Chapter 12- The Comeback Begins?

"And now, we have another exciting duel! This time, it is between Jaden Yuki and Drake Stizen!" Shepherd said. Drake walked up the stairs to face his opponent.

"So, you must be Drake!" he said. "Get your game on!"

"Uh, okay, sure." Drake said, not sure how to respond to the insane happiness that this kid seemed to be exuding.

"Let's duel!"

Jaden: 4000

Drake: 4000

"I'll go first! Ha!" Jaden drew his card. "I summon my Elemental Hero Avian (Wind/Warrior, 1000/1000) in attack mode! That ends my turn."

"That's it? Kind of a lousy move." Drake drew his card. This guy doesn't look like he should be a good duelist, he thought. Then again, nothing is as it seems. "I summon Gemini Elf (Earth/Spellcaster, 1900/900) in attack mode! Now, destroy his Hero Avian!"

Jaden: 3100

Drake: 4000

"I will end my turn."

"Wow! Sweet card, man! Let's see, I draw." He did so. "Then I'll play Polymerization! With it, I can fuse together my Elemental Heroes Sparkman and Clayman in order to summon Elemental Hero Thunder Giant (Light/Warrior/Fusion/Effect, 2400/1500)! And when he's summoned, I get to destroy one monster on the field with an original attack that's equal to or less than his! Gemini Elf, you're outta here!"

"Crud. That was my only monster…" Drake said.

"And the great part is, since that was only his effect, I still have his attack, which I can now use on you- directly!"

Jaden: 3100

Drake: 1600

"That was painful." Julie commented.

"Yeah, more than half his life points, up in a burst of smoke and lightning." Flynn said.

"It's my turn." Drake said. "So, I'll draw a card. Then, I set a monster in defense mode and end my turn."

"My turn, then!" Jaden drew his card. "I summon Wroughtweiler (Earth/Beast/Effect, 800/1200) in attack mode. Then, I'll have Thunder Giant attack your facedown monster!"

"Ha! That was my Gravekeeper's Guard. When he's flipped, I get to return one of your monsters to your hand. So, Giant, you're returned to the Fusion Deck."

"Okay! I still can have Wroughtweiler attack you directly!"

Jaden: 3100

Drake: 800

"He needs something big here." Matt said. "He's down by a lot, and needs a big play."

"I'll throw down three facedowns and call it a turn."

"My turn… and it could be my last." Drake drew his card. He smiled. "Yes! I activate my Swords of Revealing Light Spell Card. Now, you are not allowed to attack for three turns. I set a monster in defense mode and end my turn."

"My turn! I draw and activate my facedown Fusion Recovery! Now I can take one monster that was used as part of a fusion and one Polymerization back from my Graveyard! So, I'll bring back Clayman and a Polymerization." The cards slid out of his graveyard and he added them to his hand. "Then, I switch Wroughtweiler to defense mode and summon Elemental Hero Clayman (Earth/Warrior, 800/2000) in defense mode! That's all."

"Right, then. My move." Drake drew his card. "Good. That's just what I needed. I flip my White Ninja! When he's flipped, he destroys one defense mode monster. So, Clayman can say goodbye." Clayman was destroyed by a burst of shurikens. "Now, I set another monster and end my turn."

"Okay! Nice moves, Drake! I draw." He glanced down at his cards. "I play the Warrior Returning Alive! Now, one of my warriors returns- alive! So, Clayman will return again to my hand, and I'll use Polymerization to fuse him with Elemental Hero Bubbleman to form Elemental Hero Mudballman (Water/Warrior, 1800/3000) in defense mode! That's all."

"Right then." Drake drew his card. I need more time! He thought. But this monster will help. "I sacrifice my White Ninja for Dark Magician Girl (Dark/Spellcaster/Effect, 2000/1700)! Then I end my turn."

"Okay! Last turn for your swords! I draw… and end my turn."

" 'Last turn for my swords?' Ha! I draw, then flip summon my Magician of Faith."

"Sweet! What does that do?"

"It allows me to recycle one Spell Card. Can you guess which one?"

"Oh."

"Yep, the Swords of Revealing Light! Which I will activate again and stop you for a further three turns!"

"What's with all the stalling? Don't tell me you don't have anything more to play."

"Oh, I have more." Just need some time, he thought. "I sacrifice my Magician of Faith to summon Silent Swordsman Lv. 5 (Light/Warrior/Effect, 2300/1000) in attack mode! Then, I play the Sage's Stone. While I have Dark Magician Girl on the field, I can Special Summon my Dark Magician (Dark/Spellcaster, 2500/2100) from my deck!"

"Okay, you done?"

"No! I'm going to destroy that pesky Wroughtweiler!"

"When you destroy him, I get two cards back from the graves! An Elemental Hero, and Polymerization!"

"This guy is heavily dependent on Poly." Matt commented. "Shut it down, and he losses. And I think that's where Drake is headed."

"Where to?" Julie asked.

Matt looked at her with a funny smile. "Level 7."

"Huh?"

"You'll see."

"I'll just draw, set another card, summon my Elemental Hero Wildheart (Earth/Warrior/Effect, 1500/1600) in defense mode, and end my turn." Said Jaden.

"Okay! Almost… there!" Drake said as he drew his card. "That's it! I activate… DARK MAGIC ATTACK!"

"Sweet! Uh, what does it do?" Jaden looked totally confused. "I thought that it was just the name of the Dark Magician's attack."

"It IS the name of the Dark Magician's attack. But, it is also a potent spell card. When Dark Magician is on the field, I can activate it. Then, he completely destroys any and all spell or trap cards on the field. YOUR field."

"Oh!"

"Now, I activate UNITED WE STAND! I'll equip it to Dark Magician Girl! Now, she gains 800 attack points for every face-up monster on my side of the field! Dark Magician Girl, mow down the Mudball man!"

"Grr… he was my best defensive monster!"

"I know! Now, Dark Magician, destroy Wildheart!"

"Wait, can't he do more damage by killing Wildheart with the Swordsman?" Keith said.

"He can, but there's a better move. That would be a short-term gain. And I think that Drake is thinking in the long term." Matt said.

"Now, Silent Swordsman Lv. 5, attack him directly!"

Jaden: 800

Drake: 800

"Your turn."

"That was a great move! Now it's my turn." Jaden drew his card. "I throw down two facedowns, and summon Elemental Hero Burstinatrix (Fire/Warrior, 1200/800) in defense mode. Your turn!"

"I draw! Now, Dark Magician, destroy Burstinatrix! Silent Swordsman, attack for the game!"

"I play Draining Shield! Now I gain Life points equal to his attack points, and the attack is negated."

Jaden: 3600 Drake: 800

"Fine, then! Dark Magician Girl, destroy him!"

"I play Hero Spirit! Now that damage is negated!"

"Okay. Next turn, it's over."

"My turn! I draw, and activate Monster Reborn! Now, I can bring back Thunder Giant, who will destroy your Dark Magician Girl with his effect!"

Drake smiled. "Will he? I don't see him."

"Huh?" Jaden's Monster Reborn was face up on the field, activated, but nothing was happening. "What's going on?"

"You are witnessing the effect of Silent Swordsman Lv. 7!"

"Where did he come from?!?"

"Last turn- after SS level 5 attacked directly, his level up requirement was met. Last turn, during my Standby phase, he leveled up. Didn't you notice when you used Draining Shield, you gained an extra 500 life points?"

"So, what does this new Swordsman do?"

"Well, for starters, he's got a really big sword. For seconds, he negates all spell cards. So, now, my Swords are negated, and so is my United We Stand. But, with no other monsters, you pose no threat any more."

"YES!" said Julie. "He's going to win!"

"Don't count on it yet." Matt warned. "But that is very likely."

"I guess I'm done…" Jaden said.

"Very well then! I draw! Now, all my monsters, defeat him!"

Jaden: 0

Drake: 800

Though the hometown player had lost, the crowd cheered. "That was a great duel, Drake!" Jacobs said.

"Thanks, Chancellor!"

"Yeah! That was awesome, let's duel again sometime!" Jaden said.

"Sure, if we ever see each other again, then we will." Drake said.

"And so, with that, the score is all tied up at 2 apiece!" Shepherd said. "And now, the duel you've all been waiting for… Matt Peterson vs. Zane Trusdale!"