Lion's Mouth: Part I (Yu-Gi-Oh)

Chapter 9

Joey finally drew a card. He summoned Baby Dragon in attack mode and played a card face down. Yugi responded by attacking Baby Dragon with Dark Magician. However, Joey's face down card was a trap that stopped Yugi's attack.

"Well, Yug," Joey said, his confidence back, "I'd say that last move brings us to the home stretch, wouldn't you?"

"I would," Yugi said. "And now, Joey, let's finish this match and find out which one of us will duel against Pegasus!"

I let out a breath, my body tense. This was hit.

"Hey, Yug?" Joey said.

"Joey?"

"Just know it's been a real honor dueling you."

"Likewise."

"How cool," Tea said. "Even now, in the midst of battle, they're friends first."

"They have strong wills," I said. "Pegasus didn't count on that." I bet he hoped to have an advantage over the victor's emotions because of this duel.

"I know neither of us want to lose this match," Joey went on, "but if I do, I'm glad it was to you, buddy. Now let's duel like you said, Yugi, and finish this duel!"

Yugi inclined his head in acknowledgement.

"And maybe this draw will do just that. Guess there's just one way to find out. Here goes." He drew a card, and the next second he lit up in excitement. "Unreal! I pulled the one card in my whole deck that really can finish this duel and decide a winner!"

My heart pounded in my chest. What did he mean by that? The next moment, I found out. Joey played Time Wizard, a card that could bring victory to either duelist depending on chance.

"Kind of strange that this is all coming down to a card that you gave me," Joey said. "You were right, Yugi. That card you gave me saved my kiester quite a few times in this tournament. And now, with my Baby Dragon on the field and both of us just life points away from winning or losing this duel, I'm gonna give it one last spin and hope it saves me again. So cross your fingers and get set to adjust your clock because here it comes! Go, Time Roulette!"

The giant clock on the field started to spin its arrow. I held my breath. Finally, the arrow landed on a Time Machine spot, which meant that everything on the field aged by 1,000 years. Baby Dragon turned into the Strong Thousand Dragon while Dark Magician aged into a weak old man.

"Look at the Dark Magician!" Tea exclaimed.

"He's aged, like, a thousand years," Tristan said. "He's no match for Joey's dragon."

"I'm not so sure about that," I said.

For once, Bakura was the one who appeared surprised. "What do you mean, Samia?"

"I – I don't know." I swallowed a lump in my throat. "I don't know as much about Duel Monsters as you do, but I can feel Yugi's emotions, and he does not seem like someone in shock or despair because of an impending defeat." It was hard to explain, but my intuition told me there was more going on than met the eye.

"Let's just wait and see what happens."

I nodded.

Joey's excitement bounced off the walls as he ordered his dragon to attack Yugi's monster. However, Yugi countered with Makiu the Magical Mist, stopping the attack. Everyone except me expressed shock. I knew Yugi and the Spirit had something up their sleeves.

"How did you play Makiu when it was still my turn?" Joey asked in bewilderment.

"With magic," Yugi said. "A magic so powerful it took my magician a thousand years to learn it."