Yu-Gi-Oh GX: A Duelist's Dream
As the bullet train back to Osaka proper raced along its path, floating above the frictionless track, I began to drift back into the web of experiences known as memories. I didn't miss my family, I was proud of being independent. And yet, I kept drifting back to the same damn thing. My father's approving smile, my mothers caring arms, the ...
Ugh, who was I kidding? I was homesick. I was tired of making my own meals and living on a budget. I was tired of having to work harder than everyone else, tired of the xenophobes and ignoramuses, tired of … tired of being second best.
Kuriboh-hair's win (I had decided to call him that) really shook me. Throughout my match I'd demonstrated a mastery of the game. Whether it was abusing mirror walls effect during the damage step, or the fact I had shown proper management control, none of it seemed to matter. As soon as he'd won, the roar of the crowd that followed… Well, people were always more enamored by a come from behind victory then a blowout.
What really sucked is that, although I'd never admit it, that was all I wanted. I wanted to be cheered on, to have the crowd behind my back screaming my name as I pulled a seemingly impossible win. And he'd done it. Without the hours of practice, the multiple tutors and game theory lessons, he'd won without even really trying. Regardless of how hard I was on myself, in the back of my mind I still knew I had done well. I could satisfy myself with the knowledge that if I did get in, I'd be blue.
"You know what?" I thought aloud.
"I deserve a reward. I'm going to the hot springs!" I declared proudly.
As the train came to a halt at my favorite stop, I grabbed my tote bag and joined the sea of passengers leaving the station; continuing the long walk until I reached the hot springs whose mere mention sent waves of euphoria. After sliding my season pass through the scanner, I was greeted by the familiar voice of an old friend.
I'd met Kasumi about 3 months ago, she'd just started her internship at the spa a few weeks earlier, and her red hair made her stick out like a sore thumb. I introduced myself to her (I made a habit of learning new faces) and we instantly hit it off. Through 6 visits and 1,500,000 Yen, I'd learned she was 23, a recent college grad, and was saving up money for med school. When I told her my mom was an orthopedic surgeon, her face lit up (Having a parent who pioneered new age prosthetics was always a good conversation starter) and she immediately probed me for more info. Actually, my family was more famous than I'd initially thought. Granted Kasumi was more educated than the average human, but her telling me she literally STUDIED my mom's work, and that my dad's business endeavors were well known even in Japan was news to me. I'd eventually told her that I was a duelist, she was immediately interested...Fast forward to the current day, and she knew almost everything about me.
"So how'd it gooooo?" she asked playfully.
I groaned, her lack of understanding of personal space showing it's self with her arms wrapped around my chest. "I won my match, so that's a plus." I replied nochenonatly. "I'm actually a guaranteed Obelisk blue now."
"That's great! She almost screamed, wrapping her hands around me even tighter. Pulling back with the slyest of smiles on her face while putting her warm hands on my back she said the magic words.
"Every champion deserves a reward, right?"
"Do your worst" I replied with a smile.
If you've ever ran for a long time, you know that when you wake up the next day, your whole body aches. Now imagine that same pain building up every single day for 2 and a half weeks. Now imagine an instant relief from all of that stress. A hand rubbing your shoulder blades with a warm touch kneads and molds your muscles, breaking up the blood clots that cause your muscles to ache.
The point was, Kasumi was amazing at her job. After one last long soak, I grabbed my freshly pressed blouse and matching skirt and got ready to leave.
"Hey can you wait up?" Kasumi called.
I twisted my head slightly to meet her line of vision before responding.
"Sure, what's up?"
"This'll seem a little sudden, but can we duel?"
She was right, it did seem really sudden. I didn't even know she played!
"I used to play a lot in grade school, but once high school rolled around, I just didn't make time anymore. I still have my old deck, so please?"
A huge smile popped up on my face.
"I'd be happy to!" I exclaimed.
Her eyes lit up for a moment before she donned a smile just like mine.
"You better not go easy on me! I was the best in my school when I was a kid."
"I wouldn't dream of it." I responded quickly.
As we both activated out duel disks, and the all too familiar whirl of the VR supercomputers churning filled the air, Kasumi started her turn.
"I'll start this duel off with my spell: Born from the grind stone! I can special summon a pyro type monster from my deck to my hand, but after I do so, I have to choose monsters equal to it's level and place them in any order on the top of my deck. The spirit of flames, solar flare dragon, and Hino-Kagu-Tsuchi are all placed on top of my deck. And as a result, I'll get to summon the cutest tsundere you've ever met, raging flame sprite!"
A moe girl with a burning match appeared on the the field, eyes literally burning before me. She had the stats 100/100 right next to her.
"I'll follow that up with my continuous spell: messenger of peace! As long as this card remains on the field, monsters with 1500 or more atk points can't declare an attack! And to top that off, I'll set down three cards face down and end my turn."
I had to admit, I was impressed. I hated stall decks to the end of the earth, but it was pretty cool to see Kasumi knew what she was doing.
"I guess I'll have to take you seriously now!" I replied with a smile.
"I'll activate my Spell card, LV memento! By discarding my silent magician level four, I can draw a card!"
Adding the uppermost card of my deck to my hand in a quick, crescent shaped sweep, I smiled before showing it to Kasumi.
"Since I drew my LV emblem, I can show it to you and draw again! And I'll summon the card I just drew: Noah: Tsunami of the spellsword!"
A silvery gray bearded bald headed man adorned with a tattered brown cloak rested his weight on a makeshift staff, the numbers 1400 and 1700 appearing near him.
"Next, I'll activate his effect. Once per turn, I can banish a spellcaster type monster from my grave to target a face-up spell or trap you control and destroy it. I'll choose your messenger of peace!"
As the shards of her enchantment fluttered down toward her feet, Kasumi wasn't fazed in the slightest. That cool, collected, confidence… It really pissed me off.
"Next I'll activate a spell I'm sure you know: Reinforcements of the army! And with it's effect I'll add Rachel: wildfire of the spellsword, from my deck to my hand!"
I smiled in recognition of my play.
"But wait, it gets even better! As long as I control a spellsword monster, I can special summon Rachel from my hand!"
A raven black haired woman burned a hole into reality, her chocolate fingers igniting the air around her creating a barrier of flames which surrounded her.
"Now we can get to the best part: Rachel's effect! By tributing a spellsword monster, I can target a card you control to banish and destroy it! I'll sacrifice Noah, and get rid of your flame Sprite permanently!"
An inferno spiraled out of rachel's blade, attempting to engulf the girl in her own personal hell.
"Nice try, but I'm no where done yet! I'll chain my quick-play spell: my body as a shield! By paying 1500 life points, I can negate rachel's effect and destroy her!"
The little girl smiled menacingly as rachel's attack was reflected right back at her, burning her to ash.
"Now you're monsterless Liz! Got a remedy for that?" Kasumi chided cheerfully
"Actually, yeah, I do. I activate monster reborn bringing back Rachel!"
Rachel reappeared on the field with a vengeance, her flames enveloping her once more.
"Before I try to take out your Sprite again, I'll grab some protection!"
Kasumi stifled a chuckle as I rolled my eyes in response.
"Not THAT kind of protection, geez. Anyway, I'll activate my continuous spell: Alchemic aura! I can banish either a spellcaster or warrior type monster to make all monsters of the opposite type unaffected by card effects during the battle phase! Now I'll attack your monster with rachel's burning blade!"
Rachel donned a sly grin, drew her blade, and ran at her newly minted nemesis.
"Uh-oh, guess I'll have to stop you again. I activate my trap: double passé!" This trap doesn't affect monsters, but the players themselves! It redirects your attack straight toward me, but allows my flame Sprite to attack you as compensation!"
Rachel slashed Kasumi through her torso with the virtual sword, her life points dropping to a messily 900. In response to my full out assault, kasumi's childish friend soared toward me with a small lit match in hand, tapped me softly, and my lifepoints decreased by a messily 100 as a result.
"You know, taking 3100 points of damage just to deal 100 back isn't exactly the optimal strategy."
I spat sarcastically.
"Liz, if it was just that 100 points of damage, I'd dare to say you'd be correct. But my counterattack just begun! First, flame sprite's mandatory effect kicks in: Whenever it inflicts battle damage, it gains 1000 attack points!"
"Big deal!" I call back "Even if I ended my turn here without any defenses, the most you'd be able to do would be attacking me for 1100 damage via Sprite's effect and then make it stronger than Rachel. All I'd have to do is use rachel's effect to banish your crabby little beast, summon a monster with 900 or more attack, and smash it into you for the win."
"Wow! You really think fast, dontcha Liz? The thing is, you're not gonna have another turn, hell, neither am I. This duel is gonna end right here with my quick play spell: berserker soul! When a monster I control with 1500 or less attack inflicts battle damage to you, I can discard my entire hand to enact the following: I excavate cards from my deck until I get one that isn't a monster. And for each monster I excavated by this effect, my flame Sprite gets and extra attack. And like you already mentioned, with my monster's effect, I won't be attacking Rachel, but you Liz!"
"Whaaaaat?!" I managed flabbergasted.
"That's not even the best part! Remember the second effect of born from the grind stone? I got to order the top 5 cards of my deck in any way I liked! I had three monsters among those 5, Liz. You were always good at math, so I'm sure you know that the total damage comes to 6300!"
I watched in awe as the 100/100 monster before me grew to be stronger than the legendary obelisk the tormentor in a single move, while simultaneously spelling my doom. All I could mouth out in utter shock was "wow".
Cards I made this chapter:
Born from the grindstone:
-Normal spell
You cannot normal summon or set the turn you activate this card. Special summon a fire attribute pyro type monster from your deck, ignoring its summoning conditions. Immediately after, place fire attribute pyro type monsters equal to the summoned monster's level on top of your deck in any order.
Breaker Soul
-Quickplay spell
(I used it's anime effect)
LV Memento
-normal spell
Discard a LV monster; draw a card. If the card shown has "LV" in it's name, you can reveal it to draw again.
LV Emblem
-Equip spell
Special summon a "LV" monster from your grave ignoring its summoning conditions. Its effects are negated. When it leaves the field; destroy this card. When this card leaves the field; destroy that monster.
Noah: Tsunami of the spellsword
-Effect monster
Level 4
Water
Spellcaster
Once per turn, can banish a spellcaster type monster from your grave to target a face-up spell or trap your opponent controls; destroy it. If this card is destroyed by battle, and sent to the graveyard, you can special summon a "Silent" monster with 1000 or less attack from your deck.
Rachel: Wildfire of the spellsword
-Effect monster
Level 4
Fire
Warrior
If you control a "Spellsword" monster, you can special summon this card from your hand. Once per turn, you can tribute a "Spellsword" monster you control to target one monster your opponent controls; destroy it, and if you do; banish it.
Alchemic aura
-Continuous spell
Once per turn, you can banish either a warrior or a spellcaster type monster from your grave, and if you do, during each battle phase this turn, monsters of the type not banished are unaffected by your opponent's card effects.
Sorry for not updating in forever. Finally done with high school :) so I should actually update my stories. I'll try to get my code geass fix updated within a week. Thanks for reading!