The Millenium Shield had just won the duel.
At least, it should have.
Before the shield could strike the Sonic Bird, Fader activated his trap card, the Shadow Spell. Chains whipped forth from the card and bound the Shield tightly, holding it in place.
"Your attack is over before it can start," Fader said. "And now your Shield's attack power returns to zero. And I'll sacrifice my Hysteric Fairy and Sonic Bird to summon the Dark Magician (2500/2100) and attack your Millennium Shield." Bolts of energy blasted forth from the Mage's staff and shattered the Millennium Shield. Barret's Life Point counter instantly dropped from 2500 to 0.
"That's five opponent's down," he continued as he turned to face Potemkin. "And I've got my eye on the prize. I will not lose Potemkin."
"You've done well to get this far Fader," Potemkin said. "Those were five of Mr. Evo's top duelists; but you still have to get through me."
"I've done it before," Fader announced. "And I will do it again."
"True that did you beat me once," conceeded Potemkin. "But you were not at a disadvantage of 2150 Life Points. And as good as you may be, I don't think that even you can beat me against those odds."
"Show me what you've got Potemkin."
"I'll lay one monster face down, and end my turn."
"I'll lay two cards face dwon and then attack your monster with the Dark Magician."
"My monster is the Nimble Momonga (1000/100). It may be destroyed but it raises my Life Points by 1000!"
Fader: 850, Potemkin: 4000.
Fader watched as two other face down monster cards appeared on the field in front of Potemkin where the nimble Momonga had been only a few short seconds ago.
"My monster's second effect lets me search for two other copies of the same monster and play them onto the field."
"I end my turn."
"As much as I'd love to gain another 2000 Life Points when you attack my other two Nimbles, I have an even better treat for you," Potemkin said with a wicked grin.
"And what would that be?"
"I'll just have to show you. I sacrifice my two monsters to summon the almighty, the powerful, unstoppable..."
"Oh just get on with it already," interrupted Fader. "I would like to go back and get some sleep sometime tonight."
"The Blue Eyes White Dragon(3000/2500)!"
"No way!"
"That's right," Potemkin announced proudly. "But don't worry. This isn't Miss Kaiba's. No I'd imagine her Blue Eyes is still safe in her precious deck. This one belongs to Mr. Evo, he gave it to me after you managed to rob me of my precious Buster Blader. He also thought that it would be a fitting way to eliminate you from the tournament. To destroy you with the card that represents the only person you might be able to claim is your friend."
There was something oddly familiar about this situation. As he watched his Dark Magician stare down the Blue Eyes White Dragon Fader just couldn't help but feel a sense of déja vu, almost as if he and his Dark Magician had faced this Blue Eyes together before. The one thing that didn't seem right was Potemkin. Something in Fader's mind was saying that Potemkin didn't belong behind that card. In his heart he new the person that should be standing there, but his mind couldn't form an image of them nor could his mouth find their name.
"Now I'm sure you've already got some plan formed in that brain of yours," Potemkin said, interrupting his thoughts. "So I play Heavy Storm to destroy your two face down cards. Now Blue Eyes, eliminate the Dark Magician!"
The mighty beast reared back its head and opened its japing jaw. A white ball of energy began to glow and collect in its mouth. It then whipped its face forward and unleashed the powerful blast and incinerated the Dark Magician instantly.
Fader: 350, Potemkin: 4000.
"You don't stand a chance! Surrender now!" Potemkin shouted over the blast.
When the noise had quieted and the dust had cleared, Fader simply looked Potemkin in the eye and repeated his vow, "I won't lose Potemkin." He closed his eyes and reached for his deck. There was one card that was going to win this duel. As his hand settled on his deck, Fader could almost feel the weight of two other hands on top of his own, lending him strength and support. With confidence Fader drew the card and set it into his duel disk. He already knew what the card was, he didn't need to look at it.
"I have beaten the best that Evo has sent against me so far," Fader announced. "And now I've beaten his gauntlet as well."
"Ha! No you haven't. Just look at the field. You've lost. My Blue Eyes White Dragon will crush you and any monster that you summon."
"You're wrong Potemkin. That Blue Eyes isn't yours. That dragon is a noble beast that belongs to a proud and great man and duelist, Seto Kaiba. A coward like you hasn't earned its respect."
"I don't need its respect," argued Potemkin. "Only its power."
"And that's why you're going to lose, you have no respect for the cards, or their hearts."
"You will lose Fader, so stop stalling and make your move."
"Alright Potemkin you asked for it. I play Monster Reborn to bring back my Dark Magician!"
"That's your move? I've already destroyed your Dark Magician once. And when I destroy it next turn it will take the rest of your Life Points with it."
"Not going to happen Potemkin. When you first played the Blue Eyes against my Dark Magician I felt a strong sense that I had been in this battle before. Not once or twice, but hundreds of times before. Hundreds of times that on a battlefield the Dark Magician and Blue Eyes White Dragon would stand against each other as mortal enemies."
"What does any of this have to do with me?"
"Because today I am going to change history. Tonight the Dark Magician and Blue Eyes White Dragon are going to unite to destroy a common enemy."
"Nice speech, but it was only words. The reality is that the Blue Eyes is still mine," Potemkin said with arrogance.
"I've already told you," Fader reminded him. "That Blue Eyes isn't yours. Now it will show it's true nature. I activate the Change of Heart!"
"No not again!"
"That's right Potemkin, you and I have our own history. Every time you come against me you lose. Thanks to your own card. Now Dark Magician and Blue eyes White Dragon attack with Dark Magic and White Lightning!"
Fader: 350, Potemkin: 0.
"I ran your guantlet and won," Fader declared. "I'll take your six locator cards as well as Tremendous Fire, Mirror Force, Axe of Despair, Raigeki, Millennium Shield and the BLue Eyes White Dragon. more importantly I take your six pieces of the Millennium Puzzle." Fader went to each duelist and collected his prize. Fader then moved to leave, but turned back to Potemkin. "and you can take this message back to Evo; 'I am coming for you.' Now, I'm going to sleep."
At least, it should have.
Before the shield could strike the Sonic Bird, Fader activated his trap card, the Shadow Spell. Chains whipped forth from the card and bound the Shield tightly, holding it in place.
"Your attack is over before it can start," Fader said. "And now your Shield's attack power returns to zero. And I'll sacrifice my Hysteric Fairy and Sonic Bird to summon the Dark Magician (2500/2100) and attack your Millennium Shield." Bolts of energy blasted forth from the Mage's staff and shattered the Millennium Shield. Barret's Life Point counter instantly dropped from 2500 to 0.
"That's five opponent's down," he continued as he turned to face Potemkin. "And I've got my eye on the prize. I will not lose Potemkin."
"You've done well to get this far Fader," Potemkin said. "Those were five of Mr. Evo's top duelists; but you still have to get through me."
"I've done it before," Fader announced. "And I will do it again."
"True that did you beat me once," conceeded Potemkin. "But you were not at a disadvantage of 2150 Life Points. And as good as you may be, I don't think that even you can beat me against those odds."
"Show me what you've got Potemkin."
"I'll lay one monster face down, and end my turn."
"I'll lay two cards face dwon and then attack your monster with the Dark Magician."
"My monster is the Nimble Momonga (1000/100). It may be destroyed but it raises my Life Points by 1000!"
Fader: 850, Potemkin: 4000.
Fader watched as two other face down monster cards appeared on the field in front of Potemkin where the nimble Momonga had been only a few short seconds ago.
"My monster's second effect lets me search for two other copies of the same monster and play them onto the field."
"I end my turn."
"As much as I'd love to gain another 2000 Life Points when you attack my other two Nimbles, I have an even better treat for you," Potemkin said with a wicked grin.
"And what would that be?"
"I'll just have to show you. I sacrifice my two monsters to summon the almighty, the powerful, unstoppable..."
"Oh just get on with it already," interrupted Fader. "I would like to go back and get some sleep sometime tonight."
"The Blue Eyes White Dragon(3000/2500)!"
"No way!"
"That's right," Potemkin announced proudly. "But don't worry. This isn't Miss Kaiba's. No I'd imagine her Blue Eyes is still safe in her precious deck. This one belongs to Mr. Evo, he gave it to me after you managed to rob me of my precious Buster Blader. He also thought that it would be a fitting way to eliminate you from the tournament. To destroy you with the card that represents the only person you might be able to claim is your friend."
There was something oddly familiar about this situation. As he watched his Dark Magician stare down the Blue Eyes White Dragon Fader just couldn't help but feel a sense of déja vu, almost as if he and his Dark Magician had faced this Blue Eyes together before. The one thing that didn't seem right was Potemkin. Something in Fader's mind was saying that Potemkin didn't belong behind that card. In his heart he new the person that should be standing there, but his mind couldn't form an image of them nor could his mouth find their name.
"Now I'm sure you've already got some plan formed in that brain of yours," Potemkin said, interrupting his thoughts. "So I play Heavy Storm to destroy your two face down cards. Now Blue Eyes, eliminate the Dark Magician!"
The mighty beast reared back its head and opened its japing jaw. A white ball of energy began to glow and collect in its mouth. It then whipped its face forward and unleashed the powerful blast and incinerated the Dark Magician instantly.
Fader: 350, Potemkin: 4000.
"You don't stand a chance! Surrender now!" Potemkin shouted over the blast.
When the noise had quieted and the dust had cleared, Fader simply looked Potemkin in the eye and repeated his vow, "I won't lose Potemkin." He closed his eyes and reached for his deck. There was one card that was going to win this duel. As his hand settled on his deck, Fader could almost feel the weight of two other hands on top of his own, lending him strength and support. With confidence Fader drew the card and set it into his duel disk. He already knew what the card was, he didn't need to look at it.
"I have beaten the best that Evo has sent against me so far," Fader announced. "And now I've beaten his gauntlet as well."
"Ha! No you haven't. Just look at the field. You've lost. My Blue Eyes White Dragon will crush you and any monster that you summon."
"You're wrong Potemkin. That Blue Eyes isn't yours. That dragon is a noble beast that belongs to a proud and great man and duelist, Seto Kaiba. A coward like you hasn't earned its respect."
"I don't need its respect," argued Potemkin. "Only its power."
"And that's why you're going to lose, you have no respect for the cards, or their hearts."
"You will lose Fader, so stop stalling and make your move."
"Alright Potemkin you asked for it. I play Monster Reborn to bring back my Dark Magician!"
"That's your move? I've already destroyed your Dark Magician once. And when I destroy it next turn it will take the rest of your Life Points with it."
"Not going to happen Potemkin. When you first played the Blue Eyes against my Dark Magician I felt a strong sense that I had been in this battle before. Not once or twice, but hundreds of times before. Hundreds of times that on a battlefield the Dark Magician and Blue Eyes White Dragon would stand against each other as mortal enemies."
"What does any of this have to do with me?"
"Because today I am going to change history. Tonight the Dark Magician and Blue Eyes White Dragon are going to unite to destroy a common enemy."
"Nice speech, but it was only words. The reality is that the Blue Eyes is still mine," Potemkin said with arrogance.
"I've already told you," Fader reminded him. "That Blue Eyes isn't yours. Now it will show it's true nature. I activate the Change of Heart!"
"No not again!"
"That's right Potemkin, you and I have our own history. Every time you come against me you lose. Thanks to your own card. Now Dark Magician and Blue eyes White Dragon attack with Dark Magic and White Lightning!"
Fader: 350, Potemkin: 0.
"I ran your guantlet and won," Fader declared. "I'll take your six locator cards as well as Tremendous Fire, Mirror Force, Axe of Despair, Raigeki, Millennium Shield and the BLue Eyes White Dragon. more importantly I take your six pieces of the Millennium Puzzle." Fader went to each duelist and collected his prize. Fader then moved to leave, but turned back to Potemkin. "and you can take this message back to Evo; 'I am coming for you.' Now, I'm going to sleep."