YuGiOh! XIIIth Hour
II
The Butterfly Knight Effect/The Faithful Knight Kneels
"Hey babe," Chou called to Junyo.
Junyo smiled, turning toward her.
"Hello sweetheart," Junyo said as she kissed him on the cheek.
Chou Ito. She was the new girl or rather young woman, eighteen years old, that moved into the neighborhood and showed everyone in a matter of days she was a top-notch duelist. She never bragged about her skills. She only ever talked about how much she loved dueling and how much fun it was, so a number of people thought she was a casual player. The tournament revealed not only was she better than the rest but she had a number of fans from her primary mode of dueling: online dueling.
No one had known Chou by her real name, but they all began to recognize her Deck as she battled through the neighborhood tournament, especially in her duel against Yuuto. Junyo brought her out of her comfort zone, making her laugh and allowing her to relax because he didn't take the duel so seriously. Yuuto ignited her drive and passion, sweeping her up in his intense, lively energy and making her focus to play the way she knew she could. After moving there, she wanted to start branching out and not be afraid of the success and attention she might garner by dueling in public. Doing so was challenging for her, but meeting Junyo and Yuuto, dueling them, made her happy that she had gone through with it.
"Good to see you," Chou said. "That was a spectacular duel. I watched it. You've come a ways, and I'm loving the new deck so far."
"Thanks," Junyo said.
"Hopefully you'll come watch my duel," she said.
"Of course I will," Junyo said.
"I look forward to facing you again in the finals," Chou said. "You might've lost to me at that last tournament, but I had fun. You played to the end. A lot of duelists don't do that these days. Think you can beat me this time?"
"This time?" Junyo questioned. "Yes. Definitely. You better give me your best Chou. No holding back."
"I'd never hold back against you," Chou said and laughed.
Chou had shoulder-length, raven black hair. She had a peach ribbon wrapped around her hair and tied in a bow at the top on her left side. She had her hair on her left side tucked behind her ear, revealing a gold rose quartz earring. She had found it in an antique shop, and the shop had only had the one. She saved money from her chores, took odd jobs in her old neighbor, and managed to finally buy it for herself on her 13th birthday. She had worn it ever since, and people always admired it and complimented her about it. Her eyes were a soothing gray. She wore a peach blouse that she covered with a white lattice hoodie. A khaki twill skirt, a white wristband on her right wrist that read FIERCE, and a pair of knee-high brown suede boots completed her outfit.
"I can't wait to see what you've got in store for me," Chou said. "First, I have to make it through my first duel. I saw your brother earlier. I told him to make sure he watched my duel too. He owes me a rematch, and I'm going to take him down this time. Ugh, that guy…" She sighed. "Your brother is beautiful."
They both laughed together.
"If you want him to know how you feel and you feel like you can't just outright tell him," Junyo said, "duel him again. A duel lays everything bare."
Chou nodded before she went for her appointed duel platform.
*!*!*
The platinum blonde woman reached the V.I.P. balcony, passing through the door to meet the lone man inside who minutes before had been looking down upon all the duelists. She walked until she reached the center of the room.
A light-skinned chestnut brunet man had shaggy hair with a messy look, but the spikiness of it made it look edgier. He looked toward the platinum blonde woman with brown eyes that flashed peridot green as he walked past her and went and sat at the bar after he fixed himself a drink.
The platinum blonde woman turned toward him.
The chestnut brunet man focused on the drink he held in his hands.
"Whatever you intend to accomplish you won't," the platinum blonde woman said. "You'll fail."
"If you're so sure," the chestnut brunet man said, "why follow me? If you believe in him so, trust in him, what possible reason could you have had to come stop me?"
"I came to ensure you fail," she said.
"Without a body?" he questioned. He smirked. "It'll be amusing to see how you fair."
A woman in a dark suit came and stood behind him.
"Yes Ms. Abigail," the chestnut brunet man said.
"Sir," Ms. Abigail said, "your guests have arrived. They received your invitations and have come. They declined coming to the V.I.P. lounge. The three Legendary Duelists are each in different sections of the arena while the two Presidents of Industrial Illusions and Game Masters are conversing in the lobby. They're enjoying themselves and the atmosphere and request that you join them immediately."
"I better not keep any of them waiting then," the chestnut brunet man said. He finished his drink, stood up from the barstool, and followed Ms. Abigail to leave the room. He threw up a hand in farewell to the platinum blonde woman.
"This, whatever this is, isn't going to end well for you," the platinum blonde woman said right as the chestnut brunet man left through the door. She knew, however, that he knew that this might not end well for him but the possibility that it might not end well for him wasn't going to stop him.
*!*!*
"Hello ladies, gentlemen," a woman said. "I am Hinata Inoue. I have the pleasure of introducing the next two duelists to duel in my area of the arena. First, we have Chou Ito, the graceful and fierce Fairy duelist, and Minami Daidouji, the reserved and serious Pyro duelist."
The audience went wild with anticipation and excitement.
"Minami," Hinata said. "Are you ready to start?"
Minami nodded that she was.
The crowd cheered.
"Chou," Hinata said. "Are you ready to begin?"
"Can't wait," Chou said.
The crowd cheered.
"I want to win," Chou said, "but let's just have as much fun as possible, Minami."
"I understand you want to have fun, Chou," Minami said, "but winning is all that matters to me."
"It appears two dueling philosophies are at odds this morning," Hinata said. "Minami believes you can't take joy in victory to be the best while Chou believes if you're not enjoying yourself why would you want to even play."
"If you aren't going to take it seriously," Minami said, "why bother?"
"You nailed my philosophy," Chou said. "If it's not fun, you're just going through the motions, wasting your time and wasting your life."
"You're taking your loss in stride," Chou had said when she defeated Junyo.
"Why wouldn't I," Junyo had said and smiled. "I've lost a lot, but every duel serves a purpose: win or lose. If you didn't gain something, whether it's a deeper understanding of yourself or a deep understanding of someone else, you're not doing it right."
Somehow, for some reason, Junyo's very words had inspired her to do what she loved, do what she enjoyed… And not worry anymore of the fear she had always attached to it.
"This is your chance to show us your mettle," Hinata said. "Duel."
Chou: 4000LP
Minami: 4000LP
Both duelists placed their decks on the Duel Reader, which virtualized their cards and prepared the duelists' virtual reality interfaces and the virtual reality field.
"The Field Partner Spell cards will be declared," Hinata announced. "This duel, Partner Duel, will officially begin. Minami won the coin toss. Minami, let us commence with this showdown."
The crowd cheered.
"Sol Lupine," Minami said, "take center stage: in Attack Mode."
Sol Lupine
[Pyro/Field Partner]***
ATK: 1450
DEF: 1050
EFF:
For every 1000 LPs lost, this card inflicts ¼ of its opponent's Life Points worth of Direct Damage.
"I knew it," Chou said, drawing Minami's attention. Chou could see Minami was a bit curious about what Chou meant. "You use a Pyro Deck, which means you've got quite a few surprises waiting in the wings for me."
Minami said not a word in response. She appeared to be taking Chou in, thinking about both what kind of duelist she was and what kind of person.
Minami was a year younger than Chou, but she had the look and air of someone older or more mature. She had neck-length, layered short hair, which was pink, but the hood that she hadn't taken down mostly covered it. She had a hard gaze from brown eyes. She wore a stonewashed green hoodie; the sleeves were a little overly long, covering half of her hands, but she didn't seem to mind. She wore dark gray capri pants, along with a pair of ankle boots that were dark gray with a hint of stonewashed green throughout them.
"I'll begin," Chou said, "playing my Field Partner in Attack Mode too. It's one of my favorite cards. It rarely lets me down. Butterfly Squire!"
Butterfly Squire
[Fairy/Field Partner]****
ATK: 1000
DEF: 1800
EFF: This card bestows three Butterfly tokens on the Field that can act as tributes. If they are destroyed by battle, they allow you to draw a card: 1 = Monster Card (excluding Battle Partner), 2 = Spell Card, and 3 = Trap Card. Shuffle your Deck after each draw.
Minami crossed her arms.
Chou broadly grinned.
"Duel," they both said simultaneously.
*!*!*
"You're not dueling yet," Junyo asked his brother, "or did you already beat your opponent?" He laughed. He had caught sight of Yuuto watching Chou's duel too and joined him.
"Haven't dueled yet," Yuuto said, glancing at his brother before he returned his attention to the duel. "A lot of people are going to duel before me. They organizers told me I didn't need to duel, but I told them I wanted to earn my place like everybody else. If that's the case, they said, I'd have to wait."
"Thems the breaks when you're such a great duelist," Junyo said and laughed again.
"Come here yous," Yuuto said, putting Junyo in a headlock for a moment or two before he released him. He refocused on the duel and then Chou.
"What do you think of Chou?" Junyo asked, standing just behind Yuuto.
"A fun person and talented duelist," Yuuto said without looking at Junyo. "Why do you ask?"
"No reason," Junyo said, remembering Yuuto was a little oblivious when it came to these matters. Either that or he was obfuscating stupidity. While he and Yuuto talked about anything and everything, women boggled Yuuto's mind, left him tongue-tied, and could take him out of his usual confident and secure self. For Junyo, it was pure entertainment, but Yuuto hated that he didn't know how to be himself around women: more specifically women who were interested in him. With Chou on the scene, it appeared that maybe that only applied when Yuuto knew the woman was interested in him.
"Did you notice her earring?" Yuuto asked after cheering on Chou.
Chou noticed him in the crowd.
"She told me about it," Junyo said, admiring it now from afar. "We've been talking since the neighborhood tournament. I'd call her a friend."
Yuuto turned toward him, and the expression on his face was oddly stern. This lasted only a few moments. He spoke, nodded, and then went back to cheering Chou on.
"Always take care of your friends," Yuuto had said. "They're important. You take care of them; they'll always take care of you. Just like family."
Junyo didn't say anything, but after Yuuto refocused on the duel before them Junyo nodded in agreement.
*!*!*
"I'll start this duel by playing Flame Spirit Ignis in Attack Mode," Minami said.
Flame Spirit Ignis
[Pyro/Effect]****
ATK: 1500
DEF: 1200
EFF:
You can Tribute 1 face-up FIRE monster to inflict 100 damage to your opponent for each FIRE monster in your Graveyard.
"I'll end my turn by having Sol Lupine attack your Field Partner Butterfly Squire," Minami said.
Sol Lupine
[Pyro/Field Partner]***
ATK: 1450
DEF: 1050
EFF:
For every 1000 LPs lost, this card inflicts ¼ of its opponent's Life Points worth of Direct Damage.
Butterfly Squire
[Fairy/Field Partner]****
ATK: 1000
DEF: 1800
EFF: This card bestows three Butterfly tokens on the Field that can act as tributes. If they are destroyed by battle, they allow you to draw a card: 1 = Monster Card (excluding Battle Partner), 2 = Spell Card, and 3 = Trap Card. Shuffle your Deck after each draw.
Butterfly Squire
[Fairy/Field Partner]****
ATK: 450
DEF: 1800
EFF: This card bestows three Butterfly tokens on the Field that can act as tributes. If they are destroyed by battle, they allow you to draw a card: 1 = Monster Card (excluding Battle Partner), 2 = Spell Card, and 3 = Trap Card. Shuffle your Deck after each draw.
Chou: 3450LP
Minami: 4000LP
"Both duelists start out with some impressive Partner cards," Hinata said, "and Minami puts her best foot forward, kicking off the duel by playing a strong card and inflicting damage to both Chou's Field Partner card and her Life Points."
"I'll draw a card," Chou said, looking it over once she had it in hand. "Butterfly Squire, attack Sol Lupine! I'll then end my turn."
Butterfly Squire
[Fairy/Field Partner]****
ATK: 450
DEF: 1800
EFF: This card bestows three Butterfly tokens on the Field that can act as tributes. If they are destroyed by battle, they allow you to draw a card: 1 = Monster Card (excluding Battle Partner), 2 = Spell Card, and 3 = Trap Card. Shuffle your Deck after each draw.
Sol Lupine
[Pyro/Field Partner]***
ATK: 1450
DEF: 1050
EFF:
For every 1000 LPs lost, this card inflicts ¼ of its opponent's Life Points worth of Direct Damage.
Sol Lupine
[Pyro/Field Partner]***
ATK: 600
DEF: 1050
EFF:
For every 1000 LPs lost, this card inflicts ¼ of its opponent's Life Points worth of Direct Damage.
Chou: 3450LP
Minami: 3150LP
"Is that your strategy?" Minami asked. "To hide behind tokens? I expected more." She drew a card.
"I don't believe in fast duels," Chou said. "I believe in fun duels! I'm going to make sure you have the time of your life: keep you on your toes. Don't underestimate me." She chuckled. "Besides, if you take a look at our Life Points, I'm winning."
Minami raised an eyebrow.
"I don't waste time," Minami said. "Unfortunately for you, that means you won't have time to have any fun." She placed a card face down and set a card. "This is card I will place face down, and this is a Monster I'm playing in Defense Mode."
"Intriguing," Hinata said. "Minami plays a Monster in Defense Mode. Also, if you all have noticed, neither duelist has played or set a Spell or Trap card yet. Looks as though both of these duelists are big on their Monster cards."
"Flame Spirit Ignis," Minami said, beginning her Battle Phase, "destroy one of those Butterfly Tokens."
Hinata, the crowd, Minami, and Chou watched her Butterfly token disappear from the Field.
"That activates my Field Partner's effect," Chou said. "I get to draw a Monster card, and after I do I shuffle my Deck."
"You're drawing closer to defeat," Minami said. "I would take this more seriously if I were you, especially if dueling actually means something to you."
"Dueling does means a lot to me," Chou said. "It changed my life. That's why I have to have fun with it. It brought me friends and confidence. Made me a part of something. Dueling allows me to share that experience with others. Dueling doesn't make you feel that way? A part of something?"
"No," Minami said. "It's a means to an end: money." She finished off her turn. "Sol Lupine, attack Butterfly Squire."
Sol Lupine
[Pyro/Field Partner]***
ATK: 600
DEF: 1050
EFF:
For every 1000 LPs lost, this card inflicts ¼ of its opponent's Life Points worth of Direct Damage.
Butterfly Squire
[Fairy/Field Partner]****
ATK: 450
DEF: 1800
EFF: This card bestows three Butterfly tokens on the Field that can act as tributes. If they are destroyed by battle, they allow you to draw a card: 1 = Monster Card (excluding Battle Partner), 2 = Spell Card, and 3 = Trap Card. Shuffle your Deck after each draw.
Butterfly Squire
[Fairy/Field Partner]****
ATK: 100
DEF: 1800
EFF: This card bestows three Butterfly tokens on the Field that can act as tributes. If they are destroyed by battle, they allow you to draw a card: 1 = Monster Card (excluding Battle Partner), 2 = Spell Card, and 3 = Trap Card. Shuffle your Deck after each draw.
"Minami's Field Partner is doing quite the damage to Chou's Field Partner and Life points," Hinata said. "If Minami would've played her second Monster in Attack Mode, she would've done additional damage to Chou's Field Partner and Life points, but that doesn't take away from the fact that Minami struck quite a blow."
Chou: 3100LP
Minami: 3150LP
"Money is important," Chou said, drawing a card. "It is necessary. It's not the only important thing in life though. It's not the only thing that's necessary." She proceeded with her turn. "I play in Attack Mode Royal Knight! This is where the fun begins." She chuckled.
Royal Knight
[Fairy/Effect]***
ATK: 1300
DEF: 800
EFF:
When this card destroys a monster by battle and sends it to the Graveyard, gain Life Points equal to the DEF of the destroyed monster.
"I'll play the Equip Spell card Fairy Light along with it," Chou continued.
Fairy Light
[Spell Card]
The Fairy-Type Monster equipped with this card gains 200 ATK points and 100 ATK points for every Fairy-Type Monster in Attack position that fights alongside the Fairy-Type Monster equipped with this card.
Royal Knight
[Fairy/Effect]***
Equipped w/Fairy Light
ATK: 1500
DEF: 800
EFF:
When this card destroys a monster by battle and sends it to the Graveyard, gain Life Points equal to the DEF of the destroyed monster.
"That's not all either," Chou said. "I'll play the Spell card Rejuvenate. It restores the original Attack Points of a Field Partner Spell card."
Butterfly Squire
[Fairy/Field Partner]****
ATK: 1000
DEF: 1800
EFF: This card bestows three Butterfly tokens on the Field that can act as tributes. If they are destroyed by battle, they allow you to draw a card: 1 = Monster Card (excluding Battle Partner), 2 = Spell Card, and 3 = Trap Card. Shuffle your Deck after each draw.
"While Minami might be the Pyro duelist," Hinata said, "it appears Chou is the one on fire."
"Royal Knight," Chou said, "take out her Monster in Defense Mode."
Flamvell Poun
[Pyro/Effect]*
ATK: 200
DEF: 200
EFF:
When this card is destroyed by battle and sent to the Graveyard: You can add 1 monster with 200 DEF from your Deck to your hand.
"Thank you," Minami said. "You activated my Monster's effect and have pushed me one step closer to victory."
"You're welcome," Chou said. "My Monster's effect was activated too. Because Royal Knight destroyed your Monster, I gain 200 Life Points."
Chou: 3300LP
Minami: 3150LP
"I'll bring my turn to a close with Butterfly Squire attacking your Sol Lupine," Chou said.
"You activated my Trap card Torchlight," Minami said. "It grants me 800 Life points, which I can either allocate to myself, my Field Partner, or both. I'll allocate it to both of them. This will leave Sol Lupine with 300 ATK points and me with 2650 Life Points."
Butterfly Squire
[Fairy/Field Partner]****
ATK: 1000
DEF: 1800
EFF: This card bestows three Butterfly tokens on the Field that can act as tributes. If they are destroyed by battle, they allow you to draw a card: 1 = Monster Card (excluding Battle Partner), 2 = Spell Card, and 3 = Trap Card. Shuffle your Deck after each draw.
Sol Lupine
[Pyro/Field Partner]***
ATK: 300
DEF: 1050
EFF:
For every 1000 LPs lost, this card inflicts ¼ of its opponent's Life Points worth of Direct Damage.
Chou: 3300LP
Minami: 2650LP
Chou: 2475LP
Minami: 2650LP
Chou and Minami both looked to the screen as each of them lost Life Points before they looked back to each other.
"You're not going to make my win easy," Chou said.
"You're not going to win at all," Minami said.
"What an exchange," Hinata said. "For those that couldn't keep up, Chou inflicted 800 Life Points worth of damage to Minami. This loss of Life Points activated Minami's Sol Lupine's effect, which caused Chou to lose ¼ of her Life Points, which equaled a loss of 825 Life Points. I have to appreciate the skill of these two duelists. Neither is backing down."
The crowd cheered.
Minami drew a card.
"With this card," Minami said, "your defeat is imminent. I play Solar Flare Dragon in Attack Mode."
Solar Flare Dragon
[Pyro/Effect] ****
ATK: 1500
DEF: 1000
EFF:
While you control another Pyro-Type monster, this card cannot be attacked. During each of your End Phases: Inflict 500 damage to your opponent.
"Oh," Hinata said, "ladies and gentlemen, Minami plans to burn Chou and her Deck to the ground."
"Flame Spirit Ignis and Solar Flare Dragon," Minami said, "take out Chou's remaining Butterfly Tokens."
"You activated Butterfly Squire's effect," Chou said. "You destroyed the last two tokens, so I get to draw a Spell card and a Trap card."
"I'll end my turn by playing Sol Lupine in Defense Mode," Minami said.
Sol Lupine
[Pyro/Field Partner]***
ATK: 300
DEF: 1050
EFF:
For every 1000 LPs lost, this card inflicts ¼ of its opponent's Life Points worth of Direct Damage.
"You lose 500 Life Points because of Solar Flare Dragon's effect," Minami said. "Are you having fun?"
Chou: 1975LP
Minami: 2650LP
"I am," Chou said, drawing her card to begin her turn. "Can I ask why you don't want to see dueling as fun? It is a children's card game." She chuckled. "I kid it's for everybody, but I would say it keeps people in touch with their inner child."
"Life isn't about fun," Minami said. "You have to work hard: to live and to survive. "If you want the best out of life, you have to work hard and you have to have plenty of money. I live a good life because I work hard, because I earn money, because I don't play to have fun I play to win."
"Then I have to beat you," Chou said, "so you can see that there's nothing in this life that says you can't do both: earn your living and enjoy your life along the way."
Chou heard Junyo's words repeat in her head: a duel lays everything bare. She hadn't known whether to believe that when Junyo said it, but she could see it now. She wanted to believe it. She smiled, remembering how she and Junyo met and dueled. Who could imagine meeting someone like him? That raised your spirits, made you hope and believe.
"I'll play Dandelion, the Fairy Prince in Attack Mode," Chou said. "Afterward, I'll place a card face down, and I'll play the Spell card Dian Keto The Cure Master that'll increase my Life Points by 1000."
Dandelion, The Fairy Prince
[Fairy]****
ATK: 1550
DEF: 700
"He'll attack your Flame Spirit Ignis," Chou said, " using Flower Sword Strike! With Dandelion on the Field, Royal Knight's attack power increases by 100, so I'll have him destroy your Solar Flare Dragon. Butterfly Squire will attack your Sol Lupine, ending my turn."
Flame Spirit Ignis
[Pyro/Effect]****
ATK: 1500
DEF: 1200
EFF:
You can Tribute 1 face-up FIRE monster to inflict 100 damage to your opponent for each FIRE monster in your Graveyard.
Chou: 2975LP
Minami: 2600LP
Royal Knight
[Fairy/Effect]***
Equipped w/Fairy Light
ATK: 1600
DEF: 800
EFF:
When this card destroys a monster by battle and sends it to the Graveyard, gain Life Points equal to the DEF of the destroyed monster.
Solar Flare Dragon
[Pyro/Effect] ****
ATK: 1500
DEF: 1000
EFF:
While you control another Pyro-Type monster, this card cannot be attacked. During each of your End Phases: Inflict 500 damage to your opponent.
Chou: 3975LP
Minami: 2500LP
Butterfly Squire
[Fairy/Field Partner]****
ATK: 1000
DEF: 1800
EFF: This card bestows three Butterfly tokens on the Field that can act as tributes. If they are destroyed by battle, they allow you to draw a card: 1 = Monster Card (excluding Battle Partner), 2 = Spell Card, and 3 = Trap Card. Shuffle your Deck after each draw.
Sol Lupine
[Pyro/Field Partner]***
ATK: 300
DEF: 750
EFF:
For every 1000 LPs lost, this card inflicts ¼ of its opponent's Life Points worth of Direct Damage.
"You won't change my mind," Minami said. "Life taught me this lesson at a young age. I haven't been proven wrong yet." She drew her card. "I won't today." She played a card, moving the duel forward. "First, I'll play the Tuner Monster Firebird Chick in Attack Mode. Next, I'll play the Spell cards Soul Charge and Renewal Fire and Special Summon Flamvell Poun and Solar Flare Dragon respectively. Then, I'll Tune my level three Firebird Chick to my level one Flamvell Poun and level four Solar Flare Dragon. Burning desires become reality, fact. Become the fire that reveals all: reveals the truth. Synchro Summon! Incinerate hopes, dreams, and fun, Hephaestus."
Firebird Chick
[Pyro/Turner/Effect]***
ATK: 1000
DEF: 200
EFF:
When used as Synchro Material, this card does 1200LPs worth of direct damage to its opponent.
Soul Charge
[Spell Card]
Target any number of monsters in your GY; Special Summon them, and if you do, you lose 1000 LP for each monster Special Summoned by this effect. You cannot conduct your Battle Phase the turn you activate this card. You can only activate 1 "Soul Charge" per turn.
Renewal Fire
[Spell Card]
If your opponent destroys a Pyro-Type Monster you control by battle in the previous turn, this card will allow you to Special Summon a Pyro-Type Monster from your Graveyard.
Flamvell Poun
[Pyro/Effect]*
ATK: 200
DEF: 200
EFF:
When this card is destroyed by battle and sent to the Graveyard: You can add 1 monster with 200 DEF from your Deck to your hand.
Hephaestus
[Pyro/Synchro/Effect]********
ATK: 2800
DEF: 1800
EFF:
This card does an additional 500 points of direct damage if the Monster it destroys has defense points over 1000.
"I lost 1000 Life Points and I can't attack you this turn," Minami said, "but Firebird Chick's effect causes you to lose 1200 Life Points and Sol Lupine's effect causes you to lose 694 Life Points. My turn is done. It's your turn."
"Neither duelist has yet to Partner Summon their Battle Partners," Hinata said, "but Minami has managed to Synchro Summon one of her signature Monsters. Does this mean the end of Chou? I'm actually on the edge of my seat."
Chou: 2081LP
Minami: 1500LP
"Remember," Chou said, "a duel isn't done until it's done." She drew a card. "By the way, that was an awesome turn for you! Hephaestus is a card to behold, but I will be taking it down shortly."
"I'll change Royal Knight and Dandelion, The Fairy Prince to Defense Mode," Chou said. "I'll set a Monster in a Defense Mode. I'll have Butterfly Squire attack Sol Lupine and end my turn."
Sol Lupine
[Pyro/Field Partner]***
ATK: 300
DEF: 350
EFF:
For every 1000 LPs lost, this card inflicts ¼ of its opponent's Life Points worth of Direct Damage.
Minami drew a card. A short smile crossed her face for the first time during the duel.
"I Partner Summon Sol Fenrir in Attack Mode," Minami said. "Then, from my Extra Deck, I'll play my Continuous Partner Spell card Blaze Furnace. Blaze Furnace causes you to lose 300 Life Points every time you Summon a Monster to the Field: whether a Normal or Special Summon."
"Minami brings her Partner card to the field and makes impressive use of her first Partner Spell card," Hinata said. "This does look like the end for Chou."
Sol Fenrir
[Divine Pyro/Battle Partner/Effect]******
ATK: 2250
DEF: 1150
EFF:
Once every turn, you can Banish a Monster from your Graveyard for this card to gain 600 ATK points and for you to gain 600 LPs.
"I'll Banish Flamevell Poun from my Graveyard to raise my ATK points and Life points," Minami said. "I'll have it destroy Royal Knight."
Sol Fenrir
[Divine Pyro/Battle Partner/Effect]******
ATK: 2850
DEF: 1150
EFF:
Once every turn, you can Banish a Monster from your Graveyard for this card to gain 600 ATK points and for you to gain 600 LPs.
Chou: 2081LP
Minami: 2100LP
"My Trap card will prevent that," Chou said. "I activate Kunai With Chain: to change Sol Fenrir to Defense position. I know you hoped to take me out this turn, but while Sol Fenrir's in Defense position it won't be able to use its second attack."
Kunai With Chain
[Trap Card]
Activate 1 or both of these effects (simultaneously).
● When an opponent's monster declares an attack: Target the attacking monster; change that target to Defense position.
● Target 1 face-up monster you control; equip this card to that target. It gains 500 ATK.
"You're only delaying the inevitable," Minami said. "You've failed to win and failed to prove that anybody needs fun in this life. Hephaestus, destroy Royal Knight with Inferno Hammer. Go on, take your last turn."
"I'll make it count," Chou said, drawing a card. "I'll place a face-down card. I'll change Dandelion, The Fairy Prince and Lily, The Fairy Princess to Attack Mode."
Lily, The Fairy Princess
[Fairy]****
ATK: 1450
DEF: 700
"Now," Chou said, "I can play the Spell card Family Affair. When Dandelion, The Fairy Prince, and Lily, The Fairy Princess, are on the Field together in ATK mode, this card can be used to Special Summon either Tiger Lily, The Fairy King, or Rose, The Fairy Queen from your hand or Deck. Meet Rose."
Rose, The Fairy Queen
[Fairy]********
ATK: 2800
DEF: 2350
"I lose 300 Life points," Chou said, "but I can take that loss."
Chou: 1781LP
Minami: 2100LP
"Rose, The Fairy Queen," Chou said. "Finish Sol Fenrir with Rose Blade Assault."
"Minami loses her Battle Partner," Hinata said, "and the Spell card that had been in affect with it. Still, Hephaestus means this might be Chou's last turn."
"Actually," Chou said, "my next turn I'm going to win this. This has been a lot of fun though. I appreciated the duel Minami. Butterfly Squire's attack destroys your Field Partner and ends my turn."
Sol Lupine
[Pyro/Field Partner]***
ATK: 300
DEF: 0
EFF:
For every 1000 LPs lost, this card inflicts ¼ of its opponent's Life Points worth of Direct Damage.
"Minami might have lost her Field Partner," Hinata said, "but Chou cannot use her Field Partner to make direct damage attacks because Minami has Monsters on her Field. In that regard, Minami is safe."
Minami narrowed her eyes.
"Minami is so close…" Hinata said. "Is Chou predicting her future win, or will Minami be bringing Hephaestus' hammer down upon Chou?"
"Draw," Minami said. "I'll play a Monster in Defense Mode. Then, I'll have Hephaestus destroy Lily, The Fairy Princess. That'll end my turn."
Chou: 431LP
Minami: 2100LP
The crowd gasped.
"What will happen next?" Hinata questioned the audience.
Chou drew a card.
"What happens next?" Chou questioned. "I Partner Summon Butterfly Knight in Attack Mode!"
Butterfly Knight
[Divine Fairy/Battle Partner/Effect]******
ATK: 1500
DEF: 2400
EFF:
For every Butterfly token destroyed by battle, this card gains 1000 ATK points. Either they can stack in one turn or be disseminated over several turns.
"With her on the Field," Chou said, "I'm playing a Partner Spell card from my Extra Deck Maiden Butterfly. This card cuts my opponent's strongest Monster's ATK points by half and cuts my opponents Life Points by half."
Chou: 431LP
Minami: 1050LP
"I activate Butterfly Knight's effect," Chou said. "Because you destroyed all three of my Butterfly tokens, I have the ability to raise Butterfly Knight's attack by 3000 in one turn. Consider it done. "
Butterfly Knight
[Divine Fairy/Battle Partner/Effect]******
ATK: 4500
DEF: 2400
EFF:
For every Butterfly token destroyed by battle, this card gains 1000 ATK points. Either they can stack in one turn or be disseminated over several turns.
Hephaestus
[Pyro/Synchro/Effect]********
ATK: 1400
DEF: 1800
EFF:
This card does an additional 500 points of direct damage if the Monster it destroys has defense points over 1000.
"Butterfly Knight ends the duel and brings me the win with its final attack against Hephaestus: Piercing Butterfly Resolve!" Chou exclaimed.
Butterfly Knight closes her eyes, facing Hephaestus. She drops her shield and sword, and her armor falls off of her. It all becomes multiple butterflies comprised of energy. She raises her left arm and draws all of the energy, all of the butterflies into her left hand. Then, she unleashed a stream of this energy upon Hephaestus, cementing Chou's victory.
On a large screen, the results of the duel are projected.
Chou: 431LP
Minami: 0LP
Chou: The Winner
The crowd cheered and applauded.
"While that was close call," Hinata said, "Chou takes it all. A duelist either gives up his or her Partner card or a Trio Pack: One Monster, Spell, and Trap Card. Chou gets to choose between the two"
"I don't need a new Partner card," Chou said. "Mine is enough for me. I'll take the Trio Pack."
"Understandable," Hinata said and nodded. "Chou leaves this duel with these three cards: Messenger of Peace, Mask of Restrict, and Raging Flame Sprite."
The crowd applauded once more.
"I won," Chou said, "but it's clear you are amazing. Your hard work has paid off."
"Thank you," Minami said. "You got lucky, but you did present a challenge and show skill.
"Thanks," Chou said. "Maybe we can duel again. Be friends. I'll prove it wasn't luck."
"Maybe," Minami said.
Minami walked away. Chou walked away as well. She had made it to the next round. She couldn't help thinking about the end of her duel with Junyo in the tournament she participated in a month ago.
"You were good,"Junyo had said. "I didn't even get my Battle Partner on the Field. Can we duel again some time when you're free that is?"
"You want to duel me again?" Chou asked.
"Yeah," Junyo said. "How else can I get better than to duel great duelists? We don't have to duel. I know you're new around here. We can do whatever. Maybe I can show you around. You game?"
"I'm game," Chou said.
"Good," Junyo said with a brilliant smile. "You're dueling my older brother next. He's no slouch. Don't let my skills be an indication of his. If you're not careful, the duel will be over before you have time to know what hit you."
"Please," Chou said, waving Junyo's words away. "He won't know what hit him. But as long as we have fun and enjoy ourselves, I don't care how it ends."
"You will," Junyo said. "My brother's not only a cool guy but he's also a cool duelist."
Chou hadn't expected to get as far as she did in that tournament: second place. It had been her first public dueling tournament after all. She hadn't expected to gain such a friend in Junyo. She hadn't expected to meet Yuuto, a guy she had fallen for in almost an instant. Junyo quickly picked up on her feelings for Yuuto. He settled her nerves when fans bombarded her at the local gaming store. He also immediately knew something was wrong when he came across her the day her father had a heart attack. Chou got this feeling that Junyo would do anything for her the more she got to know him, especially during the time she spent worrying about her father. For that reason, and for some reason she couldn't quite explain, she would do the same for him. If he ever needed her, she decided she'd be there for him.
Chou joined Junyo and Yuuto.
"What'd you think boys?" Chou asked. "I saw you guys were watching. I'm glad you did."
"You've still got it sweetheart," Junyo said. "Top 7 here we come."
"Your duels always have a certain showmanship," Yuuto said, " as I've seen in a couple of your online dueling videos."
"You've watched my videos?" Chou questioned.
"I viewed one or two," Yuuto said.
"You can't fool me," Chou said. "You're scared to face me again."
Yuuto laughed at the idea. Chou playfully hit him on the arm.
Chou was surprised that Yuuto took time to look up and watch her old videos; Junyo was more surprised Yuuto was keeping eye contact with Chou and acting like himself when she was clearly flirting with him.
"You can't fool me," Yuuto said. "I know you could've won that duel sooner."
"Shhh," Chou said, putting a finger to her lips. "I wanted to prove something to her and myself. To do that, I had to draw out the duel a little. I think I succeeded in what I set out to do. I know I did. A wise young man once told me: a duel lays everything bare. He was right."
Junyo laughed as Chou wrapped an arm around Junyo's shoulders.
"Your secret is safe with me," Yuuto said.
"I bet," Chou said.
"I won't be dueling for a while," Yuuto said. "Let's go check out the competition."
"There's a duelist I'd like to check out," Junyo said. "She's a classmate of mine…" His words trailed off.
"Uh oh," Yuuto said.
"We have to see her then," Chou said. "If she's got your eye, she must be something special."
"She is," Junyo said. "She doesn't duel often, but when she does it's truly something special to see."
Chou frowned.
"If there was any doubt Junyo," Chou said and sighed, "you and Yuuto are most definitely related."
Junyo laughed, Yuuto was a little puzzled by her words, and Chou realized how great it was that she had these two brothers in her life now.
*!*!*
"You're with your brother Yuuto, the guardian that keeps you safe," the platinum blonde woman said to herself, "and you're with your best friend Chou, the knight that serves your cause. You're all starting to come together. I hope he doesn't manage to tear you all apart. Your first major trial is drawing near, and I don't know what he has in store for all of you. Sins are on the horizon. At the very least, I just have to make sure they don't taint any of you."
From behind, the platinum blonde woman watched the trio, heading for another duel area. From below, the platinum blonde woman watched the chestnut brunet man, taking a drink and observing Junyo. She found herself torn: between staying with the Duel Savior to protect him and staying with the Duel Devastator to stop him.
