Yu-Gi-Oh Manga: 104 Crisis!

Just in case you were doubting that Yami is having some trouble here, this title should set you straight. It also kind of rules out him pulling one of those miraculous victories from his ass like he usually does, too. Not that I really wanted him to, mind you. Not when I'm actually INVESTED in one of his duels for once. That shit just wouldn't fly right now, because Yami is WAY past due on his fair share of character suffering.

Why does my saying that leave a nasty taste in my mouth?

Oh. Oh shit. It's because I sound like THIS asshole.

I don't like that AT ALL.

Just to clarify, though, I'm talking about sounding like Kaiba. Because THIS...

... badass three-headed dragon is actually pretty freaking dope.

Kaiba laughs, asking Yami what he thinks of that shit, as if he didn't know just by looking at Yami's pants-shitting expression. See? It's totally appropriate here, not with just the one Blue Eyes White Dragon. Kaiba talks about how beautiful it is and how it's the world's greatest killing machine, half of which is just wrong. That hologram would never last in a battle with an actual fucking tank. Facts is facts.

The Blue Eyes Ultimate Dragon has 4500 attack points, which has everyone gaping and Jonouchi taking stock of the numbers in awe. With that many heads and points, there was no WAY this wasn't Kaiba's plan all along, but Jonouchi talks about it like it was ever a question. If Bandit Keith wasn't absolutely convinced the match was over before, he is now, thinking there isn't a single fucking thing that will save Yami now.

Yami continues to stare, wondering what he can do to fight a behemoth like that when the virus card Kaiba played took out all his monsters over 1500 attack points and he's only one shot away from losing all 100 of his life points. Looking at his hand, he realizes none of them stand a chance against the three-headed dragon. It certainly looks like he's well and truly fucked, but he clings to the insistence that he needs to do something or he'll lose.

What was that Sugoroku said about real champions not being afraid of losing again? You know, right before this particular duel? You guys remember that, right?

Yami's friends have nothing to say except his name and voice his own wondering about how. Kaiba is so deliriously happy right now that he describes his previous defeats at Yami's hands as a CROSS he had to bear; one that he's passing onto Yami now. Balls, kiddo, you weren't crucified, you just lost. Get over yourself, son. He's not ready to stop gloating just yet, though, because he's just really into detailing all the ways he's imagining Yami crawling on the ground in humiliation. Yami doesn't say anything; he'll stare in worry at Kaiba and let the boy get it out of his system, I guess. I SUPPPOSE I can let him get on with it too.

Alright, it looks like Kaiba's all done getting his word-cum all over the place and making a big mess, so he commands his Blue Eyes Ultimate Dragon to fuck Yami up some. As the Ultimate Burst comes at Yami, he realizes that Kaiba is attacking his cards rather than his monster, and one of the monsters he has as a sub-card is in attack, meaning he'll be finished if Kaiba hits it.

Don't act like you're not grateful you didn't finish off Yami right away, Kaiba. I know you're trying to draw this out as long as possible because you're having fun waving your recovered pride over your head like a fucking rainbow flag. Don't deny it, you're so transparent.

He tells Yami to draw a card for his turn, if he's not surrendering, that is. Yami stares down at the deck-holder on his arm like he's contemplating just that. Jonouchi sees this and demands that he not give up, Anzu and Bakura following suit. Yami glances over at them, and Jonouchi elaborates that if he throws in the towel now, he'll be throwing away all that hard work that got them right up to the castle gates. Anzu urges him to remember his promise to Sugoroku, who's still counting on him to get in there and beat Pegasus.

Yami looks a little like he ACTUALLY forgot, and he reminisces about that moment I JUST mentioned above, when Sugoroku told him that true strength can only be born out of not being afraid to lose. He looks determined again, which Kaiba hums at, as Yami draws a card and declares he's not going to give up. Jonouchi cheers that this is the spirit he's used to, and Anzu encourages him to count on that goddess of victory being on his side. You mean that goddess of victory Kaiba was referring to in their last match?

Kaiba is super cool with the renewed resistance Yami is showing him, because he wants to crush him at maximum strength. So it appears all systems are go here. Yami looks at his cards and doesn't like either one, Polymerization OR The Living Arrow. He thinks neither one of them will be able to beat the dragon. Uh, sweetheart, you're not going to find one single card that will beat that thing, so I suggest you stop that pattern of thought right now. He sets down his two new cards as sub-cards and keeps his main monster in defense to end his turn, but worries silently about Kaiba attacking his sub-cards and hitting his Mammoth Graveyard, still in attack position. Can you not put monsters in defense as sub-cards? Guessing that's the case.

Kaiba announces it's his turn, and ponders which sub-card he should attack, because that's the way his instincts are telling him to go. He's worried that his dragon might be hurt by a trap card, though, so after taking a gander at Yami's stone poker face, he decides to play it safe during this turn. For real, this dumbass is afraid that his 4500 attack-point monster is going to get HURT. Okay. He attacks the guardian in defense on Yami's side. Yami breathes a sigh of relief at the fact that he's still got life points and he still has a chance.

Still, Kaiba is pretty smug, asking him what he's planning on doing now, because there's no card in the world that can beat his ultimate dragon. While he laughs, Yami glares, certain there has to be a way, no monster being unbeatable. I mean, what would be the fun in playing if you had an unbeatable monster? There's no fun in that, is what I'm saying. Regardless, Yami knows that he's done for if he can't survive his next attack, so upon declaring his turn, he does something that always makes me roll my eyes.

Yami, knock that nonsense off! I guess I'm the only one who's annoyed by his constant betting of his life, because his friends are all still gaping at him like they take him seriously.

He glances at his card while Kaiba smirks and thinks it's useless no matter what card Yami draws. Yami appears surprised at first, but then tells Kaiba with some smugness of his own that he just drew the ultimate card. Kaiba is confused, so Yami encourages him to look for himself.

Jonouchi's look is mirrored by Kaiba, who identifies Kuriboh as the weakest monster in the game and questions the sanity in Yami playing it in attack mode. He grows a disbelieving smirk as he says that while it's Yami's right to give up, giving up to such an extreme degree as playing Kuriboh is absurd. Yami has his arms crossed, dead serious, while Kuriboh makes cute noises over his shoulder.

This throws Kaiba into full-on rant-mode, and he starts pissing and moaning that no one ever puts that weak piece of garbage in their deck, let alone plays it, so he has to assume that Yami is making UNFORGIVABLE fun of their epic fucking match and he won't have it, no siree. Smirking, Yami tells Kaiba that he's wrong and Kuriboh is his trump card. He drops that smirk when he assures Kaiba that he'll beat the dragon. Kaiba is just utterly dumbfounded by this assertion, thinking that little wimpy thing could beat his ultimate dragon.

Yami warns Kaiba he's about to throw down, then plays his Multiply card, which a sweating Kaiba thinks is a trick. Yami explains that his card duplicates monsters that are 500 attack points or less, as what Kaiba describes as HUNDREDS pop up all over the place. Grinning, Yami tells Kaiba not to underestimate his 300 attack point lightweight, because it has some hidden powers that can totally fuck up stronger monsters.

Kaiba shouts that more monsters just means more corpses for his dragon. Then why are you sweating, Kaiba? He commands his ultimate dragon to attack.

That spiky thing down there next to the Blue Eyes Ultimate Dragon's tail is a yell-bubble I had to cut off, in which Kaiba is flabbergasted. The little furry bastards Yami summoned blow up when they're hit and apparently act as a buffer, blunting the force of the dragon's attack. Kaiba characterizes the Kuribohs as tons of little floating mines. Yami confirms this, and says it keeps the attack from reaching him and his cards. Kaiba growls in impotent rage at the wretched things, reproducing like fucking tribbles.

Yami tells Kaiba his Kuriboh's won't stop multiplying until Kaiba manages to destroy them all, and THEN Kaiba can have a go at Yami and his cards. First, though Yami plans on playing yet another trump card. Kaiba gapes at Yami in even more disbelief that he should have another trump card. Yami begins a three-part combo to destroy the three-headed dragon before him.

Step one: reveal his cards Mammoth Graveyard, Polymerization, and Living Arrow, which allows him to play one of his spell cards on Kaiba's monster. Step two: tell Kaiba that he's going to use that ability to fuse one of his monsters with the dragon, since Kaiba is so polymerization-happy right now, causing Kaiba to become practically apoplectic.

Step three:

PROFIT.

So, what did I think of this chapter overall? Kaiba was really mustache-twirling it up during this one, so it's not really surprising to me that he's begun to lose again. The MOMENT he polymerized all the dragons, he started bragging like he had already won, and that's a classic villain mistake. You NEVER start making your victory speech before the actual victory, because that's an opening for hubris to kick in.

But the really interesting thing about Kaiba's bragging here is how it's actually HIDING his lack of confidence in himself. The real turning point of the match back in Yami's favor was actually Kaiba considering attacking one of Yami's sub-cards, but ultimately deciding to take the safe route to avoid any possible damage to himself. He was faced with either trusting his instincts on the matter and skirting around the threat of the unknown, and he chose the latter. If he had gone with the former, there is a very good chance he would have WON right then and there.

Which exposes the theme of this particular duel for what both opponents are actually battling within themselves. Fear. Sugoroku's advice not to be afraid of losing was dropped so recently and recalled in this chapter to remind Yami, and the audience, that taking risks is only too necessary in the pursuit of victory. It's important not to let the implications of risk, the possibility of losing, get in the way of pursuing victory anyway. Kaiba demonstrates here what happens when we're held back by negative possibilities instead of driven by the positive ones; we often end up shooting ourselves in the foot.

And given Kaiba is a business man, he should KNOW this. Why doesn't he know this?