With only a dozen hours less than a gross of work that Zack and Shini used, the day finally came. Zack had a Fire Speed and Beatdown Deck, Shini had a Water Speed deck.
"Ready, Shini?" Zack questioned.
"Yup. What about yourself?"
"Yeah. Let's get in the classroom to get the tournament chart started," Zach nodded, entering the classroom doors one more time. Shini followed, looking at the large board.
"Morning you two. Get down here in the front to draw numbers," Professor Blaze told them.
Shini and Zack got by his desk, picking out two numbers at random from a box, and as the teacher put their names up, they noticed they were on opposite sides of the branched tournament. That was a sigh of relief for them. More likely than not, one was making the finals, the other would be losing to the cheap kid. They quickly sat at a practice dueling table, doing the duel without the disks and just to make sure their decks work. Worked pretty well, speaking they got a tie because a silly Self-Destruct Button usage. They then looked at the board and nodded, seeing the board was almost completely filled.
"So where is that kid's name . . . ." Zack asked himself, looking for the supposed cheater. He then noticed the kid being in the third slot of the board, if you look at it as four quarters. Zack knew that meant having to face him in the semi-finals at best.
"Sorry, Zack. Guess we are just going to have to go from one to another, eh? One doesn't knock the giant down, the other has to," Shini commented.
"Yeah. That is not exactly good, is it? I am the first meat, you are the second," Zack sighed.
"Sorry, but true. Want my good luck charm for your duel against him?" Shini asked, showing the Wing Weaver necklace he made that was hidden under his shirt.
Zack looked at it a bit. "Thanks, Shini, but I just need to have hope, not luck. Still, luck to you," Zack smiled.
Shini nodded. "Thanks. Luck, buddy." With that, the teacher yelled the tournament was about to start and told them all to the dueling ring.
Shini's good luck charm was working pretty damn well so far, as was Zack's confidence. Beating a few of the top students in the first 4 matches of a 64 person tournament board quickly earned them the chance to make it into the final 4.
"Well, ladies and gentlemen, we are finally down to the top four! In our first match up, it shall be the most recent student, Shini H. Laser, against top female of the school, Mira Shadewither!" the female announcer told them from the stage. "Shini, Mira, any comments to your opponent or to the audience?"
Mira and Shini looked at each other. "Shini, go ahead," Mira smiled.
Towards the other female, Shini motioned to hand the microphone to him, which she did.
"Well, you are wondering, why haven't Mira and I haven't sent each other evil glares, correct?" Shini questioned everyone. From the crowd, a bit of murmuring came that sounded of a yes answer. "Well, Mira and I actual date back to when Pegasus started this game. She was what, 13 and I was 12, I needed someone to teach me. She gave me the basics, but I struggled along to grip the game. And now, we are finally here, semi-final match. Also, Mira, let me pass something over I kept over the years," he smiled, pulling out the necklase.
Mira smiled back, taking the microphone. "You know what, Shini? Always loved your style of thinking and such, how you always wanted to get some advantage, and that is what the luck charm is for. I don't care if I win of lose, like you probably don't, but I know what think. Frost vs Volcano, if Frost wins, who ever wins this better kick his ass," Mira grinned, which got the crowd wiled up.
Nova Frost, as the cheater's name was, might of been the favorite to win the tournament, but obviously, wasn't a crowd favorite. Everyone hated him, pretty much. But even as everyone knew he was a cheater, the teachers had no way to prove it. Giving him a new dueling disk right before the duel, searching him for magnets, everything. Nothing worked, and his cheating habits always seemed to be at the surface. Probably his last name should been Flash. That is besides the point anyway.
Shini smiled at Mira, giving her a big hug. "Buena suerte, mi amiga," Shini said.
"Iqualmente, Shini," she nodded.
"Well, there they are. Best luck to them all!" the announcer yelled through it, then got out a coin. "Mira, you had the better win last game, you call heads or tails."
"Heads, please," Mira called.
The girl nodded and flipped it. "Heads!" she said. "Mira, you first. Again, good luck!"
Shini closed his eyes, wondering what Mira had as a hand.
"I set 2 cards and then summon Queen's Knight," she said, looking into Shini's eyes. "Done."
Shini sighed. "I don't need it now. I'll wait to set it," he thought in his mind, but outloud, said, "Got King's Knight in your hand, Trap Hole and Draining Shield on the field?" Shini questioned Mira.
"If I did, what would that matter to you?" Mira grinned.
"Nothing except for this card," Shini grinned, showing the Giant Trunade and then playing it.
"Wrong there, Laser. Magic Jammer," she activated. "And I discard Marie the Fallen Angel."
Shini sighed. "Well, that means I can get rid of the second one with Mystical Space Typhoon," he said.
"Okay. Queen's Knight is exposed," she said.
"Not attacking, though. Monster to be set and end."
"Fine then. Gain 200 from Marie the Fallen Angel, but you were right about King's Knight in the hand. I have it and summon it, able to search my deck for Jack's Knight and summon that also," she said, doing exactly so and started to shuffle the deck.
"Okay. So, what you have in mind?" Shini asked.
"Hm . . . . Knowing my dumb luck, your set monster is Penguin Soldier, so I'll make Queen's Knight attack your monster," Mira called out.
"Weak defense, yes, but not Penguin Soldier," he corrected.
"Okay, okay. Let me guess now, Spirit Reaper?"
Shini nodded. "Going stall ya for a bit, is it?" he asked. That was the part Shini loved about Spirit Reaper. Pretty damn weak, with 300 ATK 200 DEF, but was never destroyed of a result of battle or a magic or trap that didn't target it specifically.
"Yup. Well, no point attacking, so end," she nodded.
"Well, sorry to say this, but Dark Hole," Shini said, seeing the three Knight's images shattering, but the Spirit Reaper surviving. "With that, I go and switch it to attack position and do 300 damage, but I get to randomly select a card so . . . . Actually, no, I won't. So tie game so far . . . Well, I set three cards, ending my turn. Note I have no hand."
"Gain that 200 back. Yay," she commented sarcastically and went on with, "Well, I summon Dark Elf, having 2000 attack and 800 defense, and equip it with Axe of Despair, making it gain 1000 more attack, and attacking you for 2700 damage after sacrificing 1000 life points myself," she grinned.
"Not just yet, Mira. I use Dimension Wall, doing all that damage back at you," Shini activated.
"Darn. 4000 to 400 . . . Well, I need good luck, so . . . I'll use Pot of Greed," she sighed a bit, looking at her next two cards. "I set one and play Goblin's Secret Remedy on you. Done . . . ." Mira said.
Shini looked at his disk. 4600, and damage calculations said she had 400 left. Card he drew, and the only card in his hand, Pot of Greed. "I play Pot of Greed," he said softly, looking into her eyes, and then drawing two more cards.
Mira looked at him. "You know what, Shini. I'll give you the chance to draw a third," she nodded.
The judges looked at her and raised an eyebrow. "Um . . . She gave him permission to, so go ahead, Mr. Laser," the head told him.
He nodded and drew a third one. "So . . . I use Snatch Steal on Dark Elf," he announced slowly.
"Go on," Mira nodded at him.
"I flip up both of my traps, both being Alter for Tribute, giving them up to gain 2300 life points . . . . . so 6900 to 400 . . . After that, I go and use Dian Keto the Cure Master, having 7900 to her 400," Shini slowly played.
"Sorry, Shini, but Self-Destruct Button," she said, activating it. Since the gap difference between them was over 7000 in Shini's favor, Self-Destruct Button would bring them down to 0.
"Well, Mira, sorry, but the card you last let me draw was Poison of the Old Man, so after you bring me down to 0, I use it to stay alive," he said.
That was the end. 1200 to 0, Shini's favor. Shini got his usual congratulations, which then they got off the stage.
"Mira, good luck to me. Just make sure you don't cheat for me again at the World Championship," Shini smiled, looking at her.