The Slifer Red Tavern
After finishing his meal of mashed potatoes and a juicy turkey leg, both swimming in gravy, Evan felt like a king. He couldn't remember the last time he had eaten this well since coming onto the island. Back in the Swamp Dorm, the students had a meager meal of greasy burgers and soggy fries and half an apple in syrup for dessert. Most nights he just settled for eating sandwiches he got from the vending machines. He avoided going to the swamp dorm's cafeteria because of the rowdy students who lived there. They were the kind of students who didn't care where they were so long as they could duel and cause trouble.
To make this moment even sweeter, Evan received quite a lot of AC for winning the duel in his field exam. His grandmother was so proud when she heard the news and sent him $2000 as a reward. Needless to say, Evan spent a long afternoon in the card shop buying pack after pack and scoring some rare finds, which included a Ghost Rare Nirvana High Paladin.
Not even making a dent in his account, Evan continued spending and got his hands on some limited edition gold boxes and tins with shiny, platinum secret rare cards to add some bling to his binder. His mother once told him 'Hard work pays off'. He never believed her thanks to his lack of confidence, but after everything he went through these past few weeks, he vowed to meditate on that philosophy. Golden cards in his collection, a hot meal, a new room, new friends. Yes. Evan, indeed, felt like a king. And for once in his life, he felt...noticed.
"Hey, nice collection!" a female student said as she passed by.
"Uh, thanks," Evan said nervously. Wow! A girl is talking to me!
"I like your cards," the girl said. "Let's trade sometime."
"Sure," Evan said.
"Great, I'm here every night before lights out if you ever wanna meet. See ya!" The girl waved goodbye and walked out of the tavern.
"Awww, I see you!" Jaden said. He was sitting in the corner booth with Syrus and Chumley. "Looks like things are looking good for you Romeo."
"Naw, she just wants to trade," Evan said bashfully. His face was starting to turn red.
"Don't sell yourself short there, bud," said Chumley, his mouth full of grilled cheese. "Here on this island, binders with shiny cards get all the chicks."
"You don't have a collection of your own?"
"Just a tin full of commons," Chumley answered. "Don't really care for collecting. I just take what I can get from what I pull."
"And it sounds like you found a lot of stuff today," said Syrus. "Trix said she saw you in the card shop all day with a pile of ripped packs all around you. I hoped you didn't spend all those Academy Credits at once."
"No way," Evan laughed. "I'm going to save up what I got left to buy me one of those awesome generation 3 Slifer Red duel disks. You know, with the eyepiece and stuff."
"Good luck with that," chuckled Jaden. "That thing costs 300,000 credits. You should save it for your next dorm. Unless you plan on sticking in Slifer Red forever."
Evan laughed again. "At the rate, I'm going, I just might."
"The modesty in this guy," Chumley said, picking up another grilled cheese finger sandwich from the large pile in front of him. "You're starting to show promise."
"My brother sure seems to think so," Syrus muttered.
"What was that?" Evan asked. "I couldn't hear you, Syrus."
"Nothing. But congratulations on your success. I hope I can get enough credits to get that much stuff."
"It's not what you have that counts," said Evan. "It's how you use them. Even the weakest cards can pull off some cool stuff if used properly. You ever hear about that guy who won third place using a Celtic Guardian deck?"
"Wow," Syrus said. "So it's all on how you use them, huh? Wish I learned that earlier. I spent whatever AC I had on packs that turned out with nothing that I needed."
"You'll get there, Sy," Jaden said. He gave Syrus a loud pat on the back.
The door to the tavern opened. A very messy boy with large black glasses and a baseball caped walked in and headed towards Evan's table. "Hey, you got trades?" he asked.
"Uh, yeah," Evan said. He watched the guy sit down. He smelled terrible, his body reeked of Broadsword body spray. By the smell of him, Evan guessed he used half the can in the locker room, probably believing the commercials on TV where a mob of girls swarmed the guy who used it.
"Ahem," Evan said, trying to adjust to the smell. He handed the guy his binder. "Is there any specific card you're after?"
"Aw, not really," the guy said undoing the elastic strap of Evan's binder. "Just looking around for some really cool stuff."
"Evan, don't!" Jaden cried.
But it was too late. The guy's name was Millon Finnegan, a student who once started in Obelisk Blue. But his poor grades and lack of wins caused him to plummet all the way down to Slifer Red and it was only his second year. Not only that, Millon was like a seagull attracted to something shiny when he saw rare cards. Evan was in for the ride of his life. Once Millon opened the binder and saw the first page, his eyes bulged like saucers, and his mouth formed into a wide O.
His expression left Evan feeling awkward, it was just so uncomfortable. He didn't know what to do. Millon was stuck in that pose for a long time.
Without warning, he started pulling Evan's cards out and shouted, "Wow! Starving Venemy the Lethal Dose Dragon! You got Starving Veneny the Lethal Dose Dragon! Omigod!" He took the card out of the sleeve and set it aside with the other stuff he found.
"Hey, he can't do that," Syrus said.
"Nothing we can do now," said Chumley. "Once Millon Finnegan sees rare cards, he doesn't stop."
"And you got a secret rare Serpent Night Dragon! Secret rare Constellar Ptolemy M7! Oh, ghost rare Nirvana High Paladin, that is so cool!"
"Whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa!" Evan said, waving his hands around frantically. "He's not for trades! Dude put him back in his sleeve!"
Millon didn't listen. "Super War-Lion, I've always wanted this one! Maximum gold Beatrice, the Lady of the Eternal! Maximum gold Elder Entity N'Tss! Wow! OH, MAN! Starlight rare Divine Arsenal AA-Zeus - Sky Thunder, wow!"
"No! Wait! Come on, man, he's my best card! I'm not trading him either. Please, stop!"
Millon added the card to his pile of prizes and turned the page. He was clearly not listening and Evan felt so helpless.
"Why didn't you just leave Zeus in your deck?" Jaden asked.
"He's too precious," said Evan. "Priscilla gave me that card and it means a lot to me. I want to keep it safe."
Millon seemed oblivious to what they were saying. He was still digging around Evan's binder for cards.
A minute went by. The pile was growing bigger by the second.
"Borrelsword Dragon, cool! Freed the Matchless General! Cyberse Quantum Dragon! Oh! And Cyberse Clock Dragon, too! Wow! Dark Rebellion Xyz Dragon! A whole playset of Dark Rebellion Xyz Dragon, no way!" He took all the cards out. Finally, he stopped. He reached into his backpack and took out a tin.
"Here are my trades. Take as many as you want, man."
"Uh, sure," Evan said.
"See anything you like?" Millon asked.
"Uh...no not really."
"Aw, man, don't discriminate. If you add it all up, those cards can give you some nice AP."
"I guess," Evan said. "But I'm not interested in trading Nirvana or Zeus. They're not for trades."
"Aww come on, man! We can think of something. Let's make a deal."
"I can't."
"Come on, don't be like that, man, help a brother out."
Millon clearly had no intention of leaving until he got the cards he wanted. Just when Evan thought he was going to be stuck with this guy, the door to the tavern swung open. A girl with long, dark reddish-brown hair highlighted with green and purple streaks walked inside. Three thin fringes hung over her forehead. Her academy uniform was customized to her liking but still had the dark blue and white trim of the Obelisk Dorm.
"Don't bother looking through that," she said, slamming her knuckles on her hips, which she kept cocked to one side. She then swung a lollipop to the other side of her mouth with her tongue and held it down with her teeth with a crunch. "His tin is full of common cards. Not worth your time."
"Hey," Millon whined. "These cards are worth something."
"Tsk, yeah, a carton of milk for breakfast."
"That's okay," said Evan. "We don't have to trade with cards. Do you have any AC to use?"
"Nope," Millon said with no shame.
"Then get out," said the girl. "No one's going to want to trade their rare cards for a tin of commons. Have you no shame Finnegan?"
Millon picked up his stuff and sadly walked out of the tavern. The girl waved the air over her nose with her hand before turning to look at Evan.
"Thanks for that," Evan said with a sigh of relief.
"No problem," said the girl. "I'm Ivy by the way. Second-year Obelisk Blue."
They shook hands. "Evan, uh...first-year Slifer Red."
Ivy giggled. "Don't beat yourself up. You'll make it to the top. Anyway, I hear you've got something I'm looking for."
"I guess so," Evan said. "Is there anything specific that you're looking for?"
"We'll see," Ivy said. She stepped forward to look at the pile of cards Millon left behind. She swished the lollipop left and right as she searched. "Nice," she said. "You've got some nice cards. Hmm, very impressive."
"Gee thanks!"
"Ah, this is the one!" Ivy said with a light smile. "Starving Venemy Lethal Dose Dragon. He's just the card I wanted. How much do you want for it?"
"I, uh, I don't know. What are you offering?"
"This much," said Ivy. She put up her wrist. There was a very advanced-looking duel disk on it. She typed something on the touchscreen and then a holographic screen glowing pink, purple, and red appeared over the girl's face. The amount of Academy Credits she was offering was on it.
"Forty thousand credits!" Evan cried.
"Too low?" Ivy asked.
"Too low?" Chumley said in shock. "Just how many credits does she have?"
"No, no, no," Evan chuckled. "I uh, wow! How did you get so many?"
"I don't spend them," the girl replied. "Never had to. My deck is just fine the way it is and I have no interest in collecting cards."
"How do you upgrade your deck then?" Jaden asked. "The meta changes a lot."
"I just get whatever card I need individually," Ivyl said with a shrug. "No use wasting my money searching through crud just to get one specific card, you know."
"Good thinking," said Jaden. "But that's no fun. I mean come on! The thrill of opening packs and not knowing what you're going to get is just the best feeling ever!"
"And then the disappointment of knowing you spent so much and not getting what you want overcomes that feeling and leaves you with regret. No thanks, but you do you. So, Evan, was it? You going to take my offer or what?"
"Yes, yes, that will do. Thank you!"
"All right, let me transfer my credits to your account. What's your Student ID number?"
Evan gave her the info and the funds flooded in.
Ivy took the card and gently put it inside one of the pouches attached to her belt. "Pleasure doing business with you," she said, giving her lollipop another crunch. "I saw your duel in the field exams the other day. Very impressive."
"Thanks."
"Yeah, you got skill. So I'll leave you with a bit of a warning. Especially you, Jaden Yuki."
"What's going on?" Jaden asked.
"There's talk of some guy in a red cap running around the island. The students call him The Vagabond."
"The Vagabond?" Evan breathed.
"Yup," Ivy said. "He's hunting the academy's best duelists and taking every bit of AC they've got. He's really good."
"How do you know?"
"A lot of Obelisk Blues have reported dueling him in the dead of night, which is when he comes out to duel. He pulverized them without breaking a sweat."
"Wow!" they all said.
"And if someone miraculously beats him, he gives the winner all the AC he's collected as a reward, so obviously that's some ample inducement to get people to look for him. But he only shows up if he deems you worthy of his time. And that's the bitch of it. You won't know until he challenges you, which could be any time."
"I'm worthy!" Jaden said standing up and putting his leg on the table looking like a conquering hero. "I can give him the challenge he wants. What are we waiting for! Let's go find this Vagabond guy!"
Syrus groaned and slumped over the table. "First you want to go to the abandoned dorm. Now you want to find some Vagabond?"
"Who says we can't do both?" Jaden laughed. "Come on! Maybe we'll run into him on the way there."
"You plan on going to the abandoned dorm?" Ivy asked. "What is wrong with you? Didn't you hear about what happened to that squad from CAMP-SEC special forces? There's something in that dorm and it wants to be left alone. You should stay away from it."
"Try telling that to him," said Syrus. "There's no stopping Jaden when he sets his mind to something."
"Well, expulsion from school should be all the reason he needs not to go to that place," said Ivy. "CAMP-SEC has set up patrols around the fjord. No student is allowed on those grounds."
"You hear that, Jaden?" Syrus said, hoping Jaden would come to his senses and cease entertaining the thought of this silly adventure.
Jaden sighed and sat down. "All right, all right," he said in defeat. "Man, you guys are no fun. But it's no reason for us not to look for this Vagabond guy, right?"
"Jaden, come on!" Syrus urged him.
"Please," said Chumley. "Looking for this guy means I'll have to do lots of running."
"Do whatever you want," said Ivy. "Just stay away from the abandoned dorm. I'd hate for you to get expelled Jaden. I really want to try my hand against you. After all, you are the guy who beat Crowler. And your duel against Chazz during the field exam was insane. For a second there, I thought he had you beat when he had those alphabet machines out. You really know how to wriggle yourself out of a tight spot, eh?"
"Yeah, and this Vagabond guy's gonna be no exception! Come on, guys what are we waiting for?"
"Aww, man!" Syrus groaned. "All right, all right. But we'll only stay out till eleven. It's still a school night, Jay!"
Jaden, Syrus, and Chumley stacked their plates in the middle of the table, said goodbye to Evan, and then stormed out of the tavern.
"He's got spirit," Ivy said. "I like this kid. You know, you Slifers aren't so bad. You're actually lots of fun. Hm? Well, see you around, Evan."
Just as Ivy was about to walk out the door, Andre came in. He stepped aside to let her pass. "Hey, what's up?"
"The fucking sky, now get out of my way." She went out the door, leaving Andre in shock.
"Wow, rude."
"Hey, Andre," Evan said. "Don't you think it's a little late to be heading into the tavern? It's almost closing time."
"I didn't come here to eat. I came here looking for you."
"What for?"
"I wanted to talk to you about your friend Priscilla," Andre said sitting down. "Do you know where she is?"
"No, nobody does." Evan chuckled. "You know, she's like an ultra-rare card, too. She's hard to find and pops up when you least expect it."
"That's too bad. I really want to speak to her."
"About what?"
"I want to know if she had any rare cards to spare. You keep going on about knowing how to use your cards but what good will that do if I don't have the right ones to use?"
"Well, you have a point there, I guess. But I seriously doubt Priscilla is going to just hand you stuff from her collection."
"She seemed generous when she was giving you stuff. Especially that Divine Arsenal robot-thing. She has good cards that I most likely help me out."
"She doesn't trade," Evan said, closing his binder.
"Then I'm sure some AC could help her out. Check this out." He showed him his PDA and tapped the app that managed his credits.
"Wow, you got 20,000 credits! Sweet."
"I dueled a lot of people these past few days to get that amount," Andre said. He tucked the PDA back in his pocket. "I think I've more than proven myself worthy of earning a card from her collection."
"Oh have you?"
"Yeah. And I plan to take out this Vagabond guy everyone's talking about. They say he's looking for the island's best duelists. Well, I'm more than happy to accept his challenge. I better find him soon before he gets our friends. You especially should be on the lookout for him."
"M-m-m-me!"
"What's the matter, chicken? Not so tough now, are you? Well, you better grow a spine and protect your friends from that guy. You know some pretty talented players after all. Players like Alice. Alice is growing to be quite the duelist. What if he's got her on his list?"
"No, Alice doesn't like to duel. I doubt he'll go looking for her." Evan's eyes widened and he slapped his palm over his mouth. "Oops!"
"What do you mean she doesn't like to duel?" Andre asked. "I've seen her in action and she seems to know what she's doing. How can she not like to duel?"
"I can't tell you anything more, Andre. I promised Alice I wouldn't talk about her problems. Please, don't mention this to Alice I just started redeeming myself to her."
"She has a problem, huh? So isn't it your duty as her friend to help her out with that problem?"
"It's really complicated," said Evan.
"In any case, you should do something about it."
"Why do you care?"
"Because I want to get to know Alice. I like her, she seems like a cool girl."
Evan crossed his arms and sternly shook his head at Andre. "Get in line, bub. Everyone here wants to get to know Sara Fenix's little sister."
"It's not that. I could care less about how famous her sibling is. I've grown to admire Alice as a person, okay."
"Well, you should do what's best for her and keep your distance. There's a lot about Alice that you don't seem to understand. She lost her hopes and dreams and got tossed into this island to pursue a career she never wanted. Not to mention everyone in school is comparing her to Sara in every way, shape, and form. They want her to duel like Sara, act like Sara. I have no doubt in my mind the Red Arrows got her in because they think having her gives them an edge, hoping Sara's talents are in her. I bet dollars to donuts that's why they let her on the team so quickly!"
"She told this to you herself?"
"Yes — NO! I mean — crap! I said too much."
"She hates dueling but has great skill. You know that doesn't make a whole lot of sense. That Alice is one weird girl."
"I told you, it's complicated. And as her friend, I'm going to shut up before I reveal anything more. Do what I say and stay away from her, Andre. She doesn't need any new friends."
"Why is that? If she doesn't want any more new friends, why did she warm up to you at the field exams and welcome you back? Why should you get to know her and not me? She has a problem and I want to help her. Have you noticed she doesn't duel at all except with her friends? Whenever someone challenges her, she steps aside and lets someone else play for her. Is she afraid or something?"
"There's fear alright."
"It's a fear of being in the spotlight, huh? It has to be, right? That's easy. Come on, we can easily get her confidence up if..."
"It's not that! Stop pressing on about this matter. Her affairs are none of your business. And that's that."
"Fine. And I guess I'll find Priscilla myself," Andre said getting up from the table. "She's gotta be somewhere on this island."
"Good luck with that," Evan said gathering his stuff. "This island is huge and has a ton of different biomes, each one dangerous to trek alone, especially at night." Evan tucked his binder in his backpack and stormed out the door. "Huh?" he said, stopping right at the entrance.
"What's with you?" Andre said stepping next to him.
He gasped when he saw Priscilla walking under the light of the road lamps leading deep into the jungle. She had a basket of flowers hanging from the crook of her arm. Her golden hair shimmered like the foil of an ultra-rare card as she walked under the light.
"Oh, hey! Priscilla, wait up! I want to talk to you."
"Andre! Leave her alone. Hey!"
"If you want to stop me go ahead and do it. I'm waiting."
Evan didn't make a move.
"I didn't think so." He dashed after Priscilla. "Hey! Hey, Priscilla, wait up!"
"Oh, man!" Evan said. He slapped his hand against his cheek. "She'll never forgive me if I let that guy hound her like this. I might never get cards from here again. Arrgh! Do you even know where she went?"
"I think she went this way!" Andre said, running farther and farther into the woods. He stopped in his tracks, Evan did as well. "Uh oh!"
"Oh great!"
There were two Slifers from the Red Crusaders right in front of them. They shined their flashlights into the vegetation and started calling out.
"Where are you!?" shouted a Slifer with messy brown and yellow hair. "We know you're out there! Come out now and hand over that binder!"
"Aw, nuts!" said the second Slifer, a boy with a mohawk. "You scared her away, you duntz!"
"Scared who away!?" Andre shouted. "Don't tell me you were after a girl with bright golden hair!"
"You lookin' for her too, eh?" said the kid with the mohawk. "Get lost, we saw her first. And we would have had her if it wasn't for this doofus!"
"Shut up, Amell! You're the one who shined the light at her!"
"Valerio, so typical of you. Always pointing fingers at someone whenever you make a mistake. How Boris let you into the gang is beyond me."
"Aw, no!" said Evan. "These morons must have scared her off."
Andre's face turned beet red. He formed a fist with his right hand and stepped forward. "You idiots! Do you have any idea how hard to find she is! I really looking forward to talking to her!"
"Yeah right," said Amell. "You're after all those super rare cards of hers. Well, if anyone's getting them, it's the Red Crusaders. With that collection in our hands, we'll be unstoppable! We'll finally get the respect we deserve around here. Nobody will push us around anymore! Say, you guys look tough. Why don't you join us?"
"I'll never join the likes of you!" said Andre.
"I don't think the other guy will either, Amell," said Valerio. "That's Evan Blackburn! He's the guy who turned his back on the gang!"
Amell flashed his teeth with a vile grin. "Oh yeah!" He raised his arm and turned on his duel disk. "Boris is willing to pay 10,000 credits to anyone who takes him down in a duel and takes his Divine Arsenal monster."
"So let's take him on together!" said Valerio.
"Two against one, huh?" said Andre. "What's the matter, crusaders? Can't take him out one-on-one?"
"Nobody asked you," said Amell. "Wait, hold on a minute." He burst out laughing and slapped his leg. "Hey, Valerio, get a loud of this jackass. He's Andre Neromaki, the guy who thought he could take Tina from Blake."
Valerio took a closer look at Andre, who stood in just enough of the street lamp's light to identify him. "Oh, man! He is!" He wiped a few tears out of his eyes. "What a fucking loser!"
"You know nothing about me!" snarled Andre.
"Oh yeah?" said Amell. He tapped around the apps of his PDA. "Then what do you call this." He held it up so they could see the video. Andre was blasted by Blake's Thunder Dragon. The way he spun through the air from the powerful blast seemed comical enough, but someone edited his flight. He was now soaring through space with the song Shooting Stars by Bag Raiders playing in the background.
"Damn, Andre," said Evan. "Looks like the academy's made a meme out of you."
"I've had it!" Andre said. He wanted to yell, but he knew he had to contain himself. Otherwise, the two Slifers would make fun of him more. "I'm with Evan. You want to duel, you have to take on the both of us."
"Fine," said Valerio. "But a word of warning in case you want to back out, chump. We're Red Crusaders. We play for keeps, so be prepared to fork over your rarest cards when you lose."
"I'm not afraid of you!" said Andre. "Evan, you ever play in a tag team duel before?"
"No."
"It's quite simple. Follow my lead and you'll make it out of this."
"I don't need the pep talk, thanks. When last I checked, I'm a better duelist than you."
"Says who?"
"Priscilla apparently. She always visits me and not you."
"You know, I could just back out and let you take on these guys alone."
Evan paused. He realized he was getting a little too overconfident. Priscilla did tell him that overconfidence is the key to one's downfall. He sighed. "Okay, how does this work?"
"I'll go first," said Andre. "Then it goes to that guy Amell over there. Then when he ends his turn, yours begins. When you're done, it goes to Valerio. Make sense?"
"Yeah, it's not that hard. I saw my sister duel in a tag team match before. I got the gist of it."
"Good. Let's begin."
Andre - LP 4000
and
Evan - LP 4000
VS
Amell - LP 4000
and
Valerio - LP 4000
Andre
"You two are going to regret chasing Priscilla away. And making fun of me. Nobody makes fun of me and gets away with it. I summon Shine Knight in attack mode."
Ding! An orb formed in front of him and then took the shape of a knight in glowing armor and a cape made of light that twinkled like stars.
"And then I place two cards face-down! Your move, you crappy crusader!"
Amell
"I summon Mad Sword Beast in attack mode!" Amell shouted. He summoned a rhino-like beast armored in a green shell and curved sharp horns on his head and back.
ATK/1400
"That ends my turn."
Evan
"I summon Kanan the Swordmistress in attack mode!" Evan shouted. He called upon his beloved warrior, who graced the field with her beauty after making an entrance of rose petals. "And now I set a card face-down. That ends my turn!"
Valerio
"That's all you losers can do?" the boy sneered. "Wow. Let me show you what real dueling is all about. I activate the Graceful Charity card. I draw three cards and discard two to the graveyard. The two cards happen to be X-Sabers by the way. And since I have two of them in the graveyard and control no monsters, I can special summon XX-Saber Gardestrike!"
A light flashed about him and from it jumped a wolf-like warrior wearing white armor with blue glowing stripes. A ragged red cape waved back and forth behind him.
"And I'm not done yet, you guys. I summon XX-Saber Boggart Knight and he lets me summon a level four or lower X-Saber monster from my hand, so here comes X-Saber Pashul, who happens to be a Tuner!"
"Oh no!" said Evan.
"What?" Andre grumbled.
"He's going to perform a Synchro Summon!"
"So what?" said Andre.
Valerio snigged. "Your partner's full of himself, huh? Well, he won't be so cocky once he sees what I can do. I tune X-Saber Pashul and XX-Saber Gardestrike! Synchro Summon! Level Seven! X-Saber Souza!"
He summoned a rugged, elderly warrior wearing belted armor with plates of steel and gold. Just like the other X-Sabers, a red cloak flapped behind him. He carried two swords, which he swung fiercely to create a fierce wind.
ATK/2500 DEF/1600
"I set a card face-down and end my turn!"
Andre
Andre didn't have a turn. He spat at the ground and crossed his arms over his chest. "I end my turn by setting a card face-down."
"What!?" Evan shouted. "Are you even trying?"
Amell
"That's it, huh?" said Amell. "You think you're good, hotshot?"
"Maybe my monster made him crap his pants," jeered Valerio. "Not that I'm surprised. With my skill, I'd be scared, too."
Amell flicked him off. "Skill? You think you're the only one who can Synchro Summon? Watch as I pummel Mr. Hero over here. Did you really think you could take on, Blake and take his girlfriend away from him? Wow, what a loser."
"Get on with your turn," Andre said through his teeth. "Or would you rather we turn off our disks and settle this with fists instead of cards?"
Amell snickered at his reaction. "Man, take a chill pill. All right, I summon Delta Flyer in attack mode. And he, too, is a Tuner monster so I can perform a Synchro Summon, too! Delta Flyer tune with Mad Sword Beast to create the mythical bladed engine of destruction. A machine, who stops at nothing until all his master's foes are flattened by his charge. Synchro Summon! Level Seven! Rampaging Smashtank, Rhynosaber!"
There was a bright, orange light behind Amell. Andre and Evan felt the ground rumbling followed by the loud noise of a freight train coming right towards them. Amell summoned a sleek black tank with the head of a rhino with a bladed horn glowing with fiery orange patterns. There were four gold cannons on its back and its eyes flashed like a furnace. Rhynosaber circled around the field then took off into the jungle, plowing down trees and smashing boulders.
ATK/2400 DEF/1600
"Look at the size of that thing!" Andre shouted.
"Impressive, huh?" Amell bragged. "My monster's going to pummel your Shine Knight to a bloody pulp. I discard three cards from my hand and Rhynosaber's attack points increase by 700 for each card I discarded."
ATK/4500
"WOW!" Evan cried. "Forty-five hundred attack points!"
"Hell yeah! Go, Rhynosaber! Attack his monster!"
Rhynosaber circled around and headed right back to the field where they were playing. Shine Knight looked like he was in trouble.
"I activate my trap card!" shouted Andre. "Sonic Stun!"
"What does that do?"
"This card negates your stupid-looking tank from attacking my monster. And then, I can special summon a level four or lower Tuner from my hand. And I call upon Attack Gainer in defense mode!"
Amell snarled in frustration and kicked a pebble at Andre. "All right, you saved yourself for now, but next time your monsters are toast! I set a card face-down and end my turn."
Evan
"All right, I set the scales. Dragoons of Draconia and Dragonox, the Empowered Warrior."
(2) and (7)
"I Pendulum Summon Hallohallo and Risebell, the Summoner!"
Dragoons of Draconia and Dragonox took to the air. A red light shined down on Dragoons and a blue one shone down on Dragonox. Then two small monsters appeared. A little boy in rustic medieval clothing and a ghostly creature with a pumpkin for a head wearing a black and gold pointed hat.
"First, I will use Hallohallo to Tune with Kanan the Swordmistress. Synchro Summon! Level Seven! Seven Swords Warrior!"
Evan's monster was a tall knight in shining golden armor and carrying two blades.
"Now, for one more tuning," Evan said.
"What?" said Valerio. "How? You don't have any Tuners."
"No. But the next monster I'm about to summon can turn a Pendulum Summoned Pendulum Monster into a Tuner monster."
"How?" asked Amell. "I've never heard of a card that can do that?"
"Me neither," said Andre. "What are you doing Evan?"
Evan didn't listen to him. "I tune Risebell the Summoner and Seven Swords Warrior!" The two monsters turned into stars and took off into the night sky. Then, a bright light pierced the darkness and lit up the field.
"From the peaceful depths of time. Release the light throughout the world, revive! Synchro Summon! Level 10! Nirvana High Paladin!"
Evan called on a powerful magician wearing white armored robes mixed with gold and blue cloth pieces. He carried a staff that doubled as a tall sword in his right hand. As he stood there floating over the field, he lit the jungle like the light of the early morning.
ATK/3300 DEF/2500 (Scale 8)
"Whoa!" said Amell. "Look at that monster, Valerio!"
"What the hell is that thing?" said Andre. "A Synchro Monster that's a pendulum monster, too? How can you read all that text? It's a fucking mess?"
"Jealous?" Evan asked with a smirk.
"No. Just another monster with a cheese effect."
"You're just mad you don't know how to play him," said Evan. "Watch and see what my 'cheese' monster can do. First, Nirvana High Paladin allows me to add a card from my graveyard back to my hand. Nirvana High Paladin! Attack and destroy X-Saber Souza!"
Nirvana High Paladin held up his sword. The blade was immersed in green and purple flames which spun around to form a helix that stretched hundreds of feet tall. He smashed the enchanted blade on Souza. Valerio grunted and covered his face with his forearm to protect his eyes from the wind and the bright light. He lost 800 life points.
"And now Nirvana's special ability activates," said Evan. "When he destroys your monster in battle, you lose half your life points!"
"What?" Valerio gasped.
Valerio 1600 LP
"That...that can't be! That's not fair!"
"I end my turn by setting a card face-down," said Evan.
Valerio
"So that's how it's going to be, eh? All right, you want to play rough, we'll play rough. First, I activate the spell, Double Summon. Next, I tribute XX-Saber Boggart Knight to summon Commander Gottoms, Swordmaster!"
Boggart disappeared and made way for a behemoth of a swordsman in layers of rusty iron armor.
"Next, I summon X-Saber Airbellum! And I'll tune him with X-Saber Gottoms. Synchro Summon! Level Nine! XX-Saber Gottoms!"
Gottoms started growing twice his size. His red cape became longer and cleaner and his armor started to shine in glossy platinum and developed glowing light blue patterns.
ATK/3100 DEF/2600
"Perfect. Now I activate the trap card, Spellbinding Illusion, and use it on your Nirvana High Paladin!"
"Oh no!" Evan shouted. Nirvana was suddenly bound by a bright yellow hexagram.
"Oh yes!" Valerio cheered. "Not only does this trap card reduce your paladin's attack by 500 but it also negates his effects, too!"
"I activate my trap!" shouted Andre. "Seven Tools of the Bandit! By paying 1000 of my life points, I'm able to negate and destroy your trap card!"
Nirvana was set free his light once again illuminated the jungle.
"Whoa, thanks!" Evan said.
"Think nothing of it," Andre said. "The sooner we take these guys out, the sooner we find Priscilla."
Valerio teased them with a laugh. "So what? You think because your boyfriend saved you from one attack that you've got this duel won? I don't think so. I end my turn."
Andre
"You were wrong to underestimate me, kid. But it looks like my buddy could use a fresh hand, so I activate Card of Sanctity. Now we all draw until we have six cards in our hands. Everyone set?"
"Yeah," said Evan.
"I'm all set," said Amell. "What a dumb play."
"I'll say," Valerio said as he drew his cards. "Have you forgotten about Rhyno's special ability? My partner will discard cards and increase its power."
"I have forgotten about his monster. I'll deal with him in due time. But now it's my turn to do a Synchro Summon! I tune Attack Gainer and Shine Knight! Synchro Summon! Underworld Fighter Balmung!"
Evan looked over Andre's head and saw a glyph forming above it. Out from it jumped a black knight with a long black sword that had a glowing blue line at the center of the blade and a bright blue gem on the guard.
ATK/2100 DEF/800
"New monster, huh?" Evan asked. "He looks really cool."
Andre shrugged. "Hey, I needed to use some of those Academy Credits on myself."
"So what?" laughed Valerio. "My friend's Synchro Monster is stronger than yours."
Andre gave him the finger. "Yeah, yeah, yeah. I hate math, but I know how to add, moron."
"Don't antagonize them," said Evan.
"Relax, Evan. We've got this. Trust me. I set two cards face-down, just in case Evan screws up."
"Hey!"
"I end my turn."
Amell
"Well, well, well," said Valerio. "It looks like it's the battle of the Synchro Monsters. Time to see which one's are better. That Nirvana High Paladin looks like a fine prize. Boris will pay us well if we bring him in."
"And his Divine Arsenal AA-Zeus Sky Thunder, too!" said Amell. "I can't wait anymore! We've got these guys cornered. Thanks to your spell, I have everything I need to wipe you out, Andre! I send all six of my cards to the graveyard and now Rhynosaber's attack increases to 8700! ATTACK!"
"Got ya!" said Andre. "I activate my trap card, Infernal Flame! This rare trap card not only stops your monster from attacking me, but it also destroys it. And you take damage equal to half of its attack points."
"Oh no!" Amell yelled. Rhynosaber stopped mid-charge. It started to short-circuit and then exploded, dealing 4350 damage to his life points. The blast knocked him halfway down the dirt road. He slid a few inches and his life point meter dropped down to 0.
"Amell! No!" Valerio shouted. "I...I can't take them on alone! Amell! Help me, man!"
Evan
"That you can't," Evan said. "I activate my trap card. Trust Chain. I give it to a monster I control and it's attack increases by the total attack points of all Synchro monsters I have on the field. And since this is a tag duel, Andre's Underworld Fighter Balamung counts!"
"Right!" said Andre.
Nirvana High Paladin raised his sword up and enchanted it with the helix tower of purple and green fire. His attack points increased to a grand total of 8600 attack points.
"ATTACK!" Evan shouted with all his might.
Nirvana High Paladin flew up high over the jungle canopy and smashed the magic blade down on Gottoms, creating a mushroom cloud that sparked with lightning.
When the dust settled, Amell and Valerio picked themselves up and dashed back to the swamps with their tails between their legs.
"Nice moves!" said Andre.
"Fuck you," Evan said with a smile. "Setting traps in case I 'screwed up'. Pfft, come on. I destroyed that guy."
"So did I," said Andre.
"With a trap card!"
"Hey, a win's a win."
They both started to laugh.
"Hey, I guess I shouldn't be worried about Alice. Not if she's got a friend like you with kick-ass cards like that. I think that Vagabond guy better watch out! He doesn't stand a chance with us around!"
"Well, I guess you learned something new after all," said Evan. "I see you've learned how to Synchro Summon."
"No big deal," Andre said. He rubbed the back of his head and his face turned red. "Hey, uh, I'm sorry for calling Nirvana cheese. He was...he was actually pretty cool."
"Yeah. He really is. I'm so lucky I found him. Huh, for once I didn't need Priscilla to get a really cool card."
"Hey, speaking of Priscilla, we've gotta find her."
"Wait? You're not still thinking about looking for her are you?"
"Why not? After this match we had, I'm feeling pumped. I just need one good card from her and my deck will be set to take on everyone. Maybe even The Vagabond. And once I kick his ass, it'll be Blake's turn, mark my words."
"I can't guarantee a card from her will do all that for you," said Evan. "But if you insist, I'll come along with you."
"Thanks, Evan."
"Don't thank me. I'm not doing this to fulfill your quest for a rare card. I'm doing this because I know Priscilla's the only one on this island who can hopefully knock some sense into you. Let's get going. I think she went this way."
Evan strayed off the dirt road toward the deepest, darkest part of the jungle.
"How do you know?" Andre asked.
Evan bent down and picked up one of the yellow flowers Priscilla had in her basket. It wasn't much to go on, but they had a feeling they were going on the right path. They took flashlights out of their backpacks and together disappeared into the jungle.
Calhart Beach, East Side of the Island
Bishop bit savagely into a peach while pacing back and forth on the white sands of a lonely beach. He was about a mile or two away from the school and dressed in attire suited to traverse the jungles of Duel Island. The moon was full and bright, washing the island and the ocean in cold silver light. Crickets chirped in the grass on the hill overlooking the beach and wolves howled somewhere in the darkness near the mountains where he was about to climb.
He smiled when he heard footsteps stomping against the sands. They were quiet and very delicate. Bishop turned and saw Alice's long, fiery-red mane burning in the light of the moon. She looked displeased and had her arms crossed over her chest.
"You arrived," said Bishop. "Color me impressed."
"You know I almost didn't come," Alice said. She still couldn't find it within herself to forgive him for what happened at the waterfall.
"Well, I'm certainly glad you did come," Bishop said. He threw the cleaned peach pit into the forest and stood up straight to adjust the straps of his backpack. "I'm not gonna lie, Princess, but I don't think I can do this on my own."
"Why do you keep calling me that!" Alice shouted. "Stop it! That's so annoying. If that's you're idea of flirting then..."
"Flirting!" Bishop said.
His calm and welcoming demeanor seemed to have changed. Now he was angry. He started pacing back and forth, insulted that Alice would even think of such a thing.
He reared his head back and howled with laughter. "What in the hell made you think that was flirting? It's an insult, Alice. I call you princess because I've noticed you've gotten everything handed to you on a silver platter since you first got here. And quite frankly I'm disgusted by it."
"What are you saying?"
"Oh, you know exactly what I'm saying, Fenix. You're a fairy princess made real. All the boys drooling over you! All these opportunities just falling at your feet. Being chummy with the likes of star players like Alexis and Zane from the get-go. And getting a shot at being in the Red Arrows just like that. Tina and the others had to work their asses off just to get noticed by Enora but you! You piss your panties and Enora hands you a shot at the team. Hah! You know what? You know what?"
"What!? Go on! You got something to say? Say it!"
"If it wasn't for the fact that your sister was once a champion in the pro leagues, I bet no one on this island would even know who you are. I bet that's the reason why Enora approached you in the first place."
"You know something, Bishop, it wouldn't surprise me either."
Bishop rubbed his chin. "Pfft, you're a spoiled brat at that."
"Excuse me!"
"Call it my trustworthy intuition, toots. You sound...unsatisfied."
"What do you mean unsatisfied. Argh, this is a waste of time. I'm going back to my dorm." She turned sharply, her hair whipping over her shoulder, and she marched away.
"Unsatisfied like a little girl who got a giant dollhouse for her birthday but still wants more. All this coddling isn't good enough is it?"
Alice stopped and turned. "Are you saying I think I deserve more? Are you implying that I'm nothing more than some attention whore?"
"That's what it looks like from where I'm standing, princess. All the attention and special treatment you get. You like it, don't you, O' Great Little Sister of the Champ!"
"I do not!"
"Then what is it? Why do I sense so much dissatisfaction in you? What are you after, Alice?"
"Oh, so what, you're a Jedi Master all of a sudden? Crap! Why are you hounding me like this?"
Bishop shrugged. "I dunno. I guess it's because I think I've developed this thirst to know who you are. Are you here for a purpose or are you really nothing but a brat who is just riding on the coattails of her sister to get what she wants?"
"That's absolutely not true!"
"So what is the truth, then? Huh. Help me out. You NEVER duel unless it's convenient but you get the whole world handed to you."
"You think I want that?"
"If I'm wrong then tell me what's up? What is it with you? I want to know the truth."
"You want to know the truth? The truth of the matter is I'm tired of being on this GOD forsaken island. I'm tired of this game! I'm tired of this school! I just...I just want to go home!"
"Go home?"
"Satisfied?"
"No, just disappointed."
Alice looked away from his bright green eyes and stared at the ocean. "Hmph! Asshole. If I'm such a disappointment, why you couldn't have gotten someone else to come here and help you out?"
"Well, I wanted you. And only you. Hmm, and despite this big bombshell you dropped on me, I still do."
"Why?"
"We really going to stand around playing twenty questions?"
"You started it."
"Touche."
"Yup. We could have gone on your little rescue mission a while ago but instead, you started RUDELY interrogating me." She stuck her tongue out at him. "Jerk."
Bishop smiled. He found that childish action rather cute. "All right. You wanna talk, let's talk, I owe you that much. But we can't waste too much time." He looked at his wristwatch. "All right, let's start with this because I've been meaning to get this off my chest for the longest time. Be real with me here, Alice. Okay, so we can establish the fact you're not some brat who thinks she deserves everything because of the fame of her sister."
"The fact you even insinuated that about me is insulting!"
"I'm sorry, okay, I really I am. Will you ever forgive me?"
He extended his hand.
"Get on with your question," Alice said ignoring it. "I will never forgive you for that."
"Understandable. Okay, here's the big question. What is it that you want to do? For someone who says they don't love the game, you play really well. You can be better. Everyone wants to help you be better but you choose not to. Why is that?"
"I have no interest in dueling," Alice said. "I never did. I never wanted to come here! I shouldn't even be here! What I really wanted to do was go to this really good private school out of the country which specializes in science and technology."
"So you could study making holograms like your mom, right?"
Alice looked at him and gave a few sad nods. "Yes. It's what I always dreamed of doing. I learned so much from the very little my mother taught me. When I created my first hologram I KNEW that it was something I've always wanted to do. I studied day in and day out to get the marks I needed to get into the school. I spent so much time competing in science fairs, showing off my skills with tech. All my hard work finally paid off. The school noticed me at last. Oh, Bishop, you won't believe how proud I was when I get my letter of acceptance from them. It was like a dream come true."
Alice gently bit her shivering lip and started breathing heavily. She looked up and gazed at the moon. "But then my sister makes it to the pro leagues. She makes a name for herself and all of a sudden my dreams mean nothing to anyone anymore. It was always Sara this or Sara that or 'Alice why can't you grow to be a great duelist like your sister?'."
Alice screamed as she kicked a rock into the ocean. "Now look where I am. Yes, I know how to use my Sacred Phoenix cards. I know these cards backward and forward. They're the only thing I love about this game. I won a local tournament my mom signed me up for. I thought it was a moment to be proud, but little did I know, I just signed my death warrant."
"Hmm," Bishop responded with a half-nod. "I understand. She suddenly got the idea that you had what it took to be a talented duelist like your sister."
"Right. But I don't know how else to tell her that the phoenixes are all I love about the game. You give me any other deck and I'm clueless about how it works. Every monster I see come against me is a surprise. That's how out of touch with the game I am."
"But you handle yourself so beautifully, Alice. I mean it, you play a good game!"
"I don't care! I don't belong here! I don't want to be here! Even with the academy's holographic design classes on my curriculum, it doesn't do shit. I could have gotten so much more if I went to that tech school. Now I'm stuck here."
"So what did you hope to do by joining the school's dueling team? I mean the Red Arrows don't play around, Alice. They're the best female duelists around."
"I was hoping to lose during one of the competitions."
"Say what? Nah, you're pretty skilled to lose. You and those phoenixes of yours have what it takes to..."
"I was going to lose my duels on purpose."
Bishop swallowed. "Say what?"
"You heard me. I'll lose a match on purpose and prove to my mom and my other relatives that I just don't belong here. Hopefully, they'll see I'm not meant to be a duelist and drop me out of this insane asylum so I can come home."
Bishop scratched his head in frustration. He was about to yell but he held it in his throat. "So let me get this straight," he said, his voice slightly raised. "You're willing to single-handedly bring down and ruin the reputation of the team just so can prove a point to your family?"
"Yes."
Bishop stepped back and shook his head. "You really are the DUMBEST person I've ever met, Alice."
"I didn't expect you to understand."
"No, no! I get it! I really do. You had other plans and it sucks that your family is forcing you to go down a path you don't want to just because they want you to walk in your sister's footsteps. I can sympathize with all that, I really can. But bringing down the team for your own gain? You're willing to cost them the championship just so you can call mommy and tell her 'See? I told you so'? Wow. That's just selfish!"
Alice pouted and turned her back on him. "My family was selfish. If there's one thing I learned about this world it's that you can't get far without being a little selfish. To hell with them all. None of this wouldn't have happened if my dad was still here."
She stared sadly at her Atlantean bracelet. She slid her fingers down the glowing teal charms to make them jingle.
"He was the only one in this world who could understand me. The only one who ever listened to me."
"I see. Well, isn't there a less...less complicated way to get out of this? You can't just drop out the school or something? Students can leave any time they want to, you know. No offense, princess, but you're acting really stupid."
"Stupid! And where would I go from there?" Alice said, smacking Bishop on the chest. "Huh? You tell me! I can't go home. If I do, my family is going to find some way of bringing me back here."
"There you go," Bishop said holding up his arms. "The way I see it you're stuck being a duelist no matter what you do, Alice. So stop acting like a baby and GROW UP!"
He held his breath when he saw her lips trembling. The moonlight made the tears in her eyes sparkle. Deep inside, Bishop figured that Alice knew he was right. She was stuck here on this island and the only way out was to graduate. There was no other way off this and the science school she wanted to go to didn't seem like an option anymore. Bishop sighed as he saw all her hopes and dreams crashing in her bubbly irises.
"So that's it then?" she said. "Damn it! It's not fair. I don't want to be a duelist!"
"Look, I get that this is tough on you, Alice. But you aren't going to get far in life by hiding and running away all the time. What did that old guy from Lord of the Rings say?"
"All we have to decide is what to do with the time that is given to us," Alice said.
Bishop nodded. "Good movie."
"Even better book," Alice countered.
"I guess. So you don't like Duel Monsters. Is that why you don't duel as often as the others?"
Alice shrugged.
"Is it?"
"Yes! I don't want to improve. I don't want to play!"
"You're not convincing me of that. You're good."
Alice looked away and rubbed her shoulders. "Don't...don't tell me that."
"I mean it. Come on, Alice. You've got a great talent inside of you. It's a talent many people can have."
"It's a talent I don't want. I should have lost that duel against Cynthia. I could have lost."
"How?"
"All I had to do was play the wrong card so I could lose. Just one mistake and it would have cost me."
"What would losing your tryout prove?"
"Well, I figured if I lost there it would have been devastating. Maybe even my family would see that dueling wasn't for me. A fail of epic proportions. It was my shot at going home and getting out of this place but...but..."
"You decided not to lose, huh?"
"I couldn't find it within myself to lose. Because I started thinking about everyone I've met here. Alexis has grown to be like a sister to me; I don't want to lose her. And I love the girls on the team so much. And you want to know something else? After I beat the CRAP out of Boris, this feeling inside of me started to grow. It started to frighten me."
"What happened? What did you feel?"
"The feeling to keep on winning. The thrill! The excitement. The more I dueled the more I started to like it. But I mustn't let that happen. What if...what if..."
"I see. So you're afraid of liking the game too much, huh? You're afraid of liking dueling so much you'll want to abandon your goal of being a tech at Kaiba Corp. So that's why you don't duel."
"Yes. But it's not that simple anymore. The urge to duel grows in my heart like a fire devouring everything in its path. That fire spread faster every time I saw Jaden Yuki duel."
"Why?"
"Because when I see him duel, I find myself wanting to be just like him." She paced around in excitement as flashbacks of his matches raced through her mind. "You should see him duel, Bishop. I don't know if it's just me but I find it such an inspiration. He fills me with hope. With strength. With courage. No matter how bad his situation is, he always has that big smile on his face. Argh, I'm almost jealous of him. He's always happy no matter what. He's in Slifer Red for goodness sake and he acts like he's the king of the world. I want to be just like him."
She sighed and stopped moving, then hung her head sorrowfully. "But I can't. If I grow to like dueling, I'll have to let my dream die. I don't want that to happen."
"You don't have to let it die, Alice. Seto Kaiba designs his holograms and he's like the best player ever."
Alice looked at him right in the eyes. "Well, Bishop, I'm not Seto Kaiba."
Bishop laughed. "Yeah, that's true. But you're a talented girl, Alice. Who's to say you can't do both of them."
"You really think so?"
"Yeah. Come on, you big baby, grow a spine and take on the world. You're still young, and it's only the second month of your first year at Duel Academy. Who knows what doors will open along the way to graduation. But that's the future. I want your head in the now. After tonight, I want to see you in action. I want to see you duel! I don't want you to back out of any challenges. You're a Red Arrow. Start acting like it. Do you know how many girls have given up so much to be on this team?"
Alice sighed. "All right, I understand."
"Great. That's what I want to see. Now, are you going to be a big girl and accept the path in front of you? Are you going to help your team on the road to the championships and win?"
"I make no promises. Come on. Let us find your wolf before those poachers take him away to who knows where."
Bishop stood rooted to the spot where he stood and watched as Alice advanced into the jungle. "Huh. After tonight, I'm sure I'm going to make you fulfill those promises, Alice Fenix."
He tilted his head to the right and smiled. "Nice butt."
Slifer Red Village's North Gate
Jaden and Syrus lit the dirt road with their flashlights to check for snakes or maybe even to spot the Vagabond duelist Ivy mentioned back at the tavern. Chumley tailed behind them both, lugging a backpack with Jaden's gear inside. "Aww, man, I don't like this at all," Chumley said. "How do I let you talk me into these things?"
Jaden looked back at Chumley with a smile. "Come on, Chumley, where's your sense of adventure? Besides, if we win, he'll give us all the Academy Credits he has. And if he beat all those duelists, he must have beaten a lot, huh? Think about all the sweet stuff we're gonna pull with all the packs we're gonna buy. What about all the grilled cheese sandwiches? All you can eat, man!"
"You always gotta use food against me. You're evil, man, really evil."
"Speaking of evil," Syrus said, trying to keep his teeth from chattering. "I can't help but feel like this place is...not right."
"Syrus, you're only saying that because it's night," Jaden said with a laugh. "We cross through this part of the jungle all the time."
All of a sudden storm clouds rolled in and lightning flashed in the sky, leaving Jaden and his group feeling confused and a tad worried.
"What's all this?" Jaden asked. "The weather was supposed to be nice all week." He checked his PDA. "Is my stuff on the fritz?" Jaden wondered.
"Something's not right about this storm," said Chumley, commenting on the blood-red lightning that flashed in the sky. "Come on, Jay, I think we should go back."
"Ugh, when you're right you're right," Jaden said.
All of a sudden a structure resembling an ancient Greek temple rose from underneath their feet and trapped them inside. Then a thick, red fog rolled towards them and filled the temple.
"Hey, what gives?" Syrus shouted. "Jaden, let's get out of here! Wait! No! No! NOOOOOOO!"
Jaden turned around. Lighting flashed, revealing Syrus's silhouette in the thick smoke. He was reeling back in terror as something large loomed over him. Then darkness overtook them. He was gone. "Syrus!"
"What happened to him?" Chumley asked.
The same thing that's going to happen to you! A cold voice assured him.
"What? AAAAAAAHHHH! JADEN! HELP!"
Jaden looked over his shoulder. Chumley was gone. He just vanished into the fog as though it devoured him.
"Where are you?" Jaden cried. "Show yourself!"
A deep, menacing laugh answered him. Titan walked out of the fog and chuckled. "So, you're the great Jaden Yuki, eh?"
"Dude, really? What's your deal? What is all this? What are you trying to do? Where are my friends?"
"You'll get them back if you survive the Trial of Pandemonium," said Titan.
"Trial of what? Who are you?"
"I am your worst nightmare. I am a collector of souls. And my sights are set on yours. Defeat me and you just might get out of this with your soul intact. Oh, and, you get your friends back."
"You want to duel, huh? Wait a minute? Are you The Vagabond?"
"I know nothing of this Vagabond," Titan answered. "Now, let's roshambo to see who see who goes first."
Titan held up scissors and Jaden had rock.
Turn 1
Jaden LP 4000
Titan LP 4000
"All right," Jaden said. "Looks like I'm going first." He inserted his deck into the drive recognizer of his duel disk. Their life points displayed and they shouted: "DUEL!"
"Let's shed a little light in here," Jaden said. "I activate Polymerization. And by fusing together Elemental HERO Sparkman and Burstinatrix, I call upon my pal, Elemental HERO Sunrise!"
Rays of early morning light shone through the pillars of the temple. From the fog rose up Jaden's HERO. He flexed his muscles and punched their air before posing as his stats displayed.
ATK/2500 DEF/1200
"Now I summon Elemental HERO Clayman in defense mode!" Jaden said, calling on his next HERO. The blocky, brown, HERO grunted and then crouched on the ground with his arms crossed over his chest.
ATK/800 DEF/2000
"And Elemental HERO Sunrise gets a power-up. For every monster with a different attribute on the field, Sunrise gets an extra 200 points (ATK/2700). And that will do it for me."
Turn 2
"Not at all impressed," said Titan. "I draw. Heh, heh, heh, heh. I activate the spell, Nightmare's Steel Cage!"
Jaden yelped when he was suddenly encased in a cage of fire. The heat. It was...a little too real. He felt like it was suffocating him. Beads of sweat started to roll down his brow. "What is this?" he croaked.
The flames dispersed and he was now imprisoned in a domed cage made of black steel and ornamented with menacing gold spikes.
"Nightmare's Steel Cage prevents you from attacking for two whole turns. And lucky for you, the cage also protects you from my attacks. Now I activate the spell card, Fires of Doomsday."
POOF! A bonfire of blue flames burst in front of Titan. The flames split and then birthed two one-eyed fiends that floated in the air. Their bodies looked like black and green flames made into a solid, legless creature with claws.
"What are those things?" Jaden asked.
"They are known as Doomsday Tokens," Titan said with a chuckle. "And lucky for you, they prevent me from summoning anything else this turn. Your move."
Turn 3
"I draw," said Jaden. "Aww, man. Elemental HERO Wildheart," he thought. "If it wasn't for this cage, I'd use him and Sunrise to get rid of those spooky tokens. Oh, well." He looked at Titan. "I end my turn without playing anything."
Turn 4
"I'm not surprised. There's nothing much you can do with my Nightmare's Steel Cage in play. But the cage is the least of your worries. Your nightmare has only just begun, boy. I tribute my two Doomsday Tokens to Link Summon the all-powerful Masterking Archfiend!"
The tokens let out a painful cry, feeling their energy being drained for the much stronger creature. Their bodies turned into blue flames that then turned into a crowned fiend with wings and a black-red cape. His right hand clutched a very long sword with a guard that resembled bat wings.
ATK/2000 LINK-2
"This is only the beginning," Titan said. "Thanks to his special ability, I'm allowed to summon Mist Archfiend without a tribute!"
Red fog formed over Titan's hips and then the bright orange archfiend jumped out and stood next to Masterking Archfiend.
ATK/2400 DEF/0
"Ha," said Jaden. "I know all about that card. If you summon him that way, he pops at the end of the turn and you lose 1000 life points. And with your Nightmare's Steel Cage in play, you can't attack me. What a waste of a card, man."
"Oh? Is that what you think, boy? I am not done yet, for I now summon Archfiend Commander in attack mode! His special ability allows me to special summon him so long as there is another Archfiend on the field. However, he must destroy a card if he was summoned this way so goodbye Mist Archfiend."
Mist Archfiend hissed and shattered.
"Ah, but his destruction activates my Masterking Archfiend's special ability. If a fiend monster is destroyed, I can play a game of chance." Masterking Archfiend held up his claw. Six golden orbs formed over them with numbers from 1-6 written in the center. A flame engulfed one after the other as it spun like a roulette. The flame made a deep gong sound like the toll of a bell each time it shifted from one number to the next. Finally, it stopped at 6.
"Perfect! If the flame lands on a six, I can revive a fiend monster from the graveyard, so my Mist Archfiend returns!"
Woosh! The monster swooped out of the mist and joined his brethren. The three monsters stared Jaden down hungrily.
"And now I activate the field spell, Archfiend Palabyrinth!"
Through the pillars of the temple, Jaden could see the landscape outside changing. The jungle seemed to shrink into the ground and transformed into a barren wasteland with a fiendish castle looming in the distance.
"This card does more than change the scenery, Jaden. It gives my Archfiends a 500 point boost in strength. Your Sunrise isn't the strongest monster on the field anymore."
Archfiend Commander
ATK/3000
Mist Archfiend
ATK/2900
Masterking Archfiend
ATK/2500
Turn 5
"Damn," said Jaden. "Aw, crap, this isn't good. I switch Sunrise to defense mode and end my turn. That frees me from your cage."
The cage dissolved but Titan reacted with a laugh. "Fool, it may have freed you, but it was your only protection against my onslaught of monsters."
"Bring them on," said Jaden. "I'm not afraid of them."
"Oh no?" Titan said. He dug into his trenchcoat and pulled out a golden pyramid hanging from a black chain.
"What is that?" Jaden said. "Hold on! That's...a Millennium Item!"
"Indeed," said Titan. "It is known as the Millennium Puzzle. And it will turn this duel into a Shadow Game."
"Shadow Game?"
"Yes. Now you will experience true fear this night as my Archfiends tear you apart piece by piece until your soul is swallowed by the shadows. First, I will tribute Mist Archfiend and Archfiend Commander to summon Archfiend Emperor, the First Lord of Horror!"
The temple shattered all around them. The ground started to quake as lightning flashed in the purple sky. A giant throne rose out from behind Titan. Then, slowly, a giant archfiend formed from purple flames. His body was glowing with red markings and his knees resembled smiling skulls. He carried a sword as stall as a redwood tree and there was a mountain of spikes on his back.
Archfiend Emperor, the First Lord of Horror
ATK/3000 (+ 500) DEF/2000
"Man, that is one big ass, Archfiend," said Jaden.
"And he will be the key to your destruction, Jaden Yuki." He held up one finger. "But first, since a fiend was destroyed, Masterking Archfiend's effect activates. Remember, if I get a six, I can special summon one of my Archfiends from the graveyard." He waited until Masterking Archfiend's roulette came to a stop, which, unfortunately for Jaden, was a six.
"Ha ha! Looks like fate is not on your side tonight, Jaden Yuki. Using Masterking Archfiend's effect, I bring back Archfiend Commander from the dead! Now, I will rid the field of your monsters. Archfiend Commander, attack his Elemental HERO Bubbleman!"
Archfiend Commander stood up straight then fired a green laser from one of the orbs on his head. Bubbleman was zapped away, causing him to shatter like a broken vase. An explosion followed, causing Jaden to hold his arms up. His jacket flapped around in the gust. He braced himself for a second attack as Masterking Archfiend spread his wings. He soared towards Elemental HERO Sunrise and sliced him in half. Jaden was wide open now. There was nothing he could do.
"Archfiend Emperor! Attack his life points directly!" Titan shouted.
The First Lord of Horror stood up, heeding the command of his master. He picked up his sword, which was laying on the arm of his throne. After taking two earth-shattering steps towards Jaden, he raised his purple sword and struck Jaden with all his might. Jaden grunted and backflipped twice through the air. He landed hard on the ground, biting his tongue as he hit the dirt with full force. He tasted blood in his mouth and spit it out. Meanwhile, his LP display appeared and showed his Life Points dropping to a mere 500 points.
"You are almost through, Jaden Yuki," said Titan. He held up the Millennium Item. The puzzle flashed. Jaden yelped and crawled back on his elbows. "What's the matter, Jaden? You're starting to lose yourself."
"Huh?" Jaden looked at his body. Most of his limbs were all gone. Half his belly vanished as well. "What...what's happening?"
"Your decent into hell!" laughed Titan. "And there's no escape!"