"I'll start the game, if you don't mind," said Laura. "I'll place Harpie Lady in attack mode!"
The band played the Domino City High School fight song to announce that the duel had officially begun, and the crowd roared again as the stadium computer lit up "Harpie Lady: 1300 ATK" on Laura's side of the board.
"And I'll play a down card, and that's a turn," said Laura.
"Exactly what I was hoping to hear," said Delilah, "because I have a great counteroffensive. I'll write a new chapter in the Harpie rivalry, by summoning Harpie's Brother in attack mode!"
Harpie's Brother: 1800 ATK
"Attack your dear sister!" Delilah commanded.
"Not so fast!" Laura exclaimed. "Reveal Trap Card: Reinforcements! I'll power up my Harpie Lady, and both of our monsters will now be destroyed!"
Harpie Lady: 1800 ATK: DESTROYED
Harpie's Brother: DESTROYED
"Boy, you really do stop at nothing to win, don't you?" asked Delilah.
"Glad you noticed!" Laura responded.
"Unfortunately for you," said Delilah, "so do I. I end my turn with Swords of Revealing Light! Now you cannot attack for three turns!"
"Now why would she do that?" asked Mike Adamle in the press box. "She sacrificed her own monster to destroy her opponent's monster early in the duel, and disposed of a great Spell Card early."
"Yeah, usually you see the Swords of Revealing Light later on in the duel," said Duke Devlin. "To a duelist who uses it on the first turn of a duel, I would normally say that's a short term gain and a long term loss, but that might not be the case in this duel. Maybe Delilah Rhodes knows something we don't know, or she knows something my niece Laura doesn't know. But in any case, it's a bold strategy, and we'll see later on if it pays off for her."
With my offense deactivated, thought Laura, it's time for me to rely on my defense. "I'll Set a monster in defense mode and end my turn."
Swords of Revealing Light: 1 turn expired
"I'll also set a monster in defense mode, and that will be it for me," said Delilah.
I'd better not take any chances, thought Laura. Knowing her, that's either the Man-Eater Bug, or something else. "I'll Set another monster in defense mode and end my turn here."
Swords of Revealing Light: 2 turns expired
Hah! Delilah thought triumphantly. Now I've got her right where I want her. Kazuki-poo is as good as mine! "Switch defending monster to Attack Mode: Penguin Soldier!"
Penguin Soldier: 750 ATK
"And get a load of its special ability: I can return your two monsters to your hand!"
"What?!" Laura shrieked, but nothing doing—her two defending monsters were sent off the field and back to her hand.
"And I'm not done. Now I sacrifice my Penguin Soldier for another, much more powerful monster: my very own Dark Magician Girl!"
Penguin Soldier: DESTROYED
Dark Magician Girl: 2000 ATK
"And since I sent your two monsters back to your hand," Delilah went on, "my Dark Magician Girl attacks your life points directly!"
"I don't think so!" Laura shouted. "I play a Spell Card: Scapegoat!"
And at once, four Sheep Tokens appeared on her side of the field.
"Oh, please," said Delilah dismissively. "Sheep Tokens? Is that honestly the best you can do? Because if it is, you might as well just hand Kazuki-poo over to me right now!"
"In your dreams!" yelled Laura. "Besides, you just wait until you see what I'm cooking up! So go ahead and finish your attack, if you dare!"
"Actually," said Delilah, "I think I'll call the attack off, and watch you suffer as you look at what you've done to yourself. My turn is over."
"That's what you think," said Laura. "I'll re-play one of my monsters in defense mode, and that will end my turn."
Swords of Revealing Light: 3 turns expired: DESTROYED
"Now, Dark Magician Girl!" said Delilah. "Destroy the unknown defending monster!"
"Reveal defending monster: Mystical Elf!" replied Laura.
Mystical Elf: 2000 DEF
"Ooh!" Angry, frustrated, Delilah balled her hands into fists. "I'll get you yet, Devlin!"
"We'll see," Laura responded.
"Four turns have gone into the books, and not one Life Point has been lost by either duelist," observed Mike Adamle.
"That's how you know that a duel is going to be great," said Duke Devlin. "The two combatants are dead-locked for quite some time, and then, when you least expect it, one or the other will draw first blood."
"Now I play the Spell Card, Dark Hole!" shouted Laura.
"What?!" shrieked Delilah.
"That's right!" said Laura. "All monsters on the field are destroyed, and that includes my own Sheep Tokens!"
Mystical Elf: DESTROYED
Dark Magician Girl: DESTROYED
"Now it's time for a blitz!" Laura continued. "So I'll summon another Harpie Lady in attack mode!"
Harpie Lady: 1300 ATK
"And now, Harpie Lady: attack her Life Points!" she ordered.
LAURA: 4000 LP, DELILAH: 2700 LP
"I'll put a card face down," said Laura. "That'll do for now."
"As you predicted, Duke," said Mike Adamle, "the first blood of the duel has been drawn when we did not see it coming."
"I certainly didn't see that Dark Hole Spell Card coming, Mike," remarked Duke Devlin.
Meanwhile, in the seats, the question was burning inside of Kazuki's head: Laura or Delilah? He was not having an easy time making the decision. On the one hand, he had liked Laura for a long time, and he still liked Laura now, but knowing her, she did not like him anymore. On the other hand, he had not liked Delilah even though she had taken a liking to him, but if Laura was not speaking to him anymore, he would most certainly have to get used to her. There was no question that the decision was going to be difficult, very difficult indeed…
"Ooh… you'll regret that blatant cheap shot, Devlin," Delilah growled. "I call forth Neo the Magic Swordsman!"
Neo the Magic Swordsman: 1700 ATK
"Attack Harpie Lady!"
Harpie Lady: DESTROYED
LAURA: 3600 LP, DELILAH: 2700 LP
"Hah! Two Harpies down, and one to go!" said Delilah smugly as she placed a card face down on the field. "Seems your little defense is about to crumble!"
"You shouldn't have done that, Rhodes," said Laura angrily. "You should not have done that!"
"Oh?" said Delilah. "And what do you propose to do about it, with two of your precious Harpies in your graveyard?"
Laura did not respond immediately but drew her next card—and after seeing what card it was, squealed in excitement.
"What makes you so happy all of a sudden?" said Delilah.
"Nothing… except doomsday for Neo the Magic Swordsman!" Laura responded. "First, I summon my third and final Harpie Lady to the field in attack mode!"
Harpie Lady: 1300 ATK
"Oh, puh-leeze!" said Delilah dismissively. "That obnoxious thing again? You should know it's no match for my monster."
"Who said I was attacking your monster with my Harpie Lady?" asked Laura. "I now play a Spell Card: Cost Down! With this card, I can summon a Level 7 or higher monster using only one sacrifice! I then reveal my Trap Card: Ultimate Offering! By paying 500 Life Points, I can summon another monster to my side of the field! And the monster I choose to summon is… Harpie's Pet Dragon, in exchange for my Harpie Lady!"
LAURA: 3100 LP, DELILAH: 2700 LP
Harpie Lady: DESTROYED
Harpie's Pet Dragon: 2000 ATK
"And I'll use the effect of Ultimate Offering once more," said Laura, "to set another monster in defense mode!"
LAURA: 2600 LP, DELILAH: 2700 LP
"Got any more?" Delilah taunted.
"No, I think that'll do for now," said Laura. "Now, Harpie's Pet Dragon attacks Neo the Magic Swordsman!"
Delilah laughed. "Gotcha!"
"What?!" screamed Laura. "No!"
"That's right!" Delilah called. "I play the Trap Card: Mirror Force! Your attack is nullified, and all of your monsters in attack mode are now destroyed!"
"NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!" echoed Laura's scream of agony all across the Kaibadome.
Harpie's Pet Dragon: DESTROYED
"It's over, Devlin!" exclaimed Delilah. "Kazuki-poo is mine!"
"I don't care who you are and how good you are at Duel Monsters," observed Mike Adamle. "To have a good monster on your side of the field, just when you are so close victory, is a devastating blow to any duelist—including Yugi Muto himself."
"I couldn't agree more," said Duke Devlin. "Mirror Force is another card I did not see coming, and would not have seen coming in about a thousand duels."
"A card neither of us could have foreseen, partner," said Mike.
"This duel is over," said Delilah. "First I play the Spell Card, Goblin's Secret Remedy. It allows me to increase either my Life Points or yours by 600. And I'll think I'll add it to your score."
"Thanks, girl," said Laura.
"Oh, don't mention it, dear," replied Delilah, smiling.
LAURA: 3200 LP, DELILAH: 2700 LP
"Now that's as touching a moment as you'll ever see in a game of Duel Monsters," said Mike Adamle. "A duelist giving his or her opponent 600 Life Points and then receiving thanks."
"But that's where the generosity ends… because now I play another Spell Card: Megamorph!" called Delilah. "Since my Life Points are now fewer than yours, any monster to which I attach this card gets his attack power instantly doubled! As there's only one monster in attack mode, I have no choice but to attach it to… my own Neo the Magic Swordsman!"
Neo the Magic Swordsman: 3400 ATK
"And THEN I'll play the Spell Card, Stop Defense!" said Delilah. "This card allows me to take your face-down monster in defense mode and change it to face-up attack mode!"
"What?!" Laura screamed again.
Magician of Faith: 300 ATK
"Now, Magic Swordsman!" commanded Delilah. "Destroy the Magician of Faith!"
"Hold on!" exclaimed Laura. "When you brought Magician of Faith out of defense mode, her special ability activated! I can now take a Spell Card from my Graveyard and add it to my hand!"
"It doesn't matter at this point, does it?" said Delilah. "Your monster is still destroyed!"
Magician of Faith: DESTROYED
LAURA: 100 LP, DELILAH: 2700 LP
"Ooh!" exclaimed Mike Adamle from the press box. "Delilah apparently thought she had a move to finish the duel right then and there, but when the dust settled, she found that Laura is still in the game, hanging on by the skin of her teeth to 100 Life Points!"
"By the skin of her teeth indeed!" agreed Duke Devlin. "But Delilah might have bitten off more than she could chew there, because now that her Life Points are more than Laura's, the reverse effect of Megamorph happens: The original attack power of the monster to which it is attached is cut in half."
Neo the Magic Swordsman: 850 ATK
"What?!" cried Delilah. "What happened?"
"Well, well!" said Laura. "It seems Megamorph has backfired!"
"No!" Delilah exclaimed. "How?"
"When you destroyed my Magician of Faith," Laura explained, "my Life Points dropped all the way to 100, far less than your 2700. According to Megamorph, when the controller's Life Points are more than his or her opponent's, the original attack power of the monster to which it is attached is cut in half!"
"No!" Delilah moaned.
"Oh, yes!" cried Laura. "It's my move! And I'll start by playing Pot of Greed! I get two new cards!"
Pot of Greed: DESTROYED
"Then I'll play Dian Keto the Cure Master," said Laura, "giving me a boost of 1000 Life Points."
LAURA: 1100 LP, DELILAH: 2700 LP
"Next I play… Monster Reborn!" declared Laura. "And I'll use it to bring your own Dark Magician Girl out of your Graveyard!"
"What?!" Delilah shouted.
Dark Magician Girl: 2000 ATK
"Now, Dark Magician Girl attacks Neo the Magic Swordsman!"
Delilah shrieks as Neo the Magic Swordsman and Megamorph are DESTROYED.
LAURA: 1100 LP, DELILAH: 1550 LP
"To end my turn," said Laura, "I'll play the Spell Card known as Emergency Provisions! By destroying my Ultimate Offering Trap Card…"
Ultimate Offering: DESTROYED
"…I gain an additional 1000 Life Points!" she finished.
LAURA: 2100 LP, DELILAH: 1550 LP
"An amazing play!" shouted Mike Adamle. "Laura Devlin has just taken the lead!"
"I can't believe it!" exclaimed Duke Devlin. "What a move! What a play! What a game!"
"My move!" shouted Delilah. "I play my own Cost Down Spell Card! Now I can summon a monster of Level 5 or 6 without offering a sacrifice! And the monster I choose is… Summoned Skull!"
"What?!" screamed Laura.
Summoned Skull: 2500 ATK
"I'm going to regret this… but I'll see you soon," said Delilah, addressing her Dark Magician Girl. "Summoned Skull, attack!"
Dark Magician Girl: DESTROYED
LAURA: 1600 LP, DELILAH: 1550 LP
"Now I play my own Monster Reborn card!" she continued. "This allows me to bring the Dark Magician Girl back to my own side of the field!"
Dark Magician Girl: 2000 ATK
"What are you going to do now, pretty?" taunted Delilah. "Now that I have two monsters on my side of the field, both of at least 2000 attack points?"
"Just this!" Laura responded, undaunted. "I play a monster in defense mode!"
"Is that all?" Delilah laughed. "All right, then, have it your way. Summoned Skull, attack her defending monster!"
"Reveal defending monster, Big Shield Gardna!" Laura reacted. "Your attack fails!"
Big Shield Gardna: 3000 DEF
LAURA: 1600 LP, DELILAH: 1050 LP
"Oh, what a move!" cried Mike Adamle. "That was a perfect play by Laura Devlin to lure Delilah Rhodes into a false sense of security, by playing Big Shield Gardna!"
"That's absolutely right, Mike," said Duke Devlin. "Hey, is it just me, or has this duel started to accelerate?"
"My play!" said Laura. "First, I'll play my Block Attack Spell Card! This allows me to shift one of your monsters to defense mode. And I select… your Summoned Skull!"
"What?!" yelled Delilah.
Summoned Skull: 1200 DEF
Block Attack: DESTROYED
"Sacrifice time!" declared Laura. "I'll sacrifice my Big Shield Gardna…"
Big Shield Gardna: DESTROYED
"…to call forth my Curse of Dragon, in attack mode!" she finished.
Curse of Dragon: 2000 ATK
"Now, Curse of Dragon!" she called. "Destroy Summoned Skull!"
Summoned Skull: DESTROYED
"I think that's all I can do for now," said Laura.
"Timeout!" shouted Delilah.
Tristan blew the whistle and shouted, "Time! Timeout, Delilah Rhodes!" Then, to Delilah, "Thirty seconds."
A buzzer sounded in the arena, followed by the public address announcer's voice: "Timeout called by Delilah Rhodes."
"Delilah Rhodes calls her timeout," said Mike Adamle. "Remember, each duelist is allowed one timeout per duel."
"I think she noticed how fast this duel was going, and she wanted to slow it down," remarked Duke Devlin.
Thirty seconds later, the buzzer sounded again.
"That's thirty seconds, Miss Rhodes," Tristan warned.
"Ready," Delilah responded.
Tristan nodded and took the center of the duel floor. Delilah and Laura resumed their positions.
"Let the duel continue on my signal," said Tristan. Three seconds later, he blew the whistle, and the crowd erupted into cheering again. Even the band started playing. But Delilah simply hesitated.
"Come on!" screeched Laura. "What are you waiting for?"
But Delilah, unfazed, drew her card slowly and looked at it. Upon the very sight of it, she squealed excitedly.
"What makes you so happy?" Laura said, confused.
"Kazuki-poo is about to be mine!" squeaked Delilah. "For I play my final spell card: Fissure!"
"Oh, no!" Laura screamed.
"Yes!" Delilah shouted. "Thanks to this card, your monster is destroyed!"
Curse of Dragon: DESTROYED
"And now, Dark Magician Girl attacks your Life Points to end this duel!"
"NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!" echoed Laura's seemingly never-ending scream as she took the full force of the Dark Magician Girl's attack right in the heart and fell backward to the duel floor, unconscious and unresponsive. The game was over. The final score, which the stadium computer was flashing to the entire Kaibadome crowd, was:
LAURA: 0 LP, DELILAH: 1050 LP
Tristan blew the whistle and shouted: "Winner! Delilah Rhodes!"