Stronger than Death
Darren's eyes followed Talon of the stage. 'So she's working for Flare also. Just how many of these finalists are under his control?' he pondered. His eyes narrowed and he moved his leg to get up when a voice interrupted him.
'Leaving again so soon?! You only just got back!', Cairo snickered. 'If you're thinking about catching up with Talon, which I know you are, then I'd think again! Master Flare says if you approach any of us, then you'll have to deal with all of us!'.
'Bring it on!' Darren remanded. Just before he could stand up, another voice came.
'No Darren, we mustn't. Just stay for now. We'll deal with them soon enough', Arcturas ordered.
'Bu'
'NO! It would be unwise to fight with the four that we know of, not to mention any others that might be working with them as well' Arcturas said calmly.
Darren relaxed in his seat. 'You'll do well to listen to your alter ego', Cairo said. His laughter faded from Darren's mind.
"What do you think happened to Sirius and Overlord?" Eric asked.
"Huh?...Oh, I have no idea", Darren lied. "Maybe it's all an act by the tournament heads. You know, the loser disappears. Gives the other duelists more incentive to win". Darren gave a big anime smile and scratched the back of his head.
A man who was dressed in a janitorial uniform walked out on stage with a metal tray and picked up Overlord's cards. He walked off with a solemn look in his face. 'Nice finishing touch, Talon', Cairo thought. Overlord, walking up the stairs to her seat, cracked a grin.
"Now then folks, we have our next two competitors. Please give it up for Prime and Agent Smith!" The crowd erupted with more cheering for the two duelists. The tall, stone-faced man with the earpiece walked onto the arena. He arrived at the other side and turned to face his opponent, the tall, gangly kid with long hair and glasses. Agent Smith pulled out his earpiece. "Let the duel begin!"
Agent smith shuffled his deck and drew six cards. "Summon Alien Mars (A1000, D1000) in attack mode. Set two cards face down. End turn". Smith's voice was very dull and drone-like. He only mentioned his movements, very much like a machine. He summoned a golden Martian monster with red orbs and three silver tentacles.
Prime drew his opening hand. He cocked one eye brow at Smith. "Okaaaay", he said skeptically. "I set one monster face down in defense mode. Next I set one card face down and activate Frontline Base".
"Reveal face down trap card, Magic Jammer". The purple card flipped itself up. "Discard Brainwashing Beam" The magical seal formed around Prime's card, causing it to crumble to dust.
"I end my turn", said.
Smith drew his card. "Summon Alien Infiltrator (A800, D500)". Smith's second monster was a gray alien with green orbs and tentacle arms. "Activate ability. Whenever no monster, magic, or trap cards are in the same column as Alien Infiltrator, deal damage directly". The tentacles reached up over the field. They crashed onto the arena in front of Prime, kicking dust into his face.
"Real cute", he said sarcastically as he wiped the dust from his glasses and returned them to his face.
"Attack target's face down monster with Alien Mars". Alien Mars wrapped itself around Prime's face down card and strangled it.
"You reveal my Big Eye (A1200, D1000). When he's flipped up, I can rearrange the top five cards of my deck to my liking". Prime quickly shuffled around the five cards and returned them to his deck.
"End turn".
Agent Smith- 7800LP
Prime- 7200LP
Prime drew his card. "Weirdo", he muttered under his breath. "I summon W-Wing Catapult (A1300, D1500)". Prime summoned a blue jet with two large boosters. "W-Wing Catapult, attack his Alien Infiltrator". The jet performed a kamikaze attack into the alien, ensuing in an explosion. The jet flew out of the smoke and returned to its post in front of Prime. "And now Big Eye attacks Alien Mars". The big red creature with one large eye, covered in many smaller eyes, slashed its claws through the second alien. "I end my turn".
Agent Smith- 7100LP
Prime- 7200LP
Smith started his third turn. "Summon Cyber Harpy Lady (A1800, D1600). Attack opponent's monster, Big Eye". Cyber Harpy dove across the field and clawed the red monster, shattering it.
Darren looked to his side and saw Eric with an annoyed look on his face. "You ok, man?" he asked. Eric's eyes shifted to Darren.
"He's using one of my cards", he said unhappily.
Darren stared at Eric. "Dude, the game's older than us. There's bound to be other people using some cards you do",
"Target neutralized. End turn".
Agent Smith- 7100LP
Prime- 6600LP
Prime stared at his opponent. "I activate Mystical Space Typhoon to destroy your face down card. Next I summon V-Tiger Jet (A1600, 1800). Then, through contact fusion, I combine my two creatures to make VW-Tiger Catapult (A2000, D2100)". A blue and yellow jet with a tiger face combined with Prime's first jet to make a new machine. "I end my turn".
Smith held his hand up to his eyes, hidden behind his sunglasses. "Switch Cyber Harpy to defense position. Set one monster face down, defense position. End turn". The Cyber Harpy knelt down, holding its wings in front of it.
Prime drew his card. "I summon X-Head Cannon (A1800,D1500)". Prime now had a blue and yellow robot with a large ball in place of legs, two arms, and cannons on its shoulders. "Attack his Cyber Harpy". The robot fired from its shoulder cannons into the bird woman. "Next I'll discard Inferno Reckless Summon to switch your monster to attack mode". Smith's monster flipped up.
"Reveal Alien Hypno (A1600, D1700)". This was a fat, round, gray alien with a green liquid chamber for a body and two long-fingered hands.
"Tiger Catapult, attack!" Prime commanded. The tiger mouth opened and a beam of light rained out onto Alien Hypno, destroying it. "I end my turn".
Agent Smith- 6700LP
Prime- 6600LP
Smith drew his card. "Set one card face down. End turn".
Prime drew. "I summon Y-Dragon Head (A1500, D1600). I'll union it with X-Head Cannon". Te red mechanical dragon equipped itself to the cannon robot. "This will give X and additional 400 attack points.
"Reveal face down trap card, Riryoku Field. Destroy equipped monster, X-Head Cannon". Prime's machine exploded.
"Tiger Catapult, attack his life points directly". The tiger head fired another beam of light, only to have the attack stop.
"Reveal face down trap card, Cyber Shadow Gardna. Activate ability, whenever this card is attacked, copy attack and defense of attacking monster". The Gardna attacked back at the Tiger Catapult, destroying it on impact.
"I end my turn".
Smith drew his card, but didn't play anything.
Prime drew his top card. "I set one monster face down and end my turn".
'Perhaps we should consider taking the winner of this duel to our side. Both of them show a great deal of determination. And there skill is astounding. Either one would become a very great asset to us', Cairo suggested.
'Indeed, both of them seem very cunning. And they have great mastery over there decks. I may have you recruit the winner of this game', Flare stated. He leaned forward over the edge of his balcony.
'You know, we could just make this a Shadow Game. It would be much easier watching them fight for a spot on our team. And that way, it would throw off both the tournament and the Seventh Guardian'.
'You are very intelligent Cairo, But I do not wish for this to become a Shadow Game. I don't want to watch these to work on fear, but rather work on pure determination. They've already seen two other finalists disappear into the darkness. It would only scare them. And as for the Seventh Guardian, it will not matter who he thinks is with us. Because you'll take care of him, won't you'.
'Yes master, of course', Cairo closed his eyes.
'Good. You have proved your worth to us time and again. You have guaranteed yourself a place in our new world. I have endowed this task of you because you are my most trustworthy and efficient underling. I don't expect you to fail me', Flare honored Cairo.
'You need not worry, master. I will deal with the Seventh Guardian and rid you of him. I won't lose'.
'Good. Although, I don't see how you could lose. Not with that Millennium Eye I have gifted you with'. Both Dale Laney and Cairo laughed.
Smith drew his card. "Summon Alien Infiltrator. Attack target's life points directly. End turn".
Agent Smith- 6700LP
Prime- 5800LP
Prime drew his card. "I summon Cyber Phoenix (A1200, D1600). Next I'll flip up another Big Eye to rearrange my next five cards. Then I'll attack your alien with Big Eye". The gardna moved in front of the attack, destroying Big Eye. "And I'll follow up by attacking with Cyber Phoenix. I end my turn".
Agent Smith- 6300LP
Prime- 5800LP
Again, smith ended his turn with a draw.
Prime drew. "I activate Heavy Storm. This card will blow away all of our magic and trap cards, namely your gardna". A raging storm formed on the field, destroying all the magic and traps. "And now I'll attack your life points directly". His phoenix opened its mouth to reveal a flamethrower. A jet stream of fire rushed out over Smith. "I end my turn".
Agent Smith- 5100LP
Prime- 5800LP
Smith looks at his hand and does not play anything. "THIS DOES NOT LOOK GOOD FOR AGENT SMITH, FOLKS! IT SEEMS THAT HE CAN'T DRAW A MONSTER! AT THIS RATE, PRIME WILL MAKE QUICK WORK OF HIM!" the announcer said through the PA system.
Prime drew his card. "You know, when I found out I was going to the finals, I thought I would be facing intense duelists. And after the last two matches, I was all fired up to show what I could do. But seeing you sit there and not make a move, turn after turn, just really pisses me off that I'm stuck facing the sorriest finalist in the tournament". Prime said irritated. "I summon Shining Angel (A1400, D800). Attack his life points directly". Both the angel and the phoenix attacked Smith, who didn't even flinch. "I end my turn".
Agent Smith- 2500LP
Prime- 5800LP
Smith drew his card and looked (assumingly) at Prime. "Activate magic card, Monster Reborn. Special summon one monster from either graveyard to the field. Reborn target's monster, VW Tiger Catapult". Prime watched as his own mechanoid rose before him. "Attack target monster, Shining Angel". The machine opened the tiger mouth and fired a beam of light, destroying the angel. "Target neutralized. End turn".
Agent Smith- 2500LP
Prime- 5200LP
"Now then, that's more like it", Prime said as he drew. "Thanks to Shining Angel, I can special summon Z-Metal Track (A1500, D1300). I activate Limiter Removal. This will double the attack strength of all my machines. Z-Metal Track, attack the Dragon Catapult". The track opened a small compartment and fired a beam of energy into the composite machine, causing it to explode. "And I'll finish you with Cyber Phoenix. Attack". The mech-bird opened its mouth and released another wave of fire on Smith. "I end my turn".
The monsters on the field faded as the duel disks powered off.
"AND THE WINNER IS PRIME! AND LOOK, FOLKS! HE'S STILL HERE! LET'S GIVE A ROUND OF APPLAUSE FOR THE WINNER", the announcer cheered. More applause filled the arena.
'So shall I "recruit" him?', Cairo asked.
Flare grinned. 'Always eager to play a Shadow Game. No, I think we'll wait before recruiting him. I'm not quite convinced he's our material'.
'Of course master', Cairo replied.
"Here, this is your prize", Agent Smith said, extending a card to Prime. Prime looked over it.
"Alien Mother? You didn't use this one during our match", he said looking at Smith.
"I never had the chance to play it. We could use a mind like yours at headquarters. Here's my card. We'll keep in touch", Smith said.
"But you don't even know my real na"
"We know. We know everything. We'll keep in touch". Smith turned and walked away. Prime stared after him and looked at the card. It was a blank business card. He looked backup, but Smith was gone.
"WELL FOLKS, LET'S GET THE NEXT DUEL UNDERWAY! PLEASE HELP ME BY GIVING A ROUND OF APPLAUSE FOR OUR NEXT TWO CONTENDERS, EDDIE AND CURT!", the announcer walked off the field. He was quickly replaced by the skeletal boy and Curt, the boy with the long dirt blonde hair and faded clothes. After a quick shuffle, the duel was underway.
Eddie picked up a sixth card. "I activate Graceful Charity…I can draw three cards…then discard two", Eddie said. Again, the pauses seemed to come between separate thoughts. "I'll discard Ryu Kokki and Pyramid Turtle". He slipped the two cards into his graveyard. "I activate Call of the Mummy…to revive Ruy Kokki (A2400, D2000). Then I activate Premature Burial…for the cost of 800 life points…I can special summon Pyramid Turtle (A1200, D1400)". Both the big rotted beast and the turtle with an Egyptian pyramid for a shell rose from the graveyard.
"THIS IS ASSTOUNDING, FOLKS!! ALREADY EDDIE HAS SUMMONED BACK BOTH OF THE MONSTERS HE DISCARDED IN ONE TURN!! HOW DO YOU LIKE THAT, FOLKS?!" the announce boomed. The crowd went wild.
"And…for my turn…I summon Double Coston (A1700, D1650). I set one card…face down…I end". The monsters on Eddie's field were joined by two floating black balls of shadow and a face down card.
Eddie- 7200LP
Curt- 8000LP
Curt pulled out his opening hand. "I'll start with Gilasaurus (A1400, D400). I'll activate his ability. I can use him as a special summon to summon a second creature". Curt spoke with a very bored monotone. He yawned as he looked over his hand for a move. "I'll sacrifice Gilasaurus for Catapult Turtle (A1000, D2000) in defense mode". His raptor was soon replaced by a turtle with a crossbow barrel on its back. "Then I use the magic card reload so I can draw a new hand", Curt looked his new hand over. "Activate Card Destruction. We both discard our hands and draw an equal amount from our decks. And now I activate another Reload". Curt drew another hand. "I'll activate me Reasoning magic card. What happens is you call out a monster level. Then I keep revealing cards from my deck until I come to a monster. If you call it right, then the monster is special summoned. If you call it wrong, then I lose it and all the cards on top of it". Eddie held up four very slender fingers. Curt revealed the top card to be another Cannon Turtle. "I end my turn", he said.
Eddie drew his card. "I sacrifice Pyramid Turtle…for Vampire Lord (A2000. D1500). Ryu Kokki..attack his turtle". The great abomination took a bite out of the turtle. The reptile monster shattered. "Vampire Lord and Double Coston…attack his life points…directly". Curt watched as the two dark sphere monsters floated in his face, causing him to wheeze. He regained his composure, only to feel a sharp pain in his neck. He looked over to see the Vampire Lord biting him. The monsters returned to Eddie. "Because my Vampire Lord…caused damage to you…I can declare…a card type. Then you…discard the type…I said. Monsters. I end my turn".
Eddie- 7200LP
Curt- 4300LP
Curt discarded Sacred Crane. "I set one monster face down in defense mode and set one card face down and end my turn", he said dully.
Darren stood up. He walked down the stairs with a determined look on his face. His cold gray eyes were replaced by empty black. He reached the bottom of the staircase. 'Cairo…CAIRO!!. I know you hear me. CAIRO!!' , he called out with his mind.
'There's no need to shout. I can hear you Seventh Guardian. What is it you need?', Cairo asked mockingly.
'Why does Flare want the book?', Arcturas asked. His first answer was echoing laughter.
'I'm not sure. I have not been told what he wants it for. And it is not my place. He is my master and I his servant. He has asked me to acquire the book from you. Do not worry, soon I shall take the book from you and lock you away in the Shadow Realm. It will no longer be of any concern to you. Eddie is going to be furious. After the little confrontation between you two, he want to finish you off himself'.
'What is it with him?', Arcturas asked. 'He speaks so strangely. He pauses as he talks'.
'Ha! Of course he does. He can't help it though. You'd speak like that two if you had half a brain'.
'Half a brain!?'.
'Mhm, he only has half a brain. It's the curse of undeath. Sure, Master Flare could reanimate his body, fill it with a soul. Even return its thoughts and memories. But Eddie had been dead so long, his brain was half deteriorated when we found him'.
'Why would Flare reanimate the dead?'
'This is the only undead puppet he has. It's a special person. In life, Eddie was a guardian of the Pharaoh. HAHA!!'. Arcturas clenched his teeth.
'That rat! Disturbing the dead is forbidden of the Pharaoh's magisters. He will pay dearly for his crimes against Pharaoh Atem', Arcturas said angrily.
'You don't even know how many people have been watching you. Master Flare has many followers. You've even met one. But it doesn't matter. For I shall defeat you in good time and deliver my master the book. We are the greatest followers of Master Flare. We are un…WHAT?!'. Cairo was cut off. Arcturas snapped out of it. Darren regained control of his body. He looked around.
'Arcturas, what happened? Why did Cairo stop talking so suddenly?', he asked.
'I don't know. Now, return to the arena. Maybe something happened there. It seemed like he saw something that surprised him'. Darren nodded and ran back up the stairs. He looked over his balcony into the dark cloud of the Shadow Realm. Standing victorious was Curt.
Eddie was kneeling on the ground. His cards we strewn out on the floor, some as far as a few yards. Eddie was screaming as small white particles of light flew out of his body. His eyes became glassy and he fell face first into the arena floor. The darkness receded back to the ring on Eddie's lifeless hand.
"Dude, you missed it. Curt won with less than 1000 life points left. In one turn, he completely turned it around. He whipped out some combination of Magical Scientist and Catapult Turtle. I can't believe you left, just when it was getting good", Eric said in a hyped up voice to Darren.
Dale Laney watched the scene in awe. "What's going on? What just happened to Eddie?" he asked his neighbor, Cardinal Supreme.
"I haven't the slightest clue boy. This is the third time this has happened. But that was by far the strangest of the happenings thus far. I do not like the way this tournament is turning out", he said.
Dale looked up at the wizened old man with a slight suspicion. The golden relic around his neck gave a quick glow and a malevolent sneer crossed his lips. 'It's a shame what happened to poor Eddie'. He closed his eyes and cupped his right hand. 'But that is the price he pays for losing in the Shadow Realm'. He opened his hand to reveal Eddie's ring in his hand. 'Here Cairo, you take this. Think of it as some extra power'. The ring disappeared from his hand and reappeared on Cairo's left pinky. Cairo looked down at his hand. He now wore his two initial rings, the one he took from Andy, and now the fourth from Eddie.
'Thank you, my master'. Down in the arena, men in suits looked over the arena for Eddie's "body".
Elsewhere in the world, another tournament was still being held. Andy walked up a flight of stairs to the arena where he would be facing his next opponent. He shuffled his deck as he walked. '"Last duel of the day. Just win this, and you're in the quarter finals for tomorrow". He stepped onto the arena to see his opponent facing him from afar. It was a girl. She had long, brilliant blonde hair with green streaks through it. She wore turquoise pants that had decorative sparkles on it and a blue t-shirt with a clamshell bikini top design on it.
"It looks like we're getting our match at last", Andy said. He had made friends with her during the tournament. She had a great sense of humor. And she was a good friend. She was the one who would cheer for Andy before every match.
LADIES AND GENTLEMEN, THIS IS OUR LAST DUEL OF THE DAY!! BUT AFTER WHAT WE'VE SEEN FROM BOTH OF THESE DUELISTS, I'M SURE WE CAN EXPECT A GREAT MATCH!! SO PLEASE GIVE IT UP FOR ANDY JONES AND VIOLET SAXON!!", The tournament announcer called out. The enormous crowd let out howls of excitement.
Andy drew his first hand. "I'll start with Elemental Hero Avian (A1000, D1000)", he said. The hero in green spandex and feathered wings materialized on the field. "I end my turn".
Violet drew her card. "I won't be playing a monster this turn. Instead, I'll start by setting a card face down. Then I'll activate my field card, Black Fathom Deeps". The entire arena took on the appearance of an underwater cavern with water pools and broken columns and walls everywhere. I end my turn", she said and smiled.
Andy drew his card. "I summon Elemental Hero Sparkman (A1600, D1400).The lightning hero in blue and yellow armor joined his comrade. They looked at each other and gave the thumbs up. "I set one card face down and attack your life points directly with both monsters. AVIAN, FEATHERSHOT!! SPARKMAN, STATIC SHOCKWAVE!!". Violet was hit by a barrage of feathers and electricity. "I end my turn there".
Andy- 8000LP
Violet- 5400LP
Violet drew her card. "I'll set two cards face down. Then I'll summon my Bloodcursed Naga (A1450, D1400). And he gets a 300 point attack increase here in Black Fathom Deeps". The Naga was a merman, but not the Disney kind. This one had blue scales covering his entire body. The lower half was still a long fish tail, but the top half was more amphibian than human. The creature's muscles expanded as it received its power up. "Attack his Sparkman". The naga grabbed Sparkman by the throat and lifted him into the air and squeezed until the monster shattered. Andy recoiled from the naga in the classic anime one leg up in front of the other and torso turned to the side with both arms clutched to the chest pose. "I end my turn".
Andy- 7850LP
Violet- 5400LP
Andy drew his card. "I summon Elemental Hero Wildheart (A1500, D1600) in defense mode". A heroic warrior with tribal tattoos, a big ponytail, and even bigger sword knelt down on the field. "Next, I'll switch Avian to defense as well. I end my turn".
Violet looked happily out onto the field. "I reveal my face down card, Sapphires. This card will boost my life points by 400 for every monster on the field. Now, attack Avian!". The naga squeezed the life from Avian, dematerializing him. "I end my turn".
Andy- 7850LP
Violet- 6600LP
Andy looked over his hand. "I'll summon Elemental Hero Overgrowth (A1400, D1200) in defense mode. Your go". The hero covered in moss and weeds took form in a defensive stance.
Violet drew her card. "I summon another monster to join my Bloodcursed Naga. I summon Naga Explorer. Then I'll reveal another Sapphires, giving me 1600 more life points. I'll attack Overgrowth and end my turn". Overgrowth tried to hide under the moss growing from his spandex, but the serpent lifted it into the air and crushed it to pieces.
Andy- 7850LP
Violet- 8200LP
Andy drew his card and had a worried look on his face. "I summon Elemental Hero Bubbleman (A800, D1200) in defense mode. All I can do is end my turn".
Violet drew her card. "I have to say Andy, I'm rather disappointed. I was hoping for a better match than this. Here we are in the Shiek Ra tournament's final rounds. And all you're doing is throwing card after card into defense mode. I hate to think how you'll deal with this. I use Explorer's ability to search for a naga and add it to my hand. Then I sacrifice him and Bloodcursed Naga for Azshara, Queen of the Naga (A2800, D2500)". The two monsters were replaced by a new naga. This one wore tattered robes and a golden crown. She also had four arms. "And to go with her, I activate the field magic card, Well of Eternity. Azshara, attack his Bubbeman". The queen held out her hands and the cavern became a large pond with crystal blue water. The monsters hovered above the water. The naga queen dove into the water and disappeared. A scaly hand reached up and pulled Bubbleman under the water. The only thing that could be seen were a few data particles flying from the water. "I end my turn",
Andy drew his card. "Dammit", he muttered. "I summon Elemental Hero Stratos (A1800, D1300) in defense mode". This new hero had white and blue armor with wings that held by big propellers. "I end my turn".
"Aw, what a shame. That card would have really helped last turn. Too bad". Violet drew her card. "I summon Wraithtail Myrmidon (A1800, D1500). I'll attack and destroy both of your monsters". The heroes were brought to there knees by Violet's naga creatures.
"Reveal face down card, Hero Signal. This trap card will let me special summon an Elemental Hero. I summon Elemental Hero Clayman (A800, D2000) in defense mode".
"Well I end my turn".
Andy drew his card. "I set one card face down and end my turn".
Violet shook her head. "You didn't even draw a monster this turn". She frowned as she looked over her hand. "I was hoping you'd be more of a match. I summon Slitherblade Naga (A1900, D1200). Then I'll attack Clayman with Myrmidon". Pieces of gray stone spilled over the floor. "And now my monsters will attack your life points directly". Andy held his arms over his face to brace for impact. "I end my turn".
Andy- 2750LP
Violet-8200LP
Andy drew his card glumly. But his expression changed when he saw it. "WOOT! Alright Violet, you ready for serious time?" he asked confidently.
Violet laughed. "Hon, I think it's a bit late for serious time. You shoulda been playing seriously from the beginning", she retorted.
Andy grinned. "I summon Elemental Hero Burstinatrix (A1200, D800) in defense mode"
"Hon, this looks just like all your other turns", Violet pointed out. Andy ignored the comment.
"And next I activate Polymerization, fusing Elemental Hero Sparkman and Bladedge in my hand to summon Elemental Hero Plasma Vice (A2600, D2300). I end my turn". He said. He finally had a grand monster on the field. The golden energy flowing around Plasma Vice was almost blinding to the nearest spectators.
"That's a nice card Andy. But I'm afraid you're too late to the game. In case you didn't notice, Azshara has been here in the Well of Eternity for three turns now. Now, I can use her special ability. By sacrificing her, Wraithtail Myrmidon, and Slitherblade Naga, I can summon my most powerful monster, Sergeras, The Burning Titan (A3500, D3100)". The three naga burst into pieces. Then something began to twist in the Well of Eternity. An ominous black shadow appeared in the middle. It grew larger and larger with each passing second and soon. The water rippled as Sergeras rose from out of the water. He was easily as big as one of the three Egyptian God Cards. He had a crown of horns sitting atop his head. He had Obelisk's face. But his skin was made of molten metal. It gleamed in the light of Plasma Vice. It loamed like god over Andy's monsters.
"The best part of this monster is that he's not affected by magic or trap cards. Too bad we can't say the same for your monsters. Espescially when I have this, Stop Defense. This will force one of your defending monsters, Burstinatrix, into attack mode". Andy watched in terror as Burstinatrix reluctantly stood her ground against Sergeras. "Sergeras, attack with DARK BANISHING!!". The titan raised his right hand over his head and an arcane aura flowed from it. The beast roared and released the aura at Burstinatrix, showering the field in data particles. "I end my turn, Andy. Would you just like to surrender?" Andy narrowed his eyes at her.
Andy- 450LP
Violet- 8200LP
"Ha! You think I'm afraid of something like that? Not as long as I've got a hero on my side. And luckily, the hero I have is Plasma Vice. He's the perfect guy to tackle your titan. Watch carefully because I'm moving quickly". Andy picked up a card from his deck. "I summon Elemental Hero Overgrowth. Then I'll activate Plasma Vice's special ability. Whenever I discard a card, I can destroy one monster on your side of the field. And since it's not by magic or trap, Sergeras isn't immune to it. So Plasma Vice, rid us of that great oaf". Plasma Vice spread his arms and the light from his body intensified. When the light dimmed, Sergeras was no where to be seen,
"No! That's impossible! Sergeras is a titan! He can't be destroyed so easily!", Violet shrieked.
Andy pointed at her. "Elemental Heroes Plasma Vice and Overgrowth, attack her life points directly". The monsters both performed their signature moves on Violet. "But I'm not done. I activate the quick play magic card, Berserker Soul. Here's how it works. I reveal cards from the top of my deck. If it's a magic or trap card, then one monster on my side of the field with less than 1500 attack points gets to attack you again. And they will keep getting to attack you for every card I reveal until I draw a monster". Andy drew his first card. "Mystical Space Typhoon is a magic card. So Overgrowth, attack her again". Overgrowth leaped across the field and dealt a punch to Violet's stomach. "Oh damn, Burstinatrix is a monster, so I guess the spree ends here". Andy slipped his monster into the graveyard. "I end my turn".
Andy- 450LP
Violet- 2800LP
Violet drew her card. "You haven't won this duel yet. And I don't see how you can when I play Monster Reborn. I choose to bring back Sergeras". The titan returned to the field. "My titan is unhappy about what you did. And now he's back with a vengeance".
Andy pressed a button on his duel disk. "Reveal face down trap card, Magic Jammer. I can discard a card to negate your Monster Reborn".
"Reveal face down trap card", Violet countered as she pressed a button of her own. "Seven Tools of the Bandit. For the cost of 1000 life points, I can negate the activation of your trap card". Violet's life points dropped. Andy discard a card as his trap shattered. "I end my turn".
Andy- 450LP
Violet- 1800LP
Andy drew his card and stared at it. "I set one card face down. Then I switch both of my monsters to defense mode. I end my turn".
Violet laughed as she drew her card. "On the defense again, I see. Oh well Andy, I suppose I would be hiding too if I were against a creature like Sergeras. I summon Bloodcursed Naga".
"Reveal face down trap card, Ring of Destruction!", Andy cried. The card flipped up and a metal ring with explosives attached to it materialized on the field.
"Ring of Destruction?" Violet asked.
"Yup. It's a helpful little trap card. When I activate it, I choose one monster on the field. The ring then destroys that monster and we both lose life points equal to its attack points".
"But Sergeras is immune to trap cards", Violet protested.
"I know, I'm not targeting Sergeras. I'm targeting Elemental Hero Plasma Vice". The ring surrounded Plasma Vice and the explosives detonated. Violet looked down at her life point meter as it dropped to zero. She looked up into the cloud of dust formed by the explosion.
"This move was pointless. We both hit zero and the game ends in a draw", she called. The dust settled down. She saw Andy standing with his arms crossed and another trap card face up. He still had 450 life points. "What!? How did you not take any damage?" she demanded to know.
Because I activated my other trap card, Barrel Behind the Door. When I activated this, I didn't take the damage from Ring of Destruction". The holograms faded and Violet hung her head. Andy chuckled as he went to shake his opponents hand.
"LADIES AND GENTLEMEN, ANDY JONES PULLED HIMSELF OUT OF A REAL BIND AND CAME THROUGH WITH A STUNNING VICTORY!! WE CAN CERTAINLY HOPE TO SEE MORE FROM THIS PROMISING YOUNG DUELIST TOMORROW!!", the announcer declared.
Darren tapped his finger against the side of his balcony as his eyes shifted in a triangle from Dale, to Cairo, to Talon, back to Dale. 'I don't know how many of you are here, but I will defeat each and every one of you', he thought.
Freeze frame as Darren looks out onto the arena with an image of Arcturas standing behind him. Loaming over them is a big image of Talon, an even bigger image of Cairo, and Dale's face grinning as the background.
After four harsh duels in the finals, it looks like Darren has some harsh competition coming up. But don't count him out. And Andy made it to the quarter finals. How far will these to duelists make it in their tournaments? Only time will tell. Please R&R.