Tournament of Souls- Regional
Quote of the Day: "The rule of holes: When you are in a hole, stop digging."
Anonymous
As Lucien had suspected, both of them had won. Aliya was telling him how she had beaten someone when they had tried to revive their Summoned Skull with Premature Burial by activating Big Burn when she had Fire Princess and Soul Absorption on the field. Raoul wouldn't stop talking about how he had bluffed his opponent out for long enough for him to get Dark Magician on the field and to wipe out his opponent's defense with Dark Magic Attack, but Lucien was worrying about other things. Where would Larron have gone? I need to get to a local news report. He checked the clock to see how much time he had. According to it, he still had about ten minutes. But where will I find a TV or radio? The bar up the street would have some, but I'm not allowed in there… Perfect! I'll check the restaurant on the next block. I'm allowed in there and I can pretend to be waiting for someone.
"And then I played Pot of Greed to put the third counter on my Skilled Dark Magician--" Lucien interrupted Raoul's tail of victory.
"Sorry guys, I got to go for a bit if a run, my legs are stiff from sitting in an odd position." As Lucien jogged out the door, his friends looked at him oddly, but they just shrugged it off.
Lucien ran flat out to get to the restaurant. He didn't even bother to use any short cuts since most of them went up hill in this direction. When he reached the restaurant though, all of the lights were out. The sign on the door said, "Closed for renovations" and there were sounds of construction around back. For a minute Lucien just stared at the door in dismay. How am I supposed to find out if my hunch is right if I can't find a news report?
On the way back to the card store, Lucien took all of the short cuts. He did this not because he was short on time (as he was walking rather slowly) but because he needed somewhere dark to brood. On the curb of one of the alleys that he was using as a short cut, an old lady sat knitting, and listening to a battery powered radio. Lucien heard it announce the name of the local news station, and he immediately stopped to listen.
radio "And over at the Main Street Bridge, there is a teenager threatening to jump off of the new observation box. According to witnesses, his name is Larron Cooper. He is refusing to come down. He has been standing on the railing of the observation box. And now, back to the weather." I HATE IT WHEN I'M RIGHT. I need to get over their and get Larron down. But if I go over there, I will be eliminated due to absence from the tournament. I will just have to beat my next opponent quickly, get out to the bridge, stop Larron, and get back. I have some lofty goals, but I intend to complete the task at hand.
Lucien started to run back to the shop. He skidded into the parking lot of the card shop, and ran in the door. He was just in time. The next round was being announced by Mr. Dongard.
"Lucien vs. Ray table one Lilly vs. Ethan table two…" Lucien went to table one again and sat down. Even after their names were called, Aliya and Raoul stayed by the front, frantically searching for Lucien. Seeing them, Lucien waved to let them know that he was back. He then sat down at his table to await the arrival of his opponent. Before his opponent arrived however, he started to exchange cards with his side deck. I will need to win this fast. And in any case, many of the combos that I am using now are not going to be effective against those who have made it this far. I am going to take out Rope of Life, and Forced Requisition for sure. I originally meant to side out Assault on GHQ but seeing how well it has served me so far, maybe…
Moments after he finished exchanging cards, his opponent arrived. He walked up and sat down with a smile on his face saying,
"Hey, my name's Ray, you're Lucien right?"
"Yes it is, nice to meet you Ray. Shall we get started?" Finally, I have a normal opponent. The rest were all kinda freaky.
"Sure, I'll flip a coin, okay?"
"Fine. I call heads." Ray flipped the coin, and after several mid-air turns, it landed on tails.
"I'll go first." They both drew their starting hands, and Ray drew his sixth card and announced his move.
"I'll start off by setting three cards face down, playing a field spell face down, and setting a monster. Then I will play Different Dimension Capsule, in two turns it will be removed from play and I will pick a card from my deck and remove it as well, but you don't get to see it; then after two more turns, I get to add it to my hand. That is all." He set his entire hand on his first turn? That is a dangerous move, but with my hand I can't do much about it.
"Ok, I will set a monster—" Before he could continue, Ray interrupted.
"I chain with Light of Intervention. Now we may no longer set monsters so your monster is summoned face up." Blast, I depend on my flip effects. Good thing that I took some out with my side decking, and added in additional methods.
"Fine then, I will summon Morphing Jar (700/600) in defense mode. Then I will set three cards and end my turn."
"I will start off by playing Stumbling. Now whenever we summon monsters, they are automatically switched to defense mode. Then I will flip up my Dancing Fairy (1700/1000). It is switched to defense mode by Stumbling. Now during my standby phases, I will gain 1000 life points. To end, I will activate the face down field spell, Chorus of Sanctuary. Your turn." I need some of those cards that I side decked, and I'm not drawing them. This will have to do for now.
"First of all, I will play Mystical Space Typhoon on your Stumbling. Now I will summon Raging Flame Sprite (100/200). I will attack your life points directly with its effect." Ray looked at his face down cards but did nothing.
Lucien: 8000
Ray: 7900
"Then I chain Robbin' Zombie to the damage, so you have to discard the top card of your deck. Also when it attacks directly, it permanently gains 1000 attack." Ray slipped the top card of his deck to the grave.
"Is that all?"
"Almost, I set another card, and I will end my turn."
"I will chain Solemn Wishes to my draw. I gain 500 life points."
Lucien: 8000
Ray: 8400
"During my standby phase I gain 1000 life points because of Dancing Fairy."
Lucien: 8000
Ray: 9400
"Also during my standby phase, I remove Different Dimension Capsule from play along with a card from my deck. Then I will play Pot of Greed, and because of Solemn Wishes I gain 500 life points as well as drawing two cards."
Lucien: 8000
Ray: 9900
"Then I summon Spirit of the Breeze (0/1800), in attack mode, and end." It may not be new, but it will do the trick.
"I will tribute my Morphing Jar for The End of Anubis. Now, I will have my monster attack Spirit of the Breeze."
"I will activate one of my strongest cards, Wall of Revealing Light. Now I can pay any multiple of 1000 life points and any monsters with attack equal to or less than that amount can not attack me. Now, just to be safe, I will pay 5000 life points for it."
Lucien: 8000
Ray: 4400
"I think I see now. You stop all of my attacks with that, and you gain life points to make up for the cost. However, that only prevents me from beating you in the traditional fashion. It does nothing to advance you."
"We will see, now continue your move."
"Fine, I will end my turn."
"Interesting, all of my opponents so far have tried to destroy it immediately, or have tried to make their monsters strong enough to get over it in that turn. You however merely take it lying down. I'm not sure whether I should be wary or if I should rejoice."
"If I were in your position, I would be wary. However I am always wary so that is not necessarily the best guide." Ray laughed.
"Ha ha! Well, I will take advantage of that. First after I draw I gain 500 life points."
Lucien: 8000
Ray: 4900
"Then I gain 1000 each from Spirit of the Breeze and Dancing Fairy."
Lucien: 8000
Ray: 6900
"As for the offensive, you of all people should know that a good defense can be the best offense. I summon White Magician Pikeru. Now during my standby phases I gain 400 life points for each monster on my side of the field. I will also set one card face down. That will be all." If I was trying to win in the traditional fashion all the life gain would be trouble. But right now it is Light of Intervention that is bothering me. I can't to a bloody thing!
"There is very little that I can do, so I will end my turn." I'm not entirely sure that I can win this. I will give it a turn or two more. If I find that I have no hope of winning, I will surrender. Larron's life is more important than denting my honor with surrender.
"Really? Most people try to build up a field presence, to prepare for what they see as the inevitable attack, everyone else has done something to try and stop me. You just sit there. Most people would show some stress under the duress of inability. Most people..." Lucien had been glaring at Ray all through this. After a few sentences, his eyes started to grow close together and to transform into mere slits through which his usually hazel eyes peered out through now looking more like the blue frost forming on a lake during a blizzard. By the time Ray finished the third sentence, he cracked. He stood up and started shouting.
"Since you haven't figured this out yet, I'm not "most people"; in fact I am quite different from most people. There are more important things to me than just winning this duel, and I just need it to be over. If you are going to win, do it quickly. Regardless, stop making your foolish assumptions and make your move!" People from around the room turned to stare, but as Lucien glared around the room, they turned away. Ray started stuttering a reply.
"I… I am sorry if I have offended you but—"
"NOW!" Lucien slammed his hand down on the table so hard that a boy at the next table who had recently straightened his massive deck, and had just moved to draw a card soon had his deck all over his lap. Ray visibly cowed, drew his next card.
"I gain 500 life points when I draw."
Lucien: 8000
Ray: 7400
"In my standby phase I gain 1000 from Spirit of the Breeze, 1000 from Dancing Fairy, and 1200 from White Magician Pikeru. I also get the card that was removed from play with Different Dimension Capsule."
Lucien: 8000
Ray: 10600
"I will activate my face down trap, DNA Transplant and I will make all of our monsters have a light attribute. Then I will summon Fire Princess." Here is the card that can do damage. In his deck, this is deadly. At this rate I will be taking 2000 damage a turn. That gives me 4 turns to retaliate. But that is just assuming that nothing else goes wrong.
"I will then activate my other trap, Solar Ray, which does 600 damage for every light monster on my side of the field." Yep, something went wrong. That takes one turn off my life.
Lucien: 5600
Ray: 10600
"Then I will play Goblin Thief, you lose 500 and I gain 500. Then because I gain life, you lose 500 more." That doesn't reduce the number of turns, but if he gets another card like that it will.
Lucien: 4600
Ray: 11100
"That will be all." Why won't my strategy work? It is so outside of the box that it has beaten everyone else.
"I have nothing, therefore I end." I can't do anything. I am drawing cards but none of them help any. I can't win by getting cards one-by-one. I need to get a lot, but I'm not sure if two cards from Pot of Greed or even three from Graceful Charity would help. This is hopeless, it will be over so fast that there is no point in surrendering; I might as well keep a smidgen of honor.
"Hahaha, you aren't so different from the rest, are you? In the end you lose just the same."
"I hate repeating myself. If you are so sure that you are going to win, go ahead and do it quickly."
"If you insist; I draw. I gain 500 so you lose 500."
Lucien: 4100
Ray: 11600
"During my standby phase, I gain 1000 from Dancing Fairy, 1000 from Spirit of the Breeze, and 1600 from White Magician Pikeru. You lose 500 for each one."
Lucien: 2600
Ray: 15200
"Now I will play Sanctuary in the Sky, destroying Chorus of Sanctuary. You must have figured this out already being and intelligent person, but the only card that I need to beat you now is one of my Agents. Summon Spirit of the Breeze in attack mode, and that will be all." How am I going to beat this guy? I will only have 100 life points after his next standby phase. Even if I managed to not loose, all he needs is one of his more powerful Agents, and I loose any how. There is no hope for me in this duel, and I have been stalling for so long, that odds are there is no hope for Larron either… because I was so stupid, he will loose his life. All hope is lost, for both of us…
/Flashback/
"All hope is never lost."…
Note: First of all I would like to thank all of my reviewers. You guys are the best! This chapter may be a little short because I have learned about something called suspense and wanted to include some.
Rex: Thank you for that advice. I will make sure to use it.
Sdrive: Yeah, I finally got that fixed. He didn't tell Raoul about the fight because he doesn't want to get his friends involved with his problems.
John: That was possibly the least concise review ever. I'm glad that you liked the quote though.
Zenryo: Why on earth do you have a study hall so early in the day? That was funny review though (seriously, I practically was rolling on the floor laughing) and I will see what I can do, but what do you have against exclamation points! The name of the game has one. See? Yu-gi-ohAnd I think that my apostrophe key works. I just don't like conjunctions. ''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''' yeah, it works alright. And we talked through the rest, so that's covered.
Peace Writer: Sorry for the grammar mistakes, I think I forgot to run spell check. I know the errata for Forced Requisition and I almost had him play Graceful Charity before that, but then Sinister Serpent would already have been in the grave and that would have mucked things up. So once again, I ignored Upper deck's ruling. Keep telling me when I do that though, because I like to avoid it where possible. For some reason your review got sent twice (at least it appeared in my mailbox twice) but whatever.