Tournament of Souls Chapter 12
Regional Final Round
"A year went past. The days followed one another patiently. Right back at the beginning of the multiverse they had tried all passing at the same time, and it hadn't worked." - Terry Pratchett's Wyrd Sisters from the Discworld Series
Editor's Note: We apologize for having two quotes in a row from the same person. We tried to stop him, we really did. Also we would like to thank Peace Writer for his review. Thank you for your help. On one point though, the spacing in words. We know that it appears to be a careless mistake, but believe that it may be something with the way the document is loaded because neither spell check, nor the author found these mistakes yet they were there on FFN. This is not the only author having problems with this though we will try to correct it. Thank you for your review.
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So far the duel wasn't looking very good for Lucien. He was lagging in life points. Actually lagging is an understatement. When someone is behind by 3000 life points it's generally fair to say that they're losing, and badly at that.
However Lucien's prediction hung thick in the air. He had said that he would win, and gone on at some length about it. As of yet though, very little had been done to prove it. And it was his opponent's turn.
Alicia smiled at her audience as she drew. At this point it was predominately her audience as it's no fun to watch a loony who can keep a straight face. And at that point that's what they thought Lucien was. A loony. As far as they could tell, he hardly knew how to duel, and was crazy enough to think that he was going to win. And he wasn't going to be obliging by ranting, raving and drooling a bit.
"For my next move, I will summon The Thing in the Crater (1000/1200)-(1500/800)." A crater appeared on the field. And to the disappointment of the crowd that was about it. But it smoked a bit though it was a lackluster substitute for another holographic monster roaring to the field.
"Next I'll have it attack your… oh yes, Servant of Catabolism. I'm sorry; I had trouble remembering the name. You see, I've never seen one in a serious competition before." Alicia surreptitiously slipped the top card of her deck into the graveyard. A shadow crept to the rim of the crater. It hurled bits of lava at the cowering monster on Lucien's field.
Resolutely, Lucien flipped up a card.
Just before the lava reached his monster a vortex appeared swallowing it. Alicia cursed under her breath. Negate Attack saved me this time, but what about next turn?
"I end my turn." The twin dragons spewed flames on Lucien. He decided not to duck. He might as well keep his pride as if previous experience was any guide it would just follow him down.
Alicia: 7300
Lucien 3300
Lucien looked down at his cards and grinned. He might just have something here.
"I tribute my Servant of Catabolism for Vampire Lord (2000/1500)." Slowly, Servant of Catabolism lowered into the mouth of the volcano from the field card. Then a coffin appeared on Lucien's side of the field. The lid was pushed aside and Vampire Lord emerged with a wave of bats. Alicia's face bore a look of absolute revulsion. Lucien smirked.
"What is it Alicia? Don't like the undead? Well that's too bad, because the undead just love you. Vampire Lord atta- stand down." Lucien said with a glance at Alicia's face down card and his own complete lack of additional monsters. Now it was Alicia's turn to smirk.
"So, you can't gather the courage to attack? Coward. Anyone who deserves to the regional champion would have attacked."
"If that's so then those that are worthy are fools and would have lost on your next turn, or the turn after. Firstly your face down is likely a trap to destroy Vampire Lord. If so, your next attack would prove fatal. Second the only monster that can be successfully attacked is The Thing in the Crater. If I destroy that then you could get a stronger monster from your hand. Finally-" Alicia brushed her hand through the air as if trying to shoo a fly, however ineffectively as anyone who has had to shoo a fly themselves knows that the only ways to get rid of them is to kill them, get them stuck on fly paper (if you can find some that is actually sticky enough), or to get them locked either outside, or inside a container or room, depending on the situation.
"We get the idea. You could probably go on explaining this or anything else for hours. I wouldn't be surprised if you could explain the actions of our current and former presidents. Actually, I would but that's beyond the point. Just get on with your turn already."
"Very well. I set a card face down and end my turn." Alicia grimaced. It was clear that she didn't like the number of traps that Lucien seemed capable of setting. Again Alicia drew. When she saw the card she actually chuckled a bit.
Wonder why she's so happy. All I know it can't be good news for me. I just hope she doesn't realize exactly how close to death I am.
"I hate to say this Lucien, but you're going to lose this. You haven't even put up that much of a fight, so I can't say that I'll be picking you for the team. I tribute my The Thing in the Crater for Spell Canceller (1800/1600)." The crater in which the monster was hidden simply disappeared, and in its place appeared Spell Canceller, a small bug like machine with what looks kind of like a metal bud on its head.
Almost as soon as it appeared however, the bud began to open and six metal petals appeared. Wisps of energy floated around it. One of the wisps found its way into the center of the flower and turned into a bead of light which then was launched into the center of the volcano which simply disappeared along with the rest of the landscape. Another hit Gravekeeper's Servant making the image of the card grey.
The crowd reacted. Whispers of "Why would she do that? It's not even a Fire attribute." and "But what about her field card? Now Vampire Lord is the strongest monster on the field." spread around the stands like wildfire. And indeed, all monsters on the field had returned to their original strengths. Lucien grimaced.
So I was right then. Her face down card must be a trap for her to do summon that; either that or its one heck of a bluff. But this does mean that I'm safe… for now. If I can build up a decent defense before attacking then I should be able to… Curse it! I'd forgotten I still can't attack her dragons. And as soon as I destroy Spell Canceller they'll be get their boost back. Normally I'd play a waiting game, but that's against me because that's her plan; to burn me to death with those dragons.
"To end my turn, I set a card face down. Care to make a move pretty boy?" The dragons again burned Lucien. He closed his eyes briefly against the flames. However, he refused to raise his arms to guard his face. It's just an illusion.
Alicia: 7300
Lucien: 2300
Lucien drew and chose to keep his peace rather than beginning a war of words. As he looked at the cards in his hand a plan that had been sitting in the recesses of his mind began to flesh itself out. And from what he could see so far, it would be a winner. It had better be.
"I call your bluff." Alicia was startled out of some dream of glory.
"Bluff?" Lucien nodded in what he hoped was a sufficiently convincing fashion.
"Your face down card; I was a fool not to see it before. It can't harm me. It's probably nothing more threatening than another Backfire. Vampire Lord, attack her Spell Canceller!" Vampire Lord swept its cape aside for the release of hundreds of bats, it flew after them. Alicia flipped her face down trap.
"You only got one thing right, and that is that you're a fool, more so now than before. You're Lord of the Creeps is destroyed by the silver blades Sakuretsu Armor." As she said this, silver bladed walls sprung up around Spell Canceller, and Vampire Lord and its bats broke against it like the tide. As the crucial moment had passed, Lucien allowed his façade to slip.
"Pity then, oh well, no loss. It will return next turn. I'll set a monster and end my turn." Alicia drew her card grinning. It was worth all those years with braces if she was going to be smiling this much. Make sure to show the camera those pearly whites.
"You really are a fool, aren't you? You're lone monster can't possibly defend against my hordes. Spell Canceller, attack his monster." The machine gathered energy and fired a laser at the face down monster. A mechanized storage device appeared.
"Well Alicia, it seems that you just fell into a trap of my devising. Now all monsters on the field are destroyed and we each pick up-" Alicia was already drawing cards and Lucien desisted in his explanation. Inside the Cyber Jar, images of the big band were presented. Soon the images expanded to the field with a rush of light and colliding atoms. When the light show was over, the only things on the field were spells and traps. The volcano had returned and Gravekeeper's Servant had regained its coloration; that and the two chunks of flaming rock flying at Lucien.
They met their mark.
Alicia: 7300
Lucien: 1300
As each player drew, holographic representations of their cards appeared. Alicia had Backfire, Raging Flame Sprite, Magic Cylinder, UFO Turtle, and Premature Burial. She summoned both of her monsters in attack mode.
Lucien drew Needle Worm, Morphing Jar, Assault on GHQ, Gravity Bind, and Needle Worm. All of his monsters went face down. Alicia was starting to get annoyed by his tactics.
"Alright, you've survived long enough. First of all, I'll attack your life points directly with Raging Flame Sprite (600/0)." She slipped a card into the graveyard. The sprite flew over Lucien's cards and bonked him over the head with a flaming wand.
Alicia: 7300
Lucien 700
"As you know, when my sprite attacks directly, it gains 1000 attack points (1600/0). Next off my UFO Turtle (1900/800) attacks your middle face down." Again Alicia lost the top card of her deck. UFO Turtle belched fire at the card which flipped up to reveal Morphing Jar. Both players discarded and refreshed their hands.
"To end my turn I play Wave Motion Cannon. See if you can survive another turn." An elaborate cannon appeared. Lucien drew and sighed.
"I'm afraid that this duel is just about over for you. During my standby phase Vampire Lord returns to the field. It's the beginning of the end for you. First I flip summon both of my Needle Worms (750/600). You lose 10 cards from the top of your deck." Again Alicia's deck disappeared into the machinery of the arena only to appear with scarcely any cards left in it and a much thicker graveyard. Vampire Lord had again emerged from his coffin.
"Now I play Card Destruction, we both discard our hands and draw the same number of cards." Like lightning, Alicia activated her trap.
"I've been saving this card because I knew that you would try something like that. Solemn Judgment, it negates any spell, trap, or monster summon as long as I care to pay half my life points." Though Lucien raised his eyebrows, he was inwardly cursing his bad luck and lack of judgment. The old man and his escort appeared briefly in a burst of heavenly light and disappeared.
Alicia: 3650
Lucien: 700
Lucien picked another card out of his hand.
"You may have stopped on card, but you're out of ways to negate my spells. I play Heavy Storm." A great wind swept across the field. A man, a few cows and pieces of farm equipment, all of the spells and traps on the field, and a farm house were all sent off to Oz. When the storm had passed, the volcano was, once again, gone, and Alicia's monsters were at their original strengths (1400/1200) (1100/200).
Lucien sighed at his mistake and the loss of his spell and trap cards.
"Vampire Lord, attack Raging Flame Sprite." Vampire Lord lunged at the sprite, bats and all. When the cloud of bats faded, there was nothing left; unless you count whatever Vampire Lord was licking off his lips.
Alicia: 2750
Lucien: 700
"Also I can choose a kind of card, and you have to discard one from your deck. I choose Monster." Alicia took out her last Ultimate Baseball Kid.
"Now, just to be safe I play Messenger of Peace and set a monster as well as an additional card. I end my turn." Alicia drew and frowned.
"Now to do some serious damage, I'll attack one of your Needle Worm's with UFO Turtle."
Alicia: 2750
Lucien: 50
"Now, to end my turn I tribute UFO Turtle for Jinzo (2400/1500)." The mechanized monster rose out of a vortex onto the field. It cracked it knuckles mechanically.
"Now you'll see you're prediction proven wrong. I only have one card left in my deck. But that doesn't matter because you can't afford to pay for Messenger of Peace. If you have any trap cards, Jinzo will stop them. He and my other monsters will attack and destroy you. At this point all it will take is a Raging Flame Sprite. You've lost." Lucien just shook his head as Messenger of Peace faded because he was unable to pay the cost.
"I told you I was going to win this duel, and I meant it. Now watch how I'm going to do it. First I tribute my face down monster for Thestalos the Firestorm Monarch (2400/1000)." A man in heavy maroon armor took the field.
"Now, Thestalos has an effect. When it is successfully tribute summoned, a random card is sent from your hand to your graveyard, and you take damage equal to 100 times the number of stars." Thestalos send a fire bolt at Alicia's hand. She discarded the indicated card- Smashing Ground."
"It's a spell card, so you don't take any damage. Now I attack your Jinzo with Thestalos. Fire Storm." Thestalos pointed a finger at Jinzo and let loose a tornado of flames. Weathering this, Jinzo sent off a ball of physic energy before it was destroyed. The energy destroyed Thestalos.
"Next Vampire Lord attacks you directly." The bats swept over Alicia. She screamed as she saw her dreams begin to fall apart.
Alicia: 750
Lucien: 50
"Now Needle Worm, finish this!" It fired a single needle that pierced only Alicia's finger which was guarding her face.
Alicia: 0
Lucien: 50
Both contestant and champion picked up their decks and were lowered to the ground. This time round Lucien found the latch and walked out of the dueling box. He walked out around in front of the stands. Mr. Dongard came around and said.
"The regional champion for West City and the surrounding sub-urban area is Lucien."
Cameras flashed and the crowd cheered their champion, superior, and soon to be savior, Lucien.