The monthly exams have never been easy. The written tests are a piece of cake, but the field tests…
And now it has become even harder. Out of pure bad luck, my opponent is a guy who beat me badly the last time I dueled him, all because of a very powerful, very rare Monster in his deck.
Still, when life throws you a curveball, you have to learn how to hit it. My regular deck would fall before this guy's usual strategy…
So I guess it's time for me to delve, like William Shatner and Patrick Stewart once did…
…into the Final Frontier.
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CHAPTER TWENTY
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Card Shuffle
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Wednesday, September 22nd, 2106, 5:45 AM
"Attack directly!" shouted Cassius. "Dark fire inferno!"
Beowulf stared in horror as the shadowy Monster loomed up in front of him…
He screamed as he was engulfed in black flames!
He collapsed. Cassius crossed his arms as the Seal around him started to glow and shrink around Beowulf…
Fortunado was watching closely. He walked up to the fallen duelist.
"Apology accepted, Mr. Daniels…" he muttered.
"So now what do we do about those three?" asked Cassius, putting his deck back together.
"We'll figure something out later…" sighed Fortunado. "Right now, I've got other fish to fry. A big day is coming up at the Academy…
"It would be a shame not to prepare a gatecrasher or two…"
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At breakfast, Trisha simply picked at her plate of waffles.
"Not hungry, Trish?" asked Russell.
"Yeah…" muttered Trisha. "I know that doesn't make much sense to you…"
"Hey," said Russell, "like my dad said, an army moves on its stomach. A good soldier has to eat. It keeps up his strength."
"Well, yeah…" she replied, "But I'm so worried about that exam on Friday, I don't have much of an appetite."
"Test anxiety…" said Jason. "Well, that's nothing new. Ever think about using your other deck? It might give your opponent a big surprise."
Trisha leaned on her arm.
"Well…" she said. "It's an idea… But it's a difficult deck to use… Using the Monsters depends on a lot of factors, and…"
"Excuse me?" said a voice.
They saw a hulking delivery man standing over the table holding three parcel boxes.
"Uh, I'm looking for Jason Conrad, Trisha Moise, and Russell Majors…" he said.
"That would be us," said Jason.
"Uh huh," said the man, putting down three packages.
Whoever had sent them had taken no chances. They had been shipped first class, with insurance, and were marked with several special packaging options…
…but no return address.
"If you three will just sign this…" he said.
Not knowing what else to do, they signed the sheet.
"Good day," he said.
The three of them looked at the packages.
Quickly, they tore them open, and rooted through the packing chips…
They gazed in wonder.
"BEN!" shouted Jason.
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Half an hour later…
Chancellor Artemis was typing in-between sips of coffee in her office, when a buzz sounded on her speaker.
"Dr. Artemis," said a voice. "Ben is here to see you with some students. He says it's important."
"Eh, send him in," said Artemis.
Ben walked into the office, with Jason, Trisha, and Russell behind him.
"Uh, ma'am," said Ben, "we have a little… situation."
"That's what I'm here for," replied Artemis.
"Well, uh…" said Ben. "You know when a student gets a Disk that isn't school issue, his headmaster has to approve it?"
"I trust your judgment Ben," said Artemis. "I take it you'd recognize a Disk that isn't legal…"
"Well… ma'am… see…" he said nervously. "These three… someone sent them Disks that I've never seen before, and I don't know whether to approve them or not…"
Artemis looked at the three students for a minute.
"Let me see them," she finally said.
They put the three Disks in front of her…
They were odd, certainly. They were each shaped somewhat differently, but all had strange runes on them. Trisha's didn't seem to even have a tray, and the deck holder looked vaguely like it had been made out of a computer disk drive.
Artemis studied the runes.
Hmmm, she thought. Haven't seen these for a while…
She put Trisha's on her arm, and gestured. One zone came out of the main cabinet and then extended into a deck tray with a soft whir. It was rectangular with flared edges, and had a silvery, reflective sheen.
A Disk that's more of a machine than ever, she thought, very suiting for one with a Machine Deck…
"Any idea who sent you these?" she asked, putting it back.
"No," said Jason. "No return address."
"Well, you certainly have someone out there who cares for you a great deal," she said. "Use them with my blessings. In fact, try them during your exams. You'll find that they handle much better than your old ones."
"Thanks!" said Trisha.
They gathered them, and left the room.
As Ben left, Artemis crossed her arms.
I didn't want to frighten them, she thought, but those Disks are of the type that Duel Spirits use, and they have the symbols of Light – clearly a benign Spirit sent them to them after discovering that they had the Dragons.
I hope that they can help…
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Trisha wasn't the one who would cram for a test. That was asking for trouble. The best way to prepare for a test was to get a good night's sleep the night before. After all, she didn't doubt that she could pass the written part.
Still, when the lists for the field tests were posted, her face fell.
"Ooh…" she moaned. "Sean…"
"What's wrong?" asked Jason.
"I'm going up against Sean Kishore…" muttered Trisha.
Jason knew what she meant…
Sean played a Fire Deck, and he was very good with it due to the powerful Monster in his deck – Horus the Black Flame Dragon. Once the LV 8 form was summoned – which he seemed able to do very easily – his opponent was unable to play any Spell Cards, and it seemed no-one could defeat that creature without them.
"So what are you gonna do?" asked Jason.
Trisha paused.
"I'm definitely gonna use my second deck…" she said.
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From nine that morning to ten, the campus would be rather quiet.
Jason, Trisha, Russell, and almost every other student poured over the written portion of the test, and while some found it easy, others had to work hard on it.
The true fireworks would start at ten. When almost the whole school had to duel, the arena wasn't nearly enough. Several sections of the campus, both indoors and outdoors, were set aside for the field test.
So at ten-thirty, Trisha made her way to the gymnasium where she had been assigned.
She saw that Sersei was already taking her field test, and she seemed to be in trouble. As she watched, Sersei's Cyber Harpie Lady was blown away by Dark Ruler Ha Des… Then her opponent attacked her with an Opticlops…
Then, as Trisha watched, Sersei activated a Trap, and all three Harpies appeared on the field. Then she played a card that must have been Phoenix Formation, blowing both Fiends to pieces and reducing her opponent to nothing.
Well, she's given me a tough act to follow, thought Trisha. Hmmm, a Trap that can revive all three Harpies at once? Wonder how it works?
She turned and saw Sean waiting below the basketball net, with Dr. Ting.
Sean was an intimidating figure, standing six-foot-one and somewhat muscular. He had the skin tone of an Asian-Indian, and had jet-black hair that was spiked up in style and hazel eyes. He wore a silver hoop earring on his left ear and black fingerless gloves on both hands.
"Sean…" said Trisha.
"Trisha…" he said. "I should warn you, this won't be pleasant…"
"Just give me all you've got, Sean," she said. "I'm not going to give you anything less."
"All right you two," said Dr. Ting. "Let's start this… We haven't got all day…"
The two swapped decks and started to shuffle.
Trisha looked, and saw the Sersei was watching from the bleachers…
Well, Trisha, thought Sersei, let's see if that same trick works this time…
"It's going to be different than it was last time," said Trisha to Sean. "I assure you of that…
She activated the strange Disk.
"Game… start!"
They each drew five cards.
(Trisha: 8,000) -------------------- (Sean: 8,000)
"Think it's going to be different?" asked Sean, drawing a sixth card. "Well here's something different…
"I summon Tenkabito Shien in Attack Mode."
A flame appeared on his side of the field, and a galloping sound was heard. A figure mounted on a fiery trotted out on his mount. He looked like a lonely Samurai dressed in armor and silk clothing with his hair tied in a ponytail, holding a large scimitar. He urged his mount to stop and raised his sword as he looked at Trisha with fiery eyes. (1,500/1,000)
"A new one?" asked Trisha.
"Yes," said Sean. "And in case you're thinking of using a Trap Card, forget it – they don't work on Shien. Period."
"Thanks for the warning…" said Trisha, drawing a card.
She looked at the strange Monster Card.
"I summon… Robotic Angel in Defense Mode," she said.
A beam of light struck from above, and a strange creature appeared in it. It was a Machine in the shape of an angel, with a metallic robe, metal wings, and long, silvery hair. However, she had no face – where her features would be was a blank slate.
She silently crossed her arms over her chest. (0/2,000)
"Who's THAT?" asked Sean, nervously.
"No one knows!" laughed Trisha. "This Machine fell from the sky on a distant planet, and the primitive natives there decided to worship her as a goddess. But her origins are a mystery…
"But let me shed some light on her powers… You can only destroy her when she's alone. She can't be destroyed in battle if I have another Monster on the field."
"Tricky…" said Sean.
He drew a card.
"I'll place a card facedown, and that will be all for my turn."
A facedown card appeared behind Shien.
Trisha drew a card.
She looked at three of them.
"All right…" she said. "I summon the mighty Vic Viper… Gradius in Attack Mode."
With a WHOOSH, a silvery fighter form flew into view. It was a jet fighter with a metallic hull and streamlined wings. It stopped in mid-air and hovered in place. (1,200/800)
"And…" continued Trisha, "I'll Equip it with Cyclon Laser!"
As she played the card, a hatch opened on Gradius's underside, and a set of cannons protruded. Its Attack rose to 1,500.
"And since I have Gradius on the field, I can Special Summon this… Gradius Option. And it copies the Attack and Defense of Gradius."
She played another card, and a… thing looking like a pointed spire appeared in the air. It turned into a blob of liquid metal and started to change shape, slowly changing into a clone of the original Gradius. After a few seconds, it was exactly the same. (1,500/800)
"Neat, huh?" said Trisha. "Gradius Option, attack Tenkabito Shien!"
The clone Gradius aimed its laser and blasted a burst of rounds of laser fire… Shien swung his sword forward and shot forth a blast of flame from the blade…
The two blasts met is a great explosion. Gradius Option exploded into shards, and Shien was thrown off of his horse. He shattered too, and his mount vanished in a burst of fire.
"Now," said Trisha. "AAHH!"
She screamed as fire erupted around her.
"Heh, heh…" said Sean, pointing to his Trap Card, which showed the image of a strange Warrior in a fiery cloud.
"I activated my Backfire Trap. Now you'll lose 500 Life Points whenever one of my Fire Monsters is destroyed."
"Clever…" said Trisha. "Gradius, attack him directly! Cyclon laser barrage!"
The true Gradius opened fire just as its clone had. Sean tried to shield himself as he was pelted by the fighter's artillery. He groaned.
(T: 7,500) -------------------- (S: 6,500)
"My move…" said Sean.
He drew a card.
"Time to shoot your plane down…" he said. "I summon Familiar-Possessed Hiita in Attack Mode!"
He played the card, and an older version of Hiita the Fire Charmer appeared, holding her flaming staff, and dressed in a brief skirt, a green jacket, and a girdle. She had a mean-looking fox in front of her. (1,850/1,500)
"Attack the Gradius!" ordered Sean. "Kitsune flame strike!"
Hiita pointed, her staff burned, and her fox blazed with fire. It ran forward, pouncing on the Gradius. Flames poured out of the plane's side, and it crashed, exploding in a cloud of flames and smoke.
(T: 7,150) -------------------- (S: 6,500)
This might be hard… thought Trisha. Sean has gotten better, and has made a more powerful deck… And I'd wager dollars to donuts that Horus is still lurking in it…
She drew.
However, the best way to defeat a super-strong Monster… Is to prevent your opponent from ever summoning it at all. And I think I can do just that.
"I play Pot of Greed," she said. "Now, I'll draw twice…"
She took two cards.
"And now, to use them," she said. "I sacrifice Robotic Angel…"
The mechanical seraphim vanished.
"And I summon… the Bacterion Elimination Squadron Tetran, or B.E.S. Tetran for short, in Attack Mode!"
A strange formation resembling a space-age vortex appeared in front of her, and a large spaceship flew out of it! It was wide, but flat, and had four tentacled "arms" on each edge. Strange lights flickered over it, and it hummed with an unearthly noise. (1,800/2,300)
Sean stared in surprise.
"All right!" said Trisha. "Activate deflector shields!"
B.E. S. Tetran glowed. A transparent energy bubble formed around the spaceship, and then two others formed around it.
"Now expend one of them," she said, "to wipe out that Backfire!"
One of the energy bubbles vanished, and the spaceship blasted beams of energy from its four arms, blowing the Trap Card to pieces!
"So what?" said Sean. "Hiita can shoot that ship down."
"Not once I'm done with her," said Trisha. "I play Rush Recklessly."
She played the card, and B.E.S. Tetran's Attack rose to 2,500.
"Attack Hiita!" ordered Trisha. "Photon torpedo barrage!"
B.E.S. Tetran blasted a volley of energy beams from its tentacles, and Hiita cringed as they exploded around her! She and her fox were thrown back and were blown into particles!
Another of the Tetran's shields vanished.
(T: 7,150) -------------------- (S: 5,850)
"You were right…" muttered Sean. "This is rather different… But it will end the same…"
"We'll see," said Trisha. "To end my turn, I activate two Continuous Spell Cards…
"First, Boss Rush…"
A card bearing the image of three different spaceships in a battle with an unseen foe appeared.
"And then, Shield Generator…"
A second card, with the image of a futuristic energy generator glowing with violet light appeared.
"And I'll end my turn."
Sean drew a card.
"Perfect…" he said. "Now this duel is mine…
"I remove Tenkabito Shien from play, to summon Inferno…"
The card slipped out of his discard slot, and then a creature that was more or less a bonfire appeared in front of him. It stretched out two fiery arms, and gazed at Trisha with two flaming yellow orbs that suggested eyes. (1,100/1,900)
Here it comes, thought Trisha. Well Sean, you're in for a big shock this time…
"Next," he continued, "I'll sacrifice it, to summon Horus the Black Flame Dragon LV 6!"
Inferno burned fiercely, and a large form appeared out of it…
It magnificent creature, who overpowered the place with his presence. A cross between a Dragon and a great bird, it seemed to be made out of golden metal. Dark flames surrounded it…
It gave out a great screech!
(2,300/1,600)
You're in trouble now, Trisha… thought Sersei. Once that thing crashes your spaceship, you'll never stop him…
"Horus!" shouted Sean. "Attack the B.E.S. Tetran! Black flame blast!"
Horus spread out his wings, and shot a blast of dark fire from his beak. The spaceship was surrounded by a cloud of fire…
(T: 6,650) -------------------- (S: 5,850)
"And now…" said Sean.
"Not so fast, Sean…" said Trisha with a grin.
The smoke cleared…
And to Sean's surprise, B.E.S. Tetran was still there!
Its last shield faded, but it was still in one piece.
"But…" said Sean, in disbelief. "There were no Traps on the field! How…"
Trisha grinned.
"Bacterion Monsters don't work like any other Monsters, Sean," she said, "let me explain…
"Case in point, they can't be destroyed in battle!
"When I summon one, it comes with a number of deflector shields – this one has three… or had when I first summoned it. Whenever it battles, it loses one. If it battles without a shield, it's destroyed at the end of the damage step…
"But even that doesn't count as 'destroyed in battle'. And I'm afraid that destroying a Monster in battle is something that your Monster simply must do if it ever wants to evolve into its most powerful LV 8 state…
"But as you can see… It can't. So it isn't going to happen."
Sean looked at the Trap Card in his hand…
Royal Decree.
Maybe I won't set this right now… he thought. I might need my other Traps…
"So what the heck is a Bacterion?" he asked.
"It's history," said Trisha. "One hundred years ago, there was a popular video game called Gradius. A game with fighter planes and spaceships. Pegasus must have admired the game himself, because first he designed a simple Monster called Gradius… Then he created the Bacterion ships, the bosses of the game, and other Monsters representing the spaceships in the game. I based this deck on them."
"Well, fine," said Sean. "I end my turn. But while I wasn't able to summon the LV 8 form, the LV 6 form is no slouch either. In case you don't know, it's completely immune to Spell Cards."
"I'm aware of that," said Trisha, drawing. "But… It can't stop me from playing them!
"Anyway, I'm not allowed to Normal Summon a Monster when Boss Rush is on the field, so I'm going to pass this turn. Go ahead."
Now why didn't she switch it to Defense Mode? thought Sean. And what does this Boss Rush do? If it keeps her from summoning, it must be powerful…
He drew a card.
"I summon Solar Flare Dragon in Attack Mode," he said.
A pool of lava appeared at his feet, and with a hissing noise, a creature resembling a flaming serpent rose out of it. It flicked its forked tongue like a snake. (1,500/1,000)
"Horus, attack that spaceship!" he shouted.
Horus shot flames at the Tetran again… The steel shell on it glowed cherry red…
B.E.S. Tetran started to shiver… Explosions started to erupt over its hull…
And then it burst into pixels.
"Like I said," said Trisha, "if it battles without a shield, it's destroyed… But like I also said, its own effect destroyed it, not the actual battle."
"Maybe so…" said Sean, closing his eyes. "But my Battle Phase isn't over…
"Solar Flare Dragon, attack directly!"
Solar Flare Dragon reared up on its coils, and breathed a stream of white hot flame from its mouth! Trisha screamed as it hit her!
"All right," said Sean. "I end my turn…"
"Not before Boss Rush activates!" interrupted Trisha, taking her deck. "See, on the round when one Bacterion is destroyed, This Spell Card lets me Special Summon another one from my deck.
"And I think B.E.S. Crystal Core will be the right one in this case…"
She threw a card on her Disk, and another vortex opened. A new spaceship flew out of it. This one was made completely of a clear, crystalline substance, almost like glass. It had two tentacles, and strange lights flickering within the crystal. (2,100/1,000)
"Now, normally, when a Bacterion is Special Summoned, it doesn't get shields," explained Trisha. "But my Shield Generator Spell Card creates them."
The Shield Generator card glowed. Three energy shields surrounded the new spaceship.
"Fine," said Sean. "You no doubt know what happens now… Solar Flare Dragon's effect kicks in."
Smoke poured from Solar Flare Dragon's mouth. It lunged forward and spit a ball of flame at Trisha, and she staggered back.
(T: 4,150) -------------------- (S: 5,850)
"All right…" said Trisha, drawing a card. "Time to take Horus down…"
"Your new ship isn't strong enough either!" said Sean.
"But it has a special ability," said Trisha. "Once per turn, it can switch one of your Monsters from Attack Mode to Defense Mode, and it doesn't cost me a thing. And while your LV 6 Dragon has a pretty good Attack, its Defense isn't so hot."
B.E.S. Crystal Core pointed its arms and a wave of rippling energy flowed forward. Horus folded its wings and crouched in Defense.
"B.E.S. Crystal Core," ordered Trisha, "attack with plasma cannons!"
The spaceship aimed its two tendrils and shot blasts of pulsating blue energy from its arms, and Horus was blown into vapor!
"HORUS!" shouted Sean.
I always wondered who'd win a fight between a spaceship and a dragon, thought Sersei. Well, now I know…
The spaceship's first shield vanished.
"Your move…" said Trisha.
"Fine," said Sean, drawing a card. "I'll shift Solar Flare Dragon into Defense Mode…"
The Pyro curled up.
"And he doesn't have to attack to hurt you. I end my turn…"
The Dragon spit another ball of flame at Trisha, and she staggered back again.
(T: 3,650) -------------------- (S: 5,850)
Trisha drew a card.
"Now's the time to get serious," she said. "I'm going to Equip my Crystal Core with this, Big Bang Shot!"
She played a card, and Crystal Core's Attack went up to 2,500.
"It not only gives my craft 400 more Attack Points, but gives it a trampling effect on top of it."
"True…" said Sean, nervously. "But if I destroy that Equip, your spaceship will be sucked into a black hole."
"That's one risk I'm willing to take," said Trisha. "Crystal Core, attack Solar Flare Dragon!"
B.E.S. Crystal Core shot an even more intense plasma cannon blast, and Solar Flare Dragon was blown to shards. Sean cringed.
(T: 3,650) -------------------- (S: 4,350)
The second shield vanished.
Sean growled, and drew a card.
"Charcoal Inpachi in Defense Mode!" he shouted.
He played a card, and a huge statue made of burnt wood appeared, crouching in defense. Smoke rose from it, and the smell of mesquite filled the arena. (100/2,100)
"Not bad…" muttered Trisha, drawing a card.
She looked at the odd Monster she had drawn.
Might be useful later, she thought.
"Crystal Core, take it down!" she shouted.
Crystal Core opened fire, and Charcoal Inpachi was blown to pieces.
(T: 3,650) -------------------- (S: 3,950)
The third shield vanished.
"Your move," said Trisha.
Nuts! thought Sean, drawing a card. The biggest problem with using a deck that uses Horus is, you don't put many Traps in it other than three copies of Royal Decree…
And unfortunately, with Horus taken out, my options are slipping fast…
If that… B.E.S. Crystal Core attacks again, it will be destroyed…
But what will she summon after it?
At least her Boss Rush means she can't Normal Summon a second Monster, so I'm safe from direct attacks… But if she manages to Special Summon one without Boss Rush…
"I summon Flame Ruler in Defense Mode," he said.
A fiery man with a beard and a red jacket appeared, shielding himself. (1,500/1,600)
"That will do for now," he said.
"Okay…" said Trisha. "I've been waiting for this for a long time, Sean… Ever since you beat me with that 3,000-point direct attack from Horus…"
She drew a card.
"B.E.S. Crystal Core, destroy Flame Ruler!"
Crystal Core opened fire, and Flame Ruler was eradicated.
"Well, it battled without a shield…" said Sean.
"I know…" said Trisha, with a grin.
B.E.S. Crystal Core started to glow and shake, and like B.E.S. Tetran before it, explosions started to rock its hull.
It shattered.
"And that means that Boss Rush activates," continued Trisha, "and this time I'll summon my battleship… meet the very first boss of the Gradius video game… Big Core!"
A dark vortex opened, and an ominous spaceship flew out, far more sinister-looking than the previous two. It gave off an evil hum, and lights flickered on and off its hulking hull. Numerous cannons and other nasty weapons were all over it on various strategic locations. (2,300/1,100)
The Shield Generator card glowed, and three shields appeared around Big Core.
"And I forgot to mention…" said Trisha. "If I Special Summon a Monster using Boss Rush and it's my turn, Shield Generator has another effect – it lets the summoned Monster attack during the End Phase that I summon it!"
"What?" gasped Sean. "How can you attack outside of the Battle Phase?"
"Read the card," said Trisha. "Like I said… these Monsters are not like any other Monsters."
This is gonna sting… thought Sean, looking at the huge craft.
"Big Core…" shouted Trisha. "Dark matter blast!"
Big Core's guns fired multiple blasts of dark energy, and Sean screamed as he was propelled backwards.
"Ooh…" he moaned.
(T: 3,650) -------------------- (S: 850)
Sean pulled himself up.
He slowly drew a card.
"I play… Apollo's Blessing…" he muttered.
"Huh?" asked Trisha. "What's that?"
Sean played the card, and in a burst of fire, a flaming chariot appeared, drawn by fiery horses! A man in golden armor with a shining helm was at the reigns.
Apollo? thought Trisha. The God of the Sun?
"Here's how it works," said Sean, taking his deck. "By simply removing one Fire Monster in my deck from play…"
He held up his Horus LV 8 card.
"…I get to reshuffle…"
He shuffled his deck.
"…and draw three times!"
He drew three cards.
"Giving up on Horus?" asked Trisha.
"I might as well," said Sean. "And I just drew a card that will put me right back into this duel – the Spell Card, Flames of Renewal!"
He played the card, and a bonfire erupted around him!
"Now, I can remove any Fire Monsters in my Graveyard that I desire from play, and for each, I regain 500 Life Points!"
Images of Familiar-Possessed Hiita, Horus the Black Flame Dragon LV 6, Inferno, Solar Flare Dragon, Charcoal Inpachi, and Flame Ruler appeared, and they merged into the fire. It burned fiercely, and Sean raised his arms.
"AH!" he finally said. "Better than a suntan!"
(T: 3,650) -------------------- (S: 3,850)
"Next," he said, "I'll place this Monster in Defense Mode, and that will end my turn."
A facedown Monster appeared.
All right… thought Trisha. He's up to something…
"Big Core, attack!"
Big Core fired its dark matter blast…
A creature appeared that looked like a… turtle. Well, one that looked like it had a metal machine for a shell. It was blown to pieces.
"Heh, heh…" said Sean. "You like spaceships so much, I thought I'd use one… That was UFO Turtle! And when it's destroyed, I get to Special Summon a Fire Monster with 1,500 Attack Points or less from my deck…"
He placed a card down.
"And I choose my second Solar Flare Dragon!"
Another Solar Flare Dragon, much like the first one, appeared. (1,500/1,000)
"All… right…" said Trisha. "I… end my turn…"
Sean drew.
"And it's time to take control of this duel," he said.
"First I'll place this facedown…"
He placed a card in his Disk, and a facedown card appeared.
"Next, I'll summon a second Solar Flare Dragon!"
A twin of the first Dragon appeared.
"See Trish," he said, "I'm not a one-trick pony. Defeat one strategy, and I can find a second.
"You see, if a Pyro-Type Monster is on my side of the field, Solar Flare Dragon can't be attacked. And guess what? Solar Flare Dragon itself is a Pyro-Type!"
Trisha's eyes opened wide.
It's a lock… she thought. Just like Russell's Marauding Captain combo… only worse. Those things will each cost me 500 Life Points per turn!
"My turn ends now," said Sean.
The two Dragons shot balls of flame at Trisha and she vainly tried to shield herself.
(T: 2,650) -------------------- (S: 3,850)
Heh, heh… thought Sersei. Let's see you get out of this one, Trish…
Trisha drew a card.
"I play my Graceful Charity!" she exclaimed.
She played the card, and drew three cards.
She grinned.
She discarded a Gradius Option and a Monster called Victory Viper XX03.
"I play… Heavy Storm!" she shouted.
As she played the card, the fierce wind ripped across the field. Sean's Royal Decree lifted up and shattered, and then Boss Rush and Shield Generator shattered to pieces.
"Now why did you do that?" asked Sean. "You destroyed two of your cards to destroy one of mine!"
"My intent was to destroy Boss Rush," said Trisha. "Now I'm free to Normal Summon Monsters again.
"Say, Sean, you ever see the classic Star Wars movies?"
"Uh, yeah…" said Sean.
"Maybe you'll remember one chilling scene from the first movie in the original trilogy," answered Trisha, choosing a card, "when Darth Vader used an intimidating robot called the Pain Droid to interrogate the captive Leia…"
She placed a card on her Disk.
"I summon Stabilizer in Attack Mode."
A strange Machine appeared.
It did look somewhat like the infamous Pain Droid; spherical in shape, made of black metal, with four spindly arms spaced evenly around it. It floated silently above the floor. (1,400/1,400)
"Oh, please," said Sean. "I don't care what it looks like. Even if that thing could attack right now, it's weaker than my two Dragons!"
"Well, I also have this Spell Card," said Trisha. "Maybe you've heard of it… It's called Wormhole."
"WHAT?" shouted Sean. "Are you nuts?"
He paused.
"That card will wipe out every Monster on the field, yours included! And you aren't allowed to summon anything after you use it! You'll be defenseless!"
"Well…" said Trisha, "I'm playing it anyway, discarding this Gradius to do so."
She played the card and discarded Gradius…
A powerful rumbling sounded over the field, and what looked like a black hole drawing in space dust and energy opened! Sean could almost feel it pulling at him, as his two Monsters were drawn through it. Trisha's Big Core fell apart, and the pieces flew through it as well.
"Well," muttered Sean, as the cosmic storm quelled. "I hope it was worth… hey…"
He stared in disbelief…
The Stabilizer had survived.
"HOW?" he shouted.
"Ever hear of Monsters like King Dragun and Freed the Matchless General who are immune to Spells that target?" asked Trisha. "Stabilizer is the opposite – it's immune to Spells that DON'T target, which Wormhole definitely doesn't, which is why I summoned it first."
"Ho… boy…" muttered Sean.
"Attack directly!" shouted Trisha.
Stabilizer raised its arms and blasted energy beams, striking Sean! He stumbled backwards.
(T: 2,650) -------------------- (S: 2,450)
"Your move…" said Trisha.
Sean drew a card.
"I summon Gaia Soul the Combustible Collective!" he shouted, playing a card.
A weird creature appeared, resembling a lumpy, orange sphere with a single eye in the center. Flames surrounded it. Its skin rippled and swelled constantly, like it was about to come apart at the seams. Literally. (2,000/0)
"Not the brightest idea!" laughed Trisha. "Sure, it will beat my Monster, but its life span is very short… As in, only until the end of your current turn."
"You let me worry about that," said Sean. "Gaia, reduce Stabilizer to slag!"
Gaia Soul glowed red, and a stream of flames shot from its central eye, melting Stabilizer into molten metal.
(T: 2,050) -------------------- (S: 2,450)
"Now, I'll place a card facedown, and end my turn," he said.
A facedown card appeared.
"And that means Gaia goes boom," added Trisha.
Gaia Soul exploded into flaming pixels.
Trisha drew a card.
Monster Reborn.
She thought for a minute.
If I brought back Big Core with this, a direct attack would bring him down to only fifty Life Points…
However…
I have no other Monsters in my hand that I can summon, and without Shield Generator, Big Core would be destroyed right after I made the attack… and without Boss Rush, there'd be no way to get a replacement…
Then I really would be defenseless, and he may well hit me with something on his turn.
And there's still his facedown card…
This is an exam… It isn't good to take risks…
"I play Monster Reborn," she said, "to bring back the gal who started it all… Robotic Angel in Defense Mode."
Robotic Angel appeared, crossing her arms over her chest again. (0/2,000)
"Go ahead, Sean…"
Sean drew.
"I activate Call of the Haunted," he said, "to bring back an old friend…"
His facedown card lifted, and Solar Flare Dragon. (1,500/1,000)
"I end my turn," he said. "You know how this works…"
"Not again…" muttered Trisha.
She gasped as the Dragon roasted her with its flame.
(T: 1,550) -------------------- (S: 2,450)
Well, she thought. This best be a good draw.
She drew.
She looked at the Spell Card.
"I play… Brain Control!" she said, playing a card. "I'll pay 800 Life Points to brainwash your Dragon!"
The fiendish brain appeared, and grabbed Solar Flare Dragon.
"Go ahead!" laughed Sean. "I'll still have Life Points left, and once it wears off, it will finish you off faster!"
"Oh, will it?" asked Trisha.
She placed a card on her Disk.
"I sacrifice my Robotic Angel and your Solar Flare Dragon…"
The two Monsters vanished.
"…to summon the mothership of the Bacterion fleet! The B.E.S. Covered Core!"
Once again, a portal appeared. The largest spaceship of all flew out of it. Saucer-shaped and bulky, it had armor, turrets, and weapons of all varieties built into its immense hull. It flashed with a multitude of lights, and hummed with ominous music. (2,500/800)
Sean gulped.
"Attack!" shouted Trisha. "Supernova flame fire!"
B.E.S. Covered Core glowed with uncanny light… It erupted into flame…
And then a blast of burning fire shot at Sean, and he howled!
(T: 750) -------------------- (S: 0)
"Game… over…" said Trisha.
Sean lay on the ground, with smoke rising from his body.
Well, that's it until next month, she thought, and the Gradius Deck seems able to hold its own…
She looked at her new Disk.
I can't believe how easier this thing made it! So lightweight, never off-balanced… It was almost as if it was a part of my body…
She looked over at Sersei, who seemed to be thinking very hard.
Impressed, old friend? she thought. Maybe I'll bring it out the next time you want to mess with me.
Say… I wonder how Jason and Russell are doing?
Friday, September 24th, 2106, 11:10 AM
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SHIELD GENERATOR (Spell Card)
Card Specs
Type: Spell/Continuous
Attribute: -
Level: -
ATK: -
DEF: -
Image: A futuristic generator, glowing with purple energy.
Card Description: When a Monster with the word "B.E.S." in its name, or that is named "Big Core" is Special Summoned to your side of the field, place as many counters on it as you would as if it had been Normal Summoned. If such a Monster is summoned through the effect of "Boss Rush" and it is your turn, it is allowed to attack during the End Phase of that turn.
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ROBOTIC ANGEL (Monster Card)
Card Specs
Type: Machine/Effect
Attribute: Light
Level: 4
ATK: 0
DEF: 2,000
Card Description: In ages past, this machine fell from the sky on a primitive world. Although she has no power of her own, those who see her revere her as a goddess. This Monster cannot be destroyed as a result of battle if you have at least one other Monster face-up on your side of the field (damage calculation still applies).
Note: This card was created by Man Called True. Creative credit goes to him.
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STABILIZER (Monster Card)
Card Specs
Type: Machine/Effect
Attribute: Earth
Level: 4
ATK: 1,400
DEF: 1,400
Card Description: This droid was designed for handling dangerous materials. This Monster is not affected by Spell Cards that do not target a specific Monster.
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WORMHOLE (Spell Card)
Card Specs
Type: Spell
Attribute: -
Level: -
ATK: -
DEF: -
Image: Big Core flying out of a spiraling vortex.
Card Description: Discard one MACHINE-Type Monster from your hand. Destroy all Monsters on the field. After using this card, you cannot Normal Summon, set, or Special Summon a Monster until your next turn.
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APOLLO'S BLESSING (Spell Card)
Type: Spell
Attribute: -
Level: -
ATK: -
DEF: -
Image: Apollo in his flaming chariot, flying through the sky.
Card Description: Remove one Fire Attribute Monster in your deck from play and shuffle your deck. Then, draw three cards from your deck.
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FLAMES OF RENEWAL (Spell Card)
Type: Spell
Attribute: -
Level: -
ATK: -
DEF: -
Image: Sacred Phoenix of Nephthys flying out of a burning pyre.
Card Description: Remove any number of Fire-Attribute Monsters in your Graveyard from play. For each Monster removed, increase your Life Points by 500.
Note: "Flames of Renewal" first appeared in "The Mandate of Heaven".
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Sean's Fire Deck
Fire is a powerful force. Tamed, it provides light and heat, makes food edible, and shapes metal into useful tools. But if control of it is lost, it becomes a merciless monster that destroys everything in its path.
Duelists know the power of fire well. After all, one of the Sacred Beasts was a Fire Monster. And some, like Sean, seek to tame it to make their foes cringe under burning heat.
A lot of the Monsters in Sean's deck are low on Attack and useful in effect. He has three copies of Solar Flare Dragon, which isn't much of a threat by itself, but can slowly drain an opponent's Life Points if another Pyro is on the field – especially if said Pyro is another Solar Flare Dragon. The "Solar Flare Lock" is best done by setting UFO Turtle while he has one Dragon in his hand.
Recent additions to his deck include Tenkabito Shien, a Pyro who is impervious to Traps, and Familiar-Possessed Hiita. Sean does not have the original version of Hiita, so he can't make use of this Spellcaster's effect, but 1,850 Attack Points is much better than most four-star Fire Monsters.
Horus is his greatest weapon. Curiously, he does not have the LV 4 version – it's much easier to bring out the LV 6 version, take out an opposing Monster, and use its effect to summon the LV 8 version. Inferno is the best way to do this, letting him do the whole thing in one round. (He has no copy of Level Up! or Level Modulation because this isn't truly a Horus Deck.)
Sean's deck does have some noted weaknesses. Although it isn't truly a Horus Deck, he takes a few precautions that only someone with a Horus Deck would. He thus has three copies of Royal Decree, and few other Traps – Backfire, Dust Tornado, Call of the Haunted, and that's it. Granted, Royal Decree is usually enough to protect Horus, but there are a few Monsters that can defeat it even when Royal Decree is out.
If Sean ever obtains a second copy of Horus the Black Flame Dragon LV 8 (possible, although it is a rare card) he might consider building a real Horus Deck. Strategies like Trisha's are few and far between, so this defeat won't likely discourage him from using it.
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Trisha's Gradius Deck
Even in the year 2106, no human space program has ever gone farther than Mars, or achieved contact with extraterrestrial life – it seems that such things lie in the far distant future.
As someone belonging to a family so fond of technological wonders, Trisha dreams of the day when mankind will break the bonds of Earth, and wander among the stars, free to explore the cosmos where only the gods have dared to tread…
It was these dreams that inspired her to build a deck centered around a different kind of Machine. Bacterion Monsters are hard to use right, but with the right accessories, they can be formidable. Trisha naturally has three copies each of the accessory cards Boss Rush and Shield Generator – this assures she only has to summon a Bacterion once, and when one of them is destroyed, another one quickly takes it place, possibly letting her get in an extra attack at the end of her turn. The limitation on Boss Rush often means that she can only have one Monster on the field at once, unless she uses Monster Reborn, or something similar. (And Shield Generator works if she Special Summons one of them via any means, not just via Boss Rush.) Thus, she uses ways to trample through Monsters, such as Big Bang Shot – a risky Equip, but necessary.
Other Monsters in her deck fit the general theme of the Gradius video game. Gradius and Gradius Option fill in the gaps, and she also has two copies of Victory Viper XX03 – not exactly the strongest Monster, but one that can become very powerful if it does manage to win a fight. Robotic Angel and Stabilizer are thrown in to fit the extraterrestrial theme, and she sometimes uses them in her normal deck as well, as the mood fits her.
Still, this deck is a difficult one that Trisha does not recommend to beginners. Besides, her real deck is the one she has the most faith in, so this second one does not see a lot of use.
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Coming up next:
Trisha has passed with flying colors… How did her two friends do while she was dueling?
Jason takes his own field test, against a student with a very strange deck theme, something that a member of the Trinity would have approved of. Not a user character, but someone I made up who's sure to grab some attention.
It's called "Heart of the Underdog" coming up next.
And no, this duelist does not use a Human Wave Deck.