As promised, the next chapter! One more to go!
Blitzninja: I already have the decks for Joe and Nox, but I do have a Black Luster Soldier deck. I'll throw it on a character in a later story.
Disclaimer: Don't own Yu-Gi-Oh!
Enjoy!
Tom traversed the pyramid, looking through his deck, making sure every card was present. He had it back, and he couldn't be happier. That wasn't to say he wasn't grateful for the deck Luke gave him; it was just that this one felt right.
He slotted his deck into his duel disk, and walked with the others through the doorway at the end of the corridor. They emerged into a large hallway, with pillars lining either side, and a raised platform at the other end, almost like a stage. But it was what was on this stage that had his attention.
A flowing darkness, in the shape of a human, stood with its back turned to them. Just looking at it made Tom's skin crawl. The figure turned, revealing no features, with the exception of a pair of glowing yellow eyes.
"I expected you to reach me, but I must admit, not this early," Nox's voice sounded like it was coming from everywhere at once.
Joe shrugged. "Your thugs weren't that tough."
"I suppose not. But I'm glad you're all here. It really is so much better with an audience. You were an excellent audience member back in the day, weren't you, Joe?"
Joe clenched his fists. "Jack had to beat you for you to be stopped last time. Now I get to kick your ass myself!"
"Is that a challenge?" Nox asked, his voice laced with amusement."Very well, I acc-"
"No," Tom stepped forward. "I'll face you."
Joe turned to him. "What are you doing?"
"Call it a hunch, but he seems a little too eager to duel you. If this is a trap, I doubt it'll be as effective on me as it will on the person it's set for."
Joe looked as if he was about to argue, but Luke stepped in. "He's got a point. Let him handle this."
Joe sighed in defeat. "Alright, fine."
As Tom stepped up to the stage and took his place opposite Nox, his opponent spoke. "So you'll duel me instead? Foolish, but very well. It makes no difference to me." His arm elongated, forming a duel disk.
"DUEL!" (LP: 8000)
"I'll start," Tom said, "by activating the Continuous spell Shard of Greed. I'll set a monster and a card."
"I will begin by activating the Field spell Archfiend Palabyrinth." Dark towers rose all around them, and clouds formed above, cackling with purple lightning. "While this is in play, all my Fiends will have an extra 500 attack. I summon Tardy Orc (2200-2700/0)!" A large blue muscular monster appeared. "This latecomer can't attack the turn it's normal summoned, so I'll just set a card and wait."
"I'll activate another Shard of Greed, set a monster, and pass the turn over."
"You think your petty defences can stand up to a monster with 2700 attack? Tardy Orc, crush the one on the left!" The orc charged, bringing its fists down on its target, revealing a large white goat with golden horns and eyes. It was destroyed instantly.
"You just destroyed Tanngrisnir of the Nordic Beasts, and when he's destroyed by battle and sent to the graveyard, two Nordic Beast Tokens (0/0) are summoned to my field! I play them in defence position!" The remains of Tanngrisnir reformed into two smaller copies of the monster.
Nox let out a low growl. "Your turn."
"I send the first Shard of Greed to the graveyard to draw two cards. Next, I flip summon Tyr of the Nordic Champions (2000/2000)." The other facedown monster card disappeared, revealing a warrior dressed in a blue robe, with no right arm and a sword in his left hand. "Now I summon Vanadis of the Nordic Ascendant (1200/400)! I activate her effect, which allows me to send a Nordic monster from my deck to the graveyard to change her level to equal that monster's until the end of the turn. I send Dverg of the Nordic Alfar to make her level 1. I tune the level 1 tuner Vanadis of the Nordic Ascendant with the level 4 non-tuner Tyr of the Nordic Champions to synchro summon T.G. Hyper Librarian (2400/1800)!"
"Ah yes, Maurice mentioned you used that card. Interesting to have in a Nordic deck."
"Maybe so, but he has his uses. I activate Monster Reborn to special summon Vanadis of the Nordic Ascendant (1200/400) from my graveyard. I tune the level 4 Nordic Ascendant tuner Vanadis with my two level 3 non-tuner Nordic Beast Tokens to synchro summon my ultimate monster! Come forth, Odin, Father of the Aesir (4000/3500)!"
The ground shook, and the ceiling glowed a bright gold. From the light descended a towering figure. With a long white beard, dressed in white armour with black shoulder guards and a flowing red cape, the king of Asgard looked every bit as impressive as his title implied.
"Holy..." Luke stared in awe at the giant monster.
"Yeah," said Joe. "I had the same reaction when I first saw him."
Tom continued. "Since a monster was synchro summoned, T.G. Hyper Librarian's effect allows me to draw a card. Now I activate Odin's effect. For the rest of the turn, he's unaffected by spell and trap effects." Odin raised his hand, and was surrounded by a yellow orb of light. "Odin! Attack Tardy Orc!" Odin pointed his weapon - a gold staff with three gold points positioned similar to the ends of a cross - and fired a bolt of lightning from its tip, disintegrating the orc.
(Nox: 6700 LP)
"I activate the Continuous trap The First Monarch, which summons itself as a monster to my field (1000-1500/2400), and I summon it in defence position!" A shadowy mass erupted from the card, forming into a skeletal figure with blue eyes. "I now activate its other effect! Since it was summoned this way, I can discard a card to give it an attribute. I choose Dark."
Tom cursed. "Your turn."
"I activate the spell Fiend's Sanctuary, which special summons a Metal Fiend Token (0-500/0) to my field." A small metallic creature made up of silver spheres appeared. "Oh, and did I forget to mention The First Monarch's other effect? If it's used as a tribute for a monster of the same attribute, it counts as two tributes. I tribute my THREE monsters to summon The Wicked Eraser (?/?)!" The First Monarch split into two, joining with the Metal Fiend Token, before being engulfed in darkness. When it dissipated, in their place stood a pale red draconic creature.
"Oh boy," Joe muttered.
Jack looked over. "What?"
"The Wicked Eraser is one of a trio of powerful Fiend monsters with devastating effects. Tom needs to be careful."
"He's right. For every card on your field, for example, Eraser has 1000 attack and defence!"
(The Wicked Eraser: 5000/5000)
"Oh," Jack muttered.
"Eraser! Attack Librarian!" Energy began to build in Eraser's mouth.
"I activate the trap Pinpoint Guard!" Tom countered. "Since you declared an attack, I special summon a level 4 or lower monster from my graveyard in defence position, and it can't be destroyed this turn. I summon Tanngrisnir of the Nordic Beasts (1200/800)!" A hole appeared in the ground, and Tanngrisnir climbed out.
"Let's try that again. Eraser, attack Librarian!" Eraser fired its energy in the form of a beam, tearing through its target.
(Tom: 5400 LP)
(The Wicked Eraser: 4000/4000)
"I now activate The Wicked Eraser's effect, causing it to destroy itself! And when it's destroyed and sent to the graveyard, it takes all cards on the field with it!" Eraser started gathering energy, before releasing it in a massive explosion that engulfed the battlefield.
As the smoke cleared, Joe looked up. "The hell?"
On the wall Nox had been staring at earlier, which were no longer concealed by Archfiend Palabyrinth, were circles of light, in two columns of twelve. In the centre of the wall, in between the columns, was a twenty-fifth circle that was about two-thirds lit.
"What is that?" Tom asked.
"That is my key to destroying you all. And once I've crushed you, it will be mine."
"Too bad you're not winning, because this duel ends now! During the end phase of a turn Odin was destroyed and sent to the graveyard, by banishing a Nordic Ascendant tuner in my grave, Odin is revived. I banish Vanadis so he may may return (4000/4000)!" As Odin rose from the ground, the incomplete circle continued to lengthen with light, until it was mere inches from its other end.
"Now on my turn, I summon Mara of the Nordic Alfar (1000/500)!" A small, blue, imp-like creature with red eyes and a long tail appeared. "If I use Mara as synchro material, the other monsters must be Nordic monsters in my hand. I tune the level 2 Nordic Alfar tuner Mara with the level 4 non-tuners Tyr of the Nordic Champions and Ljosalf of the Nordic Alfar to synchro summon Loki, Lord of the Aesir (3300/3000)!" Emerging from the synchro summon, Loki floated in the air in what could only be described as a purple jester's outfit, with green skin and a long black goatee.
Surprisingly, Nox started to laugh.
"What's so funny?"
"Remember how I said that would be mine once I beat you?" He asked, pointing to the wall. The light continued to get closer and closer to the other end. "I lied."
The two ends met, forming the circle.
The ground began to shake, as a shaft of light appeared in between the columns, passing through the circle. It was then, as the two halves began to part, that Tom realized they hadn't been looking at a wall.
It was a door.
Joe was shouting at Nox. "What the hell is going on?"
"Those circles, as you might have guessed, weren't just for decoration. They were tracking duel energy. Every time a monster was summoned or did damage, it let off that energy. Naturally, the stronger the monster, the more energy provided. Once there was enough... Well, see for yourselves."
"That's why you wanted to face me. You wanted to battle my monsters."
"That's right. Your monsters have incredible attack power, especially your ace. But a Nordic deck works just fine - especially when it summons the Nordic gods so easily."
The door finished opening, revealing a silhouette. The figure got closer, stepping through the threshold.
Claire gasped. "It can't be..."
The man stepped forward. He had tanned skin and purple eyes, and was dressed in white, with a thin gold headband with an eye in the middle. But his most discerning feature was his hair. The front was golden locks that fell either side of his head, while the back was purple, in the shape of a star.
Joe stared wide-eyed at the new arrival. "Atem."
Ok, so slight confession. When I had this duel, when Pinpoint Guard was activated, I special summoned Chaos Hunter from my hand (which can be special summoned by discarding a card when your opponent special summons a monster) and attacked with that first, then with Eraser. I do not know why, because when a monster is summoned to your opponent's field during an attack, you must declare another attack with that monster or not attack with it all that turn. So I changed it so that Eraser attacked and then destroyed itself, which would mean there was no point in summoning Chaos Hunter.
Let me know what you think! Review! Leave suggestions! And see you for the final chapter!