Winning Without Gods (A Yu-Gi-Oh Fanfiction)DONE!

Chapter 41: The Gods Game Begins

Author's Note: I worked extra hard to finish the game and give it a fitting end. I hope you enjoy these last few chapters because it sure has been quite a journey!:) At the end of the very last chapter, I will have a nice surprise for you. (You'll learn why I had to use the manga version for this story.) Thanks for hanging in there with me.

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Bes. He was strumming his instrument like he had once before. "The pawns are set. You all know the game. I hope I do get to play a victory tune." He gestured outside the hotel. "I can't offer anything to help. I'm just that in between referee. If Zorc or Set break the rules, you automatically win."

"I don't care if we win that way or not." It was a phrase Yuugi never thought he'd say. This wasn't a clean match after all. He just needed to win, and try to spare any life he could too. He took his half of the millennium puzzle for good luck, and gave the other half to Atem.

"Head out. Zorc has his transportation ready for you outside. The pawns are set up."

They each headed out and saw a whirlwind of power. Yuugi walked up to it. "Stay here everyone. I will test it." He made his hand into a fist as he handed the baby over to Shizuka. "If I die, then we will win because of the broken rules."

"Yeah, so it won't," Kaiba said for Atem. "Quit wishing and just play the game."

Yuugi went through it. He ended up in some kind of base in space. Of course.

The others came through soon after. He picked Hikaru back up from Shizuka.

Zorc and Set both appeared.

Set tossed bone dice to Atem. "Have each one of you roll the dice to decide the order."

They rolled and re-rolled for draws until they had their order. Set. Kaiba. Jounouchi. Atem. Zorc. Yuugi. Bakura.

"Just in case, you didn't know?" Zorc said slyly. "This is far from duel monsters. Don't expect any of the same rules. It's about brute force, and who can take out their opponent's battleships. It doesn't matter how many sacrifices are in the way. Gods didn't play with things like mortality or wanting to play with infusions. It all came naturally to them, hence it will be made in the game when summoned. No toying around with sacrificing low level monsters or special fusion cards. Brute fucking strength. The battleships have been docked."

"Then the rules?" Atem asked. "Lay out all the rules."

"It's a simple game," Zorc replied. "You'll figure them out, but fine, a couple of questions."

"How much are the life points and how do we handle the deck then?" Jounouchi didn't waste any time. Everyone wanted to know. They were playing with varying life points, not knowing how the game would treat them.

"1600," Set answered for Zorc, "and you can only choose from your top five cards on your deck."

"8000 life points divided by five battleships. It should have been easy to guess," Zorc teased them. "What a waste of a question."

"1600?" Jounouchi questioned. "That's all, just 1600?"

"Oh, don't worry. It gets better," Zorc said. "The battleship will count for the initial power of the first attack, but any nearby victims aren't harmed unless the monster is too powerful."

Too powerful. Damn Zorc! He knew we would want the strongest monsters!

"What about defense?" Kaiba questioned. "If my monster's defense is 3000, is it harmless like in the game when it defeats an opponent?"

"You mean the monster disappear and poof, no harm?" Zorc smiled. "I am sure you would all want that."

"A monster in defense should be destroyed or helped," Yuugi agreed with Kaiba. "Anything else wouldn't count."