Disclaimer: I only own the characters that I made up for this story. Everything else is property of its respective owner and I take no credit for it. I do own a few of the cards and those will be marked with a (*).
Theme Song: Blown Away by Akon
Chapter 3: Combo Platter!
Casey yawned as she headed over to the kitchen. She had just woken up, a bit late compared to the others. Akira was always the one who managed to wake up before everyone else, and made them breakfast. Today, they were enjoying some pancakes, which they hadn't had in over a month.
Casey grabbed a plate, and quite a stack of pancakes too, and sat down on the table with everyone else. She noticed that they had stopped eating halfway and were very focused on the television. "What's going on?" she asked.
"Look." replied Akira.
She turned her gaze to the television, which was on the news. It showed three pictures. Two of them were of two high-profile criminals that were on Sector Security's Top Wanted List for years. The last one was of a Turbo Duelist who was dressed completely in black.
"Last night, Sector Security caught two of their most wanted criminals. According to Sector Security, they found them tied up in the middle of a lane on the highway, with their Duel Runners completely disabled. Sector Security interrogated these two criminals, and they told them that they were jumped by a turbo duelist who called himself 'Phantom'.
Apparently, while they were in the middle of a drug trade, the duelist intervened, and chased after them on his Duel Runner when they tried to get away. He challenged them to a turbo duel, and when they lost, he tied them up and fried the circuits on their Duel Runners. Sector Security still has no idea who this man is, but so far, they have labeled him a vigilante, and will be keeping a close eye on him." said the reporter.
"Interesting..." said Casey, between bites.
"Yeah." replied Zeke. "I don't know who this guy is, but if he was able to do all of that, then he must be good."
"I don't know..." said Akira. "Something about this seems off..."
"What do you mean?" asked Casey.
"Its nothing really. Still, I'm just curious, how did he know where to find them?"
Casey simply shrugged, not having an answer for that.
"Oh yeah, Casey," started Zeke. "I got some info on the guy that you were talking about. Blake Anderson? It turns out he's a pretty good turbo duelist. Apparently, he's been participating in many underground turbo duels, and has been wiping away the competition in each one."
"Really?"
"Yeah. Try checking out the docks every once in a while, if you can. They say he's there a lot."
"Alright." she said. "I'll go there today."
"Cool. In the meantime, I'll be hanging out around town, checking out the cards stores. Got an idea for something we could use to help us win." said Zeke.
They finished off their breakfast and left a few hours later. Akira, meanwhile, decided to stay home today, and started working on something in his computer. 'Something about this guy just doesn't sit right with me...' he thought.
The Tops District was the part of Neo Domino in which the rich lived. Whoever lived here was usually very influential, very rich, and incredibly famous.
Of course, not all of these homes are mansions. Many of them are just tall buildings that contain large and expensive apartments. In one of these buildings, a small group of people had just entered the penthouse. It was extremely large, with a pool, a big yard, and three floors. Obviously, the place was decorated well, and contained a great entertainment system.
All four of them looked at the place in shock, never having thought that they would ever be here. They dropped their bags to the floor, staring at the room in amazement.
Just then, Yeager walked in through the door, with two guards behind him. The group turned around and grabbed the four keys he handed over. "Well, what do you think of the place? Pretty good, huh?" he asked.
"Its... Amazing..." said Kai. "You know, I only asked for moderate living conditions. A small apartment would have been fine."
Yeager laughed. "Oh, I know. But with the way you handled things last night, I thought you deserved better. After all, you caught two of the most dangerous criminals in Neo Domino like it wasn't hard at all! Enjoy your stay. Your next assignment shall be delivered in the afternoon." Laughing that strange laugh of his, he exited the apartment, with the guards following close behind.
"So, you heard the man. Make yourselves at home, guys." said Kai.
Greuto and Crusher quickly went upstairs and picked a room. Not long after, they rushed downstairs with their bathing suits on and jumped into the pool, creating a huge splash. (Mostly due to Crusher having picked up speed the moment he stepped off the stairs.)
Tueur stood next to Kai. "Man... I can't believe you managed to pull all of this off... You really are the greatest." He put a hand on his shoulder, smiling.
"I can't believe it either." Kai had a smile on his face, at least for a moment. Truthfully, he was glad about all that had happened, but he also felt some anger and sadness deep in his heart. Seeing all of this hurt him, in a way that no one in his could understand.
Tueur went up to his room and did the same, coming down a few moments later to relax in the pool.
Kai sighed, and thought that it might be better if he did the same. After all, he had just been pardoned from one of the worst jails in Neo Domino and Satellite combined, and he didn't seemed to care much. Maybe it was just too much to sink in for the moment. He really needed to relax...
A splash of water hit him in the face, and Kai slipped out of the inflatable seat and fell into the water. Tueur sat in his chair, laughing. "Man, you realize that all you've ever done lately is sleep? How much rest do you need?"
"Shut it. So what if I'm tired?" he replied.
"So what? Dude, I've seen sloths sleep less than you! You realize that you can get a sunburn if you fall asleep there?"
Kai shook his head as he got back on his inflatable seat. "Thanks, but I'm not too worried."
"You know, you really have been different lately. Why aren't you happy? You are free! We all are!" said Tueur.
Kai simply ignored him and went back to sleep. Meanwhile, Greuto and Crusher had been watching, but since they didn't know much of what was happening, and didn't know what they could say that could help, they decided to shrug it off and go back to playing volleyball.
The doorbell rang, and Kai was the only one who actually made the effort to go answer it. When he opened the door, there was no one there. All he found was a yellow folder that was marked 'Classified'. After looking over at both ends of the hallway, he picked it up and went back inside.
"Who was it?" yelled out Tueur.
"Just business stuff!" he replied.
He entered his room and locked the door behind him. His room was the largest one. His crew agreed that since they were here because of him, he should get the best room, though all the rooms were pretty good, and he didn't really care about which one he got. It had a large, king-sized bed, with red sheets made out of silk. The whole room was decorated in a red with gold theme, and resembled something that might have been seen in Chinese palaces during the times in which dynasties ruled it.
He sat down in front of the desk and opened the folder. It had three papers. He picked up and read the first one.
"Hikazu 'Blaze' Minato..." The rest was just boring information, such as the way he looked, his height, weight, etc. Of course, with a picture provided, Kai was sure he wouldn't have to pay too much attention to this. He put it aside and read the second paper.
"Wanted for arson, and the murder of an entire Satellite family..." The rest was just a list of some of the smaller and less important crimes that he's committed. He put it aside and picked up the third paper. This one had a list of all the cards in his deck, (that they knew of, at least), and a list of the places he has been seen hanging out at the most.
"Hm... A fire deck? Interesting. Guess I'll have to be careful around him..." He looked at the clock. It was almost time to go...
At the docks, not too far from the Tops District, was Casey. She was face-to-face with a turbo duelist named Blake Anderson. "I'm not sure... You really want me to join your team that much?" he asked.
"Yeah. We need some backup, just in case, and you'd be a great addition to our team."
"Why should I join you? I mean, you haven't given me any reason to even think that you guys are any good."
"Tell you what..." she started. "Let's have a turbo duel. If you win, you are free to do what you want. If I win, then you join our team."
Blake smiled. "Alright. That's what I like to hear. Let's start!"
She nodded and mounted her Duel Runner, chasing after him. They both pressed a button on the Duel Runner, and Speed World 2 appeared on the monitor. As they entered the highway, the Duel Lane separated itself and created a separated track just for them.
"Let's duel!" they said.
(4000-4000) [0-0]
"I'll start first, since I'm the one being challenged!" said Blake, drawing a card.
"I'll set two cards, and set one monster on the field. Your move." The set card concealing a monster appeared in front of his Duel Runner, and the other two cards appeared behind it.
(4000-4000) [1-1]
Casey drew her next card and looked at her hand. 'I sure hope this deck helps me out like it helped him...' she thought. In her hand, she held: Masked Dragon, Dragon's Rage, Future Fusion, Symbol of Heritage, Call of the Haunted, and Dragon dwelling in the Cave.
"I'll start by setting two cards, and summoning Masked Dragon (1400/1100) in defense mode!" The small dragon appeared on the field, covering itself with its wings. Future Fusion and Dragon's rage appeared with a flash behind the dragon, before disappearing.
"Your turn."
(4000-4000) [2-2]
Blake drew a card smirked. "I summon Nanobreaker (1600/1800) in attack mode!" The young female warrior dressed in metallic pink armor appeared on the field, wielding a sword. "Attack Masked Dragon!"
The warrior raised up her sword and it bean to glow. The blinding light hit Masked Dragon and it shattered to pieces.
"If you were thinking of using Masked Dragon's effect to summon another monster, then too bad. When Nanobreaker attacks monsters that are level 3 or lower, she automatically destroys them with her effect. I'll end my turn here."
(4000-4000) [3-3]
Casey thought about her next move as she drew a card. 'So much for being able to summon a high level monster with its effect...' She looked at the card she drew, which was Xing Zhen Hu.
"I'll set a card, and summon The Dragon dwelling in the Cave (1300/2000) in defense mode!" The set card appeared, and in a flash it disappeared. Next to her appeared a large green dragon, big and bulky, with its wings covering part of its face.
"Since my dragon is level four, you can't use your monster's effect to destroy it. Your turn."
(4000-4000) [4-4]
"Very nice... Now, here's something better. I'll activate the speed spell, Speed Fusion! By sending the Cannon Soldier and Giga-Tech Wolf in my hand, I can summon Labyrinth Tank (2400/2400) in attack mode!" The speed spell appeared, and the two monsters he discarded were sucked into the portal. In an instant, a large blue tank flew out of the portal, with multiple red drills on the front.
"What is that?" asked Casey.
"You know, most people care too much about getting better cards that they usually leave cards that they used to have behind. However, I actually see some value in these cards. I believe that with the right tools, these cards can beat anything. Like this." he said.
"I summon Cannon Wheel (Attack: 500) in attack mode!" A small wheel with two small laser cannons appeared on the field. "You see, he's a tuner. You'd be surprised what he can do. I tune him to my Nanobreaker!" The small wheel dissolved into two rings, and floated around Nanobreaker, who dissolved into four glowing stars.
"Bring forth a huge explosion! Bring forth annihilation to the cards! Synchro Summon! Roar engines, Combat Wheel (2500/1200)!"
A large machine appeared floating behind him. It looked like a cyborg sitting on top of a mechanical throne equipped with many weapons, with the throne being on top of a large wheel.
"Here's how it works, the only monster you can possibly attack, is this guy. However, I can still attack you. Labyrinth Tank, attack her dragon!" The tank burst forward ripped the dragon to shreds with its drills.
"Next, Combat Wheel will attack you directly!" The powerful machine also burst forward, but its attack was intercepted by a monster that had suddenly appeared onto the shield. Combat Wheel stopped and went back to its owner's side of the field.
"What happened?" he asked.
"Easy. I activated my Call of the Haunted just before you attacked. I brought back my Masked Dragon to protect me. You going to attack it anyway?" she explained.
He growled. "Of course I am! Combat Wheel, crush that monster!" Combat Wheel turned towards the dragon and shot a missile at it, blowing it to pieces.
"Its your move now." he said as another Masked Dragon appeared on the field.
(2900-4000) [5-5]
Casey looked at the card she drew. It was Debris Dragon.
"I'll start by activating the trap card, Xing Zhen Hu!" One of her face-down cards revealed itself, and both of Blake's face-down cards glowed with a dark aura.
"This card allows me to choose two of your face-down cards and stop you from using them!
"Next, I'll summon Debris Dragon (1000/2000) in attack mode!" A silver dragon appeared next to Masked Dragon. It looked like a smaller, younger version of Stardust Dragon.
"Now, I'll tune him with my Masked Dragon!" Debris Dragon dissolved into four rings that floated around Masked dragon, who melted down into three glowing stars.
"The ruler's shouts echo throughout! Hammer of victory, shatter the very earth! Synchro summon! Flap your wings, Exploder Dragonwing!"
A large blue dragon appeared on the field. It had skinny legs and arms, its face resembled that of a fish, and had a large bulky tail.
"Next, I'll activate the continuous spell, Future Fusion! By sending monsters from my deck to the graveyard that are needed for a fusion monster, I can special summon that fusion monster to my field in two turns! Its your move." she said, discarding three cards that she took from her deck.
(2900-4000) [6-6]
Blake chuckled as he drew his next card. "You know, I can see that you are pretty good. However, if you want me to join you guys, you'll have to do better than that. I mean, if that synchro monster is your ace, then you need an upgrade!
"Anyways, its my move, and I'll have my Combat Wheel attack your monster!" Once again, Combat Wheel turned towards its target and launched a volley of missiles that blew it to pieces.
"Labyrinth Tank, attack her directly!" The tank charged towards her and rammed her, causing her to almost lose her balance. "I'll end my turn now."
(400-4000) [7-7]
Casey sighed as she drew her next card. Things were not going very well, but she hoped that she could stall him for one more turn. "I'll activate the speed spell, Angel Baton!" She drew two cards, Defense Draw, and Masked Dragon. "I'll set a card, and summon Masked Dragon (1400/1100) in defense mode! Your turn." Another Masked Dragon appeared next to her, shielding itself with its wings.
(400-4000) [8-8]
"Wow, you must be getting desperate. Its too bad that its almost over. Labyrinth Tank, attack her dragon!" The tank rammed through the small dragon with ease, shattering it to pieces. Then, a small group of humanoid dragon with weapons and shields appeared on the field, protecting themselves with their shields.
"Troop Dragon (700/800), huh? I see where this is going. Combat Wheel, blow it to pieces." Combat Wheel did as commanded, literally blowing them to pieces. Then, another Troop Dragon appeared on the field, also in defense mode.
"Your move now."
(400-4000) [9-9]
Casey looked at the card she drew. This time, she drew Negate attack. Still, she didn't have too big a problem with this. All she needed was a strong monster, and she could easily turn this around. Only problem is that she needed to survive another turn.
"I'll set a card and end my turn."
(400-4000) [10-10]
"You know that you can't just defend forever. You'll have to attack eventually." he said as he drew another card.
"I'll summon Bowganian (1300/1000) in defense mode!" A small robotic eye wielding a spear appeared on the field. "With this, I can guarantee that you don't make it past your next turn. Combat Wheel, destroy her Troop Dragon!" Combat Wheel faced its opponent and launched a missile at it, blowing it to shards. Another Troop Dragon appeared where the previous one was.
"Labyrinth Tank, destroy the last one!" The tank charged at her, but its attack was blocked by an invisible layer. When Blake looked at the monitor, he saw that she had activated her Negate Attack trap card. "I see. Then, its your turn."
(400-4000) [11-11]
Casey smiled as she drew her next card. "You know... I have to admit something. I haven't gotten used to this deck yet. This isn't really even my deck. It actually belongs to a friend of mine. A friend that I care about very deeply.
You see, I was an orphan in Satellite, and so was he. When we met, we felt like we had found a reason to stay alive. Since then, we looked out for each other, as best as we could. Then, one day, Security caught me under false charges and refused to release me for some reason. So, I was forced to rot in jail with all those other criminals that Neo Domino had rejected.
But then one day, almost a year ago, I was released. When I asked why, they told me that the real criminal had confessed to his crimes, and I was able to go. They wouldn't tell me who the guy was, but they gave me a deck of cards that he said he had stolen from me. When I looked at the cards in the deck, I realized that they belonged to him. Though the guards wouldn't let me speak to him, I found out from his friends that he had confessed to many false crimes just so that he could take my place. This deck is all I have left of him, but its just proof that even though he's far away from me, he still tries his best to protect me."
"Touching story, but what does this have to do with the duel?" he asked.
"Well, when I said he gave me his deck, I mean he gave me his deck. Each of the cards that he used are right here, about to put your monsters to shame! Its been two turns since I activated Future Fusion, and now you are about to see the most powerful monster in this deck. Arise, Spike Dragon* (3900/1000)!"
The spell card began to glow, and shot out a powerful beam. From inside the beam, came out a large dragon, whose skin was a light blue color. Its wings were large, and it had massive spikes running down its head, through its back and to its tail. Its claws were massive and could pretty much crush anything in its path. It roared, causing powerful earthquakes to occur.
"You see, this monster has a pretty good effect. It gains 200 attack points for each Drill Dragon* in my graveyard, and since there's three, he gains 600 extra attack points!" The dragon roared once more as its attack points went up to 4500.
"Big deal! You only have this turn to beat me, and you've only got one monster on the field!"
"That's nice and all, but I'm not done yet. I'll activate the equip spell, Symbol of Heritage! When there are three monsters in my graveyard that are the same, I can special summon one of them to the field!" The card glowed, and another Masked Dragon appeared on the field. "Next, I'll sacrifice my Masked Dragon and my Troop Dragon to summon Tyrant Dragon (2900/2500) in attack mode!"
The two monsters dissolved into pixels of light and turned into a large and powerful dragon that was almost as big as Spike Dragon*, though it looked more like the traditional dragon and was a golden-brown color.
"Spike Dragon*, attack Combat Wheel!" The dragon released a fiery breath and melted the machine down to nothing.
"What?" said Casey, surprised when she saw his life points.
"That was close. You see, Combat Wheel has another effect. By simply discarding one card from my hand during your battle phase, I can increase its attack points by half of all the other monsters that I control. Fortunately, it was just enough to prevent me from losing too many life points in one hit."
Then, all of his monsters shattered to pixels.
"What happened?" asked Casey.
"Its all part of Combat Wheel's effect. When its destroyed after having used this effect, all of the monsters that I control are destroyed." he explained.
"In that case, Tyrant Dragon, attack him directly!" Tyrant Dragon took a deep breath, then released a blazing fiery breath that caused the defensive monster to shatter to pieces.
"Your move."
(400-950) [12-12]
"Not bad." said Blake. "Not bad at all. Still, its my turn. I'll start by activating the quick-play spell, Mystical Space Typhoon! Now your Xing Zhen Hu is gone!" Her trap card shattered as the powerful tornado ripped it apart.
"Now, I'll set one monster, and end my turn."
(400-950) [12-12]
Casey drew her next card. It was Spiritual Fire Art - Kurenai.
"I'll set one card, and have Spike Dragon* attack you directly. Since I have Dragon's Rage on the field, the fact that its in defense mode won't make a difference in your life points!" Spike Dragon* released a fiery breath that destroyed the monster, but suddenly, a small mechanical bomb came out of nowhere and attached itself to his neck.
"Since you destroyed my Adhesive Explosive while it was set on the field, it attaches itself to the monster that destroyed it, and no damage calculation is applied, so your Dragon's Rage won't work this time. Also, your monster will be destroyed on the standby phase of your next turn."
"Maybe so, but I'll make sure there isn't a next turn. Tyrant Dragon, attack him directly!" The dragon's mighty and powerful breath was stopped by an invisible barrier.
"Since I discarded my Kuriboh, I'll take no battle damage from your attack."
"Fine..." she said. "I'll end my turn."
(400-950) [12-12]
"I'll start by summoning Black Salvo (100/1100) in attack mode!" A small monster in the shape of a bomb appeared, its cartoonish face looking sinister.
"Thanks to its effect, I can special summon one level four Dark attribute monster from my graveyard. So, here comes Cannon Soldier (1400/1300)!" A small, vaguely humanoid shaped, monster appeared, two large cannons on its back.
"Sadly, it must be summoned in defense mode, and its effect is negated. Still, its not like I need it. I'll tune my two monsters together..." Black Salvo dissolved into three rings that surrounded Cannon Soldier, turning it into four glowing stars.
There was a flash, and a large robot appeared on the field. It resembled a robotic version of a large bomber jet.
"Synchro summon! Dark Strike Fighter (2600/1800)!"
"That thing can't beat either one of my monsters!"
"It doesn't have to." said Blake. "You see, when I synchro summon a synchro monster, I get to special summon Synchro Magnet (1000/600) from my hand." A small robotic top with small arms and a cartoonish face appeared next to Dark Strike Fighter.
"You think my objective is to get rid of your monster. That is not true. I don't even have to go that far. By activating my Dark Strike Fighter's effect, I can sacrifice one of the monsters on my side of the field, and you take 200 points of damage times the level of the monster! So by sacrificing my Synchro Magnet, I win this duel!"
The tuner dissolved into shards of light, and Dark Strike Fighter released a powerful gust of wind at Casey. However, at the same time, Casey activated her trap card. "By activating the trap card Spiritual Fire Art - Kurenai, I can sacrifice my Tyrant Dragon and make you take damage equal to its attack points!"
The dragon's fiery breath reached Blake at the same time that Dark Strike Fighter's powerful gust of wind reached Casey. Their Duel Runners stopped at the same time, both their life points having reached zero.
With a disappointed look on her face, Casey took off her helmet. "Well, I guess this means you can go. Sorry for having wasted your time..."
Blake walked over to her. "What are you talking about? That was a great duel!"
"Thanks. But I challenged you. Since it was a draw, you are free to do as you wish."
"Really? Well then, tell me where to sign up for your team."
Casey looked at him with a shocked expression. "Really? You want to join our team?"
"Yeah. You are a great duelist. If your whole team is this great, then maybe it would be fun to join you guys."
Casey smiled. "Great!" She handed him a card. "This has our address and our number. See you tomorrow."
Blake nodded, and they mounted their Duel Runners, each one headed their separate ways. Casey for one, was extremely glad that she was able to recruit the fourth member that they were looking for. Tonight, there would be good news among the team.
As she rode back to the apartment, she thought about the duel, and what she told Blake. 'Matsu... Why did you have to go so far for me...? Thanks to you, all I have left of you is your deck...' she thought.
On the other side of town, is a small club. Due to all the crime bosses and criminals that like to hang out around here, they never gave the club an official name. (Doing this would make it easier to track down, and with the clientele that they served, letting this place be easy to find by Security would be a grave mistake.)
At the same time as Casey's duel, something was going on here. An arsonist known as Hikazu 'Blaze' Minato was standing face to face with a duelist named Phantom. The same one who had caught two extremely wanted criminals the night before. He was surrounded by quite a few of his henchmen, and looked a bit irritated by Phantom.
Hikazu was an individual with an arrogant personality. He was a hot-headed, red-haired, arsonist who believed that those who didn't see things his way should be able to see at all. His Fire deck was a perfect example of how he was. Whenever something was done, he would always retaliate, no matter how insignificant or unimportant it may have been.
"Alright. What is that you want?" asked Blaze.
"Hikazu Minato, you are wanted by Sector Security on multiple charges, including arson and murder. Are you willing to turn yourself in quietly, or are we going to have a problem here?
Blaze laughed. "You think I'm scared of you? I heard the news. So you caught a couple of high-profile criminals. Chances are, they didn't even know what they were doing to let themselves get caught like that. If you think anything like that is going to happen to me, then you are mistaken."
"You really believe that? Then how about a duel? If I win, you come in quietly. If you win, then you can go."
"What makes you think that I will do as you say? I could just as easily have my men beat you up and get the hell out of this place."
"Really?" said Phantom. "Well, your men wouldn't make it, and in case you actually do try to run, I'm wearing a wire. If you don't duel me, then I could easily activate the device that transmits everything I've recorded that you've said and will have Sector Security here faster than I'll let you get out."
"Fine." said Blaze as someone handed him a Duel Disk. "You want to duel, then let's duel."
"Good." replied Phantom, his Duel Disk activating.
(4000-4000)
"I think I'll start this duel." said Blaze. "I'm about to teach you what happens when you go around town playing hero. First, I'll start by setting two cards on the field, and then I'll set a monster. Your move." The holograms of the set cards appeared before him, a smirk on Blaze's face.
(4000-4000)
"Alright..." said Phantom as he drew a card. He examined his hand. It consisted of: Spell Absorption, Magical Exemplar, Fissure, Rapid-Fire Magician, Mage Power, and Pot of Greed.
"I'll set two cards, and summon Rapid-Fire Magician (1600/1200) in attack mode!" His two set cards appeared behind a young spellcaster with purple armor that was wielding two staffs.
"Rapid-Fire Magician, attack his set monster!" The young spellcaster raised up his staff and shot a fireball at the set monster. A shrouded beast had appeared on the card just before it went up in flames.
"Thanks." said Blaze. "When the Ting in the Crater is destroyed, I get to special summon one Pyro-Type monster from my hand. Say hello to Mr. Volcano (2100/1300)!" The monster that appeared next was a young man dressed in red clothes. He wore a red cape, and had white gloves on that were flame-resistant. He had spiky red hair, and it was obvious that the look that Blaze sported was based off of the one from this monster.
"I'll end my turn now."
(4000-4000)
"I'll start by activating the trap card, Backfire!" One of his set cards lifted up. "Thanks to this card, you'll take 500 points of damage whenever you destroy a Fire attribute monster. Up next, I'll activate the spell card, Terraforming!" He took a card from his deck. "This allows me to take one field spell from my deck, and add it to my hand. And I think I'll play it. I activate, Molten Destruction!"
The field changed suddenly. No longer was it a normal underground club. Now, it was a prehistoric jungle, and a large volcano stood at its center, spewing lava into the air.
"This card gives all Fire monsters an extra 500 attack points at the cost of 400 defense points!"
Mr. Volcano smiled as its attack points rose to 2600.
"Next up, I'll summon Solar Flare Dragon (1500/1000) in attack mode!" A large dragon made up of lava and lava rocks appeared next to Mr. Volcano, its attack points increasing to 2000 points.
"Solar Flare Dragon, attack his Rapid-Fire Magician!" The dragon wrapped itself around the young spellcaster, constricting until it turned it to ashes.
"Mr. Volcano, attack him directly!" Mr. Volcano raised his hand at Phantom and released a burst of fire that consumed him.
"I'll end my turn, and when Solar Flare Dragon is on my field during the end phase of my turn, you lose 500 Life Points! Not only that, but Solar Flare Dragon cannot be targeted for an attack while there is another Pyro-Type monster on my field."
(500-4000)
"Ha! I knew you were just a fluke! And when I'm done with this duel, I'll have my men beat you until you learn your lesson." said Blaze.
"Right... First, I summon Magical Exemplar (1700/1400) in attack mode!" A young woman wearing a jade robe appeared on the field. "Next, I'll activate the continuous spell card, Spell Absorption! With this card, I gain 500 Life Points every time a spell card is activated. Up next, I'll activate Fissure! Your Solar Flare Dragon is gone!"
Underneath Solar Flare Dragon, a large hole opened, and a large hand grabbed it and dragged it down, the hole closing soon after.
"Next, I'll activate Pot of Greed to draw two cards. Which means that I now have an extra 1000 Life Points."
As each spell was activated, Magical Exemplar created two small blue fireballs that revolved around her.
"Now, I'll activate her effect. Each time a spell card is activated, she gains two spell counters. I activated three, so that means that I can remove them to special summon Master of Alchemy-Alchimie the Third* (2200/500) in attack mode!" A young spellcaster appeared before him. He had short blue hair, wore green robes, and was wielding a staff that had a crystal orb that kept changing color.
"You went to all this trouble just to summon him?" Blaze laughed. "Seems pretty weak. It better have a good effect if you want to beat my monsters."
"Oh, its got a good effect..." replied Phantom. "However, its not needed for this type of duel."
Blaze looked at him, confused.
"You see, the true power of this monster comes from others. You know how alchemy works, right? For alchemy, you need to trade something so that you can create something else that's of equal value. It kind of works the same way with this guy." he said.
"By trading him and another monster, I can special summon a different monster, one that can take down yours. Sadly, I don't have the monster needed for this summon."
Then Blaze started laughing. "Then why did you summon him?"
"Its because I have something else. I'll activate the equip spell, Combo Platter*!" The spell card appeared on the field behind Alchimie. It had a picture of a large banquet with different types of food. Alchimie began to glow as the spell began to take effect, and so did Phantom as Spell Absorption took effect and gave him more life points.
"This card solves the problem that I have. By removing Master of Alchemy-Alchimie the Third* while he's equipped with this card, the equip spell will take the place of any or all of the monsters needed for the summon of a monster with 'Alchimie' in its name. So, I'll remove Alchimie and Combo Platter* from the game, I can special summon..."
The young spellcaster disappeared into a portal along with the equip spell. From the portal burst a slightly older version of himself. This one was equipped with red armor, had two flaming wings, and wielded a sword similar to the one that Flame Swordsman uses. It looked at Blaze with raging fury in its eyes.
Blaze looked back at it, afraid. He knew that this monster was more powerful than it seemed...
End of Chapter 3.
Phantom has managed to even the odds with the monster he's summoned, but will it be enough to turn things around? And what will happen to Casey and the rest of her team? Find out in: Light of Intervention!
A/N: Cliffhangers are fun, huh?
----CARD ALBUM----
Spike Dragon - Monster Card
Type: Dragon/Fusion
Attribute: Wind
Level: 10
ATK: 3900
DEF: 1000
Effect:
"Drill Dragon + Drill Dragon + Drill Dragon"
This card can only be Fusion Summoned by fusing the above monsters. This card gains 200 attack points for every Drill Dragon* in your graveyard. Once per turn, you can remove one Drill Dragon* in your graveyard from play to prevent this card from being destroyed. (Damage calculation is still applied.)
Master of Alchemy-Alchimie the Third - Monster Card
Type: Spellcaster
Attribute: Light
Level: 6
ATK: 2200
DEF: 500
Effect: Discard one card from your hand to negate the activation of a card that changes the attribute of this monster and destroy it.
Combo Platter! - Spell Card
Type: Equip
Effect: Equip only to 'Master of Alchemy-Alchimie the Third'. When you special summon a monster with 'Alchimie' in its name, and this card is equipped to 'Master of Alchemy-Alchimie the Third', you can substitute this card for any or all of the other monsters that are listed on the requirements of the monster you are about to special summon, as long as 'Master of Alchemy-Alchimie the Third' is the other required monster that is listed on the card.