Demotion Duel!

A Warrior's Strength!

"How dare that slacker insult me like that!" Crowler shouted to himself. "And he's in Obelisk Blue of all things! Well, now, we'll just have to fix that won't we?" Crowler burst into Chancellor Sheppard's office, unaware of the small figure stopping just outside the room.

"Why hello, Crowler!" Sheppard greeted him.

"Yes, yes. And a howdy-do to you as well," Crowler muttered. "Chancellor, I have urgent business, business involving a certain Obelisk Blue student."

"And who might that be?" Sheppard smiled.

"Conway Amuniz!" Crowler yelled.

"What business might you have with this boy?" Sheppard asked suspiciously.

"Well, um," Crowler stuttered, "I just don't think he's Obelisk material!"

"What would your reasoning be?" Sheppard pried.

"Well, just by looking at him I can tell he's definitely not a grade A duelist," Crowler replied.

"Hm, well if you think his rank should be lowered, then why not duel him?" Sheppard suggested. "That'll prove if he's good enough for Obelisk or not. Besides, everything here should be settled with a duel."

Crowler appeared as if he was going to explode. "Me duel a slacker like him? Of all the things, this has..." Crowler grumbled as he turned to leave. Sheppard gave a slight grin as Crowler left the room.

"Conway and Crowler are gonna duel?" Jaden asked. "Are you sure?"

"Yeah, I overheard...Crowler talking to...Sheppard," Syrus puffed, out of breath as he had ran all the way to the Slifer dorm.

"You were eavesdropping again, son?" Hassleberry asked, annoyed.

"Yeah, but...if Conway loses, he gets demoted!" Syrus panted.

"Demoted!" Hassleberry cried. "No fair! Crowler just wants to get back at him for calling him a sissy girl!"

"Um, he just called her, er, him a woman," Syrus said, getting his breath back.

"That's your conscience talking!" Jaden grinned. "But everyone knows Crowler is a sissy man...woman..." They all began to laugh as they began to walk toward the duel field.

"The stakes are as follows: I win, and whatshisname gets demoted to Slifer Red! If that kid does somehow happen to get lucky, then he gets to stay in Obelisk!" Crowler announced to the thin crowd, mainly consisting of Jaden and Co. and the new kids. Sheppard suddenly walked in and sat down next to Jaden.

"This certainly will be an exciting duel!" Sheppard said cheerily.

"Hey, Sheppard?" Jaden began. "Can Crowler really do this just because he was insulted by Conway?"

"Not really, but its so fun to watch him lose to someone he hates," Sheppard laughed. Jaden sighed.

"Duel!" Crowler and Conway said together.

"You can go first, slacker!" Crowler shouted.

"M'kay," Conway said unenthusiastically. "I guess I'll draw, then"

"I summon Command Knight (1200/1900) in attack mode," Conway said. "His effect makes his attack go up by 400. Then I'll set a face-down and it can be your turn."

"Not the enthusiastic type are we?" Crowler mused. "Oh well. Now watch a real turn! I draw!"

"A bit dramatic, don't you think?" Conway asked rhetorically.

"Be quiet you insolent brat!" Crowler yelled, obviously perturbed.

"I activate my Ancient Gear Castle! Now every time a monster is normal summoned or set, my castle here gains a token. In addition, all my Ancient Gear monsters attacks go up by 300!" Crowler shouted.

"Now then, I summon my Ancient Gear Cannon (500/500) in attack mode!" Crowler shouted as a hologram of a bunch of rusty pieces of metal linked together to oddly resemble a cannon popped onto the duel field. "That's a token and 300 bonus attack points!"

"It SURE is ancient..." Conway remarked.

"Don't you give me any lip! I'm your teacher!" Crowler yelled.

"Well then you'd better win, otherwise this'll be pretty embarrassing," Conway chuckled silently.

"How's this for embarrassing?" Crowler shouted. "I equip my Cannon with this: my Ancient Gear Fist! Now Ancient Gear Cannon, attack his Command Knight!" Ancient Gear Cannon was instantly destroyed as Command Knight poked it with its sword.

"It WAS pretty embarrassing...for you!" Conway jeered.

"I think you're the one who's going to be embarrassed!" Crowler responded. Just as the Cannon was finished disappearing, a huge metallic fist shot out from behind it and slammed into Command Knight, destroying it.

"You see, my Ancient Gear Fist destroys any monster that battles with the equipped monster at the end of the damage step. Hehe," Crowler laughed as his life points dropped to 3200.

"Whatever, I'll go now," Conway informed him. "I summon Warrior Lady of the Wasteland (1100/1200)! Next I'll set a face-down and you can go."

"You added a counter to my castle by the way!" Crowler chuckled. "I draw!" Crowler then studied his hand.

"I don't know what your planning with those face down cards, but I won't let you do it!" Crowler crowed. "I first summon my Ancient Gear Beast (2000/2000) with the help of my Ancient Gear Castle! Next, I activate Heavy Storm! Now all your spell and traps go to the grave!" Call of the Haunted and Royal Decree suddenly flipped up and both were instantly destroyed.

"Now my Beast attacks your Lady!" Ancient Gear Beast bit into Warrior Lady of the Wasteland and destroyed it. Conway's life points dropped to 3100.

"Didn't your mother ever teach you to watch what you eat?" Conway sneered. "I activate my Lady's special effect..."

"You don't seem like the type to make a joke, but whatever, your effect won't work!" Crowler interrupted. "My Beast negates the effects of all monsters it destroys! How's that for embarrassing?"

"Enough with that!" Conway yelled. "I activate my Double Summon spell card. Now I can summon twice this turn. And I summon my Exiled Force (1000/1000) and Goblin Attack Force (2300/0)."

"Let me guess, you sacrifice Exiled Force to destroy my Beast, then you attack me directly with Goblin Attack Force?" Crowler hypothesized.

"Well that's a better plan than what I had, but sure." Conway agreed. Ancient gear Beast and Exiled Force were both destroyed and Crowler's life points dropped to 900. Goblin Attack Force then switched to defense mode.

"I end my turn with a face-down," Conway said.

"Alright, I activate my Monster Reborn to summon back Ancient Gear Cannon!" Crowler shouted. "Then I'll summon my Ancient Gear Soldier!"

"Too bad. I activate my trap," Conway said. "It's Ring of Destruction, so now we both take points equal to your soldier's attack points."

"Not so fast!" Crowler pointed dramatically at Conway. "I activate my Limiter Removal! Now both my mmosnters have their attacks doubled! So we both take 2600 damage!"

"Yeah, but you still loose," Connor stated.

"Not so much," Crowler grinned. "I activate my Ancient Gear Cannon's special effect! Now you take 500 points of damage if I sacrifice it, which I do!"

Crowler's and Conway's life points both dropped to 0. "Well I didn't win, but I didn't lose either," Crowler sighed.

"Excellent duel," Sheppard commended, walking up to them.

"What happens to Conway?" Jaden asked as he ran up to Sheppard.

"Well, he just showed he's worthy of Obelisk Blue by having a tie with a teacher her at Duel Academy!" Sheppard replied. "So, he stays in Obelisk Blue.

"Duh," Conway muttered as he walked out of the arena.

"Stupid little..." Crowler began, but stopped realizing he was around kids.

"Don't worry, Teach!" Jaden patted Crowler on the back. "You'll win next time for sure!"