Yu-Gi-Oh! Fan Fiction ❯ Return of a Master ❯ Millennium Duel, part 5 ( Chapter 12 )

Part Twelve

"I bet I know what's coming next."

As the wind majestically flows through his hair, Pegasus grins wryly. "Oh, really?"

Bakura takes a deep breath, in an effort to keep his anger in check. "Well, let's see. At Duelist Kingdom, in your duel with Yugi, there were several instances in which you pretended to have lost. But each and every time this happened, you apparently got lucky, and came back even stronger than before." As he narrows his eyes, Pegasus smirks, but says nothing. "And the same exact thing has been happening here.

"He also played several cards that seemed worthless at first, but later proved to be part of an elaborate plan. He has obviously done this again: remember Senju and that Sonic Bird?" He curls his lip, staring at Pegasus with loathing. "You've been setting this up all match, haven't you! It's obviously going to be a ritual card!"

Pegasus lets out a bark of laughter. "Ooh, good guess--too bad it was wrong." He holds his next card up, chuckling. "Not unless my company promoted the Harpie's Brother--I suppose it's possible--in my absence?"

Mai gasps as the slender avian monster solemnly steps onto the field. "Harpie's Brother?" she whispers, her voice wavering. Then, with a withering sigh, she collapses and falls backwards.

"What da-" Joey cries as she lands in his arms. He grimaces as everyone explodes into laughter at the sight.

But although everyone else is watching Joey's protests, Bakura is silent, disbelief written all over his face. "I...was wrong?" he mutters, oblivious to the outside world.

Pegasus is silent as well, staring at Bakura. I wonder...what Bakura said earlier made a lot of sense. I hope he doesn't...he'd better not use....

"Well? What are you waiting for?!?" Bakura fumes when he notices Pegasus' eyes on him. "Attack my beast already! You've got the power to do it, with that dratted Soul and its effect, not to mention the 300 extra points that birdbrain gets from the Harpie Lady in your graveyard. So get it over with!" He crosses his arms, and turns away indignantly.

A broad grin stretches across Pegasus' face. "Humiliating you is so much fun," he admits, chuckling. "If only there were more time...oh, well, c'est la vie." He shrugs, and turns toward his winged beast. "Show him the power of the wind, my superior Harpie! Destroy that beast and avenge your sister!"

Bakura looks away as the creature's talons shred the mighty beast, not even moving when his life points drop to 2100. After a moment, Yugi calls out tentatively, "Bakura? Are...are you okay?"

Bakura blinks suddenly, and looks around, confused. "Yugi? What? Where..." Then he shakes his head, and snarls a little. "Pegasus! You...you made me lose control of my host body!"

"Your...host...body?" Pegasus says, narrowing his eyes. He stares at Bakura, who is breathing hard, as if he had just won an intense battle.

Bakura grits his teeth for a moment, as if the real Bakura is trying to take over again; he apparently fails, because seconds later the evil spirit screams, "I will HAVE YOUR HEAD for this!!"

For a moment, Pegasus seems concerned. But he shakes his head and grins again. "Whatever you say. Make your move. It won't matter - this duel will be over within the next two turns - but it will be interesting to watch nonetheless."

Bakura stares at Pegasus for a moment, his expression unreadable. He blinks a few times, apparently having won over Bakura once again, and sighs softly. His face once more takes on its familiar, insane look of pride. "I'll set two cards face-down. You know, you're right...this duel will be over in two turns. But it is I who will win."

"Heh...we'll see." Pegasus shrugs. He turns and looks at Kaiba, and I suddenly realize that he is seething. "Hmm...it seems that Kaiba-boy has a lot on his mind...in fact, I think we all do...so I suppose we must move on," he says, and sets two cards on the field. "Too bad...I adore keeping people in suspense! I activate the Hurricane Hex ritual, sacrificing my Soul of Purity and Light and my Dreamsprite to do so."

Bakura's eyes open wide as his former fears are realized. He trembles slightly with some intense emotion, as the wind picks up even more than before, making everyone covers their faces. A dark fog quickly surrounds the two winged creatures, and as the crowd looks on in awe, a pair of glowing eyes shines from deep inside the cloud.

"What is that?" Tea gasps, as the mist fades, revealing what looks like a slender gray cat crouching in midair.

Pegasus grins proudly. "This is the rarest card in my deck. It hasn't been released yet, so it's no surprise that you don't recognize...the Flying Sorcerer!" The cat-like creature stands up on its hind legs, unfolding massive, silver wings. It leers at Bakura, and leaps high into the air.

"What?" Tristan groans. "Another card that no one else has? Man, you don't play fair!"

Pegasus ignores him. Oh, for Ra's sake...I had hoped he wouldn't use that card. It is rather unfair. I sigh once again. My old friend has disappointed me quite thoroughly today.

Bakura narrows his eyes. "You...I can't believe...." He grits his teeth. "I can't wait to beat you. No one should stoop to this level. I may be evil, but at least I duel honestly."

Pegasus scoffs. "You? Claiming honesty?" He bursts out laughing. "I am really looking forward to winning my Eye back. It will be so much fun, reading your pitiful mind, forcing you to relive every single indecency you've committed over the years."

Bakura rolls his eyes. "Whatever. Just go! This idle banter is beginning to bore me."

"If you say so," Pegasus says, winking happily at the solemn figures in the middle of the field. "Well, both of my monsters have 2900 attack points, and I doubt that your monster can withstand such power. So I'll let my mage have your life points." He waves a hand imperiously. "Clear his pitiful defense out of the way, my mighty Harpie!"

Bakura's Earthbound Spirit screams in agony as the hawk-man drives its claws into him. "And now, for the final touch! Flying Sorcerer, attack him directly, and end this once and for all!"

But as the feline mage soars upward and sends a gigantic gust of wind zooming toward Bakura, a swirling vortex appears. The wind calms down immediately, and Bakura's life points remain intact. "Too bad. You forgot about my trap card! I activated Negate Attack just in time."

It is Pegasus' turn to grit his teeth as Bakura snickers evilly. "You thought you could win...and you almost did!...but you underestimated me. I have fought many times throughout history, in duels much more intense than this." He shrugs. "You lasted longer than most of my opponents, I'll give you that. But it wasn't enough." He smirks, and sets a card on the disk.

"I only needed one more fiend in my graveyard to summon my ultimate beast, and you just destroyed one." Bakura chuckles. "Now you must face the ruler of the night: the Dark Necrofear!" The bald monster stands tall in the middle of the field, staring intently at Pegasus. "And since that was a special summon, I can also set another monster face-down." He places it on the field, and waves a hand at Pegasus. "Your move."

Pegasus' jaw tenses, but he takes a breath to calm himself. "I can still win," he says. "You have only delayed the inevitable." He draws a card. "I play Monster Reborn to bring back Neo the Magic Swordsman! He will bring an end to this duel!"

Bakura only narrows his eyes. "That puny swordsman? You can't be serious," he says, shaking his head.

Pegasus shrugs. "You'll see," he murmurs. As they expected, the proud warrior reappears on the field in a calm crouch. But instead of standing up, he leaps into the air and unfurls a brand-new set of shimmering wings. Grinning, he takes his place next to the hovering sorcerer. "He looks different, hmm? With my mage supporting him, there's nothing you can possibly do to stop him," Pegasus hisses.

"What?" Bakura gasps, his eyes as wide as his Necrofear's. "But how...Neo doesn't have wings...how?"

"Yeah, what he said!" Tristan suddenly cuts in. "What did that mage of yours do to him?"

"Oh, such naiveté!" Pegasus chortles. "You should know by know that since I created the cards, I can make them do whatever I want! Yugi may have managed to beat me, but that was just luck...."

"Luck?" Yugi mutters indignantly, but no one else hears him.

"....And this time, nothing, not even mere chance, can defeat me! My mage gives all Spellcasters on the field the power to fly, and with Rising Air current still active, it protects them from all possible attacks! Any who dare approach shall be destroyed!" He lets out a peal of laughter, which goes on for several minutes.

When he finally stops, Bakura eyes him warily. "So? Are you done yet?" He chuckles at the look on Pegasus' face. "You were always so full of yourself. Did you really think...but no, the time for talking is over. Let us stop trying to defeat each other through our words, and simply duel."

Pegasus nods slowly. "Yes, let's. I daresay my monsters are getting impatient...so what are you waiting for? Harpie's Brother, destroy his face-down card!" The avian swoops down, unsheathes his sword, and slashes the card all in one quick movement. "Flying Sorcerer, destroy that ghastly apparition! And finally, Neo, obliterate his life points!"

The crowd gasps as the monsters race toward Bakura. "This might be it!" Tea exclaims.

But Bakura suddenly grins. "You idiot! You fell into my trap!" Bakura flips over his face down card, shouting, "You're not the only one with Monster Reborn--My Beast of Talwar will stop Neo in his tracks!" The beast rises out of the ground, howling, and with a flash of cold metal, the swordsman vanishes.

"And as for your sorcerer," Bakura continues, "he has made a fatal mistake in attacking the Necrofear. Your 'ultimate monster' now belongs to me." As if to confirm this, the winged mage suddenly roars as the Dark Necrofear's severed hands attach themselves to his head. "And since your sorcerer is no longer controlling it, the windstorm created by the Rising Air Current destroys itself." Sure enough, the wind subsides. "Now, my sorcerer, destroy the last Harpie! And Beast of Talwar, attack his life points! End this match once and for all!"

"No...NO..." Pegasus moans. "Not again...." He collapses on the ground, not even flinching as the excess energy knocks him back. He lays motionless on the ground, a rag doll lying spread-eagled in the wake of the destruction.

Yugi hesitantly steps forward. "Uh...Pegasus? Are...are you--" He breaks off as Bakura hisses triumphantly.

I narrow my eyes as Bakura marches forward, holding his hand out as if to call the Millennium Bow to it with sheer willpower. "Stop!" I cry, racing over as he hesitates.

"What on earth are you--" He lets out a gasp as I pick up the Bow angrily, and snap it in half.