Disclaimer: Yugioh ain't mine and it will never be mine.
Chapter 31: CJ vs. Cyclone
Giovan smiled down at the collective duelists. "After much debate I have decided to have Team Emissary go against Team Topdeck for the first round of the semi-finals."
The doors that everyone had just entered from blew open and the three members of Giovan's private dueling team walked in.
Giovan looked down at the two members of Team Topdeck. "Since one of your teammates is still recovering from his duel, I will not enforce the COC system for your choices of who will duel."
Kaigen and the leader of team Emissary stepped aside as a tall willowy Emissary, the third member of the team, trudged past them and climbed into the dueling ring.
CJ threw Rebecca a thumbs-up. "Let me deal with stick man, alright?"
Rebecca smiled back. "Go for it. Show them that we won't be pushed around."
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CJ took his position across from his opponent as the dueling ring lifted off of ground level. "So you got a name or am I just going to have to give you one?" His duel disk clicked into place.
The man threw his cloak aside and revealed himself. He wore the same black and silver jumpsuit that every Emissary wore. His frame was just as thin and willowy as CJ had originally thought it. He brushed long spindly fingers through his bright green hair and clicked his duel disk into place. "I am Cyclone. Are you ready to be blown away?"
CJ rolled his eyes at the lousy joke and drew his five cards. "The only person about to be blown away is you buddy." He drew his sixth card. "I'll go first." He slapped a monster onto his disk. "I summon Enraged Battle Ox (1700/1000) in attack mode!" A Minotaur appeared on his field wielding a large battle axe. "End turn."
Cyclone drew and popped open his field magic card slot. "I play the magic card Rising Air Current." The air around them went from calm to small hurricane force winds in a matter of second. "As long as this field card remains in play all wind attribute monsters gain 500 attack points and lose 400 defense points."
CJ grimaced as he held on tightly to his hand of cards. The last thing he needed was to have them get blown away. ("I only run two wind attribute monsters in my entire deck. This isn't good at all. He's at an advantage, while I on the other hand am screwed.") "Is that all?"
Cyclone shook his head and slapped down his own monster. "I summon Harpie's Brother (2300/400) in attack mode." From high above them a large creature that looked like a hybrid of a bird and a man swooped down and landed on Cyclone's field.
CJ bit his lower lip. ("2300 attack on a four star monster? I hate field magic cards.")
Cyclone pointed at CJ's Enraged Battle Ox. "Now Harpie's Brother, cut his beast down." The bird-man launched into the air and out of sight. It dove down from behind the Enraged Battle Ox and in one slash of its talons CJ's monster was gone.
CJ- 7400
Cyclone- 8000
Cyclone slid a card into his duel disk. "I set one card face-down and end my turn."
CJ drew and looked his hand over. He didn't see any immediate combos that would help him take down Cyclone's Harpie's Brother, but that didn't mean he was defenseless. "I set one monster face-down on my field and one card face-down on my field. End turn."
Cyclone drew and slid his Harpie's Brother into the graveyard. "I will sacrifice my Harpie's Brother to summon Cyber-tech Alligator (3000/1000) in attack mode." A robotic dragon appeared on his field and screeched, its mechanical voice echoing across the blowing winds of Cyclone's field magic card. "Now attack his face-down monster!" The Cyber-tech Alligator lunged across the field and slashed CJ's face-down monster apart.
CJ held up the destroyed monster card so that his opponent could see it. "You've attacked my Giant Rat. (1400/1450) When it is destroyed in battle I may search my deck for any earth attribute monster with 1500 or less attack strength and special summon it to my field. I'll search for another Giant Rat." On his field a large grey rat standing on its hind legs appeared.
Cyclone frowned at his unsuccessful attack. "End turn."
CJ drew and he still didn't see any combos in his hand that could help him out. "I switch my Giant Rat into defense mode. Then I'll set one monster in defense mode and one card face-down. End turn."
Cyclone's hand snapped across his deck and pulled free his next card. He looked it over and nodded. "Excellent timing." He slid a card into his duel disk. "I play the magic card Death Hurricane. This magic card has two requirements for it to work. The first requirement is that Rising Air current must be on the field." He slid a card from his hand into his graveyard. "The second requirement is that I must discard a card from my hand to use it. When I meet both requirements though Death Hurricane will destroy all of your monsters." A gray and black hurricane blew across CJ's first and destroyed his two monsters instantly.
CJ looked down at his field. ("As long as I have my two face-down cards I am safe though.")
Cyclone slid his next card into his duel disk. "Now I activate the magic card Harpie's Feather Duster, which will destroy all of your magic and trap cards on the field." A funnel of green wind struck CJ's field and shattered his two traps.
CJ felt the sweat pouring down his face. ("I'm in trouble.")
Cyclone pointed at CJ. "Attack his life points directly!" The Cyber-tech Alligator lunged across the field and slashed its claws across his side, cutting open a medium sized gash in his flesh.
CJ- 4400
Cyclone- 8000
CJ stumbled backwards, blood starting to flow from the wound. He could feel it seep into his shirt. ("This isn't good at all. I can't win this if he winds up killing me before I get a chance to.")
Cyclone slid his last card into his duel disk. "I'll set this card face-down on my field and end my turn."
CJ drew and tried his best to ignore the grievous wound that he had been dealt. "I set one monster face-down and two cards face-down. End turn."
Cyclone shook his head while he drew. "It's so sad to see someone who thinks they can win with defense mode monsters." He slid his new card into his duel disk. "I play the equipment magic card Destruction Fan." A metal fan appeared over the head of Cyclone's Cyber-tech Alligator. "As long as this magic card is equipped to my creature it will gain 500 attack points and it will be able to deal damage through defense. It will also destroy whatever monster it battles with." (3500/1000)
CJ heard the last part very clearly. He got ready for what he knew was coming. ("I hope this works.")
Cyclone pointed at CJ's field. "Cyber-tech Alligator attack with the Destruction Fan!" The metal dragon threw the steel fan, which spun across the field like a boomerang.
CJ pressed a button on his duel disk. "I activate the trap card Collected Power, which transfers all targeting effects to the monster of my choosing." Just as he said this his face-down monster, the Battle Footballer, (1000/2100) was revealed. It looked like a machine version of a football player.
Cyclone raised one bright green eyebrow. "How is that supposed to affect me at all?"
CJ watched as the Destruction Fan cut through his monster. The fan kept going, headed in an arch for CJ's head. Right before the razor sharp weapon could hit him though it spun to a stop and flew back at Cyclone's field. It hit the Emissary's Cyber-tech Alligator and destroyed it.
Cyclone stared at CJ, speechless.
CJ chuckled and lifted up his Collected Power trap card from his disk. "Allow me to explain. You see when you attacked I used Collected Power to switch the target of your equipment magic card from your Cyber-tech Alligator to my Battle Footballer. As you said before anything that has your Destruction Fan equipped to it destroys whatever monster it battles with, so since my Battle Footballer battled with your monster it destroyed it."
Cyclone had recovered from his shock in the middle of CJ's explanation, low growls escaping his throat.
CJ shrugged. "Don't feel too bad buddy. That's just the way the game goes sometimes."
Cyclone looked at his face-down card hopefully. "End turn."
CJ drew and looked at Cyclone's face-down card too. His look to it was more like one of hate though. ("I just know that is some kind of trap to screw me over. If I attack then he most likely will trigger it.") The gash in his side started to burn from the cold winds that were caused by the Rising Air Current. ("Of course if I don't attack then I will most likely bleed to death before I can win this game.")
Cyclone noticed CJ's hesitation. He decided to try and use that to his advantage. "What's the matter? You seemed so happy just a second ago. Don't tell me that you lost your nerve."
CJ slapped a monster onto his duel disk. "Don't worry, I haven't. I summon Mad Dog of Darkness (1900/1400) in attack mode." A horse-sized demon dog appeared on his field. "Now attack his life points directly." The monster dog howled and lunged.
Cyclone flipped up his face-down card. "You make it too easy. I flip up my face-down trap card Storm Pit Trap. This trap card activates when you attack with a monster. As long as it is not a wind attribute monster, then it is destroyed." A hurricane slammed down from out of nowhere and shattered CJ's Mad Dog of Darkness.
CJ looked at his hand again. ("I have nothing but monster cards.") "End turn."
Cyclone drew and slid a card into his duel disk. "I set this card face-down and end my turn."
CJ drew and slapped down his new monster. "I summon Little Winguard, (1900/1400) who gets your field power bonus because he is a wind attribute monster." A little humanoid creature with a tiny sword and shield appeared on his field. "Now attack!" The Little Winguard flew across the field and slammed into Cyclone, its sword leaving a long diagonal cut in his chest. He cried out and fell to one knee, blood starting to flow from the wound.
CJ- 4400
Cyclone- 6100
CJ smiled grimly at seeing his opponent taking some damage. "End turn."
Cyclone drew and slapped a new monster onto his disk. "Now I will crush you. I summon Lord of the Winds (2400/1000) in attack mode." On his field an enormous blue eagle appeared. It looked down at the Little Winguard and screeched, swooping down and raking its claws across the little monster's chest. CJ's creature exploded into digital dust, leaving his field empty again.
CJ- 3900
Cyclone- 6100
Cyclone smiled at CJ. "End turn. I hope you have a way to beat my Lord of the Winds, because if you can't this duel is over."
CJ drew and set a monster in defense mode. "End turn."
Cyclone drew. "That's too bad kid. Looks like I'm going to knock you out of this tournament. I flip up my face-down card Tribute to the Doomed." He slid the card in his hand into the graveyard. From the ground around CJ's creature woolen wrapping snapped up and surrounded it, creating a ball of cloth. Then a huge decayed claw reached up from out of the ground and grasped the ball, dragging it downwards and off the field.
CJ's eyes went wide. ("This is going to hurt a lot...")
Cyclone pointed at him. "Go Lord of the Winds! Attack his life points directly!" The huge eagle shot across the field and impaled CJ in the stomach with its talons.
CJ- 1500
Cyclone- 6100
CJ looked down numbly at the hole in his stomach. It was already leaking blood everywhere. ("Damn....") As he collapsed to the ground the last thing he heard was the screams of his friends, new and old, as they yelled his name.------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Giovan stood up and started to wildly applaud. "Excellent job Cyclone! You showed him that one cannot defeat the top Emissaries!"
Cyclone bowed up to his master. "I thank you milord. Shall we announce the winner of this match or do you wish to give him a minute?"
Giovan chuckled. "I suppose a minute would be alright." He looked down at the huge pool of blood that was developing around CJ's prone form. "Not that he is going to get up from a wound like that anyway."
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CJ found himself standing in a dark void...
He was surrounded by his family and friends...
He saw his grandmother, his sister, his cousins, Deondre, Daniel, Allon, Janeam, Rebecca and Amy all standing around him, smiling and laughing. He was smiling too.
Then the darkness came...
It was a darkness that was somehow even deeper than the black void that surrounded him...
Leading the darkness was a man in the black and silver robes of a king...
The King laughed maniacally and to CJ's horror the darkness swallowed up all of his family and friends...
CJ spun to confront the King, his fists clenched. "Why!?"
The King sneered and revealed a pair of long fangs. "Because they bring you happiness..."
CJ wouldn't hear anymore of it! He charged...
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Yugi had just been yelling at Giovan to let CJ down so that he could be taken to a doctor. Giovan had firmly refused, saying that the duel was not over yet...
How right he was...
Joey's eyes went open in a mix of surprise and awe. He pointed at the field, mouth opening and closing on reflex.
Siegfried followed Joey's finger and his eyes went wide. He tugged on Yugi's sleeve.
Yugi spun and he gasped. "Oh my Ra..."
CJ was back on his feet. The wounds he had sustained were gone.
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Giovan's eyes widened slightly in surprise. He had felt a small burst of energy a few moments ago but....
("For him to heal himself of such grievous wounds...") It would require the power of a great priest or healer. ("I'll have to keep a closer eye on CJ Anderson from now on.")
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Cyclone stumbled back in horror as his gutted opponent stood up and snarled at him. "This cannot be! You should be dead!"
CJ's face was twisted in pure rage. It was anger with a purpose. And the purpose?
To save the world...
"I won't let you win!!!" He drew and his duel disk spat up six monster cards from the graveyard. "I remove a wind, water, fire, earth, dark and light monster from my graveyard to special summon Nexus the Conqueror!" (3500/3000) He slapped down his ultimate monster card. A magnificent gladiator in golden armor wielding a greatsword appeared on his field.
Cyclone stumbled back even farther. "How is this possible!?"
CJ slapped his second to last card onto his duel disk. "Now I summon Exiled Force (1000/1000) in attack mode!" A group of soldiers appeared on the field. "Now I use their special ability! By sacrificing them I can destroy one monster on the field!" The soldiers ran across the field and grabbed Cyclone's Lord of the Winds, dragging the giant eagle off of the field.
Cyclone sneered. "It won't be enough! Nexus cannot defeat me!"
CJ slid the last card in his hand into his duel disk, his eyes still burning with rage. "I play Excalibur! This card will double Nexus's attack power!" Nexus's greatsword disappeared and was replaced by a thin ornate blade. (7000/3000)
Cyclone looked up at Giovan. "Master! End the duel! I surrender!"
Giovan sneered and paid him no mind.
CJ pointed right at Cyclone. "Nexus the Conqueror! Excalibur...." The gladiator's new sword began to glow with golden energy. "Holy...." The light of the weapon grew brighter and brighter. "WAVE!!!"
Nexus slammed the weapon into the ground and a stream of golden energy shot along the ground, engulfing Cyclone. The Emissary didn't even get a chance to scream before the holy energy consumed him and he was destroyed.
CJ- 1500
Cyclone- 0
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As Cyclone's owner-less duel disk clattered to the ground, CJ's rage filled eyes turned slowly to look up at Giovan. "You...."
Giovan returned the look with a chilling glare. The kind of glare that seemed like it could freeze ice.
CJ lifted his hand and pointed right at Giovan. "You won't win!"
Giovan smiled just enough to reveal a single fang. "And who will stop me?"
CJ's rage died down slowly. "You know who...." He smiled back knowingly and crashed face-first to the ground, unconscious.
To be continued...
Next Chapter: Open mind
Author's notes: I love doing these kinds of chapters. Well anyway, I hope you all liked that. I certainly did. Please give me some feedback if you can on this chapter. Later.