Lise and Yoshi kept on. Lise still had Flame Alchemist, Smoke Raven, and her ace monster Crimson Starburst Dragon. Yoshi had hung onto Key Mace, Kurama, Eyearmor, and his facedown monster. Both of them maintained four speed counters.
Yoshi: 2200
Lise: 3200
"It's my…turn!" Yoshi declared. "I set one card facedown and activate Speed World 2's effect! I remove four speed counters, and inflict eight hundred points of damage due to the speed spell in my hand!"
Lise grit her teeth as she lost the lifepoints. This is annoying. But then she cracked the tiniest of smiles. But weirdly…even with the high stakes? I'm having fun. Team Taiyo is scrappy and good despite everything. Kinda reminds me of dueling with Yugi and Jaden…
Yoshi: 2200
Lise: 2400
"End turn."
/
Leo squinted at Bruno's screens. "Is Lise…smiling?"
Crow shrugged. "I mean, I guess? It's still anyone's game."
She's having fun, just like we did with Jaden and Yugi. Yusei smiled too, crossing his arms.
/
"My turn!" Lise drew her next card. "This'll do. I set two cards facedown, and when I have five or six speed counters, I can activate the speed spell Burn Victims! I can switch one facedown defense position monster to attack mode, reduce its attack points to zero, and attack it!"
"What?!"
"The only drawback is that the monster who attacks the targeted monster is destroyed at the end of the turn, but I think that's a price worth paying. Don't you?!"
Yoshi's facedown monster, Spirit of the Books, was forcibly flipped up and put into attack mode. Its fourteen hundred attack points were reduced to zero.
(Spirit of the Books: Atk: 1400 Def: 1200)
"Go, Crimson Starburst Dragon! Attack Spirit of the Books and take Yoshi down!"
Yoshi cried out as his lifepoints dropped to zero. It was time to pass the baton.
Yoshi: 0
Lise: 2400
Lise's turn automatically ended, due to her victory. Crimson Starburst Dragon was destroyed as well.
/
Taro scowled deeply. "As expected, Team 5Ds is strong…"
Yoshi pulled up to the pit station. He took off his helmet and dismounted. "Sorry guys, I was hoping I could hold out longer."
"Don't apologize, Yoshi," Taro said. "This is how we should be fighting."
Jin donned their shared helmet and got int the driver's seat. With a slap of the logo onto his arm, he was off. In seconds he'd rejoined Lise on the battlefield.
/
"Duel!"
Jin: 4000
Lise: 2400
"Let's go, Lise Kururugi!"
"You got it, Jin!" Lise grinned back at him. So, will you continue Yoshi's strategy or are you going to attack?
"My turn," Jin said. "I summon Hand Holding Genie in defense mode!"
Again?
"When this card is on my field in defense modem it gains defense equal to the defense points of every monster on my field!" At Jin's words, his other monsters joined hands with the Genie, rising its attack up to three thousand two hundred.
Is he stalling? But what for? Lise peeked back at Jin. There wasn't even a hint of desperation in his eyes. Far from it. Those are the eyes of a fighter.
"Turn end!"
So if this isn't stalling, they have another reason to draw things out. I have a feeling I shouldn't let them. However…
"I draw!"
/
"This is a tough spot," Jack scowled, tapping on his chin.
"Hand Holding Genie's effect means Lise can't attack other monsters," Akiza said.
Crow nodded, peering over her shoulder. "Good eye. Lise can still use Smoke Raven's ability to attack directly, but Scrum Force won't allow any other effects to target Jin's monsters."
"And it's the same strategy as before," Leo frowned too, mirroring Jack. "I thought they'd have a more dynamic strategy."
Yusei had been quiet until then. "Something bothers me about the way they're fighting."
"Whattaya mean?!"
"Team Taiyo has locked away most attacks, but locking attacks won't be enough to win."
"You're saying they have some kind of secret?" Bruno asked.
"Yes, I don't think they came here with the intention of losing."
"But their deck…" Leo and Luna shared a look.
"Could their Normal Cards really have a secret?"
"They're definitely trying to do something," Yusei murmured.
/
The crowd was getting restless. Constant defending wasn't exactly a flashy duel strategy.
Yoshi's hands clenched into fists. "They're insulting our duel strategy just like back home!"
"It doesn't matter," Taro's hand rested on Yoshi's back. His friend relaxed ever so slightly. "We have our own way of battling. We've gotta believe in our battle strategy and fight on."
Yoshi took a deep breath, unclenching his hands. "You're right."
/
Jin did the same. Breathe in. Breathe out. We've gotta believe in each other, our friends. The power we believe in will be sure to reward us! We're Team Taiyo, our hope rises like the sun!
"My turn! I summon Zarigun in defense mode!"
(Zarigun: Atk: 600 Def: 700)
"Hand Holding Genie gains Zarigun's defense power!" Jin reminded his opponent. The Genie's defense jumped all the way up to thirty-nine hundred. "I set one card and end my turn!"
"Oh wow!" The MC gushed. "Team Taiyo's defense has risen even more now that their field is full!"
"Still defending, huh?" Lise drew a card. "My turn! I use the effect of Speed World 2! I remove four speed counters, to deal you eight hundred points of damage due to the speed spell in my hand!"
Jin: 3200
Lise: 2400
"Is that all you got?" Jin raised an eyebrow.
"Well," Lise smiled. "I do still have speed counters." She reached for her speed spell again. "I activate the effect of Speed World 2 again! I remove four speed counters to deal you eight hundred points of damage again!"
Jin: 2400
Lise: 2400
"How original."
"Hey, if you can't beat em, join em!" Lise shrugged. "Now Smoke Raven's ability activates! He halves his attack and attacks directly!"
Jin: 2000
Lise: 2400
"I end my turn!"
"My move!" Jin drew his next card. "First, I set a card. Then I'll play the speed spell Speed Storm! When I have three or more speed counters, I can deal a thousand points of damage!"
Jin: 2000
Lise: 1400
"Next, by removing four speed counters, I deal an additional eight hundred points of damage!"
"Uh oh…"
Jin: 2000
Lise: 600
"Is that all?" Lise growled. I'm below the safety line. In just three turns he can use Speed World 2 all over again. Or…could he have something else in mind?
"Not quite," Jin held up his index finger. "I play one of my facedowns! Fairy Wind lets me destroy as many face up spells and traps as possible. I destroy Scrum Force and Fairy Wind!"
"You're destroying your own cards?"
"Yeah because you lose three hundred lifepoints for all cards destroyed!"
"But that's…" Lise's mouth dropped open. All of them…!
Jin: 2000
Lise: 0
She bowed her head as she left the main track. Guess they needed me out of the way. Lise let out a long breath. It sucks…but I'm kinda… glad. A loss without the threat of death? I forgot how fun this kinda thing could be.
/
"Whoa…" Crow breathed. "Total reversal…"
"I've gotta go get ready," Akiza raced out of the pit to ready Bloody Kiss.
Crow slammed is fist onto the table. "Damnit. They knew she'd think of something. Jin had to take her down to make Akiza start from scratch."
"But she won't be," Bruno brought up Starfire's feed. "Lise left Akiza Flame Alchemist, Smoke Raven, and three facedowns."
Yusei caught Taro's grin from across their pit stations. "They've still got another strategy brewing. It's not just defense and using Speed World 2. I can feel it."
Akiza put her helmet on just as Lise pulled up. "Akiza, defeat them quickly. Don't let them keep dragging this out."
"What?"
Leo and Luna hurried to get their cards switched out. Yusei and Crow joined to see Akiza out.
"It's a hunch I have." Lise held up their active duelist slip. "End it quickly, okay?"
Akiza took the arm slip and slapped it on herself. "You got it. I'm off."
"Good luck!" Lise called out after her. She pulled her helmet off, her brows knit together.
Yusei's hand found Lise's shoulder. "You okay?"
"Yeah, and I actually had a little fun too."
"I thought so," Yusei's smile mimicked hers. "Reminded me of our time traveling dueling in the past."
"Me too," she squeezed his hand.
"Okay, I just wanted to get an opinion on the state of the duel, not watch you two make goo-goo eyes at each other," Crow half teased.
"Oh come on, man!"
"Yeah, we weren't even making out!"
"That part comes later," Yusei joked, grinning at Lise's giggling.
/
Akiza's grip was tight on her controls. Don't let them keep stalling. I can do that!
"Let's duel!"
Jin: 2000
Akiza: 4000
"It's my turn!" Akiza began. "I summon Red Rose Dragon in attack mode!"
(Red Rose Dragon: Atk: 1000 Def: 1800)
Akiza's new tuner monster resembled a tiny version of Black Rose Dragon. Red roses bloomed on the monster's back with green leaves sprouting from the tail and wings.
"I tune Red Rose Dragon with Flame Alchemist to synchro summon…!" Akiza threw up her hand dramatically. "Black Rose Dragon!"
/
"Oh yeah!" Leo cheered. "She got her ace monster out right away!"
Crow frowned deeply at the monitors. "But it doesn't mean she's got this in the bag."
"They're focused on stalling," Bruno nodded in agreement. "They might have something up their sleeves."
/
"And Black Rose is so excited to be here, she's going to destroy every card on the field!"
"Oh no she's not!" Jin countered immediately. "I play my facedown card Scrum Force!"
"No!" Akiza gasped. "You had another?"
"That's right! While I have two or more defense mode monsters on my field, they can't be targeted or destroyed by card effects!"
Akiza ground her teeth together. They're setting up the same scenario from before! Think, there's gotta be something else you can do! Oh right!
"I use Red Rose Dragon's effects! When it's used for synchro material, I can special summon a Rose Dragon monster from my deck! I'm bringing out Blue Rose Dragon! I can also add the trap Blooming of the Darkest Rose to my hand!"
Jin smirked. "It won't help you."
"My turn isn't over! I play the speed spell Double Attack! When I have two or more speed counters, I can give one monster on my field the ability to attack twice!"
Jin's smirk died down. "That's why you kept Smoke Raven around!"
"You bet! Smoke Raven can attack you directly twice now! Go in, Smoke Raven, first attack!"
Jin: 1600
Akiza: 4000
"Now for the second attack!"
Jin: 1200
Akiza: 4000
"I end my turn with a facedown."
"My turn!" Jin said. "I draw. I end my turn."
"What?" Again, Akiza was thrown off. "That's it?"
/
"Jin is doing the same thing Yoshi was," Lise said, watching Bruno's screens. "Next turn he can use the ability of Speed World 2 to deal damage again."
Yusei crossed his arms again. "There's gotta be some catch to it."
"Have they set up a lock duel?" Bruno suggested.
"Lock duel?" Leo cocked his head.
Luna spoke up. "Duelists who utilize lock decks focus on shutting down the opponent. If the field is completely filled with nonapplicable cards, turns usually end up as drawing a card and discarding to the graveyard when the hand gets too full. A win can be achieved this way through deck out."
Leo gazed across the pit over to Team Taiyo. "But…they don't seem like they'd want to win that way…"
/
"Okay, I draw!" Akiza consulted her cards. I have to find a way around that powered up Genie… Okay, with these I should be able to do it. "I play the speed spell Overboost!"
Akiza's duel runner rocketed forward. Her speed counters shot up from four to ten, leaving Jin in the dust.
"This spell takes my speed counters from four to ten, but at the end of my turn they're reduced to one! But now I can activate the speed spell Speed Energy! I pay one speed counter and then Black Rose Dragon gains two hundred attack points for every speed counter I have! Now my Black Rose Dragon has four thousand two hundred attack points!" Akiza pointed back at Jin's field. "Black Rose Dragon, attack Hand Holding Genie!"
Jin winced as the keystone monster was destroyed again. Just hang in there a little longer!
"I end my turn," Akiza said. "And the effects of Overboost and Speed Energy ends, lowering my speed counters down to one."
"Well, now that I have five, you know what happens next," Jin said. "I remove four to deal you eight hundred points of damage for the speed spell in my hand!"
Jin: 1200
Akiza: 3200
/
"The same strategy…" Bruno muttered.
Jack nodded across the pit at Taro and Yoshi. "Look at them. They still believe they can win."
"Almost twenty turns have passed and all they've used are low level normal monsters," Yusei mused. It feels like the answer is right in front of me but I can't…
"Leo's right that Team Taiyo is too proud to win with just a lock and deck out strategy… But what else could they be doing?" Lise spread her arms exasperatedly.
Yusei nodded. "This situation…"
/
"This is getting old," Akiza grumbled. She stared hard at Jin's back.
As if he could sense her glare, Jin peered back at her. Akiza balked at his expression. There's something…burning in his eyes.
Jin smiled. He pulled even with Akiza. They both had used effects that brought their speed counters down to one. Just one more turn, and I can pull out our strongest card!
/
Yusei gasped so hard Bruno and Crow jumped in their chairs. "I see it now!" The card that requires this exact situation! "If they succeed in doing what I think they're doing, we just might lose this duel!"
(Finally got around to this chapter. It's been another two months since my last chapter. I know I say I'll be more consistent every time, but not this time. I've been going through a lot lately, mental health wise, so I'm slowly but surely going to be doing more of what I love. Reclaiming what I care about might result in me writing more, or drawing more, we'll see.
Big thank you to my supporters and helpers. Your kindness has meant so much more than I can say or write, but thank you. To my fellow OC Makers in Yu-Gi-Oh Forever, thank you so much.
Here's to finishing Soul of the Dragon Enter the Void, some day. Thank you for sticking with me. We'll finish this together.)