Yu-Gi-Oh! Fan Fiction ❯ Lady of Dragons ❯ Amai, Dark Bishoujo ( Chapter 6 )

“Nobody will ever win the Battle of the Sexes.  There's just too much fraternizing with the enemy.”

 

- Henry Kissinger

 

Chapter Six: Amai Cardiac

Dangerous Sweet

 

"Just a burger and fries combo, please." Even the best of duelists can't work on an empty stomach, and for Derik Motoh it was lunchtime. The boy finished paying for his food and went to wait at a two-person table for his number to be called.

 

Derik scoped around the place. None of these people looked like a duelist, and he needed ten more to even think about the finals.

 

As he was still lost in thought, someone waved a hand in front of Derik's face to get his attention. "Hello, is this seat taken? All of the other tables are full."

 

Derik turned to look at a girl about his age, also carrying a duel disk. Maybe he could get in a duel after all. "Sure, go ahead… um?"

 

"Isis," she responded.

 

Derik swallowed and hoped that a certain last name didn't come with her first. He had, of course, heard about her and her father from his dad, but with Kaiba's daughter going to the private school they had never met face to face.

 

"No need to introduce yourself, Derik,” Isis continued. “I recognize you from watching the tracking systems. So, you're the one that should be my major competition huh."

 

Derik felt as if he had just swallowed sand. The tournament disqualified any duelist that refused to accept a challenge, and he wasn't sure what he was up against if he had to take this girl on.

 

Isis could clearly read his reaction. "Don't worry; my dad said that I was grounded if I challenged you outside of the finals. I can't beat you into the ground yet."

 

That set him off. Derik knew that he was the underdog but he wasn't about to take that.

 

However, before he could find his voice, the customer at the next bench let out a squeal. "Oh my… you mean to tell me that I am sitting two feet away from Isis Kaiba, favorite to win the tenth annual Battle City Tournament?!?"

 

The entire restaurant stood dead quiet for an instant before everyone went in one of two directions - out the door, or asking for a challenge. Isis quickly bolted for the side exit leaving Derik all but alone with this new character.

 

"Oh, gully fluff; I was hoping to take a crack at her myself!” The hyperactive girl sighed. She was a definite stand-out - one didn't see red-orange hair that often in Japan, or anywhere for that matter. For some reason, she was wearing an oversized white T-shirt and black shorts, and a pair of goggles on her forehead. “Oh well… anyway, you want to duel?"

 

Truth be told, it was the last thing Derik felt like doing. A reality check confirmed, however, that not only was this an official challenge, but her locator cards were as good as any. "Fine."

 

The girl all but squealed again. "Oh, goody goody gumdrops! See you at the corner in fifteen minutes. Oh, this is going to be so much fun!"

 

Derik dragged his feet out of the shop with his eyes focused firmly on the sidewalk. Why did he always get sucked into these duels with mentally imbalanced women?

 

The door had just closed as a cashier brought a plate to the front. "Did someone order the hamburger combo?" Seeing the tables now empty, the guy hit the speed dial on his cell phone. "Sir, two of your top priority duelists have just left here. They most likely have been challenged to a duel nearby." The cashier listened closely before hanging up, adjusting the barely noticeable pin on his collar, and getting back to work.

 

0000000

 

Seskera himself had finally taken to the streets muttering to himself. "Stupid Hasker, I gave him no orders to go looking for a fight and I certainly don't remember saying `borrow the Claw of Typhonis' in the process."

 

The Claw itself was a vain attempt at trying to breach the seal put on the shadow realm in ancient times. It had the power to create a hole between the dimensions, but release does not mean the same as control. Hasker using the device had drained most of the power that they had been collecting, thus putting a dent in the plans. The tournament would only run so long, and it was only a matter of time before the increase in "post-traumatic stress disorder" victims would be noticed.

 

Seskera needed the power of a strong duelist to make up for lost time. As if answering him, a call from Odion rang in on the cell phone around his waist: "Seskera, sir, Marik Ishtar has arrived in Domino."

 

0000000

 

Marik had bolted from his hotel lobby to the building as soon as he had been checked in to attend the meeting that Ishizu had set up for them all. He ended up arriving last, much to Kaiba's fury.

 

"I don't know what you are doing here, Ishtar,” the CEO hissed, “but one of your former allies just challenged my daughter to what I am sure was more than a simple tournament match. You have five seconds to start talking or I'll…"

 

Kaiba stopped short as a his eyes developed a sudden lack of luster. Ishizu cleared her throat disapprovingly as Marik brought his Millennium Rod into view.

 

Marik was not a mean person, just one with a low tolerance for games. After making the others promise to restrain Kaiba, he quickly relinquished control.

 

Looking around the room, Marik noticed Yami, who had chosen to be seen apart from his partner, becoming a visible transparent figure to everyone. Tea and Yugi were taking up both halves of a love seat in the ring of lobby chairs. The Wheelers were not present, due to the need to interrogate their son about the morning's earlier events. Ishizu sat politely in an armchair, while her husband sprawled across his own, never shifting his gaze from his brother in-law.

 

"The `Rare Hunters' never disbanded after I left them. To tell you the truth, I forgot all about them after my own dark past tried to kill me." Almost everyone nodded along. Thinking for a moment, Marik continued, "All that I really remember of the kid was that he was a constant bother, a brownnose so to speak. It was not hard to tell why he had no friends… and don't you get into another speech Gardner."

 

Tea was a bit abashed, but swallowed her pride before responding, "It's Motoh now."

 

"Well, well, how many other things have changed since I was away?"

 

Yugi was blushing a bit, but Yami interrupted, "Get on with it Marik."

 

It was an order, not a request, and Marik noticed that fact quickly. "Do you want this information or don't you?"

 

"Frankly, I couldn't care less, but I need to know why my family is involved, so if you could continue…" Kaiba sneered without a glint of apology in his voice.

 

Marik was now thoroughly annoyed as he scanned the room. Yugi and Tea were hanging on every word, Kaiba was relaxing as if he had better things to do, and Ishizu only watched as if to say `Go on.'

 

"As far as I can tell,” Marik began, “Seskera moved up the corporate ladder when I failed to return, and swung the organization in his own direction. It's as if dealing with a whole new wave of `Rare Hunters.'"

 

"But they are not seeking rare cards," Ishizu finally spoke. I can fill in most of the blanks for you, but pieces of the puzzle are still missing."

 

Ishizu took a deep breath and began to tell them what she knew.

 

0000000

 

Derik was at the corner to meet his ditzy opponent at the right time, but with a serious consideration of running for his life and claiming that she had never shown up.

 

The decision was made for him however, as his soon-to-be opponent was racing up the opposite street. "I'm here…I'm here…I'm here," Amai gasped. She staggered, sprinting forward to be narrowly missed by a car in the middle of the street. "Sorry about the wait. I had boy trouble. I didn't know which one to ask out!"

 

Derik now had the distinct opinion that this girl was more cracked than the rear end of a plumber. "Okay… how many cards are you putting up for grabs?"

 

"Whatever number you are, sweetie," she replied. Derik considered it for a second. He was out of the tournament either way, so why not risk them all. "I risk both of my locator cards."

 

The challenger looked surprised for a second. "That's it? Honestly, sweetie, I have five already, so two is fine by me!"

 

Before starting the match, Derik always wanted to know who he was up against, so he made a point of asking, "Can I ask what your name is?" As soon as the question was out of his mouth, he regretted asking it. Derik was perfectly fine if he never saw this girl again.

 

Letting out a girlish squeal, his opponent broke into a long and obviously rehearsed ramble. "So glad you asked. The name is Amai Cardiac, duelist extraordinaire! Firm believer in girl…"

 

"Okay, already! I asked for your name, not your resume."

 

Amai let out a much-exaggerated pout before setting her deck in place.

 

Derik thought about nothing but the pleasure he would have in removing this girl from the tournament.

 

It was time to duel.

 

A-8000 D-8000

 

Derik was the one to make the first move. As he drew his opening hand, he remembered what his father had coached him on in dueling: if the first play was yours, never play your monster in attack mode. Derik saw that he had little defense on hand, but he would lose no life points in the process. "I set a single monster face down and end my turn."

 

Amai drew her sixth card, looking at them as if this was the first time she had even seen the cards she held. With a glamorous smile, she played her first monster. "I summon the Beautiful Headhuntress in attack mode!"

 

The figure revealed from the spinning duel disk would have been beautiful indeed, but your eyes tended to focus on the large butcher knife that the woman wrapped in a sky-blue kimono was carrying. (1600/800)

 

"Then I'll lay one card facedown," Amai continued. "Headhuntress, attack the hidden monster with Cannibal Blade!"

 

The pretty features of the monster faded into a twisted grin as the blade cut through the hidden card. The Gemini Elf (1900/900) was seen for a second as the blade severed the tail that connected the two figures, causing them to fade.

 

Derik had her just where he wanted now. He had his entire next turn planned before he even entered his Draw Phase. With a flourish, he set his favorite monster into play, taunting his opponent in the process. "I may not have a monster on the field, but I still have one in my hand that can outrank yours. I summon Breaker the Magical Warrior!" The dark red swordsman stared with a death glare targeted at the butcher across the field. (1900/1000) "And I use the power of Breaker the Magical Warrior to use the spell counter he gains when being summoned to destroy your hidden card."

 

Breaker positioned his shield as if to reflect light from a mirror. The crystal bearing the triangle symbol of the spell counter forged into the shield dissolved before focusing into a beam, evaporating the hidden trap. Derik felt pretty confident in himself before a backlash of dark magic washed over him.

 

Amai giggled. "No girl is complete without her jewelry! The card you blew away was the Black Pendent, which damages you by five hundred Life Points when shattered!"

 

A-8000 D-7500

 

Derik assessed that it was not the only damage he took. Using that spell counter had also wakened his Breaker's attack power by three hundred points, meaning that it was at a tie with Amai's Headhuntress. It was too late to switch his swordsman to Defense Mode, so he decided to do what he could. "Alright, Breaker, attack Amai's monster!"

 

Amai herself was surprised at this maneuver, but it was one she had seen before. He would set a card or two next to keep him safe from her attack, and then get back on the offensive.

 

Breaker's sword sliced cleanly through the knife held by his opponent, but as the effort involved caught up with the monster, both cards were sent to the graveyard.

 

As expected, Derik laid two cards facedown.

 

Amai drew her next card without even looking at it and prepared for her next assault. "You think that a few obvious trap cards are going to help you out? Sweetie, no one in this whole tournament is dumb enough to fall for that! Especially when I have a Harpie's Feather Duster to clear the way!"

 

The onslaught of wind and feathers did little to bother Derik. On the contrary, he was snickering. "You fell for it, didn't you? I trigger Spell Shield Type-8, and after I discard a Emblem of the Dragon Destroyer from my hand, your wind has been broken.”

 

Many of the spectators gave little snickers or even laughed out loud. Amai just groaned at the awful pun.

 

A metal sphere with the imprint of the Emblem that had been discarded spun rapidly; creating an energy field that dispersed the oncoming gale in all directions.

 

Derik confidently chained with his other card. "And I use the Call of the Haunted to bring Breaker the Magical Warrior back from the graveyard." The card's trademark tombstones rose, a dense cloud of purple smoke billowing amid them. The magical swordsman stepped out from the fog. The warrior was still strong, but there was something lacking without the spell counter to boost his strength. (1600/1000)

 

Amai was taken aback, but still had the monster to summon in this situation. "If you think that reviving a fallen monster is going to save you, then you don't know a thing about dueling!” she declared. “I still can summon a monster, so meet the Dark Elf!"

 

The creature now emerging from the duel disk looked almost similar to her mystical counterpart, but the change in hue was not the only thing to make her recognizably different. The Mystical Elf gave off an aura of confidence and hope; this creature radiated nothing but malice. (2000/800) Amai looked at her monster, and prepared to give the attack order.

 

Derik shouted out in interruption, "You do realize that you need to pay 1,000 Life Points every time that monster attacks right? How do you expect to win with that?"

 

Amai gave a cruel smile to her opponent. The ditzy attitude was long gone. Amai could go with the flow in life, but a duel was a whole other story. "Dark Elf," she commanded, "Chant of Shadows!"

 

The dark purple aura that surrounded the monster swelled before pulsing out of control. Indecipherable words escaped her lips, and the elf's eyes opened to focus on the resurrected swordsman. The pulses of her aura sent off blade-like aftershocks, slicing the monster in several ways before he burst into holographic shards.

 

A-7000 D-7100

 

Derik was still in the dark as to why she would set him back in the lead for a minimal strike to his life points, but Amai answered that question for him. "You have no idea what my deck is truly based upon. Believe me… Sweetie… I have only just begun to duel."

 

"Oh, yeah? Well, I surely hope so," Derik replied. The boy was weighing his options at the moment. He had a hand of four, and none of the cards could help him against the Dark Elf. All he could do was defend for the turn. "Listen, Amai, I set a monster in defense mode and end my turn."

 

Amai couldn't believe her luck as she drew a fourth card as well. She didn't even have a trap to worry about. The girl grabbed her spinning duel disk, removing a card to set another in its place. "Watch closely, sweetie. I'm tributing my Dark Elf to summon Marie the Fallen One!" (1700/1200)

 

As the dark angel appeared, a thought crossed Derik's mind. True as it was that paying Life Points for an attack was not a good use of resources, why did she summon a monster with a weaker power than the sacrifice?

 

The answer was made clear as Amai slid another card into the rim of her disk. "I also use the Malevolent Nuzzler magic card to boost the power of Marie by seven hundred points."

 

Green fog wrapped around the fairy like a snake before melding into her body, causing a demonic third eye to open from a vertical gash in her forehead. (2400/1200)

 

"Marie, attack my opponent's hidden monster!" Amai ordered.

 

The fairy was hit with a rather unpleasant surprise when it powered up, only to be pulled by an unstoppable force.

 

"What's happening?" Amai questioned, only to have the answer revealed right in front of her.

 

Marie was caught in the powerful vacuum in the eye of a Cyber Jar. (900/900)

 

"I assume you know what this card does," Derik told her. "Not only are both of our fields now wiped clean, but any low-level monsters in the next five cards of our deck are automatically summoned to the field."

 

Amai looked faintly impressed for a brief moment before revealing the cards she had to draw, but first… "I use the power of the Malevolent Nuzzler! By paying five hundred Life Points, I can make it the first card I draw!"

 

Before the monster was lost to the effect of the jar, the green serpent- like fog separated from it and retreated back into Amai's duel disk. Marie herself, however, was sucked into the space pod before it self-destructed.

 

Derik was taken by surprise with this particular move; why did she throw away a portion of her Life Points for a magic card?

 

A-6500 D-7100

 

As Amai drew her cards she revealed them to her opponent, as per the rules. They contained the familiar Nuzzler card, a magic card depicting a large stone seal, a creepy looking sorceress with a big hat, another magic card with a homely old woman, and another cute fairy that could only be described as Nurse Joy with a big-ass needle. Choosing her monsters, Amai declared, "I summon Maha Vailo (1550/1400) and Injection Fairy Lilly, (400/1500) both in Attack Mode!"

 

Derik fallowed suit with his cards, summoning Skilled White Magician, (1700/1900) Skilled Dark Magician, (1900/1700) and another Gemini Elf (1900/900), all in Attack Mode as well.

 

However, Amai still had a battle phase to finish. Amai took no shame in revealing her plan to all. "I can't power up my mage until my next phase, but my fairy has more than enough power to take out a monster of yours. Injection Fairy, use your effect to destroy the white-robed guy!"

 

Derik briefly went through a mental file of Duel Monsters in his mind; he had been warned about this card, but what did it do again? His memory was jogged as the holographic nurse flew over to her owner, stabbing her in the stomach. The large hypodermic was filled with an unstable green energy for a moment, before being removed. The fairy then held the needle under her arm, and pressed the plunger, sending a highly concentrated beam to the other side… skewering the White Magician in the process.

 

Derik remembered now.

 

As if on cue, Amai decided to elaborate. "Injection Fairy Lilly can increase her attack by 3,000 at any time at the cost of 2,000 Life Points, so if you try to attack her, you can expect the same result!"

 

A-4500 D-5400

 

Derik was speechless - how did she expect to win when this girl was spending points left and right?

 

Amai was not stupid, though, as she demonstrated during the last phase of her turn. "I also play the two magic cards, Dian Keto the Cure Master, restoring one thousand of my life points…"

 

The old woman was no less scary in holographic form, but she soon faded as the orb she carried shattered into pinpricks of light.

 

A-5500 D-4500

 

"And the Malevolent Nuzzler, which due to Maha Vailo's special ability, raises her attack power to twenty seven fifty."

 

Derik kept his cool as the jagan eye appeared on the sorceress's brow. He had drawn two extra cards with his original four from when his Cyber Jar had hit, and his Skilled Dark Magician had two shoulder gems glowing red from her magic cards.

 

The boy was far outranked at this point, but like a true duelist, he didn't see himself being defeated. Derik drew a seventh card from the top of his duelist wristband. It wasn't a card that could help him at the moment, but with the other cards in his hand he had the situation under control. Derik actually held back an all-out laugh as he set a card into play. "I use the magic card Mystical Space Typhoon, and use it to destroy your Nuzzler card."

 

A small black hole materialized behind the menacing form of Maha Vailo sucking the demonic green fog from her body. Amai didn't even bother to retrieve it this time.

 

Derik cracked a smug expression as he held up another card from his hand. "The point was not to destroy your magic card; only to weaken your monster. Skilled Dark Magician," he then commanded, as all three of the gems on the mage's uniform shone bright red, "sacrifice yourself to bring forth a Dark Magician from my hand!"

 

Like his white counterpart, the mage vanished in a glaring flash of light, this time in the color red. From the center of the flash, the mage himself lunged at the Maha Vailo across the field and struck her with a bolt of black magic. (2500/2100)

 

A-4550 D-4500

 

With his father's soul monster at his defense, Derik felt more confident than ever. Yugi, being the collector that he was, gave Derik three different pictures for the three Dark Magicians in his son's deck. The one in play now was a newer one, with the mage from the waist up and facing left with crossed arms. The other two were his original card and his prize from the duel with Arkana in his tournament duel ten years earlier.

 

"Now," Derik declared, "I end my turn by setting one card facedown and switching my Gemini Elf to Defense Mode."

 

Amai was in a bind now and she knew it, but the girl tried not to let on as she drew her card for the turn. "Okay, sweetie, I guess you didn't know about the hidden ability of the Marie the Fallen One you took out a few turns ago - the power to increase my Life Points by 200 at the start of every turn!" True to her word, the digital readout on Amai's wristband flared with the increase.

 

A-4650 D-4500

 

"Now,” Amai continued, “I summon a Cyber Harpie Lady (1800/1300) with more than enough attack power to wipe out your elves. Cyber Harpie Lady, attack with Cyber Slash!"

 

The screeching woman took no time in slashing both monsters through the torso, leaving them to scatter across the field.

 

The dormant Fairy Lilly waited in anticipation for her turn to attack. She didn't have to wait long, however. Amai clearly had her sights set on the Dark Magician. "Now, Injection Fairy Lilly, attack the Dark Magician!"

 

Derik had this duel in the bag. After she paid her Life Points for the increase, all he had to do was trigger his trap. "Not today! Between you paying your Life Points and the damage that my Magic Cylinder will hit you with, this duel belongs to me!"

 

Surprisingly, Amai didn't seem to care as she watched her Lily chuck her empty syringe into the holographic tube across the field, only to have it sent flying back into her.

 

A-3850 D-4500

 

Clicking her tongue, Amai sighed. “You forgot one important thing, though, sweetie. Because the increase is only applied to the Damage Step, I can choose not to use my Lily's effect. All you did was waste a perfectly good trap card!"

 

Derik knew she was right, but he had all of nothing to do about it. His hand consisted of many fusion-strategy cards, but a Buster Blader was still out of reach. Derik just decided to just set a Goddess With the Third Eye (1200/ 1000) on the defense and lay a card out for bluffing.

 

Amai couldn't get enough of this; she had this duel in the bag. She gazed at her strongest monster that she had just pulled from her deck and began to internally laugh like a maniac after she gained the healing from her fallen fairy.

 

"First thing's first, sweetie," she tormented Derik. "First I get to trash your Dark Magician by using the ability of my fairy. Lily, take him down!"

 

The procedure of filling up the monster's hypodermic needle was repeated, and the green beam that shot forth from it was no less merciful than it had been with the white mage before it. The mage sent back a sorrowful glance to Derik before fading from the field.

 

A-2550 D-3600

 

"And now," Amai cooed, "I tribute both of these monsters to summon the almighty Cosmo Queen!"

 

The shards from the sacrificed monsters twisted into a tornado, which hardened into a large sorceress engulfed in a black robe and ornate headdress. (2900/2450)

 

"Finally,” the girl crowed, “it's time to show you what my deck is really based upon, as I invoke the power of a very rare and powerful card. Now you will see the awesome power of Megamorph!"

 

A giant stone seal rose up from beneath the feet of the intimidating monarch. It took Derik a while to notice that the monster had actually increased in size. Although the change was slow at first, the monster standing on the seal doubled in size before long, along with her attack power.

 

Amai was grinning from ear to ear as she announced her own victory. "Look at her! With an attack power of 5800, even the strongest of cards can't defeat her now! She can wipe you out with one strong Spell of the Stars attack!"

 

Derik was in full panic mode now. He desperately looked at his hand for some kind of last-ditch solution. All he had was a lousy fusion-sub in defense mode, but another check made him realize that was all he really needed. "All right, Amai, prepare for a crash course in victory; unfortunately, you will only be an observer in this lesson. I use Monster Reborn to revive a monster that should look quite familiar to you."

 

Out of the shining foil of the holographic card flew a familiar monster indeed - a little winged girl with a needle.

 

"I have summoned your Injection Fairy Lily,” the boy elaborated, “and I flip the Goddess with the Third Eye I kept hidden into attack mode.”

 

Amai was puzzled at first; even with the power boost of her fairy, her Cosmo Queen was far too strong to be beaten by it. However, as Derik sent his own life down to 1600 points, the seal on the field began to react and the size of her queen was diminishing. Amai looked on, sick and confused, into the face of the boy about to defeat her.

 

"If I remember the power of the Megamorph card correctly, it only doubles a monster's attack power when your Life Points are lower than your opponent's. When I used the power of the Injection Fairy Lily it put you in the lead, meaning the attack power of the Cosmo Queen is cut in half.” He couldn't help laughing. “With the boosted power of your fairy and the attack strength of my goddess, your Life Points are down to zero, Amai!"

 

Just as he said, the beam of light sent forth by Lily's needle incinerated what was now a six-inch tall monster.

 

With that out of the way, the goddess shot a smooth yellow beam from the eye in the center of her forehead and finished the job.

 

A-0000 D-1600

 

Amai could not even look her opponent in the eye as she reached out her hand to give up two locator cards and the Cosmo Queen that Derik had chosen as his prize. She tried to ignore the whispers and jeer of the spectators as she silently sulked away.

 

0000000

 

Seskera took note of the child's dueling strategy from the entryway of a nearby building, taking a key interest in the boy's dependence on spell counters. After making a mental note of who to assign to him next, Seskera set off in search of the Kaiba girl, and sincerely hoped that at least one of his fools could knock them out of the tournament. He didn't want to go through the trouble of doing it himself.

 

Oh, well, he thought, I still have two more to observe and then get back to work before the soul cards pile up too high.

 

Seskera laughed as he turned to leave; he really did love his job.

 

0000000

 

Back at the meeting, everyone had been filled in as to what the Order of Ammit was up to. Everyone had left except for Seto himself, who wanted to lock up. He had just finished cleaning up when an ominous voice spoke behind him.

 

"So, Kaiba, are you a believer now?"

 

Kaiba didn't even have time to turn around as a cold metal key was pressed to his forehead. He felt his skin stretch as the key was forcefully turned, and then his world went black.

 

Coming next chapter: While Kaiba has an uninvited guest inside his mind, his daughter takes on her next challenge. This challenge, however, is a little more… tasty than usual. Her opponent is someone who takes a great deal of joy in the culinary arts… even when he duels! Get the good china out for Chapter Seven, “Kirby, Iron Chef Duelist”!