed. But not you. No duelist... your failure to move on in this tournament showed that. No power. No wisdom. You stumbled into something far larger than you and now like the little pond fish that finds itself in the Nile you swim to and fro, hoping against hope that if you puff yourself up enough no one will notice. But I have noticed. I see you for what you are. And everyone else does too. They just don't have the heart to tell you that its time for you to scurry on home, little boy. You aren't needed."

"And you are?" the Pharaoh asked, finally rising. "You claim to wish to help me, to protect me. But I find nothing more than honey-coated promises of knowledge that is never given, threats that you do nothing to stop, and a future that shifts with every moment. I trust Tea and Tristan with my life, Ishizu. I would not trust you with the weakest card in the worst deck I had ever made."

"...you will," she said simply. "You will."

"You know," Koyo said simply, "in all the great stories of heroes and villains... it isn't the noble and just ones who go on long rants about how everyone is pathetic." He shrugged. "Just saying."

Ishizu considered Koyo for a moment. "And few remember the name of the man whose sole purpose is to give the true hero their deck."

With that she walked away.

"...I only understood about ten percent of that," Duke admitted.

"Are you okay, Tea?" the Pharaoh asked.

She managed a smile. "I'm fine."

"Because you know that-"

"I do," Tea stated. "I do."

The Pharaoh though continued on. "Josiah, Edwin's brother... you remember him?"

"Of course." She screwed up her brow. "It must be so weird for Edwin to have to face duplicates of his family here knowing that his real... original... not sure how to not make that sound offensive... brother and dad are out in the multiverse. Not sure I could do that myself." She huffed. "Well, unless my dad was out there and not a piece of garbage."

The Pharaoh smiled slightly at that. "In Josiah's world the Millennium Items came from Greece. The spirit trapped in the Millennium Belt was an Amazon Queen... and you were her partner."

"Really?" Tea asked, surprised.

"I met her. She was brave and strong and confident. Fighting to protect her friends and family." He paused. "She was exactly like you, to the point that I forgot you weren't by my side." He placed a hand on her shoulder. "I know I can trust you. Do not let Ishizu's words get to you." He looked at them all. "Any of you."

Tristan sat down, slouched in his chair. "We'll try but hard when she is digging up your worst fears."

"Then we just need to overcome them," the Pharaoh stated. "Prove her wrong."

Tea opened her mouth to speak only for Seto to breeze into the room.

"Now that we are done with the distractions that are Edwin's life," he grumped, "we can get back to the true matter at hand: the Battle City Tournament. There will be four duels today, which will determine who will be moving on to Round Three of the tournament." As he spoke Edwin and his group slipped into the room. "Now then, to determine-"

Mai raised her hand. "Sorry to interrupt but I do have a question. The information you sent us about Battle City only covered the basics of Day 1. Nothing about the finals. Now that we're all here would you mind cluing us in a little bit?"

Seto considered her for a moment before giving a sharp nod. "At least that was an intelligent question. Round 2 will go just like Round 1, where you will be selected the same way. After that the four remaining duelists will compete in a Fatal Fourway match."

"I don't like the sound of that," Tea whispered.

"All four duelists will compete against one another, with the first two knocked out competing against each other and the two remaining in that duel taking each other on." Seto smirked, eyes closing. "Of course, to keep things interesting, if someone managed to eliminate the other three duelists they would automatically end the tournament and be declared the winner. Though its unlikely any of you could hope to do that, especially with me in the Tournament."

"That man never met a humble moment he couldn't crap on," Koyo muttered to himself, causing his newly found friends to smile at each other in response.

"After that we will have the semi-final round between both sets of duelists, leading to the final round to determine the winner of Battle City." He locked eyes with Yugi. "The ante rule will remain in effect during this time, unless both duelists wave the right, and any titles a duelist may have can be lost."

Yugi merely met Kaiba's gaze, refusing to back down. He had known that Kaiba would go for the title of King of Games; after the Egyptian God Cards it was the thing he craved the most.

Seto stepped back and let one of her servants take over. "The remaining duelists are Seto Kaiba, Yugi Muto, Edwin Chaos, Mai Valentine, Tea Gardner, Marik Ishtar, Brom Bones, and Ishizu Ishtar. All of their names have been placed in the randomizer and we will be selected the first duel now."

The bingo machine fired up, the little white balls bouncing about wildly within the glass ball before one was sucked into the mouth of the Blue-Eyes Ultimate Dragon.

"The first duelist is... Yugi Muto."

"Perfect," Tristan said with a grin. "No need to worry about everyone else!"

In his mind the young man looked at the Pharaoh before waving his hand, causing seven posters to appear, like the kind his teachers would set up to explain how evaporation worked or go over a historical WWII battle. A picture at the top and information. Details.

"So Yugi," the Pharaoh stated, arms folded over his chest, "who do you want to face next in this tournament?"

"That's the question isn't it?" Yugi asked. "Or rather a question."

"Oh?"

"Who I want to face and who I need to face are two different things," the boy admitted and at once his partner nodded, understanding. "Kaiba would hate to hear me say it but he might be the easiest person to defeat at the moment. I know what his deck can do and with him losing Obelisk the Tormentor to Ishizu that means that many of this strategies are gone."

"That is true," the Pharaoh agreed, "but we must not assume that this blow will keep him down for long. Kaiba is cunning and he will adapt quickly. I wouldn't be surprised if he spent all of last night retooling his decks to deal with the loss of Obelisk."

"Right," Yugi admitted. "Edwin... is it wrong that part of me wants him to take on someone like Ishizu or Marik because I think he could eliminate one? But then the other half of me is worried what he would do with one of the god cards?"

"Especially with Selene around," the Pharaoh stated.

"And that brings up Mai," Yugi said. "I don't want to take her out of the tournament but if Selene is going after the god cards that can't be a good thing. I can tell that Edwin is worried about that too. So defeating her..."

"Yes," the Pharaoh stated. "And then there is Brom. Another god." He rubbed his chin. "And one I can't determine the motives of."

"I don't know if he has any," Yugi admitted. "I get the sense that he just wants to duel. Which makes him dangerous because he's unpredictable." He sighed as he looked at the next two posters, which showed the leering face of the altered Marik and the cold smirk of the altered Ishizu. "As for those two..."

"Yes," the Pharaoh agreed. "Marik is a threat... but the danger posed by the Winged Dragon of Ra is great. I fear that even with Slifer we may not be able to beat him at this time. Only with Obelisk the Tormentor do we have a chance."

"But it feels wrong to force someone else to take on Marik," Yugi said. He remembered well how Bakura had completely disappeared after his battle with Marik and he feared what would happen if Edwin or Tea took the man on. Perhaps Selene or Brom could stand against him... "And with Ishizu she would probably demand a test to determine you were ready... and take Slifer if you didn't meet her standard."

"And the price she would demand for her loyalty will be high," the Pharaoh stated. "The deaths of our 'enemies' for one."

Yugi nodded at that. "And then there is-"

"Tea Gardner."

The boy was startled out of his thoughts by that voice and he blinked, looking about. "What?"

"Yugi Muto will face Tea Gardner in the first match of the Second Round of Battle City!"

Tea locked eyes with Yugi and managed a smile that didn't quite reach her eyes.

Behind her, seated at another table, Ishizu merely raised an eyebrow.

~MC~MC~MC~

"Everyone have their bingo cards?" Martin asked as he settled onto Cassie's sofa next to Aria.

"Explain this to me again?" Caesar said in confusion, twisting the bingo card about as if he expected it to suddenly transform into a monster. Which, considering Domino, was entirely possible.

"And where did you get them?" Aria asked.

"Website. Real easy. Anyway, you all have your highlighters and we all chipped money into the pot." He smirked as he held up the ceramic Pot of Greed Cookie Jar he had brought with him. "When something happens during this round that is on your bingo card you fill it in. Winner takes home the pot." He frowned. "Its kind of straight forward."

"If Edwin were here," Sally commented, having been able to get the day off finally to join the others, "he would claim it was TV Tropes bullshit thing." She looked down at her card. "Which also happens to be my N3."

"At least there isn't a square about you guys throwing a blanket on me," Cassie complained as she entered with the drinks, glowering at her friends as she remembered how their solution to her having a panic attack over seeing the Winged Dragon of Ra was to throw a blanket over her head like she was a parrot.

"That would be too easy," Martin stated.

Aria nodded rapidly. "We have a board for that!" She pulled out a white board that had a tally of how many times they each thought they'd have to blanket her.

"I hate all of you," she complained bitterly just as the graphics came up and the music for CCN's sport show played.

"It started with nearly a thousand duelists," the voiceover stated as images of Domino appeared on the screen. "Thousands of them... and Weevil Underwood. But the 16 greatest of them made it to the final round. Now, the Elite Eight have been determined and they will battle it out to determine who has a 1 in 4 chance of winning it all. This... is the Battle City Finals!"

The camera changed to a shot of the CCN sports center.

"And now your hosts: Marc Jeice and Scott Burter!"

The red suited Australian man smiled at the camera. "Welcome back folks! While we might not have as many duels this time round we'll be making up for it in quality!"

"That's right Marc," Scott stated. "Each one of these duelists know that they are within grasping distance of winning Battle City and they will be giving it their all in order to win!"

Marc took over as the camera focused on him. "The biggest story coming out of yesterday's duels might be the very last match, where a sudden power surge caused all coverage of the final seconds of the duel to be cut off. While we know that Ishizu Ishtar won the duel many of you wanted to see the final attack-"

Cassie glared at Caesar who was holding up a blanket. "I'm good."

"-reached out to Seto Kaiba to determine just what happened. He issued the following statement." A screen with Kaiba's face appeared, along with the words NONE OF YOUR BUSINESS. "Well... can't fault him for being succinct with his word choices."

Scott took over. "We now have only 8 remaining duelists and the first match is about to get underway. We turn now to Curtis Guldo to find out about the first two duelists. Curtis?"

Cutting to a short man in a green suit Curtis smiled as he gestured to his right, the camera panning so that Curtis took up only half the screen while the other half showed the image of Yugi Muto. "Starting off today is maybe the most famous duelist in the world-"

"Don't let Seto hear that," Sally muttered.

"-Yugi Muto. In the short 6 months since he entered onto the dueling scene Mr. Muto has gathered an international following thanks to his bold strategies, quick wit, and ability to play the long game. He currently has used multiple decks during Battle City but I'm going to guess he goes with his tried and true Dark Magician Deck, due to how reliable it has proven to be. Which he is going to need as he takes on an opponent all too familiar with it: his good friend Tea Gardner!"

The screen shifted to show Tea's image with Curtis on the opposite side of her.

"Battle City marks Miss Gardner's first tournament and already she has people wondering if she is the female Yugi Muto. Her Agent deck has proven to be devastating, helping her be one of the first duelists to make it to the Battle City Finals and take down her sister Yuri Gardner, who has been taken under the wings of Edwin Chaos and Mai Valentine, two of the top five duelists in the world. These two friends aren't going to go easy on each other and will be working hard to make sure that whoever wins will be ready for the next round of the tournament. Back to you, Marc and Scott."

But rather than cut to the commentators the screen showed the KaibaCorp Blimp with Yugi and Tea moving to the arena floor. "And it looks like our duel is about ready to start!" Scott declared. "The two duelists moment ago shared a handshake and a few words and now are preparing for battle. As you can see they certainly have a large group watching, with Edwin Chaos, Mai Valentine, Tea's own sister Yuri, and Renard Volpe clearly cheering on the possible future Queen of Games while Yugi and Tea's friends Tristan Taylor, who was eliminated by Yugi himself, Dungeon Dice Monsters creator Duke Devlin, and winner of last month's Outback Championship Koyo Hibiki cheering on the King of Games along with his grandfather Solomon Muto."

"So, who do you have?" Aria asked.

"Yugi," Cassie said flat out.

"Really?"

"Listen, the Agents are a great deck. Can do some sick things. But the Dark Magician is just on another level now. Yugi has so many tools that he can pull out and use."

"I don't know," Martin said. "That's why I think Tea is going to win. Yugi has a lot of tools, sure, but everyone has seen them. CCN has really been focusing on his duels along with the website, so we know most of his tricks. Tea is a wild card. Hell, I don't even recognize some of the cards she uses." He glanced at Cassie. "What's with those Dark Agents?"

"I asked Pegasus about them and he said it was an Edwin thing."

"And Edwin?" Sally asked.

"He said it was from another reality where our moralities are flipped."

"...okay."

~Meanwhile, on Earth-2~

Aiden frowned as he looked over his newest generals. "You want HOW much in hazard pay?"

Martin adjusted his tie. "Enough to make it worth our wild to fix the mess you are in." He pointed to Caesar, Aria, and Cassie who were poking at one of his dead minion's with sticks.

The Professor grumbled but still signed the contact.

~MC~MC~MC~

'Yugi,' the Pharaoh stated as they drew their cards, 'I know that Tea is our friend but remember what we discussed when we shook her head.'

'I remember, Pharaoh,' Yugi said, hearing Tea's words echo in his head.

"We're going to have everyone coming after us, Yugi. We have to be ready. I'm going to give you my very best, that way you are ready for what comes next... you do the same for me."

'It wouldn't be fair to Tea if we didn't treat her like any other duelist. We need to show her that we respect her and the only way we can do that is by giving this duel everything we have!'

'Indeed,' the Pharaoh confirmed before looking over his hand. 'And I believe that this is the way!' He held out a card and said with a smile, "You have seen many of my cards already, Tea. But a good magician always has another trick up their sleeves to wow a jaded audience. Allow me to show you that right now! I activate the field spell Magician's Salvation!"

The arena rippled and the Pharaoh saw everyone looking about as the bright morning sky shimmered into darkness. But not the kind that fill one with terror. No... this one was filled with stars and twinkling lights, like the curtains at a theater just before the magic show began. Breaking up the sky were magical portals, from which people could occasionally see the Dark Magician or the Dark Magician Girl appear, nodding or waving to them before darting away so quick that it was like they had never been there to begin with.

"People assume that the Dark Magician would make his home in some tower or perhaps a hidden village. But while he is one of the masters of magic-"

"Ow!" Edwin cursed. "Selene!"

"-he is still a performer, creating his illusions and spells! And thus he is most as home on this stage!" The Pharaoh smiled before selecting another card from his hand. "And now I will set the stage. I place this card face down on the field... and end my turn."

"Why didn't Yugi set any monsters on the field?" Duke wondered.

"Most likely because he didn't draw any," Koyo stated. "But with decks nowadays that isn't a promise that they can bring them right out."

Tea was clearly thinking the same thing, looking over her hand carefully.

'She's come a long way,' Yugi thought. 'Even with the dueling knowledge she gained from Earth-2 Tea has become a much stronger duelist these last few days.'

'No different than what we went through in Duelist Kingdom,' the Pharaoh stated. 'Sometimes there is only so much a person can do while training and practicing... they need to experience actual battle in order to learn and grow and develop.' He smiled to himself. 'Ishizu claimed that Tea longed to be a dancer and that might still be her dream... but I think she has the makings of an amazing duelist.'

"Well Pharaoh, that is an impressive field spell," Tea admitted. "I wonder what it can do."

"A magician doesn't reveal their secrets," the Pharaoh teased.

"I thought as much," Tea said before holding up a card. "So I guess I'll just have to put something on the field that I do know the effect of. I activate MY field spell: The Sanctuary in the Sky!"

While the starry sky filled with its rippling portals remained the blimp itself disappeared under their feet, replaced with a ancient tan stone as a great roman building rose up behind Tea. Fountains formed and beautiful soft music filled the air all around them as the Sanctuary finished forming.

"Hmm... I almost feel at home," Selene stated.

"And now I'll set in defense mode my Agent of Mystery-Earth!" The planet of life within the solar system appeared only to swirl and twist into a young angel girl who giggled before settling in defense mode. "And when she is summoned I can add one Agent or Hyperion card from my deck to my hand." Tea went through her deck for a few moments before selecting the card. "And I end my turn."

"Tea is playing it safe," Yuri commented. "Normally I'd say that she needs to be a bit more bold but when its Yugi...?"

Edwin nodded. "And she can afford to be a bit cautious... her deck can go quickly from nothing to something grand."

'Edwin is right,' Yugi thought. 'I was going to say that maybe we should wait one more turn before activating our trap card, try and draw Tea into revealing what she has planned, but I'm worried she might bring out one of her Hyperions and destroy what we've set up.'

'I agree, Yugi,' the Pharaoh stated. 'We must be bold here... force her to act.' Out loud the Pharaoh declared, "I will now activate my Trap Card: Eternal Soul!"

"Oh man, that's a nasty card!" Tristan exclaimed. "With that its almost impossible to destroy the Dark Magician... it just keeps getting summoned back."

"Guess that's why they call it 'Eternal' then," Duke commented.

On the field an ancient Egyptian Tablet appeared, depicting the Dark Magician in battle with a monster. "With this card I am able to special summon from my hand my Dark Magician! Come forth!" The purple robed mage appeared, spinning his staff before pointing it right at Tea and her Agent of Mystery. "And now I will attack your monster! Dark Magician, Dark Magic Attack!" The Dark Magician nodded and thrust out his hand, causing a wave of enchantments to strike the Agent of Mystery-Earth, causing her to shatter. "And I end my turn."

Selene though scoffed. "He claims he's a Master of Magic but he can't even figure out how to use his staff properly..."

"Why are you still here?" Edwin complained.

"I like snuggling with you."

"...fuck that is a legit excuse."

Tea drew her next card and smiled as she looked back up at the Pharaoh. "Well... you brought out an old and reliable friend... I should do the same."

'I don't like the sound of that,' Yugi thought.

"I summon my Agent of Creation- Venus!" On the field the planet Venus appeared before turning into a blond angel, her hands clasped in front of her.

"You know she stole that look from me," Selene commented. "Also you can smell Mars' dick on her breath when she talked to you."

Edwin couldn't help but snort at that.

"And now," Tea continued, "I will use her effect to summon from my deck, at the cost of 500 lifepoints for each one, three Mystical Shine Balls." On the field Venus threw out her hands and three orbs of shimmering light appeared, bobbing up and down before her. "These cards are said to be the souls of angels waiting to be born..." (Tea-2500)

'This isn't good,' the Pharaoh thought to himself. 'With The Agent of Creation and those Shine Balls even if we summon another monster next turn Tea will still have two to tribute.'

'I don't think she's waiting till next turn!' Yugi cried as Tea tapped her duel disc and two of the Shine Balls began to swirl around each other, dancing in the air.

"But how?" the Pharaoh demanded. "You can't tribute summon this turn!"

"Who said anything about Tribute Summoning?" Tea asked. "I'm doing something special. LINK SUMMON!" The two Mystical Shine Balls turned into Ones and Zeroes, flowing into each other.

"What is Link Summoning?" Yugi's grandpa asked, confused.

It was Renard who spoke up. "When someone link summons they take one or more monsters and uses the Duel Disc system to alter their basic programming, turning them into a completely different monster. This also creates an 'open link' that can funnel other duel monsters onto the field. Its why those monsters have to be summoned in the middle of the field, rather than on your own."

Sure enough the Pharaoh watched as the Shine Balls reformed... into the Moon, which then took the form of a pale angel girl who settled on the field in attack mode.

"I Link Summon Protector of the Agents-Moon," Tea declared. "And now I'll use her effect, which allows me to send one Agent Monster from my deck to the graveyard."

As Tea looked through her deck Yugi frowned in the shared mindscape. 'That Protector of the Agents isn't that powerful. Certainly not as strong as the Dark Magician. Summoning it cost her 1000 life points... there must be something else it can do, something it can summon, that can overcome our Dark Magician!' He looked at the Protector of the Agents before it suddenly struck him. 'Another Link Summons! She must be preparing to summon a second monster and link it with Moon!'

'And there is a possibility that there could be a third Link, made of the first two, that is more powerful than the Dark Magician!'

'It's a complex strategy but if anyone could pull it off its Tea!'

'Yes,' the Pharaoh thought, 'but it's a dangerous gamble. With Eternal Soul we can bring back our Dark Magician and if she isn't able to summon something that can defeat it this turn we can use Eternal Soul to add Thousand Knives or Dark Magic Attack to our hand, allowing us to destroy either her field spell or her monsters.' The Pharaoh narrowed his eyes. 'It all depends on what she does next.'

Tea finally selected a card and sent it to the graveyard. "And now I will activate Moon's second effect."

"A second effect?" the Pharaoh asked.

His friend smirked. "Yes. See, Moon isn't called the 'Protector of the Agents' just because she floats there. She works to protect the Agents, to ensure that they are able to set about with their holy work. And your Dark Magician is in the way, Yugi, so I'm afraid I'm going to have to destroy him!"

"Destroy the Dark Magician?" the Pharaoh exclaimed.

"That's right! I tribute my last remaining Shine Ball!"

'She'll be able to attack us directly!' Yugi exclaimed.

'Yes,' The Pharaoh agreed, 'but Eternal Soul will... NO!'

Tea grinned. "Oh, did you realize it finally? I'm not targeting the Dark Magician... I'm targeting his Tablet: Eternal Soul!"

"But since that is linked to the Dark Magician destroying that will destroy him!" the Pharaoh cried out.

"Exactly!" Tea stated. "Protector of the Agents-Moon, destroy the Eternal Soul Trap Card! Lunar Barrage!"

Moon nodded and lifted into the air, moon rocks flying down and shattering the Tablet. The moment they did the Dark Magician cried out, clutching at his chest even as he began to fade in and out of existence.

"My Dark Magician!" the Pharaoh exclaimed, the monster disappearing and leaving him with an empty field.

"And now both of my Agents will attack you directly! Agent of Creation-Venus and Protector of the Agents-Moon, attack with Transit of Venus!"

The two fairies leapt into the air, Protector in front of the Agent of Creation, and the two spread their wings in unison as light radiated off of them. The Pharaoh shielded himself as the glow intensified before it turned into a physical blow, sending him flying back to the ground. (Yugi-600)

"No way!" Tristan exclaimed. "Tea didn't just destroy the Dark Magician... she took Yugi down to less than a thousand lifepoints!"

"And he has nothing on the field!" Koyo cried out.

Yuri screamed and jumped up and down. "Gardner Sisters get it done!"

The Pharaoh slowly rose up. "We... aren't out of this yet." But in his head he added, 'But if we don't think of something quick... we will be!'

~MC~MC~MC~

Chaosverse Omake

Stelle hopped out of the Simulated Universe, hand moving to wipe the sweat from her brow before pausing. She had to remember this was a computed simulation and not a real life battle. The skin was dry and unmarked.

Still, it didn't mean she didn't remember the echoes of pain from each hit, the tension as she struggled against the copies of foes from the past.

"How was it this time?" the bespectacled man asked, paper journal and pen at the ready.

"It was perfect. It's my creation after all," Herta butted in.

Blue-grey eyes narrowed at the doll. "Nothing is perfect, Madame Herta," he stated bluntly, just barely keeping the irritated growl out of his throat (because by god was this tiny woman the worst person he had met, even compared to the actual army of a god of destruction)

Stelle's hand opened to show the glitched curios she collected. "Mysterious code and glitched code," she declared, voice low. "The occurrence-paths didn't converge this time."

She frowned a bit. "Is there a way to do a path with only that path's blessings?" She turned to Herta. "If I-"

"No, I am not going to make a simulation where you can fuck the Aeons. Stop. Asking that," Herta gritted out in annoyance.

"Language, Miss Herta. Besides, you're only like a month or two old. Way too young to be thinking of things like that," the blond said sagely, writing down something (MAKE SURE DAN HENG AND 3/7 KEEP STELLE AWAY FROM DATING SITES OR ANY NANOOK-CENTERED EROTICAS)

Stelle's eye twitched at this. "Are you serio-"

"Darn right I am," he declared, glasses shinning in the light.

"You don't have to omit swearing in front of me!"

"I'm not swearing in front of a child."

" WOULD YOU STOP FUCKING CALLING ME A-"

A shield of quantum shot out, bouncing all over the room until it bonked Stelle.

"LANGUAGE!"

THIS CHAPTER UPLOAD FIRST AT NOVELBIN.COM