Chapter XII
Rounds one and two:
Tiger VS Harpy, Phoenix VS Phoenix
The members of Team SET who were in the finals got to the waiting area first. They were in a pretty bad mood, after Kasey told them what happened the night before. Yusei was still at Goodwin's mansion, with some others, trying to cheer up Rua. He had started crying when Kasey told them, and nobody blamed him.
If I was in his place, and the Eater took Jayce, Max thought, I might be crying too.
Jayce heard Max and smiled a little. I would too, bro. So, let's do this for Rua and Ruka. Twin Power, right?
Max laughed. Bill and a kid of about 15 walked in just then. The kid was wearing jeans, and a grey button up shirt, and had dirty blonde hair. He and Bill were talking animatedly, in some language none of them understood.
"Hey guys," Bill said as he and the boy got to Team SET. "This is Yoshiya Kiryu, he's in the Finals with us."
"But please, call me Joshua," the boy said. "That's what everyone calls me."
"Pleased to meet you, Joshua," Saby said, smiling. Joshua laughed. Bill introduced Joshua to everyone, and then another boy walked in, about 16. He wore a white leisure suit, obviously he was from the Tops, and had black hair.
"Hello. I am Harold Phoenix, descended from Aster Phoenix, master of the Destiny Heroes," he said, introducing himself. The others all introduced themselves again, when Maria and two other guys walked in.
"Hey Maria!" Jayce said, waving to her. Maria waved back, and the boy with his arm around her waist frowned. "Hi Joey!" The other boy laughed, walked up and fist bumped with Jayce.
"Are you going to introduce us to him?" Saby asked, holding onto his arm.
Jayce smiled at her. "This is Maria Valentine, who some of you," he said, glancing at Max, who was glaring daggers at the one holding her, "know. That's her boyfriend, CJ. And last is Joey Wheeler III." Joey nodded. "Maria and Joey are in the finals, for those of you who haven't seen the roster. CJ is just escorting Maria, I'm sure. Her boyfriends just never want to leave her alone," he finished with a laugh. Some of them laughed too, including Saby, Bill, Joshua and Harold. Max ignored him, and was continuing his staring contest with CJ.
Soon after CJ left a cloaked person walked into the waiting area. Kasey glared at him. There was only one person it could be.
"Dragon-Eater," Kasey said. The Eater laughed.
"Yes? Do you want my autograph or something?" he asked.
"Can I get one?" Joshua asked. The Eater laughed again, signing Joshua's autograph book. "Actually, I wouldn't mind getting all of your autographs, if you don't mind," he said.
The other's shrugged and signed it, Bill taking up a whole page with his signature.
"We're gonna have a rematch in this tournament," Kasey told the Eater.
"If you say so," the Eater said.
"ATTENTION DUELISTS! ROUND ONE OF THE TOURNAMENT WILL BEGIN! WILL SABY FELYNE AND MARIA VALENTINE PLEASE COME TO THE FIELD!" the intercom yelled out.
Saby glanced at Maria. Wow, Jayce's ex verses his girlfriend. This will be interesting. She glanced at Jayce. He said she was good. Let's see how good.
Jayce gave Saby a quick kiss. "Good luck," he said. He gave Maria a hug before she left too. As he stood watching the screen, Joanne walked up next to him.
"Who are you rooting for?" the Crystal Queen asked. Jayce didn't answer, just grinned.
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Saby stood at one end of the field, Maria at the other end. They looked at each other, each wondering how Jayce was doing, seeing the two he loved most fight each other. Saby sighed, and almost missed the announcer saying that she was to go first.
Saby's LP: 4000
Maria's LP: 4000
"I draw!" she said. "Then I summon Skull Dog Marron (4/1350/2000) in defense mode, then play two cards facedown. I end turn."
"My turn: Draw!" Maria said. "I summon Harpy Lady (4/1300/1400) in attack mode, then play the field card Rising Air Current, which increases all WIND monsters by 500 points!" Maria said, amping up her Harpy Lady (1300=1800). "I then play one card facedown and end turn."
Saby drew. "I summon Des Kangaroo (4/1500/1700), in attack mode! Then, I activate one card from my hand: Gallis the Star Beast! I send the top card of my deck to the Graveyard. If it's a monster, I can special summon Gallis and you lose Life Points equal to the monster from my deck's level x200!" Saby said. She picked up the top card. "Its Big Koala! It's a level 7, so you lose 1400!"
Saby's LP: 4000
Maria's LP: 2600
"I then special summon Gallis in defense mode. I end with Lightning Vortex, and-"
Maria cut her off. "I activate Magic Jammer. I discard my Sonic Chick and negate your Lightning Vortex. But you still have to discard your card."
Saby sighed. "I discard The Trojan Horse. End turn."
"My turn," Maria said as she drew. "I play Cyber Harpy Lady (4/1800/1300) in attack mode! And thanks to my Field, she gains 500 attack (1800=2300)!" Maria said. "I have my Cyber Harpy Lady kill your Skull Dog, and my Harpy Lady kill your Gallis. I play one card facedown and end turn."
Saby's LP: 4000
Maria's LP: 2600
"My turn: Draw!" Saby said. "I activate my trap card: Call of the Haunted. I special summon one monster from my Grave in attack mode, and I choose Big Koala (7/2700/2000)! I now play my Spell Card: Polymerization! I fuse my Des Kangaroo with my Big Koala to Summon: Master of Oz (9/4200/3700) in attack mode! Master of Oz, attack Harpy Lady!" Saby said. The giant kangaroo/koala hybrid threw a punch at Maria's Harpy Lady.
"I don't think so: Sakuretsu Armor! Your Master of Oz is killed." Maria said. Saby frowned. "My turn?" Saby nodded. "Draw! I play another Harpy Lady in attack mode! Now, my Harpies all attack you directly!"
Saby grinned. "I don't think so: Negate Attack. Your battle phase is ended, and none attack."
Maria sighed. "I play one card facedown and end turn."
Saby drew. She smiled as she saw her card. "I special summon Five Forces- White Tiger (10/3000/3000) from my hand!"
"You have one of those too?" Maria asked. "Just like Jay."
"Yep, I have one." Saby told her. "And since I have 6 monsters in my Grave, I can summon it. I now activate it's effect: I can summon any monster I want from my deck, and I choose to summon Krebons (2/1200/400) in attack mode!"
"Why summon that?" Maria asked.
"Because, Krebons is a tuner!" Saby explained. "And now I'll Synchronize my level two Krebons and my level ten White Tiger!"
"Why is she tuning her Tiger?" Jack asked in the waiting area. Jayce laughed.
"There's a more powerful version of it that she's summoning," he told the former Duel King.
"Force of Earth and Life, show your true power! Let the mighty universe tremble at your roar! Synchro Summon! Give Life again, Five Forces- Tiger of the Earth!" Saby said, as an even more majestic white tiger appeared (12/4000/4000). "And I should mention one of his effects: he gains 1000 attack for every Five Forces monsters in the Graveyards of either player!" Saby told Jayce's ex, as her Tiger's attack went up even higher (4000=5000).
Maria laughed. "Too bad. It's a great monster and all, but I activate my trap card: Bottomless Trap Hole! When you summon a monster with 1500 or more attack, I remove it from play!"
It was Saby's turn to laugh. "Too bad. It's a great trap and all, but the Tiger of the Earth has another effect: it cannot be destroyed!"
Maria's face fell. "I suppose your going to attack my Harpies now, right?" Saby nodded. "Before you finish this, tell me one thing."
"What?"
"Do you love him?" Saby nodded again. "Despite-"
"I know about his problem, Maria. I understand why you two broke up, and I don't blame you. But I think that I can handle it."
Maria smiled. "I'm glad that he found you then, Saby."
Saby smiled back. "I'll take care of him, don't worry. Tiger of the Earth, attack the Harpy Lady!"
Saby's LP: 4000
Maria's LP: 0
Maria walked over to Saby, and hugged her. "You better take care of him," she whispered into her ear. Saby smiled again.
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It was the second round. Jayce stood where Saby was a few minutes ago, staring at Harold Phoenix. He wondered if it was a coincidence that his opponent had the last name of Phoenix.
"Duel!" the two yelled.
Jayce's LP: 4000
Harold's LP: 4000
"I go first: Draw!" Harold said. "I set a monster facedown, then play two cards facedown. End turn!"
Jayce drew. "I summon D.D. Assailant (4/1700/1600) in attack mode! I then play two cards face down and attack your monster!"
Harold laughed. "You attack my Destiny Hero- Defender (4/100/2700)! You just lost 1000 life points!"
Jayce's LP: 3000
Harold's LP: 4000
"I suppose I end turn," Jayce said, sighing.
"Draw!" Harold said. "I summon Marauding Captain (3/1200/1400) in attack mode! I activate his effect: when he's summoned, I can special summon one level four or lower monster from my hand! I summon Destiny Hero- Diamond Dude (4/1400/1600)! But, the fun doesn't end there: I tribute my three monsters to Special Summon Destiny Hero- Dogma (8/3400/2400)! But, I'm not attacking your Assailant, because I know his effect: when it's destroyed by a monster, you can remove both of them from play. So, I'll just end my turn."
"Draw!" Jayce said.
"And on your standby phase, you lose half your life points, thanks to Dogma's effect!" Harold said.
Jayce's LP: 1500
Harold's LP: 4000
"I summon a monster in defense mode, then end turn." Jayce said.
"My turn: Draw!" Harold said. "Would you look at that? I play my facedown Polymerization on my Dogma, and the Destiny Hero- Plasma I just drew. I fusion summon Destiny End Dragoon (10/3000/3000)!"
Jayce frowned. This was bad. He had his ace card out the third turn. C'mon Bill, show me some love. "I draw!" Hmmm… Maybe with the cards Jax gave me, I might win this. "I play Double Summon, allowing me to normal summon twice this turn. I first summon my D.D. Warrior Lady (4/1500/1600) in attack mode! Second summon is Debris Dragon (4/1000/2000)! Next, I Synchronize my level four Debris Dragon and my level four D.D. Warrior Lady! But when I Synchronize them, I activate my trap card: Synchro Duplex! It allows me to Synchro Summon another Synchro monster of the same level as the one I'm summoning. Now, Dragon kin that come and go, Come and aid me here below, Serpents one and serpents all, Come and heed my dragon call! Your not the only one with End monsters! Synchro Summon: Light End Dragon (8/2600/2100) and Dark End Dragon (8/2600/2100)!"
"Plagiarist," Jax said, realizing the Phoenix Envoy used his chant when he Synchro Summoned.
"Heh, but they still don't have enough attack to take down my Dragoon," Harold pointed out.
"Who said I was attacking it?" Jayce asked. "I use my Dark End Dragon's effect: I can decrease it's attack and defense by 500, and destroy one monster you control!" Jayce declared. "Bye bye Destiny End Dragoon!" he said as his own End monster was weakened (2600=2100). "But I still have enough attack points to take you out. Attack, Light End Dragon and Dark End Dragon!"
Jayce's LP: 1500
Harold's LP: 0
Harold laughed as his Destiny Heroes were beaten. "Good Duel, Jayce. I'm glad I Dueled you. I hope you win this tournament."
Jayce grinned. "Thanks. I'll do my best."
The two walked back to the waiting area, both wondering who was going to be in the next match.