Chaos Effect

Chapter 74

Thankfully Mai, who had seemed rather flustered that her other self had taken over yet again, had allowed Yuri to pull her away to grab brunch, and thus didn't seek to follow them.

"We hear about it a lot, don't we? Holy books are 'The Word of God'. Our laws are based on 'The Word of God'. People live their lives based on 'The Word of God'." He paused, letting out a huff. "People die every day arguing over which god to listen to and whose words actually have power.

"But... we never consider just what that means. The Word of God... to have power to alter the world through utter belief. That a God believes something to be true and thus when they speak it reality is warped." He looked down at his hand. "In the beginning... there was darkness." A ball of Shadow Magic danced on his palm; Renard would never get used to that. His Captain was growing stronger the longer he held the Millennium Key, learning to tap into the power of the Shadow Realm. It was frankly eerie how he could call upon the darkness and Renard wondered just how powerful Edwin would be in a month, considering how he'd leapt leaps and bounds so far. "And then the Lord said 'Let there be light'." His hand trembled slightly and Renard's eyes widened as the Shadow Magic ball began to twist, shrinking down... and glowing with a brief flash of golden light before disappearing completely. "And the Lord said it was good."

"That was new," Renard stated.

"Never tried it before," Edwin admitted. "The Millennium Items are tied to the Dark God Zorc... god of shadows and darkness. But they were also blessed by the ancient Egyptians who worshiped Ra. He wasn't the leader of their gods but he was an important figure. And the Millennium Key is supposed to be one of three items that weren't directly tainted by Zorc."

Renard frowned, doing the math. "The Ring, the Rod, and the Eye, correct?"

"Right. They are the tainted ones." Edwin had given him that history lesson when Renard had first joined up with him. "The Key, the Scales, and the Necklace are untainted. And the Puzzle sits in the middle, the soul of the Pharaoh and the essence of Zorc in balance. Of course, considering how Ishizu is getting, we know that someone can still use an untainted item for evil." He shrugged. "I wanted to see if light could beat back darkness and be wielded by the Key. Seems like it can... but it's a struggle." He shook his arm. "Feels like I've had it locked in the same position for hours. Fingers are tingling."

"Perhaps don't do that again?"

"Or try a few more times and see if it gets easier," Edwin said with a slight smile. "But not today." He leaned back in the chair. "But the Word of God... that's important. It alters our reality but now I know that it alters their reality as well. A god is only as powerful as they believe themselves to be. At least that's my running theory at the moment."

"What happens if you make god bleed," Renard stated.

"Exactly. You prove that a god is mortal... perhaps Leonidas didn't merely make Xerses bleed and reveal he was lying. Maybe... he actually made a god bleed and from that moment he was rendered mortal."

"Selene admitted this?"

"Selene was proving a point... she was explaining why she doesn't just wave her hand and force me to love her. Why she doesn't rewrite my memories or make me into a copy of my previous self. It wouldn't be fun or sporting and that's all the gods care about. They are bored assholes."

"And since their word is the law of the universe if they declare something..."

"It becomes true."

Renard frowned. "So what... you trap her in a paradox? Make her claim she won't do something then get her to do it?"

Edwin though shook his head. "Far too risky. That might hurt Mai. That's what makes this such a pain in the ass... it's a hostage situation and you can't harm the kidnapper in any way. It's like... Selene is a suicide bomber with a deadman switch and she has Mai wrapped up in her arms. I can't get her away so I have to find some way to defuse the bomb."

"And what are you thinking then?" Renard pressed.

"I have a few ideas... I need to work them out in here." He tapped his head. "But the point is I actually have some hope."

~MC~MC~MC~

"There, are you dweebs finally ready to get back to the duels?" Kaiba said with a roll of his eyes as everyone returned to the main ballroom of the KaibaCorp Blimp.

There were a few missing still. Marik and Ishizu, as well as Bakura. But Odion had finally joined them, standing off to the side until Edwin and Renard walked over to stand with him, the two shooting glares at anyone who might have a problem with that.

"Hey, just because ya got nothin' in your life 'cept duelin' don't mean the rest of us can't use a break ta eat!" Joey shouted, holding a croissant sandwich in one hand.

"And show us all what you are slobbering over, Wheeler," Kaiba said in disgust before activating the Bingo Machine. "Now then, let's see who the next two duelists will be."

The balls bounced about before two were finally snatched and dropped down.

"Yugi Muto vs. Tristan Taylor." Kaiba smirked at that. "Well, looks like I'll get to watch at least one of you dorks get booted out of my tournament."

"And the other one will be in it to kick you out, rich boy!" Tristan declared fiercely.

"Keep telling yourself that, Taylor," Kaiba said before marching out of the room, calling out to them, "You have three minutes to get out to the arena or you're disqualified!"

"Someone is antsy," Koyo commented.

Duke nodded in agreement. "I'm surprised he cares. I'd have thought he'd just go back to his room and brood."

Tea frowned, folding her arms over her chest. "He probably wants to see what changes Yugi made to his deck and what Tristan is using. How much did he see of your deck when you two dueled against those Rare Hunters, Yugi?"

"I used my Gaia the Fierce Knight deck," Yugi admitted. "So he'll know about that. And he obviously saw me duel against Joey with my Dark Magician deck." He frowned. "Maybe I should-"

"Don't tell me another word, Yugi," Tristan warned him. "I want no one to claim I had an unfair advantage against you."

Yugi considered that before nodding. "I only now the bare basics about your deck, Tristan, so I suppose that's more than fair. We'll go into this completely blind."

"And the best duelist will win, right?" Tristan said with a grin, holding out his hand. Yugi, after a moment, shook on it and the group made their way towards the elevator. "But whoever wins has to promise to kick Kaiba's butt, okay?"

"And Marik's too," Tea stated. "And I wouldn't mind Ishizu being added to the list."

"Still angry at her even after you broke her nose?" Koyo asked.

Tea merely shrugged. "I'll only be satifised when she'd out of the country and we know she can never meddle again."

'Are you okay, Yugi?' The Pharaoh asked within his mind. 'I know this is going to be hard for you... it is difficult to take on our friends.'

'Yeah but I was already preparing for that once we all got on. I mean... I want them to do well but that means that no matter what someone was going to end up taking on their friend. After all, there can only be one winner in this tournament.'

'But we must remember that it isn't just this tournament we must be concerned with,' the Pharaoh stated. 'There is far more at stake... and complications keep arising.'

'I know,' Yugi admitted. In his mind he saw Marik, a grin on his face as he held a card covered in shadows. 'Marik wants to defeat us and claim the Millennium Puzzle, as well as Slifer the Sky Dragon. Even if he doesn't know what he'll do with them, as Edwin keeps claiming, I still can't let him just take the Egyptian God Card. That power...'

The Pharaoh murmured in agreement. 'And then there is Bakura... or the Spirit of the Millennium Ring. He has shown himself to be unwilling to give up his pursuit for the Puzzle as well. And despite Tristan getting rid of the Ring it returned to him...'

Yugi sighed at the doors to the elevator opened and he, along with his friends, stepped out. On the opposite end of the dueling arena Edwin, Renard, Odion, Pegasus, and his Grandpa stepped out. 'I don't trust Ishizu either, not anymore. Not after what Mokuba told us about that woman, Susan.' He shuddered at the thought of him having considered, even for a moment, working with the Egyptian woman. She had been willing to brainwash some poor person, convince them they were... Kaiba's lover from a past life?... all to try and get him to... 'We don't even know what she did it!' He set his jaw. 'Pharaoh... do you think there is a chance she's lying about your past?'

'You mean I might not even be a Pharaoh?'

'Maybe.'

'...no,' the Pharaoh stated. 'I do think she was telling the truth there. She knows too much about the Millennium Items and comments Marik, Odion, and even Selene have made point to me being a Pharaoh when I was alive.'

'Selene,' Yugi said. 'Now we have a goddess to worry about.'

'There is one good piece of news there.'

'And that is?'

'She is focused on Edwin.'

Yugi paused before letting out a huff, hearing the amusement in the Pharaoh's comment. 'Pharaoh!'

'I may be on better terms with Edwin after our journey through the multiverse but I won't deny I enjoy seeing him twist in the wind sometimes. He certainly needs his ego knocked down a peg or ten.'

'...maybe but the problem is if he gets knocked down she might very well come after us next.'

'If it is for a relationship we have no fear... Tea will protect you.'

'Pharaoh!' Yugi mentally exclaimed before finally stepped up into the dueling arena, activating his duel band and turning it into a duel disc.

"Some time you have to let me try that out, Yug!" Tristan called out.

"I think Edwin has enough for all of us," he stated with a grin. "He just never got a chance to pass it over. Now, are you ready Tristan?"

"Are you? Need to let the Pharaoh take over?"

Yugi however shook his head. "For you Tristan... I want to be the one in control."

"Okay man! But don't hold back on me, you hear!"

"Never!" Yugi said .

"This match will determine who moves on to Round 2 of the Battle City finals," the ref declared as Yugi reached into his jacket and pulled out the deck he would be using for that duel. "Yugi Muto will be taking on Tristan Taylor. Begin!"

"Duel!" the two of them declared together.

"Tristan, I'll let you go first!" Yugi called out.

"Okay man, but get ready to be impressed!" Tristan drew his hand and looked over his cards carefully, his lips pressed into a slight frown before he nodded. "I'll start by summoning Machina Gearframe in attack mode!" the orange robot appeared on the field, falling into a boxer stance. "And when this card is summoned I get to add a Machina from my deck to my hand." He took out his deck and searched through it. "And I know just the card I want." He added that to his hand before stating, "And now I will summon another Machina Monster."

"Why do I feel the urge to say, "Screw the rules, I have money"?" Edwin said, brow furrowing. "I mean, it's a reference which is what I do because I'm basically Abed meets my version of Luna Lovegood but it's a weak one at that..."

"I special summon in defense mode my Machina Air Raider in defense mode by discarding my Machina Irradiator." On the field a drone-like Machina monster appeared, hovering above Gearframe. "And I end my turn."

Yugi drew before looking over the field. 'Tristan really wanted to get that Air Raider on the field... he sacrificed another powerful Machina monster in order to do so.'

'Or he needs the Machina Irradiator in the graveyard,' the Pharaoh commented. 'You must remember Yugi that the game has evolved far beyond how it was only a few months ago. Now many duelists use the graveyard as just another tool.'

'Like Kaiba did in his duel with Renard,' Yugi thought back. 'But just like their decks have evolved... so have ours! And I think it's time we show everyone that!' He held up a card and declared. "Tristan, you are the first person who is going to see me use this deck!"

"And hopefully I'll be the last when I beat ya!"

Yugi smiled at that. "We'll see, Tristan! See, I was actually working on a deck similar to this before Kaiba took on my Grandpa and I began using his deck. I was collected the Magnet Warrior Cards because they were monsters that started out small but were able to combine together to become something far bigger and better. It reminded me of all of us... combining our talents in order to become something greater. I never did finish that deck but thanks to Pegasus now I have something even better!" He put the first monster on his duel disc. "I summon Gamma the Electromagnet Warrior to the field in defense mode!" The monster, which was a fusion of metal, electric coils, and of course magnets, appeared on the field with some sparks before it settled down, its feet locking onto the dueling arena floor. "And when Gamma is summoned to the field I am able to special summon from my hand one Magnet Warrior. So I'll summon Beta the Electromagnet Warrior also in defense mode!" A second Magnet Warrior, this one far more bouncing than the first, appeared on the field. "And when Beta is summoned I can add one Magnet warrior from my deck to my hand." He took out his own deck and began to go through the cards. 'Perfect! Now that I have Alpha the Electromagnet Warrior in my hand next turn I can summon him. He'll allow me to add my Magnet Warriors' fused form to my hand and then summon it to the field. With that in place I'll be able to hit Tristan really hard!'

'Be careful though, Yugi,' the Pharaoh warned. 'Tristan is not a slouch... not if he got this far into Battle City.'

Yugi frowned at that. 'Yeah, you're right. He took on Mako, who is a skilled duelist. I can't think that I can just roll over him with a single large monster.'

'Perhaps now would be a good time to use your field spell?' the Pharaoh suggested.

'You're right!' Yugi grinned as he pulled out the field spell. "I activate Magnetic Field and end my turn!" On Yugi's side of the field the arena floor began to radiate lines of energy, the Magnet Warriors wiggling their bodies, sometimes compressing down while other times beginning to float in the air. Tristan's own machine monsters also were affected, with his Air Raider having to crank up the power of its turbine blades in order to remain in flight while Gearframe struggled to remain standing.

"Well I don't know what that field spell does but I do see that it didn't increase their defense points. So Machina Gearframe, attack Yugi's Beta the Electromagnetic Warrior! Machina Burst!" The robot nodded and leapt forward, easily striking down Beta and causing it to shattered. But Tristan didn't get to celebrate as within seconds his Gearframe began to twitch and spasm. "What?! What's happening to my monster!"

"When a monster battles a Magnet Warrior monster my field spell activates its repulsion effect, switching the gravitational pull to reverse and sending your monster right back to your hand!" Machina Gearframe finally turned back into a card before fading, Tristan forced to pull the monster from the field.

"I'm just going to summon Gearframe back to the field," Tristan pointed out, "since I never summoned a monster this turn." He frowned however as his monster appeared once more, only now in defense mode. "Except... with that Field Spell... you can just keep bouncing my monsters back to my hand. And if you can summon enough monsters to the field to overwhelm me..."

Yugi smiled. "True... if that was my goal!" He held up Alpha. "You see, my Magnet Warriors can do amazing things when they are together. Combining their magnetic power can allow them to achieve feats they'd never accomplish on their own! But first I'll use the power of my Field Spell, which will attract my Beta that you destroyed and bring it back to the field." Yugi grinned. "And since he was summoned I get to add another Magnet Warrior from my deck to my hand!"

"Man, Yug is just loadin' up on them magnets!" Joey exclaimed.

"He has to though," Koyo pointed out. "Tristan's deck is designed to swarm his field with machines... if Yugi doesn't keep up then he'll quickly find himself overwhelmed."

"Huh... yeah, that's how Tristan was able to keep up with Mako when he kept bringin' out all those fish!"

Yugi held up a card. "And now I'll normal summon Alpah the Electromagnet Warrior to the field and use his effect to add a Magna Warrior to my hand!"

"A... Magna Warrior?" Tristan said, confused by the new name.

"That's right, Tristan, a Magna Warrior. They are the evolved form of the Magnet Warriors, brought about when the Magnet Warriors combine their powers. So I will banish my Alpha, Beta, and Gamma Electromagnet Warriors from my field in order to summon from my hand their combined form! Here is my Berserkion the Electromagna Warrior!"

The monster that appeared on the field was a true merging of the three Electromagnet Warriors. All their pieces, assembled together to form the mighty fighter. It was three times their height and nearly as broad, holding a saber rob that crackled with electrical energy. The magnets on its body generated an even stronger magnetic field than the Magnetic Field spell card, causing Tristan's monsters to begin reacting even more violently than before.

"That is one big Magnet!" Tristan declared in surprise.

"That it is. And what makes a Magna Warrior special is that while it is a fusion of my three magnet warriors it is NOT a fusion monster... meaning when I summon it my Berserkion is able to instantly begin attacking!"

"It can what?!" Tristan shouted as Yugi's monster began to charge up its attack.

"Yup!" Yugi said, narrowing his eyes. "You wanted my best Tristan so I am giving it to you! My Magnet Warrior Deck is all about getting powerful monsters quickly onto the field in the form of my merged Magnet Warriors, creating Magna Warriors. Ones with devastating attacks and who aren't limited like fusion monsters! Now then!" Yugi pointed at Tristan's side of the field. "Bersekerion, destroy the Machina Gearframe!"

The Magna Warrior suddenly burst forward with shocking speed, sword rising in the air as it moved to strike the Machina Monster... only for the Air Raider to suddenly appear before it, blasting a siren horn that startled Yugi's monster into halting its slash.

"I activate my Machina Air Raider's special effect," Tristan stated. "I can destroy my Gearframe but in return summon a new monster to take its place... so I'll send out my Machina Possesstorage!" The new monster, a hacked into Machina, appeared on the field in place of the Gearframe. "And when this monster is summoned I can summon one Machina Monster from my graveyard to my side of the field... some come back Machina Irradiator!" Tristan smirked as the new Machina Monster appeared. "And you won't like what he does on his next turn, Yugi, I can assure ya of that!"

Yugi frowned. 'What is Tristan up to? Does the Irradiator really have a devastating effect? Or is it part of a fusion. But if it is... why would he mention that? Unless he WANTS me to attack it now and destroy it!' He looked over Tristan's side of the field. 'In that case I should destroy the Machina Possesstorage or Machina Air Raider instead.'

But as Yugi moved to do that the Pharaoh called out, 'Yugi! There is another possibility!'

'What's that?'

'This could very well be a double bluff.'

Yugi's eyes went wide at that. 'You're right, Pharaoh!' He thought of his own bluffs, how he had tricked opponents into thinking that they had managed to figure out what his plans were... only to then reveal that they had done exactly what he'd wanted them to do. 'One of the best ways to defeat another duelist is to make them think they've outsmarted you. To get them to over think their moves... and then make the wrong decision.'

'So our choice must be then to attack and destroy Irradiator,' the Pharaoh stated.

Yugi nodded before narrowing his eyes. "Okay Tristan, I guess I have no choice then but to destroy your Machina Irradiator! Berserkion, attack with Polaris Strike!"

The Magna Warrior leapt forward once again, easily destroying the monster completely.

'Now we just have to see if we made the right choice...' Yugi thought.

~MC~MC~MC~

"What do you think of them, Odion?" I asked as Tristan drew his next card. He had made his way to wathc and I'd decided I wanted to ensure he stayed on the side of the angels; avoiding the man wasn't going to get him to keep being kind and nice and not a lackey. People didn't make big changes and stick with them if there wasn't encouragement to do so.

"I find it interesting that the Pharaoh has chosen to allow his vessel to duel for him."

I shot him a side glance. "You want to make up for your mistakes, right? Your role in nearly getting Serenity and Solomon killed?"

"Very much so," Odion admitted. "It is my fault that Serenity was taken... I should have stood against my brother."

"And I think that's noble," I stated. "So... first things first?" I pointed at the current King of Games. "Yugi Muto. Not vessel. Not host body. Yugi Muto. He has thoughts and feelings and a life outside of the Pharaoh. Same as all the rest of us. Try and remember that."

Odion winced at my comment. "Yes... yes I see what you mean. My apologizes."

"In fact," Renard commented, "one could make the argument Yugi is more of a person than the Pharaoh."

Utterly disturbed by that blasphemy Odion turned to ask Renard what he could ever mean by that only to be silenced when Tristan began to speak. "I'll start by activating Machina Redeployment."

"Aw man, I remember that card!" Joey complained. "He used that against Mako! Tristan loves ta get monsters on the field and then swap out which one he is usin' till he has the best machines ta take on whatever his opponent has on the field!"

"This card allows me to send one Machina Monster from my hand to the graveyard to select to Machina cards from my deck and add them to my hand." He took out his deck, looking it over for a bit of time, to the point that Odion looked ready to begin talking again only for Tristan to speak up once more. "And now I will activate Machina False Deployment!"

The card, which showed Freed the Matchless General moving to attack what he THOUGHT was a Machina Gearframe but was really a cardboard standee, appeared on the field.

"This card forces any cards that would leave the field, until the beginning of my next turn, to be instantly banished, unless it is a Machina Card."

"Wait!" Yugi exclaimed in shock. "That means that as long as that card is on the field-"

"None of your monsters can return to the hand or go to the graveyard. Instead they are removed from the game. Like when I do this!" He tapped his duel disc. "I use my Possesstorage's effect, hacking into Air Raider and sending it to remove from your side of the field-"

"My Berserkion?" Yugi asked.

"No," Tristan said with a smirk. "Your Field Spell."

"Clever," I said as Air Raider attacked the ground below it, grabbing at the magnetic field generator that had been buried under the arena floor and dragging it up before the two both turned into cards. But while Tristan's went back to his hand Yugi was forced to banish is. "There are plenty of cards that can get a monster back from being removed from play. But very few that can do it with spells or traps."

Renard nodded in agreement. "And while he could have gone for Berserkion the field would have still allowed Yugi to control the duel, sending away any monster that Tristan played. Anything large enough to truly do any damage to Yugi would be gone by him just ramming something into it."

"Or Yugi setting a defensive monster," I stated. "That just shows you how good Tristan has gotten... he is thinking ahead."

Yugi, for his part, was rather quiet as he drew his next card, only able to command Berserkion to attack and destroy Tristan's Machina Possesstorage before ending his turn. The fact that he hadn't even laid a spell or trap face down told me that Tristan's move had taken him by surprise.

As his False Deployment was destroyed due to its own effect Tristan held up a card. "Now I'll summon my Machina Soldier to the field in attack mode. And when this monster is summoned with no other monsters on my side of the field I am able to special summon one Machina Monster from my hand." He held up the card and smirked. "And man... this is going to ruin your day: Machina Citadel!"

"Aw man!" Joey exclaimed in shock as the large robotic war machine appeared on the field. "That's the card that gave Mako so much trouble!"

"And its about to give Yugi a ton too!"

"But... it has the same attack as Yugi's Berserkion," Serenity said, tilting her head in confusion. "Doesn't that mean there is nothing Tristan can do without losing his card?"

"I don't think he cares about that, sis," Joey commented as the Citadel began to rev its treads.

"Oh... he's going for it," I said with an excited grin.

"Machina Citadel!" Tristan shouted. "Destroy Berserkion the Electromagnet Warrior!"

Like a tank blasting at a brick wall the Machina Citadel rocketed forward, Berserkion grabbing onto it and trying to halt its progress. It began to fire off electromagnetic blasts into the machine, causing armor to blast off of it and wires to burn but still Tristan's monster continued on. One of its chainsaw arms came down hard upon Berserkion's shoulder, cutting off one of its arms only for it to suddenly slam its other hand into the Machina's head and fire off a pulse to begin scrambling its hardware. The Machina monster though used its lose of armor to activate its final countermeasures: missiles launched from hidden ports as it let out a deep moan, lifting Berserkion up into the air to take the brute of the attack even as it shutdown thanks to the attack, the two finally shattering into bits.

And still... the lifepoints remained at 4000 each.

"Holy hell..." Renard murmured. But I, for my part, was watching the bits that had been Berserkion... reform into metal and coils. "What?"

"Yugi said it," I commented, "Berserkion isn't like a fusion at all."

"When my Berserkion is destroyed," Yugi said as he pulled three cards from his pocket, "I am able to summon from the field three Magnet Warriors that were banished: Alpha, Beta, and Gamma the Electromagnetic Warriors!" The three monsters returned to the field, Alpha in attack and the other two in defense. "And as you know when they are summoned I get to activate their effects. Beta gets me a new Magnet Warrior from my deck, which Gamma allows me to summon: Delta the Magnet Warrior!"

The new Magnet warrior didn't have the electrical power of the other Magnet warriors Yugi had summoned so far but that didn't mean he wasn't powerful. I couldn't remember exactly its effect but I knew it had been designed to help get out the Magna Warriors faster. "And Alpha gets me a new Magna warrior from my hand." He smiled at he looked over his field of monsters. "That was a good try Tristan but this deck is prepared-"

"Machina Soldier, attack Delta."

Everyone gasped as Tristan sacrificed ANOTHER one of his Machina monsters, Delta and the Machina Soldier trading a few quick blows before they were both destroyed.

"Why... why would you do that?" Yugi asked.

"Because when a Machina Monster is destroyed while my Machina Citadel is in the graveyard... I can summon it right back to the field!" Yugi's eyes went wide in shock as the massive Machina Monster appeared once more on the field. "See, I had a feeling you'd have something planned that would protect your lifepoints. After all, you hadn't shown off any of his effects and you wouldn't have wasted all that time and effort summoning it if you didn't have something planned. So... I decided to set something else up of my own, just in case."

Renard rubbed his chin. "Tristan has greatly improved. Do you believe that is just Aiden's work?"

"Aiden?" Odion asked.

"My alternate self from another reality who is evil."

Before I could go on Tristan pointed right at Yugi's Alpha the Electromagnet Warrior. "Citadel, destroy Yugi's Magnet Warrior!"

"I activate the effect of my Alpha, tributing him to summon from my hand Epsilon the Magnet Warrior!" Alpha instantly disappeared, replaced by a new Magnet Warrior that was in defense mode. "And when this card is summoned to the field I am able to send one Magnet Warrior from my deck to the graveyard, giving my Epsilon the same electromagnetic signature as the Magnet Warrior sent to the graveyard. I select Gamma... and with Alpha, Beta, and now my Gamma-infused Epsilon I can once more summon Berserkion once more to the field!" The three magnet warriors formed together into a single warrior once more, though there were a few minor differences with Epsilon now part of the merged monster. "You can still ram your Citadel into my monster but you know I will just use my Berserkion's special ability to flood my field with Magnet Warriors." He grinned. "Pretty cool, huh?"

"Very," Tristan admitted, setting 2 cards on his side of the field.

As Yugi began to consider his options Odion glanced at me once more. "Your evil counterpart?"

"I keep forgetting everyone hasn't been clued into this. There are alternate realities... ones where we all led different lives. One of those, which is called Earth-2, has everyone's moralities flipped. Good is evil, evil is good."

"Then... Marik..."

"A hero, most likely," I stated. "But your counterpart would be an evil bastard who betrayed him... or something like that."

The Egyptian man frowned at that. "I'm not sure I like thinking about that."

"Yeah, multiverse is a bitch," I commented as Yugi finally nodded his head, having most likely finished up talking with the Pharaoh. "Remind me to tell you about the world were all of us are gender swapped."

"Tristan, you've done really good but now it's time to finish this duel," Yugi said. "I activate Berserkion's special ability: by banishing a Magnet Warrior from my graveyard I can destroy one monster on your side of the field! So I will destroy your Citadel and leave your field wide open!"

"Or," Tristan said with a smirk, "I'll destroy my Machina Citadel on my own, using its own effect that will destroy all monsters on the field that have 3000 or less attack!"

"Man, I remember that effect!" Joey declared.

"Yeah!" Koyo said excitedly. "That's the effect that Tristan kept using to deal with Mako's monsters!"

"Except Yug can bring back his three original Magnet Warriors all over again!"

"No, he can't!" Tristan called out, filling one of his trap cards. "I activate Machina Minefield. This card allows me to negate a monster's effect and I choose of course Berserkion's! Which means at long last your Magnet Warriors won't be bothering me any more."

"Don't be so sure of that," Yugi said as he held up a card and normal summoned Alpha, which allowed him once more to add a Magna Warrior to his hand. "And your field is still wide open for attack-"

"Unless I activate Back to the Front!" Tristan said, activating his second facedown card. "This allows me to once again summon my Citadel!"

"Amazing," Duke said, shaking his head. "Tristan truly is matching Yugi blow for blow!"

"They really are evenly matched," Tea said as Tristan shifted his Machina Citadel to attack mode and attacked Alpha the Electromagnetic Warrior, scoring, at long last, the first hit on lifepoints in the duel. (Yugi-2700)

"You said earlier..." Odion began, "that Yugi Muto is more of a real person than the Pharaoh..."

"Of course," Renard stated with a casual shrug. "The Pharaoh... he is a man with no memories. No form. Everything he has is borrowed. He only understands Japanese because of Yugi. Only knows how to duel because of him. Thus more respect should be given to Yugi-"

"Wait," I said, cutting of Renard. "Speaks Japanese?"

"Yes..." Renard said slowly.

"Are... are we speaking Japanese right now?"

"Yes?" Renard said, confused before he raised an eyebrow. "Is this a 'I'm from another world' thing?"

"Seems like it," I admitted slowly. "Everything sounds like English to me."

Renard frowned. "What about now?"

"English."

"That was French. This is Russian. This is German."

"English, English, English." My face screwed up into a frown. "The only time I haven't understood what someone was saying was when I heard what I think was Greek..." I sighed, pitching the bridge of my nose. "Fucking Selene. Mark my words..."

"Sometimes," Odion said slowly, "I forget that I am not the only one leading a strange life."

"Yeah, I keep thinking I should have pamphlets made," I commented as Yugi finally looked up from going over his hand.

"Tristan... I am glad you gave me this duel. I always wonder if the Pharaoh is the one who is the true King of Games. If I am nothing more than a fraud, tricking everyone into thinking I do far more than I actually do." He smiled. "But this duel... it has shown me that I can win this tournament on my own. Because you are one of the most skilled duelists I have faced so far. Thank you for forcing me to up my game. I'll never forget that."

"Looks like Yugi is going to win," I commented. "...also am I speaking Japanese right now?"

"Yes, Captain."

"Huh."

"I first send the different Alpha, Beta, and Gamma the Electromagnet Warriors that I've slowly been putting in my graveyard via effects and battle from this game in order to summon once more my Berserkion."

"And if I use Citadel's effect then you'll just bring out your three Magnet Warriors and swarm me," Tristan stated. "So its better to wait and force you to decide how our monsters are destroyed."

"There isn't a choice at all. I activate Polymerization, fusing Valkyrion the Magna Warrior from my hand with my Berserkion who is on my side of the field!"

"Valkyrion?!" Tristan exclaimed.

"Another Magna Warrior that uses the first three Magnet Warriors I was originally gathering in order to be formed. By merging him and Berserkion I can summon Imperion Magnum the Superconductive Battlebot!"

The monster that formed from those two Magna warriors was truly a wild sight. A centaur-like creature made from six different Magnet Warriors, electricity bursting from its body as all around it the field began to buckle and shake thanks to the magnet pull coming from its body.

"I activate Quick Attack, allowing my Imperion Magnum to attack your Citadel!" The newly created monster let out a bellow that was like a dying electronic device before thundering forward, leaping into the air and shattering Tristan's monster. "And then I activate Defusion! This allows me to summon Berserkion back to the field while Valkyrion, who was not summoned properly, is sent to the graveyard. But with your field empty..."

Tristan smiled. "Good move man... hit me with all you have!"

"Right! Berserkion... attack!"

The Magna Warrior rushed forward before stabbing at the ground just before Tristan, sending him falling back as his lifepoints dropped to zero. (Tristan-0000)

"Yugi Muto has defeated Tristan Taylor and moves on to the next round."

Yugi walked over to Tristan and offered him his hand. "Good duel?"

"Good duel," Tristan agreed, accepting the help up.

~MC~MC~MC~

Chaosverse Omake

"This isn't right, brother."

The man who was no longer a man merely smiled. "Of course it isn't, Alpha, but this is how the Senate works. They don't like someone asking too many questions so its just best to get rid of them."

The Archivist and Historian frowned though, shaking his head and causing his white droopy mustache to swing back and forth. "This is a disgrace! They should be helping you, not doing... I... I won't stand for it. They can take me too, damn them to the Pit!"

"You have to," he said gently. "If you are offlined then the House of Trion is dead." He paused, reaching up with his manacled hands to take Alpha's in his own. "I always wondered what it would be like to have an older brother. Thank you."

Alpha frowned at that, still wishing he knew what had happened to his younger brother to make him so confused, to cause him to say such strange things, but before he could say a word the Senate Guards shoved his brother forward, through the door that led into the full Senate and Alpha was forced to join with the audience.

"This isn't right," Senator Ratchet complained, folding his arms over his chest. "Just makes me want to retire all the quicker."

"Its going to tear the planet apart. Even with tension in Kaon calming down as of late this show of force..."

The Senate Sergeant At Arms called out suddenly, cutting him off. "Hear ye, hear ye! The Senate is in sessions. Sentinel Prime presiding. First order of business: the trial of Omega Trion, The so-called 'King of Beasts' for treason, subversion, illegal alt mode, and conspiracy!"

"Oh, is that what being something other than a good little soldier is called?" Omega Trion asked with a smirk. He was stockier than Alpha, with a golden circle beard around his mouth and golden-maned leo heads upon his shoulders. He shared similar coloring to his brother Alpha Trion but his build was thicker, built for battling up close. He lacked the cloak that Alpha had though that was to be expected, what with Alpha being the Archivist of Cybertron while Omega was simply another Cybertronian... one who is recent cylces had seemingly gone mad.

"Enough,"Sentinel Prime, the orange leader of Cybertron, said coldly. "Or we will have your voice box!"

"How keeping with Primus' ways, to torture those you don't like!" Omega taunted right back. "What next, remove my head and hands so everyone can see how 'bad' I am?" He scoffed. "The corruption of the Senate must run deep if they think YOU are the beacon of justice! No wonder Tyrest refused to hear this case!"

"I said that was enough!" Sentinel bellowed, standing up. "Omega Trion, you are-"

"Can I just cut you off right there?" Omega said, talking right over Sentinel. "See, none of this really matters. This entire... show trial. You already decided the verdict. I talked to the wrong people, showed concern for the wrong bots, and now I'm to be an example. We all know it!" He spun in a circle, holding out his wrists, daring someone to contradict him.

Though he had his faceplate up Alpha could tell Sentinel was smirking. "Well... if you wish to move onto the punishments..."

"Gladly," Omega said... and one of the guards reached out and removed his cuffs.

Alpha would have gasped at that if he hadn't been silenced by two thirds of the Senate guard suddenly turning on the rest of their squad, taking them down before moving to open doors, allowing a stream of rather infamous faces to swarm into the room despite the cries of panic from the Senators.

From up high the brilliant young scientist Starscream, along with his brothers, flew in, shattering the great dome of the Senate, and began firing stun blasts at the more war-mongering Senators.

Legendary lawman Ultra Magnus burst through a wall, aiming his gun at a Senator who had just begun to rise up, allowing Senator Ratbat to strike the bot down.

The 'Ghost of the Wastes', whom Alpha had learned only recently was an escaped mental patient named Soundwave, marched in with a small army of animal alt form Cybertronians, sharing a nod with Ironhide who handed him a gun. Several of the Beastbots whent to Alpha's brother, Omega reaching down and petting a leo and pachyderm moded duo.

Optimus and Elita, the two low class bots who Alpha and Ratchet had saved and upgraded after an explosion at the docks, raced in, Elita throwing Omega a large energon blade.

And Megatron of Tarn himself followed right behind them, a smile playing on his face as he aimed his fusion canon right at Sentinel.

"What... what is the meaning of this?" Sentinel asked even as Omega leapt into the air, swinging his sword at the Prime, the leo beast turning into a shield for him to wield. Sentinel quickly brought up an energon shield of his own but Alpha could tell that it had been hastily activated and not fully charged up while his brother's sword was at full power. The energon began to crack under the first strike alone.

"The meaning is that the many are tired for a loud few ruling over them. Declaring that because of your build you are a lesser." Omega leaned in close, his voice mocking. "You shame Primus."

"Primus can go to the Pit for all I care, so long as I take your head!" Sentinel asked... only to freeze as his body began to tremble. "What?"

Alpha took a step forward. "It can't be..."

The fighting stopped as all stared at the Prime as he suddenly leapt back from Omega, dropping his shield and pressing his hands to his chest. "No... no..."

"Someone isn't worthy anymore," Omega taunted as Sentinel's chest suddenly exploded, the Matrix of Leadership rocketing out. Omega turned towards Optimus...

...and was just as shocked as Alpha when the Matrix slammed into his own hands.

"Omega Trion," the Matrix whispered in a thousand voices for all to hear, "you are a light in the darkness. You are the shadows against the burning suns. Arise... Chaos Prime."

There was a blast of light and when it faded Omega was nearly twice his original height, with a grand helm crest, horns on his leo-headed shoulder armor, and the Matrix embedded in his chest.

"...oh fuck," the new Prime whispered as all in the Senate knelt before him.

INTRODUCING CHAOS PRIME

The Chaos of Earth 84