YU-GI-OH!

A NEW GENERATION OF DUELISTS

Jesse Hunter

By Dan Kuhlmeyer

The last thing Derrick remembered was going through the cave and the ground disappearing underneath him. It was like he was falling forever, and then he hit the ground. What amazed him was that he was still alive.

As he woke up, he saw an entire jungle around him.

"I don't think we're in Duelist Kingdom anymore, Toto," he said to himself.

"Oh contraire," said a voice with an Australian accent. "You're still in Duelist Kingdom. You're just in my territory."

He felt the ground shake beneath him and he saw a dueling arena rising from the ground. And then he looked before him and saw a kid his own age with black hair and war paint on his face. He was dressed in African clothes.

"Good 'aye, mate.

Derrick recognized him. "Jesse Hunter. I've seen you at school. I was new and I saw you lose to Brian."

Hunter stared at him for a minute. Then he laughed.

"Of course, I remember you now. You're the Derrick the new boy. Tell me something: I never got your last name. What is it?"

Derrick snickered. "You think I'm going to tell you?"

"Oh, well doesn't matter. Let's begin the duel."

Derrick noticed his dueling glove. It already had ten star chips.

"What do you want to duel me for? You already have ten star chips."

Hunter held up a fist. "I have plenty more than that."

He opened the fist and showed a whole lot more star chips.

"I plan on making sure no one enters the castle except me."

"So that's why you want to duel me, so if you win you can get in the castle instead of me."

He looked at his dueling glove.

"I'm half way there, anyway. So five it is."

He laid his five star chips on the table. They drew shuffled their decks, drew five cards, and began with 2000 Life Points.

"I'll go first," Derrick said as he drew a card. "Dragon Human in Attack Mode."

A warrior that looked like he was half-dragon (A: 1300) appeared.

Hunter drew a card. "I'll attack that freak with the Frenzied Panda which, by the way, gets a field bonus in this Jungle."

A huge Panda carrying a large, heavy bamboo stick (A: 1400) appeared and smashed the Dragon Human.

Derrick: 1900. Hunter: 2000.

Derrick smiled as he drew a card. "Here's something that gets a field bonus here. Go Battle Ox."

His Battle Ox (A: 1900) appeared and sliced the Frenzied Panda in half.

"I never did like pandas," he joked.

Derrick: 1900. Hunter: 1500.

"I don't think you like this either," Hunter said as he drew a card. "Leogun equipped with Beast Fangs."

A lion (A: 2250) appeared and slashed its claws at the Battle Ox, destroying it.

Derrick: 1550. Hunter: 1500.

"Plus," Hunter said, "I'll lay this card facedown."

"Fine," Derrick said as he drew a card. "It may not get a bonus here, but with a little increase, it will be stronger. Swordstalker, equipped with the Sword of Dark Destruction."

Derrick's Swordstalker (A: 2300) appeared and destroyed Leogun.

Derrick: 1550. Hunter: 1450.

"Before you end you're turn," Hunter said, "I would like to activate my Trap: Ultimate Offering. Which means for five hundred Life Points, we can summon an extra monster."

"Is that so? Well I'm not going to risk my Life Points. But if you want to, go ahead."

"In that case, why don't I?" He drew a card. "I'll play a card facedown, and I'll also play Swamp Battleguard in Attack Mode."

A green, horned monster (A: 2000) appeared.

"Plus, for five hundred Life Points I will summon the Lava Battle Guard."

A red monster that looked like the Swamp Battleguard (1700) appeared.

Derrick: 1550. Hunter: 950.

"My Swamp Battleguard is five hundred points stronger now that his twin brother is here. My Lava Battleguard as well."

The Swamp Battleguard (2500) then destroyed Swordstalker.

Derrick: 1350. Hunter: 950.

"Well get ready for my Judge Man, equipped with Invigoration."

The Judge Man (A: 2600) appeared. Its club smashed the Swamp Battle Guard.

Derrick: 950. Hunter: 850.

Hunter smiled as he drew a card. "I guess desperate times calls for desperate measures. I'll get rid of your Invigoration with De-Spell. And I'll attack your Judge Man with Garnecia Elefantis.

A giant, walking elephant appeared (A: 2600). Its big foot smashed the Judge Man (A: 2200).

Derrick: 550. Hunter: 850.

"Probably weren't expecting that, were you?"

Derrick laughed as he drew a card. "No I wasn't. And you probably weren't expecting my Blue-Eyes White Dragon."

The dragon appeared (3000). Hunter looked at it with terror.

"WHAT? IMPOSSIBLE! HOW COULD YOU HAVE A MONSTER THAT RARE?"

Derrick snickered. "You wanted to know my full name. Well here it is. Call me Derrick Kaiba."

"Kaiba? That explains it. Only Kaiba has that monster."

"Bingo. And now my Blue-Eyes blows away your elephant."

The Blue-Eyes White Dragon shot out a ball of white lightning at Garnecia Elefantis.

Derrick: 550. Hunter: 450.

As the smoke cleared, Derrick saw that Hunter was gone. He turned and saw him next to him with a scowl on his face. His hand reached for Derrick's star chips.

"No one can beat that monster. But I'm not letting some kid with a rare card beat me at this tournament. I'll just disqualify you."

He grabbed Derrick's star chips, jumped off the stadium, and ran off. Derrick quickly grabbed his deck, put it in his pocket, and then ran after Hunter. But he was faster.

"No one is getting into that castle but me!" Hunter screamed.

"Hey, Tarzan!"

He didn't have time to react to the large fist in front of him. It hit his face and he fell unconscious to the ground.

Derrick stopped and saw Fox Keith picking up his star chips and the star chips Hunter owed him.

"You're Derrick, one of Michelle's friends, right? I think these are yours."

He placed all ten star chips in Derrick's hand. Derrick smiled as he placed all the chips back in his glove.

"Thanks, Fox. I owe you one."

"Don't worry about it."

"Now I have ten star chips to enter the castle."

"That's funny," Fox said as he showed his dueling glove. "Me too."

"Well, Fox. What are we waiting for?"

They both found their way out of the forest and ran towards the castle.

Hunter sneered as he watched them leave.

"So much for being the only one entering that castle. I guess I can wait no longer."

So he stood up and headed towards the castle.
To Be Continued...