Lore
Factions of the War of the Three Kings: The Confederacy
A rebellion of small Emboldorian states, and even smaller estates (Emboldor has 1800 such territories), mostly to the south and southeastern coasts of Emboldor.
They have pledged their allegiance to the boy-king, Hector Delgado, the cousin of Prince Yuri Wallcroft the Eradicator of Anubis. He claims that his sorceress, a woman with a Millennium Item, has discovered the location of three very ancient and powerful monsters that were said to have almost killed the God Cards in the War of the Giants. If Hector could find these monsters, then there would be no need to wait for Prince Yuri to return and the God Cards for protection against the Orc army amassing far across the ocean in the Black Continent.
With the ongoing chaos in Naralia escalating, many felt siding with him would be the best option. And they did so for revenge against the royal estates of Upper Emboldor, for they were the ones who saw the most success and lived in great wealth, while the people of the south were struggling with poverty.
Hector used this bitterness against the north to his advantage and promised that anyone who aided him in acquiring that power of the Titans would be rewarded greatly when he becomes the High King.
To keep Yuri from returning and claiming the Heart-EartH Crown, he has ordered his army to march into Northern Emboldor and destroy the Gates, ancient gateways that lead to other worlds. If these Gates are destroyed, Prince Yuri will never return to Termnnia and the Diamond Throne will be vacated, leaving Termnnian in an interregnum, which could cost the continent dearly.
With an army of over a hundred Great Houses, petty kings, Lizardmen, goblins, mercenaries, and mechanical monsters behind him — as well as a mysterious supply of gold from shadowy investors — Prince Hector was able to buy many alliances in Southern Emboldor.
Sadly, as faith in Prince Yuri's return dwindles, the confederacy continues to grow.
Joey - Royal Air Dock, Rassay
At dawn, the servants of the Spire loaded an airship with Téa and Rio's things. Their trip to the Confederate territories was about to begin and everyone was on the edge. Many pleaded for her not to go but if there was to be any hope against Naralia and the Engaion, then the risk was worth it. She was up all night for the past couple of weeks sending messages to delegates from the confederate parliament and finally, they agreed to let the confederate senator Maxima Griffonwing speak to her.
"You sure you're gonna be all right, Téa?"
"I'll be fine, Joey. Really. Most of Hector's military was wiped out by the Engaion. They're not gonna shoot down our airship. They're hurting just as much as we are. They're going to want our help."
"You know they're going to demand terms we cannot follow, right?" said Tristan. He was armored up and ready to go riding to the border in case something terrible happened like kidnapping Téa and holding her ransom for the Heart-EartH Crown or for making the north surrender.
"If something like that happens, you can count on the Princes of the Alliance to save me."
"Really?" Joey asked.
"The boys already devised a plan with Yuya and Yuma in case anything happens to me. But if something does and they can't help me, then don't come for me. Don't do anything stupid on my account. I don't want to be the bargaining chip Hector needs to win this war against us."
"But Téa!" began Joey.
"I will say no more. Rio. You ready to go?"
Rio bowed. "Yes, ma'am. I won't let anything bad happen to you on my watch."
"Take good care of her, will ya?" said Joey. "Téa's more than just the best diplomat in Termnnia. She's our friend. Our really best friend."
"She'll take care of me as well," Téa assured them. "Come on. She's an Estarí Knight. I already pit the soldier who comes in contact with her."
"If you say so," said Joey.
Téa opened her arms and hugged him. "I'll be all right. Believe in me. Just as we would believe in Yugi when he Duels. I know we'll all put an end to the madness once and for all."
"I sure hope so," said Tristan.
Téa smiled. "Hey, what's the progress on our boy?"
"You mean Yuri?" Joey asked, his face lit up at the question. "Awww yeah! I've been following all the action with the Seeing Stone. He's been kicking ass. According to his buddy, Nick, the number of contenders has dwindled down to 2200."
"Wow, from 5000 originally?" said Tristan. "Things are heating up. And this is just the starting line still. I'd hate to imagine how bad things will get when the last 100 remain."
Téa laughed. "I know, right? Goddesses, I need new underwear every time I think about how things might play out in the finals. Can Yuri even make it to the finals?"
"Hey now! Where's all that friendship is magic talk?" Joey joked. "We gotta believe in Yuri, too, remember?"
"Oh, yeah! That's right!" Téa burst out, laughing cheerfully. "Man, our faith and our friendship are really going to be put to the test this who summer, huh?"
"Yeah, my head hurts just thinking about it," Joey chuckled.
"How's your boy doing?" Téa asked.
"Huh?"
"You know who I'm talking about."
"You mean Nick?" Joey rubbed the back of his head.
Serenity came to the port giggling as she held onto a suitcase with more of Téa's belongings. "What are you doing, Joey?" she asked. "Sending Yuri's friends some illegal cards in the middle of the night?"
"I had our informant do it for me."
"Yugi's apprentice?" Tristan asked.
"Not, not that Martin guy. The 'other' informant we got down there. And they're not illegal. I checked the card database. He can have the cards I gave him."
"Yeah, but the 'special card' you snuck him was supposed to go to one person," said Serenity. "Now an extra is running around out there. They're going to want to wonder why?"
"Ha! I forgot how to laugh. Unlike you three, I can hide my tracks really well. Besides, after I've been seeing him use that Envoy of Evening Twilight and the Red-Eyes Black Dragon I just had to give him a better arsenal so his deck can be on par with the deck we've all made for Yuri over the past few months. Nick deserves it. He's gone through so much and he's in this tournament to help his little sister. Just like I entered the Duelist Kingdom Tournament long ago. You know I can't….I can't…"
Joey sighed. He placed his hands on his back and walked to a stone barrier with a view of the Bay of Kings and the city below. "I can't help but feel that Nick. Well…he's just like me."
"In a way, he is almost like you," said Serenity. "Just like you and Yugi, Nick and Yuri are like brothers. Both of them have been going on a long and difficult journey to get to where they are now. And I couldn't be more proud of them. I can only wish them the best."
"Hopefully, they don't clear out the competition too quickly," said Téa. "We've got a lot of work to do."
"Fat chance," said Joey. "With the card I gave Nick, believe me, he and Yuri are gonna clean house."
Senator Baegon's Office - Spire of the Kings/Parliamentary Citadel
Senator Baegon walked into his office with Senator Oakbridge and a sleazy obese man who represented the Termnnian Bank. Because he was so large, he had no use for his legs anymore and was transported with a golden chair with walking legs that scattered around like a bug's. His name was Dannius Therobridge, a man who clearly enjoyed his wealthy life. He was snacking on a giant turkey leg, his face and his ring-covered sausage-sized fingers were covered in grease and pieces of meat. He ripped out another piece with his teeth, snarling viciously.
He aimed the turkey leg at Baegon furiously. "Oakbridge's legislation would have meant more money for us! Much, much more! Your poor theatrics cost us billions, you damned fool!"
"Don't put all this blame on me!" snapped Baegon. "I tried my best. I did everything you told me!"
"Yes," said Oakbridge. "There is no need to be mad at Baegon. He did his part. And he played it to a tee." She sat down by a table next to Baegon's desk and poured herself some wine from the extravagant collection of bottles in the center. "It's that girl, Senator Gardner, who is the problem. She's cleverer than I thought. Truly, even with Antilles backing us up, she has the entire Citadel of Parliament wrapped around her finger. But who could expect anything less from one of the women who cared for Prince Yuri."
Dannius ripped another piece of meat from the turkey leg. "And that little queen, Tori Meadows. Her beauty certainly has all eyes on her. And her sweet little charm is melting everyone's hearts. I can see why the League of 100 gave her a seat in the Citadel. All she does is flutter those pretty little eyelashes of hers and the High Chancellors are in her favor. Now they've agreed to let Senator Gardner speak with a representative in the confederacy. This does not bode well, my friends. King Hector has his back against the wall right now because of that superweapon. He may not get the Heart-EartH crown like he wants but if Senator Gardner and this delegate, this Maxima Griffonwing, can pull off a miracle and cause both us and the confederacy to extend olive branches, the plan could be ruined. We cannot have these parties working together. It could be disastrous!"
Baegon sat down behind his desk, littered with scales and piles of gold coins. "Senator Gardener is a problem indeed. One that needs to be..." He put his elbows on the desk, laced his fingers together, and placed his mouth over them. "Taken care of. I know some people who could do something about her."
"I don't think so," said Oakbridge. "A task such as that is more complicated than you know. You don't think Dannius and I haven't tried that already?"
"I believe we've been going about this all wrong," said Dannius. "I see that things are not going in our favor. I've crunched the numbers, my friends. With or without Senator Gardner, the Senate is not likely going to accept the bill you have proposed. Prince Yuri's return is too close and his connection with Norman the Conqueror is giving them the confidence they need from making rash decisions. I've overheard some on our side agreeing to vote for the prince's return because of the Conqueror's power."
"Yes," Oakbridge agreed. "And with the battle data provided by those former Duel Academia students, they seem much more inclined in keeping faith that his return will restore order. With or without this war going on. I thought the Engaion was the perfect tool to scare them into postponing the Prince's return, but their faith in him is strong. Quite sickening if you ask me. Perhaps the Senate needs a little more...persuasion."
"What are you saying?" Dannius asked.
"Yes," said Baegon. "Yes, of course." He turned around with his swivel chair to look at the city below. "What if the war hit a little closer to the Termnnia's heart? This city is full of people who are so comfortable behind these massive walls that they'll turn a blind eye to the chaos going on around them. Some unexpected...violence could coax them into wanting more security."
"An attack on Rassay?" asked Dannius. His throne scurried to bring him closer to Baegon's desk. "Yes. They haven't been attacked since the Orcs marched against them the day Yuri was made heir to the throne. They have a false sense of security right now. An attack against them will be something they will not expect." He clapped his beefy hands with joy. "Oh, what fun! Let's get started right away! I know a few clients who are more than willing to help us make our case for the bill. Uh, provided I give them the funding and the weapons needed. If this attack is successful, the peace talks between Senator Gardner and Senator Griffonwing will prove useless. Animosity will grow and the war against the south will continue, dare I say escalate."
"Cheers, gentlemen!" Oakbridge said, holding up her glass. "To war. The greatest moneymaker of them all."
Nick - Somewhere on Númenor
After he had opened his eyes, Nick just stared at the white ceiling of the tent he shared with Patty. She was sleeping next to him with a smile on her face, concealed by messy bangs of pink and blonde hair. He thought about it for a while and decided it was time to pull out the big guns, especially after what happened last time. He kissed Patty's shoulder, put his clothes on, and carefully crawled out of the tent so as not to wake her.
He walked out to a very misty, very chilly morning. They had camped in the middle of a giant artificial redwood forest to hide from adversaries, most likely anyone who thought it best to take Lawson's offer and beat Yuri for an easy ticket to the finals. Even with the help of the island's enforcers running around, he and his friends were having an incredibly hard time with them. It was almost impossible now to see who was legitimately in the tournament or who was a merc under Lawson's payroll.
It was now the second week of the tournament and they were still dealing with this crap. Why haven't they found him yet? The island was artificial, down to the very rocks and dirt they were walking on. You'd think Leon would have taken care of this issue long ago. Then again, knowing his ill history with Yuri, he probably didn't care and used Lawson's foul play as an illegitimate card to stack the deck against Yuri. He wouldn't put it beneath him. If that was the case, then Enforcers or no Enforcers, they were on their own. It was time to get the big guns out. Not only that, he could not afford to let Andre Martin and that strange magician get the best of him.
Nick took his backpack out of the tent. He accidentally bumped Patty's ankle, but he didn't wake her. He zipped the tent back up and walked to the camping table. He set aside some plates, cleaned the surface as best he could with a napkin, and got ready to prepare his deck. Nick looked around to make sure no one was watching and pulled out a small zipped-up card binder the size of a pocketbook. The door to his tent was unzipped and Patty walked out with nothing but a blanket draped over her shoulders.
"Good morning," she said.
"Hey," said Nick.
"What'cha got there?" she asked and sat down.
"The big guns I told you about. The ones I found on my drawer the night I beat Brett."
"Oh, I see. Have you figured out who gave them to you?"
"No. Not yet. I'm beginning to notice our group has a habit of finding cards that come out of nowhere. Yuri and his Black Tyranno. You and Diabolos, King of the Abyss. And now me. I didn't want to use it because I thought I was going to cause a big commotion the way Yuri did when Black Tyranno came into the scene. And to possibly keep the target on our backs from getting bigger. But after we got ambushed last time. Not even my Red-Eyes Black Dragon could get us out of that situation. We all had our best cards out and it wasn't good enough. Well, not this time. This time, I'm not holding anything back. I don't know who it was who gave me this card, Patty. But whoever they were, they have faith in me. And I don't want to let them down."
He stood up. "All right, I'm so pumped right now. I don't wanna wait for the others to wake up. Let's go out there and find ourselves a Duel!"
"Sure," Patty said with a smile that quickly faded. "But first…do you mind escorting me to the ladies' room, please?"
Nick slapped his forehead. "Aww, man."
Patty went back to the tent to put some clothes on. She didn't want to hold Nick back so she put on a black hoodie over her underwear and then slipped on her boots. The two quietly slipped away from the camp, in case Andre had a means of following him. That meant they had to listen to his little companion nag at them as well, and that was the last thing they needed this morning.
"Are there any towns nearby?" Patty asked a couple of hours later. "I could sure use some pancakes right about now."
"Not for a while," said Nick. "Yuri and I have become so wanted, it's not best to stick in such a large area right now. Maybe until the number of participants dies down a bit can we come out of hiding."
"How long do you think that will take?" Patty asked, hiking with Nick down a trail to a hidden beach so they could rest for a bit. "With the ability to buy yourself back into the games, I don't see those numbers going down anytime soon."
"You gotta remember not everyone can afford to buy themselves back in. Each time you do, the number grows and grows. Ren said a few Duelists got discouraged by this and gave up. Also, we're down to 2000 Duelists and it's only been a couple of weeks. I can say we're making some hefty progress."
"Whatever. I just hope we can accumulate enough DP to stay in one of the resorts for the remainder of the games. Camping is fun and all but it's been a while since I did some laundry and had a cold shower. You'd think with all the Duelists you guys have beaten you'd get enough to get us in the towers by now."
"It's kinda hard to do when you're getting ganged by thugs who get lured in with Randall Lawson's antics. You know I'm actually not surprised Leon or some tournament committee hasn't done anything about that. I think he wants this to happen. Something tells me he's afraid of me and Yuri."
Patty laughed. "Easy there, big guy. I don't think Leon 'fears' anyone. If he did have a problem with one of you, odds are it'd be against Yuri."
"You'll see," said Nick.
They finally made it to the beach. They removed their shoes and sat down.
"This is beautiful," said Patty. "Say, I know I haven't asked this before but do you think Andre's in the tournament?"
Nick scoffed. "Not a chance. I smelled a rat the moment we stepped on this island. And it wasn't Randall or Leon. Man, I hate that guy. We can't even participate in an invitational-only tournament without running into him. It's like no matter where we go, he's there. He's like an annoying itch in my ass that I can't get rid of. I hope one day I can beat him so badly that he'll never want to come near us again. He's trying way too hard to be Yuri's best buddy. But too bad for him because that spot's taken by me. Oh, and Ren, I guess, but he was hardly around during our high school years. I wonder where he went to all that time?"
"Family business," said Patty. "Remember? His dad's a contractor for some telecom company. Poor Ren had to move to Dubai, Paris, Peru. He's been everywhere. And Crystal. She was kept on a leash by Brett and forced to Duel and sing in concerts all over the globe."
"I know. It still pisses me off that Yuri never introduced us to them until we were seniors. And that's only because they made themselves known. He kept them a secret from me all this time."
"He did it for our safety," said Patty. "You heard what Ren said. I still hope you're not holding any ill feelings towards Yuri for that."
"No, of course, not. Man, that feels like such a long time ago. I guess we've come a long way, huh?"
"I'll say we have. You especially."
They heard some rustling in the sand behind them. "Then I guess he wouldn't mind using those skills of his against us!"
Nick and Patty stood up at once before facing whoever it was who confronted them. Five Duelists, all of them equipped with their own custom Duel Disks.
"Looks like these guys wanna go," said Nick.
"Oh, really?" Patty said. "What gave that away? Are you guys here because some low-life asked you to find us?"
"No, we're still legit in the games," said one of the Duelists. "Trust me. Randall Lawson doesn't have enough money to buy us off. But that doesn't mean I still don't want a piece of the legendary Misfits. Low and behold, we've got two of their best right now."
"Aw, hell. I really wanted to beat Yuri," said the second Duelist. "But I guess the guy who beat Brett Martinetti will have to do. And we've got Yuri's lovely ex-girlfriend, The Reaper, as well."
"Don't expect any DP from me," said Patty. "I'm not in this tournament, pal."
"Really? Aww, man. What a shame."
"Hold on, hold on," said the lead Duelist. "I still would like the honor of taking down the Reaper of Aquarius as well as Nick. And I guess a five on one Duel wouldn't be fair, so Nick, you don't you have Patty as a partner."
"The odds are still against us," said Patty. "You guys are dicks! Why don't you take us on one at a time like real Duelists?"
"Real Duelists? Don't you know real Duelists prepare for anything? You said that in Lacy's Den a few months ago, Patty," he said referring to a podcast interview Patty was invited to. "You boasted about how you guys took on tougher challenges than the bounty hunters that went after Yuri back in January. If that's so, then I guess you won't have trouble with the five of us."
"You'll have to make it worth our while," said Patty. "And don't think putting up a shiny card will do the trick. Sorry, but our decks are strong enough as it is right now. Rare cards just don't do it for us anymore."
"Wait, how'd you know we'd be in this sector of the island?" Nick asked. "Do you know where we're camped?"
"No, but rumors are spreading fast. There're a lot of Duelists on this island and it isn't even that big. You can't hide for long. If I was able to find you guys, then I'm sure others will know how to find your other friends. Now, if rare cards won't do the trick, how about some DP?"
"Some DP?" said Patty. "Sorry but Nick's not putting up his Red-Eyes Black Dragon for some DP, especially if you guys are going to take him all at once. No. You wanna play your dirty little games and take us one in an unfair handicap match, then you're going to have to put it all on the line. All your DP for the honor of Dueling my boyfriend and taking his Red-Eyes Black Dragon."
"All of our DP?" said the fourth Duelist. "Forget it, man! I'm not putting all my DP on the line. You could knock us all out of the tournament."
Patty smiled arrogantly. She put her knuckles on her hips and bent forward. "Aww, you guys scared? Not so tough now, are ya? I thought your numbers were going to give you the advantage?"
"They sure will!" said the lead Duelist. "With our skill and our numbers, there's no way you guys are going to win!"
The five Duelists powered on their Duel Disks and took formation around Nick and Patty, who were back to back. Two of the Duelists stood in front of Nick. The third player in their team took a position in front of Patty. Another stood at their right and the last stood on their left. They were surrounded.
"We'll go first!" said the lead Duelist.
LP 4000
"If that's the way you want it!" said Nick.
"Heh, we'll show you just how good we are!" He started off by activating the rare Gate Guardian Ritual card. Sure enough, he had Sanga, Kazejin, and Suijin in his hand and he was able to call on Gate Guardian from his deck with the greatest of ease.
Patty hissed through her teeth when she saw the beast looking down at Nick behind her. "Aw, not this guy again!"
"What's the matter?" sneered the second player. "Couldn't handle one Gate Guardian, well, let's see how you handle two!" He activated a spell called Magicial Mallet (Anime Effect), which could let him reshuffle cards over and over and over again until he had what he needed. He used the Gate Gaurdian Ritual as well and summoned his own Gate Guardian.
"Another one!" shouted Nick.
"And it keeps on getting better!" said the third Duelist. He, too, performed the same combo, shuffling and reshuffling his hand with Magical Mallet until he had the materials he needed to conjure his own Gate Guardian.
"This can't be happening!" Patty shouted. Nick was facing two Gate Guardians and now she was facing her own. "Oh, crap! Oh, crap! Oh, crap! Now there are three of them! Wooo!" She felt Nick pinch her bottom.
He laughed and said: "Don't get your panties in a bunch, babe. We can get out of this mess. Don't lose your cool. That's exactly what these guys want. We can take on these overpowered beat sticks."
The fourth Duelist to their left drew. "You think you can bring them down? Allow me to retort! Now that my friends have the offensive set up, time for me to pull out the big guns. "First, I activate Graceful Charity."
"Don't explain what it does, dude," Patty moaned.
"Fine," the fourth Duelist said, drawing three and discarding two. "Now, I'm going to activate the spell, Ancient Rules. This will let me special summon a high-level monster from my hand. And I choose, the Millennium Shield in defense mode!"
He conjured a giant gold and red shield with 3000 DEF.
"We're going to have a hard time getting through that," said Patty.
"And I'm going to make it much harder for you, toots!" said the fourth Duelist. "I activate the field spell, Chorus of Sanctuary." The ground started to glow with a bright light. "This card will increase the DEF of our monsters by 500 points! And to make sure you don't get any ideas about attacking my friends' Gate Guardians, I'm going to equip my shield with this card. Ring of Magnetism!"
"Oh no!" Patty cried.
"What does that do?" Nick asked.
"So long as his shield is equipped with the ring, that's the only monster we can target for attacks."
"You gotta be kidding me!" shouted Nick. "Aww, man!"
"And I'm not through, yet! I activate Monster Reborn to bring back a monster I discarded with Graceful Charity. I summon Sengenjin!" He summoned the massive blue cyclops with 2750 ATK.
The last Duelist played a similar combo, summoning his own Millennium Shield and equipping it with Ring of Magnetism, thereby making it impossible for Nick and Patty to battle the three Gate Guardians with their own monsters. And for offense, he activated Ancient Rules to summon a Millennium Golem (ATK/2200).
"You guys are so screwed!" said the leader of the group. "If you guys want to quit, now's your chance!"
The five Duelists laughed at them.
Nick backed up even closer to Patty. He merely chuckled and said: "Patty, you start us off."
"Will do. Draw! Aww, yeah, baby! That's what I'm talking about! I play the spell card, Contract with the Abyss. Now, I sacrifice the Summoned Skull from my hand to ritual summon Archfiend's Awakening in defense mode!"
A Summoned Skull rose out of the ground, surrounded by a cloak of neon blue lightning. His body was washed with a bright blue aura making the colors of his muscles and bone armor look grayish-blue. His wings grew bigger and the horns on his head grew longer and curved downward."
Nick turned around to get a better view of the monster as it raised its wings and let out a screeching roar to display its 2500 ATK and 1200 DEF. "Wow, babe! He's fantastic!"
"Thanks. Just a little something Ren gave me. Now I'm going to set a card face-down. It's your move, Nick."
"Right. I don't know if I have anything that can top your new Archfiend but maybe this can help us out. First, I activate the spell, Pot of Greed, and draw two cards. Now, I summon Big Shield Gardna in defense mode. Don't forget, with your Chorus of Sanctuary on the field, our monsters' DEF increases by 500 as well."
Archfiend's Awakening DEF/1700
Big Shield Gardna DEF/3100
"All right. I set two cards face-down and end my turn."
"Now the fun begins!" said the leader of the five Duelists. "Our Gate Guardians could tear up your defenses one by one. But I think we'll just give Patty a beating since she has the weakest defenses. Her face-down card looks troubling, so I'll blow it up with Mystical Space Typhoon!"
Patty held up her arms as she was struck by a fierce wind that blew up her Widespread Ruin trap card.
"Now she's wide open after this."
"Leave her alone!" shouted Nick. "Come on! Be a man! Take me out instead!"
"Oh, we'll take you out next. We're being gentlemen here. Ladies first, remember?"
The other Duelists laughed.
"Yes! Once my Gate Guardian destroys her Archfiend's Awakening, my boys will attack her directly in a merciless assault. And all you can do is watch helplessly, Nick. Heh, heh, heh. Gate Guardian! Attack and destroy Patty's Archfiend!"
Gate Guardian combined the powers of lightning, water, and wind into a giant orb. Gate Gaurdian stepped back and punched it, sending it rocketing towards Patty's monster. Both she and Nick vanished into a cloud of smoke. When it finally settled, the lead Duelist could not believe what he was seeing. Archfiend's Awakening was still there."
"But that's impossible! My Gate Guardian hit your monster dead-on. There's no way he could have survived that." He looked at Nick's field. Both his cards were still face-down. He didn't save her. "What's going on?"
"Didn't think it was going to be that easy did you?" Patty teased. "Archfiend's Awakening can't be destroyed in battle except by ritual monsters. Now, you guys might have used a cheesy spell to bring out your Gate Guardians, but it doesn't make him a ritual monster. And don't think about targeting him with your monster effects. They won't work on him unless they're effects from a ritual monster. Sorry boys, you may have cooked yourself one awesome offense, but unless you got ritual monsters in there that can pack a punch, my Archfiend's Awakening is practically invincible."
The leader of the group dug his sneakers into the ground out of frustration. "Damn it! You're going to be harder to take down, that's for sure. I summon Stone Statue of the Aztecs in defense mode and end my turn."
Patty wiggled her hips with joy and laughed. "Ha! Haaaa! Did you see that Nick? They thought they could take me down in one go!"
Nick looked over his shoulder, nodded, and held up his thumb. "Good job, babe. I knew they couldn't take you down that easily. You're a force to be reckoned with when it comes to ritual monsters."
"My turn!" shouted the second player. "All right, if we can't get past Patty's defenses, we'll just have to take down Nick's. Gate Guardian, destroy his Big Shield Gardna!"
Gate Guardian attacked. Big Sheild Gardna's shield glimmered suddenly before the ball of elemental energy struck him. Just as before, the attack had no effect and Big Shield Gardna was the one standing tall.
"What happened?" asked the second player. His Life Points went down by a trickle to 3950. "My Gate Guardian hit your Big Shield Gardna head-on!"
Nick waited until the dust cleared to show them his spell card. "I activated my face-down card. The Reliable Guardian. It will increase the DEF of a monster by 700."
"Yeah, but don't forget, when Big Shield Gardna is attacked, he switches to attack position. Now he's the perfect target for my partner's Gate Guardian. Your turn!"
The third duelist Drew. "That's right. Didn't think about that one, did you, Nick? Now, I'm going to activate the spell card, Malevolent Nuzzler. Now, my Gate Guardian's ATK increases by 700 for a grand total of 4450 ATK points. With this attack, your Gardna and your Life Points are toast! ATTACK!"
"I think not!" Nick sneered with his signature grin. "I activate the trap card, Draining Shield. Now your monster's ATK is negated and I gain LP equal to its ATK points."
Nick - 7650 LP
"Man! That's not fair!"
"I told you you had too many offensive cards in your deck!" said the leader. "Where are the Mystical Space Typhoons and Heavy Storms that I gave you? Giant Trunade? Anything?"
His friend stayed quiet. "Man, why do we even keep you around. If you're going to make amateur mistakes like that, then I'll just have to scout for a new player."
Patty giggled. "Man, how did these losers get in the tournament? They're not even a team. They're so badly coordinated."
"We can use that to our advantage," said Nick. "All we've gotta do is hold on tight. Can you manage?"
"I can. And don't worry. I've got your back."
"I figured you would."
The fourth Duelist began his turn by summoning an Axe Raider for an extra offense before attacking with his Sengenjin.
"Nick!" Patty cried. "I activate..."
"Hold on, Patty. Not yet! From my hand, I activate the effect of Sphere Kuriboh! When your monster attacks, I can shift it to defense position. Your Sengejin won't be taking down my Big Shield Gardna."
"No, but my Axe Raider will! Attack!"
Now it was Patty's turn. "I activate the trap card, Defense Draw! Now, Nick won't take any damage from your attack and he gets to draw a card."
Nick watched as Big Shield Gardna was struck on the shoulder by Axe Raider. He grunted in pain and exploded. Nick wiped beads of sweat off his brow. "Phew. Sweet card. Thanks, Patty."
"You idiots!" shouted the leader. "Does no one even care she has face-down cards! Think!"
"Shut up!" said the fifth Duelist. "We've almost got 'em, stop your crying and let us play!"
"It wouldn't matter if you could," Patty said as she was hit by a fierce gust. "You still can't destroy my Archfiend because your monsters are not rituals. And if you ask me, you're a little too late activating those Twin Twisters because I've got more traps ready to stop you guys each and every turn. Your stupid rings and shields won't keep you safe forever. Draw! I activate the spell, Allure of Darkness. Now I banish a Dark monster from my hand and draw two cards."
She smiled and winked at the opponent in front of her. "Heh. Can I build a deck or can I build a deck? I activate the spell, Lullaby of Obedience! With this card, I can pay 2000 Life Points and I can choose a player. Nick. I'm choosing you."
"What for?"
"So I can activate my card's effect, of course. I declare a monster name. And if it's in your deck, I can either add it to my hand or summon it, ignoring its summoning conditions."
"You serious?"
"Yup. I say it's time you let me give that dragon of yours a spin."
"He's all yours," Nick said, handing her the card. "Have fun."
"Oh, I will. I was going to give you this card for when you got to the finals, but why wait? I summon Red-Eyes Black Dragon!"
The five Duelists oohed and ahhed as soon as Patty summoned the legendary dragon to the field. After it roared and showed off its 2400 ATK, it lowered itself until it loomed behind her. "Hey, he kinda looks better with me. Don't you agree?"
"Patty, you can make any card look good. Now, what was that you were saying about a card for the finals? You have me interested right now."
"It pays to be Yuri Montgomery's friend babe. You better give me some good lovin' tonight for this card. Polymerization!"
"Hold on!" said the leader. "If you're about to summon what I think you're about to summon, you can't! That beast requires Summoned Skull!"
"I know what I'm doing," giggled Patty. "Archfiend's Awakening is treated as Summoned Skull when it's on the field."
"Urk! No!"
"NO WAY!" Nick jeered and started hopping up and down. "Awww, man! Patty, you didn't!"
"Oh, I did. You better use him to beat Yuri's ass and get your sister outta the dog house. Can you do that?"
"You bet I am!"
"Then he's all yours. I activate the spell, Polymerization!"
"Aww, dude! I've got the best girlfriend ever!" Nick swooned.
Patty held up her hand and shouted: "Red-Eyes Black Dragon and Archfiend's Awakening combine yourselves and form into one!"
Nick's Red-Eyes Black Dragon and Patty's Archfiend's Awakening got sucked into the fusion vortex and spaghettified as they were taken into the core. The vortex began to subside and revealed a towering black armored behemoth with flaming red eyes and 3200 ATK points.
"Black Skull Dragon!" Patty shouted.
The five opponents grew nervous, for even Patty's beast towered over their Gate Guardians. Still, what they lacked in size, they more than made up for with offense. They were still stronger than her Black Skull Dragon. Much stronger.
"I'm not worried," said Patty. "I activate Mystical Space Typhoon. With it, I'll destroy your Chorus of Sanctuary card. Now, Black Skull Dragon has more than enough ATK to beat your shields."
Black Skull Dragon turned to face the Millennium Shield. He raised his head and fired three fireballs at it, shattering it to pieces. "Woo! What a rush, Now I activate the spell card, Card of Burial Magic. If I banish three spells in my Graveyard, I can draw two cards. And I'll set one of them face-down and end my turn. Looks like we've found a crack in your defenses boys."
"Who cares!" said the leader. "We've still got one shield left. You'll have to destroy it before you can even think about sicking that dragon on us. And we'll have destroyed it by then. Your Black Skull Dragon is impressive but he's not going to save you."
"He won't have to. He's shown me everything I need to see," said Nick. He looked at his cards and formed an even bigger smile, already broad from seeing the Black Skull Dragon Patty got for him. "My deck probably even surpasses Yuri at this point. For the longest time, I thought he was the better of us both. But now, even with those overpowered dinos in his deck, I know for a fact that I've surpassed him. And now I'll prove it."
He flipped over a card in his hand, revealing it to be a ritual monster. A Black Luster Soldier. But this one was much, much different.
"I reveal Black Luster Soldier - Legendary Swordmaster!"
"What!" cried Patty. "There's no way! How did...who did? What in the world? Only five of those were ever printed."
"And I got one of them right here," said Nick. "When I reveal Black Luster Soldier - Legendary Swordmaster in my hand, I can add a ritual card to my hand instead of conducting my draw phase. And now I'll play Monster Reborn and summon my Red-Eyes Black Dragon from the Graveyard!"
His Red-Eyes Black Dragon rose from the ground out of a geyser of black flames and hovered over his shoulder, snarling. Finally, I activate the Super Soldier Ritual card!"
"Hold on!" said the leader. "Your Black Luster Soldier is a Level 8 monster. Your Red-Eyes Black Dragon is Level 7 and you don't have any more cards in your hand to be used as a tribute."
"No, I don't. You're right. But I think you guys have forgotten something. My Sphere Kuriboh. When he's in the Graveyard, I can banish him to be used as one of the monsters required for the ritual summon. And since he's a Level 1 monster, that evenly adds up to Level 8. The ritual is complete!"
Sphere Kuriboh came flying out of the Graveyard and hovered next to Nick. "Wooooo!" it howled with its cybernetic cry. "Thanks, pal," Nick said to it. "Whoever that guy was who gave you to me was right. You really do belong with me. And together, we'll take on any foe. Even my friend Yuri if that's what it takes. You ready to lead me down the road to victory, Sphere Kuriboh?"
"Wooooo!" It hooted again.
"Then let's do this!"
Red-Eyes Black Dragon and Sphere Kuriboh lined up next to each other. Then a gold and ebony door rose up from behind them followed by two golden cauldrons. The cauldrons lit up and sucked up Red-Eyes and Sphere Kuriboh, using their energies to summon the great warrior Nick had.
Black Luster Soldier walked onto the field from a white arcane circle. Since he was a master of the blade, he had no need for his shield and placed it on his back. He grabbed his large curved sword with both hands and stared at the two Gate Guardians looking down at him.
ATK/3000 DEF/2500
"You're still not strong enough to get past my shield!"
"Oh, save it!" said Patty. "Activate trap! Rising Energy! Now, I discard a card and a monster on the field has its ATK increased by 1500. Black Luster Soldier is now the strongest card on the field. Your Millennium Shield is toast!"
Black Luster Soldier jumped and sliced the shield in half with one mighty blow. Still, the five Duelists were not afraid.
"He's impressive," said the leader. "But it was all for naught. You may have beaten our defenses, but you still have to contend with three Gate Guardians when our turns begin."
"Not anymore we don't," Nick said with a leer. "See, if a normal monster was used for the ritual summoning of my Black Luster Soldier - Legendary Swordmaster, all the cards on your field get shuffled back into the deck.
All three Gate Guardians and any other monsters they had on the field vanished back into their decks. Without their Gate Guardians and Millennium Shields defending them, the tides changed in Patty and Nick's favor. One by one, they took all five players down. Black Skull Dragon and Black Luster Soldier - Legendary Swordmaster. Nick truly was a force to be reckoned with now.
When the eliminated players were gone, Nick kissed the top of Patty's head, thanking her for the card. He walked to the surf with his hands in his pockets, amazed at how good of a player he was now and how well-built he had gotten. He seemed to have grown a little taller over the past few months, even to the point where he stood over Yuri and just an inch taller than Nikki with high heels. And his arm muscles, revealed by the baggy tank top he wore, were like iron after all those nights after school working out with Yuri and Tyson.
A skinny kid now an adonis and a rookie scrub now a professional Duelist with a deck full of rare cards.
Patty stood where she was and just watched him. She brushed some hair over her ear and smiled watching the new and improved Nick Rogers standing in front of her. She was wrong about him. For as long as she remembered, she and the rest of the gang made fun of him for being arrogant and weak. A boy who never wanted to learn from his mistakes. A Duelist who could never win a match if his life depended on it.
Now, he was here. One of the participants in the most exclusive Duel Monsters competition in history. 2000 out of 5000 players were gone. And yet he was still here. He was one of the players still remaining.
How much farther would Nick's evolution take him? She did not know but she vowed she would be there every step of the way.