Disclaimer: I don't own anything that has to do with Yugioh. There, I said it again.

Chapter 17: The battle of mages

Clarice smiled and bowed, the magician mirroring the action. "Say hello to one of the greatest magician monsters ever. Let's have a warm round of applause for our guest the Supreme Archmage Valgres (2950/1350) in attack mode! Now the show can truly begin! And when it is done my dear boy you will die!" His cackling began again.

Clarice motioned to his new monster. "For you see my Supreme Archmage Valgres lets me pick one magic card and one trap card of my choice from my deck and place them into my hand." He slid his deck out of his duel disk and looked it over. Then he grasped two cards and put them into his hand. "I think that the invincible magic card Raigeki and the trap card Scales of Balance will do. Now to wipe you out!" He slid a card into his disk. "Go Raigeki and leave him wide open for an attack!"

A bolt of lightning slammed down on Deondre's card, but nothing happened. Deondre thought that now was the best time to offer a thumbs-down to his opponent. "Bad idea. My monster is immune to your little lightning storm."

Clarice howled in rage. "Valgres get rid of his monster!" The magician aimed his staff and a blast of dark energy hit the face-down monster.

Deondre flipped his creature up and grinned. "This is my D.D. Dragon. (1200/1500) Not only can it not be destroyed by any monster with 1900 or more attack points, but only effects that target it can kill it. A widespread effect like Raigeki won't do the job." A crystalline blue dragon appeared on Deondre's field and screeched in agreement.

Clarice had gone strangely quiet in this time. He stood there, unmoving for a few seconds, and then nodded. "Very well. You are quite the skilled duelist. I set my last card face-down and end my turn."

Deondre drew and looked at his D.D. Beacon, which had four motes of light hovering over it. ("Alright, I need one more card with either dimension or D.D. in its title to trigger the Beacon's ability.") He looked at the card he was holding and grinned. "Jackpot."

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Daniel and CJ were both watching the duel with more than a little interest.

"You know what that beacon does CJ?"

"Nope, never heard of it before."

("How about you Rikuo?")

("Will you please shut up and let me watch the duel!?")

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Deondre slid his card into his disk. "Alright then Clarice, watch this! You're about to see the Supreme Duelist Series cards at work!" For a moment everything was still, and then a field of blue energy wrapped around all of Clarice's face-down and face-up magic and trap cards.

Clarice stared in horror. "What did you do!?"

Deondre held up his card. "I activated D.D. Stasis Field, which cuts you off from all of your face-down magic and traps cards for three turns."

Clarice growled. That meant that his Hangman's Noose wouldn't have any effect on Deondre anymore. And his other cards were useless to him for the next three turns.

Deondre watched the fifth mote of light appear. The D.D. Beacon shuddered and started to crack. With one last explosive crack, it shattered and a floating suit of crystalline blue armor appeared on Deondre's field. "Let's give a warm welcome to the stasis magic card Dimensional Armor."

Clarice did a double-take. "Stasis magic card? What are you talking about!? No such thing exists!"

Deondre shrugged. "Believe it or not, I don't care. This card will remain on my field until I choose to use it. For now though I'll end my turn."

Clarice drew and growled at his card. "End turn."

Deondre drew and looked his field over. For now he had only one way to win and it would require him to get his hands on a particular magic card. "I set this card face-down and end my turn."

Clarice drew and snarled. "End turn."

Deondre drew and wiped his hand across his forehead. "And here I thought I was in trouble. I guess not though."

By the look in Clarice's violet eyes it seemed like he was considering shooting Deondre for taking him lightly.

Deondre slid his card into his disk. "I activate the magic card Monster Reborn! This allows me to revive one monster from either graveyard. So I choose to bring back your Dark Magician to my field." The purple-robed magician appeared on Deondre's field and narrowed its eyes at its former master.

Clarice nearly screamed, "If you're going to waste your cards bringing back weak monsters you may as well save us both time and surrender!"

Deondre sighed and waved his finger back and forth in the air. "Tsk tsk, watch this. I'll now activate the effect of my Dimensional Armor. Attach to the Dark Magician!" The blue crystal armor latched onto the magician and there was a flash of brilliant blue light. As it cleared a much taller magician wearing the Dimensional Armor appeared and bowed to Deondre. "Allow me to introduce my ultimate spellcaster, the triple D himself!" He did his own bow to his small audience. "I present to you the Different Dimension Dark Magician (2700/2700) in attack mode."

Clarice snorted, "What will that hack of a magician do when it has to go against a true spellcaster like my Supreme Archmage Valgres?"

Deondre sighed, "Some people just don't appreciate true talent when they see it. Oh well, I guess that means you're just too narrow-minded to understand my monster's special ability. Activate now!" The Triple D Magician threw his staff across the field. The weapon pierced right into the heart of Clarice's Valgres and giving off one scream he disappeared. Deondre's magician bowed to the audience as another staff appeared.

Clarice stammered out, "H...h...h...h..how!?!?!?"

Deondre grinned. "When my monster hits the field I may remove one monster in play from the game. I chose your little Archmage. That's not all either. You have no Magic or Trap cards to defend you thanks to my Stasis field, so I can trigger my Mage Power equipment magic card without a problem. This will raise my monster's attack and defense points by the number of magic/trap cards on my field times 500."

The Triple D Magician spun his staff and started to glow as his power rose. (3700/3700)

Deondre pointed at Clarice. "Now give our masked friend a lesson in real magic power. Dimension Magic attack!" The magician unleashed a shimmering wave of crystalline blue energy that nearly threw Clarice off the stage.

Deondre- 3000

Clarice- 300

Deondre and his magician bowed once more to their now applauding team members. "Thank you! Thank you! We'll be here until the end of my next turn, when my magician knocks freak-boy over there out of the game. End turn."

Clarice drew and cackled. "You think I'm on the verge of losing hmm? Think again. Go Swords of Revealing Light!" Deondre's field glowed and then was surrounded by glowing swords of green light. "For the next three turns you won't be able to attack. End turn."

Deondre drew and snapped his fingers in disappointment. "What a let down. I'll set one monster in defense mode and end my turn."

Clarice drew and cackled. "Now your little stasis field trick ends!" The blue field cutting Clarice off from his face-down magic/trap cards faded. "Now I reveal the card that has been marinating more than long enough on my field. Go Learning Curve!" A graph appeared on the field that said '9 turns divided by 2 equals?'

Clarice raised his hand and a buzzer went off. "The answer is 4 and a half."

Everyone in the audience had already face-fallen while watching this spectacle.

Deondre just stared......

The graph spun and changed the writing on it to 'Correct! Now draw four cards.'

Clarice cackled happily and drew four cards off the top of his deck. "You see while that may have seemed quite silly, it had a very positive effect for me. The number of turns Learning Curve is on the field divided by 2 equals how many cards I may draw when I use it." He held up his six card hand and cackled. "Now you have no chance at all of winning."

Deondre and his magician both stuck their tongues out at their opponent. "Take your best shot freak!"

Clarice brushed his cloak back enough to show his holstered revolver. "Watch that tongue boy, or you may find it blown right off."

Deondre slid said tongue right back into his mouth.

Clarice's hand went back to his cards. "Now which option should I use to wipe you out?" He pulled a card free and slid it into his duel disk. "Let's start with this card face-down. Then I'll set a monster in defense and end my turn."

Deondre drew and looked at Clarice's field. ("There has to be something I can do to stop this madness. I just need to deal him 300 life points of damage and the duel is mine, but how though?") He knew he had one card that would be able to do it, but it was still somewhere in his deck. ("I'll just have to stall for more time.") "I set one card face down and end my turn."

Clarice drew and set another monster in defense mode. "End turn."

Deondre drew and looked at his field. He was developing plenty of face-down cards and his magician had gained more power (4200/4200) to wipe out Clarice, but he couldn't attack. And even if he could he doubted he would want to. Despite the great show he had put on with his Triple D Magician, he doubted that he would be able to win using his monster cards now. Clarice's cards seemed to revolve around killing monsters and opening up his opponent's life points to attack. "I'll set one card face-down on my field. That raises my magician's attack points (4700/4700) and gives me a better defense against your cards. End turn."

Clarice drew. "Another monster in defense and I'll end my turn after that."

Deondre drew and sighed. "I'll set a monster in defense mode."

Clarice drew and slid one more card into his duel disk. "I set one magic/trap face-down and one monster in defense. End turn."

Deondre drew and felt like slapping his stupid deck. ("What's with these useless monsters?") "I'll set one monster face-down and end my turn."

Clarice drew and set one monster in defense, completely filling up his field. "End turn."

Deondre wanted to attack, but he knew already that there was a trap waiting for his monster if he did. He drew and sighed. "I'll set one monster in face-down defense. End turn."

Clarice drew and cackled. "Now die! I reveal my face-down Card Cannon continuous magic card! With this on the field I may discard any number of cards from my hand at any time to deal you 500 life points of damage." A futuristic cannon appeared on Clarice's field. He walked up to it and slid a card from his hand into a slot it had. The machine beeped and fired a blast of energy that threw Deondre to the ground.

Deondre- 2500

Clarice- 300

Deondre tried to get up but got hit multiple times as Clarice started to empty his hand into the machine.

Deondre- 2000.....1500....1000.....500

Clarice- 300

Clarice took the last card he would need and slid it in. The cannon charged up its energy. "That's the end of this act." The cannon spat out another burst of energy that launched across the field towards Deondre.

Deondre threw himself to his feet and pressed a button on his duel disk. "Thanks for giving me the answer to finishing you off freak-boy! I reveal my magic card Curse of Pain!" The blast hit him and he was thrown onto his back.

Clarice cackled happily. "I have won!" He bowed to both his real and his imaginary audience.

Both Daniel and CJ were smiling though.

Deondre came to his feet and sneered. "Take a look at your point score Clarice."

Deondre- 500

Clarice- 0

Clarice looked at his disk and seemed to tremble in fear. "How? How? How!?!?!?!?"

Deondre slid the card he had used out of his duel disk. "Curse of Pain lets me redirect one source of direct damage back at you. I just took your last shot and gave it back to you. Sorry but you lose."

Clarice continued to tremble. He fell to his knees and numbly held out a card to Deondre. "Here it is....this Dark Magician card should go well with your deck." He slowly removed his duel disk and sighed. "You have won. And as per our deal..."

Deondre paled. "Hang on now! What...." He went silent as he was suddenly staring down the barrel of Clarice's revolver.

"Listen to me closely. I want you to go and never return to this place ever again. Walk out that door and take your friends with you. NOW!"

Deondre slid back off the stage and nodded weakly. "Let's go guys."

Team Topdeck left that theater in less than a minute. They were quite a way down the road when a loud bang echoed across the forest.

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Everyone ate dinner in silence that evening.

Daniel sighed and put his plate down on the ground. He went over and sat next to Deondre, who was staring out at the now shadowed form of the theater that they had dueled in from their position on the second layer of the island. Since they had 50 dueling points they were able to get past the first gate and move onto the second 'floor' of the island. He didn't move at all when he said, "Did he do what I think he did?"

Daniel sighed, "I have no idea. All I know is we will not go back there ever again. That place is dead to us now."

Deondre nodded and stood up. "I'm going to go for a walk, alright?" Daniel nodded and Deondre walked out of sight and stared out over a nearby cliff numbly. He felt like crying. ("Did Clarice really shoot himself?")

"Greetings!" An all too familiar voice cackled at him.

He spun to find himself face to face with....."Clarice! You're alive?"

Clarice bowed, still wearing his clothing from before. "I just wanted to let you know that we shall duel again, and next time I shall win." He turned to leave but Deondre stopped him.

"Hang on! If you didn't shoot yourself, what was that bang I heard?"

Clarice turned and with humor in his voice said, "My gun fired off accidentally." He turned and marched off.

Deondre stood there for five minutes, expression of surprise frozen on his face. Then he finally did the most appropriate thing to do at a time like this. He face-fell.

To be continued...

Next Chapter: Emissary vs. CJ!?

Author's Notes: BWHAHAHAHA!! I had you going there didn't I? Everyone shakes their head Well next time I'll have to try harder. Anyway, read and review. I need to study for a mid-term. Ja ne.