Chapter 3

"I accept your challenge; one star chip." Addy replied. She pulled out her deck and almost took a seat again, until she realized that the boy walked a few feet away from her to a platform. She returned her deck to her deck box, and by the time she looked up again, there was a gigantic hologram playing field in front of her. She walked to the end opposite the boy, and stepped onto the platform.

Addy placed her deck at the bottom left of the small card playing field. She placed her single wagered star chip next to it, and readied herself. She watched in awe as a lifepoint count lit up; a bright yellow 2000. She smiled slightly. At least she didn't have to keep track of life points.

"I'll go first." The obnoxious young boy said, and he drew a card from his deck. "I'll place two cards face down," he said, as two holographic cards appeared face down in the magic and trap section of his side of the holographic playing field. "And I also set one monster in defense mode." He continued. Another holographic card appeared, this time a face down card in the monster card zone appeared horizontally to symbolize its defensive position. "It's your move." He concluded.

Addy drew a card and added it to her hand. It wasn't a bad start by any means. She pulled three cards from her hand and placed them on the field. "I play three cards face down." She began. Once again, three cards appeared in the magic and trap zone, except they were on her side this time. "I summon my Obnoxious Celtic Guardian (atk 1400, def 1200) to the field in attack mode." Addy watched in awe as a holographic representation of her guardian appeared on the field. "I end my turn."

The boy once again drew a card, and added it to his hand. "I'll place one more monster in defense mode, and end my turn."

We're not going to get anywhere with both of us defending, Addy thought to herself as she drew her card. She contemplated for a few seconds, looking at her hand, and then the field, and continued her turn. "I summon my Summoned Skull (atk 2500, def 1200) to the field, also in attack mode." She began to smile as things began to look as though they were in her favor. "Now I attach my Horn of the Unicorn to my Obnoxious Celtic Guardian in order to raise his attack power to 1900." She continued, still smiling as her fortune. "Summoned Skull, attack the monster on the right." She commanded.

Her holographic fiend did as she commanded, and was suddenly destroyed.

"What did you do to my Skull?" Addy asked, shocked.

"What do you think happened, you novice? You attacked my Man Eater Bug." He said, and snickered. "Now, if you're almost done with your worthless move…" He said, and drew a card from his deck. Addy placed her Summoned Skull in the graveyard, scolding herself for her attack command. The boy began to laugh, bringing her attention to the field.

"I summon my Dark Magician (atk 2500, def 2100) attack mode!" he cried triumphantly, as the mighty spell caster appeared on his side of the field. "I now activate my Book of Spell magic card, which raises his attack power to 2800." Addy watched as a book materialized in the magician's hands and his power rose. "Next, I reveal another one of my face down cards, Swords of Revealing Light." A rain of green swords surrounded her guardian. He would now be unable to attack for three turns. "Now, I flip my Mystical Elf (atk 800, def 2000) into attack mode," he said, and his face down monster now revealed itself as a Mystical Elf card. "And last but not least, Dark Magician, attack her Guardian!"

Addy gasped as her life points dropped to 1100. Luckily, her Guardian was left on the field due to its special ability. The young boy once again chuckled, and Addy began to feel annoyed.

She breathed a sigh of relief as she was given some help with her draw. "I play Graceful Charity, allowing me to draw three cards from my deck." She drew her cards and thought for a few seconds before discarding two cards from her hand to her graveyard. "I'll switch my Guardian to defense mode, and end my turn." Addy sighed, unable to do much to improve her situation.

"I knew you'd make another worthless move. You'll never be a champion." The boy taunted, and he drew his card. "I guess since it would be pointless to attack, I'll end my turn." He said, as he pushed his hair out of his face.

Addy, by now worried about her predicament, sighed once again as she drew her card trying to remain calm. "I activate Pot of Greed, which allows me to draw two cards from my deck." She drew two more cards, and began to calm herself now. She could work with these. "I activate my Snatch Steal magic card in order to take control of your Dark Magician." The magician disintegrated and reappeared on her side of the field. Addy once again scolded herself as she realized she had forgotten about the boy's Swords of Revealing light that was still in play. "I end my turn."

After drawing his card, the boy snickered once again as his life points were raised to 3000 due to Snatch Steal's effect. "Now that you've given me some life points, I activate De-spell in order to reclaim my Dark Magician." He said proudly. "And now I use Stop Defense in order to force your Guardian into attack mode." He said matter-of-factly as Addy was forced to watch his turn unfold. "Dark Magician, attack her Guardian again!" The boy exclaimed.