Chapter 16 - The Second Duel pt. 1 Embodiments of Apophis

Kay was sitting in her room, looking through her deck.

"Something tells me I'm going to be fighting in this next duel..." She smirked. "Well, I'm looking forward to it." Roland came over the P.A system.

"All finalists must report to the main concourse. The next two duelists will now be chosen." Kay smiled.

"It's time." She got up and walked out of her room.

"Hey, wait for us!" Alex, Kristen, and Adleinda ran after her.

"This is your two minute warning! All finalists must be on deck in two minutes." She walked out into the hall and heard Honda and Duke telling Jounouchi, Shizuka, and Cat something. It caught her attention.

"No joke! There was this freaky guy in a white robe. He saved our lives! Just ask Duke." Honda had Duke in a headlock for whatever reason.

"Well, I didn't actually see him but someone had to pull us up."

"Knock it off, you guys. If you're trying to distract me before my duel, it's not gonna work." Shizuka looked thoughtful.

"Jounouchi, what if there really was some kind of ghost?" she asked. She gave a small smile.

"Shizuka has a point, Jounouchi. This ship could be haunted. Cat crossed her arms and nodded wisely. "The key is to keep an open mind." Jounouchi sweatdropped and looked a bit nervous.

"Come on, ghosts don't exist." Yami put his hand on Jounouchi's shoulder and he immediately perked up, freaked out.

"Are you ready for the next duel?" Yami asked. Jounouchi spun around.

"Don't sneak up on me like that!" Kay smirked, seeing THIS as an oppertunity. She snuck up behind Jounouchi, an evil look on her face.

"...BOO!"

"AAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!" Jounouchi ran behind Yami and Yami sweatdropped. Kay was doubled over, laughing.

"Oh MAN! That was too easy."

"Ok, here's what happened..." Honda began.



"Finalists and guests, may I have your attention please?" roland asked. Everyone stood in the main concourse, waiting for the match-up for the second duel. "the second duel of the Battle City finals is about to begin."

"That's right," Mokuba said. "The selector will now randomly pick the next two duelists."

"Remember your numbers."

Seto Kaiba: 1

Katsuya Jounouchi: 2

Mai Kajuki: 4

Namu: 5

Marik Ishtar: 7

Kay Simms: 8

"If you are selected you'll be participating in the second duel of the finals."

"No, I thought if we were picked we win the lottery!" Kay said sarcastically. Alex snickered.

"I hear ya."

"And the first duelist chosen is: Number 8, Kay Simms."

"Yay!" Adelinda cheered.

"This will be great." Alex grinned.

"I knew I'd be dueling this time." Kay shrugged. "So who's my unlucky opponent?" she asked.

"And Miss Simms' opponent in this duel is: number 7, Marik Ishtar." Kay narrowed her eyes.

"It's him..." She frowned at Odion but did not say anything. He looked at her without emotion.

"OK, it's time to duel."

"Kay? You don't sound very excited."

"I'll be excited when I reach the finals. That's when I'll use my secret weapon." She smirked and Adelinda grinned.

"Oh yeah!"

"Interesting, Marik verses the Big Mouth. I wonder if he'll crush her with his God Card." Kay resisting punching Seto. Why give him the satisfaction of thinking she cared about his pathetic little insults?

Besides, why get riled up before dueling against a madman?

"Alright, both duelists will now take their places in the arena."

They got to the stratos dueling arena.

"Elevate the field." The stage rose. Kay stood there, arms crossed.

"..."

"Go Kay!" Alex and Adelinda cheered.

"Yay Kay-Chan!" Kristen cheered.

"You can beat him!" Yugi called.

"We have faith in you!" Cat yelled.

"The winner of this duel will advance to the next round of the Battle City finals. The loser will be dismissed."

"I wish he'd stop stating the obvious already..." Kay thought.

"Alright gentlemen..."

"AHEM!" Kay said rather loudly, glaring. Roland blushed.

"I'm sorry. I meant...uh..."

"Whatever, just announce the duel and remember that I'm a GIRL."

"R-right. W-well, it's time to begin. If you'll please take your places on either side of the playing field, we can get this duel underway."

"Yeah, I don't know about you Seto, but Kay does not look like a man..." mokuba said, a sweatdrop formed on his head.

"...no comment."

"Seto!" He smirked and something narrowly missed hitting his head. He blinked and looked to see a black boot nearby.

"Crap, I missed!" Kay exclaimed with a frustrated snap of her fingers. Alex grabbed the boot and threw it to her before Seto could do sometihng. Kay put it back on her foot.

Kay and Marik began shuffling each other's decks.

"You'd better not try anymore of your cheap tricks, Marik."

"Hmph. Say what you want." She handed him his deck.

"Well, even though I think you are a total sleezeball, may the best duelist win." He blinked and gave her back her cards.

"Thank you...I...suppose..." he said, sounding rather unsure. They stood on opposite ends and Marik pulled out his millennium rod. Everyone looked worry, except Kay wou looked annoyed.

"Did I not just say to cut the cheap tricks, Marik? Put that stupid thing away and just duel with some honor, for the love of God."

"Hmph, very well." He put the rod on his belt.

"Look Marik!" Jounouchi yelled. Then he stopped and blinked. "Did you just say, 'very well?'" Jounouchi asked.

"Yes, he did. Now shut up, monkey, and stay outta this."

"Grr, MONKEY?! Why I oughta-"

"Katsuya, calm down!" Shizuka said. He growled and his eyebrow twitched a little.

"Man...she thinks she's so great! I swear, Kay is like a little mini-Kaiba!" He got hit in the head with a boot and fell over. Kay smirked.

"Direct hit." Adelinda tossed the boot back up to her and Jounouchi's eyes were little swirlies. Mokuba sweatdropped.

"Wow..."

"Nice shot, Onee-Chan!" Mokuba anime fell at Adelinda's cheer.

"Alright then..." Seto smirked, admittedly very amused by this little display.

"Ready, Marik?" Kay asked.

"Yes."

"Hey Seto, if Marik really is the leader of the rare hunters, he must have a ton of rare cards in his deck."

"There's only one card in his deck I care about, and that's his Egyptian God Card: The Sun God Ra. And hopefully, that girl will last long enough in this duel for me to see how Marik's card works so I can win it for myself."

"But...I want Kay to win."

"I never said I want her to lose, I just want to see that God Card."

"Let's do this, Marik."

"It's time to duel, and destroy you!"

"Let the duel begin!"

"Prepare for defeat!" Kay smirked.

"I wouldn't count on that, Marik. Want to know why? I don't lose!" She drew a card. "I'll start."

"GO KAY!" Honda yelled.

"YEAH!" Cat yelled. Everyone cheered her on. A powerful gust of wind blew and Kay held onto her cards tightly.

"Ugh, it's so much more fun to wathc someone else duel up here then deal with the wind myself..." she mumbled.

"Well, are you going to play a card this century?"

"Quiet, Marik. I play set a monster in defense mode and that'll do it for me."

Marik drew a card.

"I'll play Temple of the kings." Kay frowned. She did not remember this card very well. The name was familiar, and she knew it was a field card, but she had no idea what it did.

"Man...I don't remember this card...shoot."

"Heh, the structure behind me is the ancient Temple of the Kings. Within this 3,000-year-old sanctuary lie the greatest treasures of the kings of Egypt."

"Well, mind giving me more details as to what it can do?" Kay asked, immediately getting a bad feeling about this temple.

"To protect the king's treasure, it limits the number of magic and trap cards you can play in one turn."

"Darn..."

"And in front of the temple, I'll lay two cards facedown as an extra boundary of protection, and with this move I end my turn. So try to attack me if you dare. You have no idea what danger lurks within these temple walls." Kay frowned.

"Dude, just be quiet and say 'I end my turn.' That's all it takes." Kay drew a card. "I play 'Graceful Charity.' It allows me to draw three cards as long as I discard two."

She drew three cards.

"I promised myself I'd save my Blue Eyes for the finals, so I'll discard it along with my Luster Dragon #2." She discarded both cards.

"OK, right now, I have my Cyber Falcon facedown in defense mode. Marik is luring me to attack so he can spring a trap...but I'll bet one of them is one especially designed for negating any magic cards that could destry his traps, so there goes that idea. I need to draw my trap jammer before I use my Heavy Storm magic card, or else I might be in big trouble. For now, I'll build up some defense for a safety precaustion."

She looked at her hand.

"I set one more monster in defense mode and one card face down. That'll do it for now. Your move."

"Observe, you fool. I place two more cards face down on the field and now my move is complete."

"why won't he play any monsters?" Kristen asked.

"That coward is just sitting back and waiting for Jounouchi to attack so he can spring a trap. It's the oldest and wimpiest trick in the book."

"What? Aw man..."

"My move." Kay drew a card. "I play Card Destruction. We both discard our hands and redraw whatever number he discarded."

"Very well." Marik deposited his two cards and drew two. Kay got rid of four cards and drew four more.

"Reveal face down: the magic card, Heavy Storm. This magic card destroys every magic and trap card on the field."

"I don't think so: Go, judgement of Anubis! Stop her magic card."

"I thought you'd try something like this, I play Trap Jammer."

"What?!"

"Your trap is canceled. And Heavy Storm will wipe out everything, including your Ancient Temple." All of his face downs disappeared, except for the temple. "Wait, why is your temple still up?"

"Don't you know? If I sacrifice one trap or magic card from my side of the feel, my temple is protected for the effects of any magic, trap, or monster card. Before your Heavy Storm destroyed everything, I activated this ability and sacrificed one of my cards."

"Fine, I don't care. I sacrifice my Cyber Falcon and summon Curse of Dragon." The face down shattered and in its place was Curse of Dragon. "Attack him directly with Dark Flame!"

Curse of Dragon attacked him and Marik's lifepoints dropped down.

"Yay! Kay took out half of his lifepoints!" Adelinda cheered.

"That was awesome!" Yugi said. Kristen clapped.

"Go Kay-Chan!"

"I must admit, that was a good move." Mai smiled.

"I'll end my turn."

"Wait, doesn't she have another facedown monster?" Cat asked.

"I guess she wants to save it."

"Yeah...I guess."

"That'll end my turn, Marik."

"Fine." He drew a card. "I play 'Pot of Greed' and draw two cards." He did so. "And I play two cards face down and end my turn."

"Fine." She drew. "I play one card face down and end my move."

"Very well." Marik drew. "I play one more card face down and that is all."

"OK." She drew. "I'll pass."

He drew. "I also pass."

"I pass again."

"Perhaps now I'll draw a card worth using." He drew. "No, this one won't do at all. I'll pass again."

"Lovely. I'm sitting back and watching my own duel. Now all I need is a hot chocolate and a good book." She drew a card.

"All right, now this is getting out of hand, Seto. If neither one of them plays a card this is gonna be a long duel, and boring too."

"No need to worry about that."

"Huh?"

"Knowing that girl and her impatience, she'll crack long before Marik does and then he'll make his move."

Kay smirked to herself. "That may be how I act in real life, but in dueling it's a whole new story...I might seem to rush into everything, but I've always got a trap of my own formulated and ready to pounce. So watch and learn Kaiba, because I'm going after you next."

She drew. "I'll play one card face down and summon Blackland Fire Dragon. Attack!"

"KAY!"

"What's she thinking?!" Mai asked.

"Activate Trap Card: Eye of Ujat. Now, your monster is under my control. Black Land Fire Dragon, attack her Curse of Dragon." Kay smirked.

"That's exactly what I wanted you to do."

"What?!"

"I play Attack Guidance Armor and redirect my dragon's attack to my face down monster."

"But why?"

"Because my face down monster has a special ability. When it is attacked, it destroys a trap."

"No!"

"Yes! Go, trap master! Destroy his eye of Ujat." Trap master popped up and destroyed the card.

"but your monster will be destroyed anyway, it's too late to stop the attack."

"So? I play another card that summons trap master back to my hand and your plan is negated."

"No!" Trap master vanished and the attack failed. "Grr...I play another trap card: trap hole. It destroys your Curse of Dragon." Curse of Dragon was gone and Kay frowned.

"I hate to lose one of my dragons like that...but I guess I can't do anything."

"Heh heh..."

"What's so funny?"

"Your mistake of attacking me."

"What?"

"You see, my Eye of Ujat card a ploy to get you to use up your face down cards. And when you attacked, you activated another card."

"Big deal."

"It is! For the trap you activated is a rare breed of card called a trap-monster."

"What?!" Kay's expression immediately grew fearful. "No! You can't have one of THOSE cards. There's just no way!"

"I do, and your attack activated it. Now, feel its rage!"

"It can't be!"

"It is! There's no escaping from Embodiment of Apophis. Assuming your fear, I take it you know how it works, right?"

"Yeah...Embodiment of Apophis is a trap card but it acts like a monster in every other way."

"Correct. And I'm afraid it only gets worse, because you've triggered not one, but three of my Apophis cards."

"Three?! Oh no! My lifepoints are in serious trouble!"

"Ha-ha, I'm glad your math skills are up to parr. And now it's time for oyu to meet your doom. Come forth, my beasts!"

Three disgusting creatures appeared, each with 1600 attack points. Kay stared, her skin pale.

"What am I gonna do?! I don't have anymore facedowns and only one monster protecting me! If all three attack, I'll only have 800 lifepoints. I'm stuck!"

"That's insane!" mokuba said.

"I must say, I'm impressed."

"Kay-Chan!" Kristen cried.

"Be strong, Kay!" Alex yelled. She frowned.

"What's the matter, Miss Simms? You were so confident before. Have you realized you have no chance at winning this?" She glared and Marik snickered.

"Shut up, Marik. Just attack, alright? I switch my dragon to defense mode and end my turn..."

"Onee-Chan, no."

"There's nothing she can do to protect herself!" Mai exclaimed.

"Hang in there, Kay! You can't lost to this guy!" Jounouchi yelled.

"Heh, you're about to feel what real power can accomplish, Miss Simms. Now, my three beasts, attack! Destroy her Blackland Fire Dragon!" One serpant destroyed her dragon.

"I'm wide open..."

"Now, my two remaining beasts, attack her lifepoints!" They slashed at her and she fell down to her knees from the pain of the attack, grunting in pain.

Her lifepoints plummeted from 4000 to 800.

"Kay, no!"

"Ha-ha-ha-ha-ha! One more attack and your lifepoints are history!"

"KAY, GET UP!"

"COME ON, SIS!"

"Well, are you going to stay down on your knees and accept defeat?"

"..."

"KAY! DON'T GIVE UP!" she looked at Mokuba and Adelinda. He looked worried. Her lips formed into a smile and she nodded. Kay stood up weakly.

"Marik...read, my, lips: I will never give up. Either I win, or go down with honor!"

"Hmph, so be it...make your move..." She panted and narrowed eyes. "But remember, it will be your last!"

TBC...in pt. 2

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