"And here I thought you were summoning a powerful monster!" he laughed. "Sorry girlie, but that overgrown frog of yours just doesn't have what it takes to stand up against my Ultimate Tyranno!"

"On the contrary," Wisteria said. "It's your monster that doesn't have what it takes to stand up against mine. I activate my Soul Ogre's special effect! Once per turn, I can discard a "Gishki" monster from my hand and target a face-up card you control. And do you want me to tell you what happens to the card I choose to target?" she asked, smirking as Hassleberry's eyes begin to widen.

"Their...Attack Points...increase?" he asked hopefully.

Wisteria smirked. "Wrong. They're sent back to your deck!" She swung her arm forward in a powerful arc, and snapped her fingers dramatically. "Go, Soul Ogre! Clear my foe's board and show him the might of this proud goddess! Begone, Knave!"

The robed reptile gaped its maw wide and released a high-pitched shriek across the field, sending visible ripples through the air that pounded mercilessly into the Ultimate Tyranno's face. The terrible tyrannosaur roared in pain and fell backward, vanishing from the field and fleeing deep into the recesses of Hassleberry's deck.

"N-No way...! My Ultimate Tyranno was-!"

"-Beaten!" Wisteria barked, "And now, so are you! Soul Ogre, Direct Attack!"

Hassleberry's eyes widened, and with a pitiful scream, his body was raked clean through by Wisteria's Ritual.

"Gwuaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaghk!"

WISTERIA - 400 LP
HASSLEBERRY - -800 LP

"I have just one more thing to say to you," Wisteria told the shellshocked dino-user. "I came, I saur, I conquered."

She turned her back to him then, and paid no mind as the horrified screams of the crowd echoed through the stadium once more.

Yu-Gi-Oh!
Tag Force
Learning to Shine
Chapter 38

"Hwuaaaaaaaaaaaaaaagh!" Mindy screamed, hands grasped at both sides of her head as she roared into the mic. "Impossible! It's impossible! How did that wretched rebel beat one of our Elites so easily?!"

"Tch, damn it Hassleberry," Chazz barked from the sidelines, "I thought you said you knew what you were doing?!"

"I-I did...but somehow...even though I summoned my biggest and baddest dino, I-!"

"Save it! I don't hear any of your damn excuses! You had one job, and that was to make us look good. Now not only have you cost Alexis some of her Life Points, but we're down to just two Duelists!" Chazz roared. "With this, how are we supposed to deal with that irritating Jaden and Red Hat over there?!"

Alexis frowned, "Are you saying you think we won't be able to beat those losers, Chazz?"

"W-What?!" Chazz reeled back in surprise, only to blush furiously and scratch the back of his neck. "Don't be silly, that's not it at all! I just...I just wanted to be prepared, that's all!"

"Whatever," Alexis replied, folding her arms in distaste. "It really doesn't matter if you're scared or not, because I'll be the one bringing glory to the Society anyway."

"W-What was that? Did I just hear correctly, everyone?!" Mindy gasped happily. "I believe I did, our precious Alexis is finally about to hit the stage!"

"But...But this was supposed to be my moment..." Hassleberry muttered softly, only for Mindy to lean down from her podium with a snarl.

"Shut up, loser! It's obvious you were just a warm-up routine from the get-go! Your act's finished, so hurry and move! Better yet, I'll do the moving for you!" she raised her hand skyward and snapped her fingers. "Come forth, Chains of Light!"

"Wha-? No!" Hassleberry cried out to no avail. In seconds, a third set of chains descend from the ceiling and wrapped around him forcefully, dragging him off the arena stage and high into the air where he dangled helplessly alongside the unconscious Aster and Hassleberry. "Lemme' down! I demand a rematch!"

"Hm," Wisteria pursed her lips, though her eyes glimmered with satisfaction as she watched the boy squirm. "I decline. I have more important things to do than waste my time on a little stegosaurus." She turned her gaze toward Alexis. "It's high time we had our rematch, and this time..." she declared, thrusting a finger toward the girl angrily, "I shall be the victor!"

"We'll see about that," Alexis replied, walking confidently onto the stage while shuffling her deck. "We may have pulled a Tie last time, but don't think for a second that I'll let it happen again!"

The two of them glared at each other angrily.

"DUEL!"

WISTERIA VS ALEXIS

WISTERIA - 400 LP
ALEXIS - 1200 LP

"Since it was her turn when that dweeb Hassleberry fell, that means I get to make the first move, right?" Alexis asked, glancing at Mindy for verification.

"Yup! Got in one, 'Lexie!" Mindy chirped. "Isn't it great? With this, you'll be able to crush that vile woman so much easier!"

"Well, someone's certainly confident in your victory," Wisteria said to Alexis. "But don't your hopes up. Through the use of my 'Gishki' monsters, my deck has become far stronger than before! Even with only 400 Life Points, it'll take a miracle for you to beat me!"

"A miracle, you say?" Alexis asked, reaching for her cards, "In that case, let's see what I can do! It's my turn, draw!"

TURN ELEVEN - ALEXIS - 1200 LP - SIX CARDS

Smiling, Alexis turned back to face Wisteria once more. "That monster of yours is rather impressive," she noted, "but its ability has a rather glaring blind spot. I wonder if you know what it is?"

Wisteria scowled, "Even if I didn't, I have a feeling that you're about to tell me."

"You're not wrong about that," Alexis smirked. "But instead of telling you, why don't I just show you?" She reached for one of the cards in her hand, and slowly slid it onto one of her Monster Zones. "I'm setting a monster in Defense Position!"

"Ah, setting?!" Syrus asked, "but why would she go and do that? Won't Wisteria's Soul Ogre just return to her deck next turn?"

"No," Konami corrected. "And you can attribute that to the blind spot Alexis was mentioning. Remember, Wisteria's Soul Ogre can only target face-up cards with its ability. That means that cards Alexis sets in the back-row, and even monsters she places face-down, are immune to its effect."

"Yeah," Jaden murmured, "but even if she's avoiding the actual effect, it still won't do her any good if Soul Ogre can just trample over it anyway!"

"Obviously," Alexis told the group, "but then, I never said I was done with my turn, did I?! I'm also laying a face-down card! Try and get through it, if you have the guts!"

Wisteria scoffed, "Don't mind if I do. It's my turn now, I draw!"

TURN TWELVE - WISTERIA - 400 LP - TWO CARDS

"And now I think I'll be drawing some more, because the card I just drew was my Pot of Greed Spell Card! Do you know what it does?"

"No, tell us!" Syrus murmured. "Just what does Pot of Greed do?"

"Pot of Greed," Wisteria drawled dramatically, "allows me to draw two cards!"

"What?!" Mindy gasped. "A whole two cards?! But that's, like, completely unheard of!"

"Even so, the card's description states clearly that I'm allowed to draw two additional cards from my hand, which means that my hand now holds...Three Cards!" Wisteria exclaimed.

Annoyed by the sarcasm dripping from the proceedings, Alexis glared at her opponent. "A shame," she told her. "None of them will help you get through my perfect field!"

"That's where you're wrong," Wisteria retorted, "because one of the cards I just drew...was my Mystical Space Typhoon! This card allows me to destroy one Spell or Trap card on the field, and I'm sure you know precisely which one I'll be targeting!"

"Kh...!" Alexis cursed, clenching her fist as a vibrant whirlwind struck down on her side of field, blowing the face-down Sakuretsu Armor she placed away. "Damn you!"

"And now that your backrow's clear, I'll proceed with attacking your monster! Go, my Ogre!" Wisteria shouted. "Reveal the identity of that face-down creature, and cleave it in two! Soul Slash!"

The ritual reptile roared as it charged across the field, arms raised for a devastating attack. Upon reaching the set card Wisteria pointed out, it swiped its claws downward, tearing the reverse card in half to reveal-!

A pile of crumbling snow...?

"Ha! You fell for it!" Alexis shouted, clenching her fist in victory. "The monster you just attacked was my Snowman Eater, and he's got quite the dangerous ability! See, when he's flipped face-up, I get to target one monster on the field and destroy it! Now, what say I repay you for destroying my Sakuretsu, eh? Snowman Eater, awaken and devour that overgrown alligator!"

A low growl suddenly echoed out from beneath the pile of snow. Soul Ogre glanced at the noise in surprise, only for its beady red eyes to widen as a row of deadly sharp fangs leaped outward to devour him.

"Tch...! In that case, don't forget that your Snowman Eater was still destroyed by battle!" Wisteria chimed out. "He may have gotten a good meal out of my monsters, but it was most certainly his last!"

Soul Ogre roared out in agreement with those words, using his other arm to cleave through the gaping jaw even as he was being devoured. The snow pile ripped and churned as the two monsters fought against one another, until finally, both were eradicated in a single flash! Golden light shattered across the field with their passing, forcing both Alexis and Wisteria to squint lest they go blind.

"A-Amazing! With that single plow, our beloved Alexis has managed to overcome the hag's evil Ritual Monster! It looks like things are finally starting to look up for the Society, folks!"

"Don't be so sure about that," Wisteria interrupted. "It's true, she may have destroyed my Soul Ogre, but I'll be getting it back soon enough! I activate the second effect of the Gishki Aquamirror in my Graveyard! While a Ritual Monster is the Grave alongside it, I can return the Aquamirror to my deck, and in doing so...send the defeated Ritual Monster back to my hand!"

The two cards gleamed as they shot out of her Duel Disk's Graveyard slot, flying through the sky around her before quickly depositing themselves in their respective locations. Alexis glared at the sight of it, but her cold eyes did little to the confident demeanor of her opponent.

"Next, since I've yet to do it this turn, I'll be Normal Summoning my Gishki Beast in Attack Mode!"

With a wet splash, a large green beast of a creature appeared, stomping around on Wisteria's field with its webbed feet and long tail. It let loose a roar upon emerging on the surface, then turned to glare at Alexis stoically.

Gishki Beast - LV4 - WATER - (1500/1300)

"And now, for his special effect!" Wisteria continued with a moment of hesitation. "When he's Normal Summoned, I'm allowed to target one Level Four or lower 'Gishki' monster in my Graveyard and Special Summon it in Defense Position! So please, give a warm welcome to one of the Ritual Materials used to summon my Soul Ogre earlier: the mighty Gishki Chain!"

Golden particles came together as she spoke, materializing as one into a long, green serpent-like figure wielding a long silver spear. The monster hissed as it coiled around until it was comfortable, then raised its spear defensively, ready to strike back if attacked.

Gishki Chain - LV4 - WATER - (1800/1000)

"Now that that's done, I'll set one card face-down...and end my turn."

"Hmph, set one card, and now you're down to one card as well," Alexis murmured. "Weren't you saying something about the importance of hand advantage earlier to Hassleberry? Well, I'm hardly surprised. You always were something of a hypocrite!"

"Better a hypocrite than a doll without a mind of her own! Call me whatever you wish, but at least I still have free will!"

"I do still have free will!" Alexis shouted, "Being enlightened has merely shown me the greatness of Master Sartorius and the Society of Light!"

"Oh please, no one with free will should call someone else their Master, at least not in the way that you all would use the term! Besides," Wisteria continued, "it's obvious to anyone with an outside perspective that you've all lost yourselves. After all, each and every one of you are responding to things in the exactly same way! Loser this, rebel that! Show some god damn independence! What happened to the girl who was capable of challenging me during the Inter-School Duel?!"

"She's still right here," Alexis shouted angrily, "and she's still independent!"

"Really?" Wisteria drawled, doubtful of the words. "If that was truly the case, then why are you doing every little thing Chazz and Sartorius tell you to?"

"Ugh...! Shut up! I won't have you try and put doubt in my mind!" Alexis shot back. "I am the pedestal on which the Society stands! I won't let your manipulative words twist my mind!"

Wisteria rolled her eyes. "Your mind's already twisted enough as is...but fine! If words won't get through to you, then come! I'll show you the error of your ways...through brute force!"

"That's my line!" Alexis shouted, "and it's my turn too! I draw!"

TURN THIRTEEN - ALEXIS - 1200 LP - FIVE CARDS

"I activate the Spell Card, Water Hazard!" Alexis shouted. "It's a Continuous Spell, one that allows me to Special Summon a Level Four or lower WATER monster from my hand, provided I control no monsters when I activate the effect! I'll be using this effect right now, to bring out this!"

She placed a card face-up on her Monster Zone, prompting a great surge of tidal energy to erupt from her side of the field. From the energy rose a slim and short-haired woman. She dressed in a gown of white clothing, and clasped between her hands was a long and slender staff with a snowflake design attached to its tip.

Cold Enchanter - LV4 - WATER - Aqua - (1600/1200)

"Next," Alexis continued, "I'll be making use of my Normal Summon to call forth the Snowman Creator!"

She quickly placed a second card beside her first, then watched with a scowl as a large blue machine rose up from the floor.

Snowman Creator - LV4 - WATER - Machine - (1600/1000)

"Now, its effect activates," she continued. "When my Snow Creator is summoned, I can place Ice Counters on my opponent's monsters, equal to the number of WATER monsters I control! Since I control both Snowman Creator and my Cold Enchanter, that means I can place two counters! I'll place one on each of your monsters."

The two Gishki monsters whined as their bodies began to frost over, signaling the addition of an Ice Counter to their status.

"Next," Alexis continued, "I'll make use of my Cold Enchanter's ability as well! With her effect, I can discard one card from my hand," she did so as she explained, "to target one face-up monster on the field. Then, I can place an Ice Counter on that monster! The monster I choose this time...is your Gishki Chain!"

The green serpent hissed angrily at Alexis' declaration, but the girl smirked defiantly as her Cold Enchanter waved her staff, frosting the Sea Serpent over even more.

"Ice Counter this, Ice Counter that, aren't you going to bother telling me what they do?" Wisteria asked.

"Don't worry," Alexis replied. "I was just about to get to that part. You see, these Ice Counters do nothing by themselves, but depending on what monsters I have on my field, they can gain all kind of nasty little effects. Take my Cold Enchanter, for example. She gains 300 Attack Points for each Ice Counter on the field! Since I just went through all that trouble to place three on your monsters, that means she gains an additional 900 Attack Points!"

A frosty aura burst from the enchantress as Alexis spoke, raising the girl's ice-cold powers to incredible new heights.

Cold Enchanter - LV4 - WATER - Aqua - (2500/1200)

"No way! 2500 already?" Wisteria gasped.

"Now then, I'll show you what happens to those who dare defy the Society of Light!" Alexis roared. "Cold Enchanter, destroy her Gishki Beast, and wipe out her Life Points! Frost Chain Stream!"

The white-haired witch nodded firmly as she raised her special snowflake, casting a spell that sent a blizzard of ice raining down toward Wisteria's monster. The Gishki Beast roared valiantly as it attempted to protect itself, but it was no use. The ice was particularly devastating to those of its kind, and it was only a matter of time until it fell!

"But I won't be taking battle damage from it!" Wisteria shouted quickly, thrusting her hand out furiously. "I have a Trap Card, Spirit Barrier! It will prevent me from taking damage so long as I control a monster, and the best part is, it's a Continuous Trap, so it'll remain even after this turn!"

"Guh...!" Alexis grimaced, "I might not have taken your Life Points, but your monsters are still wide open!"

The Gishki Beast roared one last time before the blizzard finally won, smashing several sharp spears of ice deep inside its body and shattering it from the inside out.

"Augh...!" Wisteria hissed, shielding herself as the flying particles dispersed around her.

"And now, my Snowman Creator will take out your other monster! Go, Snow Hammer!"

The blue machine churned before spitting out a giant, perfectly shaped snowball. The great ball of snow and ice rolled across the field dangerously, and Wisteria's Sea Serpent could only scream in agony as it was trampled and run over completely.

"Looks like your wide open," Alexis smirked. "Lucky for you, I've run out of things to attack with."

"And don't forget, since you've destroyed my monsters, those Ice Counters go with them!" Wisteria shouted. "And you know what that means, the power of your Cold Enchanter drops as well!"

The white witch sighed in exhaustion as the frost aura around her disappeared, and her shoulders drooped as she lowered her staff to the ground.

Cold Enchanter - LV4 - WATER - Aqua - (1600/1200)

"I already knew to expect that," Alexis agreed. "But don't think that'll make getting at my Life Points any easier! Now that I've used these two pawns for what I needed them for, it's time they made way for a better monster!"

"What? You're going to tribute them?" Wisteria asked, "But you can't! You already Normal Summoned this turn!"

"Who said it was going to be a Normal Summon?" Alexis asked. "No, I intend to sacrifice these two...for a Special Summon!"

"What?!"

"Cold winds breathe across an empty land! Let their chill give birth to a frozen soul! Special Summon! Freeze them, Ice Master!"

Removing her two loyal pawns, Alexis grinned dementedly as she placed her last card face-up on her Duel Disk. A white pillar of light spread across her field when she did so, and from its all-encompassing grace, a new figure arose!

At first glance, it appeared to be nothing more than the Cold Enchanter. On a closer look, however, the differences were clear. Unlike the younger, short-haired witch of snow, this new monster had long and flowing blonde hair, and a crystal headdress was adorned her head. The snowflake staff had become longer and frostier, as well, and the garb worn by the woman was far fancier and regal than those the Enchanter had worn.

Ice Master - LV8 - WATER - Spellcaster - (2500/2000)

"So, this must be it, then." Wisteria drawled, gazing upon the summoned monster with a scowl. "The ace of your new deck!"

"Yes," Alexis confirmed, smiling gleefully as the monster turned to face her opponent. "And with her by my side, your chances of defeating the Society...have become nil!"

CHAPTER 38
END

A frozen heart, an ice-cold witch! Against the power of Alexis' new monster, Wisteria will...!

Also, be sure to check out the poll on the page regarding the possible future of the story, and as always, leave some thoughts! See you...next time, on Yu-Gi-Oh! Tag Force - Learning to Shine!