Yami Yugi and Strings' Duel
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Yugi and Strings' Duel is a Duel played between Yugi Muto and the Rare Hunter Strings, a mindless puppet used as an extension of Marik's will.
It is based on Dark Yugi and the Doll's Duel from the Yu-Gi-Oh! manga.
Prior events[edit]
Joey, Téa, Tristan, and Grandpa Muto are all walking together across Battle City, all of them congratulating Joey on his victory over Weevil Underwood. Unknown to them, they are currently being observed by the Rare Hunters, and by extension Marik Ishtar. He orders his Hunter to keep the group well in view, for soon they may all have a role to play in his plans to destroy the pharaoh.
Marik still stands on the boat taking him to Battle City, noting that soon he will arrive in Domino himself. But if all goes according to plan today, he won't need to do much. Odion, his faithful servant, asks him if it's time for the "Quiet One" to play his part, and Marik agrees. In a Domino City park, a mime stands alone on a bench, and onlookers note that he hasn't moved in hours. But this mime isn't truly a mind, but a puppet named Strings, who is taken control of by Marik using his Millennium Rod.
On the edge of a nearby river, Yugi and Yami discuss the relationship between Marik's family and the pharaoh he detests so much. Whatever his reasons or motivations are, Yugi promises Yami that Marik will never win as long as they stand against him. At that moment, they feel a dark presence approaching. Yugi calls for the presence to reveal itself, and from a nearby bridge, Strings jumps down. The mime needs only open its mouth to challenge Yugi to a Duel, and Yugi realizes that Marik has gone on the attack this time.
Marik declares that the Millennium Puzzle shall be his this time, Yugi passes control of his body to Yami, and the Duel beings. But how, Marik wonders, will Yugi stand up against the power of an Egyptian God?
The Duel[edit]
Turn 1: Strings
Strings Sets a card, then Summons "Humanoid Slime" (800/2000) in Attack Position.
Turn 2: Yugi
Yugi Sets a card, the Summons "Gazelle the King of Mythical Beasts" (1500/1200) in Attack Position. Figuring that Strings wants him to attack, Yugi passes without attacking.
Turn 3: Strings
Strings draws "Worm Drake" and subsequently Summons it (1400/1500) in Attack Position. He then activates "Polymerization", fusing "Worm Drake" and "Humanoid Slime" to Fusion Summon "Humanoid Worm Drake" (2200/2000) in Attack Position.
Battle City rules dictate that Fusion Monsters cannot attack during the turn they are Fusion Summoned, so Strings activates his Set "Quick Attack" to bypass the rule. Strings attacks "Gazelle the King of Mythical Beasts" with "Humanoid Worm Drake", but Yugi activates his Set "De-Fusion" to separate "Humanoid Worm Drake" into the "Worm Drake" and "Humanoid Slime" used to Summon it, both in Attack Position. String chooses not to attack.
Turn 4: Yugi
Yugi Summons "Beta The Magnet Warrior" (1700/1600) in Attack Position. Yugi attacks and destroys "Worm Drake" with "Beta The Magnet Warrior", then "Humanoid Slime" with "Gazelle the King of Mythical Beasts" (Strings: 4000 → 3700 → 3000 LP).
Turn 5: Strings
Strings draws "Revival Jam" and subsequently Summons it (1500/500) in Defense Position. He then activates "Jam Breeding Machine". Once during his Standby Phase, this card will Summon "Slime Token" (500/500) to his field in Attack Position. If Strings Normal or Flip Summons a monster, "Jam Breeding Machine" will be destroyed.
Yugi realizes that Marik is trying to gather creatures to Summon an Egyptian God, and vows to end this Duel quickly before he manages it.
Turn 6: Yugi
Yugi Tributes "Beta The Magnet Warrior" and "Gazelle the King of Mythical Beasts" to Tribute Summon "Buster Blader" (2600/2000) in Attack Position. "Buster Blader" will gain 500 ATK for every Dragon monster on the field. Yugi attacks and destroys "Revival Jam" with "Buster Blader". However, the slime immediately reforms after the attack, being Special Summoned back to Strings' field. And it will do so whenever it is destroyed, Marik explains.
Turn 7: Strings
During his Standby Phase, a "Slime Token" (500/500) is Summoned to Strings' field in Attack Position. Strings Sets a card.
Turn 8: Yugi
Realizing that attacking "Revival Jam" will get him nowhere, Yugi attacks the "Slime Token" with "Buster Blader". However, Strings activates his Set "Jam Defender". If an attack is declared while he controls "Revival Jam", Marik explains, he can make his "Revival Jam" the attack target instead. The attack continues, and "Revival Jam" is destroyed, but immediately revives onto Strings' field.
Turn 9: Strings
During his Standby Phase, a second "Slime Token" is Summoned to Strings' field in Attack Position. Marik claims that his defense combo using "Revival Jam" is impenetrable, but just to be safe, he has Strings activate "Nightmare's Steelcage". No monster on the field can declare an attack until the end of Yugi's second turn after activation.
Turn 10: Yugi
With no moves to make, Yugi passes his turn. "Nightmare's Steelcage" has been on the field for one turn.
Turn 11: Strings
During his Standby Phase, a third "Slime Token" is Summoned to Strings' field in Attack Position. Strings Tributes his three "Slime Tokens" to Tribute Summon "Slifer the Sky Dragon" (X000/X000) in Attack Position. "Slifer the Sky Dragon" gains 1000 ATK/DEF for each card in Strings' hand, and he currently has two ("Slifer the Sky Dragon": X = 2).
His mighty God Card also has two mouths. One is used for attacking normally, but the other is used for a special purpose: whenever Yugi Summons a monster, the second mouth will immediately attack, no matter the turn Phase, and reduce that monster's ATK or DEF (depending on battle position) by 2000, destroying that monster if that stat is reduced to 0 this way.
Strings has Normal Summoned a monster, and so "Jam Breeding Machine" is destroyed. Strings then activates "Pot of Greed" to draw two cards ("Slifer the Sky Dragon": X = 3).
Turn 12: Yugi
Yugi Sets two cards Summons "Kuriboh" (300/200) in Defense Position. Since "Slifer the Sky Dragon" is in fact a Dragon, "Buster Blader" gains 500 ATK ("Buster Blader": 2600 → 3100 ATK). Since "Nightmare's Steelcage" is still in effect, "Slifer the Sky Dragon" cannot use its secondary attack. "Nightmare's Steelcage" has been on the field for two turns and is destroyed as a result.
Turn 13: Strings
Strings draws ("Slifer the Sky Dragon": X = 4). He then attacks "Buster Blader" with "Slifer the Sky Dragon", but Yugi activates his Set "Lightforce Sword" to banish a random card from Strings' hand for three turns ("Slifer the Sky Dragon": X = 3). The attack continues, but Strings uses the effect of "Jam Defender" to redirect Yugi's (counter)attack to "Revival Jam", who is destroyed and immediately reforms. Strings also activates the Spell "Card of Safe Return" from his hand ("Slifer the Sky Dragon": X = 2). Whenever a monster is Summoned from his Graveyard, he can draw three cards, which he does now ("Slifer the Sky Dragon": X = 5).
The original attack of "Slifer the Sky Dragon" continues, and "Buster Blader" is destroyed (Yugi: 4000 → 2100).
Turn 14: Yugi
Yugi Tributes "Kuriboh" to Tribute Summon "Dark Magician Girl" (2000/1700) in Defense Position. The second mouth of "Slifer the Sky Dragon" immediately attacks to reduce the DEF of "Dark Magician Girl" by 2000, thereby destroying it, but Yugi responds with his Set "Magical Hats" to hide "Dark Magician Girl" randomly under one of four hats. The secondary attack of "Slifer the Sky Dragon" continues on a random hat, but misses. Yugi Sets two cards.
Turn 15: Strings
Strings draws ("Slifer the Sky Dragon": X = 6). It has been one turn since "Lightforce Sword" was activated. He then activates "Infinite Cards" ("Slifer the Sky Dragon": X = 5) to remove the hand size limit, allowing him to hold any number of cards in his hand, not just 6.
Strings attacks another hat with "Slifer the Sky Dragon", and chooses right, revealing "Dark Magician Girl". Yugi activates his Set "Magic Cylinder", then "Spellbinding Circle" targeting "Slifer the Sky Dragon". They resolve in reverse order, with "Spellbinding Circle" reducing the ATK of "Slifer the Sky Dragon" by 700 ("Slifer the Sky Dragon": 5000 → 4300 ATK), and then "Magic Cylinder" redirecting its original attack back on itself (using its ATK of 5000). In response, the effect of "Jam Defender" makes "Revival Jam" the target of the Trap's effect/attack, who is immediately destroyed and revived.
The effect of "Card of Safe Return" activates, and Strings draws three cards ("Slifer the Sky Dragon": X = 8). Since "Spellbinding Circle" prevents the targeted monster from attacking, he ends his turn. However, card effects can only affect an Egyptian God for a single turn, and so it expires during the End Phase ("Slifer the Sky Dragon": 7300 → 8000 ATK).
Turn 16: Yugi
With no moves to make, Yugi passes his turn.
Turn 17: Strings
Strings draws ("Slifer the Sky Dragon": X = 9). It has been two turns since "Lightforce Sword" was activated. He then attacks and destroys "Dark Magician Girl" with "Slifer the Sky Dragon".
Yugi nearly loses hope, faced with Marik's seemingly-invincible 5-card combo. At this moment, Seto Kaiba, who received word of an Egyptian God being Summoned in a Duel, arrives, and commands Yugi to stand up, fight the odds, and prove that Marik's puppet is nothing compared to the Duelist known as the King of Games. (And reveal any weaknesses in "Slifer the Sky Dragon" so that Kaiba will have an easier time taking it away from the winner of this Duel later, but Kaiba doesn't say this aloud.) Yugi continues fighting.
Turn 18: Yugi
Yugi draws "Monster Reborn" and subsequently Sets it. He then Summons "Big Shield Gardna" in Defense Position. The second mouth of "Slifer the Sky Dragon" immediately attacks ("Big Shield Gardna": 2600 → 600 DEF).
Turn 19: Strings
Strings draws ("Slifer the Sky Dragon": X = 10). It has been three turns since "Lightforce Sword" was activated, and so the card banished by its effect returns to Strings' hand ("Slifer the Sky Dragon": X = 11). Strings attacks and destroys "Big Shield Gardna" with "Slifer the Sky Dragon".
Turn 20: Yugi
Yugi draws a card, and upon seeing it, declares that this is the last turn of the Duel, and that his victory is secured.
Yugi activates his Set "Monster Reborn" to Special Summon "Buster Blader" (2600 → 3100 ATK/2000 DEF) from his Graveyard in Attack Position. The second mouth of "Slifer the Sky Dragon" immediately attacks ("Buster Blader": 3100 → 1100 ATK). As a monster was Special Summoned from the Graveyard, Strings draws three cards ("Slifer the Sky Dragon": X = 14) Yugi attacks "Slifer the Sky Dragon" with "Buster Blader", and naturally, Strings uses "Jam Defender" to redirect the attack to "Revival Jam", who is destroyed and revived.
However, as it is revived, Yugi activates "Brain Control" to take complete control of "Revival Jam", and it is instead revived to his side of the field. The effect of "Card of Safe Return" activates, and Strings draws three cards ("Slifer the Sky Dragon": X = 17). Marik declares that the Duel is over, and that "Slifer the Sky Dragon" will now wipe out "Buster Blader" and the pharaoh in one fell swoop.
However, Yugi reveals that his trap has fallen into place just as he'd hoped. Since a monster was Summoned to Yugi's field, the second mouth of "Slifer the Sky Dragon" immediately attacks, reducing the DEF of "Revival Jam" by 2000 to 0, destroying it. It is then immediately revived to Yugi's field in Defense Position, and since it was Special Summoned from the Graveyard, Strings draws 3 cards ("Slifer the Sky Dragon": X = 20). However, a monster was just Summoned to Yugi's field, and so the second mouth of "Slifer the Sky Dragon" immediately attacks, destroying "Revival Jam", who is Special Summoned back to Yugi's field, causing Strings to draw 3 cards ("Slifer the Sky Dragon": X = 23).
Marik realizes with horror that Yugi has trapped him in an infinite loop that he can't escape. "Slifer the Sky Dragon" cannot be told not to attack, "Revival Jam" always revives after destruction, and he cannot ignore the effect of "Card of Safe Return", and so his 5-card combo has been turned against him.
"Revival Jam" is revived to Yugi's field, and so Strings draws 3 card ("Slifer the Sky Dragon": X = 26), and the second mouth of "Slifer the Sky Dragon" immediately attacks and destroys it. "Revival Jam" is then revived to Yugi's field. The loop continues, and eventually, Strings runs out of cards to draw. As Strings can no longer draw a card from his Deck, he loses the Duel by Deck out.
Aftermath[edit]
Yugi claims a Locator Card from the puppet, and per the ante rule of Battle City, claims "Slifer the Sky Dragon" for himself. Kaiba approaches, congratulating Yugi on his victory. However, he also states that Yugi won't keep his God Card for very long, as they're going to Duel, here and now, with their respective God Cards on the line. Yugi seems ready to oblige, but they interrupted by a mocking laugh coming from Strings.
Perhaps he has lost an Egyptian God, but it doesn't matter. Marik declares that soon he will arrive personally in Battle City, where his Rare Hunters are already making preparations for his arrival and his next plan to bring down the pharaoh. He can also see through their eyes to stay on the lookout for potential recruits. After all, it's a big city, and there are plenty of Duelists who would make excellent Rare Hunters. Such as a Duelist he sees named Joey Wheeler. Yugi reacts angrily to this implied threat, and Marik notes that he'd better hurry and find his friends. Strings collapses, the puppet having no further purpose to Marik.
Yugi takes off immediately to search for his friends, ignoring Kaiba's protests. His friends are in danger now, and that means more now than a grudge match against Seto Kaiba.
Card appearances[edit]
Yugi Muto/Yami Yugi
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Strings
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