Destroying the Meta
Chapter 9: I Want my Free Food!
I stepped onto the stage, duel disk on my arm. "Go Kovel!" Alex cheered. I smiled and waved at her. I was actually a little nervous, on stage with everyone watching…
"Now again, for all of your enjoyment, let me present the number one dueling chef: Chef Algo!" The spot light shined on Algo as he stepped onto the stage facing me. "And his opponent, Kovel!" I waved. "Let the duel begin!"
"Since you are my guest, I'll let you go first," Algo said with a smile.
"Haha, so curtious," I said with my own grin, "Well I guess I'll start off my move with discarding Cloudian - Snow Cloud to my graveyard."
"Hm? Why did you do that?" Algo asked curiously.
"Because," I explained, "If I ditch Snow Cloud, I can search my deck for Atmosphere!"
"Atmosphere?" Algo asked.
"Yeah," I said placing the newly added card into a slot that opened up in my duel disk. The air around us became bluer. "Atmosphere covers two of the Cloudian's weak points: their switching to defense and them not being able to get Fog counters when special summoned. Now my clouds can't switch and they do get their counters. Now I'll summon Cloudian - Acid Cloud!" A greenish cloud came up from his card (500/0). "He gets one counter for being a cloudian. Also, I chose this cloudian uniquely."
"What do you mean?" the chef said in confusion.
"Well," I explained, "Watching your last duel was very beneficial for me to get the upper hand. I figured out your deck. Your food monsters need to bake and are counted as contious spell cards until they are baked. Well Acid Cloud destroys spells and traps, which means that you can't bake summon!"
"What!?" Algo exclaimed in frustration.
"Don't worry, I'll be controlling this duel from now on," I smiled. But, little did I know, I didn't know his deck enough to make this assumption. "I'll end my turn with a face down."
"I guess it is my turn," Algo said drawing his card, "I'll summon my Watermelon!" A watermelon that looked like all the other food he summoned appeared (1900/1200).
"Wait a second; doesn't Watermelon have to be bake summoned?" I asked.
"Nope," the chef said, "I may bake summon it for it to gain attack points, but with Acid Cloud there, I won't. Now I'll start cooking my Hamburger and I'll attack your Acid Cloud!" The Watermelon started to roll and rolled right through the green cloud and went straight for me (Kovel = 8000). "What!? Why didn't you receive any damage?"
"Because," I said with a golden aura around me and my face down card face up, "I activated Spirit Barrier, which makes all battle damage 0."
"Hmf," Algo said, "I'll just start cooking Hamburger and activate Magical Oven and end my turn."
"Alright, it's my turn," I stated drawing my card, "I'll summon Cloudian – Cumulus (1100/0). Now it gains two Fog counters, but I remove them so I can special summon Cloudian - Turbulence!" A little tornado appeared on my field (800/0). "Now I it gains three fog counters. Now I'll remove one counter to get Snow Cloud from my graveyard because he counts as a Cloudian – Smoke Ball while in my grave. So comeon out Snow Cloud!" A little cloud with snow flakes coming from it appeared onto my field (300/700). "A cool thing about Snow Cloud is that he is a turner, I can synchro! So I'll synchro Snow Cloud and Cumulus (1+4=5), so I can summon Cloudian – Supercell!" A giant storm cloud with lightning coming from him came out (2100/0). "A cool thing about Supercell is that he can send a Cloudian from my deck to my grave to distribute fog counters equal to the level of the sent monster! So I send Cloudian - Gorilla in the Mist to my grave to distribute four fog counters, and I will put them on Acid Cloud. Now by removing two of his counters, I can destroy your Hamburger." Hamburger exploded into a million shiny shards.
"And will you destroy my oven too?" the chef asked me.
"Nah," I said, "Because Supercell has another ability too. You see I can remove three fog counters from anywhere to negate any effect. If I destroyed your oven, then I wouldn't be able to negate anything during your turn. Now I'll attack with Supercell!" Lightning striked Algo's Watermelon, making it burst into a million shiny pieces [Algo = 7800]. "Now Acid Cloud will attack!" The green cloud punched Algo in the gut [Algo = 7300]. "I'll end my turn."
"Hmf," he said, "I'll draw! Hm…." He grew a grin. "I'll set 3 cards and end my turn." Two face down traps and a monster appeared onto his field. His bluffing skills were bad, but I don't think he needed to bluff to like his combo. Though, sadly, at the time, I was too hot headed to think that he had a combo to throw me off my game.
"Now my turn," I said smiling as I drew my card, "I'll summon Cloudian – Altus!" A fat cloud came on my field [1300/0]. "He gains three counters for having three Cloudians. Now I'll activate Turbulences' ability and summon a Smoke Ball from my deck." A cute little ball of smoke came to my field [200/600]. "I'll activate Fog Control now, so my cute little Smoke Ball will say fair well and will be added to Acid Cloud's fog counter count."
"Well then I'll just activate my little card, Last Minute Resources," the chef said activating one of his cards, "It makes all counters of the field Baking counter."
"I can't have you doing that now can I?" I asked, "Supercell, do your job. Negate that trap!" Supercell sent a lightning bolt at Algo's card.
"Exactly what I predicted," the chef said with his smile.
Do you ever have the feeling, of stupidity? What I mean is, when you look back at an event, you can't believe what you did or thought. I personally have this a lot. I make mistakes many times, just like everyone else (even though most people don't admit them) but unlike many people, or I just think unlike many people, I look back at the event a lot and just think 'How stupid am I?' and 'I should have done this instead.' This happens mostly on big presentations for me personally. I think 'I should have added that here.' Well this is one of the times when I think back and think 'Why didn't I prepare for that' and 'why was I so prideful during that duel when I pretty much was loosing?'
Algo's card came up on me and my face went blank for a second, loosing its colour pretty fast. It was Waboku. Well, Waboku wasn't really the problem by itself, but it helped him a lot in the long run, and I could finally see past my pride to realize that I could be in some deep trouble.
"Well, I'll attack with Supercell your face down to see what I'm facing," I said, trying to be prepared for the worst. But what could he do? I mean, I had a bunch of invisible monsters and I don't receive damage. My Supercell shot a lightning bolt at the face down Oyster. "Crap, so your Oyster will gain a counter."
"Yes it does," Algo smirked.
"Ok, then," I said, my smile turned a bit worried, "I'll just use Acid Cloud to destroy your Magical Oven and call it a turn."
Algo had his same smirk on as before. He had his next three turns planned out, or so it looked. "I'll go, and I'll summon my Mushroom Man #3." A cute looking mushroom came onto Algo's field. "Just like Watermelon, it doesn't have to be bake summoned. Mushroom Man #3 is also a level four tuner."
"Oh no," I said as I realized what I got myself into.
"Now Mushroom Man #3, synchro with Oyster to create…" Algo said as his Oyster and Mushroom fused to create a giant Oyster, "Oyster King!" The thing was hugged and opened up for me to see a pearl with a face on it clothed in its clammy insides [700/3300]. "And since Oyster was sent to the graveyard, I get to draw one card. Now I'll end my turn."
I took a deep breath. It wasn't too bad. I mean he was playing in defense. I still had the advantage. I drew my card, "I'll send another Gorilla of the Mist to my grave to put four counters on Turbulence. Now Acid Cloud…"
"Not so fast," Algo said revealing his face down card, "I activate Assault Mode Activate!"
"No!"
"Now Oyster King, transform!" Algo said as his oyster shut, then a top part of the shell opened up so the pearl could see and claws came from the oyster's back [3300/1000].
"Crap!" I said under my breath. I was in a… sticky situation. Though, I didn't worry. I mean, I had invisible clouds and I couldn't take damage. 3300 attack couldn't do anything about that. "I guess I'll end my turn."
"Then it's mine!" the chef said drawing his card, "And for it being my turn, my Oyster King gains one Oyster counter. Now, if you think your little clouds will protect you, you're dead wrong. Now my Oyster King will use his ability, which is destroying monsters!"
"No way!" I said, eyes wide open. I wasn't expecting something like this. I thought I had him completely controlled. I guess not.
"Yes! Now my Oyster King will destroy your Supercell!" Oyster King used its claws to clamp onto Supercell and fired electricy into it. Supercell shattered. "The only good point to you is that you get to draw a card for that. I will now end my turn."
How could I have been surprised like that? This isn't good. He'll soon bring up a force to kill my clouds. Not good. "I draw," I said drawing my card, "Of course, I get the card I needed last turn. I summon Cloudian – Cirrostratus. He also destroys monster. So I'll destroy your Oyster King with Cirrostratus's effect!" The Oyster King returned to when it went into Assault Mode. I let out a sigh, "Your turn."
"Haha, very well," Algo said with a smile on his face, "Now it is time for you to be in a little lock. My Oyster King will gain a counter, and now I set a face down. Do you know what Oyster King does? It negates and destroys Spells and Traps!"
"You call that a lock? My Cloudians don't need Spells or Traps to kill off your Oyster King."
"Oh, you'll see. I'll just start cooking my Hamburger. It's now your turn." That didn't sound good. I drew my card. "I activate another Last Minute Resources!" the chef said with an even wider smile than before. My eyes widened. Not that, anything but that. "Now if you forgot, then I'll inform you again. This makes all counters except Pearl counters Baking counters." I froze there, my arms limp. He put me into a bind, I couldn't believe it.
I took another deep breath. He didn't have me on my knees yet. With my Spirit Barrier still out, I was still safe. "I'll summon Cloudian – Marshmallow and end my turn."
"Haha, then I'll just go and start cooking Watermelon," the chef said in his confident smile.
The duel went on like this for some time. I just drew cards while the chef cooked up a bunch of monsters. Soon I was staring down two Hamburgers [2100/1900] and two Watermellons [2500/1400]. I was still sticking behind my Cloudians, so none of his attacks could get through.
Algo put his duel disk up to his face and started to drum his fingers on it, "All I need is a Mystical Space Typhoon or a Heavy Storm and then I'll be able to get to your life points. Then it will be only a matter of time before you loose. And I feel like any one of them is coming to my hand very soon."
He was right. It was only a matter of time. If I didn't get the right card soon, I would be done for, and I didn't even know what the right card was. None of my cards have the attack points to beat him. I can't use Spells or Traps to defeat him, and I can't use Fog counters either. That was pretty much my whole deck. I said a prayer in my head and drew my card. "I know why I was loosing," I told Algo.
"Huh?"
"I relied on my own strength to beat you. That was doomed to fail. I had to rely on a bigger strength. I had to rely on God."
"God?! He couldn't help you unless he slipped some magical card in your deck!" Algo laughed.
"Heh, he kinda did. I was going to take this card out of my deck. I'm glad that I didn't. Now, WITNESS THE FULL POWER OF THE CLOUDIANS!" I said as my Cloudian - Marshmallow and Altus disappeared. There was now a great wind that filled the restaurant. Table cloths waved in the air and people ducked their heads. A giant eye was behind me, and it was gathering black clouds around itself. "Behold! Cloudian – Eye of the Typhoon [3000/1000]!"
"What's this great wind!? A mere hologram couldn't have created this!" Algo said more surprised than any of the tricks he had pulled on me.
"Eye of the Typhoon! ATTACK!!!" I said as the eye charged forward.
"Haha! Your Typhoon still can't destroy the mighty shell of my Oyster!" Algo laughed evilly as his Oyster King shut its shell.
I laughed manically. I never felt this way before. So much power. Knowing something that my opponent didn't. It felt so…. good….. "You don't know! Do you?" I screamed at him, "My Typhoon switches all monster's battle positions when it attacks! You're shell is useless if it isn't defending!"
"What!" Algo said in terror. His oyster's shell opened up and typhoon sucked up the pearl as the shell was blow into a million pieces [Algo = 5000]. "Now I get to draw my cards!"
"It doesn't matter, because now I can freely use Spells and Traps!" I said with my big, menacing smile, "It is time to end this…. once and for all. I'll summon Cloudian – Strom Dragon and I set a face down. Your move."
"Ok then… I draw," Algo said with a little fear in his voice.
"It's finished!" I said, my excitement going down a little from before, "I activate Makai Suto-mu! What it does, I destroy all my Cloudians, and you get inflicted for each of them, 1000 each!"
"No way!" Algo exclaimed as a wind, even greater than before, took my cloudians and slammed them against Algo, making him fly and hit a wall [Algo = 0].
When the cards disappeared, the table cloths settled. I walked off the stage, my brown hair in my eyes from it being blown in the air. "Kovel!" Alex said running to me and hugging me, "I was worried about you up there!"
"Everything is alright now," I said assuring her I was safe.
We talked more as we went back into the hotel room. Rachel didn't let me into mine, so Alex and I went alone into her room. You can just figure out what happened next in there.
I'll never forget that night. The power that was shown. I did make a name for myself though. Now everyone would want to target me, the Cloudian player, Kovel Kuze.
