With that call, another arena etched itself into being. After the sheer bizarreness of the last one, this one seemed actually grounded, like a formation actually seen on Earth. To Sal's end was a stretch of craggy badlands, flanked on either side by rashes of outcropping mountains. Across from her was a pristine river, sparkling beautifully under the moonlight. It reminded Sean of a landscape painting, which would have been impressive if not for the fact that a clash between thunder dragons and mermaids was about to begin.

"I ride! Detonix Rivet Dracokid!"

Detonix Rivet Dracokid- Grade 0/5000 Power/10000 Shield

"I ride!" A small spurt of water came up from the river, revealing a small mermaid that couldn't have been older than Erica. Dressed in an emerald-green uniform that resembled something from renaissance academies, the blond maiden readied herself, holding a plain white baton in her dominant hand. "Harmonknight Cadet, Capa!"

Capa- Grade 0/5000 Power/10000 Shield

Sal smirked. "I thought seeing you play Bermuda wouldn't be that ridiculous. But it's actually funnier."

"Just wait until I start using them. You'll stop laughing and start crying real quick."

"I'll believe it when I see it. I draw for turn, then ride...Detonix Wrench Dragon."

Detonix Wrench Dragon- Grade 1/8000 Power/10000 Shield

"With Rivet's skill, I draw an extra card. Next up, I call Demonic Dragon Mage, Pindaka."

Pindaka- Grade 1/8000 Power/10000 Shield

"Using his skill, I discard a trigger unit to add one Order from my deck to my hand. Pitching Strong Arm Ogre, I add Denial Bolt to my hand, and end my turn."

End of Turn 1

Hand Count- Sal 5, Trish 5

Damage Count- Sal 0, Trish 0

"That Pindaka combo," Sean said. "Didn't Sal lead off with it last game?"

"It's a good combo," Lucas replied, shrugging. "Fetching something as strong as Denial Bolt just like that is super helpful."

"It's a potent Order card," Kiki agreed. "And given the heights Bermuda Triangle units can hit, it may be handy for shutting down an attack with just one card. She'll definitely need it for later."

"I draw," Trish said. "I'm riding Harmoknight Understudy, Leggiadra." Capa inhaled deeply before taking a dive under the river water. Seconds later, a sparkling sphere launched itself from the river, quickly unfurling into another mermaid. Spectacularly clad in a resplendent yellow dress, she somersaulted through the air before gracefully landing back in the river. She emerged quickly, twirling the same baton Capa held before her.

Leggiadra- Grade 1/8000 Power/10000 Shield

"When Capa is rode upon, I draw a card, and since you're already at grade 1, I can call Capa from soul to RC." The same miniature geyser of water that opened the battle sprang up from behind Leggiadra, finally inhaling a sharp breath of air after half a minute underwater. "And now, with a boost from Capa, Leggiadra attacks." Leggiadra twirled her baton again, the object swiftly shifting into some sort of throwing star. With a quick flick of her wrist, she send the weapon hurling towards her opponent.

Strength- 13000

"Bring it," Sal taunted.

"Drive check...no trigger." The blade cut right across Wrench's chest, startling him more than harming him. It came straight back to Leggiadra's palm, shifting back into the same white baton she held before.

"Damage check...no trigger."

"Since Capa's boost was successful, I can discard a card to return her to my hand." Reluctantly, Capa took another breath and dove back into the river. "You're up."

End of Turn 2

Hand Count- Sal 5, Trish 7

Damage Counter- Sal 1, Trish 0

"I draw." Sal looked across the arena, scanning Trish's empty field. That bounce left nothing for Sal to bind, meaning she managed to avoid one of her deck's strong suits. Still, it was far too early to say if she actually knew what she was doing. Time to put her to the test. "I ride Detonix Pile Dragon."

Detonix Pile Dragon- Grade 2/9000 Power/5000 Shield

"When Wrench is rode on, I can bind a card from hand to soul charge one cad. And since the card I bound from my hand was Detonix Wrecker Dragon, I can call him straight to RC."

Detonix Wrecker Dragon- Grade 1/8000 Power/10000 Shield

"When Wrecker's called this way, I can counter blast one to draw a fresh card."

"Alright, Sal's already racking up those combo plays," Adam smiled. "Even with nothing to bind, nothing's stopping her."

"I'm not sure this course of action is the wisest," Midori worried. "These plays may be spectacular, but they burn through card advantage in the process. If this keeps up, guarding against the oncoming onslaught will be difficult."

"Not with Denial Bolt in hand," Nat countered. "That's only two attacks to worry about, and at only one damage right now-"

"I think she's thinking about the long term," Erica said. "We don't know what her opponent's grade 3 can do yet, and we don't want to find out it's a game-ender when she has nothing in hand."

"Next up," Sal continued, "I call Thunder Halberd Wyvern Knight. When he's placed from hand, I can bind a card from hand to call a grade 1 or 2 unit from the top seven cards of my deck. I superior call...Thunder Mallet Ogre."

Thunder Halberd Wyvern Knight- Grade 1/8000 Power/10000 Shield

Thunder Mallet Ogre- Grade 2/9000 Power/5000 Shield

Trish nodded. "Let me guess, the card you bound can be called too."

"Yep. I'm calling Detonix Roller Dragon." With a final bolt of lightning, Sal's side of the field was full, packed with an intimidating visage of Narukami's finest. A keen observer could have seen Leggiadra clutch her staff with a tinge of fear. Never before had any Bermuda idol seen so many thugs packed onto one shoreline.

Detonix Roller Dragon- Grade 2/9000 Power/5000 Shield

"Let's get going. For the first push, Pindaka boosts Roller. Since Roller was placed by his bind effect, you'll need at least two cards to block this." There was no way Roller was going to tread river water in order to land a blow on the mermaid, but there were still ways to deal damage. Grunting, the dragon lifted his namesake over his head slowly, putting his full force towards a downward swing. The shock sent a surge of electricity towards Leggiadra, slashing at the water.

Strength- 17000

Trish was in no mood to start her next turn at three damage. Even if it ate into her hand, she was going to put up a stern defense. "I guard with Capa and Harmoknight Stagehand, Subita." Two bursts of water sprouted, one spawning the familiar Capa, and the other spawning a much less confident mermaid in thin glasses and an all-black outfit. Both were eviscerated by the oncoming wave of lightning, ending in a thick shroud of sparkling mist. Leggiadra was safe, but at great cost.

Subita- Grade 0/5000 Power/5000 Shield/Draw Trigger

Defense- 23000

"No big deal. With support from Wrecker, Pile's coming in next." The head dragon gathered lightning in both of his hands, slowly raising them as they began to pierce the darkness with imposing light. As he united them above his head, they formed a great ball of crackling electricity. Even without being able to use his eponymous weapons, Pile was ready to punish.

Strength- 17000

"No guard."

"Drive check...Ogre Strongarm Ogre, a draw trigger! The 10k Power goes to Thunder Mallet, and I draw a card."

"Great timing," Sean said. "She really needed that."

"She really did," Kiki agreed. "She still might not be able to muster much defense, but now she won't be wanting offensively next turn." On the battlefield, Pile hucked his sphere of lightning at Leggiadra. Unable to defend or dodge, it impacted the mermaid square in the chest, creating a great gout of upheaving water and sparks. Leggiadra emerged coughing up a storm but not seriously hurt.

"Damage check," Trish prodeced. "No trigger."

"Oof," said Sal, faking a wince. "Sucks to be you. Thunder Halberd is boosting Mallet for the finale, and since your field is empty, Halberd and Mellet both gain 3k." Eyes aglow, Thunder Mallet lept upwards, cradling a small ball of lighting in his free hand.

Strength- 33000

"Not guarding that, obviously." Thunder Mallet tossed the ball upwards before smashing it with his hammer, sending it towards Leggiadra like a lethal baseball. Another solid impact, another massive burst, and this time Leggiadra squirmed uncomfortably, cradling some noticeable wounds. "Damage check...no trigger."

"Nice. Welp, ending my turn there."

End of Turn 3

Hand Count- Sal 5, Trish 5

Damage Count- Sal 1, Trish 2

"Another string of jaw dropping combination plays from Sal Mendez! She's really ratcheting up the pressure on her opponent before she can even get off the ground!"

"This certainly looks to be a high octane match. Both players will be looking to trade blows, hard and fast. Let's see if Patricia can push back without sacrificing too much for the next turn."

"I stand and draw," Trish said, trying not to grumble. Everytime the announcers spoke, she was reminded about how much she hated her name. Not that it mattered right now, since her focus was getting some shots in before her opponent brought out her ace. "First, I ride Backup Harmoknight, Strigenda." Leggiadra tossed her baton skyward before plunging herself back under the waves. As the baton spun at the apex of its arc, another mermaid sprang from the waters- a fair-skinned maiden in a frilly blue dress with black trim and silver embroidery- twirling upwards before snatching it. Gracefully diving straight back into the river, she emerged quickly afterwards, twirling the baton and giving a well-rehearsed but warm smile.

Strigenda- Grade 2/10000 Power/5000 Shield

"I've got two skills to resolve. First, when Leggiadra is rode on, I can discard a card to soul charge two cards. Now for Strigenda's on-place skill- by moving a card from my hand to my soul, I can draw two cards, then call a card from hand to RC. I superior call...Forward Harmoknight Andantina." Strigenda flicked her baton, whistling. On command, a new mermaid hopped from the water, wearing a lighter silver dress than her leader, a winged cap covering most of her black hair.

Andantina- Grade 1/10000 Power/5000 Shield

"She's throwing a lot of cards into her soul," Nat murmured. "What is she up to?"

"If her big boss unit is what I think it is," Carlos worried, "it'll be very important later. This could get ugly."

"How ugly?"

"40k columns worth of ugly."

Nat shuddered. "That is ugly. Sal better have something besides Denial Bolt up her sleeve."

"I call Roaring Harmoknight, Incalzanda, and Harmoknight Companion, Coleoi," Trish continued. Strigenda pointed her baton to the other side, then with a flick upwards, behind her. Besides her emerged another mermaid, in an elegant golden dress, black ribbons in her straw-colored hair, and carrying a crystalline bullhorn in a gloved hand. Behind Strigenda emerged a much odder entity- an octopus, of all things, the color of copper and sporting cheerful yellow orbs for eyes.

Incalzanda- Grade 2/10000 Power/5000 Shield

Coleoi- Grade 1/7000 Power/10000 Shield

Sal nodded. This was a pretty good attacking lineup, even if she had next to nothing left in hand. Though knowing Bermudas, they'd find some cheap way to refill their hand.

"For the first attack, Incalzanda goes straight for Pile. Thanks to Andantina's Harmony, she gains 3k when attacking a vanguard." Bringing her bullhorn to her lips in a smooth, practiced motion, Incalzanda inhaled before letting out a luxurious note. The airwaves in front of her formed a visible path, rippling towards her target with unexpected prejudice.

Strength- 13000

"Harmony?" Sean turned to Lucas. "What does that do?"

"It's a Bermuda thing," Lucas explained. "Basically, they share passive skills as long as they have the Harmony keyword."

"In this case," Kiki added, "Andantina has a skill that adds 3000 Power to attacks targeting a vanguard. Since Incalzanda has Harmony, she gains that skill too."

"So her whole board just shares skills?" Sean scratched his head. "That doesn't seem...fair."

"Most good decks aren't really fair," Lucas shrugged. "Bermuda isn't really that more unfair than a lot of the best right now."

"Guarding your attack with Ogre Strongarm," Sal responded. The sonic pulse stopped inches in front of Pile's face, scattering in front of an invisible barrier. Pile barely reacted to anything in front of him, as if nothing occurred. "Try a little harder, okay?"

Ogre Strongarm- Grade 0/5000 Power/5000 Shield/Draw Trigger

Defense- 14000

Trish wasn't bothered. One less defensive card was still good, and the real haymakers were still to come. "You asked for it. Coleoi boosts Strigenda, targeting Pile one more time." The mermaid cheerfully twirled her baton once again, tossing it upwards with a flourishing flick. The baton morphed into another weapon, this one a trident similar to those used by the Aqua Force. Landing perfectly in her gloved hands, Strigenda readied quickly and tossed the spear at her opponent. "Don't forget about Andantina's Melody!"

Strength- 20000

"Go ahead, I'm not guarding."

"Drive check...Harmoknight Junior Leader, Somma! A critical trigger! Crit goes to Strigenda, obviously, and the 10k Power goes straight for Andantina!" The trident suddenly picked up speed and aura, resembling a searing falcon rather than a javelin. It pierced Pile's torso, eliciting a shocked roar of pain from the dragon. Instinctively he reached to yank the polearm out, but as he reached, Strigenda flicked her wrist again, and the trident flew back as if pulled by a tether. Within seconds, it was a baton again, resting playfully in Strigenda's right hand.

"Alright, that's two damage. First...second...nothing here."

"Incalzanda's Melody kicks in- when an attack hits, I draw a card. And that's on top of Coleoi's skill. When his boost is successful, I can check the top seven cards of my deck for two cards with Melody and add them to my hand. I'm going to add...Rallying Harmoknight, Bellicosa, and...Supporting Harmoknight, Dolcementa. The rest are shuffled back in, and as a cost, Coleoi is retired."

"Oof, three cards off one attack," Erica winced. "That's rough."

"Well, two of them are grade 3s," Nat observed. "That means two of her six cards in hand have no damage shields. That's good for Sal, right?"

"That's also two grade 3s her opponent can utilize next turn, and two less normal units outside her deck," Midori countered. "Her chances of drawing triggers have shot up."

"And given what some Bermuda cards can do with triggers," Carlos murmured, "this might be a lot trickier than thought."

"Andantina will end us off," Trish continued, looking to seize the momentum. "When I have three or more units with Melody, I can soul blast one to add 10k to this attack." Andantina put a hand forward, summoning a highly decorated bow out of a sparkling light. As she pulled back on the bowstring, the river water surged upwards into a narrow cylindrical shape, eventually solidifying into an arrow of sharpened ice. One eye closed, she took square aim at Pile's head.

Strength- 33000

Sal's lip curled. She didn't want to use her best defensive trick so early, but she also didn't want to start her next turn at a 4-to-2 damage deficit. She didn't have a choice. "I use my Blitz Order, Denial Bolt. I counter blast one and bind Pindaka to bind Andantina before she can attack." With a rumble of thunder, a forked bolt of lightning smashed onto the battlefield. One prong vaporized Pindaka, who barely had time to even yelp, and the other prong shocked Andantina, who shrieked briefly before disappearing completely.

Trish tried not to smirk. She just managed to peel her opponent's best offensive option away from her, meaning she would be wide open next turn. "Oh well, can't win 'em all. I end my turn."

End of Turn 4

Hand Count- Sal 3, Trish 6

Damage Count- Sal 3, Trish 2

"Patricia is showing us the tight teamwork of her Harmony units. With just a few plays, she's managed to catch up to her opponent and recapture some initiative."

"I hope Sal has a plan to build her hand back up after that turn. Unless she can get her hands on several fresh cards, she might not be able to stand up to her opponent's next big push."

"I stand and draw," Sal began. She took a quick look over the situation. She definitely needed to take steps to take back some semblance of card advantage; this was a sorry defensive hand. She was fortunate enough to have a nearly full field, but with her opponent's ranks already depleted, she wouldn't be able to take full advantage of Chainsaw's skillset. It wasn't a great position to be in, but regaining momentum wouldn't be much of a challenge. "The twin blades of might and magic come crashing in. Tearing apart all in front of him, I ride Detonix Chainsaw Dragon." A massive column of lightning struck Pile, replacing him in entirety with the behemoth swords-wielding dragon that had carried Sal to victory time and again. With a roar, the dragon summoned a thunderstorm on his side of the arena, furthering the contrast between the dragonic wastes and the serene riverscape.

Detonix Chainsaw Dragon- Grade 3/12000 Power/0 Shield/Accel Marker

"Nice!" Adam cheered. "That's her best card! Things are about to get real serious!"

"I wouldn't celebrate yet," Midori warned. "For Chainsaw to reach his maximum potential, three of her opponent's cards need to be bound. And right now, there can only be one."

"Yeah," Carlos agreed. "With so few cards to bind, Sal's going to have some trouble making her attacks big enough to worry about."

"She'll still have five attacks," Nat argued. "With that restand skill, she'll-"

"Only if she uses it," Erica countered. "Discading two will leave her high and dry before her opponent even hits grade 3."

"...I'm just going to be interrupted all day, aren't I?"

"Sorry."

"Riding Chainsaw nets me an Accel II Gift," Sal continued, "giving me an extra RC and one more card. Next, I activate Pile's on-ride skill- I can move him to an open RC when rode upon, and draw a card. Which is handy, because I'm using his on-place skill next. By discarding a card, I can bind one of your front row rearguards and gain 3k for each grade. I'm choosing, who else, Andantina." The freshly marshalled Pile snarled and gnashed his teeth as he prepped one of his weapons. On discharge, it fired a concentrated ball of sparks at Andantina. On impact there was a shriek of pain as Andantina crumpled and dissolved into a pile of seafoam and bubbles. "Since she was a grade 2, that's 6k to Pile."

Trish shrugged. "Welp, I'm out of stuff. Oops, did you need more stuff to bind? Sorry, it looks like I played around your boss! I'm so inconsiderate!"

"Doesn't mean I'm out of options. When one of your cards is bound, Thunder Mallet's skill kicks in. By binding a card from hand and soul blasting one, I can draw two." She looked at her new cards. Much better for defense, even if she wanted to check those rather than draw into them. "Finally, since the card I bound from hand was Wrench, he enters the battlefield, and with an extra 3k too."

"Even without the front row buff, Combo Queen is still taking names," Lucas grinned. "That'll put her opponent in a tough spot."

"She still has four damage to go before she clinches it," Sean noticed. "She won't win this turn, but she'll corner her for sure."

"Let's hope," Kiki murmured. "Without the front row boost, it'll be an uphill battle for sure."

"To start us off," Sal leaned in, "Pile takes aim at Strigenda." Like last turn, Pile readied both hands, gathering a great ball of lightning in his palms. The barrier formed by the river would not stop him.

Strength- 20000

Trish scanned her opponent's field. It was packed shoulder to shoulder, armed to the teeth. She wouldn't be able to block everything, even without the front row buff. At two damage, she could afford to let a few through. "I don't guard." Again, Pile fired away, his projectile soaring towards his target, making impact with a great burst of energy and crackling sparks. When the mists cleared, Strigenda was seen in a torn dress, covered in bruises and coughing profusely. "Damage check...no trigger."

"Next, Wrench is boosting Roller for another blow to Strigenda." Unable to rampage across the water's surface, Roller once again lifted his weapon skyward. Bringing it down with demonic force, it sent a familiar wave of energy careening towards a still recovering opponent.

Strength- 20000

Trish knew she had to step in here. "I guard with Leggiadra. Strigenda's defense skill kicks in- since my guardian has Harmony, she gains 5k Shield." The ripple continued it's path, stopped only inches in front of Strigenda by a mighty upheaval of water. The attack clashed dramatically with the barrier, but this time, no harm came to Strigenda, who breathed a sigh of relief.

Defense- 25000

"Well that's annoying," Lucas grumbled. "With that defense skill, getting anything to hit will be a chore."

"She doesn't need to win this turn," Kiki said. "She just needs to put up enough pressure to make her opponent's next turn flounder."

"Which is going to be a lot harder if all her guardians have extra Shield. Even those two grade 3s she searched last turn can act as 5k guards."

"I don't think she'll be throwing those out to guard," Sean reasoned. "She'll need some power hitters of her own to put Sal in that same tough spot."

"Let's see you block this one," Sal said. "With a boost from Wrecker, Chainsaw comes swinging in. Since I bound one of your cards this turn, 1k is added to Wrecker's boost." Twisting both wrists, Chainsaw began to rev his namesakes, first in a show of intimidation, then in a sustained show of power. Pivoting back, he let out a short huff of a roar, preparing both blades for powerful swings towards his diminutive opponent. Without both wings, he wouldn't be able to divebomb or fly towards her, but with his blades, energy waves were still a devastating option.

Strength- 21000

Trish looked at her hand. It'd be risky, but if she trusted in her damage checks, she'd hang on just long enough to keep swinging. "I don't guard."

"You sure? If things work out for me-"

"That's a two-way street. I said I don't guard, so hurry up."

"Works for me. Twin drive...first card...second card...Javelin Dracokid, a critical trigger! Just what I needed! I give the Power to Thunder Mallet, and the critical to Chainsaw." Letting out a longer, blood curdling roar, the alpha dragon swung both blades in broad arcs, sending two crescents of serrated energy Strigenda's way. Each kicked up waves as they traveled across the water, slashing past Strigenda in a brutal warpath. She shrieked, and for the first time in the fight, writhed in a palpable pain, even dipping below the waves for a hot minute.

"That looks smarts," Nat mumbled. "Kinda feel sorry for her."

"Damage checks," Trish began. "First...second...Harmoknight Medic, Flautanda! A heal trigger! That's one less damage from that attack, and 10k straight to Strigenda!" She smiled- once again, her deck came through for her.

Sal hesitated. Normally, using Chainsaw's restand skill would be a no-brainer, especially if it meant putting her opponent in an unrecoverable position. But with that 10k boost, that meant her 17k vanguard would have to count on a drive check to break through, not to mention the two discards she'd have to pay. That wasn't a whole lot of pressure, and the cost was too steep to pay before she faced her opponent's grade 3. "I'm not using Chainsaw's battle skill."

"What?" Nat gaped. "How come?"

"Several reasons," Midoir explained. "When Chainsaw stands back up, it may gain Power, but not enough to push past Strigenda's boost. In addition, it loses a drive check, making it much easier to defend against. All that, on top of the two discards, means restanding Chainsaw would have been foolish."

"Yeah,"Carlos agreed. "She'd go minus one for next to nothing. She kinda needs to conserve her hand right now."

Sal looked at her last standing column. Damage trigger or no, she was still in a decent enough position to still threaten her opponent. "With one last boost from Thunder Halberd, Thunder Mallet comes crashing in." Lifting his hammer skyward, the ogre summoned a great storm cloud over Strigenda's head, the thunderhead surging with gigavolts of raw power.

Strength- 33000

"Guarding that with Harmoknight Sniper, Ponticella," Trish shot back. Leaping upward from the water was a mermaid archer with a sparkling bronze-colored ensemble. With a flurry of shots from her twin crossbows, she managed to scatter the stormcloud like it was wet cotton. As soon as her work was done, she dove back under the water, given more time for her leader to recover from her many wounds.

Ponticella- Grade 0/5000 Power/15000 Shield/Critical Trigger

Sal bit her lip. She made a lot less headway than she wanted, and her opponent was about to go all out. This wasn't the best position, but with her new hand, she could hang on a bit longer. "That's my turn. You're up."

End of Turn 5

Hand Count- Sal 7, Trish 4

Damage Count- Sal 3, Trish 4

A/N: The Harmoknights' names all come from Italian music terms. They may seem underpowered compared to what Bermuda can actually do, but honestly, I prefer it this way...