Chapter 48 - 48

Chapter 48

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/UzumakiLegacy

Mai kept staring at her hands.

Of reactions I expected from the news of Selene and just who she was to all of us Mai flexing her fingers and looking at her palms was definitely far better than I had hoped. Not that I really understood WHY she was looking at her hands... crackling her knuckles... inspecting her nails... wiggling her fingers-

"Uh, Mai?" I asked, waving my hand in front of her face. "Earth to Mai..."

"Hmmm?" she said, blinking as she came out of her thoughts. "I'm sorry, what?"

"We kind of lost you there." I said. "Just wondering how you are doing."

"Good," she said, her tone making it clear that no, she was not doing 'good' at all. It was the same way a war vet might have said they were doing fine after being caught staring across a field while the sounds of gunfire and bombs went off in their head.

"Yeah, we believe that," Yuri said, walking over with several white bags, one of with was full of burgers that were nearly tumbling out. Cheap, hastily made, could sit out for 10 hours and still have the same temp and consistency burgers. "Okay, time for the breakfast of champions as we used to call it at the station." She set the bag down and took out a paper wrapped burger, tossing it to Renard. "Greasy, will destroy your bowel movements, but just what you need after a horrible day."

"Did you get any of the horribly named 'french fries'?" Renard asked.

"Taking that whole snobby European thing to the next level, I see," I teased. "But answer the man you get the fries?"

She held up the other bags. "Crispy and ready to be munched. And onion rings for you, Edwin."

"Thank you!" I said happily, snagging a burger and unwrapping it. But it wasn't for me as I instead thrust it into Mai's hands, startling her for a moment before she began to eat it. "Yeah, that's not a good sign. Mai isn't mocking my food choices." I grabbed another burger for myself only to pause as I saw the logo on the wrapper. "Is... is this the KaibaCorp logo?"

"Yes," Renard said. "He bought it a few weeks ago."

Yuri nodded. "You get a discount because you work there."

"I should get them for fucking free since I own 25% of it! And why does Seto own a hamburger joint?"

~Several Weeks Ago~

"Ya know," Joey said, munching on a burger from Burgerpalooza, "I have ta say of all the places one can get some grub I think this is my favorite!"

Seto, who was picking up Mokuba after he'd spent the day with Yugi and his friends (which Seto only allowed because Mokuba agreed to tell him about any dueling strategies Yugi mentioned), narrowed his eyes and didn't say a word... even when a glob of sauce from Joey's burger dripped down onto Seto's shoe.

"Heh, sorry 'bout that Kaiba!" Joey said with a bashful laugh.

"mmmmmm," Seto grumbled before getting into the limo with Mokuba... and taking out his cellphone. "Rogers? Buy Burgarpalooza and ban Joey Wheeler from all establishments."

~MC~MC~MC~

"Who knows why Seto Kaiba does what he does?" Renard said as he sat down on the short wall we had gathered around. It had been decided after the whole goddess thing, along with seeing the god card and Marik rip the soul out of another person that we were in desperate need of a lunch break. Even with the clock ticking down we still had plenty of time to get our locator cards. At worst I could have a mock duel with Renard to get his as while he was in Battle City he wasn't actually competing as he was far too focused on protecting my ass and Yuri even with her dueling knowledge could take or leave the entire Duel Monsters scene.

Besides, Mai needed time to decompress after the bombshell we'd dropped on her.

"Shouldn't I... glow?" Mai finally said, looking at her hands again which were clutching her half finished burger.

"Glow?"

"Because I'm a god," Mai said softly, brow furrowing. "Shouldn't I glow?"

"I don't think gods glow."

"You glow when you use the Millennium Key and you aren't a god."

Yuri glanced at me. "Yet."

"We're not discussing that," I said darkly. Selene's little reveal, that she planned to pull some Mary Sue bullshit on me and turn me into a god, was not sitting well with me at all. I'd entered this world and promised that I would avoid power because I knew how dangerous it was. The Lord of the Rings had taught me that power very easily corrupts. 'And now I am a multimillionaire who also possesses the Millennium Key,' I thought to myself. 'And I use its powers so freely and naturally... the temptation would be far too great if I let Selene actually make me a god. I don't know what powers I would have but whatever they might be I'd end up abusing them.' I looked at my own hands. 'And I would truly become a monster.'

"I just feel like there should have been... something... that let me know about this," Mai said. "Everything I thought I knew is wrong."

"It isn't wrong," I assured her, grabbing a pack of onion rings. "It's merely another piece. Selene said herself that you are her with no memories, no powers. You are her if she had taken a different path."

"I'm nothing then," Mai said. "A mask."

"You are Mai Valentine," I told her firmly, wanting to nip that little guilt trip in the bud. "She is Selene. You share a body but you are two very different people. Selene... she isn't you."

"She is me!" Mai exclaimed, for the first time showing real passion since she'd learned the truth of her existence. "And now she is obsessed with turning you into a god and she probably has no problem destroying cities and sacrificing puppies and babies and bringing about the end of days! That's who I am!"

"It isn't," I repeated.

"How... how can you be so calm about this?" Mai asked in anger, glaring at me. "Why aren't you freaking out?"

"You want me to freak out?" I asked.

"No... yes... I don't know but I don't understand how you can just sit there and accept that I am a monster."

"You aren't Selene."

"Yes I am! I'm her! She's me!"

"You are the same person but living two different lives. I get that."

Mai trembled in rage. "You have NO idea what this is like."

"Yes I do," I retorted firmly.

"How?"

"Because Yuri and I fucking lived through it!" I shouted, causing Mai to reel back.

"Captain..." Renard said softly, startled by my outburst. I was startled too so I turned my head away from Mai and sought to calm myself. Yuri though looked at me and quietly nodded, understanding just what I was speaking of.

"A few months back... Yuri and I, along with Tristan and Tea, were transported to another world. Another universe. One that exists in the same location as this earth but at a different... frequency. There everything was reversed. Good was evil and evil was good. Yuri met a version of herself who had become just like her father on our Earth. The same Yuri... identical in body, probably right down to her DNA... but who had taken a different path. Starting small. Yuri went left, she went right. Yuri chose one door her doppelganger chose another. And that all began to cascade down upon itself until they became radically different people. Our Yuri who refused to allow herself to become corrupted by an unjust system. Another Yuri who became the master of that system and worked to see it become all the more unfair to all."

"...there was another version of you?" Mai asked softly.

"Aiden Order." I huffed. "A horrible name, I know. But he was me. Except he went down different paths as well. Compromised where I stood firm... and then came on like a storm where I worked with others. Until I had to watch him use the Millennium Rod to do to Yuri just what Marik is doing to the Rare Hunters. On another world... I am no better than Marik. I am a monster who helped a madman rip souls out of bodies and take over an entire city." I looked down at the onion ring in my hand. "So yes... I know what it's like to realize someone wearing your face is a monster."

Yuri remained silent. I was glad. I was so very glad she didn't bring up the one small fact that would have taken my point and twisted it to supporting Mai's view that she and Selene were exactly the same: the fact that I had been just like Aiden. I had ripped Earth-2 Serenity's soul out of her body and banished it to the Shadow Realm. Just like Aiden Order.

Because while he was my dark reflection... there was light in him. He'd freed Yuri and Tea and Tristan. Just as there was darkness in me. I had killed.

"So," I said only to pause, hearing the heaviness in my voice. I cleared my throat and continued, "So, I know what it is like. Your situation is a touch different since you have Selene bubbling around in the back of your head... but I understand. And I am telling you that you aren't Selene. And you aren't some mask she wears. She decided to have a mortal life... and in doing so creating something. Nothing in this world can be destroyed or created she said, only changed. But she's wrong... because she created you." I placed my hand on her knee. "And that is all that matters to me."

Mai looked down again, a slight smile tugging on her lips. "This would be really touching if you didn't have onion ring grease on your fingers."

I snickered at that and we went back eating our comfort food, not really saying anything just focusing on decompressing. There were still issues... but at the moment we just wanted to focus on other things.

When the food was done we all stood upon and awkwardly shifted before I finally broke the ice. "So... want to hang out and find some people to duel?"

"If it's okay I want to duel on my own for a little while," Mai said. "I need to... get my head on straight and I think thrashing some weaklings might help."

"If you're sure," I said and when she nodded I leaned in for a kiss only for Mai to stop me. "If this is about Selene-"

"Its about onion breath. Those burgers liked to layer them on." She glanced at Yuri. "We need to find a bathroom so I can brush my teeth."

I watched the two of them go, glad at least that we were parting on good terms and knew we'd see each other soon when we were headed to the finals. It was only when Mai was out of sight that my smile fell. "Renard."

"Yes Captain?"

"Contact Alan. And Cassie." Alan was someone I had gotten in contact with at the Domino Museum when I'd realized Battle City was coming up; he covered my tracks if I slipped and used Anime Knowledge to say something about the Tomb Keepers or Egypt that I shouldn't know. Cassie was Industrial Illusions Lore Mistress in charge of providing information on all the cards, both their in-game tales and their real world origins. "I need them to do some research for me. Hush hush."

"About?" Renard asked.

"How does one depower a god?"

"Captain?"

"Selene won't view Mai like I do. She'll see her as nothing. The moment the god cards are all together she's going to move to take them and try to make her grand plan to make me ascend come true. I'm not going to let that happen. But I can't beat her. And I can't risk hurting Mai. So we are going to make Mai the dominate. We're going to strip Selene of her powers."

~MC~MC~MC~

"It feels like this should... feel different," Yugi said, looking down at Slifer the Sky Dragon. "But it doesn't. It just feels like any other card." He traced his finger along the surface of the trading card, feeling the edge, the smooth surface, all of it. He'd handed hundreds of cards, probably thousands of cards, in his time both helping his grandpa run the card shop and building his own decks. And this card was exactly the same as all the others he handled. Nothing special at all.

Except it was special. Very special. People were losing their souls for this card and its brothers.

The Pharaoh's ghostly form appeared beside him. 'Looks can be deceiving. You should know that better than most, Yugi. We can't judge what power something has just by its appearance.'

Yugi nodded, remembering the fear that had permeated his body when he'd first laid eyes on Slifer towering over him. "I'm glad we have this card now. I feel a lot better with us having it rather than Marik."

'I do as well. But we also must remain cautious... more so than before. Marik was only hunting us for the Puzzle. But we have now defeated him and his Rare Hunters three times.' His own thoughts flashed to those they had taken on since returning from Duelist Kingdom. 'Bandit Keith nearly killed you in that warehouse fire. And then there was the Cabal and her demented beliefs that she could defeat us and save her partner Arkana. And now Strings. Marik is not one to take failure lightly.'

"And he's not just targeting us... he's targeting our friends. He said that Tea and Joey and Tristan and everyone else was in danger. He's already gone after Joey and Edwin... who knows who is in danger next."

'So long as Mokuba stays with Kaiba I believe he will be okay. Edwin has shown great mastery with the Millennium Key and with Renard, Yuri, and Mai with him I do believe he can handle most Rare Hunters. Joey, Tea, and Tristan have had their minds locked down... but that doesn't mean the Rare Hunters won't go after them.'

"So we need to find our friends!" Yugi exclaimed.

But as he stood up the Pharaoh shook his head. 'While I want to protect them too we do them no good if we do not continue in this Tournament. Marik is the kind of cheat who will have his Rare Hunters bring him locator cards to ensure he gets in the finals. And if Kaiba does hold the final God Card as Edwin suggested... then we must be in the finals as well. Marik controlling one god card is a dark thing but I also worry what that kind of power could do to Kaiba.'

Yugi thought of the Blue Eyes Ultimate Dragon. "Yeah... Kaiba was already willing to do what it took in order to win. With the power of a god card?" He paused, looking down at Slifer. "Is it safe to even use Slifer then?"

'Yes, Yugi,' the Pharaoh said. 'We know of the dangers of that card and will be able to guard ourselves against falling into the temptation it offers. And... I can't truly explain it... but I feel as if that Slifer is part of the key to the mystery that is my missing memories. Clearly it was important in my past.' He thought of the tablet showing him dueling a version of Kaiba. 'I can only hope that by gathering the three Egyptian God Cards the mysteries locked away in my mind will be revealed.'

"We'll figure it out, Pharaoh," Yugi said. "But now we need to find our final two locator cards AND ensure our friends are safe!"

With that the two headed off... never noticing a cloaked figure watching them.

~MC~MC~MC~

"And down he goes!" Joey said with a cheer, thrusting his fist in the air as his opponent, who had been using a deck built around bicycles of all things, saw his very last monster destroyed. And with it the last of his life points destroyed. "And with that I go to 4 Locator Cards!"

"Man!" the duelist complained, walking over to Joey and holding out the locator card. He was dressed in rather tight shorts, a muscle shirt, goggles, and a helmet along with knee and elbow pads. His duel disc was also mounted to his mountain bike. "I was hoping that by beating you I'd punch my ticket to the finals!"

"Still plenty of time," Joey commented as he took the Locator card and slipped it into his pocket with the other ones in his possession. They were standing next to Joey's high school but classes were out for the summer and as such it served as the perfect place for a duel."Can't get too down on yourself."

"I suppose. Anyway, here is my rarest card..."

"Jokes... I know you love to make them. I wonder if you'll be laughing when I defeat you! Cyber Ogre attack!" The mechanical menace roared and launched himself at my Servant shattering her into bits. It was only because she was in defense mode that my lifepoints remained whole.

"You know," I said as I drew my next card, "that monster is impressive. A real powerhouse. But like you said... every move must serve more than one purpose. Let me give you a demonstration. I first summon Breaker the Magical Warrior in attack mode!" One of the two sentry warriors of the Citadel appeared, spinning his blade before pointing it right at Sheppard. "Next I activate an old favorite of mine: The Book of the Moon!" The blue book appeared, Breaker grabbing it and opening it up. "This contains powerful magic that allows me to force one of your monsters into facedown defense mode. Meaning you wasted your Phoenix to bring out a monster that is about to be turned into tiny bits of shrapnel."

Sheppard though merely smirked. "Fool. I activate Cyber Reformat!" The spell card, showing a Cyber Ogre going haywire, appeared on the field. "This card allows me to select one Cyber monster in my graveyard and give its affect to a monster currently on the field. So Cyber Phoenix's Spell Negation Effect automatically goes to Cyber Ogre, protecting him!" The ghostly form of the Phoenix appeared over the Ogre before the wings solidified, making it a flying Ogre. "Meaning that Brekaer and my Ogre are evenly matched!"

"Then a stalemate," I said, already moving to set a card in my Spell and Trap Zone to protect myself. Only, to my surprise, Breaker suddenly came to a stop. "What?"

"I activated my Ogre's original effect, which allows him to stop one battle with your monster by sending a card from my hand to the graveyard... but in exchange that allows him to gain 2000 attack points during the next battle phase." The Cyber Ogre let out a roar as its attack points jumped to 3900.

"Captain!" Renard called out. "You must be careful! He clearly wanted to have full control of the battlefield."

"Yeah," I agreed. "Good thing I like doing the same thing." I selected a different card from my hand and set it face down on the field. "I end my turn then, Sheppard."

"Everyone spoke of how impressive you were but now that we have crossed swords... I can't help but wonder if the pathetic little man before me is the same mighty Edwin Chaos that so many claim rival Yugi Muto and Seto Kaiba." Sheppard scoffed. "Or I'm just that good. Cyber Ogre, destroy his Breaker!"

"Activate my own Quick Play Spell Card!" I shouted. "Another Book of the Moon!"

"I'll just negate it with my Ogre!" Sheppard said.

"I'm not aiming at your Ogre," I taunted. "I'm aiming that spell at my Breaker, shifting him to defense mode and protecting my lifepoints!" My magical warrior shattered but my lifepoints remained at 4000.

Sheppard though wasn't impressed, setting a card on the field. "This duel has gotten into the true meat of it all but you remain a coward who refuses to face me!" He slammed his fist against his chest. "Fight me like a warrior!"

"And I told you... I am no warrior." I drew my next card. "Have you heard of the Young Lion and the Old?" I shook my head when he didn't say a word. "The Young Lion roared and bellowed to let the world know he was there and he desired much. The grasslands quaked with his call. But it also alerted his prey and they scampered away, forcing him to give chase. The Old Lion... he maked not a sound. He slinks on his belly like a serpent. He waits and lets opportunity after opportunity go by. Until... the perfect one arrives... and he takes his prey. The herd doesn't even realize that one is missing. The Old Lion takes what he wants without even a murmur.

"Allow me to show you how the Old Lion hunts."

"This is going to be a show!" Renard declared with a laugh, a crowd gathering to watch us as he leapt onto a low wall and sat upon it.

"First I activate Spell Power Mastery, which allows me to add Spell Counters to a card on my field for the number of Spell Power Grasps and Masterys in my graveyard and on the field. Since there is only one I only get to add one... but remember what I said about every move needing to do more than one thing? Well... my Citadel has been quietly gathering spell counters every time one of us played a spell card. All our little back and forths have been building to this moment... a favorite move of mine. I set in my Right Most Spell Zone Endymion, The Mighty Master of Magic, and then remove from my Citadel 6 Spell Counters in order to summon him directly to the field! Come forth ENDYMION!"

There was a blast of magic from the Heavens and as it faded away Endymion was revealed, twirling his staff before pointing it right at Sheppard's Ogre. The tip of his staff began to glow white hot and the mage smirked as the power built.

"And because he was summoned that way his effect activates, allowing me to banish your Ogre from the field." I held my arms out wide. "So long, bitches!" Endymion fired, causing the Ogre to turn into negative colors before fading away; he wasn't through though yet as he suddenly leapt into the air. "And now it's time for me to take out your lifepoints!" But just as Endymion was nearing Sheppard... I held out my hand and smirked. "But... I think I'll hold off." Endymion returned to my side of the field. "I don't like that downface card so I think I'll send in one of Endymion's loyal guard to check it out. I summon Crusader of Endymion to the field!" The warrior, dressed in armor so you couldn't see his face and bearing two curved bladed shields, appeared before Endymion, bowing to him before turning to face Sheppard. "Crusader, attack him directly!"

The Crusader nodded and ran forward, bringing his shield down... just as my oppenet's trap flipped up.

"I activate Cyber Duplication!"

"And I activate ENdymion's special ability!" I called out, preventing Sheppard from saying another word. "This effect allows me to send one card with Spell Counters back to my hand, moving the counters to Endymion himself, and in exchange I can then negate your card's effect. My Citadel returns to my hand..." Domino reappeared as the Spell Counters from the City of Endymion flew around their master, "...and your trap is sent to the graveyard. Now Crusader, finish your attack so we can end this duel!"

Sheppard though merely stood tall even as the shield dropped down... on another Cyber Ogre.

"My Cyber Duplication has two effects. If on the field it would have created another Crusader of Endymion but this one would have been a Cyber Monster I controlled. But if it is sent to the graveyard I get to summon one monster from my deck directly to the field. I chose another Cyber Ogre and now I can activate his effect, stopping the battle between Crusader and Ogre and increasing his attack to 3900." Sheppard let out a dismissive snort. "In your rush to end things you only doom yourself."

"We shall see, I suppose," I said, forced to end my turn. 'If he's smart he'll go after Endymion. He is the stronger monster and next turn I'll be able to actually block his effects. But he might go after Crusader in hopes of getting more lifepoint damage and trying to eliminate me quick. It all depends on what else he has in store for me.'

"A brilliant combo," Renard said with a nod of his head. "You were able to neutralize him and set yourself up well."

"Even your servant knows I'm better than you."

"Renard can appreciate moves. I'm not going to force him to blindly support me in everything." I shot Sheppard a dark look. "And I get that all this macho trash talk hyper aggression bullshit is your 'thing' to deal with the rage or the darkness within you but you will fucking respect him."

Sheppard though merely raised his eyebrow at my comment. "We all have rage and darkness in us. That is why these duels are important: to give us an outlet to deal with such things." He stared at me rather intently. "You have much rage in you, Edwin. I can nearly TASTE it. Yet even with all your jokes and insults... you never have truly released it. Not for a long time."

"Because I know how to temper my anger."

"Or you bottle it up until it explodes," Sheppard said, hitting a bit too close to home for my liking.

"Just make your next move," I snapped.

The bald man merely drew, a smile tugging on his lips. "I think I have a new goal: to make you show what is truly in your heart. To reveal the fires the Devil hides." He held up a card. "And I start with this: My Cyber Troll."

A small, silver robotic creature with long ears, spikes on its back, and a mouth full of metal teeth let out a laugh as it appeared on the field. It began to run about before settling next to Sheppard's Ogre, looking up at it and leering. (1000/200)

"He might not seem like much but my Cyber Troll is very important to seeing your downfall. When he is on the field or in the graveyard I can treat him like a Cyber Ogre."

"Only one reason for that..." I muttered.

"I actvaite Cyberburst Fusion!" Sheppard declared, revealing a Fusion card that showed two Cyber Ogres on it, swirling towards the center. "This card allows me to fusion summon a fusion monster from my Extra Deck and have it attack without waiting. He can also attack every monster you control. However he will be destroyed at the end of my turn. As such I fusion my Cyber Ogre and my Cyber Troll to summon Cyber Ogre 2!"

I would never understand how the mechanical beast that appeared before me could be called an 'Ogre'. But I did understand that it was dangerous. It had no legs but a long tail, massive forearms, a giant chest, and a toothy maw that threatened to swallow my monsters whole.

"That beast is still weaker than your Endymion, Captain!" Renard called out. "It must have a dangerous effect!"

"Your friend is right," Sheppard said, having at least learned not to talk shit about Renard in front of me. "The Cyber Ogre 2 gains attack equal to half of the attack of the monster it is battling! Meaning that with its already meaty 2600 attack points it will be able to run right over your monsters! First... your Endymion!"

The Cyber Ogre 2 bellowed as lines of energy glowed on its body, causing it to power up to 4000 attack. Endymion didn't even brace himself, merely standing tall with a dignified look on his face even as the Cyber Ogre 2 slammed its fist into him, shattering him and sending him to my extra deck.

"And your Crusader!" Sheppard bellowed. His monster's attack went down to 3550 but that was still more than enough to slay my warrior, my lifepoint tracker rapidly tumbling down in response. "I will set this card and say goodbye to my Cyber Ogre 2. Now... how will you respond?" (Edwin-1150)

"I assume you want me to curse and rage and scream?" I said dryly.

"I want you to embrace you emotions! Show me what lies in your heart."

"Determination," I said simply. "I summon Magical Abductor to the field and also reactivate the Citadel of Endymion!" The great city appeared before us once more while the Magical Abductor stood tall, holding her staff and looking out over the field with a determined gaze. "And now I activate Spell Power Grasp to add a spell counter to my Citadel and, because Grasp was a spell itself, add more spell counters to my Abductor and my Citadel... which also added counters to Abductor when it was activated." The field spell and my mage both gained two spell counters. "And while you did a lot of damage with your Cyber Ogre 2 you have still been left defenseless and at my mercy! Abductor attack!"

"Reveal my trap card!" Sheppard said with an arrogant grin. "Cyber Gremlin!" A tiny, giggling robotic creature that looked like a cross between a frilled lizard and a monkey appeared, pointing at me and laughing. "I can summon Cyber Gremlin tokens on the field equal to the number of Cyber Gremlins on my field or in my graveyard."

Renard frowned as two more appeared. "But you never played... the discard cost to use your non-fusion Ogres' effects!"

"Seeding my graveyard, yes!" Sheppard said. "I've taken your method and improved it, Edwin! Every move has more than one goal! I am doing far better than you are when it comes to such things!"

"You really aren't," I said with a dark smirk. "All you've done is stall! Abductor, waste Gizmo there!" My mage nodded and blasted one of the defense position tokens. "You keep talking about wanting me to treat this as a battle of passion... and that might work for you. But for me? I prefer to fight with cunning and from a place of strength. Which is exactly where I am."

"You believe me defenseless with just my tokens?" Sheppard asked. "Think again. I activate Monster Reborn! Return my Cyber Ogre 2!" The giant robotic beast appeared and let out a roar that rattled the towers of the Citadel. "I can't attack this turn but next turn I will lay waste to your monsters and claim the last of your lifepoints! How does it feel to know-"

"Oh shut up!" I snapped. "You want anger? Heh... I'm good."

I wasn't.

But the anger that was inside wasn't from Sheppard and this duel. It was about Selene meddling in things. It was that I didn't know how to make Mai feel okay about what was happening. It was Marik fucking things up in my life. The feeling that people were still judging me as unimportant or without honor just because I liked being me. It was the entire fucking state of my life at that moment and how in a few hours I'd gone from understanding my place in the world to having my girlfriend be an insane clingy ho bag that wanted to force me to become a god and people not seeing why that was a god damn problem!

Yeah... there was anger... but Sheppard wasn't the one that deserved it.

So he got the cold fires of determination.

"This duel... it ends this turn," I informed him. "You said it yourself... there are so many different ways to win a war. Assassination. Full on assault. Hit and Run. But me... I so do love taking the heart of my enemy... and crushing it in my fist. The body remains strong but it has no ability to fight a second more. And right now... I'm going to do just that." I held up two cards. "Schools in session.

"First I summon Frequency Magician in attack mode." The mage, wearing an odd outfit even for Duel Monsters, appeared on the field. "He automatically gains a spell counter when he is summoned. "Next I activate the spell card Enydmion's Gatheirng!" The spell, showing Endymion holding out his hand as he stood on the balcony of his tower and calling forth Spell Counters, appeared on the field. "This card allows me to shift all the spell counters I control to one card. I select my Citadel. And now it's time for something... oh so special! SYNCRO SUMMON!"

My Frequency Magician turned into orbs of magic, which rocketed into the air before forming into rings which my Abductor flew into, her own body turning into orbs before creating a line of energy.

"The lessons of Endymion taught my Abductor much but now she must stand on her own two feet, no longer the student of Endymion but as a peer. Behold her final evolution as she gains the right to call herself a magician. Come forth Tempest Magician!"

The fully grown and matured mage appeared on the field, slamming her staff down and causing it to ripple as it turned into a scythe. Her robes were darker, more ornate, showing that she truly had earned her rank.

"And her effect?" I said. "It's a dozy. I now remove EVERY spell counter from my side of the field... and have my Tempest Magician... overload them."

"...what?" Sheppard whispered, his bravado disappearing.

"You heard me. I am overloading the Spell Counters... turning them into bombs that will go off right at you. I don't need to slay your Ogre... what use is that beast when his master is gone! Tempest Magician!" My mage nodded. "Storm of Scythes!" She nodded and spun around to face me, slashing at the spell counters as they raced at her, hacking into them and cracking them as they flew by her and right at Sheppard who could only stand there, staring at me in surprise... before a smile formed on his lips.

"You are as great as I was told," he said just before the first Spell Counter hit. They exploded all around him, sending him flying, the Citadel shaking as every counter detonated. (Sheppard-0000)

The future chancellor of Duel Academy slowly got to his feet, collecting himself... before smiling. "Truly... you are as great as I heard." He smiled and walked up to me, holding out the two locator cards. "I am honored to have dueled you and look forward to dueling you again. You are a master at the bloodless war."

"Thanks," I said.

Renard stepped forward. "Your Order was founded by Endymion of Greece, weren't you?"

My eyes went wide and I slowly turned towards Renard... only to snap my head back as Sheppard smiled and nodded rapidly.

'Aw fuck me!'

~MC~MC~MC~

"To think... to think I forgot all that," Susan whispered. "But now it feels... so clear."

"Yes," Ishizu said with a smile. She had been worried about how the teen would handle the visions she had shown her of Kisara struggling in the market, her meeting with Priest Set, her death to bring forth the Blue-Eyes White Dragon to serve as the eternal protector of the future Pharaoh.

"We... we were robbed of our chance," Susan said, looking down at the table. "But I won't let it happen again."

"I know you won't," Ishizu said, reaching into her pocket and pulling out a deck. She had originally planned to give it to Seto Kaiba in thanks for him protecting Obelisk the Tormentor but now... now she knew that he would see it not as a gift to be used wisely but as another weapon to aid him in his foolish attempt to defeat the Nameless Pharaoh. No. Far better to give it to Susan, so she might help awaken in Kaiba his own memories... and let him see his path was not in defeating the Pharaoh but aiding him against the darkness that threatened the world. "Take this. Find him." She handed her also one of her locator cards. "I know you will do well."

"Thank you," Susan said, a smile slowly twisting onto her features. "I know what to do."

Ishizu watched the teen go, satisfied.

~MC~MC~MC~

Susan marched down the street, on a mission. First she needed to get new clothing... if she were to face Seto she must look perfect. Her mind raced with the memories... and her own desires.

Desires that Ishizu hadn't realized had been there before she'd meddled with the teen's mind.

Desires that her parents had worried about and begged her to move on from. Because they couldn't understand that her and Seto were soul mates.

Desires her teachers had scolded her over, seeing them as fantasies. Because they refused to see that when she dreamt of her and Seto together they weren't dreams at all but the two of them meeting on the spiritual plane so they might be together.

Desires her doctors told her could be 'fixed' if she only took the medication to deal with her mood swings and her manic episodes. Because they couldn't see that she and Seto BELONGED together.

But that nice woman Ishizu... had shown her that it was all meant to be.

Susan reached into her pocket, tossing her phone away which was filled with messages from her psychiatrist, begging her to call back and return to the hospital. She ran her fingers through her hair as she threw away the last of her anti-psychotics.

She idly passed by a TV that showed her picture and warned if anyone saw her to stay away, the graphic images of what she had done to one of the other patients with a pair of scissors when they'd DARED to mock her love flashing on the screen, a testament to her love for Seto.

Susan merely grinned as she pulled out her doctor's stolen credit card and headed to get a new outfit...

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