Literature
Kingdom Hearts: Heart of the Cards - CH7
Chapter 7: Attack from Robots and the Deep
Star Chips: Yugi: 3/Joey: 2/Sora: 2
It was a little bit since Joey’s duel with Mai, as the gang were now in another dueling arena with Sora on the blue side and a boy with short brown hair on the red side. His name was Jon, and he was wearing a white shirt and blue jeans. "Hey, spiky! Don’t go crying to mommy when I beat you." said Jon.
“Oh, I won’t, because I don’t plan on losing!” Sora retaliated.
“Since you only have two Star Chips and I have five, I only have to wager two.” Jon stated as he and Sora took two Star Chip off of their Dueling Glove, and placed it at the top of the dueling mat. “Unlike the other fields on the island, this one doesn’t have any, so neither of us get a field power bonus. Think you can manage?”
“Yeah.”
“Then let’s duel!” Jon shouted.
LP: Sora: 2000/Jon: 2000
“I’ll make the first move.” Sora stated as he drew a card and added it into his hand. “I summon Elemental HERO Clayman in defense mode!” He yelled as a humanoid monster made of stone appeared in front of Sora as it crossed its arms like he was defending him.
Elemental HERO Clayman
Attribute: EARTH
Monster Type: Warrior
Level: 4
ATK/DEF: 800/2000
“Then I’ll set one card face down, and end my turn.” Sora said as one of his Spell/Trap Zones started flashing yellow.
Jon nodded and then drew his card, grinning as he saw the cards in his hand. “I think I’ll start out nice and easy, by playing the spell card Confiscation!”
“Okay, so what does it do?” Sora asked.
“What it does is allow me to pay 1000 Life Points to take a look at your hand and toss one of your cards to the Graveyard.” Jon explained, as Sora nodded and showed his hand on his mat, so they could appear on his opponents monitor.
LP: Sora: 2000/Jon: 1000
“Monster Reborn, The Warrior Returning Alive, Hero Signal, and Card of Sanctity. Very interesting choices, but which shall I pick?” Jon questioned as he looked at each card carefully. “I choose Monster Reborn!”
‘Not good. Monster Reborn has the power to bring back a creature from either player’s Graveyard!’ Yugi thought, knowing how useful that card would have been later in the duel.
“Now I’ll set two cards face down, but they won’t be on the field very long because I play Emergency Provisions! Now I can destroy the face-downs I played, and gain 1000 Life Points for each one.” Jon said as his two cards were destroyed and his Life Points increased.
LP: Sora: 2000/Jon: 3000
“Next, I play Heavy Storm! This magic card destroys every other Spell and Trap card that’s out on the field.” Jon explained as a heavy wind picked up and Sora’s face-down, which was Negate Attack, was destroyed. “And last, but not least, I summon Ancient Gear Golem!” In front of Joe stood a giant robotic monster that one could clearly see the working gears on it.
Ancient Gear Golem
Attribute: EARTH
Monster Type: Machine
Level: 8
ATK/DEF: 3000/3000
“Wow, a monster that can stand toe to toe with the Blue-Eyes White Dragon?!” Joey exclaimed.
“Oh man, Sora’s monster won’t stand a chance!” Tristan complained. “Its defense points are too low.”
“This doesn't look good.” Tea mumbled.
“And it’s about to look a whole lot worse,” Yugi said. “When Ancient Gear Golem attacks a monster in defense mode, the difference between its attack points and the defending monster’s defense points are dealt to the opponent as damage.”
“But that would mean Sora’s Life Points are gonna take a hit!” Joey cried as everyone looked at the monster in horror.
“Now Golem, attack with Mechanized Melee!” Jon ordered as his Ancient Gear Golem’s red mono-eye glowed slightly before pulling back its fist and sucker-punched Sora’s Clayman into pieces.
LP: Sora: 1000/Jon: 3000
“I end my turn.” Jon finished.
“Then it’s back to me!” Sora yelled as he drew a card from his deck, revealing it to be Winged Kuriboh. ‘Oh hey bud. Ready to help me take this thing down?’ He questioned in his thoughts before hearing a cooing sound and saw his card wink at him, making Sora smile. “Okay, I summon Winged Kuriboh in defense mode!” He declared, as his monster appeared on the field. “Next, I play one card face-down and end my turn.”
“You have got to be kidding me.” Jon teased. “A Kuriboh to me is rather pedestrian; even one with wings, its defense points are no match for my Ancient Gear Golem! It’s a rookie mistake.” He then drew his next card.” Okay Ancient Gear Golem, attack that Kuriboh with Mechanized Melee!”
Once again, the giant walking gear monster reared back a fist and threw a punch at the tiny creature and shattered the hologram to pieces.
‘Sorry Winged Kuriboh.’ Sora mentally said.
“Ugh, this field must be bugged or something. Your Life Points haven’t changed.” Jon said.
“The field’s fine,” Sora simply shrugged. “On the turn Winged Kuriboh is destroyed, I take no damage for the rest of the turn.”
This info actually took Jon by surprise, not knowing that information, before regaining his composure. “Fine, I guess your little lame monster saved you there.” Jon taunted as Sora placed Winged Kuriboh into his Graveyard.
“Now hang on!” Sora yelled back. “Just because you beat him doesn’t give the excuse to call him lame!”
“Oh yeah, I forgot how some duelists get attached to their monsters,” Jon taunted again. “I'm sorry.”
“Yeah, well you should be sorry,” Sora said as he revealed his trap, making a unique ‘H’ symbol appear in the sky. “Because by attacking my Winged Kuriboh you set off my trap card, Hero Signal! Now I can bring out another Elemental Hero, and I choose Burstinatrix!” From a column of red flames, a gray-skinned woman in a red body-suit appeared and landed on the field.
Elemental HERO Burstinatrix
Attribute: FIRE
Monster Type: Warrior
Level: 3
ATK/DEF: 1200/8000
“Now it’s my move!” Sora said, drawing another card. “Okay Winged Kuriboh, this one’s for you! I play Card of Sanctity! Now we both draw until we have six cards in our hands!” Sora and Jon drew until they drew the amount they needed, while Sora smirked at what was now in his hand. “Next, I will summon Elemental HERO Avian in defense mode!” As he placed the card horizontally on the field, a green bird man appeared and knelt next to Burstinatrix.
Elemental HERO Avian
Attribute: WIND
Monster Type: Warrior
Level: 3
ATK/DEF: 1000/1000
“Now that’s just stupid, I can just…” Jon taunted as he was about to draw, only for Sora to interrupt him.
“I didn’t say I was done yet,” Sora stated. “Because I play Polymerization, to fuse Elemental HERO Avian and Elemental HERO Burstinatrix to summon Elemental HERO Flame Wingman!” Avian and Burstinatrix jumped in the air before they combined to form a new creature with one white wing on its left side and a dragon’s head on its right side.
Elemental HERO Flame Wingman
Attribute: WIND
Monster Type: Warrior
Level: 6
ATK/DEF: 2100/1200
“You can’t expect that monster to destroy my Golem, it only has 2100 attack points” said Jon looking at Flare Wingman. 
“True, but that's why I have this field Spell, Skyscraper!” said Sora playing his field card into the field zone, causing the entire field to change into a large city with a bunch of tall buildings. Everyone noticed that Flare Wingman was standing on the tallest building. 
Jon observed the field spell with a sneer. "Okay, this is good. But this silly little field spell hasn't lowered my monster's points by even a little bit."
"Nope, but it raises my Flame Wingman's by 1000 if he battles a monster stronger than him. And, look at that, your Golem has 900 more than he does." Sora grinned.
“Oh no!” Jon shouted. 
“Now Flame Wingman, attack that Golem with Skydive Scorcher!"
Elemental HERO Flame Wingman
ATK/DEF: 2100/1200 > 3100/1200
The monster jumped into the air and engulfed his body in flames before he dove and slammed into the Golem, smashing it to pieces; much to Joe's horror.
LP: Sora: 1000/Jon: 2900
"And thanks to his special ability, you also take damage to your monster's attack points." Flame Wingman stood in front of Jon and shot fire out towards the boy.
LP: Sora: 1000/Joe: 0
The monsters vanished as the duel came to an end. “And that’s game,” Sora said with a grin. Everyone cheered on seeing such a good duel. Even Joey and Yugi were clapping on seeing a good duel. The holographic monsters vanished and Jon came towards Sora before he held out three of his five Star Chips. “Wait, I thought that it was only two Star Chips.”
“It was. The extra is a gift and an apology.” Jon said, putting the Star Chips in Sora’s hand. “No one has ever beaten my Golem before. I got too cocky, and that kind of attitude is what cost me the duel. I'm sorry.”
“Apology accepted.” Sora said, putting the Star Chips in his Dueling Glove as Jon walked away.
Everyone suddenly heard a rumbling noise and turned to Joey, who was the source of the sound, making the blonde blush and chuckle sheepishly. “Man, all of this dueling is making me hungry. Did any of you guys remember to bring any food?” he asked.
“Sorry, Joey.” everyone, except Sora, said.
“What were we thinking coming here without bringing any food? How are we going to get through the rest of the tournament?!” Joey exclaimed.
“Good question, Joey,” Yugi agreed. “This dueling really takes it out of you and I haven’t seen any food stands or restaurants since we got here.”
"We have to do something fast!" Tea said, her control breaking down every second. "I've got to have my five basic food groups or it's... metabolic meltdown!"
"Five basic food groups?" Sora asked, trying to count the food groups on his fingers.
"Hey, chill out, you guys, I've got it covered," Tristan said. He took a book out of his backpack. "Ta-dah, the Great Outdoor Survival Guide!"
"Can we eat it?" Joey asked dryly.
"Better than that, it lists all the plants, roots, berries, and grasses we can eat."
The others suddenly felt sick. Sora voiced all of their thoughts. "All of a sudden, I'm not feeling very hungry."
"Do I look like a squirrel, ya' big doofus?!" He sniffed the air. "I don't need your dumb buck anyhow, I smell something cooking that way!" And he ran off towards the shoreline.
"He's hallucinating," Tea decided.
"Maybe not," Tristan figured. "Remember, it wasn't his brain that beat Mai, it was his nose."
----------------
The source of what Joey smelled was three fish cooking over an open fire. Joey's mouth was watering and even Yugi had to admit they smelled good. Finally, Joey couldn't take it and ran for it.
"Hey, what makes you think those fish are yours to take?" Tea asked.
"Hey, don't worry about it. We eat first and ask questions later."
"You know, I think Joey once got food poisoning from that philosophy," Tristan commented.
"You're really not helping things, Tristan," Sora said.
"He'd say anything to fill his belly," Tea commented.
"Some people just have no self-control," Tristan said, nodding sagely as he joined Joey
"This isn't right…" Sora said. "Guys, I have something in my bag you can eat."
"You brought food?" asked Tristan, blinking his wide brown eyes.
"Mhm. It's not much but we can all share -"
"Now that is what you're supposed to do," said a new voice suddenly startling Joey and Tristan. Suddenly, a figure was climbing over the edge of the cliff.
The boy had spiky black hair and wore cut-off jeans and a dueling glove. He had a harpoon with a fish skewered on it. "How dare you steal my fish, don't you have any man..." A tidal wave splashed against the shore and washed him over the cliff. Fortunately, he survived.
"So can we eat?" Joey asked like he didn't hear the boy's rant.
"Let's try that again," the boy said seething.
"I knew this was a bad idea," Tea said as she tried to uproot Sora's head from the ground.
"How dare you steal my fish, you bottom-dwelling thieves!"
"Chill out, guy, it's just a few fish," Joey said.
"Fish that do not belong to you! And to steal a fisherman's catch proves you have no honor!"
"Hey, wait a minute," Yugi said, eyeing the glove. "Aren't you Mako Tsunami, the top-rank ocean-based Duelist?"
"And who might you be?" The boy asked in return.
"Hey yeah, you're that freaky fish guy," Joey agreed.
"I AM NOT A FREAKY FISH GUY! I am Mako Tsunami, Duelist extraordinaire of the seven seas!" Mako paused in his introduction as Tea (who had finally got Sora's head up to fresh air) burst into laughter. "Uh... what are you laughing about?"
"Your head! You got company." Tea pointed to the small squid that attached itself to Mako's hair. Mako growled and threw the squid back into the ocean (much to Joey and Tristan's dismay).
"I'm Yugi Moto," Yugi introduced. "Sorry about your fish."
Mako gasped, "You're Yugi Moto, the only Duelist to ever defeat Seto Kaiba?" He gasped in shock. Yugi nodded, making the ocean duelist laugh. "What a surprise! It will be a great honor to face you in a duel."
"Same here, Mako."
"I must apologize, I've been ungracious." He turned to the others. "If you are friends of Yugi Moto, please, come sit down and eat your fill."
And that's what they did, enjoying the meal made by the unexpected duelist.
"That was good, Mako," Tea commented when they were done. "Where did you learn to cook so well?"
"I had to fend for myself since I was a tadpole but it was my father who taught me how to fish and cook."
"So what brings you here to the competition?" Yugi asked.
"I was raised on a fishing boat where I learned to love the sea," Mako began. "So if I win here, I would be able to get a vessel of my very own. Of course, I'll have to beat a few Duelists first." He laughed hardily.
"Your own boat? That would be so cool, living out on the blue open sea."
"Yes, the ocean is amazing," Mako agreed. "And we have shared a special bond since I was born. I can tell when the sea is happy by the way it sparkles... and when it is angry, by the shifting tides."
"Yeah," Sora said. "I’m an islander, so I know what that’s like, Mako."
"Well, it's been great, Mako, thanks. You really saved our hides," Joey said.
"Leaving so soon, are you?" Mako asked in what appeared to be disappointment.
“Yeah, there’s still lots of duelists to meet and defeat,” Joey said with a smile.
“Maybe we’ll meet up later in the competition,” Yugi said as he and the others started to walk off when a spear suddenly came flying and embedded the ground close to his foot, making him and the others freeze, wide eyed with shock.
“What’s the big idea!” Joey demanded in a yell as they all turned to face Mako. “You coulda hurt someone!”
"I treated you to dinner; perhaps you will honor me to a duel." Mako announced.
"You try to skewer Yugi and expect him to accept your challenge for a duel?" Tea said with rising fury.
"Wait, Tea," Sora whispered. "Look, the harpoon almost hit Yugi but it didn't. If Mako was truthful and he really is an expert in the sea, then he could've easily pierced one of Yugi's organs with it, but he didn't. I bet for him, that's an equivalent of throwing down the gauntlet, a challenge."
"He could've just asked him instead of spearing him." Tea deadpanned.
"He's nuts," Joey commented, not hearing Sora's explanation.
"No but I am an expert fisherman and you have taken the bait."
"What bait?" Sora asked.
"Why, the fish of course. I laid it out and lured you four right to it." He pointed to Joey, Tristan, Sora, and Tea. "But I never expected to catch Yugi Moto. I reeled in another Duelist a short time ago, but he was not a worthy catch." He pointed to Yugi. "But a duel against you would be an excellent test!"
The powers of the Millennium Puzzle were released into Yugi as he switched into what Tea affectionately called 'Dueling Mode.' "Mako Tsunami, I accept your challenge," he said.
Sora blew on his whistle and a dueling arena rose from the sea. Yugi, Mako, and Sora took their places. The arena was split into two halves, one half was land and the other was sea.
"Name your stakes," Yugi requested.
"I'll wager two stars."
"Two stars," Yugi agreed. They each removed the stars from their gloves and placed them on the table.
"Let's duel!" Yugi and Mako cried out.
Mako was ecstatic about dueling Yugi Moto. ‘Finally, a real test of my dueling strength,’ he thought. The life point counters were set and the duel began.
LP: Yugi: 2000/Mako: 2000
"This should be some match," Tea commented.
"Sink that soggy sucker, Yugi!" Joey cheered.
"I'm curious to see how you deal with my mighty denizens of the deep," Mako said, summoning a monster. But to Yugi and the other's surprise, it didn't appear. Rather, the only clue that it had been summoned was that an area of Mako's sea-side of the field was glowing. This could only mean one thing: the monster was under water.
"How can I choose what card to play when I don't even know what I am fighting?" Yugi wondered.
"This I don't like," Joey muttered.
"The sea conceals many things beneath its shifting surface," Mako commented.
"As long as that thing stays submerged, I can't attack."
"Oh, I promise it won't stay submerged for very long," Mako assured him.
‘I better prepare for the worst,’ Yugi decided. ‘With as strong of a defense as possible.’
‘Clearly this is Yugi's first encounter with sea-based Duel Monsters,’ Mako thought, noticing Yugi's bewildered expression. ‘He will learn first hand what a powerful ally the sea can be. It gives my creatures a field power bonus, and it conceals them, making their stealthy attacks even more lethal.’
"How can Yugi fight what he can't see?" Joey asked.
"This isn't good," Tea said.
"Something fishy is going on here," Tristan complained.
"On the contrary, it's all on the up and up," Sora revealed. "It's like what Weevil said, the fields chosen for each duel are exact representations of surrounding environments. I bet anything Mako's monster is fish-related, and can survive under water."
"It seems that my ocean-based strategy has caught you completely by surprise, Yugi," Mako called.
‘Maybe so,’ Yugi admitted. ‘But I can still raise a strong defense.’ "I call upon the Horned Imp!" A rock-colored imp with a horn on his head appeared.
Horned Imp
Attribute: DARK
Monster Type: Fiend
Level: 4
ATK/DEF: 1300/1000
"Now, Fiend Kraken, ensnare him!" Mako ordered. Giant tentacles lashed out from the water and pulled Yugi's imp apart.
Fiend Kraken
Attribute: WATER
Monster Type: Aqua
Level: 4
ATK/DEF: 1200/1400 > 1560/1820
"You're good, Mako, a brilliant opening play," Yugi congratulated.
"I am pleased you appreciate it," Mako replied. "Though I doubt your Imp did."
LP: Yugi: 1740/Mako: 2000
"Well, now I know what I'm up against."
"Yes, the mighty ocean commands respect! As do the creatures who inhabit it!
‘Maybe I can prepare an attack that would destroy his monsters even though I can't see him,’ Yugi figured. "I summon the Feral Imp!" he yelled as a familiar green winged imp from his duel with Weevil appeared..
Feral Imp
Attribute: DARK
Monster Type: Fiend
Level: 4
ATK/DEF: 1300/1400
"I am aware of your feral monster," Mako said as he summoned a monster in response. "And it's an electrical attack. So for my next card..." He set a monster in defense mode. A loud cry could be heard from the sea side's depth.
"I don't like the sound of that," Yugi said.
Mako laughed. "That is the battle cry of my creature!"
"It'll be crying all right," Yugi said, laying down another card. "Once I combine my Feral Imp with the magical Horn of the Unicorn!" A golden horn replaced the Feral Imp's normal one as its attack and defense points were raised.
Feral Imp
ATK/DEF: 1300/1400 > 2000/2100
"All right," Joey said.
"What?" Tea asked.
"Yugi can't see Mako's monsters, but he knows they're under water and water conducts electricity!"
"So they're vulnerable to the Feral Imp's electrical attack!" Tea said, beginning to catch on. "That is so smart!"
"Magic Lightning Attack!" The Imp shot electricity into the water.
"It's a fish fry," Joey jokes.
But Mako didn't seem upset, quite the contrary. And soon, the reason revealed itself. His life points weren't decreasing.
"Your strategy has failed, Yugi," Mako said.
"But how?"
"As a sea-based Duelist, I'm perfectly aware that water conducts electricity. So I played with my Giant Jellyfish. It has the magical ability to absorb all electrical attacks." Mako counterattacked with his Fiend Kraken. "Did you enjoy my Kraken's embrace?" He asked, laughing.
Feral Imp
ATK/DEF: 2000/2100 > 1300/1400
LP: Yugi: 1480/Mako: 2000
‘I've never dueled against creatures like these before. It feels like I'm battling against Mako's sea monsters and the awesome power of the ocean itself.’ Yugi thought to himself
"Do any of your monsters have the ability to stand up to my ocean pets?" Mako asked
"I have the power of Silver Fang! And I combine it with the magic of the full moon to double his ferocity!" Yugi replied as he summoned a new monster, a large white wolf with sharp, soulful dark eyes as it howled at a full moon above the field.
Silver Fang
Attribute: EARTH
Monster Type: Beast
Level: 3
ATK/DEF: 1200/800 > 1500/1100
"Ferocious indeed," Mako said laughing. "But the moon also controls the tides causing them to rise allowing me to unleash my next great creature. Arise, mighty Kairyu-Shin!"
Everyone could only watch and stare as his monster emerged from the sea tides. It could only be described as an eel like with a long, serpentine body that was a deep blue with a whitish-beige underbelly, it was eyeless and had a mouth full of jagged, sharp, red-colored teeth.
Kairyu-Shin
Attribute: WATER
Monster Type: Sea Serpent
Level: 5
ATK/DEF: 1800/1500 > 2340/1950
"Behold, the mighty Kairyu-Shin, a creature so massive that when it rises up from the ocean's depths, it creates its own tidal wave! Your creature's brave, Yugi, but it can't stand up to Kuriyoshi's mighty tidal attack." The monster unleashed the tidal wave drowning Silver Fang. "But my Kuriyoshi did more than just wash your dog away. It considerably altered our playing field."
“My land!” Yugi exclaimed as he saw his side of the field, once a rocky shore, was submerged in water, save for one speck of land, which now served as a lonely isle among Mako’s expanded field, “His attack nearly wiped away the entire land-based field!”
"In my previous duels, Kairyu-Shin’s attack is so massive that it leaves nothing in its wake. I think it was quite considerate of my pet to leave you a patch of dirt to stand on. Or does it make you uneasy to be surrounded on all sides of the sea?" Mako's expression suddenly grew dark. "All men give pause before the mighty ocean, even the greatest of fishermen."
"You mean your father..."
Mako dropped his cards on the table. "My father was a great fisherman. He taught me my love of the sea. But... one day, the sea... took him. I loved going out on the boat with my father. It was just the two of us and the big, beautiful, ocean. We never suspected that the sea would turn on us. It was a bright day when it happened. My father suspected a storm had been brewing and didn't want to take any chances. He told me that it was better not to challenge the mighty sea. And he was right. The calm ocean turned into a wallowing maelstrom! It rocked our boat all over the place. My father strapped me to the main mast to keep me from falling over, but it was pointless. A tidal wave capsized our boat. When the storm died out, our little boat had been washed ashore. My father was right, I had been safe, but he... because he had stopped to tie me down, he had no time to secure himself!"
"Poor guy," Sora muttered.
"I've all but given up hope, but then I noticed that our lifeboat was missing. I know my father is alive. So I will win this contest, buy a ship, and sail the seven seas until I find him! That is why I duel, Yugi, that is why I must win and you must lose."
"I understand, Mako, believe me," Yugi empathized with his opponent. "But I can't let you win."
The others were taken aback by Mako's story. "Mako duels for his Dad like Yugi duels for his Grandpa," Joey related.
"Whoa, this is too intense."
‘With so little land left, I really need to make this next play count. I need something that will help me turn the tides. Something like... this card!’ Yugi thought. "Giant Soldier of Stone!" He summoned a monster that could only be described as a golem carved out of large boulders styled like a warrior with a pair of swords on its back, standing imposingly in a kneeling position.
Giant Soldier of Stone
Attribute: EARTH
Monster Type: ROCK
Level: 3
ATK/DEF: 1300/2000
"You may have shrunk my battlefield down to an island, Mako, but my Stone Soldier still gets a field power bonus!"
Giant Soldier of Stone
ATK/DEF: 1300/2000 > 1690/2600
"Your massive monster can barely fit on that rock let alone do battle with my mighty undersea attack force!" Mako exclaimed, as Yugi didn't retort. "And he's surrounded on all sides by the ocean, making him easy prey for... Great White Terror! A glow appeared beneath the water like before, but this time, the monster jumped out of the water, revealing itself it live up to its name, resembling a Great White Shark, but strangely had a pair of human arms perturbing from its fins.
Great White Terror
Attribute: WATER
Monster Type: Aqua
Level: 5
ATK/DEF: 1500/1200 > 1950/1560
“This monster will lead my other deep-sea soldiers in an all-out ocean onslaught!"
"Yugi's guy is outnumbered four to one," Joey realized.
"I don't like those odds," Tristan added.
‘Looks like his stone soldier is about to become fish food,’ Sora thought.
"This is it, Yugi! It's over, but you dueled honorably."
"You're a fair and worthy opponent yourself, Mako, but I also duel with the fate of a loved one at stake." Yugi responded, returning Mako’s smile, though there was a resolve in his eyes. "And I can't afford to lose. I switch my Stone Soldier to attack mode!"
"Attack mode, but why? He can't attack my sea monsters while they're underwater." Mako stated as the giant stone man slowly rose from his kneeling position to stand at full height.
"But his target isn't your sea monsters. I'm having him attack a card I laid on the field myself." Yugi explained, pointing at the moon, which still hung above the field, making everyone gasp in shock.
"No!" Mako exclaimed.
The Stone Soldier drew one of his swords (also made of rock). "Now, Stone Soldier, destroy the moon!" The Soldier stabbed the moon and broke it apart. "As you yourself said, Mako, the moon does control the tides; its ebb and its flow. So I ordered my Stone Soldier to obliterate the moon causing the ocean's tide to reverse and recede." The tide literally went out. Now it was more land than sea and Mako's monsters were beached. "And now I'll deliver the final blow. I combine my Curse of Dragon with the magic of the burning land card to wipe out your life points!" Yugi's skeleton dragon appeared and fried Mako's fish.
LP: Yugi: 1480/Mako: 0
Mako almost fell to his knees from both shock and despair, shock from the suddenness of the roundabout move and despair from the loss itself, but caught himself.
"Alright Yugi!" Tea cheered as Joey and Tristan grinned at each other, while Sora just smiled.
"To destroy your own moon was a truly unexpected but brilliant move Yugi," Mako stated before grinning broadly, "What a grand duel, I salute you my friend!" He gave a cheerful, mock salute, bearing no ill will, which made everyone smile
"This victory certainty wasn't an easy one Mako," Yugi complemented back as they got off the platforms, "You're an impressive duelist yourself, well deserving of your title." Mako handed Yugi his fairly-earned Star Chips as the arena disappeared back beneath the real ocean.
"I am down to one Star Chip," Mako said with a serious undertone beneath his otherwise up-beat voice, "But I will start over."
"There are eight finalist spots," Yugi acknowledged, "I bet you'll do well."
"You'd win that wager!" Mako laughed.
"He better, cause now I really want a shot at ya at the finals," Joey added and Sora nodded in agreement.
"It'll be a match to look forward to," Mako chuckled as Sora spoke up.
"Mako," He started getting his attention and surprised everyone with a bow as he said, "I'm sorry about your father," Mako starred in surprise, blinking, of all things he expected him to say, that wasn't one of them, as he straightened, she explained, "I know it's silly, cause it probably happened a while ago, but..." He sucked in a breath to get her next words out, willing his eyes to not shed tears, "I know what it's like to lose someone close to you…" The other teens and Mako's eyes widened, "And it hurts...no matter how much time passes or how many times you try to accept it...it hurts...so...I just wanted to say, I'm sorry."
He gripped on Kairi’s wayfinder as Yugi whispered in sympathy, "Sora..."
Sora had his eyes squeezed shut, waiting for the negative reaction he was expecting, but imagine her surprise when he felt a hand on her head. He looked up in surprise to see an understanding, yet very grateful look on Mako's face as he said, "Thank you...Sora..."
He smiled as he replied, "You're welcome...Mako..." They parted with friendly grins, which made everyone else smile, though Yugi's was a little tight.
The moment was ruined by a loud rumbling sound, which was coming from Mako's stomach, making him laugh, his boisterous and gleeful attitude returning, "It appears that duel made me hungry!" He suddenly turned and ran at the cliff-edge, shouting in exhilaration and excitement, "Time for Mako to fish again!" Mako dived with a final yell, "Farewell!" Everyone rushed to the edge to see him swimming off to catch more fish.
"Goodbye Mako!" Sora called with a wide smile as he waved, "See you in the finals!"
"We best be moving on," Yugi stated.
"Yeah, before Mako decides he wants a rematch," Joey joked as the rest followed.
"You know, Mako really wasn't such a bad guy after all," Sora said. "I guess not every Duelist is out to stop you, Yugi."
"Oh man, we forgot to ask Mako to bring us back some fish," Joey realized.
"We'd have to duel him for it," Yugi pointed out.
The others laughed. "But seriously though, did any of you guys get anything?"
"Hey, isn't this how we got into this mess?" Sora asked.
"No problem, there's always my Great Outdoor Survival Guide." Tristan stated.
"Here, Tristan, eat as many pages as you want," Joey joked as they left Mako's camp site.
—-------------
Author’s Note:
Sorry if it took forever to post this chapter. I was having trouble with what to do with Sora’s duel. It may be similar to Jaden’s duel with Crowler, but there are some differences. Thanks goes to KeybladeKing for helping me with this chapter.
Current Status on Crossover Vote:
https://www.streem.tech/poll/770
To vote, click the link.
he's hilarious! I do love his character design. 
![Seedy Farmer [NOT RAGE BAIT. NOT AT ALL]](https://images-wixmp-ed30a86b8c4ca887773594c2.wixmp.com/f/d7e279fa-21c3-40a4-9721-bde2b0a89484/djm85rl-44f014ee-b369-46a9-879a-020f583c09d3.png/v1/fit/w_750,h_1126,q_70,strp/seedy_farmer__not_rage_bait__not_at_all__by_brynls_djm85rl-375w-2x.jpg?token=eyJ0eXAiOiJKV1QiLCJhbGciOiJIUzI1NiJ9.eyJzdWIiOiJ1cm46YXBwOjdlMGQxODg5ODIyNjQzNzNhNWYwZDQxNWVhMGQyNmUwIiwiaXNzIjoidXJuOmFwcDo3ZTBkMTg4OTgyMjY0MzczYTVmMGQ0MTVlYTBkMjZlMCIsIm9iaiI6W1t7ImhlaWdodCI6Ijw9MTUzNiIsInBhdGgiOiIvZi9kN2UyNzlmYS0yMWMzLTQwYTQtOTcyMS1iZGUyYjBhODk0ODQvZGptODVybC00NGYwMTRlZS1iMzY5LTQ2YTktODc5YS0wMjBmNTgzYzA5ZDMucG5nIiwid2lkdGgiOiI8PTEwMjQifV1dLCJhdWQiOlsidXJuOnNlcnZpY2U6aW1hZ2Uub3BlcmF0aW9ucyJdfQ.ZdzbAzGtV0MyMqT7HlZCXvbkuTdlyr-wjOp_NE6O7w4)
