Chapter 10: Amy vs. Jack the Ripper
After leaving Garth's room behind, Hallows lead the teenagers down a corridor that lead to the third member's room. The corridor was long and dark with no windows to let any light in. Amy had to wonder what time it even was right now. Was it still night time or was it morning? If so, then they would be trapped in this castle until nightfall again. As Hallows said, his castle only existed in the mortal world at night time. She hoped her parents weren't too worried about her. No doubt they'd wake up to find her missing and wonder where she is. They were worried enough about Jack as it was and now she'd given them something else to worry about. Amy couldn't help but feel bad about herself for doing this to them. But it would be worth it if she beat Hallows and got Jack's soul back. Both she and him could return to them and they're be happily reunited.
But what about the Fiendish Five? What would their families be thinking and how upset would they be that their sons or daughters would never be coming home? Amy knew it was all on Hallows, but she couldn't shake off the fact she was partially responsible for their being banished too. She could've easily refused Hallows's challenge and then let them keep their souls. Chloe noticed that Amy looked troubled. She touched her shoulder.
"Amy? Are you alright?" she asked.
Amy sighed sullenly.
"I dunno what I feel like anymore." she mumbled, "I just wanted to get Jack back and now I'm in this situation where I ever send five people to the Shadow Realm or I leave Jack in Hallows's possession forever. It's like no matter what I do, it's wrong and I hate that! Hallows just had to complicate things and I just…I just don't know anymore. How can I ever live with myself for what I'm doing to my opponents? Yes they're not nice people and they are trying to kill me so I should fight back, but I never wanted this! I don't wanna be playing executioner to them in my quest to get my brother back! Why should they suffer in the Shadow Realm just so I can get what I want? I just feel so selfish right now, and yet if I quit Hallows's challenge and leave, I'm abandoning my brother, which also feels selfish of me! How did I ever end up in this mess?!"
She punched the wall in anger. Hallows wheeled around and pointed his cane sharply at the angered girl.
"Oy! You damage anything in my castle, your friends will suffer the consequences!" he growled menacingly.
"Fuck off Hallows, this doesn't concern you!" Amy snapped.
"You watch your tongue with me you little brat or else I'll throw you in the dungeons and leave you there until tomorrow night!" Hallows snarled, "That ought to cool you down a bit…"
Amy wanted to argue but she knew it was pointless to do so. How could she save Jack if she was locked up in the dungeons? She also didn't want Hallows to take his anger out on Chloe or Kazuki. Why let them suffer because she's upset at this moment? Sighing heavily, Amy continued to follow the Shadow Demon. Kazuki walked beside her and put an arm around the troubled teen.
"Don't ever think of yourself as selfish Amy." he said softly, "You know you're not. You actually care about what Hallows is doing to the Fiendish Five, right? And you want to save them along with Jack, right? That's pretty selfless to me. I know you'll find a way to get them back as well."
"I sure hope so, Kazuki. I sure hope so…" Amy said grimly.
She couldn't help but smile in appreciation at Kazuki and Chloe for being there for her. Having such kind, compassionate friends beside her to lift her up when she was down made her situation at least a little less weighty. She would be in a rut without them. Amy pulled the two close.
"No matter what happens, just know that I love you both and I'm so glad you're here with me." she said kindly.
"Well I'd rather I wasn't here, but I'm glad I can be here to make you feel better about yourself." Chloe said sweetly.
"I wouldn't have wanted you to go it alone Ames." Kazuki insisted, "I'm always happy to be beside my friends."
Amy beamed with pleasure. If she was to lose her soul tonight, she was at least grateful to have met a boy like Kazuki and had a friend like Chloe in her life. The three turned their attention to Hallows as he approached a door at the end of the corridor. He pushed it open with his cane.
"You are now about to enter the lair of Jack the Ripper, the Dark Duellist!" Hallows announced, "And don't laugh at his name, I assure you, he's as much of a threat as the real Jack the Ripper was back in his day. But rather than carving up his victims, this Jack the Ripper prefers to steal souls from unlucky duellists who lose to him! Will your soul be next on his tally chart Amy?" he asked darkly.
"Bring him on. Let's just get this over with." Amy said glumly.
Lord Hallows opened the door and lead the teens inside. This room was the most featureless room in the entire castle that anyone had seen so far. It was pitch black everywhere except for a row of candles all burning with strange blue flames. Amy wondered what the candles were for. She was tempted to pick one up and thrust it into Hallows's face. Burning him would at least feel satisfying. But she decided against it. It wouldn't do any good and Hallows would only torture her, Kazuki and Chloe as punishment. Amy looked ahead to see her next opponent standing ready at the other end of the duelling arena. The arena was circular with a circle of candles lighting up the place. Her next opponent, Jack the Ripper, couldn't have been a more stereotypical depiction of Britain's infamous serial killer of the Victorian age. He was dressed in a Victorian suit complete with a ruffled shirt and a top hat and cape combo and he seemed to have a twisted look in his eyes. It was an appearance that made him look smart but did little to disguise the insanity in him. He looked to be about 18 years old, the same age as Jack Spears but unlike him, he didn't have a shred of warmth of kindness on his face at all, only madness.
"So is this my latest victim, master?" Ripper purred in a voice dripping with menace.
"She is." Hallows confirmed, "Gypsy and Garth have fallen to her, so DO NOT underestimate her under any circumstances! Her deck is more powerful than you may believe. And you better not fail me, otherwise I'll be the one ripping out YOUR soul!"
"As if I'm gonna lose." Ripper said confidently, "Nobody can get past my invincible deck of darkness. Amy's soul will be yours in no time."
"You better hope so." Hallows said coldly, "Enjoy the duel Amy…it might be your last!"
He faded away into the darkness, leaving the two duellists to start their game. Amy loaded her deck into her Duel Disk.
"So what's your sob story then? Why are you working for this evil bastard?" she asked.
Ripper shrugged as he loaded his own deck into his Duel Disk. As if to keep up the theme of the serial killer he was named after, his Duel Disk had a particularly sharp and dangerous look to it with the duelling blade especially looking as if it had been modified so he could actually stab people with it.
"I've always had a fascination with history's greatest serial killers, especially the one of whom I named myself after." the Dark Duellist explained, "Of course, I never actually wanted to be a killer like they were, I was just…darkly fascinated in them. But people took that the wrong way and assumed I was some disturbed child that needed help. I swore to them I was harmless but nobody believed me! They thought my interests meant I was messed up and that I would want to kill somebody! Hallows was the only one that understood me. He took me in when nobody else would give me the time of day. And now I get to exact revenge on the society that ostracized me! If they think I'm some wannabe serial killer? Let me be one, only my method is about extracting souls for my master! Everyone will be sorry they ever judged me like so!"
"Oh boo hoo, you decided to turn evil because some people thought you were a monster." Amy muttered sarcastically, "Well what do you think you've achieved by becoming the monster people think you are? Throwing your life away to be a puppet for a Shadow Demon who will gladly throw you under the bus if it suits his needs! Will it be worth it when you end up like your victims, Ripper?!"
"That's never gonna happen, sweetheart." Ripper sneered, "Because my deck is unbeatable! Just you watch! It's time we started this duel!"
"Wait, hang on." Chloe cut in, "Do you have some kind of death trap for Amy if she loses at all? The other two did so I'm kind of expecting one at this point."
"Heh, I do have one but I'll explain it later." Ripper crooned, "Why spoil the surprise?"
Great! Amy muttered in her thoughts, So now I have no idea what's gonna happen to me if I lose! I bet it'll be something like every time I lose Life Points, somebody stabs me and when my Life Points hit zero, I'm left to bleed to death!
Amy and Jack the Ripper drew their hands to start off. Chloe clutched Kazuki's arm worriedly. The duel was starting and she had no idea what her friend was in for this time. This was going to be a tough watch. Kazuki felt the same way, but he did a better job of hiding his fear.
"Good luck Ames. I have a feeling you'll need it…" he murmured.
"If you don't mind, doll-face, I'll go first." Ripper decided as he drew his sixth card, "I noticed the other two let you go first and that cost them the duel so I'll have the advantage this time."
He studied his hand. He was very pleased to see that he had some monsters that he could use to set up one of his favourite strategies. But he was especially pleased to see he had the Crush Card Virus already. Now he just needed a weak enough monster to be able to trigger its effect. For now, he had other plays he could make.
"I play my Armageddon Knight in Defence Mode." Ripper announced as he placed the card on his Duel Disk.
An armoured warrior wearing a long red scarf and carrying a cup-hilted rapier appeared on the field, knelt down in Defence Mode. Amy could see why it was in Defence Mode. With only 1400ATK, it would be no good in Attack Mode but its 1200DEF hardly made it good defence either.
"Armageddon Knight has a special ability." Jack the Ripper announced, "When he's summoned, I get to send a DARK attribute monster from my Deck to the Graveyard. And I choose my Ryu-Kishin Powered."
He took the card out of his deck and placed it in his Graveyard. Amy raised an eyebrow in confusion.
"Soooooo…what's the point of that exactly?" she asked, "I'm not sure I get your strategy here. It's not like Ryu-Kishin Powered has any effects that activate in the Graveyard, it's only a Normal Monster with no effects."
"A good duellist doesn't reveal all his strategies yet." Ripper taunted, "You'll see in due time, babe."
"You don't get to call me that you creep." Amy growled, "Now it's my move!"
Chloe turned to Kazuki.
"What do you think Jack the Ripper's planning?" she asked nervously.
"Beats me Chloe." Kazuki said grimly, "All we can do is watch and see for ourselves."
He looked to Amy as she drew her card to start her turn. Her hand contained Dark Blade, Trap Hole, Gamma the Magnet Warrior, Summoned Skull, Barrel Dragon and Delta the Magnet Warrior.
Hmm…not too bad but could be better. Amy thought I have too many monsters and only one Trap Card. I could've done with a Spell Card to use as well but maybe my next turn will help with that.
"I'll set a card face-down and play my Dark Blade in Attack Mode!" Amy declared as she made her move.
Dark Blade materialized on the field, almost lost in the darkness of the room thanks to its black armour. Ripper grinned excitedly.
"I see you're a girl with some DARK Monsters too. Maybe you have a dark side of your own waiting to come out. I like it…" he purred seductively.
"Don't get any ideas, I'm nothing of the sort." Amy retorted, "Dark Blade, destroy Armageddon Knight!"
Dark Blade ran towards its opponent and sliced Armageddon Knight into pieces with its two swords. Jack the Ripper didn't flinch or show any signs of worry for he knew his Life Points were safe for now. Chloe allowed herself to relax for now. So far, so good. Hopefully this duel would go much easier than the last two did and Amy wouldn't have to worry about any near death experiences. Kazuki wasn't so sure. He was certain the Ripper had some kind of plan and Amy was unknowingly playing a part in it. He watched as the caped boy made his next move.
"Not bad Amy. Not bad. But this duel's just getting started." Ripper declared.
He drew his next card and grinned with pleasure.
Perfect! he thought, Now to help fill my Graveyard some more so I can summon it!
"I now activate my Spell Card, Dark Eruption!" Ripper announced, slotting the card into his Duel Disk, "This handy little spell allows me to target a DARK attribute monster with 1500 or less attack power in my Graveyard and add it back to my hand, so come back to me Armageddon Knight!"
The card returned to his hand and he immediately played it again in Defence Mode. Just like before, he used its special effect that allowed him to send a DARK monster from his Deck to the Graveyard. He sent a monster called Twin-Sword Marauder. Amy was less than impressed.
"Didn't anyone ever tell you that the definition of insanity is doing the same thing over and over and expecting a different outcome?" she snorted.
"You have no idea what I'm planning so I'd save the dumb jokes, missy!" Ripper shot back, "You'll only regret them later."
Lord Hallows was enjoying what he was watching so far.
"Good play so far, my boy. You're keeping Amy completely in the dark and stringing her along into your little scheme." he crooned darkly, "That insolent girl will have no idea what's coming for her…"
"I dunno what your strategy is, but it's clearly not working." Amy went on, "And it's gonna cost you big time! I draw!"
She drew her next card and beamed happily.
"You'll do nicely!" she cried, "OK, now I bring out Spear Dragon in Attack Mode!"
Spear Dragon materialized beside Dark Blade, its sharp spear-like beak ready to impale its victims.
"Now Spear Dragon, attack Armageddon Knight and Dark Blade, attack directly!" Amy ordered.
Her monsters carried out their assault. Spear Dragon stabbed Armageddon Knight with its beak and inflicted piercing battle damage to Jack the Ripper. After that, it went into Defence Mode via its effect. Then Dark Blade attacked him directly, slashing at him with his twin swords. The boy in the Victorian suit winced as he was attacked and he staggered backwards. His Life Points dropped down to 5500. It had only been four turns and he'd lost a large chunk of Life Points already. This was definitely looking good for Amy!
"Yay! Amy has a big lead now!" Chloe cheered, "Whatever this creepy edge lord is planning, it's clearly not working! Amy's totally got this in the bag!"
"I dunno Chloe, this all seems…too easy." Kazuki said cautiously, "Jack seems to WANT to fill up his Graveyard for some reason. He used Armageddon Knight's effect twice to throw monsters away. He clearly isn't doing it for the sake of it."
"Oh no…do you think Amy's walking into a trap?" Chloe asked worriedly.
"Possibly…" Kazuki muttered.
Amy couldn't shake off the feeling Kazuki was right. She must be unwittingly playing into Jack the Ripper's hands somehow. What was his plan? She was sure she'd find out very soon.
"You sure got off to a good start, sweetie!" Ripper applauded, "But play time is over."
He drew his next card but he didn't play it. He just kept it in his hand to use for later.
"Now I call forth my ace monster!" the Dark Duellist declared, "Because I have three DARK monsters in my Graveyard, I get to Special Summon Dark Armed Dragon from my hand in Attack Mode!"
Amy gasped in horror. So Jack the Ripper had been playing her for a sucker the whole time! He'd WANTED her to destroy his monsters so he could fill up his Graveyard for this very moment! Dark Armed Dragon (2800ATK/1000DEF) made its appearance on the field with a mighty roar. It looked very similar to Armed Dragon LV7, only its colour scheme was black and grey and it looked more evil as a result. With its bladed shoulders, club like tail and sharp points on its body, it looked like a serial killer in the form of a dragon and that it would kill its victims in the most brutal ways possible. Amy would never have anticipated a play like this no matter how many duels she'd been in! Kazuki was equally as shocked. Even he couldn't have guessed that this as the Ripper's plan despite suspecting he had one at all. And as Dark Armed Dragon had been Special Summoned, Amy couldn't stop it with Trap Hole.
"Awesome, isn't it?" the Ripper sneered, "This bad boy is the reason I win so many of my duels. And it gets better for it has a really damn good ability! By banishing one monster from my Graveyard, I get to destroy any card you control on the field, and I'll be using it to destroy your face-down card!"
Amy screamed in shock as Trap Hole was wiped off the field, leaving her with no Trap Cards to protect her in this turn. Ripper laughed unpleasantly.
"I'm well aware of your trap heavy strategy, Amy, so don't think I'm giving you any chances in this duel!" he gloated, "I won't be making the same mistakes as Garth and Gypsy before me! Now I know you have no Trap Cards to protect yourself, I'll play my second Ryu-Kishin Powered in Attack Mode!"
A pink, spiky gargoyle creature (1600ATK/1200DEF) with razor sharp claws materialized on the field beside Dark Armed Dragon. With two monsters able to attack, Jack the Ripper sprang into action. He ordered Ryu-Kishin Powered to destroy the Defence Mode Spear Dragon as it had 0 defence points and couldn't hold it off. Ryu-Kishin Powered sliced the sharp-nosed dragon in two with its claws. Then Dark-Armed Dragon destroyed Dark Blade, swinging its massive club-like tail at the armoured warrior and smashing it to pieces. As it was in Attack Mode, Amy lost 1000 Life Points. Now she was down to 7000. The moment that happened, a nearby candle suddenly blew out. Chloe blinked and readjusted her glasses as if to reassure herself she wasn't imagining things and that had actually happened. Not only did the candle blow out, but Amy suddenly felt a twinge of pain spread through her body as if somebody had punched her from the inside. She ran her hands over herself to see what was wrong.
"W-what did you do to me?" she asked worriedly.
"Nothing." Ripper said casually, "But the candles did. You see, this is my little gimmick for this arena. For every 1000 Life Points you lose, a candle blows out…and it steals a piece of your life force. Once your Life Points hit zero, your body will be all out of energy and lose the will to live so your soul will be delivered to Hallows while your body is left to rot away with nothing left in it. None of history's greatest serial killers could've thought up something like this!" he cackled.
"You think some stupid candles are gonna stop me from winning this duel?" Amy growled, "It'll take more than magical mumbo-jumbo to take away my will to live! As long as I have my brother to fight for, nothing can drag me down!"
She drew her next card and looked at it. Sadly, she'd only drawn The Dragon Dwelling in the Cave, a monster that wouldn't be able to do anything to Dark Armed Dragon. At least she had a decent defensive monster to protect herself for now.
"Not the move I want to make but it's better than nothing." Amy whispered to herself, "I'll just play my Dragon Dwelling in the Cave in Defence Mode and end my turn." she said out loud.
Her dragon materialized onto the field, curled up in Defence Mode. The Dragon Dwelling in the Cave looked positively puny compared to Dark Armed Dragon with its meagre 1300ATK. But at least she could soften the blow to her Life Points as Ryu-Kishin Powered couldn't get past her dragon's defence points due to its attack being too low so Dark Armed Dragon would be forced to destroy it, leaving the weaker Ryu-Kishin Powered to attack her directly, thus sparing her from losing too many more Life Points. At least that was what Amy was hoping for.
Jack the Ripper drew his next card but he didn't use it. He just kept it in his hand.
"If you think you can defend yourself Amy, you're deluding yourself." the Dark Duellist crowed, "As long as I still have DARK attribute monsters in the Graveyard to banish, I can keep using Dark Armed Dragon's effect to banish your cards! So I banish Armageddon Knight in order to use my Dark Armed Dragon's effect to banish your Dragon Dwelling in the Cave from the field! I guess you could say he's now dwelling in the banished zone!"
"OH NO!" Amy exclaimed in horror.
Her dragon vanished from the duelling arena, leaving Amy completely wide open for an attack. With two monsters banished now, Jack the Ripper only had one left to use his monster's effect again, not that he would need it for this turn. She was helpless to do anything as Dark Armed Dragon and Ryu-Kishin Powered attacked her directly. Amy screamed as she was blazed and clawed by the two monsters and she collapsed to her knees in anguish as multiple candles flickered out and more of her life force was drained. It was as if someone had pulled a plug out inside her body and her energy was washing away down the drain. She struggled to support herself as she leaned on her hands and knees, panting heavily. It was taking all her energy just to even stay conscious right now. Her Life Points had fallen to a catastrophically low 2600. One more attack would leave Amy with nothing left. The last three candles on her side of the field would blow out, snatching away what little energy she had left and her body would be nothing but an empty husk while her soul would be trapped in the Shadow Realm for all eternity. She'd essentially be dead. Chloe and Kazuki grew very concerned for Amy. Could their friend even get back up after that?
"Come on Amy! Please get up!" Chloe begged, "You can't let him win!"
"Think about your brother! He's counting on you!" Kazuki cried desperately.
"Spare me your pitiful attempts to lift her up while she's down." Ripper taunted, "Amy is where she belongs…on her knees! This duel is mine to win and there's nothing she can do about it!"
Lord Hallows was also enjoying watching Amy's torment. How good it felt to watch her finally looking so helpless and close to death!
"Well done Jack! Looks like you're the one to finally break Amy's winning streak." he purred, "I doubt Amy will even have the strength to carry on after all that. Either she passes out and Jack wins by default or he wipes out the rest of her Life Points! Either way, Jack wins and the Ripper claims another soul for me!"
He laughed out loud. This was a duel he was sure that Amy was about to lose. He watched as the red-haired girl continued to pant, still on her hands and knees. It looked as if she was trying to catch her breath despite the fact she wasn't currently doing any exercise to tire herself out. Her eyes were half open as if she was about to fall asleep any minute now. Her vision blurred as her consciousness began to falter. Jack smirked, clearly relishing Amy's suffering.
"What's the matter beautiful?" he purred, "Lost the will to carry on? Tell you what, I'll make this easy for you. How's about instead of sending you to the Shadow Realm, you quit this duel and join the Fiendish Five? I'm sure Hallows will be happy to recruit you in our ranks. You'll be a worthy replacement for those that failed us and instead of suffering at our hands, YOU will get to cause the suffering instead! Having a duellist as strong and beautiful as you by my side will make my life with Lord Hallows fulfilling."
He walked across the arena and towards Amy so he could offer his hand out for her. Amy looked up at him with exhausted eyes. Ripper's hand was outstretched for her to shake.
"What do you say, babe?" he asked, his voice warm and seductive to present himself as friendly and welcoming, "Wouldn't you rather join us and put an end to your suffering? Maybe if you accept my offer, Hallows will give your brother his soul back so he can join us along with you. I think that's a perfectly fair offer, don't you?"
"Don't do it Amy!" Chloe pleaded, "You can't join Lord Hallows! Think of all the suffering you'll cause if you do!"
"You're out of your mind if you think Amy will accept an offer like that!" Kazuki yelled angrily.
"She'll be out of her mind to reject it." Jack the Ripper retorted, "I mean she's got way more to lose if she refuses. So come on Amy, what's your decision?"
Amy stared tiredly at the Ripper for a moment…and then slapped his hand away. To the Ripper's amazement, Amy seemed to have somehow regained her strength from doing that for she was now pushing herself back up onto her feet. The fire had returned to her eyes and she no longer seemed so worn out.
"Kazuki is right…you're out of your fucking mind if you think I'll EVER join Hallows!" Amy snarled, "You think I came all this way just to join this sick little soul-stealing cult?! Fuck off! That's the worst offer you could ever give me and I'm disgusted you even contemplated the thought that I'd ever accept! And as if I'd ever want to be by your side either! What girl would want a boyfriend like YOU?!"
The Dark Duellist looked wounded to hear such a harsh rejection. He was so certain that Amy would say yes! But it seemed this girl was more stubborn than he imagined. He sighed and shook his head in pity.
"So I guess you'd rather waste your life away than save it. Fair enough…be careful what you wish for." he said coldly, "I'm not going to be so nice from here on out."
He retook his position back on the opposite end of the arena and waited for Amy to carry out her turn. Amy turned to her friends and gave the thumbs up.
"I feel like I could do with a nap after this, but don't worry. I'm still standing!" she said jovially.
"I was so worried there Amy!" Chloe exclaimed, "I was so sure you were gonna pass out a moment ago!"
"I don't think I've seen anyone with a will as strong as yours. You're incredible, Ames!" Kazuki complimented.
Amy blushed in appreciation.
"Then let's see how incredible I can be in this next move…" she murmured as she drew her next card.
She looked at it and smiled with delight.
"Ah, you're always there when I need you." the red-head said happily, "I now play Pot of Greed!" she declared, playing the Spell Card and drawing two extra cards as a result. To her amazement, she'd managed to draw Monster Reborn and Axe of Despair at the same time, just like in the last duel!
"I swear I have the best luck ever!" Amy cried happily, "I now play Monster Reborn to bring back Dark Blade from the Graveyard! But he won't stick around for long as I'll now sacrifice him to bring forth my almighty Summoned Skull!"
Dark Blade came and went in a matter of seconds as he was revived and then sacrificed in order for Summoned Skull (2500ATK/1200DEF) to come to the field. It looked like a skeletal demon creature with twin ram-like horns, sharp claws and large blue bat-like wings. It let out a loud roar with its wings spread out wide to make itself look even bigger. Jack the Ripper was unimpressed.
"Big deal, you got a mighty monster in play. It's still weaker than Dark Armed Dragon you stupid bitch." he muttered, rolling his eyes.
"Not for long!" Amy crowed, "For I now equip it with Axe of Despair to make it even stronger!"
"WHAT?!" Ripper exclaimed, "Gah…trust you to conveniently draw that when you needed it!"
Summoned Skull now wielded a huge axe in its hands. With 1000 extra attack points added to itself, Summoned Skull had 3500ATK, which was more than enough to destroy Dark Armed Dragon. Amy gave the command and Summoned Skull destroyed the monstrous dragon with a crackle of electricity it fired from the Axe of Despair it was equipped with. Ripper winced as his monster was wiped off the field. He only had 4800 Life Points left now. If he didn't step up his game, he would be the one going to the Shadow Realm! Kazuki punched the air in triumph.
"Ha! Now that's how you comeback against all odds!" he cheered, "Way to go, Ames!"
"Keep it up and you'll be out of here in no time!" Chloe cried.
"If Jack doesn't have anything else up his sleeves, I'm sure I'll have this duel won!" Amy said confidently.
"I have plenty more tricks in my deck!" Ripper growled, "You haven't seen anything yet!"
He drew his next card. He grinned with delight at what he'd drawn. His Dark Armed Dragon was gone, but he still had his other strategy lying in wait for his opponent!
"I now play the Spell Card, Fires of Doomsday." the Victorian-styled boy declared as he played his card, "This allows me to summon two Doomsday Tokens to the field. They may not seem like much, but they'll do in building up my defences."
His two tokens appeared on the field in Defence Mode. They looked like fiery little creatures with one eye and sharp, stubby limbs.
"Next, I'll set a card face-down." Ripper declared, placing his card face-down on the field, "And then I'll switch Ryu-Kishin Powered into Defence Mode to conclude this turn."
His gargoyle creature knelt down on the floor as it went into Defence Mode. Amy could see that Jack the Ripper was doing his best to build up a wall to slow her down so he could make some kind of comeback. She was also nervous of his face-down card. What kind of trap was he setting for her? Amy had no idea what kind of traps to expect in a DARK-themed deck. Hopefully it was a Trap Card that had a very specific summoning requirement and couldn't be activated when she attacked. Amy drew her next card. She saw that she'd drawn Beta the Magnet Warrior. She still had Gamma and Delta in her hand. That gave her an idea. Maybe if she could get all her Magnet Warriors in the Graveyard, she could use Delta the Magnet Warrior's effect to get out Valkyrion the Magna Warrior. At least for once, she'd be able to use it instead of it being stuck in her hand with no way to use it! It would also let her use Jack the Ripper's strategy against him in a way.
"I call forth Beta the Magnet Warrior in Attack Mode!" Amy announced.
A yellow robot with magnet shaped horns and magnets on its hands materialized next to Summoned Skull (1700ATK/1600DEF). Beta was the strongest of the Magnet Warriors and a monster Amy was always glad to have in her Deck. Now she had two strong monsters to use, she decided to take a risk and attack the Ripper's monsters. To her relief, his Trap Card didn't activate. Unknown to Amy, Jack the Ripper had deliberately chosen not to as he wanted her to destroy Ryu-Kishin Powered and give him three DARK monsters in his Graveyard to hopefully summon another Dark Armed Dragon. He allowed Amy's attack to continue as her monsters destroy Ryu-Kishin Powered and one Doomsday Token. Now he only had one Doomsday Token left to protect himself.
"What did you think to that?!" Amy crowed, "Not bad for a girl who's running low on life force right now, hey?"
"I think you're getting too ahead of yourself, darling." Ripper sneered, "You're acting like you've already won this duel when it's FAR from over!"
"You better have some kind of plan in mind, Ripper, or else she really will win this duel!" Hallows snarled in Jack's mind.
"Take it easy boss, I've got everything under control." Jack the Ripper said smoothly, "Just you watch."
He drew his next card.
"I think it's time we got ourselves a new hand." he declared, "I play Card Destruction. Now we throw away our hands and draw a new one."
Amy understood completely. She had three cards left in her hand and the Ripper had four so she would draw three new cards while he would draw four. Amy discarded her Barrel Dragon, Gamma the Magnet Warrior and Delta the Magnet Warrior. At least the Ripper had unintentionally played into her hands by allowing her to throw two Magnet Warriors into the Graveyard now. She just needed Beta and Alpha to get in there next and she could summon Valkyrion the Magna Warrior at last. She drew her new hand. She'd drawn Alpha the Magnet Warrior, Blue-Eyes White Dragon and Bottomless Trap Hole. Those were good new cards to draw. On her next turn, she could sacrifice her two monsters to get Blue-Eyes White Dragon on the field! And she could get Alpha on the field and let Jack destroy it to play into her secret strategy!
Jack the Ripper drew his next four cards. To his delight, he'd drawn the Masked Beast Des Gardius, Grand Tikki Elder, Jar of Greed…and a second Dark Armed Dragon! Unfortunately, he couldn't summon it for now as his Graveyard had too many DARK Monsters in it thanks to Card Destruction. Hopefully he would draw Soul Release on his next turn or with help from Jar of Greed. At least for now, he could still carry out his current plan.
"I'll set a card face-down." the Ripper announced as he set Jar of Greed, "And now I tribute my one remaining Doomsday Token to activate one of my favourite Trap Cards! Go Crush Card Virus!"
Amy thought her heart was going to stop as the Crush Card Virus revealed itself. It was a Trap Card that could only be activated if a DARK-type monster with less than 1000ATK points was sacrificed. It had a devastating effect on the opponent when activated. It destroyed all monsters on the field and in Amy's hand if they had more than 1500ATK points and its effect remained for three whole turns! The virus spread around the field, depicted as a poisonous cloud by the holographic projectors, and it swept over Summoned Skull and Beta the Magnet Warrior. They convulsed in agony as they were infected by the virus and shortly after, they were destroyed. Not only that, but Amy had to get rid of her Blue-Eyes White Dragon in her hand. Only Alpha the Magnet Warrior was playable now due to having 1400ATK points. At least she still had a monster she could use. Better than nothing at all. But it did mean that for three whole turns, her Valkyrion the Magna Warrior strategy was out the window!
"This is awful!" Chloe cried in worry, "Amy can't use any powerful monsters for three whole turns thanks to that virus!"
"I doubt she'll even last that long at this rate…" Kazuki muttered, "I should've guessed a DARK-type specialist like Jack the Ripper would pull off a Crush Card Virus strategy!"
"I know, it should've been obvious yet nobody saw it coming." Ripper gloated, "And its gonna cost Amy this whole duel! I have access to all my powerful monsters while Amy has none to make use of! And while I only have one monster I can use now, I'll be able to do some damage to her Life Points at least so I'll call Grand Tiki Elder to the field and attack her directly!"
He played his monster. Grand Tiki Elder (1500ATK/800DEF) looked like a masked creature covered in jewellery, a cloak and had some masks dangling off of a chest piece it wore. It waved its hands and attacked Amy with some kind of magical power that had her clutching her stomach in pain and falling to her knees again. Her Life Points were down to 1100 and another candle blew out. She began to feel exhausted again and was left panting heavily to try and suck in whatever air she could to replenish what was left of her breath. It wouldn't take much more to bring her Life Points to zero and with the last candle blowing out, her life force would be snuffed out too. It was looking hopeless for her now. Her best monsters were unavailable thanks to Crush Card Virus, she didn't have anything in her hand that could currently help her situation and Jack the Ripper had a monster on the field along with a face-down card. He supposedly had some other monsters he could bring out to finish her off. It was truly looking like Amy's duel to lose. Lord Hallows was enjoying the show. He was certain that Amy was going to lose now.
"Oh that beautiful Crush Card Virus! It's never let Jack down!" Hallows crowed, "Amy has been infected and now the virus will bring about her ultimate defeat! No card in her deck will save her now!"
He threw his head back and laughed manically. The girl's soul was as good as his…
Looks like Amy needs to call a doctor because a nasty virus is going to throw her off her game! Will the Crush Card Virus lead to Amy's defeat or can she pull out some rabbit-out-of-the-hat to save herself at the last minute? Find out in Part 2 next time...
Trivia: You may be curious about this duellist and why he calls himself Jack the Ripper. Well, that was actually my brother's idea. He suggested that I make a duellist themed after Jack the Ripper and he runs a DARK-based deck so here we are. Credit goes to him for the idea. Considering Amy's brother is also called Jack, to avoid confusion I refer to him as "Ripper" in the prose.