The God's Game Begins (Part 2)

DIMENSION: MANGA (The One That Saves the Day)

"True." Zorc stared at him with a shrug. "Technically. I mean, if someone is named Anzu, then they are Anzu."

What? "What are you trying to trick us with now?" Yuugi asked. "I am getting Anzu back."

"Not tricking you with anything. Half of this body will be named Anzu." Zorc started to dance a small number. "It won't know you as the father of her child. Have any memories of you." He started to ballet on his tip toes. "It won't have her personality, her strengths, her loves, or her hates." He pirouetted. "But it will be split from Masika, and be named Anzu." He grinned wickedly. "Didn't the gods explain that? Oh yeah, that's right. They have to stay away. Oh well."

What? "That's not true." Yuugi pointed at Zorc. "You are trying to trick us. Weaken us, but it won't matter. We will win against you, no matter what it takes."

"Sure. Trick." Zorc shrugged oddly. "The first one up."

Uh. Maybe it was the lack of the Bandit King being in Zorc, but he seemed to give up on that lie pretty quick? Yuugi wouldn't let it bother him, he couldn't right now. "We all have to take a turn before we can start over. What about defense, is it the quickest draw?"

"Yes, anyone can come to the aid of a battleship," Set answered.

"There are also no four star monsters, five star monsters, traps, effects, fusions needed or possible or anything of the kind. Forget anything your lovely cards say. Just in case you missed that? Brute force, attack and defense, is all that matters." Zorc said once more. "Begin."

Set spun the globe that was in the room. "Who to go after first? As much as I want to see Atem suffer, Zorc must be my target." He stopped it on Egypt. "I don't specifically know each of the targets. However, most of their dwellings don't even stand. Therefore, I choose to strike where Atem kingdom's palace was once located."

The globe glowed red in a speck of Egypt on the globe while Set brought out a card. He set it into a space for cards surrounding the globe. "Ally of Justice Catastor. Attack is 2200."

"Wait!" Yuugi held out his hand. Hang on? "What, how can you play that card at all? There is nothing to-"

"No reading. No tricks. Nothing counts except the attack and defense," Zorc repeated again.

"So it really is the strongest monsters!" Kaiba complained. He looked at his cards. "I knew it, this game wasn't going to be about any strategy with cards. There's only strategy if you care about your victims and want to win."

"Good, you're getting it finally." Zorc then pulled out his own card. "No need to make a big deal about it. We don't even need to yell it out, do we? It's nicer to let all of existence synch out with a whisper. Atomic Scrap Dragon. Attack is 3200."

Everyone watched as the globe now lit up blue, and then yellow.

"Unfortunately, no one alive was nearby. The blowback was useless," Zorc insisted. "Otherwise, it would have been orange." He waved to his card as they both burned away.

"I had a feeling you weren't going to play by the same old rules." Kaiba brought out his card and placed it in a slot on his side near the globe. His smile was wicked, bordering on demonic. "I don't whisper my triumph over others though. I summon Beelzeus of the Diabolic Dragons! 4000 attack points."

"Nice call. I summon another Atomic Scrap Dragon. Attack is 3200," Zorc said.

///Yuugi: Sorry, Atem./// Yuugi watched the globe turn red and then orange.

///Atem: No innocent lives were killed, only maimed with that attack. We will find a way to restore the fallen.///

"Perfect," Zorc answered Kaiba. "Taking someone's homework and using it against them. Good job. You took out a battleship, and damaged one other. Say goodbye to Shimon. Also? Say goodbye to your card. They are only used once."

"Yeah, I guessed that," Kaiba said as he watched his card burn into flames. "Trickster."

///Atem: That math doesn't make sense. Don't trust what he says, Yuugi.///

"That doesn't happen to the living cards?" Jounouchi asked. "After kicking your butt, we don't just catch fire, do we?"

"Of course not," Set said with a shake of his head.

"Hey. You guys messed up all the rules, and used trickery this whole time to try and keep us unprepared," Jounouchi accused them. "I couldn't be sure."

"Good idea, Katsuya," Shizuka told him. "We can't be too careful."

"Yeah, especially since it's my turn." Jounouchi moved Mana slightly. "This feels weird playing such a destructive game with her in my arms."

"I know what you mean," Yuugi answered back as Hikaru hiccupped. "Use her to remember what you're fighting for."

"Yeah. I know who I'm doing it for," Jounouchi insisted. "Since there's no one innocent around when Kaiba used his big power, I'm assuming that there's more than one in there. Which means-"

"Oh will you just play?" Zorc sighed like Anzu. "Geez, Jounouchi, you and Yuugi never change. Always talking over and over about stupid games. I don't know how I ever stayed friends with either of you. Only thing I got out of it was a free babysitter."

"Don't you start acting like Anzu!" Jounouchi warned Zorc. "I know that's not my friend."

"I'd enjoy it if I were you." Zorc just winked. "This might be the closest you see to her ever again."

"Done with you," Jounouchi insisted. "I pick that same location and summon Neo Galaxy-Eyes Tachyon Dragon."

Zorc just sighed as he slid another card in. "Zombiestein. 4500. Poof for both cards."

Jounouchi watched both the cards go up in flames. "Whoah. Good thing I didn't use Mahad."

"Yes, because now we will." Atem took back over. "Jounouchi had the right idea. If we are to stop you before you start hurting others, it must be now."

///Yuugi: Agreed Atem!/// Yuugi agreed from within.

"I choose the same location in Egypt and summon Katsuya Jounouchi!" Atem shouted.

"And I summon the Black Magician!" Jounouchi yelled.

Zorc just stuck a card in it. "Here you go, a cute Rainbow Dragon. Have a ball killing your friends' immortal souls."

One blue explosion with another blue and a heavy orange.

"Poor Priestess Isis. Oh well," Zorc shrugged. "Can't win them all. You sank three of mine so far. Only two left in the game."

///Still lying, Yugi. Blue isn't a color for destruction. I think we took some life points of one ship.///

"Not a challenge when all your ships hiding spots must be obvious." Set gestured toward Yuugi. "After his smiting, I will take care of you."

"Well it isn't over yet." Zorc used Satiah's voice. "A game is not won until all battleships are lost. I still have two, and it is my turn."

He pulled out another high card. "Go ahead. I choose Domino High School in Domino City as my target. Neo Galaxy-Eyes Photon Dragon."

///Yuugi: Atem, Honda and Miho!///

"Living cards still work, I choose Jounouchi," Atem declared.

"I choose the Black Magician," Jounouchi said. "There isn't a prayer in the world for you. With our power, we can't be beat."

"Ooh, terribly sorry," Zorc giggled. "It slipped my mind, guys. Living cards can only be used once until everyone gets a turn."

"What?" Atem couldn't believe it. "Kaiba, summon-"

"Shizuka, summon the Blue Eyes White Dragon and attack that card directly!"

Oh yeah, Kaiba had been ready. Atem tried to help, it was not against the rules, but Kaiba was the one who was kicked out if they lost Honda.

"Some blowback," Set said out loud.

"This game is boring when we can't be down there to see the carnage," Zorc complained. "Why don't we?"

Everyone found themselves on the ground. Someone was screaming.

"Hey, someone needs to help him!" Honda's voice. "We can't leave, somebody help this guy!" Then, he noticed them. "Guys?"

"Honda!" Jounoichi yelled first. He gestured toward Mana. "My baby girl. Isn't she cute?"

"Sure is. Glad I could see it." Honda grinned. "Sorry, about the last things I said, Man. I just hope you're happy with Mai." Honda took notice of Shizuka. "You doing okay?"

She just nodded, trying to look him in the eye. "Someone is hurt?"

"Yeah," Honda said. "They fell and broke their leg or something. Hollering up a storm, but we can't leave to find help."

"Well, this is cute," Zorc said to them. "Ultimately stupid too. Set has a positive place to try on his next turn."

"Ah, we will be ready by then," Jounouchi answered. "We will take on whatever you dish out."

"Yes we will," Yuugi agreed. "It is my turn." He looked back through the cards. Nothing covered, no drawing, the whole deck was at his disposal. The only problem was that he lost half his cards. Still, any tactics were out the window.

Brute Force. "I choose the former palace of Atem and summon Quintet Magician!"

"4500? I think I have one of those. Oh, here. Have a Superdimensional Robot Galaxy Destroyer instead. It is 5000 points." Zorc laughed like Anzu. "Read 'em and weep, guys. You should have took my card skill level more seriously. Just because I am a girl, doesn't mean-"

"You're not her, and talking like that isn't going to make us believe!" Yuugi shouted. Hikaru cried. "Sorry. Zorc is just irritating."

"Whatever. I would just enjoy it. I am the only one inside, which means I am the only one who knows where the Masika splits." Zorc grinned. "Not the gods. They are just going to cut her into two and give you one a piece. Only I can split her correctly. You'll see."

"I don't care, I want her as one," Set said.

"You have to win this game first, and I believe it's Bakura's turn." Zorc waved at him. "Do your best. Show me that old dominating self from the south facing rock." He laughed. "From memories, it's a thousand times better than any husband ever gave. Including Yuugi."

"While that fact is true," Bakura agreed, "it has nothing to do with the game. Since you seem to have such high level attacks but Ryou Bakura's attack cards are all weaker, I am going to skip a turn. I can do that, right? It seems like something a god could do."

"Yes, you can. Silly, but fine. Set, your turn."