Well, I'm glad for the reviews I did get, so lets move on.
Disclaimer: I don't own Yu-Gi-Oh in any shape or form for now.
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In religion there are 7 deadly sins, sloth, greed, lust, pride, wrath, envy, and gluttony. Everyone is guilty of each of these sins at one point in their lives.
In Yu-Gi-Oh, there are some cards that one might argue is embodyments of these sins, like drawing cards could represent Greed, as embodied in the spell card Pot of Greed.
On the other hand Sloth is a sin that can be represented in the duelists themselves, those that use their cards to stall instead of attacking, and win through other means.
My current opponent certainly seems to fit that profile, and sloth deffinately weighs heavy on him.
But that doesn't make him an easy opponnent.
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CHAPTER 29:
TIME WIZARD
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As they leave the canyon area, it begins to get dark around them as they enter a forest of dead trees.
"This place is giving me the creeps..." Darren mutters, and suddenly a huge bell like sound is heard tolling.
They step into a clearing, towering above them is a huge clock tower, that is tolling 4 o'clock.
"Well, that explains why there's not many people here," Renee says with a shrug.
"Well, we better keep going, maybe we'll find a duelist, its not like we're just going to trip over one," Katie says, and stops short of tripping over a thin young man with a slight goatee, wearing all grey and with short brown hair. "Okay, so I stand corrected."
The young man yawns, and wakes up slowly. "Would you mind, some of us are trying to sleep here," he says.
"Sorry, we where just passing through, and didn't see you there," Katie says.
"Well, sorry's not going to cut it, there's not many duelists in this part of the woods, so how about I duel... you, the one who looks like Guardian Elma with blonde hair," he says. "My name's Tommy by the way."
"Good, then we'll duel now!" Renee says, and activates her duel disk after stepping back aways. "I'll pick as my deckmaster, Guardian Aitos!"
The native american like fairy appears behind her.
"Hello Renee," Aitos says. "My deckmaster ability of Guardian Power will be very helpfull to you."
"What's it do?" Renee asks.
"You can discard one card from your hand to remove up to 3 monsters from your opponent's graveyard, and power up all Guardian monsters on the field by 500 attack points for each that turn, but then you can't use it again," Aitos explains.
"And I'll pick, the guy that's helped me so far, Time Wizard!" Tommy says, and a spellcaster shaped like a clock appears next to him.
"Aren't you going to get up?" Renee asks.
"I find it more comfortable to duel like this," Tommy says.
"LETS DUEL!" Renee says.
"Whatever," Tommy says as he draws his 5 cards, and then a sixth. "Okay, I'll start by placing two cards face down, and summoning Ryu Kishin Powered (1600/1200), in attack mode," he says with a yawn, and a pink gargoyle appears. "Your move."
Renee draws. Alright, nothing really good right now, but I can at least do this as usual, she thinks. "Alright, I'll start by playing the spell card, Guardian Treasure, now I discard my hand," she says, and places 5 cards in the graveyard. "And I can draw 2 cards now, and for as long as this card is active, so I'll summon my Back Up Guardna (0/2200) in defense mode!" she says, and a purple demon appears. "And I'll play the spell card Purity of the Cemetary, but we'll get to that later, your turn."
Tommy draws, and shrugs. "I'll pass this turn," he says.
Renee draws her two cards. "I'll equip Guardna with Shooting Star Bow-Ceal!" she says, and a bow and arrow appears in the demon's hands. "And I'll summon my Guardian Ceal (1700/1600), in defense mode!" She says, and a wolf-like monster carrying a bow appears. Okay, I gotta think this over, those face down cards are probably traps, and since he summoned a dark monster, I can probably guess what he's up to, she thinks, and nods. "I'll end my turn there."
Tommy draws, and shrugs. "I'll place this card face down, and set one monster in defense mode to end my turn," he says.
"This duel is off to a slow start," Darren says.
"Well, obviously Tommy is waiting for something," Wendy says.
Renee draws her two cards, but is interrupted by Tommy.
"I'm activating my face down card, Fearfull Earthbound, but we'll get to that in a moment, take your turn.
"Okay," Renee says, and looks her hand over. "I'll place this card face down, and end my turn."
Tommy draws. "I think I'll play my Spell Sanctuary, so we can both add a spell card to our hands," he says, and takes a card out of his deck as does Renee. "Of course, now all spell cards are counted as quick-plays. I'll just end my turn there."
Renee draws her two cards. "I activate the spell card I took out, Mystical Space Typhoon, which will destroy your face down card!" She says, and a windstorm wipes out the face down card, which is revealed to be a Crush Card virus. "Just as I thought, so I'll switch Guardian Ceal to attack mode!" She says, and the wolven guardian stands up. "Now attack his Ryu Kishin Powered, Shooting Star Bow Launch!"
Ceal launches an arrow at the gargoyle.
"I'll activate the spell card Shrink," Tommy says with a yawn.
"And I'll counter with this, the trap card Guardian Force, this negates your spell card since I don't have any monsters in my graveyard, and lets me activate an equip spell from my deck, so I'll activate my Rod of Silence-Kay'est, and equip it to my Guardna!" Renee counters, and a blue and purple rod appears in the demon's hands.
"Fine, but you still attacked, which activates the effect of my Fearfull Earthbound trap, you lose 500 life points," Tommy yawns as demonic jaws bite into Renee who lets out a yelp of pain as her life points fall to 3500.
"Fine, your move," Renee says.
Tommy draws, and grins a little. "I activate my Pot of Greed spell," he says, and draws 2 cards. "Now I place this card face down, and activate the key to my strategy, a spell known as, Final Countdown!"
"Huh, what?" Renee says in shock, and suddenly a machine hooks up to her, and a timer appears on her chest reading "20."
"I won this card when I won in the Tennesee State finals, normaly I have to pay 2000 life points, but thanks to my deckmaster's ability, any spell costs are cut in half," Tommy says, and his life points fall to 3000. "And now, in 20 turns, the bomb that is straped to you will explode, and you'll lose the duel."
"First Marie had Exodia, then the Earl had Destiny Board, now this guy has Final Countdown, is it just me or have we attracted some weirdoes with instant win decks?" Darren asks.
"I wouldn't call Marie a weirdo, but yes, you do have a point," Wendy says.
"That's not the worst of it," Katie says. "Unlike Exodia and Destiny Board, Final Countdown is sent to the graveyard after being activated, so the only way to stop it is to win the duel, and Final Countdown duelists always try to make that hard."
"Now, I'll place this card face down, and activate Emergency Provisions, I'll get rid of my first face down card and my Fearfull Earthbound in order to gain 2000 life points," he says, and his life points rise to 5000. "Your move."
Renee draws, but Tommy yawns and interrupts her again.
"I'm activating my trap card, Wall of Revealing Light, I sacrifice 3000 life points, and none of your monsters under 3000 attack can attack me," he says, and his life points fall to 2000 as a wall of light appears.
"Fine," Renee says, and looks over her two new cards. "I'll summon Guardian Kay'est (1000/1800), in defense mode, and place this card face down to end my turn," she says, and the mermaid guardian appears.
18 turns until Tommy's automatic win by Final Countdown...
Tommy draws, and looks his hand over. "Okay, lets see here, ahh, I'll play the spell card Heavy With Sloth, I discard two cards," he says, and places two cards in his graveyard. "And for my next turn and your next turn, we can't draw or do battle, in exchange, the turns count as 2 instead of one, so I'll set one monster in defense mode, and end my turn."
Renee looks her hand over. "I'll just equip my Back Up Guardna with Gravity Axe-Grarl, and switch my Shooting Star Bow to Guardian Ceal, and use his effect to destroy your face down monster!" She says, and the bow vanishes, then the face down monster which is revealed to be a Stone Statue of the Aztecs explodes. "I'll end my turn."
16 turns until Tommy's automatic win by Final Countdown...
"This is really bad, Renee's gotta win this duel!" Katie says.
Tommy looks his hand over, and shrugs as Purity of the Cemetary glows and his life points fall to 1800. "I'll just pass."
14 turns until Tommy's automatic win by Final Countdown...
14 turns left, and only 7 of them are mine, at least I can draw now, Wendy thinks, and draws 2 cards. "I'll set a monster in defense mode, and switch the Rod of Silence to Guardian Ceal to destroy your second face down monster!"
A Needle Worm explodes.
"Two more face down cards, your turn," Renee says.
Tommy draws, and shrugs as his life points fall to 1500. "I'll play Mystical Space Typhoon to destroy your Purity of the Cemetary, and summon my Cure Mermaid (1500/800) in attack mode to end my turn."
12 turns until Tommy's automatic win by Final Countdown...
Renee draws her two cards. "I'll pass this turn."
Tommy draws, and his life points shoot up to 2300. "Cure Mermaid, attack her face down monster!"
The mermaid sends a furry of bubbles at the face down monster, but they're deflected and Tommy's life points fall to 2200.
"That was my Arsenal Summoner, not only does it have too high defense for your monster, I get to add a Guardian to my hand," Renee says, and takes a card out of her deck.
"One card face down, your move," Tommy yawns.
10 turns until Tommy's automatic win by Final Countdown...
Renee draws, and looks her hand over for a moment. "Okay, I'll equip Ceal with my Rod of the Mind's Eye and my face down Twin Swords of Flashing Light-Tryce, and I'll sacrifice them both to destroy your two monsters!" she says, and the two monsters explode. "Now, I'll sacrifice my Arsenal Summoner for my Guardian Grarl!"
The dinosaur guardian appears.
"I'll activate my Swords of Revealing Light spell card," Tommy says with a yawn as the swords fall around Renee.
"Fine, your move," Renee says.
Tommy draws, and shrugs. "I'll just pass," he says.
8 turns until Tommy's automatic win by Final Countdown...
Renee draws 2 cards, and sighs. "So will I," she says, and the first sword vanishes as she discards a card to maintain the hand limit of 6.
Tommy draws. "I'll just set this monster and place one card face down to end my turn," he says.
6 turns until Tommy's automatic win by Final Countdown...
"I activate my Pyro Clock of Destiny, sure it means my Swords vanish as soon as you end your turn, but the countdown is almost complete," he says.
Renee draws her 2 cards, and sighs. "Go," she says.
Tommy draws. "Last move, Renee," he says, and motions for Renee to take her turn.
Final round before Tommy's automatic win by Final Countdown...
Its hopeless, there's no way I can beat him now, Renee thinks, and closes her eyes.
"Renee, don't think like that, just because it looks bleak doesn't mean you can't win!" Aitos says.
"But Aitos, I've got nothing left I can play..." Renee says.
"Renee, listen to your friends, they still have faith in you, you can win this, just put your faith in your deck, and in your heart, and you can do miracles, your father knew this, and you should too," Aitos says, and Renee nods.
Alright deck, I have faith in you, we'll see this through, she thinks, and draws her 2 cards, and looks at them in suprise. Unreal!
"Draw something good?" Tommy asks.
"Why, as a matter of fact I did, I activate Nobleman of Crossout, which will remove your face down monster from the game!" She says, and a knight slashes at the face down monster which is a Night Assailant.
"Fine, but you still can't attack thanks to my wall," Tommy yawns.
"Trust me, I've done the math, because I'm activating my deckmaster's special ability, I remove two monsters in your graveyard from the game to raise my Guardian's attack points by 1000, giving Grarl just enough to finish you off!" Renee says, and for the first time Tommy shows actual fear. "Now Guardian Grarl, finish him off with Gravity Axe Smash!"
The dinosaur guardian strikes Tommy across the chest with his axe, dropping his life points to 0.
Renee's DP goes up to 8, and she grins. "Yeah, I'm almost in the finals!" she says, and turns to look at Tommy.
He's fast asleep again.
"Oh well, lets move on," Katie says, and they start walking again.
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"Yes, perfect, just keep comming closer and closer into my trap," a sinister voice echos as a dark figure watches through a crystal ball. "You're mine, Darren Masters..."
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Shrink and Crush Card Virus was used by Seto Kaiba on several occasions in the show.
Fearfull Earthbound was used by Bakura against Marik.
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Heavy With Sloth
Spell Card
Image of a fat old king lounging around on his throne while being waited on hand and foot. Discard two cards to activate this effect. During your opponent's and your next turns both the draw and battle phases are skipped. The turns count as 2 each instead of 1.
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Guardian Aitos-Guardian Power: Remove up to 3 cards from your opponent's graveyard to increase the attack of all Guardian monsters on your field by 500 per card for the remainder of the turn. You cannot use this effect two turns afterwords.
Time Wizard-Magical Half: All spell cards that require life point payments have their payments cut in half.
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Yeah, I know, it wasn't that long again, but it'll be longer next chapter, I promise.
Who was that man in the shadows watching them? Find out next chapter as Darren takes on a Spirit Eliminator of his own, a monster feared by all in, "Trap Jammer."
