Chapter 2; When the unexpected happens
Sonic and Knuckles arrived at the Duelist's haunt and saw the others waiting for him outside at the parking.
"Hey guys" they said while removing their helmets"
"Wow! Sonic? Is that really you?" Tails said
"Where did you get this gorgeous speed machine?"
"I just bought it. Pretty cheap and fast as the wind." Sonic answered with a smile.
"Man I'm so jealous" Amy said smiling "I want one myself but my parents just say it's too dangerous."
"Don't worry Ames. They will change their mind sooner or later. And even if they don't after you turn 18 you will have the right to get one" Sonic said.
"Well I guess waiting wouldn't hurt. Come on guys let's go in." Amy said walking towards the door.
They went inside and sat at their usual place. Then they started discussing about the possible changes in the dueling meta and the banlist, the duels they saw last night on TV in the pro league tournaments and their plans on how they would take on a professional duelist.
At the end of the discussion for the tactics vs the pro duelists..
"Well this strategy could work Jet but the only problem is that you need a bit of a good hand to work." Tails noticed looking at Jet's samurai deck.
"I know but I've tested the balance by drawing a hand back home and I mostly draw what I need" Jet replied.
"Sonic what do you think?" Tails asked him
"I can't really say it's up to the balance of the deck, the duelist's luck and his belief in his deck" Sonic answered while taking a look at Jet's deck himself.
"By the way guys you remember that this year's Greece duel cup is only 2 weeks away right?" Amy asked them
"Of course we do Ames. I can't wait." Sonic said.
"Oh Oh guys now you reminded me. Do you know what will be the award this year? Knuckles said excited
"No I heard nothing like this what will it be?" Jet asked
"The world champion announced live on TV that he would be in Greece these days so he would do the honor to the winner to give him a title match and regardless of the result he will personally give the winner an ultra rare card" Knuckles said without taking a breath.
"Really?! The world champion himself?"Sonic said surprised and excited
"Oh the champion" Tails said in a weird tone
"Dude nobody even knows who he is or how he duels. He duels with a deck made exactly 1 hour before the match so noone knows his true strength" Jet said.
"Really? Pretty weird I would say. " Amy said " I mean why would he hide his personality or his power? A champion should show himself and his power. Hiding could make people think he is a coward."
"Hey not a coward ok? That's too much!" Tails said angrily while approaching Amy's face
"Woah chill Tails. What's gotten into you?" Sonic grabbed his arm and dragging him back to his seat.
"I mean why is he a coward? Couldn't he be hiding to create an atmosphere of mystery to entertain his fans? Tails said looking down
"Well you have a point. Anyway we should train everyday now. It's a huge chance for us guys." Sonic said.
"Um not me I won't participate this time I have to travel to Thessaloniki during these days. My uncle had to arrange his wedding at these days" Tails said sad.
"Oh too bad dude. You know what? I'm sure I can persuade the champion to stay for some days in order for you to have a title match with him." Sonic said
"Thanks Sonic. Woah it's getting late. I promised to be home by 9 my father wants me to have a look at his car. It has a problem, Should we pay guys or are you gonna stick around more?"
"Nah I gotta go as well" Knuckles said
"Me too" Jet said as well'
"Ok then let's pay so we can leave" Sonic said.
5 minutes later they were all at the parking. Sonic was about to ride his runner when…
"Sonic!" Amy shouted
"What's wrong Amy?" he replied
"Nothing I just am in some duel mood right now"
"OOOh I see where this is going. Then I accept your challenge" he said smiling
They triggered their duel disks
"Let's duel!" They shouted.
"Ladies first. I draw. I set a monster face down and end my turn"
"Ok then. My turn. Draw. I summon blackwing bora the spear. Attack her set monster. Don't think you'll escape damage. Bora pierces through it.
"Ah my set monster is big eye." (Amy LP 7300)
"But now it's effect activates. I check the top five cards of my deck and put them back at any order I like."
"I lay one face down card. Your move Ames."
"My turn. Draw. Time for my real strategy. I summon forth witch of the black rose. Her effect activates. I draw the top card of my deck and show it to you. If it's not a monster card both it and the witch are destroyed."
"Impressive. This card comes with a gamble and since it has to be activated while you control no cards it can either save you or bring your defeat. But with big eye you made sure to avoid it" Sonic said impressed
"Thank you. Now I draw the botanical lion. And next I activate double summon in order to normal summon once again. Come forth, Twilight rose knight! And due to his effect he isjoined by a level 4 or lower plant type monster in my hand like my lion. Oh and by the way botanical lion gains 300 attack points for each and every plant on the field including itself. So it has 2100 attack points!"
"Uh oh that's gonna hurt" Sonic said
"Indeed. Lion take out that bird."
"Darn" (Sonic LP 7600)
"Witch and knight direct attack him"
"AAAH" (Sonic LP 4900)
"I ll set 1 card and now I tune my level 3 tuner twilight rose knight with my lever 4 non tuner botanical lion!"
"Already her ace?" Sonic thought
"Arise Black Rose Dragon! And with that you defense is sealed. For if you set a monster I ll remove my lion from the graveyard so my dragon will force it into attack mode and make its attack 0. This time I'll be the winner Sonic."
"I'm honestly speechless. You caught me off guard so easily. I guess I have to get serious then "
"Get serious please. I want this victory to be perfect. Turn end"
"Let's get things going. My turn. Draw. I activate mystical space typhoon. You set card is destroyed."
"Hmph it was sakuretsu armor"
"Next I summon blackwing shura the blue flame. And because I have a blackwing on the field gale springs in."
"Oh come on. Not gale!"
"Oh yes gale. His effect halves your dragon's attack so now it's only 1200 ATK"
"Grr. I'll still win."
"We'll see. Shura thash the rose dragon"
"Ah"(Amy LP 6800)
"Due to him destroying a monster I can invite a 1500 atk or less blackwing to join the party so I pick kalut the moon shadow. And by discarding a kalut from my hand, the attack points of kalut who is on the field are increased by 1400 so he has 2800. Kalut get rid of the witch."
"AAAh" (Amy LP 5700)
"Next gale direct attack"
"AAh"(Amy LP 4400)
"You re out of monsters to attack with."
"Not even close. I play my trap urgent tuning. Now I can synchro summon monster during the battle phase. I tune the level 3 tuner gale the whirlwhind with the level 3 non tuner kalut the moon shadow to synchro summon blackwing armed wing. Of course he gets an attack too. GO!"
"Oh NO! AAH" (Amy LP 2100)
"I lay 1 card play blackwing feathers to draw 2 cards since I have 2 blackwings with different names out finally I set 1 more card face down. I end my turn. So Ames you still planning to win?"
"Obviously" She said smiling "Although you're just amazingly strong. Like if you're chosen by the cards or something. Even when you are in a pinch you turn the tables instantly and put your opponent in a pinch. That feeling when I duel you. The excitement combined with fear and awe. It is just amazing. Here I come. My turn. Draw. Perfect. I activate my set card Wicked rebirth . So my dragon re-arises. Then I play the spell fake negotiation. Normally my dragon cannot attack this turn. But this card allows you to summon a monster from your deck with its effect negated of level 3 or lower ignoring its summoning conditions and in exchange allows my dragon to attack now."
"Ok then. Come on out blizzard the far north. But before your next move I play the set trap level adjustment. I play any number of life points multiplied by 500 to change the level of a monster by one provided it won't be a tuner so shura goes to level 6"
"I can see your plan to bring forth your ace but it won't work. I activate 2 equip spells. Thorn of malice which equips to black rose dragon and increases his attack by 600 reaching it to 3000. And next I activate shooting star bow ceal equipping it to shura to reduce its attack by 1000. And finally I play the spell punishment of the persistent. If your monster battles mine and it's not destroyed it's attack is lowered by 800 once and my monster's allowed to attack one more time "
"But wait your thorn spell protects my monster from destruction when the equipped monster battles so that means…"
"In the first battle you will take 2200 damage and in the next with a shura with 0 attack points 3000 that means you lose!"
Sonic's eyes opened wide "NO!"
"Yes first attack black rose dragon."
"AAAAAH" (Sonic LP 2700)
"Can I really beat Sonic?" Amy thought looking at him.
"I play my last set card jar of greed. It allows me to draw 1 card."
"Hmmm will it save you?" Amy asked smiling
"Only my cards know the answer. But I will trust them. Draw."
"So?"
Sonic was just staring at the card he drew not making any move
"Looks like I win Sonic" Amy said "Black rose finish this!"
"Too bad Amy" Sonic said smiling
"Huh?"
"The card I drew was Kuriboh!"
"No way." She said in shock
"By discarding him to the graveyard I'm saved from battle damage once. Heh heh you almost made it" Sonic praised her while still smiling
"I knew it was not over" she thought inside of her smiling as well "Ok then Sonic but still next turn I win. Beat me now or surrender."
"I never surrender. And yeah I will beat you this turn cause all I need is here in my hand."
"Go then."
"My turn. Draw. Here I go. I tune my level 2 tuner blizzard the far north with my level 6 non tuner shura the blue flame to summon my own ace the almighty Black-Winged dragon!"
Black-winged appeared with a roar causing Amy's heart to race from excitement.
"Here it is."
"Now I activate the magic card power search . I search my deck for an equip spell and add it to my hand but if I play that spell this turn I take 2000 points of damage. I add to my hand the equip spell megamorth!"
"Oh no!"
"Oh yes. And I activate it equipping it with my black-winged dragon. Normally this card would halve the attack points of my dragon since I have more life points than you. But the power search's effect kicks in dealing me 2000 damage. AAH."(Sonic LP 700)
"But now I have less points than you so my dragon's points double to 5600!"
"Darn I was so close too."
"Indeed you were Ames but it ends now. Black-Winged Dragon attack Black Rose Dragon with Black Blazing stream and end this duel!"
"Looks like he wins again Amy said closing her eyes smiling. But then…
Once the attack was launched the black rose started roaring and attacked as well.
"What's going on?" She said when she saw it
"A defending monster doesn't defend itself as a hologram. Unless there is an effect that will save it." Sonic said
"I didn't play anything"
"Then what..?" but he didn't manage to complete that phrase.
The dragons' beams collided and instead of black rose's beam being redirected towards him a huge shining ball of light was created
"What's this?! Tails said looking at it
"DON'T ASK WHAT IT IS! TAKE COVER!" Knuckles screamed running behind a car. Tails and Jet followed him.
"Sonic, Amy don't just stand there RUUUN!" Jet screamed at them.
"I can't" Sonic said "I can't move my feet"
"Me neither!" said Amy scared
"Amy close your eyes! Sonic screamed
She closed them. Sonic closed them as well and covered his head.
"What will happen now? He thought scared..
Some seconds later
"Sonic?" Amy's voice echoed.
"Amy where are you?"
"Right in front of you. Open your eyes."
Sonic opened his eyes.
"Woah where are we?"
"Looks like a plain to me"
"How did we get here?"
"I don't know but I still can't move"
"Now that you mention it me neither."
"LOOK!"
Sonic looked above him. The sky was gone. The whole place started to melt. Instantly it reformed into a burned land.
"What happened here?" Sonic wondered
"No clue. Hey look it's you!"
"WHAT?!" he looked at his left where Amy was pointing and saw a figure that honestly looked awfully similar to him with him where 4 others staring at a hooded person. The last one raised his hand and summoned a dark giant figure that looked like a dragon and attacked the one who looked like Sonic. He tried to stop the attack with a monster of his own but the monster was destroyed and he collapsed. His comrades with tears in his eyes, 2 boys and 2 girls raised their hands which started glowing and summoned a gigantic dragon who annihilated the evil dragon turning the hooded stranger in dust. Then the 4 remaining stood atop of their friend's dead body while one of the girls started crying on top of him. Sonic and Amy where moved.
"We have to help them."
"Sonic I don't think this is real."
"How do you..?" But then she saw Amy trying to pick a some ash from the ground but her hand went right through it. And at that moment the orb pf light reappeared"
"COVER YOUR EYES!" Sonic said again
Some seconds later again
They were in the middle of their duel again when they looked at their dragons they saw black rose's beam being redirected and striking him causing Amy to lose the duel.
"Sonic! Amy! Are you ok?" Tails said running at them.
"Yeah we're fine." Amy said
"I think there must have been some kind of malfunction in the holographic system." Knuckles said examining their duel disks.
"And the weirdest thing was that we had some kind of a vision."
"A vision?" Tails asked
They described them the vision. Tails' eyes opened wide for a second but immediately he said "Maybe your mind picked random memories and formed some kind of hallucination through that ball of light"
"Well I don't know it looked very real. Anyways let's just split guys I think we need some rest" Sonic suggested.
"That may be the best. Ok then guys see ya he said and left.
"Bye Sonic" Amy said
"Bye" said Jet
"Bye" said Knuckles and Sonic together while riding their duel runners
They accelerated without talking. When they reached at a turn where they would split they said goodbye and took their ways.
Sonic arrived home and went inside.
"Hey sweet-heart. How did your first day on the road go? Said his mom
"Just fine mom but I'm exhausted I'm going to bed. Good night."
"Wait Sonic I forgot. This arrived for you."
"What is it?"
"A letter and an invitation to the Greece duel cup. It said that this year only the top 8 winners of tournaments all around Greece will participate."
"Oh interesting. Ok then I'll start strategy building tomorrow. Good night"
He went at his room, closed the door, turned the lights off and laid on his bed. Looking at the ceiling he tried to find some way to explain what he and Amy saw. Minutes later he was asleep.
