The Dragon Duelist
Chapter Four: The Unstoppable Dragon Duelist
"Red-Eyes Black Dragon…" Ansem called to the beast. "Destroy Cyber Raider and end this duel!" The black dragon (2400/2000) roared and unleashed a flaming sphere, which incinerated the robotic warrior (1400/1000). Ansem's opponent, the 'psychic' duelist known as Espa Roba, watched helplessly as his LP dropped to zero.
"No…" Roba whispered, falling to one knee.
"Now, then…" Ansem Jaeger walked over, as the hologram of his dragon faded. "Give me your Locator card, as well as the Serpent Night Dragon you won from Rex Raptor."
Grudgingly, Espa Roba gave up the locator card, and then handed over the dragon. Ansem grinned as he pocketed the beast, and added a third Locator card to his collection.
It had been three days since the Battle City tournament began. Ansem
won his first Locator card in a duel with some average adversary, claiming
a beast known as Twin-Headed Thunder Dragon. For defeating Espa Roba, he
had won another powerful dragon.
Though Ansem had initially planned to go after Joey Wheeler, Seeker
had beat him to the punch, only to be subsequently defeated by Yugi Mutoh,
winning and losing the Red-Eyes in a matter of hours. Strings had left
him to search for Yugi, while a number of Rare Hunters patrolled the city.
Ansem, however, was looking for dragons.
The duel had drawn a small crowd, filled with weak duelists. He could've taken a Locator card from one of them… but then spotted an adversary worthy of him. She had a full head of blonde hair, and he recognized her almost instantly.
"Mai Valentine." Ansem noted. Remembering his conversation with Seeker, Ansem knew Mai held a monster known as Harpie's Pet Dragon. Searching his deck, Ansem found his Harpies… Harpie Lady and Harpie's Brother. But, despite the power ups they would offer, he disregarded the two and went for the dragon.
Mai, fresh from another victory that had netted her a fifth Locator card, didn't care for the strange, cloaked man approaching her. "What's the matter?" she asked. "You got a problem?"
Ansem, who wore a hood over his face, shook his head. "Hardly, Mai Valentine. I merely wish to challenge a top duelist like yourself."
"Really?" Mai wondered. "Why are you so humble? That's a trap if ever I noticed one."
"How about this offer, then?" Ansem began. "If you win, I will give you any rare card you wish, as well as one of my three Locator cards. If I win, I claim your Locator card and the Harpie's Pet Dragon."
"Harpie's Pet Dragon?" Mai repeated. "Why do you want it?"
"I am… a collector, of sorts." Ansem replied. "What say you?"
Mai's eyes narrowed. "Any rare card I want? Do you have… Magic Cylinder?"
Ansem lifted his deck from the Duel Disc, and fished out the trap card. "Yours for the taking. If you can beat me."
Mai smirked. "Hon, that won't be a problem."
Ansem smiled as he quickly shuffled his deck and placed it back in his Duel Disc. He extended his arm, as the device activated, and hologram projectors launched from each side. Mai did the same, drawing a hand of five cards.
"I'll lay two cards face down." Mai began, setting two cards before her. "And I'll play Harpie Lady in Attack mode!"
The winged female monster appeared (1300/1400), standing before the two face down cards.
Ansem drew- a Harpie Lady of his own! "I also place two cards face down, and summon a Harpie Lady of my own." He watched Mai's confused expression as he matched her move-for-move.
Hmm….he's definitely up to something, Mai thought, drawing the Magic card known as Elegant Egotist. "I lay one more card face down, and end my turn."
Ansem drew- a monster known as Thunder Dragon. In his hand were Dragon Piper, Lord of Dragons, and the monster known as Luster Dragon. "I'll set a new monster in defense mode… and then discard the Thunder Dragon from my hand."
"What?" Mai asked. "Why do that? I thought you only had to discard when you have more than six cards in your hand?"
"Have you forgotten Thunder Dragon's special ability?" Ansem smirked. "It allows me to search my deck, and add up to two new Thunder Dragons to my hand." He re-shuffled, and waited for Mai's move.
Glancing at Ansem's Harpie Lady, Mai altered her attack plan, and made
a move. "I activate the trap card- Shadow of Eyes!" She selected Ansem's
defense monster, revealing it as Dragon Piper (200/1800), a monster that
stood no chance in attack mode.
"Now, Harpie Lady… Attack!"
"Right into my trap." Ansem laughed, revealing a face down card. "Behold the magic card- Shield and Sword!" Upon saying this, the Atk and Def of all the monsters was flipped. Harpie Lady was destroyed by Dragon Piper's newly increased attack power, as Mai's LP dropped to 3600.
"Darn it." Mai muttered. "I'll summon this monster- Dark Witch, in Attack mode!" The yellow-gowned spellcaster appeared on the field (1800/1400). "That ends my turn."
"Very well." Ansem drew- the Spirit of Flames. "I sacrifice my Dragon Piper for Luster Dragon." The odd-shaped fire monster was destroyed, as the shining green dragon replaced it (2400/1400). "Attack!"
"Not so fast!" Mai countered, revealing a face down card. "I activate this- the trap card, Waboku! Your attack is negated!"
Ansem shrugged. "I'll simply destroy you on my next turn."
"I think not!" Mai replied, drawing from the top of her deck. In her
hand was a second Harpie Lady, a Dancing Elf, the magic card Mountain,
and the equip card Rose Whip.
"I set a new monster in defense mode, and I'll have my Dark witch attack
your Harpie Lady!"
Ansem watched in apparent amusement as his monster was obliterated, and his LP dropped to 3500. He shrugged and drew- adding the magic card Polymerization to his hand, before moving to his graveyard. "I remove my Dragon Piper from play… to special summon the beast known as Spirit of Flames!" After saying this, from his hand came the fiery creature, a relatively powerful level four monster (1700/1000).
Mai smirked. "What good will that do? My Dark Witch is still strong enough to defeat your monster!"
"But it's no match for my Luster Dragon." Ansem countered. "Besides, I could destroy you with Spirit of Flames… but I won't. Not this turn. But I will…" He lifted one face down card, "…activate the Shadow of Eyes trap card, to reveal your new defense monster."
After the trap was activated, the tiny Dancing Elf was revealed (300/200), much to Ansem's amusement- he chuckled for a full minute before returning to the match.
Mai drew- her Harpie's Pet Dragon! It would need some souping up, so she sent her Harpie Lady to the field. "I summon Harpie Lady, and combine it wit h the magic card Elegant Egotist!" After doing this, Ansem was staring down a trio of Harpie Ladies (1950/2100), waiting to attack. "That ends my turn."
"Very well." Ansem drew- one of his Red-Eyes Black Dragons, and shuffled it into his hand. "Luster Dragon, destroy her Dancing Elf." The massive dragon roared as it moved forward, and launched attack onto the petite female monster, and Mai watched helplessly as her LP dropped to a mere 1500.
Darn, I forgot to switch her back into defense mode…Mai turned her attention back to the duel and drew a new card- another copy of Elegant Egotist. "I sacrifice one of my Harpie Ladies and my Dark Witch for Harpie's Pet Dragon!"
The two monsters were annihilated, replaced by the reddish beast, which let out a roar and took a seat between the two winged females, gaining a power increase (2000/2500- 2600/3100). "Attack his Luster Dragon!" Ansem watched as his monster was destroyed, and 200 life points were lost.
Ansem drew- Raigeki. He sidled it in his hand and selected three cards. "I activate the magic card, Polymerization! With it, I fuse my two Thunder Dragons into one mighty beast- the Twin-Headed Thunder Dragon!" Upon saying this, the double headed electric creature appeared (2800/2100). "I can't attack this turn, but I still have a plan. I also summon Lord of Dragons in defense mode!" The spellcaster appeared, kneeling with arms crossed (1200/1100). "With him on the field, dragons are protected from target affects! Meaning that your Harpie Ladies no longer affect the power of your Pet Dragon."
"You mean… its attack power goes back to 2000?" Mai gasped.
"Indeed. And my turn isn't over yet! Spirit of Flames, attack one of her Harpie Ladies!" The flaming creature charged forward and punched one female, destroying it.
"But… Spirit of Flames only has 1700 attack points!" Mai protested as her LP dropped to 1450. "My Harpie Lady should've defeated him!"
"Read the rules more closely." Ansem advised. "When Spirit of Flames attacks, its Atk power is increased by 300 points. Just enough to slay your winged woman."
Mai groaned. "Fine. I re-activate Elegant Egotist, restoring three Harpie Ladies to the field, now all in defense mode!"
Ansem drew- the trap card, Path of Flame. "I'll lay one card face down, and then I'll sacrifice Lord of Dragons and Spirit of Flames for the Red-Eyes Black Dragon. That will end my turn." The holographic card and dragon (2400/2000) appeared, leaving the field relatively even.
"With your Lord of Dragons out of the way, my Harpie's Pet Dragon is now fully powered again!" Mai observed, as her monster's strength was elevated to 2900. "And I'll have him attack your Red-Eyes!"
"Such a powerful duelist making a rookie mistake." Ansem noted. "I activate my face down card- Path of Flame! When a dragon-type monster on my side of the field is attacked, I can increase its attack power by 1000 points!" As he said this, the Red-Eyes received a massive power boost (2400/2000- 3400/2000) and unleashed a massive jet of fire onto Harpie's Pet Dragon, destroying it in an instant, and leaving Mai with a loss of 500 life points, and her strongest monster destroyed.
"No…" Mai whispered.
"Now the duel ends!" Ansem declared, not bothering to draw. "I play Raigeki- destroying all monsters on your field!" Upon playing the magic card, the three Harpie Ladies were annihilated. "Now, Twin-Headed Thunder Dragon, destroy her!" The two headed beast gave a roar, and unleashed the attack onto Mai directly, allowing her life points to drop to zero.
Mai groaned and fell forward, as the holograms disappeared. "No… how could I lose? How?"
"You challenged me." Ansem answered as he stepped forward. "Now give me the Harpie's Pet Dragon and your Locator card." Mai glared up as Ansem extended one hand, and she grudgingly placed the items into his waiting palm.
"I demand the right to duel you again!" Mai stated, standing upright. "I demand another chance."
"I think I'll pass, my dear." Ansem replied. "I'm not interested in defeating someone who is clearly so blind."
"Then maybe you're interested in dueling me!" came a new, defiant voice from behind them. Both Ansem and Mai turned to see Yugi Mutoh, in his common Yami Yugi form, standing before them. "If you're not willing to duel Mai, then maybe you want to do battle with me, Rare Hunter!"
" 'Rare Hunter'?" Ansem repeated. "Please, don't be so vague, Yugi." He lifted his hood and revealed his face. "My name is Ansem Jaeger, a former contender for the duel monsters championship."
"Regardless," Yugi pressed, "you have Mai's dragon, and if you won't give her a rematch, then I will duel you for it!"
"Yugi, you don't have to-" Mai began, before Ansem moved before her.
"Very well." Ansem nodded. "I will duel you. But only if you agree to play by my rules."
"What are your rules?" Yugi inquired.
"Very simple ones, Yugi Mutoh." Ansem replied. "We will not duel for Locator cards, as I already have four, and I intend to get the last two from Kaiba. Instead, we will each duel for each other's rarest dragon type monster. Meaning, that if you win, you get the Harpie's Pet Dragon. But if I win, then I claim the Red-Eyes Black Dragon you've recently obtained."
Yugi looked down at his card holder and withdrew the Red-Eyes. He glanced it over, and then looked up at Ansem. "Very well, I accept!"
Ansem clapped and slid the Harpie's Pet Dragon into his deck. "Excellent. Marik has placed quite a bounty on you. Be prepared, for today you face the Unstoppable Dragon Duelist!"
"Unstoppable?" Yugi repeated, as he stepped back and allowed his duel
disc to activate.
"How do you get anyone to take you seriously?"
"You should definitely take me seriously, Yugi." Ansem advised. "If you don't, you will fall, just like my last opponents."
"Oh, really?" Yugi replied as he drew. "Then can you handle this? Alpha the Magnet Warrior in attack mode!" The metal soldier appeared on the field, brandishing its sword and shield (1400/1700).
"I daresay I can, Yugi." Ansem said. "For I summon the Koumori Dragon,
equipped with the magic card, Horn of the Unicorn!" As he said this,
the purple dragon appeared and was immediately upgraded (1500/1200- 2200/1900).
"Destroy Alpha!" The tiny dragon obliged, as it launched a burst of flame
forward, destroying Alpha, and removing 800 of Yugi's life points. As the
powerful duelist looked on in disbelief, Ansem smirked. "Are you taking
me seriously now?"