Duel 27 – The Death of a Salesman

"Welcome back to the 2005 National Championship." Maximus announced. I am Maximus and my friend over is Spartacus. Coming up next is the ninth round. Last duel was simply an epic fight between a Monarch deck with Frogs in it versus a kind of Junk Warrior deck. Unsurprisingly, the Monarchs won that one. That Junk Warrior deck was pretty interesting but the tried and true Monarchs were easier to use and simply had more staying power."

Spartacus chimed on in cue, "That was a great match but I am still really looking forward to the next one, though I will admit, the next duel really has some big shoes to fill. Up next we have Zarathustra against DistressedDuelist. Now that should be an interesting match!"

"Pardon, Spartacus. I don't think I, or anyone else for that matter, knows who they are. Why don't you explain yourself to the audience?"

"Zarathustra and Distressed are native to New York. I think they started a certain Team Dark Duelists and wrecked a lot of havoc against other teams there – like out of nowhere. Just a year ago they didn't exist and now they're in the nationals! Zarathusta has last been seen using a Zombie Swarm deck while Distressed uses Gladiator Beasts. Both really like to go against the grain in their game play and refused to play the usual builds. Let's see how they adapt and use the new synchros out there."

Maximus resumed, "That's enthusiastic of them but I can't help but be skeptical. I doubt either of them could take on a proper Monarch of Chaos deck. Their wins must of have flukes."

Maya tentatively stepped out from the darkness into the open light of the vast stadium. The crowd was silent but an electrical field crackled in the vacuum. She could almost hear it: a low hissing sound. JC lumbered up to her, wearing a large denim shirt and pants, glaring at her with his intense eyes like he was about to kill her. Maya returned the murderous stare in kind.

They folded their duel disks into place.

DistressedDuelist: 4000 || Zarathustra: 4000

DISTRESSED_DUELIST: "I activated Fire Formation Tenki to search for a beast-warrior, and then I summon it. Arise, Gladiator Beast Laquari!" A fiendish tiger of fiery orange leaps into action. "I set two cards."

ZARATHUSTRA: "I set a monster and two cards. Go."

DISTRESSED_DUELIST: "That's it? This is the duelist who won the Regionals? You're such a cowardly little bitch. I should have won the Regionals."

"Maybe it's because you suck." Zarathustra suggests mockingly. "Already you're judging my field on appearances."

Distressed scornfully shrugs the insult off. "Yeah, whatever. I summon Gladiator Beast Bestiari." An armored man-bird joins its comrade. "Through their effects I return them into my deck to summon Gladiator Beast Gyzarus." His two beast warriors liquefy into each other and mix together, then harden to form a formidable bird-like creature in juggernaut-sized armor –

Only to have it disappear. A blast of a horn as black as the night, the mighty creature shatters from the blow. Maya activated Black Horn of Heaven.

"But why didn't it's effect activate!?" Distressed cries, bewildered.

"Gyzarus needs to be summoned to kick its effect off. Black Horn doesn't just destroy it but negates its summon as well. No summon, no effect. No easy win." Zarathustra explains.

"Fine." Distressed grunts, "I activate Fire Formation Tensu, which allows me to normal summon an extra monster as long as it's a beast-warrior type." I summon Fire Fist – Bear." A warrior monk formed, accompanied by a fiery bear anima. "I send Tenki to the graveyard to pop your monster." Distressed's card disintegrates into a fire ball and Bear hurls it at the card, burning it and the black bird in it to ashes.

"I activated Dump." Zarathustra responds. "I send my other two Onmoraki to the grave."

"But it won't save you from this. Bear, direct attack!" The monk calls apon the fiery anima to charge Zarahtustra and douse her in painful flames. (Zarathustra LP: 4000 2300) "I set a card facedown. Let's see you beat that!"

ZARATHUSTRA: "Challenge accepted. Graceful Charity!" She draws three and discards two. "I banish Destiny HERO – Malicious from my grave to summon another one from my deck." The devilish costumed hero appears. "I summon Plaguespreader Zombie." A short and round ghoul created from the sewn limbs of corpses materializes.

"I activate Discord!" Distressed shouts. Sound waves flow from the holographic card, as does a low dissonant sound. "We can't synchro summon for three turns."

To your credit, you play good antimeta. Gladiator Beast with Fire Formation tech-ins is pretty interesting. I expected worse." Zarathustra admits. "That makes your betrayal hurt even more."

"Betrayal? You, Yukio, and Jolene betrayed me!" Distressed points at himself violently. "Our team was just starting to get big and you ruined everything! I'll never forgive you!"

"I don't need your forgiveness. I set two cards."

DISTRESSED_DUELIST: "You will now. Pot of Greed! I draw two! Then, Gladiator Beast's Respite! I shuffle two gladiator beasts back into my deck and draw three! Next, I activate Foolish Burial, dumping a monster from my deck! I summon Gladiator Beast Laquari." The tigerish fighter leaps on the field again. "Laquari, destroy Plaguespreader." Flames burst from Laquari's claws. It pounces and destroys the ghoul." (Zarathustra LP: 2100 600) "Now Bear, destroy Malicious."

"I play Pinpoint Guard to revive Onmoraki." A giant fist erupts from the ground and hits the monk's bear animus, scattering its flames. It opens and releases the black-winged crane. "Next, Infernal Reckless Summon." Two new Onmoraki appeared. Zarathustra seized the advantage and draws three cards.

Distressed growls in frustration, "Bear, continue your attack. Kill malicious!" The conjured bear animus hits the superhero, burning it to ashes. "My Battle Phase ends. I return Laquari to my deck," The tiger vanishes. "And summon Gladiator Beast Darius!" The horse-headed dasher gallops in play, and the familiar bird fighter appears with it. "It's effect allows me to revive Gladiator Beast Bestiari." Distressed snickers at his own genius.

"That you just dumped." Zarathustra finished for him.

Distressed snaps, "You think your such a smart-ass, huh? Well stuff this up your cunt! You and Jolene ruined everything! It's because of you scheming cunts plotting behind my back why there is no Dark Duelists! I was even planning to kick out all women from the team! Women are scheming cunts and parasites! They can't create or do anything original but only destroy the hard work men do!"

Zarathustra just about has it. "Are you done spouting little teapot? You just proved how right I was in every way, all the times Jolene and I mocked you behind your back. You said you wanted to eradicate oppression and bigotry, but the truth is you're an oppressor and a bigot no different than Matthew is. Only difference is he had the spotlight and you didn't, and that's what you were really fighting for. Go fuck yourself!"

"After I fuck you up first! I merge Darius and Bestiari to summon another Gladiator Beast Gyzarus!" The two gladiator beasts form the formidable eagle-headed boulder of an animal. "And with it I pop two Onmoraki!" The monster beats its wings only once, blowing away the two cranes. "I get rid of Tensen to destroy your last one." The last Fire Formation card vanishes as does the last crane. "Let's see what you got, you scheming cunt!"

ZARATHUSTRA: She looks visibly shaken, even though she tries to hide it. Sticks and stones may break my bones… but she balls her fist, controlling it and channeling it into white-hot anger, but her voice remains as level as it can. She scoffs, "You honestly think you're a badass superstar? Think again. You're just as ignorant and cowardly as the Crusaders we beat."

She carries on, "Mystical Space Typhoon! Destroy Discord!" Distressed shouts in denial as the small charged cyclone erodes away his card. "I activate my Malicious, banishing it to summon a third Destiny HERO – Malicious!" The costumed devil reappears. "I summon Zombie Master!" A young sorcerer in tattered robes and a ghastly mask joins him. "I activate Master, discarding a card to bring back Plaguespreader Zombie." The sorcerer strikes magical lightening on the ground and the Frankenstein ghoul crawls up from the ground.

"I tune together Plaguespreader and Malicious to synchro summon Beelze of the Diabolic Dragons!" Something stunning happens. The stitched-together ghoul transforms into two glowing green rings. They encircle the costumed hero whose body also vanishes, replaced by six aligned stars, which burst into a pillar of light. It was as if a portal opened for when the light vanishes a huge, writhing serpent of black scales, crowned by two heads and a human torso on the top, replaces it and makes its dark presence known.

Distressed breathes heavily, his forehead condensing beats of sweat. This is bad news! "I smell your fear!" Zarathustra taunts, her voice loud, deep, course, and gleeful! "There's more! I activate Book of Life, banishing your dead Gyzarus and bringing back Plaguespreader!" A silvery spirit waives away from Distressed's graveyard slot and the ghoul reappears. "I tune Plaguespreader and Master to Synchro Summon Goyo Guaridan!" The ghoul forms two green rings again and encircles the sorcerer, who transforms into four aligned stars. The column of light opens and recedes, revealing a grapple-wielding warrior wearing colorful but frightening red face paint.

"Beelze, destroy Laquari!" The two serpent heads deluge a stream of fire, reverberating the sound of ten flamethrowers, vaporizing the tiger. (Distressed LP: 4000 2800) "Goyo, destroy Gyzarus!" Distressed cries out as the warrior blunts the end of its hook on Gyzarus' head. (Distressed LP: 2800 2400) Then something curious happens, Gyzarus appears on Zarathustra's field, albeit crouched and defending. Not it's effect!

"The turn's not over yet, sweety! I return a card from my hand to the top of my deck to revive Plaguspreader!" The ghoul reappears again! "However, it is banished when I use it leaves the field, but that's not something for you to worry about. I tune Plaguespreader and Gyzarus to syncrho summon Void Ogre Dragon!" The ghoul and heavyweight gladiator turn into two green rings and six stars, create a portal of light, and from it emerges a large black dragon with sharp and angular head and wings. "I set a card face down and my turn is done. Let's see you wriggle out of this, you coward."

DISTRESSED_DUELIST: "I can't believe you took all my advantage in one turn, but I'm Rick James and it's payback, bitch. I activate Dark Hole!"

"Void Ogre Dragon activates!" Zarathustra retorts. "Since I have an empty hand, I can negate and destroy your spell." The angular dark dragon sends thunderous bolts from its mouth to destroy the offending spell card."

"I activate Raigeki! Gotcha', bitch!" Void Ogre Dragon wasted its effect, so there was nothing Zarathustra can do. Three dazzling bolts of lightning strike and kill her monsters – except one. The bolt simply bounced off of Beelze.

"It can't be destroyed by card effects or battle." She explains.

"How am I supposed to beat it then!" Distressed exhales in exasperation. "That's broken!"

"Says the guy who played Raigeki and Dark Hole on the same turn." Zarathustra retorts.

"I know you and Yukio are idealists but here's the uncomfortable truth. He who dies with the most cards wins."

"Big words from a guy with no field." Zarathustra scoffs. "Tell me JC, does your dick feel smaller than usual?"

Distressed's blood boils, ignited by the mental wound."You'd better be glad we're just dueling you cunt because I'd bust your nose and rape you!"

"I'd like to see you catch me first, fatass."

Distressed continues with his turn, "I summon Mal Cat." A small, clearly malicious black cat slinks into play. "I banish him to summon two Level 3 beast-warriors from my deck. I summon Fire Fist – Spirit and Fire Fist – Raven." The black cat vaporizes into two pillars of flames that form into a red-armored monk with a fiery raven anima and a fighter whose entire body was made of purple armor. "I tune then to synchro summon Fire Fist – Hose Prince." The spirit transfigures into three rings and the new monk into three stars. The bright column of light shines and out emerges a horse-tamer riding his lavender colored fiery steed.

"Since Raven was sent to the graveyard I will set a fire formation card from my deck face-down. I use Horse Prince's effect to special summon a Fire Fist – Raven from my deck." And another armored monk with a fiery raven anima appears.

ZARATHUSTRA: "Your defense is paltry at best and won't last long. I summon Thunder King Rai-Oh." A metallic blue armored robot levitated by its own electric magnetic field zaps into play. "Beelze, kill horse prince." The dark dragon opens its deluge of flames. The horse rider is simply outclassed. "Thunder King, destroy Raven." The robot shoots a discharge so fast the monk can't react on time and is killed instantly.

Distressed sets a card from his deck face down because of Raven's effect. Zarathustra can only let the effect take place, since the new card wasn't added to his hand.

DISTRESSED_DUELIST: "Don't think I can't fight back. I'll keep striking you until you die. I activate Fire Formation Tensu and Fire Formation Tenki. I search my deck for Gladiator Beast Laquari and summon it." The tigerish beast warrior materializes yet again. "My continues spells boost its ATK to 2000. Laquari, attack Rai-Oh." The tiger's claws burn in fire and it lunges at the robot, crushing its body." (Zarathustra LP: 600 500)

"My Battle Phase ended, so I return Laquari and summon Gladiator Beast Hoplomus." A rhinoceros beast warrior, so heavy it bends on all fours, replaces the tiger. "And with its effect its DEF becomes 2400."

ZARATHUSTRA: "Irrelevant. I summon Kuribandit." A darker cousin of the legendary brown puffball monster comes forth. "Beelze, destroy Hoplomus." The dark again sends its breath a blazin', taking another victim. "Kuribandit, attack him directly." The dark puffball leaps on and bites Distressed, who yelps and shakes it off. (Distressed LP: 2400 1400). On my End Phase, I tribute Kuribandit and look at my top 5 cards, and add Return from the Different Dimension to my hand."

She concludes. "You're beat, JC. You tried to get revenge on me but you lost. You completely lost control of the game. Not even three broken cards could save you. Stop humiliating yourself."

"I won't give up. A duel is not over until the last card is played!"

"Look who's proselytizing now."

DISTRESSED_DUELIST: "I play Card of Sanctity!" Zarathustra is genuinely surprised. "That's right you scheming cunt, I get six new cards!"

Zarathustra rolls her eyes. "Calling me a cunt is the best attack you ever made in this game. You do realize how sad that is."

"I'll show who's really sad here after I beat you."

"You won't. It's just a desperate last attempt to turn the game around. It's not a miracle victory like in theanime. It's a denial of defeat. You'll just humiliate yourself on national television."

"You wish! I activate Monster Reborn to revive Gladiator Beast Gyzarus. I summon Gladiator Beast Murmillo, and because of Tensen I summon Gladiator Beast Laquari." All three monsters, the giant eagle, the armored fish, the fiery tiger yet again, came into play. "I fuse them all together into Gladiator Beast Heraklinos, my best monster!" They all liquefied and melded together into a towering warrior with a lion's head, bearing armor gilded with gold and swinging a humongous axe. "I equip Herklinos with Indomitable Gladiator Beast! It gains 500 ATK, just enough to defeat you."

"Oh no, it doesn't! Dark Bribe!" Zarathustra uses her card to negate and shatter Distressed's. He does draw one card though.

"I set three cards. You're move." Distressed concludes.

ZARATHUSTRA: "I activate Book of Life to revive –"

"You're not going anywhere." Distressed retorts. "Imperial Order!" The holographic book of hieroglyphs falls limp and fades away.

Zarathustra is undeterred. "I summon Zombie Master." The young masked wizard returns. "I discard 1 monster, Plaguespreader Zombie, to special summon it." The wizard shoots magical lightning on the ground and the stitched-together ghoul crawls out. "I tune them to synchro summon Revived Ha Des." Ghoul and sorcerer transform and align again. A fiendish emperor with a beastly face, large robes, and the pale skin of a cadaver, takes their place. "I activate Mezuki in my graveyard to revive Plaguespreader Zombie." The ghoul takes the field again. "And I tune Plaguespreader again to Ha Des to summon Hot Red Dragon Archfiend." Through the synchro summoning process are huge red dragon adorned with devilish horns is summoned. "Now I use its effect. Your monster is gone."

Distressed counters, "Oh no, it isn't. Gladiator Beast Warrior Chariot! Dragon Archfiend is negated and destroyed!" The dragon bursts into a fireball, the flames soaring in the air before decaying into smoke and gliding away in the wind."

"I set four cards face down." Zarathustra concludes. "Go."

DISTRESSED_DUELIST: "The game's over! I won! I sent Imperial Order to the graveyard. I activate Harpie's Feather Duster!" The fierce storm of feathers gathers into a violent fury.

"I counter with Starlight Road." Zarathustra shouts through the storm. The storm immediately dissipates, much to Distressed's horror. "And I summon Stardust Dragon!" The archetypical synchro monster, a pearly white dragon with purple crests on its body, soared through the sky above them, leaving behind it an icy, sparkling trail, before it landed by Zarathustra's side and took a defending stance.

"This isn't over yet! Heraklinos attack Beelze!" The great lion-headed gladiator lunged to the dark dragon, lifting it's axe for the killing blow. "And I activate Fire Formation Tensen! It increases the ATK of Heraklinos by 700 and of every beast warrior by 300. That's 1000 life points lost! Game over!"

"Not if I can help it. Wiretap!" Zarathustra compulsively activates her trap with blinding speed. The indigo flames from JC's trap retreat from the gladiator they should have consumed and burn out.

"I have one more card!" Distressed now clearly looks desperate. "Shrink!" The dark dragon condenses to half its size, and half its ATK. "Heraklinos, strike the killing blow!"

"Fiendish Chain!" Zarathustra controverts. "Your monster can't attack and its effects are negated." Thick, black chains burst from the card and slither towards the gladiator.

"I activate Heraklinos's effect!" Distressed quickly reacts – but nothing happens. The chains seize the might gladiator. It fights will all its might but in vain. It suffocates under the burden of the chains and falls to the ground, struggling in its bondage. "B-BUT WHY!?" Distressed demands in outrage before noticing that he doesn't have a hand to discard.

He collapses on his knees, and all he can hear is the crowd roaring, cheering, booing, cursing in excitement, groaning as a great beast convulsing in delirium. It was over. He lost.

ZARATHUSTRA: She seizes the turn. "If it makes you feel any better even if you negated Fiendish Chain I had another one. You wouldn't have made it."

Distressed groans, "After everything you did to me, you just have to drive the sword deeper with your taunt."

"You still don't get it. You never really cared for us. It was all about you, the self-appointed crusader for truth and justice. Jolene told me you once were bullied a lot as a kid because of your size. You are a nerd, an outcast, like us all. Our rebelliousness was all we had in a world that abused and ridiculed us. Everyone, classmates, teachers, the 'establishment' was out to get us and take our integrity away. We wanted to be just like the popular kids, for once, and we did, but your mind stayed the same. You were always the persecuted one. Everything bad that happened to you was from an outsider, the 'establishment', or a 'scheming cunt' plotting to betray you. The source of evil was never you."

"Just make your move." Tears start to gather in his eyes. It was all over. The team, what chance he had for rebuilding his life, were all gone.

Zarathustra breathes deeply and continues with her turn. He lost. The rest is just a formality. "I activate Return from the Different Dimension." (Zarathustra LP: 500 250) A stormy vortex gapes open and two Malicious and one Plaguspreader tumble out. "I tune Plaguespreader and Malicious to summon Scrap Dragon." The ghoul and superhero align into rings and stars and open a portal where a dragon entirely made of spare parts comes out. "I use its effect. I target Beelze and destroy Heraklionos." The two steam pipes dangling off the dragon's body erect themselves and their fire steaming water, one at the serpentine, dark dragon, and the other at the gladiator in bondage. The dark dragon is unscathed but the gladiator dissolves into hot gas.

"Scrap Dragon, attack JC directly! It's over!" The metal dragon fires its scorching steam from its nostrils right at Distressed. He cries out and shields himself with his hands as the game reaches its close. (Distressed LP: 600 0)

DistressedDuelist: 0 || Zarathustra: 250

The crowd roared in approval for the new victor and duelist off the block. Maya never would've guessed that the majority would actually like her. It was actually a little worrying. Did she travel down the broad, well worn path all along?

"And there you have it!" Maximus announced. "That was an INTENSE duel between two less orthodox duelists but finally the zombie swarm user came through. I mean that Plaguespreader and Malicious combo really works. People will be netdecking her strategies in no time. Plus, gladiator beasts and fire fists? Interesting, very interesting."

Spartacus chimed in on schedule. "Oh yes, but the big question is can these decks really take on the current format and come out victorious. You expressed your doubts there quit a bit Maximus."

Of course they can! How many "real" meta decks do I need to destroy and shove in your face? Maya sneered at them in her thoughts.

JC got up to his feet, his legs shaking. Tears, tears rolling down his face, blinded his eyes. He glared at Maya, his eyes burning with intense hatred but gleaming such visceral, tangible pain it cut through Maya's body and into her core. JC shook his fist at her, at the stadium, and at the world. "This isn't over!" He screamed, and he fled from the arena.

Maya ran after him, panting, across the football stadium to reach him.

"Oh ho, look at this! We have quite a sore loser over here." Maximus chortled obnoxiously. "And Zarathustra is running after him. Is she his GIRLFRIEND? Uh oh, trouble in paradise!"

Maya chased after JC into the atrium. "JC, wait up! Wait up, please! Don't do this!"

Yukio caught her. She shouted and struggled against him, elbowing him in the chest, stomping on his feet, giving every ounce of strength she had, but in vain. Yukio stayed steady and held her like a vice. "It's pointless, Maya. He won't listen." He said to her ear over and over until she finally got it.

Maya at last ceased struggling and let herself slide down on the floor. JC was lost to them, and lost in the world. He would be another statistic, another black man would fall into poverty and grinded under society. He was a young man, victim of cruel circumstances, so caught by his hatred and pain he let it devour him. He deserved better than this.

Maya couldn't take it anymore. She broke down, sobbing uncontrollably. She covered her face with her hands and her body quivered from the force of her pathos. The people lounging in the atrium looked at her as if she was a freak. Yukio and Jolene hugged her tightly. Jolene whispered to her, "You could save me, but you can't save everybody. He chose to run away rather than accept his loss. You can't make people's decisions for them."

When Maya was finally stable enough to walk again, Yukio and Jolene helped her up and escorted her away to the hotel.