It could not end like this. After Taylor had come so close, there was no way she could lose.

The woman closed her eyes and bit her lower lip, thinking, 'I'm sorry, Neil. I failed you. There's nothing left.'

But while she thought this, she noticed a familiar figure appear before her in her mind. This being was a snow-white wolf, the one who had raised her as a child.

"Taylor, there is still something you can use," the wolf said as her eyes widened, the woman asking, "But what, father? I want to help Neil get his demon hero back, but I don't have anything left!"

"Yes you do," the wolf replied, "Or have you forgotten about the one amazon stronger than your fairy prince?"

Taylor's eyes widened as she nodded and said, "That's right," the wolf smiling and saying, "Just believe and I am certain you will be able to win this duel."

"So, are you ready to surrender?" Derrick asked as Taylor frowned and retorted, "Not on your life!" before drawing a talisman.

It seemed that she had drawn the first talisman she needed, and it was a spell that Eric had. The spell in question was Graceful Charity and Taylor knew that there were two specific talismans that would help her, but she specifically needed to draw them both and discard one of them.

With that in mind, Taylor cast her spell as Derrick smirked and said, "Okay, so you're going to give yourself an extra talisman. That won't help you," Taylor frowning as she drew three talismans.

Her eyes widened when she noticed that she had drawn the exact talismans that she needed. A smile formed on her face as she let down a light tear and thought, 'Thank you, father. You gave me the confidence I needed.'

With that in mind, Taylor discarded two of her talismans, one being a demon flower named Amarylease. But what significance did this demon have and how was sending it to the graveyard useful?

This would be revealed soon as its talisman vanished from Taylor's graveyard, Derrick staring with confusion as the woman slapped the one talisman left in her hand onto the middle square. At that moment, a tall woman with long blue hair and an enormous blade appeared.

"What is that?" Derrick asked as Taylor smirked and replied, "This is my strongest warrior, Amazoness Queen! And while she is level six, I was able to summon her by banishing the demon, Amarylease. See, its power allows me to summon anyone from my hand with one less tribute when banished from my graveyard."

"Wait a minute!" Derrick retorted before pointing at her, "I don't remember ever sending that to your graveyard!" as Taylor nodded and replied, "That's right, because I was the one who sent him there."

"Oh no," Derrick uttered as his eyes widened and all became clear. Amarylease was one of the talismans Taylor discarded.

With all said and done, Amazoness Queen charged at the manticore and slashed him down the middle. The demon roared in pain and was sent back to Derrick's graveyard, the white-haired knight taking a strike to his armour as his damage points were reduced to three hundred.

'No, I have to win!' the man thought with fury in his expression as he drew his next talisman. Unfortunately, the demon he had drawn was too high in level to be summoned, and there were no special powers allowing for an exception to the tribute rule either.

With that in mind, Derrick ended his turn and sighed, "Go ahead and finish me off. I admit defeat," Taylor smirking and drawing her last talisman for the duel. She did not even bother to look at it as she knew she would not need it, the woman pointing forward and having her queen charge at the white-haired knight and strike him directly, bringing his damage points down to zero.

The citizens cheered wildly as Derrick's armour shattered, the man falling hard on his back. He then breathed heavily while staring at Taylor with fear in his eyes. Now that he was unprotected, she could easily have her Amazoness Queen pierce his chest and end his life for good.

A part of her certainly wanted to. This man had not only gotten on her nerves, but he had harmed her best friend and stolen his demon hero.

But even so, she never believed that killing was the answer as she took a deep breath signalled the end of the duel. Thus the magical field along with her queen vanished as she walked over to Derrick, punching him in the gut and leaving it at that.

The man coughed up a bit of blood before asking, "Why don't you just kill me instead!?"

Taylor simply shook her head and remarked, "My duty has already been fulfilled. Killing you won't make things better."

As such, she took back the demon heroes he had stolen and pulled out a set of handcuffs, locking his wrists in place while saying, "You're coming with me."

At this time, Neil had finally recovered when Leroy found him and asked, "Are you okay, lad?"

Neil took a deep breath as his eyes widened, the man bolting upright and shouting, "Oh my god, we should have been protecting you!" Leroy shaking his head and replying, "Don't worry about it. Let's face it, that talisman was the only thing any thieves would take interest in!"

The man then laughed as Neil sighed, "Well, at least you're safe," Leroy nodding and replying, "And I got all my other deliveries done."

The conversation was interrupted when Taylor arrived with a smile on her face. Her face had a few bruises on it, but nothing too serious as she held up the stolen talismans.

Neil blinked and said, "Thank god, I knew you could do it," Taylor nodding and saying, "It took longer than expected, though."

Leroy breathed a sigh of relief and beamed bright, saying, "I'm glad you're not too hurt," Taylor replying, "Oh, don't worry about me. I'm a knight. It's my job to fight for the kingdom."

"Hey, Taylor?" Neil asked as the woman turned to him, the man biting his lip as this was it. He was going to ask Taylor if he should quit.

But before he could let them out, Taylor started pinching his cheeks and exclaiming, "I'm so glad you're okay! I knew there was no way you could stay out for that long! You're stronger than Nelson for getting up after all of that!"

Neil blushed bright and uttered, "I wouldn't go that far," before thinking, 'What was I thinking? She would have bopped me over the head for asking such a thing, anyway.'

How, he was happy to have his Grenosaurus back. It was still a mystery to him why such a powerful demon would specifically choose a loser like him as its owner, but someday he would figure it out. He just knew it.

In fact, he now had a new question in mind as he asked, "Hey, Taylor, can you help me train later?"

The black-haired woman grinned and replied, "Of course, you big silly! I'd love to train with you!" as Neil laughed nervously and thought, 'If I'm going to be a credit to this army, I'm gonna figure this deck out. It pains me to admit it, but Derrick was right. I have no idea how to use these talismans effectively, but I will learn and I will succeed!'

Leroy, all the while, handed the talisman for Simon over to Neil as he said, "I think it might be better if you two hold onto this. I'll head on back to return the cart."

"You sure?" Neil asked as the old man nodded and replied, "Yes, and tell your commander that I'm more than pleased with your services today."

Taylor gave an army salute and exclaimed, "Yes, sir!" while Leroy headed back toward his cart, the man taking a deep breath and thinking, 'That was a close one. If those Rose Kingdom bastards got their hands on that talisman, there's no telling what could have happened. For most, it would be a difficult demon to summon, but I know King Richard could pull it off.'

He soon regained his usual calm and happy look when he noticed others in the area, Leroy waving to them. Was there something the old man was hiding? And furthermore, why was this Rose Kingdom at war with Duel Kingdom in the first place?

Whatever the reason was would have to wait as Izy and Eric were already back at the castle with Shelly and Grant handcuffed and led to Duel Kingdom's prison. Whether or not they would be released would be revealed soon, though Izy did hope they would not get a life sentence. After all, they did not kill anyone and were just doing their duty.

"Good job," Celeste replied with a smile, "I have to say, Eric, that's very impressive for your first mission. Taking down two knights at once must have been hard."

Izy blinked and thought, 'Did she forget I fought into that duel too?' as Eric stated, "With all due respect, Celeste, I can't take all the credit for this. In fact, Izy here dealt the finishing blow."

Celeste's eyes widened as she asked, "Really?" the prince nodding and adding, "As a matter of fact, I would have lost the duel if it hadn't been for her."

Izy blushed lightly. On one hand, a part of her was glad to hear that she did a good job, but on the other hand, she was unsure if she really deserved all this praise. Again, with the stakes set so high, she had been nervous throughout the majority of that duel.

Even so, Celeste simply nodded and uttered, "Well, good job, Izy," a part of her having trouble believing this. Was Eric just trying to give her a good rep? No, there was no way the prince would lie in an official report.

'Well, she was working with him,' Celeste thought, 'He probably helped out more than he's letting on. But still, the finishing blow. I never thought she'd pull that off, with or without help.'

And soon enough, Neil and Taylor returned as Derrick was being led to prison, Celeste saying, "You two took longer than usual."

"Yeah, we had a run-in with a thief, ma'am," Taylor replied with a grin, "But it was nothing I couldn't take care of."

"I can believe that," Celeste replied with a smile, "Good job."

Neil then pulled the talisman for Simon out of his pocket and said, "The thief was after this," before handing it to Celeste, the woman nodding and saying, "Right, I almost forgot a rare talisman was coming today. I'll give this to the king and queen as soon as possible."

She then gave an army salute and exclaimed, "Good job, you two! You may spend the rest of the day as you please!"

Taylor nodded and asked, "You ready?" Neil laughing and replying, "Well, I am fully recovered, so sure."

All the while, Eric and Izy decided to take a breather as Izy asked, "Hey, Eric, did you mean all the stuff you said?"

"What do you mean?" the prince asked as the woman replied, "Well, you said you couldn't have won without me. Is that true? I mean, you seemed to do most of the work."

"Believe me," Eric replied while shaking his head, "You helped me set those moves up. And don't forget, my demon was the one who got destroyed on the last turn. Yours was the one still standing."

Izy smiled and said, "Well, it's always been my dream to make people happy. That's why I became a performer."

Eric nodded as she added, "But in a way, I felt like that wasn't enough. Entertainment can help people take their minds off of bad things like war and death, but it doesn't really fix those problems. That's why I wanted to be a knight, to give people something more important to cheer about."

"Well, I think that's great," Eric replied as Izy sighed, "It's just, now that I am a knight, I'm not sure if I can really do it."

Eric's eyes widened as he retorted, "Don't say that!" the brunette turning to face him as he added, "Trust me, Izy, you definitely have what it takes, and I saw more than enough proof of that today! The other women may not see your full potential yet, but they will and today is the first step toward that!"

Izy gave the boy a light smile and said, "Thank you," fire burning in her eyes as she grinned and added, "I can do this! I can be a hero!"

Izy had so much confidence now that she had forgotten to bring up the fact that her final move barely counted as a finishing blow. After all, Shelly and Grant had surrendered. It was not as if their armour had been broken by that final strike.

Meanwhile, there was a town just miles away from Duel Kingdom known as the Rose Kingdom. For many years, they were Duel Kingdom's greatest trading partner, and the town itself was actually quite lovely. The citizens certainly seemed friendly and pleasant, so why would anyone want to go to war with these people?

This would have to wait as inside the castle, a middle-aged man by the name of Richard was walking the halls with his commander, a young man with short blue hair named Clement. Richard himself certainly looked powerful with a fine pointed beard, his firm nose and crimson hair beneath his brilliant, sparkling crown.

"So, Clement, any news from our soldiers?" Richard asked as Clement nodded and replied, "Only from the lower-ranking knights. Those I sent to Duel Kingdom haven't returned yet."

"Well, I have the utmost confidence in-" the man stated before being cut off when two young woman entered the area, twins to be exact. Each one had a face that made her look five years younger, only one sister had red hair while the other had blue.

"Oh, Tina and Stephanie, you're back," Richard said as Tina, the redhead, bit her lower lip nervously, rubbing her fingers together while Stephanie, the one with blue hair, gave an army salute and exclaimed, "We're here with a report on your soldiers, sire!"

"Very good," Richard replied with a bow of his head, "So, has that blabbermouth been executed?"

"Unfortunately, no," Stephanie replied as Tina whimpered, "Shelly and Grant have been imprisoned, sir."

Richard slapped his forehead and sighed, "Never mind, that was but a small trifle anyway. Did Derrick at least manage to get that demon hero that was being delivered to Duel Kingdom?"

Tina covered her face and trembled while Stephanie sighed, "Unfortunately, he failed too. He had to deal with two knights. He beat the first one but lost to the second."

However, while this excuse was valid, Richard still looked furious as he gritted his teeth. Clement gasped at the sight of this and immediately gave the man a shoulder rub, saying, "There, there, sire, calm down. You know what stress does to you."

"Right," Richard replied while taking many deep breaths and resting his hand against his forehead, "Don't tell the Missus I was hyperventilating. I don't want to deal with her scolding right now."

Clement stared at the king as Tina breathed a sigh of relief, Richard saying, "Thank you for the report. You may go do whatever you want now," the girls both bowing their heads before heading off.

Richard was still trying his best to keep calm when suddenly, another teenaged girl appeared behind him and asked, "Are you okay, Father?"

This girl had short pink hair and wore an elegant dress. Her eyes were a lovely shade of yellow and she had the nicest smile one could ever see.

"Oh, Victoria, I didn't see you there, sweetie," Richard said as he turned to face her, trying his best to look calm while clearing his throat. Clement simply gave her a bow as she was, after all, the princess.

"Father, I can tell when something is wrong," Victoria replied with a look of concern, "It's Duel Kingdom again, isn't it?"

"Nothing sneaks by you," Richard replied with a sigh, "But yes. They captured three of my knights today."

The princess bit her lower lip as the king said, "Look, this isn't something you should concern yourself with," only for Victoria to stamp her foot lightly against the floor and retort, "Yes it is!"

The king turned as she added, "This isn't just your kingdom! It's all of ours! I am sick and tired of standing on the sidelines while everyone else suffers!"

"Victoria, honey," the man pleaded only for the girl to state quite firmly, "I'm sorry, Father, but I've decided. I want to help this kingdom."

Clement rose an eyebrow at the sound of this as Richard snapped, "Absolutely not! If anything were to happen to you-"

"It would be my responsibility!" Victoria retorted as Richard gritted his teeth and barked, "Now, listen to me, young lady, you are being unreasonable! The life of a knight is cruel and fraught with danger! You could get killed, and in case you have forgotten this incredibly obvious fact that need not be explained, people die when they're killed!" *

All went silent, a cricket jumping through the area and chirping when Victoria took a deep breath and looked into her father's eyes with a serious look and stated, "Please, Father, I am tired of sitting back while the others are out risking their lives and getting hurt for it! Two days ago, Dame Cynthia returned covered in bruises because of a dangerous man in a cloak!"

Richard's eyes widened when he remembered a young woman with spiked red head returning with her armour shattered and her condition terrible. She had, indeed, been wounded by the same knight who had brought serious harm to Nelson.

"I know what I am asking for, Father, and I know it's dangerous," the princess stated, "And, yes, I know I will most likely die, but at least I'll be doing something."

Richard wanted to protest more but instead turned to Clement, sighing, "What do you think? Should I let her do it?" the commander gulping as Victoria looked at him with big puppy dog eyes, the man sighing, "Yes, you definitely should."

Richard nodded and put on a serious look, saying, "Alright, fine, if you insist on being a knight, I will allow it," Victoria wanting so much to squeal with excitement. However, she maintained a serious look and gave the man an army salute, exclaiming, "Thank you, Father!" before turning around and grinning like a child, skipping merrily down the hallway.

"What have I done?" Richard sighed as Clement replied, "Sorry, sire, I couldn't resist the look," the king shaking his head and saying, "It's fine. Honestly, I would have caved into that too."

He then stroked his beard and said, "Well, at the very least, I do have some powerful talismans lying around that she could use. Clement, I'm trusting you to teach her everything about how magic duels work. You had better make sure her arm doesn't explode. I wish I could do it myself, but I have to focus on various different issues at once."

"Understood, sir," Clement replied with an army salute as Richard nodded and walked down the hallway to tell Ruby, his wife, the news. Unlike him, she was not completely opposed to the idea. But would Victoria be more of a threat than she seemed? Only time would tell.

Note: In case any big anime fans are wondering, yes, this is a reference to Fate Stay Knight.