Chapter 11: Mai vs V: Mai Time

(Life Point Score: V 3350, Mai 2600)

"Ok V, let's move along. I play another card face down, and then I play Niwatori!" Mai said. The Niwatori (800/900) appeared. "Make your move."

Odd that she would play such a weak monster. Could it be a trap? Or does she want me to think it's a trap? V thought. Well, I'm ahead, no need to take risks for the moment. Plus, V had used up all his cards in the last turn: his hand was empty. He drew. This won't do anything but I'll need it later.

"I play the magic card Infinite Cards!" V said. Mai arched an eyebrow. What would he be playing that for? V's turn ended, and she drew and frowned. Still no cards she could use. At least V wouldn't be attacking with her card down. Yet anyway.

V took his turn, drew again, and ended it. Mai did the same. Heh, V's Infinite Cards was actually helping her! She would have had to start discarding cards by now.

V drew again.

"Ah. I play Black Pendant, giving Skull Feline a 500 point attack boost!" V said, as his monster's points jumped to 1800. Mai shuddered at the memory of that card and what it had done. "Hey, you ok?"

"Yeah yeah. I'm fine." Mai said. The past couldn't hurt her. Hopefully.

"Ok then. Well then, attack Skull Feline!" V commanded, finally deciding to take the risk. And indeed, her trap card didn't trigger, and her Niwatori was destroyed, dropping her life points to 1600.

Mai had had enough. Time to get aggressive. And as she drew, she finally had the means for that.

"Ok V, time for you to really see what this lady can do. First, I'll summon Harpy Lady to the field!" Mai said, finally getting her hands on her favorite card. The Harpy Lady (1300/1400) appeared. "And I'll power it up with Malevolent Nuzzler!" she continued, her Harpy Lady's attack jumping to 2000. "Now attack his Skull Feline!"

The Harpy Lady did, destroying the cat creature and reducing V's life points to 3150. But no sooner did that happen then Mai's life points dropped to 1100, due to the effect of V's Black Pendant.

"That hurt you worse then it did me." V said.

"I'll repay the pain back ten times over." Mai shot back.

"Maybe not. By destroying my Skull Feline, you've activated its special ability. If I pay the amount of life points I lost in the attack that destroyed it, I can summon its bigger, nastier brother to the field. So I do! Come forth VILEON!" V yelled. His life points dropped to 2950, even as an even larger lion-like creature, with a purplish mane and black tentacles coming out of its shoulders appeared. (2100/1300).

"And I'll combo that with this magic card: Chronosis Skip! This card allows me to warp time and "skip" back to something. Like, say, your field situation before you equipped that magic card. So, say goodbye to your Malevolent Nuzzler!"

Mai sweatdropped as her Harpy Lady's attack went back down to 1300.

"Now attack!" V ordered. The Harpy Lady went bye bye, and Mai's life points dropped to 300.

"Oh dear, I may be licked!" Mai said, feigning worry. She drew. "I'll play Dunames Dark Witch (1800/1050), in defense mode!"

"Attack Vileon!" V said, after he drew. The Vileon destroyed the Witch. Mai drew again. Not quite there yet. Guess she needed another scapegoat.

"Faith Bird (1500/1100), in defense mode!" Mai said.

V drew.

"I play Pot of Greed, and draw two new cards. And now that that's done, Vileon, you know the drill!" V said. The Faith Bird went into the Graveyard. Mai sighed and drew. Dammit, she was out of monster cards! But she needed a defense! Annoyed, she knew what she had to do.

"I use Monster Reborn, to bring back my Faith Bird, in defense mode!" Mai said. The Faith Bird returned, not looking too happy. And it had a good reason, as V drew and destroyed it again.

Mai drew again. Finally!

"Ok V, let me show you how it's done! First, I play Cracked Headstone! This magic card allows me to return one card from the graveyard to my hand. And I don't have to tell you what it is." Mai said, taking the card she wanted back. "Next, I play Harpy Lady, again, in defense mode!" Mai said. The second Harpy Lady appeared. "And then I'll lay a card face down and end my turn."

V drew. Should I attack? Eh, sure, I'll bite.

"Ok then. Vileon, attack!"

"Oh no you don't!" Mai said. "Reveal face down card: Graverobber!"

"Ah crap." V said. What he had bitten was his own foot after he stuck it into his mouth.

"You know what this does? It lets me take a magic card from your graveyard. I think I'll take your delightful Blessed Dice card. And use it on my Rose Whip magic card!" Mai said. Her Harpy Lady gained a whip, even as the angel tossed the dice. It came up with a four.

"That's 1200 extra attack points! Which gives me 2500, and that's all I need!" Mai said, as her Harpy Lady attacked and destroyed the Vileon, dropping V's Life Points to 2550.

"Nice. But Vileon also has a special ability: if I discard a card, I can gain back all the life points I lost!" V said, getting rid of a card as his life points returned to 2950. Mai looked annoyed, as the Rose Whip vanished from her Harpy's hand, only good for one turn.

"Nice move. Ok, I'll lay a monster card face down and end my turn." Mai said. V drew. He didn't have anything in his hand.

"I'll lay a card face down, and then I'll play Ryu-Kinshin (1000/500), in defense mode…"

"HAH! Finally! Activate face down card, Shadow of Eyes!" Mai said, finally able to activate the trap card she had laid several turns back. "This forces your monster into attack mode! And that is a bad thing, if you didn't know! Attack Harpy Lady!" Mai ordered. The Harpy Lady destroyed Ryu-Kinshin, and V's life points went down to 2650.

"Hmmm, nice work. We seem pretty evenly matched." V said, and drew. His brow creased.

"Ok then…I lay a card face down, and then I play Banisher of the Light (100/2000) in defense mo…AH CRAP I CAN'T USE DEFENSE MODE!"

"You forget already? Idiot!" Mai said, although the insult was in a light, jokey tone. "Well, if that's the way you're going to play, I equip Harpy Lady with Cyber Shield! Now Harpy Lady, attack!" Mai said, as her Harpy Lady's power went up to 1800, and unlike Rose Whip, this was permanent, as the bird woman rushed to attack.

Only to be stopped by three women in robes.

"A Wakobu again?" Mai said, annoyed.

"Yep. Best offense is a good defense and all that." V said. He drew again. Ah, this would help.

"Ok, first I play Chronosis Reflection!" V said. "This magic card lets me look back through time and mimic any move you've made in the past three turns! And I choose to mimic your Graverobber move, and from your graveyard, I think I'll take your Feather Duster! And use it!"

Mai's Shadow of Eyes was destroyed.

"Now, I will switch Banisher of the Light into defense mode. And then I'll play Protection Circle!" V said, as a roulette wheel appeared. "This magic card allows me to add a random amount of defense points to my monster…well hopefully anyway…" V said. The wheel had eight sections, with the numbers 400, 800, 1600, and 3200. Four added that amount, four took that amount away. "Let's go!"

The wheel began to spin. Mai and V watched it.

"Stop!"

The wheel began to slow down. Mai's eyes widened as it slowly came to a stop, over +3200 points.

"STOP! STOP! STOP!" V yelled.

And kept going, onto –1600 defense points.

"AH! GO GO GO!" V yelled. Mai smirked.

V lucked out: the wheel went on past the –1600 and finally stopped at +800.

"Oh well, could have been worse." V said, as his Banisher's defense points went up to 2800. "That'll be it."

Mai drew. Nothing she could use to get around that defense. She ended her turn. V drew, put a card down next to his Banisher, and ended his turn. Mai drew. Nothing. V drew, nothing. He sucked on the straw in his drink, wondering what to do.

Mai drew, nothing. She reflected at the relaxed pace. There was something to be said about duels that weren't in competitions and were witnessed by no one.

Once more for each, nothing. V's Infinite Cards was starting to make Mai's hand cramp from the amount of cards she was holding.

V drew again, frowning.

"Well Mai, it appears we are at a standstill. You can't get around my defense, and I have nothing with to mount an offense. Stalemate." V said. "Want to call off the bet and say it's a draw?"

"Get real! The length of this is just making me hungry! This duel is going to be mine yet!" Mai said, and drew. She looked at the card, and a plan formed in her brain.

Finally. It was her time now. The next turn, V would see what she could REALLY do.

To Be Continued