Chapter 34- Duel Against the Machine

Brooklyn: 4000

Human Fiend: 4000

"Ha! You fool! There's no possible way that you can defeat me! You're so stupid looking, you probably barely understand the game!" said the human fiend. "As such, I'll start, so you can see how it's done!" He drew a card. "Hmm… I'll set one monster in defense mode. Then, I set one card facedown card. Now go, and see if you can keep up!"

"Oh, trust me. I'll do just fine." Brooklyn said. He drew a card. "Let's see…I activate Mpirian Strike, which allows me to select one Mpire monster in my hand and destroy one monster on the field. So your monster is gone."

"Oh no, my monster is gone, what will I ever do?!?" said the fiend mockingly.

"Well, you'll probably die, because I selected Chris, King of Mpire from my hand."

"So?"

"Since I used him in conjunction with Mpirian Strike, I can now special summon him. So, here he is, (Earth/Warrior/Mpire/Effect, 2600/1500) in attack mode! Now Chris, attack directly!"

"Ha! You fool! I activate my trap card, Sakuretsu Armor! Now your foolish warrior is destroyed!"

"Ha! That would be true if it wasn't for Chris's effect. If you attempt to destroy him during my battle phase, then his attack is negated, but he isn't destroyed. So now I'll just set a card and end my turn."

"Hmph. Cheat." The fiend drew a card. "I'll kill you without any of those cheap cards! I summon Ancient Gear (Earth/Machine/Effect, 100/800) in defense mode! Then I activate the spell card Machine Duplication! This allows me to summon two more Gears from my deck, both in defense mode."

"Oh, boring. More weak monsters to plow through."

"Ha! You have no idea what I have planned. Next I activate Ancient Gear Drill, to set this card from my deck facedown. That's all."

"Wow, you're not too good for talking such a big game." Brooklyn drew a card.

"What do you think he has planned, Keith?" Drake asked.

"Don't know. I haven't seen many Ancient Gear decks, and I don't know many of the cards. Some of them are still pretty new. I haven't had much time to look at them. But there's still a plethora of things he could do. I just wonder what he will do…" Keith said.

"Okay! Brooklyn said. "I summon Mpirian Berserker (Earth/Warrior/Mpire/Effect, 2000/1000) in attack mode!"

"What does he do?"

"Well, just think of him as a Berserk Gorilla clone."

"Alright, I am familiar with the Berserk Gorilla."

"Good, now listen up, because the Berserker has another effect. He breaks through your defense!"

"You cheat! You cannot possibly have that effect!"

"But I do! Watch your life points, eh? Mpirian Berserker, attack his Ancient Gear!"

Brooklyn: 4000

Human Fiend: 2800

"Grr… you'll pay for that."

"Right. I'm sure I will. Now, Chris, attack the next Gear!"

"Are you done yet?"

"Yes. I think my work is done for now."

"Good! Now I can kill you!" The fiend drew a card. I sacrifice the one remaining Gear to summon my Ancient Gear Beast (Earth/Machine/Effect, 2000/2000) in attack mode! Then I'll activate my facedown card, Enemy Controller! With it, I'll switch Chris to defense mode!"

"Curses…"

"Now, Ancient Gear Beast, tear him apart!"

"Even though you destroyed him, I don't take damage."

"So? I got rid of your strongest monster!"

"While that may be true, you've given me the initiative I need."

"I set one card and end my turn."

"Hmm…" Brooklyn drew a card. "Let's see… how to go about this. Berserker must attack and will be destroyed if I switch him to defense mode… so… hmm… I'll just have to sacrifice him. I sacrifice my Berserker to summon Jeff, Lord of Mpire (Wind/Warrior/Mpire/Effect, 2100/1700) in attack mode. Jeff doesn't have to attack, and has a little more power. And he also has a better effect."

"And that would be…?"

"I'm not going to tell you! For now, I'll just set one and end my turn."

"Come on, do you think I'll just walk into that trap? Besides, whenever the Gear Beast attacks, you cannot activate your facedown cards!"

"Oh dear."

"You fool! Prepare to die!"

"You know, I've always wondered how someone is supposed to prepare to die." Flynn said.

"I would guess they mean we should write our will, say our last words, stuff like that." Keith said.

"Hey! Fools in the back! Shut up!" The fiend drew a card. "I summon Green Gadget (Earth/Machine/Effect, 1400/600) in attack mode! Because I summoned him, I can add one 'Red Gadget' to my hand!"

"Oh, no. He's stockpiling weak little gears."

"Never underestimate an enemy, no matter how weak it seems, or it will kill you! I activate Rare Metalmorph! This gives my Gear Beast 500 extra attack points! (2500) And you know what that means?!? Jeff is about to get fragged! Go, Gear Beast, attack! And don't even think about using your facedown card to save you, you can't play a card!"

"I don't need to." Brooklyn said. "You've fallen into a different kind of trap."

"What are you talking about?"

"Jeff is an expert at shooting people's weapons out of their hands. Thus, any time a monster chooses to fight Jeff, if he is a warrior-type monster, the monster loses 500 attack points, and if the monster has any attack increases, they are negated as well. So your beast goes back to 2000, I'm afraid…"

"But…no!"

Brooklyn: 4000

Human Fiend: 2700

"Wow, he's pretty good." Helen said.

"Well, that's Matt's little brother. Of course he's good." Julie said. "He had to survive Matt, or at least give him a run for his money!"

"Still…" Flynn said. "I don't remember him being this good."

"He did take out nine fiends in the time it took you to take down one, remember Flynn?" Drake asked.

"Oh, yes…I do."

"Are you done?" Brooklyn said.

"Crud… how's he doing that? Where are all these cards coming from? What? Oh yes… crap… I've got nothing… I'm done."

"You're right, you are." Brooklyn drew a card. "I activate THE HOLY GRAIL. This card allows me to revive one Mpire monster and increase its points by 200 each. So, Chris King of Mpire will come back with a little more (2800). Now, Jeff, destroy the Gadget!"

Brooklyn: 4000

Human Fiend: 2000

"Wait! You can't defeat me!"

"But I'm going to. Chris, attack directly!"

Brooklyn: 4000

Human Fiend: 0

The fiend exploded, but not like the other ones. The explosion was so massive that it tossed Brooklyn across the room and wrenched the metal plates everyone was bound to out of the ground. The bonds holding Drake broke free as the plate broke.

"Woah… what was that?" Brooklyn said. "Rather large explosion."

"Yeah, this fiend is- was- different." Flynn said, massaging his wrists and back. "That hurt."

"Yeah, but no time to feel pity for ourselves."

"Why's that?" Julie asked.

"We've got to get out of here. I have no doubt that that explosion will draw every fiend it can to our position. So, we need to go. I brought a convenient ride, let's get rolling!" Brooklyn jumped out the hole he had created when he had made his entrance.

"Come on, we need to go." Keith said. "He's right."

"I hate that!" Drake said.