Testament 010: Eye of the Beholder

As Colin he walked off of the field, making room for the next two duelists to enter, he noticed the two happy customers he served a few days ago. "Hello Colin." Will clapped and Nero did the greeting. "Oh its you two again. Dont you have your own matches, or did you not make the cut?" They just laughed. "Once again, shouldn't you have known that before it happened? I mean you did predict fortune in my future." He responded. "True, I did draw the Wheel of Fortune card. But like I said already, whatever I foresee, never happens. So you have to be doomed to failure..I stand by my perfect reverse readings. And if you stay here any longer, you will miss your own duel." Now it was his turn to laugh. "Oh right, well wish a doomed fellow good luck." Nero ran off to his stage.

At the same time others were busy conducting their own matches in stadiums A, B and C. Venice did not start her match yet, and was as nervous as ever. Especially when she saw the caliber of duelists this tournament had. Even if she passed this round she would have to gup against the ones she saw winning with ease moments before. At the same time, Ananka the rival fortune teller, had a slight bit more luck then before, and barely won. However Cleo, who was also in Ananka's dvision, was still as bored as ever. She was only interested in her own matches and only payed half of her attention to the duels that proceeded in front of her. Though at least holograms fighting it out, were slightly less yawn-invoking then watching flat cards on a table fighting it out. Compared to Ananka's match, the next two duel was rather short. Some guy named Bastion Hera made quick work of his opponent, Cleo was thankful for his speed.

"Ghh, finally, now its my turn." She slowly stood up. The anouncer introduced both her and her opponent unto the stage. The crowd did not completely refrain from making several lewd and/or loud comments, concerning Caine's appearance. Like usual she ignored them and walked up to the platform. Across the field stood her enemy, an average-looking boy, wearing a common college uniform, he was known as Alan Philips. "Eheh, hello miss Caine." He said softly. She just stared at him, thinking that this must have been what resembled a normal card game enthusiast. "I heard much about you, I wish you the best of luck." He seemed pretty shy around, but she was not in the mood to return his modesty. "Sure, whatever, lets just play."

Alans LP: 8000 Cleo's LP: 8000

This game would not be exciting, she knew that already. The only people she wanted to duel, were the cocky slimy type, those that pretended to be superior just because they could win in a childrens card game. "O-okay. Ladies first." This guy was one of those politically-correct raised types, it would not be fun to grind into him. Cleo also already knew she would be the victor on this day, she always won. "If thats your pleasure." She shrugged and drew six cards, the game was on. And of all things, she started the duel with a card only she still kept in rotation. "I normal summon, the Shadow who controls the Dark (800/700)." It took a whole minute before anyone believed what they saw, and another two minutes for Alan to start his own turn. "Eheheh, if she is to be my target, she sure would need to polish on her skills." And there he was as well, her mysterious online-enabled stalker.

He sat in the shadows of the stadiumring, close enough to pervade the two duelists, bat far enough to not draw attention to himself. His coat stood out while there were no shadows to obscure it. It had two buttons on it; one said LOVE and was upside down, the other was the insane version of a smiley face. "Cleo Caine. Nobody else could have reached this place, whilst maintaining such a crude revulsion for the dynamics of this entire event." This man was not a duelist at all, he appeared to be far too old for that kind of fun. Instead he was apparently a simple ticketholder, who also reserved a seat in the hotel. "But my hypothesis still needs to be solidified. So for Cleo to deserve my efforts, she at least needs to make it passed this kid, and then finally...we can play a game within my own boundaries and rules... " He chuckled softly, and coughed afterwards. "You better make me proud, girl. Time is of the essence"

The duel went pretty much as she expected, throughout the game she dominated with her vanilla-flavor cards alone. Vanilla, the color of the effectless monsters. Philips ran a Dark World deck, but it did not help him in the slightest. Every one of his draws contained nothing that could dent her, he had an awful case of even awfuller luck. "I activate the Shallow Grave." That spell allowed her and Alan to set a monster from their graveyard to the field in facedown defense position. She set a Metal Guardian (1150/2150), while he placed the Goldd the Wu-Lord facedown (2300/1400). "Then I normal summon this card." She called Gil Garth (1800/1600) the armored demon, who was probably her strongest vanilla card, but still a vanilla card. "And attack your facedown." Gil Garth took its saber and cut the golden warlord into ribbons. "Ow, I don't get why I can not get a good card." The kid moaned. "...Its just bad luck, deal with it." She ended her turn.

Alans LP: 2900 Cleo's LP: 5700

She left her field with only those two effectless monsters, and no traps or spells. "Well its my turn now, and I.." He activated the spell Dark Dealings. "Both players draw a card from their deck and discard a card from their hand." He drew and discarded Kakkhi, Guerilla of Dark World (300/500) "When I discard Kakkhi I can destroy one monster on your side of the field." He picked the Metallic Guardian. "Well I am not sure about this, but.." However she discarded a card from her hand, that was even more imposing then the one he destroyed. "Despair from the Dark (2800/3000). Guess it worked after all." Despair was a demon monster that could be special summoned when it was discarded from her hand, but until now she never got to use it in such a way. "No way!" He gasped. All he could manage now was placing one monster in facedown defense mode, and ending his turn. "She had just the right card in her hand, when she needed it?"

"Lord of Zemia" She normal summoned a dragonlike fiend (1300/1000). "Despair attacks your facedown." Evidently, he had hoped to stall her with his facedown monster card, Renge, Iron guard of Dark World (100/2100). That defensive shield of his was a bit much for normal monsters, but with Despair on the field his plan was swiftly silenced. "Direct attack." He received two direct attacks from Gil Garth and Zemia, and lost all of his lifepoints. The audience was paralyzed with amazement and shock. "Ehr..the winner is...Cleo Caine!" Even the judge looked mortified, why did she join this prestiguous event, how? "Well, you won, shucks." Alan was the least stunned of them all. "...Its just a game." She turned away and left the stage before the judge could even finish his declaration.

Alans LP: 0

She received no joy from this match-up. Only the knowledge that she was one step closer to obtaining all that money was fueling a flame of happiness within her. That was also her reason for denying the buy-off before there were only 32 contestants left, with her track record, she knew she could get more. "Four duels to go, I guess those will be as easy as this one." She left the sights of the bustling crowd, everyone talked about her unusual victory. Only the stalker stayed quiet, and he smirked. "Nice, Cleo, nice" Then he faded into the darkness, never spotted by others.

At the same time, Nero reached his own destination. Ned was already waiting for him at Stadium D, the previous match had just ended. "Oh I am on time. Whew." He could finally relax...for a few seconds. "I suppose we'd better get started." Nero said to his former roommate, and now his opponent. "Alas that is true. As I said before, I have no qualms with you, but to get to Carter, I must win here." Ned activated his dueldisk. "That is, if he gets passed his first and second round." The hero duelist smirked and followed Neds lead. "The duel commences!" Shouted the judge. "Now then, who decides who goes first?" The man asked. "Nero Jacobus can start us off, I dont mind myself." Ned replied, Nero accepted this offer. So he just drew five cards, while the other drew six. "Hrm, I do not know what specific deck he uses, but machines were in it the last time. But then who knows how many changes it went through since his tests."

Nero's LP: 8000 Neds LP: 8000

He played safe for now, and placed a monster in facedown defense mode, he also placed a trap card down. "Good, good. You covered yourself well. However my offense shall still be at full potential." He drew, and summoned a trainlike machine, but it looked more cartoonish then most monster cards. "Steamroid (1800/1800)? You use a roid deck, Ned, or is this just some part of your strategy?" Zoro smiled in response. "The former, while I pride myself in my skills, I dislike dueling without a theme. There is a difference between true effort and a simple deck from the net." Steamroid started unleashing some steam. "Now then let me see your deck as well, Jacobus!" The train droid raced straight over his facedown monster card, E-hero Clayman 800/2000). "Thats a nice defense, but Steamroids special effect allows it to gain 500 attackpoints during its charge (2300/1800)." The Train crushed the earth Hero. "And its a hero deck eh? Thats also interesting."

"Yes, as long as people dont quip about my name and my theme, I am fine with it." He then flipped his trap card. "You triggered this by the way, Hero Signal." Ned knew what that card did. "When a hero is destroyed another is summoned from the deck. I special summon E-hero Avian." Yet he did not quite understand, why he would waste it on him, as he was quite weak (1000/1000) "You're sure about that?" Jacobus just nodded. "Who am I to say no, then. You use cards that you like, so do I. Before you can go, I will ready myself." It was placed facedown in the MT-zone. "There, your move." Nero was unsure if he should ignore his trap, or attack with full force. "Maybe I should send someone to step into it first." He summoned E-hero Sparkman (1600/1400) from his hand, but nothing happened. "Or this." He also placed two trap cards, but still nothing chained to him. "Then, I will have to attack!" Sparkman and Avian flew into the air, targeting the locomotive Roid.

"Ah your know the roids well. Steamroid has the downside of losing 500 attackpoints if the enemy charges him instead(1300/1800) Unfortunately." But at the last second he flipped his facedown trap card. "I have to deny your attacks, I play No Entry!!" The Forbidding Entrance trap card switched all attack-mode monsters positions. Both Roids and Elementals were forcibly shifted into defense. Nero was surprised, this was also bad for him. "Since I summoned Sparkman this turn, I can not not switch him back to attack mode. Did not expect an ambush like that, nice move. I guess this ends my turn." Ned understood. "Well now. So far you have not failed my expectations. Anyway this trap card; No-Entry, it goes well with another Roid..a Drillroid!" This time he summoned a cartoonish drilling machine (1600/1600). " Its effect is to crush any defending monster, regardless of its defense points." Not that Sparkman or Avian could stand up to 1600 attackpoints if he had not known this effect. "But I see that you, in return, have two traps waiting for me.

"I know what kind of traps an E-hero deck uses, so I can attack without getting to big a shock. Here I come!" Drillroid struck Sparkman and Steamroid attacked once more, grinding the Featherman into a fine powder. "In that case I will activate one of my Heroic trap cards, Ned." He flipped the card, Elemental Mirage. "Ah, that card. The elemental version of Destiny Mirage." This trap allowed Nero to revive any E-heroes that were destroyed this turn, so he could resummon both Feather and Sparkman. "You're certainly skilled, Nero, I havent even managed to scratch you yet. Its a pity that I have to beat you first, William wont put up half as good a fight." He drew. "Its sad knowing that you can beat a trial of integrity and knowledge through lazyness. I wonder how he passed the first trial... not with flying colors like me, heh." Of course that question brought up the memory of Nero not passing the first trial legitimately. "He must have cheated..called in the favor of his friend. Oh well, no sense talking to you about it. Eh Nero?"

Elemental Mirage, Normal Trap
Activate only when an Elemental Hero monster you control is destroyed and sent to the graveyard as a result of battle. Special summon to your side of the field all Elemental Hero monsters that were destroyed as a result of battle this turn.

To be continued in Testament 011: I am Error

New Cards used by Cleo Caine
That Shadow who Controls the Dark
Metal Guardian
Gil Garth
Despair of Darkness

Cards used by Alan Philips
Goldd, Wu-lord of Dark World
Kahkki, Guerilla of Dark World
Renge, Gatekeeper of Dark World

-
Dark World Dealings

New Cards used by Nero Jacobus
Elemental Hero Clayman

-
Hero Signal
Elemental Mirage

Cards used by Ned Zoro
Steamroid
Drillroid

-
No Entry!!