"Hmph, a second-rate duelist such as yourself is below me to challenge," I said, hands crossed while staring down at the low-life Hilda, who was gritting her teeth.

"Oh yeah? Then why don't you show me how strong you really are?" She defiantly said, her words almost mute in the open metal arena, high in the sky where not even the strongest telescope could reach.

"It would be only a waste of my time. I have better things to do than to show you your place, mongrel." I looked down at her arm, wielding the duel disk I myself invented.

Its sleek metallic design was tailor-made for proud duelists such as myself. Seeing it being stained by such an amateur hurt to look at. I didn't know why I allowed someone like Juniper to hand these over on her own. I could remove it from her possession entirely, but that was a hassle I wasn't willing to deal with.

"Why are you in such a hurry then? You lost to Hilbert and there is nothing better to do other than for us to decide who will be placed third in the tournament," she said, a shaky smirk present on her features.

"Why bother when the outcome is so obvious? Have you ever heard of the word 'efficiency'?" I scoffed. "No, I dare you haven't. Now, if you're done, I'll be on my way."

I turned around, aiming for the elevator, and reevaluated how to defeat Hilbert. I couldn't help but tighten my fist at the mention of his name. Such a humiliating defeat under his god card was a blow I wasn't prepared for. I needed to find a way to tip the scales in my favor.

I smirked under the sheer thought of what I would bring next. He wasn't going to be so lucky the next time we would fight.

"Hey! Radko!" I rolled my eyes before turning to the second-rate with my shoulder facing her.

"What is it this time?"

"I'm still waiting for that duel between us! I have my deck ready and so do you," she said with sudden smugness in her voice before pointing at me. "Or are you just too afraid to lose to someone like me?"

A vein popped. "You have the gall to say I am afraid?"

"Yes," she answered curtly before shrugging. "The strong and fearsome Radko is afraid of a second-rate duelist. Can't wait to see that on the front page."

Another vein popped before I fully turned, picking up my deck from my pocket. "If you're so eager to lose, then I will happily introduce you to the ground."

She widened her stance before taking out her own deck. "Now that's what I like to see! Prepare yourself, Radko!"

We both slotted our decks into the duel disks and shouted, "Duel!"

Our small monitors on our disks flashed several numbers before settling into four thousand life points. It never was the standard, but one I was used to.

As we drew five cards from our decks, Hilda shouted, "I'll start first! Draw!"

She took a look at the card before putting it in her hand and taking one out. "I summon Bipedal Dragon in attack position!"

A loud click resonated in my ears as she put her card on the disk, and an image of a green dragon showed its face with big tusks and a measly thirteen hundred attack. It was weak, and not worth much in any kind of deck.

"And I set two cards face down!" she said, both cards appearing right in front of her. "I end my turn."

Hmph, I'll show you just how big of a skill gap there is between us, I thought before shouting, "My turn! Draw!"

I looked at the card, and couldn't help but smirk. This duel would end faster than expected.

"I summon Horned Colossalpede in attack position," I said before slotting inside one card. " And I set one card face down."

I took a glance at my more powerful eighteen hundred attack monster with a smirk. You were always the tip of the spear, and you wouldn't fail me now.

"Horned Colossalpede! Attack the Bipedal Dragon!" I said as my monster took charge. "Megahorn!"

With a mighty thrust, the impact shattered the Bipedal Dragon into million glass pieces, damaging Hilda in the process who shielded herself with her hand. She lost five hundred life points, but that wasn't the end.

"I activate Horned Colossalpede's special ability!" I said, picking up my deck in the process. "Whenever a monster dies from Horned Colossalpede's attack, it allows me to put one card from my deck into my hand in exchange for putting another card I own into the graveyard."

After picking a card, shuffling my deck, and putting one card into the graveyard, I said, "I end my turn."

"Wow, no wonder you're so strong," Hilda whispered before shaking her head. "But I won't go down that easily! My turn! Draw!"

She looked at the card before letting out, "Yes! I summon Guardian Dog in attack position!"

I closed my eyes, unimpressed. A giant dog with extremely long whiskers that reached the ground, but it wasn't a threat. Its attack power was only fifteen hundred, too low to do any damage.

"But I'm not done yet!" she shouted, forcing me to open one eye to see her take out a card from her hand. "I activate Dice of Ideals!"

I clicked my tongue. Of course the mongrel was going to use luck to her advantage.

"This card allows me to throw a six-digit die! Depending on how high the number is, it increases my monster's attack power by a hundred points multiplied by the number rolled!" A card showed itself, a die with pink white wings enveloping it before spitting out a white dice. It rolled around with soft thuds, eventually landing on four.

"Score! Guardian Dog's attack is raised by four hundred!" her features formed a smirk. "High enough to defeat your Horned Colossalpede! Guardian Dog! Decapitating Crunch!"

As the dog bit down, the soft scrunch of its jaws snapped my monster's neck, breaking it into similar glass shards. I took a hundred damage but that was inconsequential, not when Horned Colossalpede did its job. I glanced at my hand, the card I picked from my deck waiting to be used and ready to crush Hilda.

It just wasn't the time yet.

"I activate my trap card! Forced Cruelty!" I shouted. "If a monster on my field dies, I can banish it and pick one card from my deck!"

"Oh no you don't! My own trap card activates! Disable!" she countered.

"What!?"

"Any trap or magic card you play during my turn is disabled! You keep your hand the way it is, Radko!" she proudly stated. "With that, I end my turn."

I clicked my tongue. "You're just prolonging the inevitable. My turn! Draw!"

I took a look, and began to laugh. It was a card I was looking for anyway. "This fight may as well be over!"

I slammed the card on my disk with a flourish before proclaiming, "I activate my field spell! Spear Pillar!"

The fact that Hilda flinched made me even more ecstatic to eradicate this second-rate. "Spear Pillar allows me to normal summon twice instead of once whenever I sacrifice one thousand life points!"

"Wait, how is that fair!?" she shouted.

"I'll tell you a secret," I said, a wide smirk plastered on my features. "Anything can happen in a duel, and someone like you can never account for all the possibilities that can occur. A mistake I made myself."

I picked two cards from my hand. "But that just means next time I challenge Hilbert, I'll have what it takes to defeat him, and you'll be the first to taste my newfound power! I pay one thousand life points, bringing them down to twenty-nine hundred to summon Glacial Bear!"

As I put the card down, my Glacial Bear entered the picture, but not for long. "With Glacial Bear on the field, I can sacrifice it to bring the first stage to your inevitable defeat! Come forth, Two-Headed Blind Dragon!"

With a roar, my monster appeared on the field, eclipsing the Guardian Dog's attack power by two hundred attack.

Easy pickings.

"Two-Headed Blind Dragon! Destroy Guardian Dog! Dragon Pulse!" I declared, pointing at the dog.

Both of its heads opened its mouth before shouting out a beam of purple energy, destroying the Guardian Dog even through its boost. Hilda scowled in my direction while my smirk stayed in place.

"I put two cards face down. Your turn, second-rate."

She clicked her tongue. "I'll make you realize that I am not an amateur, even if it's the last thing I'll do! My turn! Draw!"

She glanced at her hand before putting a card down. "I activate Bound even in Death! If I have more than one monster in my graveyard, I can special summon a level six monster or below from my hand! With that in mind, I summon Weaving Lady of the Forest!"

Another monster, more akin to a larva in a leaf suit rather than a lady, entered the field, but it wasn't strong enough to challenge me. Nineteen hundred attack was too low, but I knew that card was a lot more than meets the eye.

"Then, I activate a magic card from my hand called Slicing Maelstrom!" Hilda shouted while I remained passive. "Every single wind monster on my side of the field immediately gains two hundred attack points!"

I huffed. It wouldn't even surprise me if she attacked now.

"But I'm not done yet!" I stiffened lightly. " Whenever Weaving Lady of the Forest's attack grows, she also gains another three hundred attack for a grand total of twenty-four hundred attack points."

She smirked before swiping with her hand. "Weaving Lady of the Forest! Remove that dragon with your X-Scissor!"

The lady's leaf-like blades began to glow a pale green light and was ready to finish off my main monster, but it wasn't like I was going to let her. I let out a curt laugh before lifting my hand up.

"I activate my trap card, Mirror Coat!" I proclaimed, taking Hilda back. "Whenever your monster declares an attack, I can activate this card to send that attack back at your monster!"

I brought my hand down at Weaving Lady of the Forest. "Say goodbye to your monster, Hilda."

Once the monster tried to attack my Two-Headed Blind Dragon, a magical barrier stopped its attack. Its blades scraped against the glass panel before it was forced back, shattering in the process and leaving Hilda's field open.

She let out a low growl before she reluctantly said, "I end my turn."

"What? Has a simple trap of mine snuffed out all the bravado you had a moment ago?" I chuckled. "Not that I can blame you. My turn! Draw!"

I didn't even look at the card and immediately shouted, "Two-Headed Blind Dragon! Attack that mongrel directly! Dragon Pulse!"

Another stream of purple energy came out of my dragon's mouths, aiming squarely at Hilda, who braced herself. With a defining bang, the second-rate was engulfed in an explosion, making her shout in pain. Once the dust settled, she was left standing while letting out labored breaths, her life points at a low eleven hundred.

"Has that ruffled your feathers, second-rate?" I said, crossing my arms. "But trust me when I say that worse has yet to come."

"So?" she shot back, her stance defiant. "My life points aren't at zero yet. I won't give up, not until this fight is over!"

I sighed. "You should learn when to quit. It hurts to look at this sorry excuse of a duel."

I took a look at my hand that was only card big, making me narrow my eyes.

There is no need to rush. No matter what she does, it will not change the outcome, I thought. "I end my turn."

She was taken back at first that I didn't do anything, but then shook her head. "My turn! Draw!"

Once she looked at the card however, it made her smirk. "Looks like I still have one trick up my sleeve. I activate my face-down card! Competition of Rivals!"

"Hmm?"

"I can special summon a monster from my graveyard that has the same level or lower as your current highest monster," she said before pointing her hand at my servant. "Two-Headed Blind Dragon is level six, and in that case, I summon Bipedal Dragon!"

I couldn't help but raise an eyebrow. "Are you serious? And here I thought you at least have your math checked. What can that useless monster ever hope to achieve?"

Hilda smirked. "More than you would think. Next, I summon Inferno Ape in attack position!"

It was a bipedal monkey with menacing eyes, but yet another monster on her field that didn't have enough power to tackle my Two-Headed Blind Dragon head-on. There had to be more to this than just a worthless struggle, but what exactly?

"With those two monsters on my field, I can summon my trump card," Hilda said, her smugness coming back with a vengeance. "Normally, I would have to sacrifice two monsters and make my card a tribute summon, but if Bipedal Dragon is one of the sacrifices, it counts as a special summon."

I clicked my tongue. So that was her plan all along.

She held her card with both arms, forming them into something like a prayer. "Oh mighty dragon, I need your power to help me make Radko acknowledge me as a good duelist. Even if I don't have your consent, I plead."

The arena shook with activity, threatening to knock me down while I snapped my gaze at the card in Hilda's hand. She raised it high into the sky before it shined a brilliant white light.

"Come on out! Haxorus, the Annihilator!"

From the pitiful small critter that was the Bipedal Dragon came a much langer, menacing version from the ground that had tusks the size of a single person. It eclipsed my Two-Headed Blind Dragon in power! It let out a large roar that echoed in the open field, sending a shiver down my spine.

"Now, Haxorus! Eliminate Radko's monster! Dragon Claws of Rage!" Hilda shouted.

Haxorus' hands that were relatively small to its overall size slowly grew while they let out purple energy. The glow formed into giant claws and charged for my Two-Headed Blind Dragon.

"Not yet!" I countered. "I activate my trap card! Ceasefire!"

I pointed my hand at Haxorus. "Your monster's attack is canceled out, and ends your turn completely!

Hilda clicked her tongue. "Damn it."

"Don't think you've won! I will not let a second-rate such as yourself defeat me!" I brought the tips of my fingers on top of my deck. "And this card I will draw right now will end your struggle! My turn! Draw!"

This was it, the card that needed to end this duel right here, right now. I let out another laugh before shouting, "I activate my magic card, Berserk Gene!"

"No, not that one!" Hilda said.

"Oh yes, exactly that one! If Two-Headed Blind Dragon is on the field, I can summon my ultimate servant from my graveyard or my deck in exchange for every other card in my hand!"

I slammed the card on my dual disk before spreading my arms wide. "My loyal companion, I yearn for your strength yet again! Help me smite this mongrel who dares to defy my status and reputation!"

The ground began to shake with activity while my Two-Headed Blind Dragon began to roar as well before it was engulfed in white light. It grew in size while another head grew from its body, lifting itself into the sky with its now grown wings that created powerful gusts of wind.

"Come forth, Ultimate Dark Eyes Hydreigon!"

My glowing monster began to grow in size, eventually floating behind me before another roar pierced the skies. My own coat began to flap from the sheer force of my servant's voice while Hilda was forced to step back.

"Now, let's end this charade!" I shouted. "Ultimate Dark Eyes Hydreigon! Destroy Haxorus, the Annihilator! Burst Stream of Darkness!"

"Haxorus! Answer in kind with Meteor of Annihilation!" Hilda screamed.

Both boss monsters let out their own cries before charging up their attacks. All three heads then simultaneously fired a stream of pure darkness while Haxorus launched a giant meteor to challenge my Ultimate Dark Eyes Hydreigon's might.

The two attacks clashed with a loud bang in a vicious power struggle. Lightning jumped from the collision, destroying the battlefield around us while my ears rang.

Soon enough, the force of both attacks was too strong to handle, and with a loud bang, turned everything white.

{*}{*}{*}{*}{*}{*}

I suddenly opened my eyes, staring up at a dark ceiling. I looked around before removing the sheets of the bed, slightly confused why I suddenly woke up.

I came out of my bed to check what time it was, and the window showed me it was the middle of the night. The only light that reached the room of the Pokémon center were from street lamps that littered the road I saw. I opened the doors leading into the balcony before the cold air washed over my bare chest, finally feeling awake.

Yet it blew away all the memory I had of a weird dream that probably forced me to wake.

"It probably wasn't anything important," I said with a shake of my head.

Some things were probably left forgotten anyway.

AN: I think you should have expected an irregular chapter, but hey, at least you know I haven't ditched this story yet, right? Right!?

Anyway, happy April Fools everybody!