Chapter 2 – Secret Garden! Former Champion VS Beautiful Examiner

"I'm coming! I'm coming!"

The blue-haired teen pushed the other duelists out of the way (and pushed him back, I might add) as he made his way to the dueling arena. He straightened up his hat and glasses as he shuffled the cards in his deck. As the teen (ah, screw it. We know it's Weevil) approached his side of the arena, his face went bright red as he saw his examiner: a tall, curvy, red-haired woman with rectangular glasses, and mellow brown eyes. She wore a white blouse, a black skirt, leather boots, and a red jacket tied around her waist. For some reason, Weevil felt his glasses slip a bit.

"So, what's your name, hon?"

He tried to break his gaze from the examiner. He could feel steam coming out of his collar as he tried to be civil (a bit late for that, though).

"W-weevil Underwood, ma'am."

"Weevil? That's an odd name, but I believe I've heard of you somewhere."

Suddenly, Weevil seemed quite confident and smiled, pushing up his glasses. "Well, I was the duelist champion of Japan at one point…"

The examiner put her hands together and smiled sweetly. "Oh! I remember! Didn't Yugi Mutou wail on you in the first round of Duelist Kingdom?"

Weevil growled angrily. "Don't remind me."

"Oh well. Anyway, my name is Sharon Autumn and I will be your examiner for today. Of course, I imagine you won't last long, but I do owe the 'Champion of Japan' a fair chance. Don't ya think?" She winked at Weevil, who had to cover his face to hide his blushing.

"He's the Champion of Japan?!" Jaden shouted in surprise. "That's so weird! I've never even heard of the guy!"

"That's understandable," Bastion replied. "I've done some research and found out he only became the champion of Japan by cheating his way through most of his duels. However, I would like to see how he stacks up against our examiner."

"Speaking of stacked, who is that woman anyway?" Syrus asked as hearts lit up in his eyes. "She's a knockout!"

"I've never seen her before. Perhaps she's a new examiner."

"She can examine me, anytime!"

"Down, boy," Alexis said sternly.

Back on the floor, the wild-haired teen, Rex Raptor, tapped his foot and watched with jealousy as Weevil struggled to resist Autumn's feminine wiles. He felt a vein pulse in the back of his head.

"Weevil, you lucky son of a…Why couldn't I get the hot chick examiner?!"

At that point, a snide female voice rang through his head. Bon voyage, loser! And thanks for the room.

Rex shook his head hastily. "Maybe it's better that way."

Autumn put her duel disk on her left arm and smiled at Weevil, who was still blushing. "Hope you're ready. It's a shame I have to send you packing myself. You really are a cutie."

"You're too kind, really, but enough about that! I believe I have an exam to pass!"

"Or fail…"

"LET'S DUEL!"

Both duelists Life Points were set to 4000. They both drew five cards.

"Hmm…I suppose I better make the first move, then." Autumn drew a card from her deck. "I summon Darkworld Thorns (1200/900) in Attack Mode!" The monster materializing on the field looked like a drooling Venus-flytrap tangled in its vines and covered in thorns. "Then, I'll set one card face down and end my turn."

"That's all? I was expecting something bigger from an examiner." Weevil was able to get back in his stride, though he didn't bother to wipe the blood from his nose as he drew his card. "Hmm…Here goes nothing! I'll summon Flying Kamakiri #1 (1400/900) in Attack Mode!"

Weevil's monster looked like a cross-breed between a mantis and a dragonfly.

"Now, my Kamakiri! Tear up that disgusting weed!"

"Disgusting?! Now, that's no way to talk about my cards!" Autumn was in a huff as the Flying Kamakiri closed in on her Darkworld Thorns…

"I activate my face down trap, Hallowed Life Barrier!" She shouted as she raised her face down card. "It works like this. When I send a card from my hand to the graveyard, the damage I take is reduced to zero!"

A barrier formed around Darkworld Thorns as Weevil's Flying Kamakiri gets pushed back. Weevil glared at her.

"Lucky move. I end my turn, then."

"It's not luck that saved my Life Points, Champion of Japan." Autumn drew her card and smiled. "I sacrifice my Darkworld Thorns and summon Queen of Autumn Leaves (1800/1500) in Attack mode!"

Her monster would've been mistaken for the examiner herself, if her hands didn't look like bare tree branches. She had violet red hair, a matching dress, and a crown of red leaves adorning her head.

"Now, my queen, attack his Kamakiri! Red Leaf Whirlwind!"

The Queen of Autumn Leaves raised her hand as she whipped up a whirlwind of leaves from out of nowhere. The whirlwind tore Flying Kamakiri #1 to pieces as Weevil tried to stay on his feet. His Life Points dropped to 3600.

"Big deal. As soon as my Flying Kamakiri #1 is destroyed, Flying Kamakiri #2 (1500/1000) takes the stage!"

As the whirlwind died down, a giant mantis emerged from Weevil's deck to the field. It poised its blades into attack mode.

"Very good move, young man. But notice that you don't see me insulting your insect monsters." Autumn stared at Weevil with stern eyes. That flirty woman from before seemed to be gone. "Being a duelist is all about being a good sport, you see?"

"Like I really care about being a good sport!" Weevil yelled at her. "The only reason I decided to apply here was to become stronger. Strong enough to defeat Yugi's Egyptian God Cards!" At that point, Weevil burst into tears. "I WANT THEM SO BAD!"

In the stands, Jaden and the rest of the group were trading expressions of embarrassment, confusion, and a number of sweatdrops.

"Crying in the middle of a duel? That's a new low." Bastion said.

"How embarrassing," Alexis said, with her hand on her temple.

"I should just throw that chump out myself," Chazz said, disgusted.

"I'm guessing he hasn't been champion in a looooong time," Jaden said.

Autumn smirked at Weevil. "Well, if you're applying here for something like that, you'll have to work extra, extra hard. Anyway, I'll end my turn with two face down cards."

"Fine!" Weevil drew his card and smiled wickedly. Excellent. Just what I needed, but I can't use this just yet. I want to make her squirm like an earthworm.

Looking on from the sidelines, Rex saw Weevil's signature smirk.

Looks like he's drawn his trademark. Put that chatty hot chick in her place!

"First, I'll sacrifice my Flying Kamakiri #2," Weevil said as his monster disappeared, "and I'll summon Saber Beetle (2400/1800) in Attack mode!"

In his Kamakiri's place, a giant beetle stood with a glowing horn.

"Saber Beetle! Attack her Queen of Autumn Leaves!"

As Saber Beetle's horn charged up, Autumn lifted one of her face down cards. "I activate my trap, Karma Cut!"

"So what?"

"So, if I discard one card from my hand, I get to remove your Beetle from play."

"Huh?!"

And right before Weevil's eyes, one of his strongest monsters was turned to dust. He glared at her angrily.

"You seem so upset. Are you giving up already? It's probably better that way."

"Grr…I'll beat you soon enough. I'll set two cards face down and end my turn!"

Weevil smirked again. Let's see how she likes this!

Autumn looked down at Weevil's face down cards with concern, and then at Weevil's pathetic poker face, then draws her card. I don't like where this is going. He must have something planned with those facedown cards. I don't have anything that can get rid of them right now, but…

"First I'll activate my face down card, Magical Thorn! This continuous trap will cost you 500 Life Points for each card you send to the graveyard."

Weevil wasn't phased. "So what? I don't need to discard anything so soon."

"I know you don't, sweetie. That's why I'm going to make you, with the card in my hand. I play the spell Card Destruction! Now, we have to discard both our hands and draw the same number of cards from our decks. And thanks to Magical Thorn's effect, since you have two cards, you lose 1000 Life Points."

Weevil growled. As he discarded and drew two cards, his Life Points drop to 2600.

"Now, Queen of Autumn Leaves, attack his Life Points! Red Leaf Whirlwind!"


I apologize that my style of narrating duels is very long. But at least it's a break from other authors who use script format. ANYWAY...

The battle continues with Weevil and Autumn as they dish out plenty of trash talk. Part two of the duel continues. Seesaw Duel: The Clash Continues!