Disclaimer: I do own not Yu-Gi-Oh or anything designed by its original creator. I do own every card and character I created myself.
It was a sunny day in Japan where everything was peaceful.
At the top floor of Kaiba Corp two men where in the middle of signing a contract.
"I never thought that there would be a day we would do this kind of business" Seto Kaiba said.
Seto Kaiba was worldwide known for being the CEO of Kaiba Corp and for being one of the world's best duelists.
"To think that we once tried to ruin each other" Siegfried agreed.
Siegfried Von Schroeder was less known than Kaiba, but was still known to be the CEO of Schroeder Corp and as the former European champion of Duel Monsters.
"Well," Kaiba stated, "I'll give you a chance to run your own Duel Academy".
"Thank you, Kaiba" Siegfried said as he signed the contract.
I hope he doesn't ruin it Kaiba thought as he signed the contract.
The two CEO's shook each other's hand as Siegfried finally owned his own European Duel Academy.
Yu-Gi-Oh European Duel Academy
Turn One: The Dueling Legacy Continues
10 years later:
It was 2024, ten years after Siegfried had opened the European Duel Academy. In those ten years, it had grown to be one of the largest academies in the world, though not yet rivaling the original Duel Academia. Every year, hundreds of young duelists tried to take the prestigious exam in order to be accepted into the academy. Therefore, the strongest young duelists of Europe were gathered at one place, were they could hone their skills as much as possible.
The exam took place in Brussels, the capital of Europe, and therefore a logical place to hold the exam. The exam had two parts. The first part was a written exam, where the dueling knowledge of the contestant would be tested. Only the ones who passed this exam were allowed to take the second one: the prestigious dueling exam.
One of them was a boy named Rick Claeys. He was fairly tall for his age, being 14. He had dark blonde hair and blue eyes, but more importantly he wore a Duel Disk on his left arm, proof that he was a duelist. Having barely passed the written test, he was allowed to take the dueling exam, in hopes of being able to enroll into the academy.
He was now standing in front of the building where the exam was held. Almost entering, he glanced at his deck. Just a little longer and I'll be an actual student here.
He then walked inside, ready to take his exam.
In the examination hall, many duels were going on as Rick entered. It was impressive to watch all those kids giving their all in order to be accepted into a school. Then again, this was the only school in Europe that taught people how to duel. And in these days, dueling was an even bigger sport than football. So it wasn't weird that everyone tried really hard. If anything was odd, it would be that this was the only school that taught people to duel.
Since it wasn't time yet for Rick to take his exam, he decided to watch one of the duels being played right now. Arriving at a field, he could see one duelist having a rather majestic-looking dragon as well as a face-down card, while the other one only had a face-down card but no monsters.
"Gragonith, direct attack" a guy ordered.
"Not bad." the examiner said. "But this is better, activate Magic Cylinder."
Two cylinders emerged, one receiving the attack, and the second one redirecting it, but the guy remained unfazed and then smiled.
"That is better." he responded. "But this is best, activate Solemn Judgment."
In an instant, the cylinders shattered in small pieces, becoming worthless, no longer able to hold back the powerful attack of Gragonith.
LP Examiner: 4600 – 5000 = 0
Seeing the high-class play of that boy, who defeated his instructor without any problems, Rick couldn't help but be impressed.
"If all duelists in here are that strong…" he mumbled.
"Then what?" another one interrupted his thoughts. This particular guy was as tall as Rick, and he had black hair curled in a way Rick had never seen before. There was no way this guy wouldn't stand out in a group.
Rick turned around, looking at the boy. "Nothing, I just thought that guy was really good."
"Oh, by the way, I'm Ilian Vogell" he said, introducing himself.
"Rick, Rick Claeys."
"The duelist you were watching, Rick, was Thomas Gerland, one of Germany's top-ranked duelists."
"You mean not every duelist is that good?"
Before Ilian had the chance to answer that question, a speaker could be heard troughout the building.
"Will Rick Claeys come to the Duel Arena for his examination duel?"
Hearing that, Rick became ready to take his exam. Before he did, he asked Ilian one last thing.
"Did you already pass the entrance exam?"
"Maybe" Ilian said smiling. "Good luck!"
Once Rick entered the arena, he became quite nervous. Until now, he had always assumed he would become a student here no matter what. But standing on this field, he finally realized what exactly was at stake.
What if I ruin this? No, I'm not going to lose, Rick thought.
The conflict in his mind stopped as soon as Rick saw his opponent entering the arena. A man, presumably in his late thirties, with brown hair and a pair of glasses walked towards Rick and extended his hand. Feeling somewhat tense, Rick accepted the handshake.
"Hello, my name is professor Hans Helsingborg, head of Odin department."
"Odin department?" Rick asked confused.
Professor Helsingborg ignored him and started with explaining the rules of the exam.
"The rules were selected through the file you answered" Helsingborg began.
"There were two options: Dueling against an examination deck or dueling against a teacher using his own deck."
Professor Helsingborg paused, and then continued.
"If you had chosen the first option, you had to win the duel. However, since you've chosen the second option, your evaluation will be based on your dueling skills. Of course, your written exam will be taken into account as well."
"So…winning isn't necessary?" Rick asked, still trying to understand.
"No. Just show me what you can do."
"Okay, sounds nice" Rick said, getting excited.
"DUEL" they shouted together.
"I'll take the first turn", Professor Helsingborg declared as he drew his sixth card.
"I summon Blackwing-Bora the Spear" Professor Helsingborg said as there appeared a bird with black feathers on his wings holding a spear.
Blackwing-Bora the Spear: (Lv4, Winged-Beast, ATK 1700 DEF 800)
"Then I set one card face-down and end my turn" he said in a confident tone.
"My turn" Rick said.
"First, I summon Breaker the Magical Warrior in attack mode."
A warrior with a red armor entered the field. He wielded a long sword, which started to glow as soon as he arrived.
Breaker the Magical Warrior: (Lv4, Spellcaster, ATK 1600 DEF 1000)
"If 'Breaker' is normal summoned…" Rick wanted to continue his explanation.
"He gets a Spell Counter which increases his attack with 300" Professor Helsingborg completed his sentence. Being a teacher at a famous dueling school, it was no surprise he was aware of the effect of an infamous monster such as Breaker the Magical Warrior.
Breaker the Magical Warrior: ATK 1600 + 300 = 1900
"'Breaker', attack 'Bora' with 'Magical Sword'" Rick ordered as 'Breaker's' sword sliced 'Bora' in half.
LP Professor Helsingborg: 8000 – 200 = 7800
"Not bad" Professor Helsingborg complimented Rick for making the first strike.
"But I haven't started yet" Professor Helsingborg warned him.
"Neither have I" Rick responded. "Now I activate 'Breaker's' second ability. By removing 'Breaker's' Spell Counter I can destroy one spell or trap card on the field. So I destroy your face-down card."
'Breaker's' sword glowed before it shattered Professor Helsingborg's face-down Icarus Attack.
"Your turn, professor" Rick smiled.
"Draw" Professor Helsingborg said in a cold tone. "It seems I underestimated you. But aren't you underestimating me right now?"
This can be interesting… Ilian mused.
"I summon Blackwing-Blizzard the Far North in attack mode."
Another bird now arrived on Professor Helsingborg's field. In contrast to its name, though, only a small fraction of his feathers were black, with most of them being pure white.
Blackwing-Blizzard the Far North: (Lv2, Winged-Beast, ATK 1300 DEF 0)
Rick obviously was as amazed as the crowd, seeing a weak-looking monster summoned in attack position.
"I think I'm right. You don't think I'm fighting serious. Well, if Blackwing-Blizzard the Far North is summoned, I can special summon a level 4 or lower Blackwing in defense mode, so be revived, Blackwing-Bora the Spear."
Seeing those two monsters together on the field, Rick still didn't get what his opponent was doing. Granted, 'Bora' was the strongest monster in terms of attack points, but that didn't matter if he was summoned in defense mode.
"Are you trying to stall or…" Rick wanted to ask.
But before Rick could finish his sentence, Hans Helsingborg revealed his plan.
"I tune my two Blackwings into Blackwing-Armed Wing" Professor Helsingborg announced.
Making that statement, Blackwing-Blizzard the Far North transformed into two green rings that consequently overlapped the other bird before they were enveloped in a flash of light. What appeared afterwards was a new bird with a humanoid posture. Red feathers on his head looking like a haircut, green feathers on his shoulders, giving the impression of an armor, and black ones for his wings. Another notable feature was the gun he was holding, which combined with the blade adapted to it, was a lethal weapon.
Looking at it, Rick was slightly impressed by his opponent's succesful synchro summon.
Blackwing-Armed Wing: (Winged Beast, lv6, ATK 2300 DEF 1000)
"Is this serious enough?" Professor Helsingborg asked with a coy smile.
Rick didn't answer but just smiled back.
"I'll take that as a yes. Blackwing-Armed Wing, attack!"
Before the red-armored warrior even had the chance to defend himself, he was already shot in his chest. As if that wasn't enough, the black-winged bird also leapt at a high speed to slash the wounded swordsman in half.
LP Rick: 8000 – 700 = 7300
"And one face-down card will end my turn" Professor Helsingborg announced.
"My turn" Rick declared as he drew, bringing his hand back to six cards.
"I set one monster and two face-down cards. That will do for now."
The holograms of three cards were shown on the field. One of them was placed horizontally, while the two placed behind it were shown vertically.
"Are you so sure about your cards? Because I wouldn't be. Activate trap card: Delta Crow-Anti Reverse."
"What makes it so powerful?" Rick asked.
"I can only activate this card when I control a Blackwing monster, but in exchange I can destroy all your face-down spells and traps."
That's a powerful trap! Ilian thought. I hope Rick can do something to fight back.
At the duel field, a storm appeared with such power that it made Rick's backrow vanish.
My Magician's Circle. There goes my chance to swarm Rick thought.
"Did you think you had a chance of winning? Even when I'm not playing by full power, I'm still better than you" Professor Helsingborg stated.
Rick was offended but only drew a card and didn't argue anything back. He wasn't the type to get worked up by an insult of that level, and if even if he did, he knew very well it wouldn't help him at all.
"Hey!" Professor Helsingborg shouted. "You're not permitted to draw a card right now."
"Who is underestimating who right now?" Rick finally countered. "If you had paid attention then you would've noticed that one of my face-down cards was a Miracle Synchro Fusion. And if this card is destroyed while face-down, I can draw one card."
"I see. Too bad it's my turn" Professor Helsingborg said as his turn started.
"First, I play the magic card Cards for Black Feathers. By removing one Blackwing in my hand from play, I can draw two cards."
Professor Helsingborg discarded Blackwing-Vayu the Emblem of Honor and drew two cards.
Hmm… Not the best cards. But still good enough to win this duel.
"Blackwing-Armed Wing, attack his last line of defense."
"Lucky for me my monster's in defense mode. So I won't lose any life points" Rick argued.
"However, since your monster is defending my bird's ability activates. If he attacks a monster in defense mode, his attack increases with 500."
Blackwing-Armed Wing: ATK 2300 + 500 = 2800
"So, does that make any difference?"
"Normally, no. But that's why my bird has two abilities. You see, if he attacks a defensive monster with a defense lower than his attack, the difference is subtracted from your Life Points."
"Oh no!" Rick shouted as the bird pierced his monster with a giant spear.
"Nevertheless, I should thank you for destroying my monster because when Apprentice Magician is destroyed I can summon a level two or lower Spellcaster from my deck in face-down defense mode. And I choose Night's End Sorcerer" Rick explained.
"Admirable" Professor Helsingborg said. "But you're still paying a high price for it."
LP Rick: 7300 – 2000 = 5300
Blackwing-Armed Wing: ATK 2800 – 500 = 2300
"I'm definitely willing to" Rick said back as he saw his Life Points decrease.
"Then I set one face-down card and end my turn."
"My turn" Rick declared as he drew a card.
"Go ahead" Professor Helsingborg challenged.
"First, I flip summon my Night's End Sorcerer" Rick announced.
The hologram of the card turned around, and a boy sitting on a grave, while surrounded by a bunch of bats was revealed. He was clothed darkly and held a scythe in both hands.
Night's End Sorcerer: (Lv2, Spellcaster, ATK 1300 DEF 400)
"Next, I summon Magical Exemplar."
Declaring so, a grey-haired woman wearing a green robe arrived and accompanied the boy and his vampires. It was hard to tell whether she was young or old, but she at least looked rather wise and reliable.
Magical Exemplar: (Lv4, Spellcaster ATK 1700 DEF 1400)
"And now, I'll play the key spell of my deck. The field magic, Magical Citadel of Endymion."
The crowd who was looking at this match, which was everyone because this was the last match of the day, was impressed as there appeared an entire village that covered the whole field. Numerous buildings, giving the feeling of a magical kingdom, surrounded the two duelists. Then again, since it was the last battle, most people had already finished their exam and thought there was no reason to stay, so there were at most fifteen people watching.
"What is the meaning of this buildings?" Professor Helsingborg asked surprised. Despite knowing a number of cards, he was unfamiliar with this one.
"Providing Spell Counters for me" Rick explained. "That's the strength I rely on. However, These monsters won't need it anymore because I'm going to tune them into the more impressive Explosive Magician."
Just like with Professor Helsingborg's monsters earlier, the boy holding the scythe transformed into two green circles that went across the green-dressed maiden. Another beam of light surged through the field, and a new sorcerer, wearing a white robe with a few touches of gold.
Explosive Magician: (Lv6, Spellcaster, ATK 2500 DEF 1800)
"So you can synchro summon as well" Hans started. "But even if your monster is stronger than mine, you can't ignore my trap."
"I wasn't ignoring it" Rick said. "I play the magic card Spell Power Grasp. This card allows me to give a Spell Counter to one card on my field. And I choose Magical Citadel of Endymion. Also, since I played a magic card, my 'Citadel' gains another counter, bringing him to two. And if that isn't enough, I can also take another Spell Power Grasp from my deck and put it in my hand."
Suddenly, the tower in the middle of the village started to glow, much to the surprise of the spectators.
"How does this help you to get rid of my trap?"
"As I said, the 'Citadel' is the key card of my deck. Since my deck depends on Spell Counters, I can store them in my 'Citadel' until I need them. Which is now. Explosive Magician, 'Lightning Spell'" Rick ordered.
The white-clothed wizard casted a spell which created a lightning bolt so powerful that it shattered Professor Helsingborg's face-down card and caused a blackout in the village.
"My Black Sonic!" Professor Helsingborg exclaimed. "What did you do?"
"In exchange for two Spell Counters on the field, Explosive Magician can destroy one spell or trap card on the field" Rick explained.
And this guy was worried he wouldn't be accepted because he isn't good enough Ilian thought. But can he keep dueling at this level?
"And just so you know, I'm not done yet. Explosive Magician, attack Blackwing-Armed Wing with 'White Lightning Spell'."
The magician casted another spell. Raising his right hand, he caused another lightning bolt that obliterated the humanoid bird across him.
It seems that I wasn't too serious about this duel. But he hasn't won yet Helsingborg thought as his Life Points decreased.
LP Professor Helsingborg: 7800 – 200 = 7600
"And that ends my turn."
"Which means mine starts now" Professor Helsingborg declared as he drew a card, making a total of four cards in his hand.
"I'll start by summoning Blackwing-Sirocco the Dawn."
Another bird made an appearance on the battlefield. It was, however, hard to tell whether this was an actual winged beast, or a human disguised as one. Granted, a beak and black wings were visible, but his build looked more like a human than an animal. Moreover, a mouth was visible from within that beak.
Blackwing-Sirocco the Dawn: (Lv5, Winged Beast, ATK 2000 DEF 900)
"How can you normal summon a level five monster without any tributes?" Rick demanded.
"Because you control a monster and I don't" Professor Helsingborg explained calmly. "But this is only the beginning. I special summon Blackwing-Gale The Whirlwind in attack mode."
Next to the humanoid bird, a smaller bird descended. This one had no human features whatsoever. Covered in blue feathers everywhere except for it head, where they were green, he flapped its wings, causing a small breeze.
Blackwing-Gale the Whirlwind: (Lv3, Winged Beast, ATK 1300 DEF 400)
"And now I'll use its effect, which lets me halve the attack and defense points of one monster on your side of the field. And I'll choose your Explosive Magician."
This time, it flapped its wings a lot harder. As a result, it wasn't a gentle breeze, but a hurricane that went through the entire arena. It wasn't severe enough to destroy any of the buildings, but it did manage to get the opposing sorcerer on one knee.
Explosive Magician: ATK 2500 / 2 = 1250 DEF 1800 / 2 = 900
"Then I'll use 'Sirocco's' ability. This allows me to make the attack power of a Blackwing on my side of the field equal to the total attack power of every Blackwing monster on the field. Therefore, 'Sirocco's' attack now increases with 1300."
Blackwing-Sirocco the Dawn: ATK 2000 + 1300 = 3300
"Luckily for you, the other Blackwings can't attack this turn. But that won't stop me from destroying your tiny monster. 'Sirocco', attack with 'Blackwing Unity'."
Using the wings on his back, the human-shaped bird flew high, as high as the clock tower behind Rick. From that height, it flew at a dazzling speed to the magician in white clothes, who was still unable to get up after the hurricane earlier. Needless to say, the impact of those two monsters colliding killed the wizard instantaneously.
LP Rick: 5300 – 2050 = 3250
Rick looked at his Duel Disk and saw his Life Points drop to below half the original amount. Along with the fact that he had no monsters, it was clear he was at a disadvantage. But even so, his eyes showed he was having fun.
"It's been a long time since I had an opponent this good" Rick confessed. "However, I won't give up. I'll definitely win and be accepted into the academy."
"Very well. And since I can't do anything else, I end my turn."
"Draw" Rick said.
"I summon Defender the Magical Knight."
Another warrior-like monster joined the fray. He somehwat resembled 'Breaker', except that his armor was mostly blue. Also, this one carried a large shield which looked strong enough to block any attack. The most intriguing thing about it, though, was the red crest in the middle of that shield. Moments after the summon, that crest gave off an immense glow.
Defender the Magical Knight: (Lv4, Spellcaster, ATK 1600 DEF 2000)
"When 'Defender' is summo…"
"Let me guess? He gets a Spell Counter which he can use for another effect?" Professor Helsingborg said, slightly annoyed.
"You've already figured that out? You are good. But what if I play the magic card Solidarity?"
Rick was rather impressed by the fact that his tactics were already clear to his opponent, but that was okay. Instead, he inserted another card in his spell card zone, and a hologram of that card appeared vertically, on his right side.
"You see, if Solidarity is played and I have only one type of monster in my grave, all my monsters with the same type gain 800 attack points."
"But that means…" Professor Helsingborg stammered. He knew all too well that Rick so far had only played Spellcaster-type monsters, and that wasn't likely to change. In other words, as long as that card remained on the field, all Rick's monsters would benefit from that card, turning even weak monsters into powerhouses.
"That even the dead ones still can fight."
Defender the Magical Knight: ATK 1600 + 800 = 2400
"And if it wasn't enough already, my Citadel gets a Spell Counter since I played a magic card. But that isn't important right now. 'Defender', attack Blackwing-Gale the Whirlwind."
Instantly, the heavily-armored knight ran forward in an attempt to slash his adversary with the sword in his right hand. He swung it as soon as he got into striking distance, only to see that attack get blocked by another bird, using his wings to intercept the attack and disarm the knight clad in blue.
"Just like your monsters, mine also form a team. If a Blackwing is involved in a battle, I can send my Blackwing-Kalut the Moon Shadow to the graveyard from my hand. In exchange, the attack power of the battling Blackwing increases with 1400."
Blackwing-Gale the Whirlwind: ATK 1300 + 1400 = 2700
The two birds now launched a combined counterattack. Barely having enough time to take cover behind his large shield, he was assaulted by the birds who crashed against that strong wall at full speed, causing Rick's Life Points to drop again.
LP Rick: 3250 – 300 = 2950
"That knight is gone" Helsingborg said, relieved.
"I wouldn't be so sure. That shield is way too hard to destroy with one attack."
To Professor Helsingborg's amazement, Rick was right. Certainly, the crest on the warrior's shield had lost its light, but other than that, no damage was done whatsoever.
"I told you so" Rick explained. "Once per turn, 'Defender' can use a Spell Counter to prevent a Spellcaster from being destroyed. Therefore, by removing the Spell Counter he had, 'Defender' was able to survive that attack."
"And to end my turn, I set one face-down card."
Hans Helsingborg drew a card that widened his eyes.
This might be just the card to win this duel he thought.
"I activate the magic card Black Whirlwind."
Putting that card in his Duel Disk, a dark-looking storm went through the field. Since the storm was so intense, Rick had no choice but to close his eyes and guard his face with both arms.
"If the 'Citadel' is your ace, then this is mine" Professor Helsingborg stated. "But don't worry about this card yet. Because I first use 'Gale's' ability to halve your knight's power."
Swinging those blue wings, another tempest surged across the battlefield. For some reason, the knight with the huge shield felt a lot of pressure on his armor, causing him to be unable to stand straight anymore. Kneeling down, he also had severe troubling handling his shield.
Defender the Magical Knight: ATK 2400 / 2 = 1200 DEF 2000 / 2 = 1000
"And though 'Defender' can save himself once, he isn't able to do so twice. 'Sirocco', finish him off."
"Not so fast. I still have a card left. Activate trap card Mirror Force."
"No…" Professor Helsingborg shouted.
Instantly, Rick's field was covered by a colorful barrier. The humanoid bird was unable to stop its attack at the high speed it was flying with. Therefore, he crashed right into that barrier. Not only that, the forcefield absorbed the power of the colliding attack and returned a counterattack with equal strength, destroying every bird on Professor Helsingborg's field while leaving the weakened knight unharmed.
"My beautiful birds. But I'm not done yet. I activate the magic card Against The Wind. This card allows me to retrieve one Blackwing in my graveyard and put it in my hand. As a drawback, I lose Life Points equal to the attack power of the selected monster. And the card I choose is Blackwing-Sirocco The Dawn."
Once more, a strong wind could be felt within the Duel Arena. This time, however, it was Professor Helsingborg who had to deal with the impact of it, as he took a card out of his graveyard to add to his hand.
LP Professor Helsingborg: 7600 – 2000 = 5600
"And since I didn't summon a monster yet, I will summon it now, Blackwing-Sirocco The Dawn."
For the second time, the humanoid bird (or the human disguised as a bird, it really was hard to tell what it was) descended on the empty half of the field.
Blackwing-Sirocco the Dawn: (Lv5, Winged Beast, ATK 2000 DEF 900)
"And my turn still isn't over. Because I activate the effect of Black Whirlwind. When I normal summon a Blackwing monster, I can add one Blackwing to my hand with less attack points than the summoned monster. So I choose Blackwing-Shura the Blue Flame. Turn end."
In the next turn, I'll summon 'Shura'. Then, by combining my two monsters along with Black Whirlwind, I'll end this duel in my next move.
"My turn, draw" Rick declared.
"I'm sorry, but you'll never be able to use your new monster. At least, not when I use this. I tribute 'Defender' to summon the much stronger Dark Red Enchanter."
The kneeling knight disappeared and a new sorcerer took his place on the field. Wearing a crimson outfit, his shoulder blades had a few golden touches, though. Also, his right hand contained a wand, with the end having a fork-shape and a scarlet orb in the middle of the fork. Needless to say, the orb gave off a strong light.
Dark Red Enchanter: (Lv6, Spellcaster, ATK 1700 DEF 2300)
"I don't think the glowing part needs any more explanation? However, my Enchanter gets two Spell Counters when he is summoned, instead of one. And they'll increase his attack with 600."
Dark Red Enchanter: ATK 1700 + 600 = 2300
"Now I'll use its second effect. By removing two spell counters from this card, I can discard one card from my opponent's hand. But I can only do this once per turn."
"I think you made a mistake. If you had attacked first and then used its effect, then I would've lost both cards. Now I'll lose my hand but I'll still be able to destroy your monster with Sirocco in my next turn."
The audienced knew this as well. With an attack strength of 2300, Dark Red Enchanter was the strongest monster on the field. However, by giving up two Spell Counters, the attack would decrease to 1700, making him weaker than 'Sirocco'. However...
"That's right. But you forgot two things. One, I have Solidarity so my 'Enchanter' still gets the attack bonus."
Dark Red Enchanter: ATK 2300 + 800 = 3100
"And two, I'm not going to waste my 'Enchanter's' counters. I activate the effect of my 'Citadel'. Once per turn, he can substitute his Spell Counters for a cost that requires Spell Counters. So 'Enchanter'…"
The orb now glowed, but the emitted light was darker than before. The magical village, that had stored a lot of magical power already, could be seen transfering some of that strength to the scarlet orb. Then, by releasing that power at once, a crimson beam was fired at the sole card in Professor Helsingborg's hand, causing it to vanish instantly.
"And just so you know, I'm still not done. I activate my Spell Power Grasp to place a Spell Counter on Dark Red Enchanter. And because Spell Power Grasp is a magic card, two Spell Counters are added and I get my last Spell Power Grasp."
Dark Red Enchanter: ATK 3100 + 300 + 300 = 3700
"Dark Red Enchanter, attack 'Sirocco'" Rick commanded as he took the last Spell Power Grasp from his deck.
Raising his wand high, the orb once more glowed dark red. Releasing an immense amount of energy from it, a second beam was fired, straight at the black-feathered bird, destroying it at once.
LP Professor Helsingborg: 5600 – 1700 = 3900
Impossible. One more attack and I might be finished. At that moment, Hans Helsingborg understood the situation. Looking at the palm of his left hand, he saw his hand was empty. Moreover, he had no monsters and no face-down cards. He only had the spell card Black Whirlwind on his side of the field.
"Turn end."
If I don't draw a good card I lose… That thought was an understatement. If he drew a useless card, he would lose in the next turn, without exception.
"Draw."
He felt extremely relieved when he saw his card.
"I summon Blackwing-Zephyros the Elite."
Playing the card he had drawn moments ago, another bird, with the classic black wings, as well as blue feathers on his head, landed in front of him. Except for that, he had a long beak and he wore protective plates around his shoulders.
Blackwing-Zephyros the Elite: (Lv4, Winged Beast, ATK 1600 DEF 1000)
"And thanks to Black Whirlwind I can add Blackwing-Breeze the Zephyr to my hand."
Professor Helsingborg picked the card from his deck and immediately placed it on his Duel Disk.
"What are you doing? You already summoned a monster this turn" Rick demanded.
"If Blackwing-Breeze the Zephyr is added to my hand except by drawing it I can special summon it" Hans Helsingborg answered with restored confidence.
A gentle wind could be felt across the field, which was caused by the newly-summoned monster. Contrary to most Blackwings, this one didn't have a single black feather. Instead, his wings were yellow while the rest of his body was covered in orange feathers, making it look much less threatening.
Blackwing-Breeze the Zephyr: (Lv3, Winged Beast, ATK 1100 DEF 300)
"And now I synchro summon once again," Professor Helsingborg went on. "I tune my two Blackwings into each other to summon my ace monster, Blackwing-Armored Master."
For the third time, one could see a monster changing into a number of green circles, this covering the black-feathered, long-beaked bird. They disappeared, and a new monster showed itself. Compared to every other winged-beast so far, this particular one was even darker than the others. Six pitch-black wings, as well as dark armor covering its legs, its arms and shoulders.
Blackwing-Armor Master: (Lv7, Winged Beast, ATK 2500 DEF 1500)
"Blackwing-Armor Master, attack Dark Red Enchanter."
"But that will result in a suicide for your monster."
"We'll find out soon enough."
Announcing the attack sign, the black-armored creature leapt forward at an astounding speed, colliding with the crimson-clothed wizard who used his magical prowess to cast a defensive barrier. The collision caused some smoke, making it impossible to see the outcome of the battle.
As the smoke finally cleared, Dark Red Enchanter was unharmed.
"You just wasted your best card for nothing. Why?"
However, a few tiny feathers could be seen falling onto the mage's shoulders. He tried to brush them off with his hands, but they wouldn't go away no matter how hard he tried.
And out of nothing, Blackwing-Armor Master survived the battle somehow. Soaring through the sky, there was no visible damage, and he landed on the exact spot where his attack began.
"How is all of this possible?" Rick couldn't help but be astonished by this development. His monster was clearly the stronger one, yet it wasn't able to win a one-on-one.
"First of all, Blackwing-Armor Master can't be destroyed by battle and I don't take damage from a battle involving him. Also, if Blackwing-Armor Master battles a monster, he leaves a Wedge Counter on the battling monster" He said, pointing at the feathers on Dark Red Enchanter's shoulders. "And once per turn, he can remove the Wedge Counters to decrease the attack of the affected monsters to zero."
"You mean he can destroy everything but nothing can destroy him?" That's a powerful card.
"Exactly, but lucky for you I can't do anything else this turn. So go ahead. Perhaps it is your last turn."
I can't believe it. Even after coming this far, I'm still going to lose? In that case, let's at least look at my next card.
"Draw."
Rick looked at the drawn card and realized the duel was over.
"This is the last turn of the duel" Rick stated.
The crowd was amazed by the sudden call so was Professor Helsingborg.
"Impossible."
"But it is. First, I summon another copy of Magical Exemplar in attack mode."
A second copy of the green-dressed, female sorceress made its way to the field, taking place next to the crimson-clothed wizard.
"Next, I play my last copy of Spell Power Grasp and I'll give the Spell Counter to my 'Citadel'. And since I played a magic card, all my cards get a Spell Counter. And Magical Exemplar even gains two counters."
"But what's the point of doing this. You still have no cards to destroy my monster."
"And I won't need those. Now I activate Magical Exemplar's ability. By removing a number of spell counters on this card I can summon a Spellcaster from my graveyard with a level equal to the number of removed counters. And I remove two spell counters to resurrect Night's End Sorcerer."
The golden chains the female wizard had attached to her robe gave off a strong light. Using that power, she was able to revive the boy with the scythe. He emerged on the battlefield, in front of the two other magicians, still accompanied by a hoard of bats.
Night's End Sorcerer: (Lv2, Spellcaster, ATK 1300 DEF 400)
"But these monsters will be used for my synchro summon. I'll tune Magical Exemplar with Night's End Sorcerer into Tempest Magician" Rick announced.
By now, it had become a common scene, but the scythe and the floating bats changed into two green circles, enveloping the female mage, effectively turning into a new monster. Interestingly enough, this new female magician had an appearance resembling, no, identical to that of Magical Exemplar, safe for her dress, which was now deep blue. Moreover, she wielded the exact same scyhte Night's End Sorcerer had, and she too, was surrounded by bats. If one didn't know better, this monster could easily be mistaken for a fusion between the two aforementioned monsters, rather than a synchro.
Tempest Magician: (Lv6, Spellcaster, ATK 2200 DEF 1400)
"And now I'll end this match. Tempest Magician, activate 'Tempest Burn'."
The magical village Rick and Professor Helsingborg were in, had by now accumulated a lot of power, causing the town to have become more vivid. However, in an instant, all life in the village, as well as the strength of the scarlet-armored wizard adjacent to her, disappeared, gathering in the blade of that transparent scythe.
"What is 'Tempest Burn'?", Helsingborg asked surprised.
"Once per turn, Tempest Magician can remove all spell counters on the field."
"But isn't that useless?"
"Not really, because for every removed spell counter Tempest Magician inflicts 500 points of direct damage to your Life Points. And with ten spell counters removed…"
As a result of the large amount of gathered power, the blade had lost its transparency, becoming pitch-black. Then, she released all the stored energy at once, causing huge dark flames to cover the headmaster of Odin Palace.
"I lose. Impossible!"
"Go Tempest Burn."
LP Professor Helsingborg: 3900 – 500 * 10 = 0
Shutting down their Duel Disks, the holograms vanished at once, returning the scenery back to the classic arena. The audience that remained until the very end, was pleased with watching the interesting duel. Seeing everything end, they too left the building.
"Well professor, do you think I passed the test?"
Professor Helsingborg walked to Rick, again extending him a hand.
"Rick, in accordance to the rules of the entrance exam, you passed the exam and are hereby accepted to the European Duel Academy. Further information will be sent via mail as soon as possible."
Rick just smiled and nodded as an agreement. Nothing could make his day any better anymore. Whatever happened right now, there was only one thing on his mind.
I've made it. Duel Academy, here I come.
Rick: "It seems I'm put in Loki Mansion."
Ilian: "You as well. What is Loki Mansion actually?"
Max: "You don't know? Let me explain what life is on this island."
Rick: "I rather want to duel against someone. And who are you by the way?"
Max: "I'll tell everything as soon as you arrive at the Academy."
Rick: "Why don't we just do a triangle duel?"
Max: "I have to duel?"
Ilian: "Next on Yu-Gi-Oh European Duel Academy: 'Showdown at Loki's'."
Ilian: "Also, you don't want to duel, Max?"