Ser Arthur -The Garden State of Dukeshire
Rain fell from the sorrowful gray skies without remorse on Dukeshire, a vast and rich Gardenrealm Estate with rolling green hills as far as the eye can see and mountains standing meekly in the distance surrounding the folk of the Greenlands. The grim light of dawn shaded the country in a gloomy blue tinge. A cold breath from the mischievous mountains gave the farmers of the community a dreadful chill like winter approaching to conquer the waning spring.
Their dirty and tattered brown tunics did very little to comfort them from the oncoming nip from the mountain, but they were used to weather like this. It was always raining in Thara, and the mountains often enjoyed causing further discomfort to the citizens below their feet with a powerful breeze from their tops. They brushed the cold off like it was nothing and continued reaping the land around them to plant their crops of corn and barley.
Ser Arthur Arledge climbed the muddy dirt road up a steep hill towards the town of Devlinshire, a community of straw huts, log cabins; for those with the skill and strength to build them, a blacksmith and the hilltop bastion of Castle Devlin dominated the small town beneath its shadow. It was a well-built fort shaped like a triangle made of white limestone with tall walls toothed with crenellations, a plethora of ramparts, towers over fifty feet high, and wooden battlements fixed to the outside of the castle walls.
A warm gold glow illuminated from the windows of the castle appearing very inviting. Though Ser Arthur was a mere hedge-knight, he was a knight no less. Surely the Lord of the castle would be a gracious host and allow him to stay the night and offer food and drink. He had ten silver pieces and five gold Star Chips, enough for a warm bed and perhaps some oats for his tall warhorse, Mandaril.
Chickens and ducks waddled across the road in front of him. Some pigs snorted while sniffing around the dirt roads looking for scraps of food. A few of the peasants sat with them in front of the stone wall built along the length on either side of the dirt path. They were holding up cracked clay bowls hoping for a Star Chip or even a copper penny for some soup or a crust of bread at the inn just below the hill the town lay perched on.
A few traders carefully led their carts down the steep hill and a group of pilgrims praying for the fire goddess passed by him locked in supplication for the sun to arrive quick and relieve them of the torturous chill of the mountain rain.
There was an alcove in front of the castle with two gateways; both had their iron gates down. A guard sneezed before slurping his hot soup in a brown tin can given to him by a small boy making the broth in a black cauldron over a fire pit of stone.
"What business do you have here?" the guard asked, holding up his hand to cease Ser Arthur's advancement towards the castle.
"I am a knight," Ser Arthur declared. "I seek food and drink and perhaps a stable boy to feed some oats and give water to my horse."
"You don't look like a knight," laughed the guard. "May I ask who it was who named you?"
"I was named a knight by Ser Baron Kingsly of the Emerald Marches."
"Never heard of him," said the guard. "How do I know you're not making him up?"
"You've never heard of the Massacre of Black Mountain? The last ride of Prince Talion Alteria?"
"I have," said the guard haughtily before taking another gulp of his soup. "But how do I know you're not making this up? I thought there were no survivors."
"Ser Baron and I were in that battle; I speak the truth. I was merely his squire at the time. And there were a few soldiers who escaped before King Forrest's cavalry overwhelmed us. Ser Baron took a bolt from Forrest's son Prince Malcolm just as we rode down the mountain. The bolt struck his rib and he fell to fever. Just before he died, he knighted me and told me to come here to Dukeshire to seek the son of the castle lord. He knew him well. Duke Devlin is his name. He was named after the town."
"You are too late!" said a beautiful knight with short hair. She was clad in shiny plate armor and a blue skirt. "Duke Devlin has his hands full with the Confederacy in Southern Emboldor. Besides; there's no room for the likes of you. The castle is to be kept vacant for the arrival of Lady Avellana Lofnmagni Ethelfleda: The Summoner of Dragons. If you seek food, you can go to the tavern just below the hill. There are no beds to be had there, I'm afraid."
"No beds?"
"No. Ever since news that Lady Avi was going to come here to quest for the storm dragon, flocks of pilgrims from the Temple of the Dragon Goddess have flooded here. Bruma the innkeeper will let you rest your head on the table for the night."
"Sorry to have troubled you," said Ser Arthur. He heard a horn blow from below the road.
"Ah, now there are some true knights to behold." The guard nodded, raising up his drooping kettle-hat helmet to get a better view of the convoy approaching the castle.
Ser Arthur turned around to feast his eyes upon an impressive group of travelers riding up the mountain atop valiant and well-groomed steeds, save for a giant of man, if Arthur could call him that. For the beastly knight had the body of a well-built giant but the head and mane of a fierce lion. He had heard tales of the beast folk from the islands far to the Crying Seas.
He saw pictures of them in his book as a boy. Never did he imagine he would see one. He was too big for a horse so he walked proudly alongside a young woman with flowing blonde hair that elegantly streamed down to her lower back. Her eyes were like molten silver revealing to Arthur that she was a Norman girl.
The people of Normandia were well-known for their eyes like silver or gold. Hers were glimmering like the silver pieces in Arthur's purse. She wore a white gown that exposed her slender shoulders but they were covered and warmed by a white fur cape clasped over her chest with a brooch of gold filigree encasing a giant opal shining in all the colors of the rainbow. Her pink lips were polished with gloss and her long eyelashes flapped like the wings of a black butterfly when she blinked. She rode atop a white stallion in silver chainmail and armored in white chaffron, crinet, crupper, and a brayette trimmed with silver threads forming intricate patterns.
Ser Arthur stared at the girl in awe and wonder. It was her! The Summoner of Dragons! The others must have been her companions.
Alongside the summoner rode a girl with a little dragon as a familiar. She was a half-elf girl with a peculiar dragon perched on her shoulder. A Duel Monster called Baby Tiragon. Though it was a dragon-type creature it had the appearance of a cat with stubby dragon wings. Alongside her on a Nightmare, dark horses with flames for manes, was a red-haired fire mage, waving at the crowd and blowing kisses.
Below the half-elf girl rode a creature called a Telkori, known as the children of the wild. The boy rode atop a donkey and wore a thick set of armor. The visor of his helm had a horrible habit of always falling down over his face, for it was too big, and he was too lazy to get it fixed.
There was another young woman in the party atop a chestnut-colored mare adorned in leather gear. She had the appearance of the tactical soldiers of the East and she even carried an assault rifle mounted on her back. Her armor had layers of holographic ornaments in graceful shapes and designs. They were for aesthetic purposes though. The left half of her fiery red hair was shaven off to reveal the tattoos and runes she had etched to her scalp which went down her face and neck. The crowned gray lion of the royal House of Dalton was emblazoned on her chestplate in between the black pouches holding extra magazines for her rifle. A Meowri with a wide-brimmed hat sat on her shoulder.
A shadow flew over them. The frightened children pointed up at the sky at six dragons flying overhead. Ser Arthur looked up to see them. Yes! Dragons! True Dragons! A whole squad of them. No one at home was going to believe his tale if he ever came back. One glimmered with scales of emerald. The second was dark green and black and had a gold trident at the end of its tail. The third was a green beast with red membranous wings, yellow claws, and horns. The other three were angelic-looking dragons. Two of them had white feathers and the other had black feathers.
While he could not identify the young ladies riding with Avi, he could quickly identify the men riding the dragons above, for he heard tales and songs of their adventures across the taverns where he came to rest. Riding atop the emerald dragon was Ser Damien, the dashing young swordsman. The second one riding on the six-legged dragon was the legendary Black and White Paladin, Ser Kenneth. On top of the dragon with the trident tail was a young man in a leather jacket, jeans, a beanie, and glowing, neon red beats. Constantine Konstantinopolis the Sword of Dawn. The girl riding on the big green one, he could not identify. But she must have been well-loved by the people here, for the children started running about the streets shouting, "Blair! Blair!"
"Don't be scared," said the girl with blue hair. "They're with us."
"Dragon riders!" the guard at the front of the castle said with excitement. He waited anxiously for the Summoner and her company for days. They, at last, reached the top of the dirt road.
"Open the gates!" a guard called from the warmth of his guardhouse over the alcove. The steel gates began to rise up to allow Avellana and her companions' passage into the castle.
"Mover your horse aside!" the guard shouted at Arthur to move Mandaril out of the Summoner's way. Arthur did as he was told, but Madaril was so huge he felt like he was going to fall off the cliff behind him.
Lord Karl Devlin came out of the castle with his wife Donna. Ser Arthur took this moment to step forward and reveal himself quickly before the Summoner and her party could beat him to Lord Karl.
"My Lord!" cried Arthur.
"What do you want?" the lord of the castle replied in a nasty manner.
"I am honored to meet you at last. I have traveled afar to seek you. I am Ser Arthur Arledge."
"If you're looking for a job as a guard then begone, for I have no need for more swordsmen."
"If I may, My Lord."
"Be quick, the Summoner approaches!"
"I served Ser Baron Kingsly. I believe he was an acquaintance of your son."
"Ser Baron Kingsly, yes," Lord Karl said stroking his chin. His bright green eyes alight with impatience, yet they had a spark of intrigue as well. "He was a companion of my son, Duke during their mercenary days. I am to understand he lost his life in the Massacre of Black Mountain. How did you come to know him then?"
"I was his squire. He and I knew the battle was lost after Prince Talion was captured, so we fled down the mountain. But as we did, he was gravely wounded and fell ill. Just before he departed to the Gardens, he knighted me and gave me his horse and arms. Then he told me to travel here to Dukeshire to seek you for service."
"As I said I have no need for any knights. But a friend of Ser Baron is welcome here. I can promise you food and drink and some care for your horse, but just for the night. I believe a reward is in order for surviving the massacre under the underhanded deeds of the Fat King. You shall have your purse filled with twenty silver pieces. I have many serving girls here as well, you are welcome to them if that is what you desire."
"Thank you, My Lord, but what I seek is to be under your service as a full-fledged knight."
"This is the best I can give, you, Ser. Take the offer or don't; it matters not to me. You'd best make your way inside. And see that you put on some decent attire. You may be a hedge-knight, but you are a knight no less. And I cannot have a knight in rags in my castle while Lady Avellana is here."
Arthur thanked him then proceeded inside the castle to the courtyard where every soldier and servant in the keep were standing at attention waiting for the Summoner and her group. They arrived at the castle gates at last. A trumpet broke the silence of the early morning once Avi rode into the courtyard, beautifully decorated with banners and streamers of crimson and gold were raised.
"All hail Lady Avellana Lofnmagni Ethelfleda. Chosen one of the goddess Saafani, the Summoner of Dragons."
"HAIL!" everyone shouted.
"Hail!" Arthur cheered along with them.
"Thank you all for your warm welcome," Avi said with delight. "I promise I will not trouble you for too long. I will find my new dragon and be quick."
"Nonsense," laughed Lord Karl. "You are always welcome here and you may stay at your heart's desire. We will do our best to make your stay comfortable and wish you the best of luck on your journey in becoming the Royal Summoner of High King Yuri."
"Where's the food, I'm famished!" cried the little Telkori boy.
Aldara conked him over the head. "Be nice, Tordo!"
Lord Karl laughed, clutching his belly. "At once, little master. But first, we shall show you to your rooms."
"You ladies may come with me to the tower in the east wing," said Lady Donna. "And your rooms are in the chambers of the west wing, gentlemen."
"Thank you, My Lady," said Ser Damien. "Come everyone. Let's get out of this rain."
Arthur watched as Avi and the girls got off their horses. Suddenly, Avellana's eye found Arthurs. It was a quick start, but she took the time to smile at him. She nodded her head and waved hello before following her champion knight into the castle.
Arthur felt such a warmth that not even the bitter cold breath of all the Ice Barrier monsters put together could faze him. That smile. The way she looked at him. Arthur could break into a dance at any moment.
"I think I might have found my meal ticket to becoming a full-fledged knight, Mandaril," Ser Arthur said to his horse. "And the Summoner of Dragons is the one."
Yuri - The Montgomery Palace
Yuri and his friends gathered in the dining room in front of a warm fire. Outside a fierce gale had struck the city, keeping them inside. It didn't matter. None of them felt like going anywhere today.
"I can't believe it," Yuri said. "They're...they're all gone. Are you sure Crystal wasn't with them?"
"I don't know, Yuri," Ren said. He was looking out the window at the fierce storm. The wind howled against the windows and the mansion shivered. "No one has seen her since our cookout. Or Lance."
Nick patted Patty's hand as she sobbed on his shoulder, missing the girls. She was just starting to get to know them, too. Just when they were all starting to get rather close, disaster struck and took them away. Nick's expression turned serious for a moment. "Anyone find it weird how Brett comes back and then Crystal and the Dragon Sisters are gone?"
"It's no use pointing the finger at Brett," said Yuri. "His mansion has been searched over and over again. There isn't a trace of them."
"A likely story. You know the cops are under their payroll, right?"
"Even if they are, what can we do?" said Natalya. "Brett and his family are truly the ones in power here. If it wasn't for Mr. Montgomery's intellect and know-how with running this powerful empire, I swear they would have taken him out years ago."
Tyson smashed his fist on the floor. "We can't just let these criminal thugs run our lives like this. Damn it, how the hell did it come to this. Yuri, your dad is the richest man in the world. How in the hell could he stoop so low and allow these rats to run things around here the way they do."
"My dad wasn't so powerful when he first started building this city. Don Lucio was a powerful crime lord with syndicates stretching from New York, Chicago, Washington DC, Florida, and Los Angeles. And he's made connections with countless Mexican drug lords. His influence stretches all over Europe, too. From Italy all the way to Russia. That man has enough money and power to stay hidden and keep his name clean of any wrongdoings. Even the political powers in DC were terrified of him. When he heard that my dad was building a floating super city in the middle of the ocean, he weaseled his way into the project and chipped in billions. Even though my dad was able to secure a loan from a very shadowy investor, it was too late. He already gave the Martinettis their fair share of the pie. He gave them HUGE shares of the company for their involvement in the building of Aquarius. And they started taking more slices as the years went by and their power grew. They started to bully my dad, threatening to blackmail him, steal more shares, even kill me and my siblings. Nick, remember that time when you saved me?"
"Yeah, from those bullies who tried to toss you over the bridge."
"They weren't just bullies. They were kids paid to do me in. The attempt on my life was a hit from Lucio."
Everyone gasped.
"He sent a hit on you?" asked Andre. He just came in from the kitchen with a hot cup of noodles. I wish I had been here sooner. These poor kids have been through a lot because of this Brett guy.
"What happened?" Patty asked. "Why would he do such a thing? You...you were only a boy."
Sabrina pursed her lips to keep from cursing. She quelled her anger by squeezing the cushion she was sitting on. "I...I can't believe he'd do such a thing. Why? What did your father do that pissed them off so bad they'd hire kids to kill you?"
"It was the day the Martinettis engaged Brett with Crystal. My father refused to let that happen because they wanted Crystal to marry me originally."
"Really?" said Patty.
"No shit?" said Rosita. "You and Crystal Anderson were supposed to be the ones taking the vows. Man, that would have been a match made in heaven."
"Yeah. Daughter of a mistress in the oil industry. A rising pop star and a great Duelist. Heh. Not to mention a sweet and beautiful angel. Every night at dinner mom would croon about how she was going to be the perfect wife for me. Crystal became a big friend of the family after her father was killed in the oil rig explosion. She became a sister to me. And a daughter to my mother and father. You guys have no idea how much they love her."
"Well...no," said Nikki. "You kept your friendship with them a secret until recently."
Yuri laced his fingers together and placed his lips on them. "I'm sorry for that. I truly am. But it wasn't because I was trying to hide celebrities from you guys. Crystal, Ren, and I have had a lot of struggles with Brett all our lives. And I love you guys so much. I didn't want Brett to get involved with you guys so he could hurt you, too. If anyone gets too close to Crystal, he'll threaten you with a hard beating. And Ren...well...Ren distanced himself from me after he beat Brett in a Duel at school. He took it out on Crystal and me."
"Yes," said Ren, still looking out the window. "It got worse after I beat him at locals. He chased Yuri into a warehouse where his friends beat the crap out of him. I didn't want Brett hurting my friends anymore so I sort of kept to myself all these years."
"So that explains why you come and go every now and then," said Natalya.
"No, not quite. I have other business to attend to outside the city. I am the heir to my father's company after all. So I had to take most of my education online. But some of what you said is true. I did distance myself to keep away from Brett. I'm the only Duelist he's never been able to defeat. And each loss he had made turned him nastier and nastier. I couldn't afford to break him to the point where he might kill my friends."
"What can we do to stop him?" said Nikki. "Nick. He said he was going to pay your house a visit after the match, right?"
"Yeah, I told Mr. and Mrs. Montgomery about it. They sent her to Cancun for a vacation not long after I won the qualifier. She's going to be there until Brett cools down."
"Argh!" Patty wanted to throw something. Max growled on her lap as if he understood everything they were talking about. "Send her hiding until this killer eases from his temper tantrum. Yuri, I know this isn't the time but can I blow off some steam with a Duel?"
Tyson punched his palm and grinned. "Yeah, a Duel is just what we need right now. Let's have a small tournament in honor of our friends the Dragon Sisters."
Nikki wiped a tear with her palm. "Yeah," she sobbed, blinking her long eyelashes. "It's what they would have wanted us to do."
Yuri smiled and stood up. "Lucky for you guys my home comes equipped with everything we need." He led his friends to an elevator. Behind them was a stone wall covered in vines. It was all they saw for a couple of minutes until the elevator came to a stop to an underground parking garage with dozens of exotic and expensive cards from Mr. Montgomery's collection. He led them past the cars and into a huge underground arena with stands and everything that was built for no other purpose than having a giant arena.
"Wow!" said Nikki. "This looks incredible! Who goes first."
"I am," said Patty. "Dueling was my idea. And I choose to take on Yuri. It's been a while since you and I played, big boy."
"Indeed it has. And I'll go easy on you by taking out my Treasure Cards."
"Ha!" Andre laughed. "It's best that you do. It gives you an unfair advantage until they release with the tournament."
Yuri took the special cards out of his deck and then he and Patty took their places. Meanwhile, Nikki was powering on the holographic systems from a booth. "Let's get this party started!"
"It's time to duel!" she declared, setting down her cards on the mat. "I'll start things off first! I summon Baron of the Fiend Sword in attack mode."
She summoned a bulldog-looking demon aristocrat in fancy black clothes and wearing a bowler hat. He had a sword, finely crafted and glowing blood red with a moving eye on the hilt. He chuckled slapping the sword on the palm of his other hand.
Baron of the Fiend Sword
ATK/1550 DEF/800
"Then I place one card face down and end my turn. Go, Yuri."
"Okay, my turn! Draw!" Yuri drew his next card. He then chuckled. "Damn, Patty. What are you doing with things like that in your deck."
"Meh, he's not as handsome as Zera the Mant is, but he knows how to kick some butt once in a while. I hope you have something that can back up all that talk."
"I sure do, Patty. I summon Uraby in attack mode!"
He slapped his card on the Duel Disk and the projectors rendered a tall brown raptor with jet black stripes and red glowing eyes.
Uraby
ATK/1500 DEF/800
"Wow, they're almost neck in neck," said Patty. "But your dinosaur is still fifty points weaker so he's not strong enough to take on my baron. What are you up to little Yuri?"
"Just a little Wasteland to get things going for my Uraby. This field spell will increase the attack and defense of my dinosaurs by two hundred points."
The field turned into dry soil with rocks and dinosaur bones littering the ground. Uraby's attack went up to 1700.
"Oh, geez," said Patty. "I figured you wouldn't just toss a throw-away monster like that. Uraby is like one of the stars of your deck. You always seem to have a plan with him. Ugh, how stupid of me."
Uraby screeched and jumped into the air. Its claws began to glow bright green and grew by ten inches and then slashed Baron of the Fiend Sword in the chest.
Patty now had 1850 Life Points.
"Well, round one to you, Yuri. But I'll raise your Wasteland one Yami."
The field on her side of the arena turned dark purple and was shrouded by an eerie violet mist.
"Welcome to Yami otherwise known as the Shadow Realm, Yuri."
"Looks more like the purple realm to me," Yuri said examining the colors of the floor beneath him.
"You serious?" Patty said with a frown.
"I'm just saying."
"Well, I'll wipe that smug grin off your face when I summon my Man-Eating Treasure Chest to the field."
Patty summoned a treasure chest. And that's all it was.
"A box?" Nick said scratching his head. "Just what in the hell is she doing?"
"Yeah," said Natalya. "Looks like an ordinary treasure chest to me."
The box opened up revealing scores of gems and gold doubloons. But then teeth sprouted out and it snapped its jaws and let out a long slimy black tongue.
"Eek!" Natalya screeched. "Never mind!"
Arf! Arf! Barked Max.
Man-Eating Treasure Chest
ATK/1600 + 200 = 1800 DEF/1000 + 200 = 1200
"Attack his Uraby!" shouted Patty.
The chest hopped towards Yuri's Uraby and opened its jaws taking a huge bite out of the dinosaur. Uraby roared and vanished from the field.
Yuri-1700 LP
"Now that was devastating," said Nick.
"Okay, Patty," said Yuri. "That's how you want to play? I summon Megazowler!"
Yuri's next monster was a ceratopsian beast with orange-yellow flesh and horns of ivory protruding from back and sides.
"And now I'll boost his power with a little Raise Body Heat to boost his attack to twenty-one hundred!"
"Aw, geez!" Patty pounded the mat with her fist.
She could only watch as Yuri's horned beast charged and rammed her Man-Eating Treasure Chest.
Patty-1550 LP
"We've been going back and forth, this whole match," said Patty. "But now it's time to bring things up a notch."
"I'll be ready. I set a card face-down and end my turn. What monster do you got that can change the tide?"
"Only this. Go Summoned Skull!"
"What the? Summoned Skull."
"Oh shit, things are getting hot," said Andre.
Max barked and struggled in Natalya's chest to get a better look at the monster that was approaching. Purple clouds circled over the field. Lightning flashed from within them as a horrid growl could be heard. Max began barking at the growl coming from the clouds. Then, Patty's alternate art Summoned Skull lowered itself down from the clouds and landed onto the field.
"Now for my face-down card," said Patty. "Call of the Haunted, and I'll use it to bring back my Baron of the Fiend Sword. Then I use the Zera Ritual card."
Two cauldrons rose up from the purple mists. One of them took the Baron of the Fiend Sword. And a Big Eye monster from her hand.
"The ritual is complete!" announced Patty. "Now comes my most fearsome beast. Arise, Zera the Mant!"
Patty's ace monster had arrived at last. The mist moved aside like a curtain to reveal him. He was sitting on a throne of green stone. Zera growled, knowing it was time to do battle. He got up from the throne and then stomped onto the field snarling.
Zera the Mant
ATK/2800 DEF/2300
Summoned Skull
ATK/2500 DEF/1200
The Yami field spell boosted Zera's attack to 3000 and the Summoned Skull's were increased to 2700.
Yuri couldn't believe his eyes. Patty was just looking so adorable in her cat sweater, but at the same time, the wind from the fans next to their platform caused her hair to sway mysteriously giving her a threatening look as she stood there with possibly the two strongest fiends in the game standing on either side of her as though she was their queen. Their cute little queen.
Zera the Mant was ordered to attack. He used his massive claws to cut Megazowler down to size. Yuri lost a good chunk of his Life Points thanks to that attack. He was reduced to a mere eight hundred Life Points. Patty was about to attack directly but Yuri saved himself with Draining Shield, stopping her monster's attack and increasing his Life Points by 2800. He was safe...for now
On his next turn, he summoned a Crawling Dragon #2 in defense mode. But then Patty's Summoned Skull had a go at an attack.
"Lightning Strike!" shouted Patty.
Summoned Skull hissed and raised his scythe before he conjured up a violent lightning storm and fried his Crawling Dragon. Yuri summoned a Trakadon to the field in defense mode.
Zera the Mant made quick work of it.
Just when he thought it was hopeless, Yuri summoned his Black Tyranno. He then gave his monster an Invigoration Spell card to boost his attack to 3000. Just enough to wipe out Patty's Summoned Skull.
Black Tyranno's eyes went into the back of his head and he thundered towards Summoned Skull and whacked him with his tail.
Patty smirked as her Life Points went down to 1250.
"Our monsters are now evenly matched," said Yuri. "I place a card face down and end my turn."
"No, they're not," Patty said, forming her pink lips into a smile. "I use the spell card, Mystical Space Typhoon to get rid of your equip-spell card. Now he's weaker than Zera the Mant."
"NO!" Yuri shouted.
Ren and the others watched in shock as Yuri's best monster was annihilated from the duel.
Patty laughed. "So much for your Black Tyranno, Yuri. Now that your best monster is gone, you've got nothing absolutely nothing. Now, I summon Patrician of Darkness to the field."
Patty's monster was a vampire in black armored robes with a cape looking like bright red membranous wings. Its attack was 2000.
"And how's about a little Monster Reborn to bring back an old friend."
"Oh-no!" cried Yuri.
Summoned Skull was back.
"Well, Yuri," said Patty. "I believe this will mark the end of the match for you. As I equip my Zera the Mant with Fairy Meteor Crush. Now it won't matter what mode you put your monster on because you will lose the match regardless."
Leon - Phobos Corp Command Center
"Is that the best he's got?" Seto Kaiba asked, staring at the Duel from a giant screen inside the control room of the Phobos Corp building.
"He should prove easy to defeat if he survives this round," said Leon. He was sitting on a black chair enjoying a glass of lemon pop. "If this event was for Yuri then it would have been all for naught. So much for your screw the rules philosophy."
"I'm never wrong," said Kaiba. "I have a feeling Yuri will pull through in the match. What with the cards our agent in the Emboldorian Secret Service put into his deck."
"You put more cards from your world into his deck?" Leon asked. "That's against the rules, isn't it?"
Kaiba looked down at him. "It's not the cards that count. It's the Duelist who uses them to the best of their abilities. If Yuri can somehow manage to utilize the cards we have given him, then he's a better Duelist than I thought. That new beast we put into his deck is unlike anything Yuri has ever seen before. It's power possibly too fierce for him to control."
"Well, let's just see how well he handles it," said Leon. "And I hope you stay true to your end of the bargain. After the tournament is over, regardless of the outcome with Yuri, I will have your word I can go to the other world with you. This...Termnnia."
"Yes," said Kaiba. "You've proven yourself more than capable, Leon. We can use someone like you at Kaiba Corp."
"Looking forward to it," said Leon. "I've just about had it with this island. And the Martinettis."
They're planning an uprising here in our little playground. And knowing them, I don't want to be around when it happens.
Yuri
Patty placed her hand on her hip and laughed. "So, Yuri, are you going to draw your last card? Or are you just going to stand there?"
"Yeah, final card it is then," Yuri said. His fingers touched the top of his deck. He felt a wave of energy surge through him and he heard a roar from deep inside.
What was that!?
He looked at the card he drew.
Another one! Where are they coming from?
"Yuri?" Patty asked. "Everything okay, bud?"
"Yeah, but…not so much for you."
"Oh, really? What could you possibly have in that deck of yours that can stand up to my two fiends and my vampire?"
"A new monster from the beginning of time. And he's about to trounce your ass, Patty."
"Really?"
"Yes. I summon, Ultimate Tyranno!"
Back in the office, Leon stood up from his chair when he saw Yuri's new beast appear onto the field, stomping onto the ground from a fiery vortex. "So, Yuri's got himself a new monster, eh? Let's see what it's got."
The new Tyranno Yuri summoned was much taller than Black Tyranno. And much fiercer looking as well. It was armored in black spikes and bore a tail half the length of a football field. Its roar was deafening, causing the sound systems to short circuit and break.
Ultimate Tyranno
ATK/3000 DEF/2200
"What, no way!" shouted Nick. "Three-thousand attack points? This isn't the Yuri I know. How could such a little runt control two powerful cards!"
Patty stepped back a bit. The giant monster was so fierce and the top-tier holographic technology inside the Montgomery Estate made it look all too real. She felt a trickle of urine in her shorts and crossed her legs. "Yuri, how did you get…"
Ultimate Tyranno roared at Patty and silenced her.
"He's out of control!" Yuri gasped. "What is this thing!"
"Yuri?" Nick whispered. "How are you acquiring these creatures? There is no monster like this on record. Either Mr. Montgomery is supplying Yuri with rare cards or that Ultimate Tyranno is out of this world."
Arf! Arf! Arf! Max barked at Ultimate Tyranno. The dinosaur monster looked down at the puppy and gave a thunderous roar.
Max yelped and covered his eyes with his paws and whimpered fearfully.
"I will now destroy your Yami field spell with my face-down card, Dust Tornado!"
"Oh-no!" Patty shouted as her field was encased in a violent twister.
"And now that I've begun my battle phase, Ultimate Tyranno goes into a rage that forces him to attack every monster you have at once."
"All at once?" Leon shuddered. He looked at Seto Kaiba. The Eldori man was looking down at the field with a monstrous smile on his face. A cold one, and filled to the brim with lust. Seeing powerful monsters come into play was almost a fetish for Seto Kaiba.
"That Ultimate Tyranno you gave him," Leon said. "It renders many of the most powerful Duel Monsters in the game useless."
"They are first-generation, pure-blood monsters," Kaiba said after a cruel chuckle. "You're a fool if you think those cards this world currently has in its library are the most powerful monsters in the game. Ultimate Tyranno is strong but he is just a taste of the many more monsters we have back home. Why, we even have level one monsters with mere one-hundred attack points who can cause more devastation than your Segenjins, Cosmo Queens, Gate Guardians, and even that Ultimate Tyranno down there."
"If what you say is true, then I can't wait to go to Termnnia Mr. Kaiba."
"Watch, Leon," Kaiba said holding out his arms. "The true ferocity of Duel Monsters!"
"Ultimate Tyranno!" shouted Yuri. "ATTACK!"
The dinosaur's eyes rolled into the back of his head, turning them into a lifeless black the way a Great White Shark would if it found something sink its teeth into. Another loud roar and he charged to wreak his destruction. He grabbed Summoned Skull by the arm with a loud crunch which was the dinosaur's vise-like jaws crushing the bone.
Summoned Skull screeched in agony and shocked the monster to get him off. But the surge of electricity didn't faze Ultimate Tyranno.
Yuri's dinosaur pulled until he yanked Summoned Skull's arm off.
Patty lost 500 Life Points.
Then, Ultimate Tyranno turned its gaze at Zera the Mant. Patty clasped her hands over her mouth watching helplessly as her monster was lined up, ready to be struck down by Yuri's wild monster.
Zera looked down at Patty as if pleading with her to do something.
"I'm so sorry!" she said to him.
She could only watch in horror as Ultimate Tyranno chomped Zera's shoulders. Zera jabbed his claws into Ultimate Tyranno's ribs, but his armor was too tough, snapping the claws into pieces. Ultimate Tyranno elongated its own claws and dug them into Zera the Mant's chest.
Zera let out a mournful wail as he vanished.
She lost 200 Life Points.
Patrician of Darkness was next.
"FLY AWAY!" Patty pleaded, but her vampire monster was flattened by Ultimate Tyranno's foot. The blunt force trauma killed him instantly and dealt 1000 Life Points to Patty, ending the duel.
"Yuri is the winner!" Nikki shouted.
"Damn, Yuri," laughed Patty. "Talk about aggressive."
"I had no idea, he was so violent," said Yuri. "Patty I'm so sorry."
"Don't be, I would've used him on you too. If you got it, flaunt it. That's my motto."
"Thanks, Patty. That was a great Duel. So. Who's next?"