If there's one thing worse than someone who hurts people for a living – which seems to be the case with the Shadow Spawn – it's one that looks at this "job" as if it were a joke.
It seems that Merlow might have guided me into a confrontation with another of them (and if I survive this, I'm going to give him a piece of my mind) and the middle sibling of this family seems even more demented than either Kurtis OR Melissa. He doesn't seem to take this seriously at all.
Still, he means business. My deck relies on powerful Monsters that can inflict large amounts of damage, and it's ill-equipped to handle his strategy.
Of course… That may have been the whole idea…
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DUEL TWELVE
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Fiend Comedian
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"Seems a pretty big crowd out there, Andy," said Stan, as he looked out into the arena, which was slowly filling up.
Andy sighed.
"This isn't going to be easy folks…" he said. "And I doubt I'll be the house favorite here."
"We'll be at ringside," said Francesca. "And so will…"
She stopped. She looked around.
"Say… Where did Merlow run off to?"
"I haven't seen that guy in about an hour," said Yuki. "He said he was going to get popcorn…
"Either there's a very long line at the concession stand, or…"
Andy sighed, and straitened his color.
Maybe Conan was right all the times he said you couldn't trust wizards… he thought.
Jolene poked her head into the green room.
"Fifteen minutes, Andy!" she said.
"We'd better take our seats," said Stan.
"Uh… Good luck…" said Francesca.
"Break a leg!"
0000000000
Andy rarely watched events like this, but as he waited to be introduced, everything was there. The loud music, the pyrotechnics… All the gaudy flash.
Maybe it's a good thing I'm wearing this helmet, he thought. If everyone could see who I was, then I'd really be making a fool of myself.
Jolene walked into the center of the circular ring holding a microphone.
"Ladies and gentlemen, may I have your attention?" she shouted.
She cleared her throat.
"It is with regret that I have to inform you that the Champion of the Glitz Pit cannot be dueling tonight…"
This seemed to elect an angry reaction from the crowd.
"Please calm down…" she said. "Tickets will be refunded once the duel is over… However… The special guest who will be dueling in his place requests that you remain to watch…
"Because if you don't, he's going to break both my arms…"
She said that part quieter than the first, and the crowd went silent. Andy raised an eyebrow.
"First, let's welcome the challenger…" said Jolene. "Visiting Arcadia from the great city of Miami, Florida… I give you… Markova the Dragon Master!"
Andy slowly walked to the ring. No-one booed him, which he had expected at first, but no-one cheered either.
He walked up to Jolene.
"Something you want to tell me?" he whispered.
"Just move to the corner!" she whispered back.
Andy did so, as she cleared her throat again.
"And now, our special guest…" she said.
Then someone grabbed the microphone out of her hand. Exactly where he had come from, it was hard to tell.
"That's enough, beautiful," he said, "I'll take it from here…"
Andy looked with shock when he saw his apparent opponent. It was a teenager who looked about sixteen, who was muscular, wearing only a vest over his well-toned torso, along with leather trousers and shoes. What made him stand out was his red hair. Not auburn-red, like the case with most redheads, but really red, like the color of fire, and likely holding a lot of mousse.
Now the crowd really went silent…
"Hey, hey folks!" said the strange teenage. "So good to be here!
"So many things on my mind lately… So many questions… You ever wonder how the guys who drive snowplows get to work in the morning?"
There was no response from the crowd.
"Why did Japanese kamikaze pilots wear helmets?" he asked.
Still no response.
"Hmm…" he said. "Why is there an expiration date on sour cream?"
He tapped his foot, but still no response.
"Tough crowd…" he said.
"Buddy, if you're trying to be funny," said Andy, "let me tell you, you're flatter than a pancake. Who the Hell are you?"
The strange boy chuckled a little.
"Depends…" he said. "Just what Hell are you referring to?"
He let out a short laugh.
"Lighten up, Andy!" he said with a smile. "I'm just trying to break the ice before the real unpleasant stuff starts…
"Tyson's the name…"
"The Shadow Spawn of Fire, I assume?" asked Andy. "This whole thing was a set-up?"
"Naw, I just saw the opportunity when you signed up," replied Tyson.
"And what if I just turn around and leave?" asked Andy.
Tyson looked at him.
He motioned for Andy to come closer. Andy did so, cautiously.
"First of all, you can't," replied Tyson, softly, so that only Andy could hear. "All the exits to the arena are locked. All of them.
"Second, you may remember the power Kurtis holds over the element of wind. I have similar powers over fire.
"You wouldn't want me to set this place on fire would you? Not with so many people here?"
"You wouldn't…" gasped Andy.
"The fire itself probably wouldn't kill many people…" said Tyson. "But… The resulting panic that it would cause… That would be a different story…"
"You guys just love to use blackmail, don't you?" said Andy.
"We go with what works," said Tyson.
"So!" he said into the microphone again. "Can anyone tell me why the words 'flammable' and 'inflammable' mean the same thing?
"Or why 'slim chance' and 'fat chance' mean the same thing?
"Or why it's so hard to remember how to spell 'mnemonic'?"
"OKAY, I'll duel you!" shouted Andy. "Just lay off the bad jokes!"
"All right…" said Tyson. "Let's get the technical stuff out of the way…
"Andy Markova… You stand accused…"
"I plead not guilty to your baseless accusation, fellah!" shouted Andy, pointing at him. "And you and your mom can stick it where the sun doesn't shine while you're at it!"
The crowd gasped.
Andy didn't need the sunglasses this time. As much as he didn't like the costume before, it seemed to fit the bill as much as they ever did.
Tyson chuckled.
"It seems you fear nothing…" he said. "Then let the duel begin!"
Pyrotechnics shot up from each corner of the ring again, as flames enshrouded Tyson's left arm. They slowly formed into a Duel Disk made of crimson metal.
"Looks like these guys really aren't used to folks who talk back to them," said Stan, who was watching from the front row. "I just hope Andy can back those words up."
(Andy: 8,000) - - - - - - - - - - (Tyson: 8,000)
"I believe that means the honor is mine…" said Tyson.
He drew a card, and then looked at his hand.
He set one, and then a reversed Monster appeared in front of him.
"I end my turn…" he said.
Andy made a draw, and looked over his hand of cards.
"Alexandrite Dragon, you're up!" he said, as he played one.
A large Dragon with a shimmering hide that seemed to be made out of gemstones appeared in an aura of light. (2,000 ATK)
"That's a pretty powerful Monster for just your first turn," said Tyson. "You seem to be dueling as if your life depended on it…
"Oh, wait… You are…"
"I don't find you funny in the least," said Andy. "Attack his Monster! Burning Flash!"
The beautiful Dragon fired a blast of pure light at the set card. A woman in a red dress holding a staff appeared on the card, and was blown into triangles.
"So much for your Fire Princess," said Andy. "That's all I can do for now…"
"Really?" said Tyson, as he made a draw.
"Well I can do plenty!"
He thrust a Spell Card forward.
"I'll start by playing Foolish Burial!"
"Do you have to be so enthusiastic?" asked Andy.
"Don't fret, Andy," said Tyson, as he took a card from his deck. "These folks came here expecting to see a good show, and I intend to give them one…"
He discarded the card.
"Next, I play Fire Back," he continued, as he played another Spell Card. "By discarding a Fire Monster from my hand, I can Special Summon one from my Graveyard…"
He discarded a card.
"So let's give it up once again for Fire Princess!"
There was a cloud of flames, and the infamous female Pyro dressed in a fiery red dress holding a long, wooded staff appeared, kneeling in Defense Mode again. (1,500 DEF)
So he's playing a Gain-Burn Deck? thought Andy.
"She seems lonely," said Tyson. "So… I'll summon her brother, Fire Prince!"
"Say what?" said Andy.
There was another cloud of flame, and a young man in scarlet armor, holding a fiery sword, with bright red hair appeared next to Fire Princess. (1,600 ATK)
Andy's eyes narrowed. The Monster kind of looked like Tyson… And he guessed that Tyson was a prince, technically…
"Guess what, Andy?" said Tyson. "So long as Fire Prince is on the field, his sister can't be targeted by attacks."
"Not the best defense," said Andy.
"I'm not through!" said Tyson. "I play The Dark Door…"
He fit a card into his Disk, and a Continuous Spell Card appeared.
"So long as this door is open, each player can only attack with one Monster per turn."
Okay… thought Andy. I can still get rid of both of them… It will just take more than one turn…
"To complete my turn…" said Tyson.
He fit a card into the Field Zone of his Disk.
"I activate Volcano Palace!"
An eruption of lava spouted up behind Tyson, and magma quickly covered the field. Andy nervously watched as it flowed underneath his feet, but it fortunately didn't burn him.
As haze filled the arena, a dark, ominous castle made of obsidian appeared behind Tyson.
"We'll get into that later…" said Tyson. "It's your move…"
Andy drew a card.
Man, how lucky could I get? he thought.
"Go Polymerization!" he shouted, as the Fusion Spell appeared in front of him. "I'll combine Divine Dragon Ragnarok and Lord of Dragons…"
The Dragon and the Spellcaster appeared, and then were drawn into the vortex.
With a roar, King Dragun appeared. Murmurs started to rise in the crowd. (2,400 ATK)
"Fricassee that Fire Prince! Twilight Burn!"
King Dragun shot burning flames from his staff, and Fire Prince was blown to shards.
(A: 8,000) - - - - - - - - - - (T: 7,200)
"All right!" cheered Yuki. "He sure showed him!"
Francesca sighed.
"Yuki…" she said. "I can only wish I could believe that… I have a nagging feeling that there's more to this setup than there appears…"
"Since I can't attack your Princess due to The Dark Door," said Andy, "I'll just end my turn…"
"Then I draw…" said Tyson.
Then the form of a fiendish woman with dark skin and black feathered wings appeared behind him.
"Marie the Fallen One, huh?" said Andy.
"You got it," said Tyson. "Because I sent her to my Graveyard last turn with Foolish Burial, I gain 200 Life Points now, which means Fire Princess can do her job…"
Fire Princess pointed her staff at Andy, and fired a blast of flaming energy. Andy grunted.
"It's still my Standby Phase, which means I can use the effect of my Field Spell…" continued Tyson. "I can pay 500 Life Points to Special Summon from my Graveyard a Level 4 or lower Pyro-Type Monster that was destroyed last turn…"
Fire Prince appeared, kneeling in Defense Mode. (1,200 DEF)
"Figures…" said Andy, with a frown. "You intend to do that every turn to protect Fire Princess…"
"Who needs Gravity Bind?" asked Tyson. "Your Masked Dragons and Twin-Headed Behemoth would have gotten past a card like that anyway. This is the perfect defense for a Fire Princess Burn.
"I'll move her to Defense Mode, just in case…"
Fire Princess knelt, and held her staff in her lap. (1,500 DEF)
"And I'll turn it over to you…"
(A: 7,500) - - - - - - - - - - (T: 6,900)
Okay, need a good card here… thought Andy.
He drew one.
He gave a disappointed sigh. Of all the times he would have been happy to have drawn Call of the Haunted, this wasn't one of them.
He fit it into his Disk, and it appeared face-down. Then he pointed, and King Dragun fired his Twilight Burn again, eradicating Fire Prince.
"Good effort!" chuckled Tyson. "Too bad he was in Defense Mode."
"I end my turn…" said Andy.
"Then I draw…" said Tyson, as he drew a card.
"Again, I gain 200 Life Points from Marie," he said, "again, Fire Princess uses her effect…"
Andy yelped again as the flames hit him.
"And again, I pay 500 Life Points to use the effect of my Field Spell…"
Fire Prince appeared again, once more in Defense Mode. (1,200 DEF)
(A: 7,000) - - - - - - - - - - (T: 6,600)
"You can't keep that up forever…" said Andy.
"I don't intend to…" said Tyson, with a sinister smirk. "This is just a warm up…"
He chuckled.
"…so to speak… You may yet find a way to tear down my Field Spell or my Dark Door, but by then, stage two of my strategy may well be underway…
"I end my turn…"
Andy drew a card.
Paradox Fusion… he thought. This could break up his lock… Maybe…
"I set this card face-down," he said, as it appeared behind his two Dragons.
"Then I attack with King Dragun!"
For the third time, the blast blew Fire Prince to little pieces.
"Now you're getting desperate, Andy," said Tyson, "and I have to say, you're putting on quite a boring show. The crowd is getting ugly."
Andy sighed.
"I end my turn…" he said.
Tyson made a draw. Then he bent down, and picked up the microphone, which he had dropped before.
"Hey, people, kinda warm in here isn't it?" he said. "Tell me… Why is it that when two planes almost hit each other it's called a 'near miss'? Shouldn't it be a 'near hit'?
"When they ship Styrofoam, what do they pack it in?
"Why do you drive on a parkway and park on a driveway?
"How exactly can someone 'draw a blank'?"
"Will you knock it off?" shouted Andy.
"Sorry Andy," said Tyson. "This is a rather boring duel, and I was trying to entertain these people."
"Telling bad jokes isn't going to help…" said Andy.
"Well then, where were we?" asked Tyson. "Oh yes… It was my Standby Phase, which means that I gain 200 Life Points from Marie, and then you lose 500 from Fire Princess…"
Andy groaned again.
"And then I pay 500 Life Points to use the Field Spell!"
Once again Fire Prince fully materialized. (1,200 DEF)
"And that will be all for my turn…"
(A: 6,500) - - - - - - - - - - (T: 6,300)
Andy made a draw.
"All right, Tyson…" he said. "I play Card of Variation!
"I get to make two draws now… But, I have to discard one when my turn ends, or I take 3,000 points of damage."
He drew two cards.
His eyes opened wide in surprise.
"First, I'll use King Dragun's effect to Special Summon Twin-Headed Behemoth in Defense Mode…" he said.
He placed the card on his Disk, and the two-headed wyrm appeared, crouching on its hindquarters. (1,200 DEF)
"Guess what?" asked Andy. "I've got a friend of mine here that's gonna break through your defense like a hot knife through butter!
"Glitz Pit… Let's all have a warm welcome for an old friend of the family…
"Koops the Bashful!"
He played the card, and there was another aura of blue energy…
The aura subsided, and once again, the Monster that appeared hardly looked very formidable. He was a turtle; he stood on its hind legs, wore a blue sweater, lighter blue shorts, and white shoes, but there could be no mistaking that he was a turtle. (1,800 ATK)
Stan and Francesca stood up in shock. The same feeling was there… The same warm feeling they had felt when Goombella and Flurrie had been summoned…
This was someone that they were close to, at least in spirit.
"Excuse me if I don't run in fear," said Tyson.
"Don't underestimate Koops…" said Andy. "The old adage 'slow and steady wins the race' may have been inspired by a tortoise…"
Koops withdrew his limbs and head into his shell.
"…but it certainly wasn't this one! Attack with Shell Slam!"
It certainly seemed true, because Koops shot at Fire Prince like a rocket, blowing him to little pieces as Tyson dodged aside.
"So what?" chuckled Tyson. "Next turn, I'll just…"
"Uh, Tyson…" said Andy. "Koops isn't finished…"
Tyson turned around, and saw that Koops was flying over the rafters…
"I may only be able to attack with one Monster per Battle Phase…" said Andy, "but Koops can attack more than one Monster in one Battle Phase!"
Koops did a sharp U-turn, and rocketed towards Fire Princess. Tyson dove for cover as he plowed into Fire Princess, blowing her to shards.
"Unbelievable!" shouted Jolene's voice over the loud speaker. "Markova has miraculously broken up Tyson's seemingly unbeatable lock!"
For the first time, the crowd started to react. A few people started to cheer. Tyson growled.
I told that bitch I didn't want any commentary… he thought.
Koops skidded to a halt in front of Andy, and emerged from his shell.
"I end my turn now," said Andy, "which means I have to discard one card from my hand to avoid taking damage from Card of Variation."
He took one of his two remaining cards, Red Eyes Black Dragon, and discarded it.
"So you managed to destroy them both…" said Tyson, as he made a draw.
"Too bad your plan failed! Once I gain 200 points from Marie, I can still use the effect of my Field Spell to Special Summon one of them…"
Fire Princess materialized once again.
"Next, I activate Monster Reborn!"
He threw the Spell Card into his Disk.
"I activate… Paradox Fusion!" shouted Andy.
One of his facedown cards lifted up, and King Dragun vanished into ripples of light.
"What?" said Tyson. "You're getting rid of your own Monster?"
"He'll be back in two turns," said Andy. "In return for that, this Counter Trap can negate the Special Summon of a Monster, the activation of a Trap Card or in this case, a Spell Card."
Monster Reborn shattered, and more of the crowd started to cheer.
"Unprecedented!" shouted Jolene. "Markova has dismantled Tyson's whole strategy!"
"You wish!" said Tyson. "Time for stage two…"
He held a Spell Card forward.
"I play Star Blast!" he shouted. "I'll give up 500 Life Points to downgrade the Level 7 Monster in my hand to six.
"Meaning I only need one sacrifice to summon her…"
Fire Princess vanished.
"A Level 7 Monster?" gasped Stan.
A bonfire of flames appeared on Tyson's side of the field, and a sinister laugh echoed through the arena.
Fear pierced the hearts of everyone watching as the female Monster appeared. Even Andy and his three friends were a little nervous. Although they had only seen the Shadow Queen once, when she had confronted them at Hooktail Castle, she was a little hard to forget. This Monster looked almost exactly like her, except wearing a scarlet dress instead of a black one. It was like she had given up dark magic and become an evil fire sorceress. (2,400 ATK)
"Meet Fire Queen," said Tyson. "And because I summoned her while Volcano Palace is in play, I get to take an even stronger Monster from my deck…"
He took a card from his deck and smirked at Andy.
"We'll get to him later… For now… Fire Queen, toast that turtle with Blazing Prominence!"
Fire Queen pointed, and two burning comets of fire shot at Koops. Andy winced… He could actually feel the super-intense heat…
"Koops…" he said, sadly.
Tyson threw a card into his Disk, and a set card appeared behind Fire Queen.
"It's your move, Andy," said Tyson. "Next turn, the party is really going to heat up!"
(A: 5,900) - - - - - - - - - - (T: 5,500)
Andy drew a card.
"I have to skip my Battle Phase this turn because Koops attacked more than once last turn," he said, "so I'll set this card…"
A face-down Monster materialized in front of him.
Then I'll move Alexandrite Dragon to Defense Mode…"
The gemstone Dragon sat on its hindquarters. (100 DEF)
"And I end my turn…"
Tyson drew a card. Again, Marie the Fallen One appeared behind him, and he glowed slightly.
"I activate Mystical Space Typhoon!" he exclaimed.
The whirlwind shot at Andy's set card. It lifted up, revealed to be Call of the Haunted, and then shattered.
"What a conicidence…" said Tyson. "I activate MY Call of the Haunted, to bring back my Flame Ruler!"
His Trap Card lifted up, and a fiery, wild-haired man wearing a red vest and blue pants. (1,500 ATK)
"That's bad news…" said Andy.
"More than you know…" said Tyson. "Because as I'm sure you realize, when Flame Ruler is sacrificed for the Tribute Summon of a Fire Monster, he counts as two Monsters…"
Flame Ruler vanished, and then a tall tower of flame erupted from in front of him.
"I summon… Fire King!"
There was a growl, and a hulking, eight-foot tall creature that certainly didn't look human stepped onto the field. It was a fiendish-looking Pyro with bronze skin, a shirtless, muscled torso, wearing silk pantaloons. It had a mane of red hair with horns on its forehead, upward-pointing fangs, and devilishly-pointed ears. The only article of clothing it wore that might have suggested royalty was a golden, gem-encrusted belt. It held a very large khopesh sword. (3,000 ATK)
"Oh, for the love of…" muttered Andy. "Don't tell me that's supposed to be your dad!"
"Yeah…" said Tyson, with a sly smirk. "I guess I was kinda lucky to get all my looks from mom's side…"
"Okay…" said Andy. "So if Fire Prince is you, and the King and Queen are your parents… Who is the Princess supposed to be?"
For the first time, Tyson looked serious.
"None of your business," he replied, in a grim tone.
"Now let's get to business! Because Volcano Palace is still in play, Fire King's effect lets me conjure up a Fire Retainer Token every turn."
A humanoid that seemed to be sculpted entirely out of fire appeared next to the two royals. (1,000 ATK)
"Then we get to Fire Queen's effect… By forfeiting her attack this turn, I can sacrifice a low-Level Fire Monster, and deal damage equal to its Attack Score."
The Queen pointed, and the Fire Retainer Token flew at Andy. He hollered in pain as fire burst around him.
"Now, I attack Twin-Headed Behemoth with Fire King!" shouted Tyson. "Whirling Firesteel Strike!"
The monstrous Pyro hurled its khopesh, turning it into a spinning wheel of fire. It cut through Twin-Headed Behemoth, burning it to cinders.
"Be grateful it was in Defense Mode," said Tyson. "I end my turn…"
The pixelated remains converged, and Twin-Headed Behemoth appeared again. (1,000 DEF)
(A: 4,900) - - - - - - - - - - (T: 5,700)
Andy slowly made a draw.
He quickly set it in his Disk, and a set card appeared in his Spell Zone.
Then he flipped his face-down Monster, and the Morphing Jar appeared. (700 ATK)
"Well, if you insist…" said Tyson, as he drew the top five cards off his deck.
Andy discarded two cards, and drew five.
"Hey, Tyson!" shouted Andy. "Here's a question for you… If a guy goes to Heaven and talks to God, and He sneezes, what does the guy say to Him?"
Tyson looked at him. Some small amounts of laughter came out of the crowd.
"I think the heat may be getting to Andy…" sighed Stan.
"No… wait…" said Francesca.
"Ah, heh, heh, heh…" chuckled Tyson. "Heh… I gotta admit… That one was kinda funny…"
"Well, Tyson, see…" said Andy. "Like all of the questions you made trying to be funny… I really don't know the answer to that one…
"But one thing I do know… You're certainly never going to get a chance to find out the answer to that one, because the odds of you actually meeting Him hover slightly above nonexistent."
He took a deep breath.
All right… he thought. Hope I can pull this off… Never done this before, but I've got to start somewhere…
"I play Monster Reborn!" he shouted.
The holy ankh appeared, and Divine Dragon Ragnarok appeared in front of him. (1,500 ATK)
"Now, by using him and Alexandrite Dragon…" said Andy, as the two Dragons turned into a vortex of energy, "I build the Overlay Network!
"Appear before me… Queen Dragun Djinn!"
There was an explosion of lights and flames, and an intimidating female creature appeared from out of the fire. Like King Dragun, she was centaurian in shape, her upper body that of a beautiful, blonde-haired sorceress, her hair tied in a ponytail, wearing black armor with draconic design. She held a scepter similar to King Dragun's. Her lower body was that of a winged Dragon made entirely out of orange flames. (2,200 ATK)
"Interesting…" said Tyson.
"You want interesting?" said Andy. "Wait until you see what she can do. First off, so long as she's around, all of my Dragons, except for her, can't be destroyed by battle.
"And I'm about to summon two more of them. First, by getting rid of one of her Overlay Units, I can Special Summon a Level 5 or higher Dragon from my Graveyard."
Red Eyes Black Dragon loomed above the field, and roared. (2,400 ATK)
"However, it loses its effect and can't attack this turn… But, seeing as it has noeffect to lose and your Dark Door is still there, both are moot points.
"Next, I sacrifice my Morphing Jar…"
The small Rock vanished.
"…to summon Des Volstgalph!"
There was another explosion of energy, and a large Dragon with wings and a hard exoskeleton appeared next to Red Eyes. (2,200 ATK)
"Impressive…" said Tyson. "You may have summoned a few powerful Monsters, but my Monsters are stronger still…"
Andy took another card from his hand.
"Like I already told one delightful individual in this tournament," he said, "when you can't make your Monster stronger, make your opponent's Monster weaker!
"I activate Shrink!"
He played the card, and Fire King gasped as he shrank to half his size. (1,500 ATK)
"Not only did it weaken your King," said Andy, "but each time a Normal or Quickplay Spell is played, Des Volstgalph gains 200 Attack Points!"
(2,400 ATK)
"So take this!"
Des Volstgalph launched a bolt of pure energy from its jaws, and Tyson groaned as Fire King exploded.
This time a real reaction came from the crowd. Cheers erupted, and Tyson could tell that they weren't for him…
This isn't good… he thought.
"Des Volstgalph has another effect…" said Andy. "Whenever he smashes a Monster, you lose 500 Life Points."
Tyson grunted a little.
"Are you quite done?" he asked.
"I am now…" said Andy, "and by the way, this is my second End Phase since I played Paradox Fusion, so guess who's back?"
In an aura of light, King Dragun appeared again. (2,400 ATK)
(A: 4,900) - - - - - - - - - - (T: 4,300)
"It's almost the perfect setup…" gasped Stan. "With both King Dragun and Queen Dragun on the field, Andy's Dragons are practically invulnerable…"
"You're probably thinking that your Dragons are invulnerable…" said Tyson.
He drew a card, and Marie appeared behind him again.
"I beg to differ! I remember you saying quite clearly that Queen Dragun's effect doesn't protect herself!
"So that's exactly who Fire Queen is going to aim for!"
The evil Pyro hurled her Burning Prominence at the Xyz…
Andy's Trap Card lifted up.
"Eh?" said Tyson. "Nitwit Outwit?"
"Yeah," said Andy. "And you're the nitwit. By discarding a Monster from my hand, like Cave Dragon here…"
He discarded the card.
"Your attacking Monster loses Attack Points equal to the Monster I just discarded."
Fire Queen's Attack Score fell to 400…
Queen Dragun swatted the blast aside with her scepter, and it fell back towards its owner. She grunted as it hit her, throwing her backwards until she exploded into fiery embers.
Now the crowd was beside themselves. Applause and cheers came from all sides.
Tyson took two cards from his hand, and set them in his Disk. A face-down card appeared in his Spell Zone and a set Monster appeared in front of them.
No choice… he thought. Next turn, I have to bring out the card I reserved for a special occasion…
He nodded.
(A: 4,900) - - - - - - - - - - (T: 2,700)
Andy made a draw.
I can still make only one attack per turn with his Dark Door there… he thought. Still, with Des Volstgalph, I can take him down notch by notch…
"Des Volstgalph, attack!" he shouted.
The bolt of energy thundered towards the card. A humanoid figure that appeared to be made entirely out of lava appeared crouching on the card. Tyson grunted as it was blown to shards.
"I activate… Miracle's Wake," he said, as his face-down card lifted up.
"Due to its effect I summon Molten Zombie back to the field."
A burning Pyro that seemed to be made entirely out of lava appeared in front of him. (1,600 ATK)
"And when Molten Zombie is summoned from the Graveyard," he said, "I get to draw once…"
He made a draw.
"Oh no…" said Yuki. "The Field Spell will let him do that every turn!"
"But not forever…" said Stan. "He has to pay 500 Life Points to use the effect of the Field Spell, and Des Volstgalph will still inflict 500 points of damage per turn. Tyson won't last long this way…"
Andy looked at the card he had drawn.
Dragon's Rage.
I don't think he'll last very long at all, he thought.
He fit the card into his Disk, and it flashed into view behind his Dragons.
"Your move, pal," he said.
(A: 4,900) - - - - - - - - - - (T: 2,200)
Tyson smirked as he made a draw.
"First, I gain 200 Life Points from Marie," he said. "Then, I remove one Fire Monster in my Graveyard from play."
Flame Ruler appeared behind him, and vanished.
"…to Special Summon Inferno!"
A burning pyre of skulls with two blazing eyes appeared next to Molten Zombie. (1,100 ATK)
"Then, I summon Flame Spirit Ignis…" he said.
There was another blast of fire, and a creature that could best be described as a flaming mandrill ape, hunched over, with reddish fur and a blazing mane, appeared. (1,500 ATK)
"Somehow, I don't think Tyson intends to defend any more…" said Francesca.
"With these three Monsters…" said Tyson, as the three Pyro's turned into a spiraling vortex of fire, "I build the Overlay Network!"
As he said this, flames engulfed the whole ring. Andy covered himself with his arm… The heat… It seemed so real…
Two glowing eyes appeared out of the flames…
"Come forth…" said Tyson. "Volcano Assassin!"
As the fires subsided, a creature stepped out, one that, at first, looked like Yuki's Flame Armor Ninja, but with a much fancier outfit. Flaming designs were on his scarlet gi, and burning fires surrounded him.
He looked at Andy as he drew a flaming katana… (2,300 ATK)
"He's not so tough…" said Andy.
"He'll get tougher soon…" said Tyson. "Attack his Queen Dragun! Slay her!"
Andy grit his teeth as the Ninja Pyro leapt at Queen Dragun. With a slash of his sword, she was cut in half, the pieces dissolving into grains of light.
Andy sighed.
Sorry Stan… he said. But at least your card helped…
"I hope it was worth it, Tyson!" he said, in an angry tone. "Because next turn, King Dragun is going to…"
Then Volcano Assassin burned fiercely… (3,400 ATK)
"WHAT?" shouted Andy.
"Whenever Volcano Assassin kills a Monster," said Tyson, "I can remove one Overlay Unit to add half the Attack Score of said Monster to his score."
"NO FAIR!" shouted Andy.
"It's not the easiest Xyz to summon…" said Tyson. "Not only does it require three Level 4 Monsters, all three must be Pyros.
"Now… What was King Dragun going to do? It's your move, by the way…"
Andy paused. He drew a card.
(A: 4,800) - - - - - - - - - - (T: 2,400)
So much for hitting him with Dragon's Rage… he thought.
He looked at the card he had drawn.
Spirit Ryu? A fat lot of good that will do me…
He turned two cards on his Disk, and all three of his offensive Monsters moved to Defense Mode. (King Dragun: 1,100 DEF, Red Eyes Black Dragon: 2,000 DEF, Des Volstgalph: 1,700 DEF)
"That's all I can do…" he said.
Tyson made a draw.
"I Equip my Monster with Big Bang Shot!" he shouted.
(3,800 ATK)
How lucky can this guy get? thought Andy.
"Attack King Dragun!" shouted Tyson. "Kill!"
The flaming Shinobi's sword hit the Dragon Lord, and Andy screamed in pain. He fell flat on his back…
"If you can still hear me…" said Tyson, "I use my Monster's effect again, which means that Volcano Assassin gains 1,200 more Attack Points…"
(5,000 ATK)
Andy could hear him – vaguely. He just wasn't sure if it mattered…
Fear was starting to grip him more than it ever had before… Despite the heat from the Field Spell and the burning Xyz Monster… He was shivering…
(A: 2,100) - - - - - - - - - - (T: 2,600)
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"Andy! Andy!" urged a voice. "Get up!"
Andy felt someone nudging his shoulder. He slowly sat up, and found that the whole coliseum was empty now… He was alone…
Alone, that is, except for the one who was urging him to get up. He was surprised to see that it was Koops.
"C'mon, Andy…" said Koops. "Duel isn't over yet…"
"Koops…" said Andy. "I… I don't know if I can win this duel… Tyson is stronger than anything I've ever faced…
"I've beaten two of his strategies… But each time, he just came back with a stronger one…"
"You're scared of Tyson, aren't you?" asked Koops.
Andy looked at him.
"Now I never said that…" he replied.
"Trust me, I know…" said Koops. "And it's nothing to be ashamed of. You should be afraid of Tyson! He a dangerous, deadly creature! When he threatened to burn this place down, he wasn't bluffing!
"But take it from someone who's been there… Fear doesn't define someone… How you react to it does."
"What?" said Andy.
"Listen…" said Koops. "I used to live in Petalburg, back when Hooktail was alive… And I was scared to death of Hooktail! Who wouldn't be? My dad had gone to her castle and never came back!
"But… When the Three Heroes came to town and said that they were going up there to slay Hooktail, I practically begged them to come with them."
"Let me guess…" said Andy. "You wanted to prove to everyone that you weren't a coward?"
"Yeah…" said Koops. "Even though I was pretty sure I was one. At first I thought that the person I most wanted to convince most was my girlfriend…
"But see… As we explored that awful place, I realized there was one person I wanted to convince even more… Myself.
"Your ancestor… He said something to me right before Hooktail actually appeared that I'll never forget…
"He said that true bravery is when you're scared, but you act anyway… And it helped a lot, I'll tell you that!"
"Words to live by, I guess…" said Andy. "Still… bravery alone isn't going to help me fight that thing! If I had an F.G.D. in my deck, it would be strong enough, but the problem is, I don't have one!"
"Well…" said Koops. "Attack Points aren't everything…"
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Andy held his head as he got up. He nearly tripped over his cape.
Stupid thing… he thought. How does Batman do it?
"It's your move, Andy…" said Tyson. "Next turn, I'm bringing this show to an explosive finish…"
Andy drew a card. He looked at it closely
Then he smirked.
Nice one, Koops… he thought.
"I throw this face-down," he said, as he fit it into his Disk.
A set card appeared behind his three Dragons.
"Then… I move my Monsters to Attack Mode!"
The crowd gasped as all three Dragons assumed fighting stances. (Twin-Headed Behemoth: 1,000 ATK, Red Eyes Black Dragon: 2,400 ATK, Des Volstgalph: 2,200 ATK)
"And I end my turn…"
Tyson looked at him with an expression that could be construed as annoyed.
He drew a card.
"Right, Andy…" he said, as Marie appeared behind him again. "Just what kind of idiot do you think I am?"
"I dunno," replied Andy. "How many kinds of idiots are there?"
This evoked quite a few laughs from the crowd.
"No more jokes!" snapped Tyson. "Do you think I'm going to fall into a Trap that obvious?"
"I'll set this face-down…"
He slipped the card he had just set into his Disk. A card appeared in his Spell Zone.
"And as soon as I activate it, I'll finish you off in one tremendous blast!
"Turn over…"
He stabbed his thumb down.
"Then let me activate mine first…" said Andy. "You want fire?"
His Trap Card lifted up.
"How's THIS for fire? Burst Breath!"
"Eh?" said Tyson.
Twin-Headed Behemoth shattered, and then the field erupted in a true inferno. Tyson screamed…
Slowly, the flames subsided… Volcano Assassin was gone…
Red Eyes and Des Volstgalph looked at the Shadow Spawn with hungry glares…
"My two Monsters survived…" said Andy, "because both of them had Defense Scores higher than 1,000…
"But Volcano Assassin's Defense Score was only 1,000… So Twin-Headed Behemoth was just enough for my Trap Card to blow him away…"
(A: 2,100) - - - - - - - - - - (T: 2,800)
"I think I know what your Trap Card is, Tyson…" said Andy. "Spiritual Fire Art – Kurenai. Am I warm?"
"You're red-hot…" growled Tyson.
"Well, it won't work now that you have no Fire Monsters…" replied Andy.
"This duel isn't over yet…" said the Shadow Spawn.
He's got a point… thought Andy. His Dark Door is still on the field, so I can't attack with both my Monsters… And neither of them is strong enough to reduce his Life Points to zero…
"My move!" he shouted.
He drew a card.
"Hey Tyson!" he said with a big grin. "I've got your explosive finish right here!
"Red Eyes, Des Volstgalph, you two are out…"
The two Dragons vanished into orbs of energy.
"Let's give it up…" he said, as a looming shadow started to rise behind him, "for Tyrant Dragon!"
The huge Dragon came into full view, and let out a roar that shook the whole arena. (2,900 ATK)
Now Tyson was the one who was scared…
"You forget the cardinal rule about putting on a performance Tyson…" said Andy.
Flames formed in Tyrant Dragon's jowls…
"Always give your audience what they want! Attack him directly! Imperial Inferno!"
A blast of fire more powerful than anything that Tyson's Monsters had produced shot towards him. His scream echoed through the whole building…
(A: 2,100) - - - - - - - - - - (T: 0)
For a minute, there was silence. Tyrant Dragon slowly disappeared… Tyson was gone. Andy hung his head…
Then the crowd rose to their feet with deafening cheers and applause. Jolene rushed into the ring, and lifted Andy's hand above his head.
"Markova is the winner!" she shouted.
Andy looked at her.
"Thanks…" he said weakly. "Good night…"
And then he passed out.
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When Andy came to, he found his head starting to clear.
He was lying on a couch in Jolene's office, with Francesca sitting on the side and Stan and Yuki watching him. The cape and helmet of his costume had been mercifully removed.
"He's awake," said Francesca. "You had us worried there for a while, big guy…"
Andy sat up.
"If this is what Shadow Duels are like…" he muttered, "I'm not too anxious to do it again…"
"Normally, I'd ask if you could duel again," said Jolene. "A lot of the spectators are already asking when you'll be back… Kind of a shame I had to keep my promise and refund the tickets… I'd say most of them would have paid double the normal admission to have seen that…"
"So am I supposed to get a prize now?" asked Andy, as he sat up.
Jolene sighed.
She opened her desk drawer, and opened the false bottom again.
She took a card out of it.
"This isn't the first time Tyson has come here…" she said sadly. "He came here when my brother was a big name in the Glitz Pit…
"He was the best boxer this place ever had… Some people say that he might have been a match for Mohammed Ali if he had been around in that era…
"Tyson wanted this card from him, but he wouldn't give it to him…"
A tear fell down her cheek.
"At least I was able to keep that brat from finding it…"
She handed him the card.
Andy looked at it. It was a Spell Card called Power Lift.
"I don't know what the Queen wants with you…" she said. "But this will help. If by some miracle you make it past the Thousand Year Door… Try to find my brother… Please?"
"I'll try…" said Andy. "But I can't promise I'll succeed…"
Then the door opened.
Andy's eyes narrowed in anger when he saw who it was.
"W-w-well done, Andy!" said Merlow.
"YOU!" shouted Andy, as he leapt off the couch. "I want words with you, mister!"
"Is there a p-p-problem?" asked Merlow.
"Did you know that Tyson was going to be my opponent when you suggested the Glitz Pit?" asked Andy.
Stan and Francesca seemed just as mad at him. Merlow let out a sigh.
"N-n-not Tyson specifically…" he said, slowly. "But… I figured that there was a good p-p-possibility that one of them might…"
"So you're purposely railroading us into conflicts with the Queen's enforcers?" asked Francesca.
"Why?" shouted Stan. "Are you trying to help us or get us killed?"
"Kids, there is nothing I can do to stop the Shadow Spawn from confronting you three!" replied Merlow. "But… With a little manipulation, I can fool them into confronting you at the right time and place…"
"The right time and place?" asked Andy.
"Do you know how often Melissa, Kurtis, and Tyson have lost at duel Monsters?" asked Merlow with a sigh.
They looked at him.
"How often?" asked Andy.
"Your duels with them were the first time for each of them," he replied. "Until they met you, their records were perfect… The other three Shadow Spawn are also undefeated."
He stared at them.
"Listen to me young ones!" he urged. "Do you think that the kangaroo courts that the Shadow Spawn holds are uncommon occurrences?
"They happen all the time… Every time the Shadow Queen has reason to think that one of her subjects has done something that might undermine her authority… The citizens of this island are forced to watch as they come, and then watch as lovers, husbands, wives, siblings… sometimes even children are tried under this mockery of a justice system and then condemned to the Shadow Queen's dark prisons.
"The Shadow Spawn are reviled, feared, and hated for being the Queen's enforcers…
"And you three… Word is spreading! People are starting to learn that three strangers have stood up to them and won! You just defeated Tyson in a very public place, Andy!
"The three of you are doing exactly what your ancestors did… Striking at the symbols of the Queen's authority and showing the people of this oppressed land that they can have hope… And for a creature like the Shadow Queen who feeds off of despair, hope is her worst enemy…"
They gave him a long look, expecting him to say something else.
But then he just said "G-g-good night," and left out the door, leaving them to ponder what he had said.
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Cities like Glitzville never truly sleep, but at fifteen minutes to midnight, the place was a little quieter than it usually was.
Jolene was standing in the street outside of the Glitz Pit, speaking on a cell phone.
"Yeah, yeah…" she said. "I'll be there, so long as I'm not discovered between now and then…
"Although, seeing as I gave the Power Lift card to Andy, the chances of that happening just went up a notch… We should be more cautious from this point…"
Jolene wasn't being as cautious as she'd like. If she was, she'd see the cloaked and cowled girl right behind her.
By the time she hung up and walked away, she had no idea that the girl was sporting a Cheshire Cat grin and holding a pocket watch that she had lifted from Jolene's pocket.
Not bad, thought the cloaked girl.
She placed it into a pouch on her belt, and then took four other objects out of it… Four Crystal Cards.
I suppose I could get these the same way… she thought. But where would the challenge be in that?
Time to start thinking like a duelist...
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FIRE BACK (Spell Card)
Normal Spell
Image: A large, fiery nuclear cloud.
Card Description: Select 1 FIRE Monster in your Graveyard and discard 1 FIRE Monster from your hand. Special Summon the selected Monster from your Graveyard.
Note: "Fire Back" was first used by O'Brien in the "Yu-Gi-Oh GX" episode "Triple Play (Part 2)". Creative credit goes to the writers of that episode.
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CARD OF VARIATION (Spell Card)
Normal Spell
Image: A Duel Monsters card floating in clear water.
Card Description: Draw 2 cards. During the End Phase of the turn, either discard 1 card from your hand or take 3,000 points of damage.
Note: "Card of Variation" was first used by Kenzan in the "Yu-Gi-Oh GX" episode "Primal Instinct". Creative credit goes to the writers of that episode.
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FIRE PRINCE (Monster Card)
Pyro/Fire/Effect/Level4/1,600ATK/1,200DEF
Effect: While this card is face-up on the field, your opponent cannot select a face-up "Fire Princess" as an attack target.
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FIRE QUEEN (Monster Card)
Pyro/Fire/Effect/Level7/2,400ATK/2,000DEF
Effect: When this card is Normal Summoned successfully, you may add one "Fire King" from your deck to your hand. Once per turn, you may Tribute 1 Level 4 or lower FIRE Monster to inflict damage to your opponent equal to the Tributed Monster's ATK. If you use this effect, this card cannot attack the same turn.
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FIRE KING (Monster Card)
Pyro/Fire/Effect/Level8/3,000ATK/2,000DEF
Effect: This card cannot be Special Summoned. If there is a face-up "Volcano Palace" on the field, you may, once per turn, Special Summon a "Fire Retainer Token". (Pyro/Fire/Level1/1,000 ATK/1,000 DEF) "Fire Retainer Tokens" cannot be used as Tributes for a Tribute Summon.
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VOLCANO ASSASSIN (Monster Card)
Pyro/Fire/Xyz/Effect/Rank4/2,300ATK/1,000DEF
3 Level 4 Pyro-Type Monsters
Effect: When this card destroys an opponent's Monster by battle and sends it to the Graveyard, you can detach one Xyz Material Monster to increase its ATK by half the base ATK of the destroyed Monster.
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VOLCANO PALACE (Spell Card)
Field Spell
Image: An ominous citadel of obsidian in a sea of lava.
Card Description: During a player's Standby Phase, he may pay 500 Life Points to Special Summon from his or her Graveyard a Level 4 or lower Pyro-Type Monster that was destroyed during the previous turn.
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KOOPS THE BASHFUL (Monster Card)
Reptile/Water/Effect/Lvl4/1,800/1,000
Card Description: This card can attack all opposing Monsters once each in the same Battle Phase. If this card attacks more than once in 1 Battle Phase, your next turn's Battle Phase is skipped.
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Next:
Stan: In this world, there is good, and there is evil… Some people would like to believe it's that simple, but sometimes it isn't as black and white as you may think.
If someone is a criminal by trade, but his crimes are insignificant compared to those of the corrupt leadership of the society that forced him into a life of crime, is he really a bad person?
My opponent is an admitted thief, but truly, her story may show that sometimes, things aren't all black and white… Sometimes you have to see things in shades of gray…
But one thing I can say for certainty… This is not going to be an easy duel.
"The Secret of the Bandit" is coming soon.