Chapter 3

“I’ll start things off,” Pegasus said and pulled the top card from his deck.

 

‘I believe Seto will win,’ Asenath commented.

 

‘Agreed. Unless Pegasus has some new tricks, which I doubt he does judging by the technology level here, then Seto has this in the bag,’ I answered.

 

“Oh dear. I’m afraid you’re about to enter a world of pain, Kaiba-boy. A world of chaos. A world of absolute mayhem. That’s right! A world of Toons!”

 

Pegasus paid 1000 life points in order to bring Toon World to the field. A story book appeared and opened to reveal a pop-up village.

 

“Ha! Don’t tell my you’re actually still using that idiotic Toon World card,” Seto called, causing Pegasus to growl at him. “Well, this is gonna be even easier than I thought.”

 

“I summon Toon Gemini Elf, in attack mode,” Pegasus yelled and the two monsters appeared on the field.

 

“And this for later,” he finished, playing a facedown card. “It’s your turn, Kaiba-boy.”

 

I couldn’t help but scowl at his pet-name for Seto. The nerve he had annoyed me. Seto drew a card, starting his turn.

 

“I summon X-Head Cannon! Also, I’ll throw two cards facedown… for later,” he said, finishing his turn quickly.

 

“I’m so scared, Kaiba. Two cards facedown? Oh, mercy me, what will I do? Oh, wait a minute, I know. Play this,” Pegasus answered, playing the card he drew.

 

“Card of Sanctity! Isn’t it pretty? And it allows us each to draw until we both have six cards in our hand.”

 

They each drew and Pegasus’ eyes narrowed. I wasn’t sure if that was a good or bad sign.

 

“Just what I needed. And now I’ll activate the magic card Cost Down which means that,” Pegasus started.

 

“Do you ever shut up,” Seto asked and I smirked. “I know what it means. Now you can summon your strongest monsters to the field more easily. Please, what do you take me for, some kind of rookie?”

 

“You’re not quite that good, Kaiba-boy. I summon the Toon Dark Magician Girl! But I won’t be using her just yet. First, I’ll attack with the Gemini Elves and I think I’ll have them target you!”

 

The two elves kicked Seto in the back, knocking him forward a step and he had to hold himself up on the table before him. His life points dropped to 2100.

 

“Cartoons are so violent these days. But we’re not through yet. My elves have another ability. When they deal damage to a player, that player loses a card from his hand,” Pegasus explained and the elves took Seto’s Monster Reborn.

 

“Aren’t my Toons simply magnificent, Kaiba-boy,” the Duel Monsters creator asked.

 

I snorted in a very un-ladylike manner and he frowned at me. Seto growled at Pegasus.

 

“Oh, don’t look so sour. Think of it this way: At least it will be them stopping your little quest to the top and not Yugi-boy for the umpteenth time. Now then, let’s get on with it, shall we? Oh, Toon Dark Magician Girl, your turn!”

 

The toon girl flew forward, ready to attack.

 

“I guess it’s true that when you get old the mind is the first thing to go because you forgot all about my facedown cards. And now it’s gonna cost you.”

 

Seto flipped one of his cards over, revealing Attack Guidance Armor.

 

“This trap’s like a magnet that redirects your own attack right back at you,” Seto explained.

 

“No, you wouldn’t.”

 

“Oh, yes, I would. And I will! Guidance Armor, attach to the Toon Gemini Elves!”

 

It did so and Pegasus’ Toon Magician Girl destroyed them. Unfortunately, he brought them right back with Monster Reborn. The duel went on, with Pegasus summoning more Toons and Seto following whatever plan he had cooking in his head. It eventually got to the point where Seto had his XYZ-Dragon Cannon and Pegasus had the Blue Eyes Toon Dragon, Toon Summoned Skull, Toon Dark Magician Girl and Toon Gemini Elves.

 

“This is over,” I said with a smirk when I saw Seto bring out the XYZ-Dragon Cannon.

 

“Go! Destroy Toon World,” Seto ordered.

 

“No,” Pegasus yelled.

 

“Use Cannon Firestorm!”

The child’s story book was destroyed, ridding the field of the Toons, and the attack went straight on through to Pegasus, knocking him back.

 

“That’s all folks,” Seto said before walking off his platform, making me laugh silently.

 

As of late, Seto would rarely crack jokes, even when it was just him, Mokuba and me. That was a nice change and I felt like the old Seto was coming back.

 

“Now, let’s see what you’ve got to beat the Egyptian Gods,” he continued and my brief moment of relief was cut short.

 

He was back to focusing solely on beating Yugi.

 

“Looks like you had two cards up your sleeve,” he said, pulling those two cards from the trunk.

 

“Why does that not surprise me,” I muttered.

 

“What do you mean, two cards? Kaiba, there was only one,” Pegasus insisted.

 

“Yeah, right. Nice try, you snake,” Seto answered as we left.

 

“Well, I’d say that was a productive morning,” I said with a smile as we climbed back into the Blue Eyes White Jet.

 

“I’ll be dueling Yugi this evening and this time, I won’t lose.”

 

I frowned as I put my helmet on.

 

‘Is everything alright, Ebony,’ Asenath asked.

 

‘I’m worried about Seto. He’s so obsessed with beating Yugi that he’s putting everything else aside. I’m afraid Mokuba and I are going to lose him’ I answered.

 

‘You don’t have to worry about that. However, I believe there are forces at work here that are far beyond his comprehension.’

 

‘Why does that sound like a bad thing?’

 

“Ebony, I heard the museum has a new exhibit on Egypt. Why don’t you see it,” Seto suggested and I smiled, tears threatening to sting my eyes.

 

Seto knew I liked Egyptian history, even before Asenath came along. Actually, he was the reason I met the spirit within my Millennium Bracelet. He had bought it for me on my fifteenth birthday, not knowing what it was, and that’s how it all started. By this point in time, Seto could tell the difference when Asenath took over my body.

 

“I think I will,” I answered.