Chapter 13: Duel to the Finish
"You better pay closer attention to me, Joey," Monica called out. "I'm playing Accelerator Drive from my hand!"
With that, another Spell activated as Joey turned his attention back onto Monica. Not much longer, though, they came upon an S curve, and each of them had to maintain their Runners in order to prevent them from running off! Monica managed to pull through readily, while Joey struggled somewhat to keep off the railing each time.
After they finished the turns, Monica continued, "With my Accelerator Drive in play, whenever a monster's Atk increases, my Life Points increase as well, by 500!"
Man, she's definitely not going easy on me! Joey thought to himself.
"Better catch up soon, Joey," Monica taunted. "I've driven past Death Mountain a number of times, and not once have I lost on its path!"
Meanwhile, in the stands, Yugi and the others continued to watch Joey's struggle.
"This doesn't look good," Tristan said. "If he can't catch up to her, he can't get past the finish line first!"
"And if he doesn't figure out a way to take out that Nitros Dragon, he's gonna be in for a tough duel as well," Yugi added.
"I just hope he makes it out of all of this," Tea said. "This whole Turbo Duel thing is just too much!"
In the control booth, the multitude of workers continued monitoring the duel. Izzy typed away at her monitor, calling out, "Status report!"
"Minor damage on Joey's Duel Runner!"
"What kind?"
"Mainly exterior damage, nothing internal yet."
"Keep watching him, I don't want him to end up wrecking that thing."
Andrew continued commentating, "Joey's gonna have a rough time on Death Mountain at this rate! With Monica putting up a commanding field presence and still in front, he's gonna have to pull out all the stops if he's gonna win this duel!"
"Like I need a reminder," Joey said, overhearing the commentary.
"And now I end my turn!" Monica called out.
(Time Limit: 19)
"Fine den," Joey said, "it's my turn now!"
"Oh, and before I forget, there is one little thing I should mention," Monica said. "Every time a Spell card is activated, my Nitros Dragon gets a Nitros Counter, and each one boosts his Atk by 200!"
Nitros Dragon (8/2800/1800 - 8/3000/1800) (NC: 1)
"3000 Atk points?! Ya gotta be kidding me!" Joey yelled, frustrated that this duel just got even harder.
"And don't forget, with my Accelerator Drive in play," Monica continued, "any time a monster's Atk gets increased, I gain 500 Life Points!"
Monica: 6500
Joey: 6400
Man, dis isn't going well at all! "Alright, I'm playing a monster in Defense mode and dese two cards face-down!" Joey declared. "Dat's dat."
(Time Limit: 18)
"It's about all you can do, isn't it?" Monica mocked, drawing her next card. "Now go, Nitros Dragon! Attack his face-down monster with Nitros Flame Burst!"
The dragon heeded its master's call, charging a sphere of blue flaming energy and firing away at Joey's monster, revealing Gearfried the Iron Knight (4/1800/1600)! The attack incinerated Gearfried into nothing!
"And now, I'm sure you can guess what my Nitros Dragon has in common with his previous evolutions," Monica said. "Each time it attacks, it loses 1000 Atk points. But I'm not letting that happen, cause I'm activating Gear Shift from my hand!"
At that moment, Nitros Dragon became shrouded in a veil of light!
"With this, when my monster would lose any Atk due to an effect," Monica explained, "I can negate that loss and give him the same amount as an increase in Atk instead! So what originally was going to be a loss of 1000 Atk is now a gain of 1000 Atk!"
Nitros Dragon (8/3000/1800 - 8/4000/1800) (NC: 1)
"And because my monster gained Atk points, I gain 500 Life Points with Accelerator Drive!"
Monica: 7000
Joey: 6400
"And since Gear Shift was a Spell card, Nitros Dragon gains another Nitros Counter!"
Nitros Dragon (8/4000/1800 - 8/4200/1800) (NC: 2)
"And because his attack increased again, I gain another 500 Life Points!"
Monica: 7500
Joey: 6400
"NYEH~!" Joey yelped.
"Amazing!" Andrew's voice echoed into the stands. "What a powerful combination! Not only is Monica powering up her Nitros Dragon to get past its flaws, but she's even increasing her Life Points and making things even more difficult for Joey to catch up!"
"4200 Atk points!" Tea exclaimed.
"But Joey doesn't have a monster that can beat that!" Tristan exclaimed, shaking his head.
Yugi looked down at the monitor. "Come on, Joey," he murmured.
Back on the race course, Joey looked up into the eyes of the mighty dragon as the Runners headed towards the base of the mountain. A tunnel gate opened up, allowing for both of the runners to speed through and enter into the mountain itself!
"And now both duelists have raced into Death Mountain! What will happen next?!"
"I think now's a good time to end my turn," Monica called out.
(Time Limit: 17)
"Alright," Joey declared drawing a new card, "I'm gonna activate da Dark Dragon Ritual Spell card! With dis, I can send my Goblin Attack Force (4/2300/0) in my hand to the Graveyard and Ritual Summon the Paladin of Dark Dragon (4/1900/1200)!"
At that moment, a small altar appeared where three goblin soldiers appeared! Then a swirling mass of dark fire spun around them, consuming them and transforming them into a tanned knight in dark armor.
"But he's not gonna be sticking around for long," Joey continued, "cause I'm sending him to da Graveyard ta bring out my Red-Eyes Black Dragon (7/2400/2000)!"
And just as quickly as the knight had appeared, it disappeared, replace with a mighty dragon instead.
"Look at this!" Andrew's voice came through. "Joey has managed to bring out his very own dragon! This is a game changer right here, folks!"
Monica looked back and chuckled. "So you've brought out your Red-Eyes," she said. "Though it seems in the process, you forgot that my Nitros Dragon gains another Nitros Counter due to your Ritual Spell being activated!"
The dragon roared as it gained a new counter to add to its power!
Nitros Dragon (8/4200/1800 - 8/4400/1800) (NC: 3)
"And of course any time a monster's Atk increases, I gain Life Points!"
Monica: 8000
Joey: 6400
"If I were you, I'd think carefully about my next move," Monica said. Joey merely nodded, calling out, "I'm ending my turn here."
(Time Limit: 16)
"Heh, typical," Monica said, drawing a new card. "Yet another opponent that seems to be just out of my league."
"Hey, cut me some slack! I'm new to dis Turbo Dueling thing," Joey yelled back.
"Never you mind that," Monica said. "Cause I'm activating the Card of Sanctity, giving us both a hand of six cards!"
A shower of golden sparkles rained down as both players drew six cards. At that moment, Nitros Dragon roared with power as it gained a new counter and showered Monica with even more Life Points!
Nitros Dragon (8/4400/1800 - 8/4600/1800) (NC: 4)
Monica: 8500
Joey: 6400
"Looks like I'm about to get even stronger!" Monica said, smiling at her hand. "I now Special Summon Twin Dragon Engine (4/0/2000)!"
A small double-headed engine-shaped dragon appeared, roaring from both of its mouth!
"Since I have a Level 8 Dragon on my field," Monica explained, "I can Special Summon Twin Dragon Engine from my hand. And since I Special Summoned a monster, I can also Special Summon Rapid-Wing Dragon (2/900/500) in Attack mode!"
A small, thin, and frail blue dragon appeared, twittering about in the air, flapping its wings as quick as a hummingbird.
"With all of that out of the way, I now summon Accelerant Dragon (4/1900/1000) to the field!" Monica continued, bringing forth another blue dragon, though this one was long and tubular, gripping onto two small bottle-shaped rockets.
"Astounding! Monica has managed to summon out three monsters in a single turn!" Andrew's voice called out. "What will she bring out next?"
Monica smiled. "Sorry, Joey, but I've been known to be an impatient person," she said. "So I think I'm gonna end this duel here and now!"
A loud collective gasp occurred through the crowd. "Is this it?!" Andrew's voice called out. "Is she declaring a final turn?!"
"I'm gonna sacrifice my Twin Dragon Engine and my Accelerant Dragon for their special abilities!" Monica declared, as both monsters flew up and attached themselves to her Nitros Dragon. "During this turn, I can give one of my monsters a major power boost. My Accelerant Dragon contributes 1000 Atk to my Nitros Dragon, while Twin Dragon Engine fires up another 2000 Atk, for a total of 3000 extra Atk points!"
Nitros Dragon (8/4600/1800 - 8/7600/1800) (NC: 4)
Monica: 9500
Joey: 6400
"NYEH~!" Joey yelped.
"There's no way Joey can beat that!" Tristan exclaimed.
"And now, Nitros Dragon!" Monica declared. "Nitros Flame Burst!"
The mighty dragon prepared its attack again, preparing once again to incinerate Joey's monster!
"Hehehe, I was waiting for dat!" Joey replied. "Activate Trap card: Magical Arm Shield!"
Suddenly a small pink shield appeared, extending a metal spring limb towards Rapid-Wing Dragon, grabbing it off of Monica's field!
"And now I get to redirect da attack back at your own monster!" Joey said. "Take dis!"
Yet just as Nitros Dragon was about to unleash its attack, it suddenly stopped again.
"What the heck?"
"Sorry," Monica said, "but I know better than to rush into a battle I'd lose. That's why I activated the Sudden Stop card, which stops my monster's attack before it can do any harm. And since Sudden Stop's a Spell card as well, you know what that means."
Nitros Dragon (8/7600/1800 - 8/7800/1800) (NC: 5)
Monica: 10000
Joey: 6400
"Oh man!" Andrew's voice cried out. "10,000 Life Points! I know we started out big, but considering what she's gone through to get there, this is an impressive lead!"
"And now that my Battle Phase is over," Monica continued, "Rapid-Wing Dragon is mine again. And then I can Set this card face-down before ending my turn."
Nitros Dragon (8/7800/1800 - 8/4800/1800) (NC: 5)
(Time Limit: 15)
As Nitros Dragon's Atk went down, Joey breathed a small sigh of relief. At least it's not too strong now, he thought. But I still need ta come up with a game plan if I'm gonna take down dat dragon! Which I think with dese cards, I might be able to pull something off!
"Here goes!" he called out, drawing a card. "I'm starting out with my other face-down! Metalmorph!"
A curious steely gray blob appeared from the Trap card and coated Red-Eyes Black Dragon, with the dragon roaring in approval.
"With dis," Joey explained, "my Red-Eyes gets a little power boost of 300 Atk and Def points!"
Red-Eyes Black Dragon (7/2400/2000 - 7/2700/2300)
"Don't forget any time a monster's Atk increases," Monica said, "I gain 500 Life Points from Accelerator Drive!"
Monica: 10500
Joey: 6400
"Cool your jets, I ain't done yet!" Joey said. "Now-"
"They're heading for the big turn!" Andrew's voice called out suddenly.
"NYEH!"
Sure enough, a large curve could be seen up ahead, and the two riders prepared to turn. Monica, caught off-guard somewhat by the call, narrowly missed the railing, while Joey-
"What's this? I think we're about to have an upset here folks!" Andrew's voice called out.
"What's Joey up to?" Tristan wondered.
"I think he's about to make his comeback!" Yugi exclaimed.
Sure enough, on the monitors, Joey had sped up, turned, and passed Monica, gaining the lead!
"Unbelievable! Joey has somehow managed to get in front of Monica, securing a lead on Death Mountain!" Andrew's voice cried out.
Meanwhile, on the course, Joey continued his move by saying, "And now I'm gonna keep up the pace by activating my Dragon Nails card, equipping it to my Red-Eyes and giving him another 600 Atk points!"
"Good, cause that means more Life Points and more power for me!" Monica said as Nitros Dragon received another counter.
Red-Eyes Black Dragon (7/2700/2300 - 7/3300/2300)
Nitros Dragon (8/4800/1800 - 8/5000/1800) (NC: 6)
Monica: 11500
Joey: 6400
"Hehe, well dat's da thing, isn't it?" Joey said. "Your monster's power comes from all dose counters! So what if I just took em away?"
"What are you talking about?" Monica called back.
"I'm talking about dis!" Joey said. "I'm activating my Counter Cleaner Spell card!"
Suddenly, a giant Pot of Greed transformed into a vacuum cleaner began snorting up on the field! The force of the vacuum sucked up all of Nitros Dragon's counters, which flew into the cleaner's nostrils!
"By paying 500 of my Life Points," Joey explained, "I'm able ta rid da field of any counters, including your monster's Nitros Counters!"
Nitros Dragon (8/5000/1800 - 8/3800/1800) (NC: 0)
Monica: 11500
Joey: 5900
"So what if you take away my monster's counters," Monica said, "you still don't have enough Atk to beat it! And since you activated a Spell anyway, my Nitros Dragon gains back a counter, and I get 500 Life Points!"
Nitros Dragon (8/3800/1800 - 8/4000/1800) (NC: 1)
Monica: 12000
Joey: 5900
"Oh contraire!" Joey called back. "With Metalmorph, when my Red-Eyes attacks, he can gain even more Atk points based on half of da Atk of da monster it battles with!"
"Which means..."
"Which means I'm about ta take down dat Nitros Dragon!" Joey called out. "Red-Eyes Black Dragon! Flash Flare Blast!"
With the attack declared, the mighty dragon charged up a powerful fireball, one that got even stronger as Metalmorph absorbed the attack power of Nitros Dragon!
Red-Eyes Black Dragon (7/3300/2300 - 7/5300/2300)
Monica: 12500
Joey: 5900
"Sorry, Joey," Monica said, "but I'm not about to let you get away with beating my monster just like that! I activate the Drift Barrier Trap card!"
"Say what?!"
Suddenly, Monica began to drift, and a new series of sparks appeared, blanketing Nitros Dragon in their path! Just as Red-Eyes managed to fire off its attack, the sparks had already been prepared to reflect the attack!
"With Drift Barrier," Monica explained, "I can negate your monster's attack and then draw 1 new card from my deck. Sorry, but it seems your attempt at beating me just failed!"
Red-Eyes Black Dragon (7/5300/2300 - 7/3300/2300)
"Dangit," Joey cursed. "Looks like I'm going back to defense. I play dese three cards face-down, and end my turn!"
(Time Limit: 14)
"Alright then, looks like it's back to me!" Monica said, drawing a card. "And I'll play my Nitro Boost card!"
Monica: 4500
Joey: 5900
"Nyeh? What gives?" Joey asked.
Monica simply smiled. "I can use Nitro Boost to pay any amount of Life Points in multiples of 1000," she explained, "and for every 1000 Life Points, I can add a Nitros Counter to my Nitros Dragon! And you know what that means!"
"Oh no!"
The dragon suddenly grew in strength, igniting the air around it into a blue fiery inferno!
Nitros Dragon (8/4000/1800 - 8/5600/1800) (NC: 1 - 9)
Monica: 5000
Joey: 5900
"And of course, since I used a Spell card," Monica continued, "you can guess what happens now!"
Nitros Dragon (8/5600/1800 - 8/5800/1800) (NC: 10)
Monica: 5500
Joey: 5900
"Now go! Nitros Dragon! Attack with Nitros Flame Burst!"
The powerful dragon charged up a new flame, ready to strike!
"Looks like I got no choice den but to use dis Trap card!" Joey said. "I activate Compensation Mediation!"
Suddenly, the attack stopped as the trap triggered!
"With dis card," Joey explained, "you get to pick two cards from your Graveyard and den we shuffle all three cards together. If I pick out my card, den da Battle Phase ends!"
"Taking another big risk," Monica noted. "But there's no way you'll be able to get away with it."
"We'll see about that!"
Monica withdrew Gear Shift and Brake Barrier from her Graveyard, setting them on her field. The system took over, shuffling all three cards around until finally it stopped.
"This is gonna be big, folks!" Andrew's voice called out. "Joey's pulling out another risky move in order to stop Monica's attack! And they're nearing the top of the mountain!"
"Alright," Joey said, "I'm gonna be pick the card on the left!"
Slowly, the card on Joey's left revealed itself, and it was-
"Oh yeah!"
"Impossible!"
"Unbelievable! Joey has managed to pick out his card from the three, halting the Battle Phase!"
"Yeah! You da man Joey!" Tristan hollered from the sidelines.
"Keep it up, Joey!" Tea cheered.
Back on the racetrack, Monica placed her two cards onto the top of her deck. "You may have stopped my attack, but you haven't stopped me! I'll switch Rapid-Wing Dragon to Defense mode and equip my Nitros Dragon with Cooling Agent!"
Rapid-Wing Dragon (2/900/500 - 2/900/500)
A small blue box appeared, attaching itself to Nitros Dragon's back and feeding blue tubes into its body!
"With this, whenever my Nitros Dragon would lose Atk points," Monica explained, "I can pay 500 LP to negate the loss. And now I'll Set one card and activate Hyperdrive Highway!"
Suddenly, the tunnel became engulfed in a shade of purple! The tires of the runners began to glow in an odd greenish color!
"What's going on?" Joey asked.
"My Hyperdrive Highway is what's going on," Monica explained. "Now during the End Phase of each of our turns, all monsters on the field will lose 500 Atk points!"
"Say what?!"
"And that's not all," Monica continued. "Since I've activated two more Spells this turn, my Nitros Dragon gains two more Nitros Counters, and that means-"
"I know what comes next!"
Nitros Dragon (8/5800/1800 - 8/6200/1800) (NC: 12)
Monica: 6500
Joey: 5900
"I'd hurry and come up with that strategy you were aiming to beat me with!" Monica taunted. "I'll end my turn here, triggering Hyperdrive Highway's effect! But I'll pay 500 Life Points in order to keep Nitros Dragon's Atk from going down thanks to Cooling Agent!"
Monica: 6000
Joey: 5900
Rapid-Wing Dragon (2/900/500 - 2/400/500)
Red-Eyes Black Dragon (7/3300/2300 - 7/2800/2300)
(Time Limit: 13)
"Well Joey? What's it gonna be?" Monica taunted.
"I'll tell ya what it's gonna be! It's gonna be Joey Wheeler comeback time!" Joey called out, drawing his next card. "My move!"
Looking at the card he drew, Joey smiled. "Looks like I'm gonna get rid of dat dragon for real dis time!" he said. "I'm activating Shield & Sword, reversing da stats of our monsters!"
"You're doing what?!"
Nitros Dragon (8/6200/1800 - 8/5200/2800) (NC: 12)
Rapid-Wing Dragon (2/400/500 - 2/500/400)
Red-Eyes Black Dragon (7/2800/2300 - 7/2400/2400)
"So you evened up your monster's stats for what little good it'll do you," Monica said. "Big deal, especially considering my monster keeps his power boost at full strength and gains even more from your Shield & Sword!"
Nitros Dragon (8/5200/2800 - 8/5400/2800) (NC: 13)
Monica: 6500
Joey: 5900
"Dat may be," Joey said, "but I'm still gonna be able to take him out!"
"You're bluffing!"
"Am I? I summon Rocket Warrior (4/1500/1200) to da field in Attack mode!"
A small green warrior shaped like a rocket and wielding a shield and sword of its own appeared on the field!
"And now I activate my Graceful Dice!"
One of the face-down cards activated, summoning a chibi fairy appeared and rolled a small die!
"You better hope you get at least a 4 then," Monica said. "Cause with that card's activation, my monster's power grows!"
Nitros Dragon (8/5400/2800 - 8/5600/2800) (NC: 14)
Monica: 7000
Joey: 5900
"Don't worry," Joey said. "I've got that under control! Go, Graceful Dice!"
The die landed and spun around rapidly on the moving field, finally landing on-
"A 6!"
"No way!"
Red-Eyes Black Dragon (7/2400/2400 - 7/3000/2400)
Rocket Warrior (4/1500/1200 - 4/2100/1200)
Nitros Dragon (8/5600/2800 - 8/5800/2800) (NC: 15)
Monica: 7500
Joey: 5900
"Unbelievable! Joey's pulling out one maneuver after another! It's unreal!" Andrew's voice called out over the speakers.
"And now I'm gonna attack with my Rocket Warrior!" Joey declared. "Go, blast dat Nitros Dragon to smithereens!"
The warrior's armor converged and formed a rocket exterior to protect the warrior inside! A fiery ignition exploded from beneath the rocket, launching it at Nitros Dragon with a powerful force!
"With dis, Rocket Warrior can negate any battle damage to itself and reduce your monster's Atk points by 500!" Joey explained.
"I hope you haven't forgotten my Cooling Agent while calculating all of this," Monica said. "By paying 500 Life Points, I can negate the loss in Atk points!"
As Rocket Warrior tore through Nitros Dragon, the Cooling Agent poured blue liquid into it, negating the loss in power!
Monica: 7000
Joey: 5900
"I didn't forget about dat!" Joey said, smiling. "Go, Red-Eyes Black Dragon! Inferno Fire Blast!"
The powerful dragon charged up its fireball once more, with Metalmorph absorbing even more power for it to use!
Red-Eyes Black Dragon (7/3000/2400 - 7/5800/2400)
Monica: 7500
Joey: 5900
"And now for my Trap! Go, Skull Dice!" Joey called out, bringing out a small devilish creature with a new die to roll! It tossed the die into the air and it landed on the ground - another 6!
"Sorry Joey," Monica said, "but you're not going to reduce my monster's Atk just like that! I use Cooling Agent to negate the loss!"
Monica: 7000
Joey: 5900
Rapid-Wing Dragon (2/500/400 - 2/0/0)
"Alright! Dat dragon's history!" Joey called out. "Go, Red-Eyes!"
At that moment, the dragon released its devastating fireball towards Nitros Dragon!"
"Activate Trap Card!"
"What?!"
Monica triggered a new trap to counter Joey's attack! "Overheat!"
Suddenly, Nitros Dragon's blue and green skin turned into a fierce shade of red, fire bellowed out from its pores, and it roared fiercely!
Nitros Dragon (8/5600/2800 - 8/11200/2800) (NC: 14)
"OH MAN! Monica's countering Joey's attack by doubling her own monster's Atk!" Andrew's voice called out.
"WHAT THE-?!"
Red-Eyes' fireball was deflected by Nitros Dragon, who decimated Red-Eyes with its own counterattack!
"My Red-Eyes! Gahhhhhhhhhhh!"
Monica: 7000
Joey: 500
With the damage from the attack hitting hard, Joey's runner swerved and lost a lot of speed, allowing for Monica to take the lead!
"It looks like Monica's taking back the duel with this move!" Andrew's voice called out. "By countering his attack, she's nearly taken Joey out of the race! Joey's barely holding on!"
"Oh man, Joey!" Tristan yelped, biting his nails.
"That was a really hard hit he took just now," Yugi noted.
"I hope he's okay," Tea wished.
Back in the control room, the monitors checked up on the status of Joey's runner.
"It's stable for now," one of them called out.
"I think he'll be alright!" another called out.
"What's the damage report?" Izzy asked.
"Some minor damage internally, some more externally, but overall it should hold out!" another called.
Izzy sighed. "This duel's intense," she said to herself. "I'm gonna have to take a nap after this one."
Andrew simply smiled and went back to commentating. "And it looks like our racers are about to enter onto the Cliff of Peril and the final leg of this race!"
Sure enough, the two exited the tunnel, Monica in the lead, Joey having fallen behind! Monica smiled and called out, "Looks like this duel's gonna end faster than I thought it would!"
Joey looked up with a snarl. "You haven't won yet!" he said. "I play Roll of Fate, rolling a die in order to get the same number of cards from my deck, then sending the same number from the top of my Deck to the Graveyard!"
Nitros Dragon (8/11200/2800 - 8/11400/2800) (NC: 15)
Monica: 7500
Joey: 500
An arm appeared out of the card and tossed a die, landing on a 4!
"Alright, 4 cards to draw, 4 cards to my Graveyard," Joey said, doing as such. Perusing his new hand, Joey smiled. "I'm gonna Set dis card and end my turn!" he declared.
(Time Limit: 12)
At that moment, Nitros Dragon's red skin faded into black as the beast flew lower to the field.
Nitros Dragon (8/11400/2800 - 8/0/1800) (NC: 15)
Rapid-Wing Dragon (2/500/400 - 2/0/500)
Rocket Warrior (4/2100/1200 - 4/1000/1200)
"Nyeh?"
"Did you see that?" Tristan asked.
"Its Atk power went down to nothing!" Tea noted.
Suddenly, the power of the highway tore through Rapid-Wing Dragon, destroying it!
"Nyeh?!"
Monica explained, "It's the effect of both Hyperdrive Highway and my Overheat! card. With Overheat!, my Nitros Dragon's Atk becomes 0 during the End Phase. As a result, Hyperdrive Highway can't reduce its Atk any further, so there's no need to pay for Cooling Agent. Then the other effect of Hyperdrive Highway activated on my Rapid-Wing Dragon. You see, when a monster's Atk becomes 0 by its effect, Hyperdrive Highway destroys that monster."
"Dang, dat's brutal!" Joey yelped.
"That's all I can really do," Monica said, drawing her next card. "I'll Set this card face-down and end my turn."
Rocket Warrior (4/1000/1200 - 4/500/1200)
(Time Limit: 11)
"You better get ready for this next part," Monica said, "cause now we're taking this to the skies and the finish line!"
"Say WHAT?!"
Monica revved her runner's engine and charged off towards the Cliff of Peril!
"And here they are at the final leg of the race, folks!" Andrew's voice called out. "The runners must now fly off the Cliff of Peril and onto the race track before speeding back towards the finish line!"
"They have to do WHAT?!" Tristan yelped.
"I have to do WHAT?!" Joey yelped.
Monica's runner suddenly popped out a set of wings and a parachute as it drove off the cliffside! The wings took over, gliding for a bit before the parachute activated, bringing out a massive force that pushed up on Monica strongly! In the meantime, Joey desperately searched for the controls that would apparently allow him to make this jump successfully!
"Somebody activate his wings and parachute!" Izzy called out. "I don't think he's going to figure it out any time soon!"
"On it! Taking over the runner briefly!" one of the monitors called out. Rapidly, Joey's runner began accelerating on its own!
"Nyehhhhhh, I didn't wanna go off dat cliff!" Joey yelled as the runner charged towards the cliff even faster! "Ahhhhhhhhhh!"
And just in time, the runner's wings and parachute triggered, allowing for Joey to fly safely behind Monica! Joey, covering his eyes, took a small peek and realized he was just fine. He breathed a tremendous sigh of relief at this revelation.
"Hey Joey!" Monica called out. "You gonna hurry up and beat me or what?"
Joey looked up and smiled. "Of course I am!" he called out, drawing a card. "I just need ta get back my Red-Eyes with dis card! Monster Reborn!"
Nitros Dragon (8/0/2800 - 8/200/2800) (NC: 16)
Monica: 8000
Joey: 500
With that, the mighty dragon returned to Joey's field safe-and-sound!
"And now I Tribute Rocket Warrior for my Jinzo (6/2400/1500)!" he declared, sacrificing the tiny warrior for a powerful mechanized man! "And with dat, all our Traps are sealed!"
"Oh no! That means I can't use the Brake Barrier I just Set!" Monica muttered somewhat to herself.
"And now, it's time!" Joey said. "Red-Eyes, time to take back your revenge! Go, Inferno Fire Blast!"
The black dragon charged up and fired off its mighty fireball at the blackened Nitros Dragon, destroying it in a powerful blast!
Monica: 5800
Joey: 500
"And now Jinzo, attack her Life Points directly!" Joey called out. With that, the machine fired off laser beams from its eyes and hit Monica's runner easily!
Monica: 3400
Joey: 500
"Oh man, could this be it?! Could this be the end of the duel right here?!" Andrew's voice commented over the waves.
"And now I'm ending my turn!" Joey said.
(Time Limit: 10)
Monica simply smiled as she drew her next card. "You may have taken advantage over here in the duel," she said, "but that doesn't mean you've won just yet! If I can't beat you here, then I'll just have to beat you to the finish line!"
"What?!"
At that moment, the runners landed, and Monica tore off towards the finish line!
"What's this? Monica's taken off to the finish line!" Andrew's voice announced. "It looks like she's taking this to the streets and letting the rules of the Turbo Duel take effect!"
Joey snarled and revved his runner to try and catch up! He managed to reach Monica's rear bumper, only to be cut off by her swerving!
"It looks like this duel's become a race to the finish line, and there's no turning back at this point!" Andrew's voice called out.
Monica turned briefly back at Joey. "Sorry Joey," she said, "but I have to win this no matter what it takes!"
"Oh yeah?" Joey yelled back. "Why don't you tell dat to me while you eat my dust!"
With that, Joey put the pedal to the metal and boosted his speed by a lot! He managed to outmaneuver Monica and speed up alongside her!
"It's neck and neck now, folks!" Andrew's voice announced. "It's Joey! No wait, it's Monica! Now it's Joey! And now Monica-no Joey-no Monica-I can't even tell who's in front at this point! It's gonna be a race down to the last inch!"
"I'll Set this card and end my turn!" Monica announced loudly.
(Time Limit: 9)
"Nyeh?" Joey wondered, getting caught off-guard long enough for Monica to launch her runner with enough speed to get alongside and-
"I don't know what just happened, folks!" Andrew's voice called out. "We may have to go to the cameras for this one!"
"Nyeh?!" Joey realized and hit the brake just in time to avoid the railing. Sighing again, he literally collapsed out of the runner and onto the ground. The others quickly joined him as the pit crew took the runner away.
"Joey! Are you alright?" Yugi asked.
"Nyehhhhhhhh..." Joey drooled onto the tarmac. It was a rather odd sight to be sure.
"Joey, you're embarrassing yourself," Tristan said, facepalming himself.
"And it looks like we have a photo finish!" Andrew's voice announced. The gang looked up at the monitor to see the picture in question.
"And the winner of this duel, by the rules of the Turbo Duel, is DK Monica Toronto!"
AUTHOR'S NOTES
Wow, that was pretty intense! And Joey almost had her too! But it looks like Yugi may have to contend with whatever cards Monica's stored in her deck!
Accelerator Drive (Continuous Spell card)
Effect: Gain 500 LP each time a monster gains ATK.
Gear Shift (Quick-Play Spell card)
Effect: If a card effect would cause a monster to lose ATK: negate the effect, and if you do, that monster gains ATK by that amount instead.
Dark Dragon Ritual (Ritual Spell card)
Effect: This card is used to Ritual Summon "Paladin of Dark Dragon". You must also Tribute monsters whose total Levels equal 4 or more from your field or your hand.
NOTE: This card was recently revealed to be getting a real-life printing soon that adds on additional effects; this card is based off the original version used in the anime.
Paladin of Dark Dragon (Ritual Monster card)
Level 4, 1900 Atk, 1200 Def, Warrior, DARK
Effect: You can Ritual Summon this card with "Dark Dragon Ritual". You can Tribute this card; Special Summon 1 "Red-Eyes Black Dragon" from your hand or Deck. It cannot attack this turn.
NOTE: This card was recently revealed to be getting a real-life printing soon that adds on additional effects; this card is based off the original version used in the anime.
Twin Dragon Engine (Effect Monster card)
Level 4, 0 Atk, 2000 Def, Dragon, WIND
Effect: Cannot be Normal Summoned. If you control a Level 8 or higher Dragon monster: you can Special Summon this card from your hand. You can Tribute this card, then target 1 monster on your field; it gains 2000 ATK until the End Phase.
Rapid-Wing Dragon (Effect Monster card)
Level 2, 900 Atk, 500 Def, Dragon, WIND
Effect: When a monster is Special Summoned to your field: you can Special Summon this card from your hand. This card can attack your opponent's Life Points directly.
Accelerant Dragon (Effect Monster)
Level 4, 1900 Atk, 1000 Def, Dragon, FIRE
Effect: You can Tribute this card, then target 1 monster on your field; it gains 1000 ATK until the End Phase.
Magical Arm Shield (Normal Trap)
Effect: When your opponent attacks while you control a monster: Target 1 face-up monster your opponent controls, except the attacking monster; take control of that tagret until the end of the Battle Phase, and if you do, it is attacked instead, and you proceed to damage calculation.
Sudden Stop (Quick-Play Spell)
Effect: Activate only during your Battle Phase. When your monster declares an attack: negate the attack, and if you do, end the Battle Phase.
Metalmorph (Normal Trap)
Effect: Target 1 face-up monster on the field; equip this card to that target. It gains 300 Atk/Def. If it attacks, it gains ATK equal to half the ATK of the attack target, during damage calculation only.
Dragon Nails (Equip Spell)
Effect: Equip only to a DARK Dragon-type monster. It gains 600 Atk.
NOTE: This card was recently revealed to be getting a real-life printing soon that adds on additional effects; this card is based off the original version used in the anime.
Counter Cleaner (Normal Spell)
Effect: Pay 500 Life Points; remove all counters on the field from play.
Drift Barrier (Normal Trap)
Effect: When your opponent's monster declares an attack: negate the attack, and if you do, draw 1 card.
Nitro Boost (Quick-Play Spell)
Effect: Pay any multiple of 1000 LP, then target 1 "Nitros Dragon" you control; for every 1000 LP paid, place 1 Nitros Counter on that monster.
Compensation Mediation (Normal Trap)
Effect: When your opponent's monster declares an attack: your opponent picks 2 card in their GY, then shuffle this card with those cards and place them face-down on the field. You pick one to reveal at random, then if it was this card, end the Battle Phase. Otherwise, return the opponent's cards to the top of your opponent's Deck, and send this card to the GY.
Cooling Agent (Equip Spell)
Effect: If the equipped monster would lose ATK, you can pay 500 Life Points instead.
Hyperdrive Highway (Continuous Spell)
Effect: During each player's End Phase: all monsters on the field lose 500 ATK, then if a monster's ATK becomes 0 by this effect, destroy it. Either player can discard 2 cards from their hand to destroy this card.
Shield & Sword (Normal Spell)
Effect: Switch the original Atk & Def of all monsters on the field until the end of the turn. Any additions and subtractions to Atk & Def apply to the new Atk & Def. Monsters summoned after this card's activation are excluded.
Rocket Warrior (Effect Monster)
Level 4, 1500 Atk, 1300 Def, Warrior, LIGHT
Effect: During your Battle Phase, this card cannot be destroyed by battle and you take no battle damage from attacks involving this card. If this card attacks a monster, after damage calculation: That attack target loses 500 ATK until the end of this turn.
Overheat! (Normal Trap)
Effect: Target 1 monster on your field; double its ATK. During the End Phase, reduce its ATK to 0.
Roll of Fate (Normal Spell)
Effect: Roll a six-sided die. Draws cards equal to the result, then send the same number of cards from the top of your Deck to the GY.
Monster Reborn (Normal Spell)
Effect: Special Summon 1 monster from either player's GY to your side of the field.
It looks like we're down to the Final Four in the Battle of the Titans! We already know Yugi and Monica have made it, but who might the others be? Will Yugi be able to outplay and outlast the others and reclaim the God Cards, or will he have to dethrone himself and let someone else hold onto them for a while? We'll find out in the next chapter!
