Yu-Gi-Oh! Fan Fiction ❯ Lady of Dragons ❯ The Cycle Renewed: Isis vs. Derik ( Chapter 24 )

Fate is what happens to you when your luck runs out.

 

- Michael Garret Marino

 

CHAPTER TWENTY-FOUR: THE CYCLE RENEWED: ISIS VS. DERIK

 

Weight felt as if it had been lifted off of the entire vessel, now preparing for its final approach, ready to land the instant the final duel concluded. Seskera and everything he intended was now little more then a memory. 
 
Not that it mattered to Kaiba, who was the last to arrive at the final arena. It didn't matter in the least that the technology up top was destroyed. The finals were never intended to be held up there anyway. As the doors opened, the kids were fine, although Yugi and Joey were extremely nervous. 
 
“What is the mutt doing here?” Kaiba asked, more for personal amusement then anything else. 
 
“What are you talking about techno-brain? I'm here to make sure that bogus call you made in the semis is all for nothing, and that kid of yours goes down!”
 
“That and the fact that he wouldn't stop giving the security guard a noogie until he let him in the door,” Derik explained, in a bored tone.  

 

As Kaiba looked at him, Joey's complexion didn't lighten a shade. The look of Tristan's hair was worth it either way. 
 
Kaiba couldn't hide a smirk. “Whatever,” he responded. “Let's get down to business…” 
 
The CEO flipped a nearby switch, and the lighting changed to focus on two familiar looking gadgets.
 
“VR pods?” Derik exclaimed. “Since when do the finals take place in these things?” 
 
“Since I've upgraded the system to scan and randomize an entire deck instead of one card at a time,” Kaiba replied smugly. “But don't think you're out of sight and out of mind. The monitor will show us all your progress. Also, there will be one more little twist…” Kaiba held up what looked like a small deck of only Magic Cards before slipping them one by one into a disk-like reader connected to a the computer, where it began spinning and stopping at random intervals. “I call this little stroke of genius a Field Spin Match. Every Field Magic card known in the game of Duel Monsters is entered, and will randomly be selected as your arena throughout the match, leaving you with very interesting results. Play Field Magic Cards yourself, if you like, but I warn you they may not last long.” 
 
Derik was considering this, but decided not to worry. His bigger variety of monsters would probably help him more then Isis.

 

Apparently Joey disagreed. “Wait a minute! How do I know that you don't have it set to give Isis the only fair shot?”
 
“I'll just have to find out the hard way,” Derik replied, inserting his deck into the slot designed for it. 
 
The pods faced each other, and so the two duelists' gazes locked until they both uttered the same challenge, the perfect one for the moment… 
 
“DUEL!” < br>  
D-8000 / I-8000 

The cry in unison had obviously set something in motion with the system, because immediately the landscape around both contenders began to shimmer. Isis and Derik didn't notice at first. They were both staring threateningly into the other's eyes.

 

Once everything cleared, though, the two finalists stood on two ledges facing each other at either end of a molten lava pool. Four red-hot chains hung into the crater, supporting a large metal platform in the center, hanging perilously over the liquid rock. Smoke stung their eyes, and both looked up, searching for fresh air, only to find a small vent in the rock that surrounded them opening to the blue sky. 

0000000 
 
Kaiba observed the wheel he had been adjusting earlier, and looked at the random card that had been selected. 
 
“Molten Destruction. I trust, Wheeler, that puts your suspicious mind at ease?” the CEO said.
 
Joey shrank back and began grumbling to himself. 
 
“At least Isis doesn't have an advantage,” Yugi said to the hovering image of his partner. 

Yami mentally disagreed: “Don't be so sure, Yugi. Remember our journeys to the virtual world. Those fields can change much more then the statistics of summoned monsters. Derik still hasn't recovered from his Shadow Duel, and this may take an even greater toll on him then the enhancers did…” 
 
“I knew daddy just wanted to help his little girl!” Joey accused, getting his confidence back. “What do you have to say against that?”
 
Kaiba just brushed off the comment with a shrug. “It's not my fault. If he can't handle it, I can stop the match right now…”
 
Right then Joey had never rooted for anyone harder. The look on Kaiba's face if Derik were to pull through on this would be worth more to him now then three Blue-Eyes White Dragons. 
 
0000000

“I'll make my move first,” Derik offered, but after his draw he cursed his luck. Only two monsters in his hand, and neither one of them was a half decent defender. 
 
Let's see how she handles my Cyber Jar, he started thinking with a grin. The grin faded as he thought further. Hold it! What am I thinking? That's a Blue-Eyes just waiting to hit the field. As much as I hate it, I'm reduced to stalling and hoping for a decent topdeck. 
 
“I set one monster facedown in Defense Mode,” he said aloud, “as well as one card facedown, and end my turn.” 
 
The cards shimmered from in front of him to take their positions on the field. 
 
Isis watched, and once again her carrying of multiple copies created a startling opening hand. 
 
“Come on, Derik, do you really know anything about me?” the girl said with a light sigh. “I can plow right through defenses with my Gradius!”

Derik had indeed heard of Isis's use of the spaceship. Special Summoning Gradius Option monsters allowed her to get tributes for her stronger monsters quite easily. But he also knew the other trick it had that would put him at a disadvantage. 
 
A card in front of Isis turned, and slowly the monster depicted rose out of the pit below them with a powerful hum, settling into a hover over the girl. (1200/800) 
 
Isis stared her opponent down, letting it all happen around her, and letting the opponent comprehend that she was the one in control. 
 
“And to make sure your monster can't act as a damage cushion,” she continued, “I upgrade my fighter with Cyclon Laser, a power-up that transfers to my Gradius Option, which I summon in Defense Mode.” 
 
Shimmering effects brought both the rainbow cannon and the clone onto the field. 
 
“You know, these moves are getting rather stale, and your monster isn't that strong anyway. You won't last long enough to summon your dragon,” Derik challenged. 
 
Too true, the girl thought, but if they're destroyed I can remove them both for my Soul of Purity and Light, and cripple any other monsters he has. But if he decides to let them be… well… She gazed at the card in her hand. Tributing works just as well. 

“We'll see.” Isis then glanced to her star fighter. “Gradius, pierce his defense now. P-Shot attack!” 
 
The laser fired, torching Derik's Goddess with the Third Eye and knocking him down.

 

(D-7500, I-8000)
 
Derik was confused in more than one way, as the Arena shifted again, but this time was very unremarkable. In fact, the only prominent feature was a thick fog covering the ground. 
 
“What the heck is this?” Derik asked in exasperation. 
 
Isis flashed a gleam of victory through her eyes. 
 
I don't get it, Derik wondered as he drew his own next card. She had a clear shot, so why summon her Option in Defense mode when it could have attacked me? Even if she was trying to protect it from my Mirror Force, the Option would be destroyed anyway. 
 
After a moment of thinking, Derik finally got it. She was setting the bait. 
 
“Unusual, but I'm on to you now, Isis,” Derik said.
 
“Do tell,” she replied smugly. Even if he knew her strategy, it was a far cry away from stopping it. 
 
“You summoned your Option in Defense Mode so it would be more tempting to attack your Gradius and destroy them both. For some reason, you want those monsters both in your Graveyard. You were planning on summoning your Soul of Purity and Light!” 
 
Isis just chuckled. “So, you figured it out on your own. But leaving two monsters on the field is just as dangerous, and attacking my Option alone does you no good.” 
 
Derik thought for a moment; she did have a point. Then he looked and the answer hit him like Screams from the Beyond all over again. 

“Oh, I've got a plan all right. I summon Kycoo the Ghost Destroyer in Attack Mode,” he said.
 
Isis's glow of confidence dramatically turned to a sneer. Her entire plan was now useless. 
 
Derik's purple-robed monk appeared solemnly from his card, looking mournfully through an eye obscured by numerous scars. (1800/700)
 
“I assume you know of him,” Derik taunted. 
 
“Yeah I know. Attacked by a demon, horrible scars, exorcism for revenge, I get the drift,” Isis muttered.
 
Derik had to smile at a person who knew their Duel Monsters. “Then I guess we can skip the introductions and get right to the performance. Kycoo, Banishment Ofuda!”
 
Grasping his prayer beads, the spellcaster took a thin strip of paper marked with symbols, and channeled his energy into making his attack. With a cry, the paper was hurled at Isis's Gradius, and from the moment it made contact, the spacecraft burst into a ring of shards, taking its counterpart with it. 
 
(D-7500, I-7700) 
 
Isis clenched her teeth and glared.

 

“You know the rules,” Derik mentioned. “Now Kycoo can remove both monsters from your graveyard, leaving you with nothing to summon your Soul.”
 
Isis had a flash of victory in her eyes again, however, as she drew up her hand to four. “I set one monster in Defense Mode, and end my turn.”
 
Derik drew a fifth card, but there was still nothing game-breaking to summon, and worse he still had no idea what field this was. His only hope was to keep Isis's monsters from staying long enough to tribute. Luckily he had something that Isis would have to be tricky to counter. 
 
“Not even a trap, huh? That's fine by me. I summon Skilled White Magician in attack mode.” (1700/1900) 
 
Derik smiled to himself as his ivory mage materialized from beneath the fog. Not only would Isis's Luminous Spark not change things in her favor with this monster, but he was three counters away from summoning his best chance against her dragons. 
 

“Now after your monster is gone, Kycoo will remove it leaving your Soul of Purity and Light dead weight in your hand,” Derik declared with total confidence.

 

Isis seemed locked in a challenging stare. 

“Magician, attack with Dragonsbane Sphere!”
 
The hidden eyes of the magician glowed hot blue, as the energy forming at the top of his staff formed into a ball of energy nearly identical to the famous White Lightning. With a yell, the magician hurled the ball, which stopped and dissipated around Isis's crouching monster, a Kaiser Seahorse. 
 
“Ha, no Dragon for you this time,” Derik taunted. 
 
“Umm… Derik… I think you have to look a bit harder at the score.”
 
Derik checked the virtual counter at his wrist, and looked more in fascination then anything as the numbers shrank to 7050. Only then did he notice that the Seahorse was still standing. (1700/2150) 
 
“Care to explain?” Derik asked, keeping his cool, but now rapidly going through his list of options. 
 
Rolling her eyes, Isis said, “Would you like me to tell you, or would you like to take a moment from mindlessly attacking and get a good sense of where we are?”

Blood pulsed through Derik's ears, making an annoying ring. It almost sounded like real bells… and… singing?

 

He laughed at himself as he realized he had been suckered. They were playing on a Chorus of Sanctuary field, and Isis had set him up like a bowling pin. 
 
“Well played,” was all he replied. “I'll have to remember to be more careful.”
 
“Here's your chance,” Isis challenged as she drew another fourth card, “because I can now sacrifice Kaiser Seahorse…”

 

Here it comes, Derik mentally prepared himself.

 

“…and summon Wingweaver in attack mode!” (2750/2400) 
 
The shining deity rose into play, stretching her multicolored wings with ominous power. While not what Derik was expecting, that did not mean he was out of the woods. That fairy still packed more of a punch then his Buster Blader. 
 
“I also set two cards facedown,” Isis decreed. The giant cards in front of her quickly followed her command. While she hated to admit it, Derik did have a point. That Kycoo monster just made the last card in her hand useless. 
 
“Now I attack Kycoo the Ghost Destroyer with my Wingweaver. I hope you didn't get too attached to it, Derik…” Isis smiled, laughing as her monster's prismatic wings caught the light. 
 
Six beams, each a different color of the rainbow, focused from separate wings, converging to pure white when they all focused on the same spot.  What happened to Kycoo was too bright to see. All that remained was the loss in Derik's score. 
 
(D-6100, I-7700) 
 
Derik drew to five again, as the field began to shift. Unlike the others, this was one he knew very well, seeing as he had used it before.  Invisible tiles outlined in green were the only surface in a world surrounded by a swirling void. This was almost too good to be true. 
 
“Fusion Gate, huh?” Derik grinned. “Perfect, because I happen to have a Dark Magician and Buster Blader here in my hand that can form…” 
 
Isis knew she had to act quickly, and there was only one chance at stopping this, but it was a risk she really didn't want to take. In desperation, she hit the button. 
 
“I trigger Spell Textbook. I discard from my deck until I reach a Magic card, which is then activated immediately!”
 
Isis actually trembled, but Derik just stared in amusement as the move took place. 
 
Come on, Shine Palace, Swords of Revealing Light, something, ANYTHING!  She drew her first card, Blue-Eyes White Dragon. That only made the situation worse. 

 

It only got worse as she went on. Drop Off, no good. Another Blue-Eyes, oh, God help me. White Magical Hat, well, it's Soul bait at least. 
 
The fifth card she peeked at the corner of, and found a green border. Not even looking, she closed her eyes in prayer. She couldn't mess this one up. 
 
“Well,” Derik reminded her. “Did you find something or are you going to deck yourself out over there?”
 
Isis finally turned the card around, and beamed. “Looks like I've got Monster Reborn, Derik, and I know just who I want to bring back.”
 
Derik was dumbfounded. Even her Blue-Eyes would be wasted by his Paladin's power up ability. His good feelings burned away when the monster she summoned wasn't huge at all, but a rather small creature. 
 
“Oh, you have got to be kidding me. That isn't even fair.”
 
Isis looked very smug from behind her newest acquisition. Kycoo the Ghost Destroyer had returned. 
 
Derik was all-out cursing internally. He couldn't remove monsters from play, so Fusion Gate was utterly useless. At least his Skilled White Magician had two counters now, but it wouldn't be enough. He had no other magic cards, nothing else to sacrifice, and couldn't even beat Kycoo in a fair fight. “I set one card facedown, and end my turn.”
 
Isis's hand was now only three, Soul of Purity and Light, Flute of Summoning Dragon, and now, her other Kaiser Seahorse. With her facedown card, she quickly came up with a brilliant strategy - one that would not only put Derik's Blader out of reach, but would bring about a world of pain in his next turn. 
 
“Well, unfortunately this field can't help me, but I know a monster that might. I summon Kaiser Seahorse in Attack Mode!” Isis declared.
 
The familiar fish-man of light twirled his spear twice before bracing himself for battle.

 

“Now, I attack Skilled White Magician with Shining Trident.” Isis continued.

Wait, Derik pondered, wasn't that the attack name of her…
 
The Kaiser Seahorse braced himself for battle, and took a running leap at the mage. 
 
“Are you crazy?” Derik shouted. “You attack with that and they'll both be destroyed!”

“Not really,” Isis smirked. “My monster will be safe, thanks to my Waboku trap card.”

The flowing white garment looked odd around the seahorse's shoulders, but the effect was all too clear. In a battle in which both monsters possessed equal attack power, normally both would be destroyed. However, Waboku prevented an opposing counterattack, making the battle one sided, in this case in Isis's favor. 
 
“Impressive, I'll admit, but it won't work on someone carrying a Waboku of their own,” Derik said, before continuing, “and I'm activating mine right now!” 
 
The same white garment flowed over the White Magician's shoulders, both holy auras canceling the attack outright.

 

Isis was clearly livid, as she was down again. “In that case I switch your Kycoo into Defense Mode and end my turn.”
 
Derik drew back up to five, and wondered what he did to deserve this streak of luck. His cards consisted of Cosmo Queen, Buster Blader, Dark Magician, Michizure, and Cyber Jar. This was a far cry from useful, and he was seriously considering shrinking his number of tribute monsters. Nonetheless, he had the chance to summon his Paladin now, and he would be a fool not to take it. 
 
The boy began, “I set one monster in defense mode, and send my Skilled White Magician to attack Kycoo the Ghost Destroyer.”

 

The mage's holy light assimilated the darker spellcaster without too much trouble.

 

“And though I may have attacked this turn,” Derik continued, “I can still use the Fusion Gate around us to fuse the two monsters in my hand into my ultimate monster, Dark Paladin!”
 
Strolling through the night, the paladin rode in on a horse of blackest shadow from the void. With a perfect leap he dismounted the animal, leaving it to run back into the shadows, as the ultimate spellcaster poised for attack. (2900/2400)

“I then set one last card, and end my turn,” Derik finished.

Isis drew once, and stopped to think for a moment, before continuing with utmost calm. “You really should have thought about that a little more. If you had any sense you would have realized that using Emblem of the Dragon Destroyer could have brought back the Buster Blader you just used, leaving you capable of summoning him with your White Magician. Now he's removed from play and there isn't anything you can do to bring him back. It also lets me use as many spells as I want without fear, so I activate my Pot of Greed.”
 
The green jar didn't give Isis any pleasant memories as she remembered her last (virtual) encounter with the card. Nonetheless, it was quickly forgotten, even as all three gems on the Magician's wardrobe burned brightly. 
 
Derik caught a slight glint off of Isis's teeth as she looked at her new prospects. 
 
Isis resumed her speech after a moment's pause: “You have no idea how much I wanted to do this to you all tournament, and I never would have thought it possible to do. But now I can finally use the monster I had to waste on your friend in the finals.”

“My Paladin can…”

“I was talking, Derik, don't interrupt my moment,” Isis replied, very annoyed. “Just watch. First, I summon my Lady of Dragons in Attack Mode.” (1500/1000) 
 
Her tiara was like the grabbing fingers of a dragon. Her train was a brilliant sheen of emerald. Her face was that of Isis herself, and Derik had no doubt that this was the card Isis has Pegasus create for her. 
 
Come on Blue Eyes, come to Derik. The card I've made will wipe the floor with this princess once I get it out. That's how I designed it. The boy glanced to his secret weapon, making sure it was still there. Now just summon your dragon already so we can get this over with. 
 
He was giddy with anticipation, and Isis continued her move with another card: “Next, as an accessory, I activate my Flute of Summoning Dragon, which with this lovely lady brings two dragons back from my Graveyard.”
 
Derik chuckled. “Let me guess. During that purge after Spell Textbooks, you had to trash a Blue-Eyes or two, am I right?”
 
“More than right,” Isis replied, as the six-note trumpet motif sent her monster total up to five. 
 
Derik grinned as his Paladin's attack score rose to a devastating 3900.  Not only that, but he could use his secret weapon any time now. 
 
“Forgotten, have you?” Isis continued, cutting through Derik's rush of anticipation. “Well, let me spell it out for you in six simple words: Fusion Gate is still in play.”
 
That cold fact cut through Derik like a knife, as Isis continued to display her dominance in the simplest way possible to help her opponent get the true danger of the situation. 
 
“And once I fuse the two Blue-Eyes I have on the field with the one in my hand, all three of those monsters will be removed from the game. A price to pay, to be sure, but now with only a single dragon even your Paladin can't take the might of my Ultimate Blue-Eyes. Derik Motoh,” she called, executing every play with utmost control, “I summon the Blue-Eyes Ultimate Dragon!”
 
The Paladin's score plummeted to 3400, as three sparkling forms burst through the walls of the void surrounding both players. 
 
“And if you think that you can attack my less powerful monsters,” Isis finished, twisting the knife one last turn, “my Lady makes it only possible for you to attack my dragons.”
 
Three pairs of eyes pierced Derik to the depths of his very soul, as it did to most it appeared to. 
 
Isis had played brilliantly. While on average his lower-level monsters were tougher then hers, nothing he had save for Mirage Knight or Dark Paladin could have taken this thing head to head. And what was worse, Isis had thought ahead and took out the power-up effect of the latter. Most stunning of all was that Derik's most cunning plan, the one he had saved for this duel, was now a moot point. 
 
Derik was in over his head staring down a monster with 4500 attack points, and there wasn't a thing he could do about it. 
 
“I won't give up, Isis, and you know that.”
 
“I respect that,” Isis responded, with an unusual amount of politeness.  “My dragon on the other hand, has been waiting a long time to bring down the monster that slew it fifteen years ago. And once that's done, my other three monsters can reduce your Life Points to nothing.”
 
Isis's face twisted into a smile of delight at the thought. 
 
“I think I'm going to enjoy this. Ultimate Dragon,” she pointed, rendering her judgment on Derik's Dark Paladin, “Neutron Blast!”

Three blasts became one, and with not a small bit of irony, dragonkind's greatest rival in Duel Monsters was brought down by one of their own.

 

In that moment, a strange thought entered Derik's mind. Barrel Dragon had Proton Blast; the Blue-Eyes Ultimate has Neutron Blast. What monster has Electron Blast? 

 

Are you crazy?! Now is NOT the time for this!  “Sorry, Isis, but my Michizure trap will give me one last prayer by taking down your Lady of Dragons before she can attack me.”

This was true, but it didn't help matters much in his favor… even though it was satisfying to see the Duel Monster with Isis's face shatter into a million shards.
 
(D- 5000, I-7700) 
 
It wasn't over for Derik yet, and Isis took a supreme amount of pleasure in letting him get to his feet first, before continuing. “Still want to go down fighting, I see. Well, Wingweaver and Kaiser Seahorse can put you in your place…”
 
Six columns of light consumed Derik's world, then, looming out of the darkness, there came a dragon-shaped blast made from green-tinted black fire.  The pain was there, but more terrible was the mental toll Derik was taking. He was losing. 
 
(D-650, I-7700) 
 
Derik took stock of his situation, and almost lost hope, even as the arena began to morph on him again. He had so far only succeeded in bringing Isis down 300 measly Life Points. 
 
The arena now took the form of a vast glacier canyon. Pillars of ice were their platforms, and ice flows slowly floated through below them. 
 
Umiiruka! What am I supposed to do with this, stall her into hypothermia? 

The thought was amusing but not at all productive, and Derik drew his fourth card without much hope. Just as he thought, it was utterly useless. 
 
“Well Isis, it's been fun, but there's nothing I can do now.” Derik sighed. “I guess this is it.”
 
Isis was caught off guard, and reacted both with accomplishment and disappointment. “So, I guess that means you forfeit then, right?” 
 
“Yes,” Derik stated with sadness, “I guess it does.” And he reached his hand toward his wrist…

0000000

 
“WHAT?!” Joey reacted in panic. “He can't just give up like that! Come on, Derik, you can beat her!”
 
“Give it a rest, Wheeler, it's over,” Kaiba returned. “Just accept it so we can get on with our daily lives.”
 
Joey had never wanted to hurt Kaiba more. It just wasn't fair. Isis could have anything she wanted on the planet; for once Joey wanted the girl to earn something rather then have it given to her on a platter. “I just don't want it to end like this, that's all.”
 

0000000 
 
What is there to do? I can attack her other monsters now, Derik reminded himself, but those two titans are still in play, and she removed her Blue-Eyes when she fused them, so I can't even… 
 
Both his hand and his thought stopped millimeters from finishing. With a flash, Derik checked to see if the large card hovering in front of him was what he thought it was. 
 
Feeling renewed, he looked across the field and stared defiantly at his opponent. “I am not finished yet.”
 
“Get real, Derik,” Isis tried to reason. “You've done your best and it's over. I'm saying this as a friend. I want you to stop and not get yourself hurt.”
 
“Well, I'm saying this as an opponent. Shove your advice in a bag and keep it somewhere, because you might need to use it later for yourself.  Say goodbye to your dragon because you won't be seeing him again for a long, long time. I activate De-Fusion!”
 
The ultimate beast swirled and pulled apart, leaving Isis's anger to rise to a point that could almost melt the ice around her. 
 
“Normally,” Derik explained, “I use De-Fusion on my own monster to allow the components to attack after their Fusion has already landed an assault, but with this twist, I can send your Blue-Eyes Ultimate Dragon out of the game. And since the three Blue-Eyes White Dragon cards you used to summon it are no longer in play, de-fusing this monster leaves you with nothing - not even your Ultimate Dragon in your Graveyard to revive with Monster Reborn.”
 
Isis gritted her teeth in the purest, rawest form of hate and anger. The most powerful monster she owned dispensed in a single turn. It was outrageous, unfair. How could he muster up the raw gall to do that to her? 
 
“Now,” Derik concluded, “I set one monster facedown, and end my turn.” 
 
Isis drew a second card, standing on top of her frigid podium. It was a magic card she wasn't willing to pay the cost for, but at this point Derik had wasted all of his previous protection. 
 
“No more games now, I'm going for the win right here. Wingweaver, clear the way so I can wipe out the few Life Points he has left!”
 
The deity obeyed, catching the sun in her wings, the light made all the more brilliant on the ice. The impact was followed by a deafening siren blast. Only then did the girl realize her mistake. 
 
“Gotcha,” Derik grinned with extreme happiness. “Cyber Jar starts us out fresh, and more importantly, it sends your monsters to the Graveyard.” 
 
Isis drew, and now knew that the match had taken a dangerous turn. All four of her most powerful monsters were gone and Derik, she knew, had many more. 
 
Two Traps and three Monsters entered her hand, though only two of the latter were playable. Still, she knew that Derik's monsters on average were tougher then hers and she couldn't switch to defense at this point. “I set two monsters facedown on the field.”
 
Derik was having a bit more luck with his draws, and made sure she knew it. “Well, my three monsters are going into attack mode; two Gemini Elves, and Royal Magic Library.” (1900/900 x2) (0/2000) 
 
Shoot, Isis muttered in her own mind, and me without leaving anything in Attack Mode to fight with. “I end my turn with a facedown card, and leave it at that.” 
 
Derik wasn't biting as his hand swelled to five, and he knew just what he was going to do with them. “First, since I don't trust you, I activate Mystical Space Typhoon on that facedown card. Looks like I blew away…”
 
The windstorm blew the snow around, destroying one of Isis's Trap cards. 
 
“Fairy's Hand Mirror. That would have been a nasty thing to run into. Now I activate Toon Table of Contents to search for another copy of itself.” 
 
Isis was not pleased by this turn of events, and watched as the librarian on Derik's attackless card climbed to his second step. 
 
“And I can do that again to search for Toon World,” Derik continued. “Now wait a second while my Royal Magic Library gives me a hand…”
 
The Librarian, now on the third and top shelf, pulled a specific volume from the high display of literature. Putting his feet on either side of the ladder's wooden supports, he slid down in a matter of moments, the book in his hand turning into a new card at Derik's disposal. Derik looked at the newest card, before deciding to put it into play. 
 
“All right! Now with the second Contents in my hand, I can search for my Toon Dark Magician Girl.” 
 
“Too bad you can't play her,” Isis spat across the field, her breath clear in the frigid environment. “Toon World would reduce your Life Points to zero and you'd be finished.”

“Ever heard of deck thinning?” Derik responded annoyed, as the Librarian once again took a step to his next shelf. “Either way, I switch my Royal Magic Library into Defense Mode, before tributing both of my Gemini Elves to summon Cosmo Queen!” (2900/2450) 
 
The mistress of the stars arose from the ocean depths, bearing a piercing gaze so similar to Magician of Black Chaos. Derik thought back to how he had won this creature, turning Amai Cardiac's Injection Fairy Lilly against her and reversing the effects of her Megamorph. That sure did seem like a long time ago. 
 
Derik looked at his remaining hand, and decided to put down one last measure of insurance, laying a card facedown. “My Cosmo Queen outranks even your Wingweaver, and with no Blue-Eyes you have no monster to knock Her Majesty from her throne. Now attack, with Spell of the Stars!” 
 
An atom-shaped formation, glittering with spectral colors, bonded at the Queen's wrists. Thrusting her hands forward, the sorceress blasted a radiant beam, taking with it one of Isis's defenses, her Magician of Faith. (300/400) 
 
Isis raided her graveyard, but found little worth using. Finally taking the card she wanted, Isis went back to her turn, drawing a sixth card. 
 
Sure, you think you have it won. But I have both of my Souls of Purity and Light now, and once I use Monster Reincarnation to retrieve my Wingweaver, I can sacrifice them both to bring her right back to the field. 
 
Only then did the field begin to shift again, transforming into the middle of a barren canyon littered with hidden entrances and lit by an unforgiving sun. Isis now had a very bad feeling about where she was. This was Necrovalley, the field where all that was gone remained buried and untouchable. She was down to grasping at straws. 
 
The only other two cards she had were worthless. Unfortunately, she knew they were the only things she could use to stall until the playing field changed again. 
 
“I activate Harpie's Feather Duster, wiping out your facedown card just as you did to mine.”

 

The feathery gust of wind revealed that Derik's hidden card was his Magic Cylinder. 
 
“And I end with another card facedown,” Isis said with a sigh.
 
Derik's librarian was on his second step, as Derik added a fourth card to his hand, observing his hand. 
 
“Perfect. I use Graceful Charity, and I know just what to discard.” 

Derik's hand grew and shrank quickly. As Isis had said, Toon World and his Magician Girl would be of little use. 
 
“Then, I think my Library can give me another card before I have to let him go…” Derik took card number five gratefully. “Then I tribute my Library for another tournament win of mine, Chaos Command Magician, and have him attack your last defense.” (2400/1900) 
 
For Isis it was getting ridiculous, but the mage appeared all the same, poised and ready for battle. She didn't like having to use her card now, and for the moment, she could take the hit. 
 
Derik's mage conjured two spheres, one light, one dark, and sent them spiraling to the tip of his weapon. As he pointed his staff, the two shot foreword only colliding as they made contact with Isis's hidden monster, changing to a disturbing shade of neutral grey. Isis's Neo the Magic Swordsman was vanquished. 
 
Isis braced herself for the next attack. It would be damaging, but she was confident that she was making a good strategic move. The Queen's magic produced more confusion and dizziness than pain, but the result on her Life Points was still the same. 
 
(D-650, I-4400) 

Derik concluded, leaving Isis to brood on where her options stood. 
 
Isis drew to five, wishing this wasteland around her would fade. She looked at her monster in disgust, knowing that now she needed her contingency plan.  “I set one monster in defense mode and one card facedown. With that my turn ends.” 
 
Once more, Derik's hand became five as well, leaving him to wonder if this was his chance to win. Shrugging off the feeling, he moved in for the kill. 
 
“Hold it, my Light of Intervention activates now,” Isis interrupted.

 

Derik didn't mind in the slightest. “I summon Breaker the Magical Warrior, in Defense Mode, on the off chance that final card is your Mirror Force. (1900/1000) And with that I order Chaos Command Magician to attack your Monster!”
 
The powerful spell turned another of Isis's Gradius monsters into dust. 
 
“And next, my Cosmo Queen will again attack you directly!”
 
Isis didn't want to waste the card just yet. She still had time, even if it was only by a few Life Points.

 

(D-650, I-1500) 
 
Finally the field shifted, transporting both parties into the depths of the forest. Isis dew up to five again, but this time she was well-prepared.  “I activate the Magic Card Monster Reincarnation, discarding my Giant Trunade to bring my Wingweaver back into my hand.” 
 
“Lot of good it will do you,” Derik retorted, “You have no monsters to sacrifice for it.”
 
“That's where you're wrong. I remove Magician of Faith, Gradius, Neo the Magic Swordsman, and White Magical Hat to summon not one, but two Souls of Purity and Light!” 
 
Two sad looking angels flew from their void as the souls of Isis's monsters were offered to them. All too soon both gave way to Isis's more powerful fairy, as Wingweaver returned to the field. 
 
“And with her out, I attack Chaos Command Magician, and reduce your Life Points to the barest minimum. Attack!” 
 
The spectral attack swept across Chaos Command Magician, wiping him from the field entirely. 
 
(D-300, I-1500) 
 
“That ends my turn,” Isis finished. 
 
Derik drew with great suspicion, cursing the fact that even with his full hand, he had nothing more he could summon without getting rid of two already powerful monsters. “I set one card facedown. I'm sorry, but I have to switch Breaker into Attack Mode, and now I attack your Wingweaver with the awesome fury of my Cosmo Queen.”
 
“To which I trigger my facedown card, a gift from my Magician of Faith called Spell Textbook, and allowing me to activate…” She pawed through her deck, discarding a Gradius Option along the way. “…my Swords of Revealing Light, stopping your monster in its tracks.”
 
The rain of swords halted the Queen's attack, much to Derik's displeasure. Luckily, there was still something he could do. “I use the spell counter of my Breaker to end the effects of your swords, and then I end my turn.” (1600/1000) 
 
“It won't do much,” Isis quipped, taking in her moment. “I've already won. Breaker the Magical Warrior is in Attack Mode, and my Wingweaver is going to attack it. Those fancy tricks with the Cyber Jar and Cosmo Queen were amusing, but you got sloppy and now it's my turn to take the prize home with me. Wingweaver, I order you to make the final attack of this Battle City Tournament against Breaker the Magical Warrior now and end this once and for all!”
 
Wingweaver again released her merciless blast. Isis reeled back as she realized it wasn't getting through. “You had a Mirror Force set for me?!” she screamed in shock as well as hatred. 
 
“Yes, I did,” Derik chuckled. “The same card won me my last duel. Funny how these things work. Sorry about your fairy though, after you worked so hard to get her back.”
 
“I have just about had enough of this!” Isis screamed across the field.  “All I wanted for this tournament was to live up to the standards that my dad set up all these years ago. I refuse to lose to a duelist who joins for no reason, when I have an important message to send. Take your turn now because I swear it will be your last!” 
 
“I see, then,” Derik responded. “In that case I'll have to disappoint you by switching Breaker into Defense Mode again.”
 
“What?” Isis practically whispered, forcing herself not to believe what she had just heard. 
 
“Cosmo Queen, attack!”
 
Isis flipped up her trap with bitter disappointment, as her Mirror Force wiped Cosmo Queen from the stage. 
 
“I thought as much. That speech you gave laid it all out in front of me,” Derik clarified, “And now I have one more defense. Your move, then.”

“And I've got it right here,” Isis spat in a rage, already making her move as the virtual world moved around the dueling pair. 
 
“Isis, wait,” Derik started. “You don't even know what field we're going to, you might want to…”
 
“I've done my waiting!” Isis yelled back. “Fifteen years of it! I've been waiting before I was born! For once, my family will have a little moment of triumph over you and your family, so don't even think to tell me, when it comes to redeeming my name, what I can and cannot do! I'll say it again - do not tell me how I should be dueling!”
 
The world around them was fading into view, just a few more seconds and it would be clear. 
 
Still in her righteous anger, Isis declared, “I activate Stop Defense, and move your Breaker into Attack Mode; now he's the perfect prey for Thunder Nyan Nyan!” (1900/800) 
 
The lightning drummer pounced onto the field, her attack points the exact amount needed to win this duel. It was that moment that the field became clear to all. 
 
“Thunder Nyan Nyan, Thunder Crash atta-” What she saw made her stop mid-breath. It was the stats of Derik's Magical Warrior. (2100/600) 
 
Stunned speechless, Isis took in the world around her, a swirling void of storm clouds, punctuated with black lightning. They had been taken to Mystic Plasma Zone. 
 
Stunned she looked back into Derik's face, now swelled with sympathy. If she had waited a few more seconds, she might have won. “I'm sorry,” he told her, and he meant it. 
 
Isis took in her resolve, and looked back, knowing that there was no backing down, but not giving up without a fight. She looked him straight in the eyes. “I won't lose, and I won't forfeit, but I've had enough for now.”
 
“What are you saying?” Derik asked. 
 
Isis looked overtaken with emotion, but then raised her head to the ceiling. “Program Control Code 2393 - Duel Abort.”
 
A doorway of light came up behind her, and she entered it, leaving Derik alone until he so chose to join her. 
 
0000000 
 
Screens all over Domino went black, and on what appeared to be the last move of the whole thing. No one was happy, and bets were kept clenched in several fists. All over the city, the same phrase was angrily yelled at the halted broadcast.

 

Amai Cardiac and all of her sisters yelled it at once.

Kirby Morimoto knocked over his easy chair to yell it.

 

Dante Caldera and Musashi Mitserugi yelled it simultaneously.

 

The Order of Ammit members guarding Mokuba kicked their radio down the street as they yelled it.

 

The phrase was, “What happened?!?” 

0000000 
 
Seto Kaiba gingerly knocked on the door to his daughter's finalist suite. What he saw was something he had tried his entire life to avoid seeing. 
 
Isis was facedown on her bed, her face buried in her pillow. After she had escaped from her pod, she had raced out the door without talking to anyone. Her dueling deck was strewn all over the floor. Her cards were arranged on top of each other as if she had been dropped as a single pile. The exceptions were the three dragons, which looked suspiciously like they'd been thrown. 
 
“Isis,” Kaiba started with a compassion that was always unusual for him. 
 
“I want Mom,” came the weak cry of a response.

 

Kaiba was worried about Ishizu as well, even more so with Seskera gone. Kaiba found himself questioning whether he may have destroyed the only chance of getting her back. 
 
Just then, both Kaibas heard another gentle knock at the door, and turned to face it. 
 
“Um, Isis, can I talk to you?” Derik asked carefully, before quickly closing the door. 
 
Kaiba had to wince at the crash of a rather expensive alarm clock being destroyed courtesy of Isis's arm, as well as a heavy metal door. 
 
“Uh, okay…” Derik responded meekly. “Then can I talk to you?” He punctuated the question by pointing at the elder Kaiba, who apologetically got to his feet. 
 
Once outside, Kaiba looked down at the younger Motoh in a rather accusing way. “Well, I admit she isn't taking the match as a fair sport, but you've got a lot of nerve coming down here. Just because you won by default doesn't mean you can treat my family as equals, understand?”
 
Derik shook his head. “Mr. Kaiba, your daughter gave me that hardest match of my life. The whole tournament did actually, and I owe that too you and your company. I just wanted to thank you.”
 
Kaiba stared for a moment. 

“I won one tournament,” the boy continued. “I could probably lose tons more. Next year…”
 
“There won't be a next year,” Kaiba declared.

 

Derik didn't even register what was being said.

 

Kaiba, with a softness defying his character, leaned down to Derik's eye level. “Does that surprise you? Derik, the game of Duel Monsters was invented long before I ever became a Champion. Some of the best in the beginning are now great-grandparents. I've done all I can to keep the game alive, simply to have something I could build a name on, but my days, and your father's, are over.”
 
He smirked as if at an inside joke. “A Motoh the first champion and a Motoh the last. I'll bet Pegasus is having a good laugh right now.” 
 
“Actually…”Yugi interjected, stepping out from a doorframe. He had been asked to provide Derik support without being seen. “Derik was thinking of something else…” 
 
0000000

“Are you sure you want to do this?” Yugi asked, as the Kaibacorp blimp touched down in front of a very anticipative crowd. 
 
“I'm sure,” Derik responded. “Why not? It's not like there was a cash prize at stake here. Kaiba's family kept their reputation, Isis gets her pedestal…”
 
“And meanwhile, we all get the memory of Princess losing to her own stupidity,” Peter chimed in. “I saw an awful lot of that during this tournament, but I never thought it would come from her.”
 
“Did anyone summon a high level monster without sacrificing first?” Joey asked with interest, secretly keeping his fingers crossed behind his back.

 

Peter just looked confused. “Dad, no one is that stupid.” Thankfully he was too busy rolling his eyes to catch the knowing wink between Yugi and his dad. 

0000000 

When the doors opened, Isis was on cloud nine. She was the first one framed in the doorway, which had opened after the final results were broadcasted via loudspeaker. 
 
The applause was tremendous, and what made it even more so was the fact that her mother was at the front row, clapping with the rest of them. Isis didn't even notice her father rushing past her to take Ishizu into his arms.

 

The clapping thundered for what seemed like forever, and even as it began to die, Isis knew that for her, it would never end.