'Like Family', Melting Mill vs. Ominous Descores
"The duels on this island will be played with standard rules," a suited man, standing on the balcony of the castle, was explaining, "All players start with 4000 Life Points, with five cards in their hand. Changing these rules is not allowed. All Tag-Duels, if any, must be played as Battle Royals." It was ten minutes ago when everybody left the ships and headed towards the castle, where the finals should take place and were now listening to the rulings: "All players must ante one or more Star Chips before each duel, with are to hand the duels victor. Each of you," he pointed down to the waiting duelists, "received two Star Chips and a Dueling Gauntlet. If you haven't already, put it on now, please."
A few contestants, including Mason, were now searching their pockets for the Gauntlet. This took a minute or two, then the crowd became silent again.
The man on the balcony waited a few more seconds, before continuing: "It is not allowed to substitute Star Chips with rare cards or anything similar. But it is allowed to give chips to contestants," he heavily pronounced the word 'contestants' in the last sentence. Maybe there was a reason. "without dueling them. If any player runs out of Star Chips, they have to immediately leave the island. There are three ferries back to the land per day, eight o'clock, twelve o'clock and six o'clock. You are not allowed to leave the island in any other way."
He paused a moment, before going on: "If anyone of you has collected ten Star Chips, he will be granted access to the castle and thus the finale. If eight duelists have advanced to the finales, they will start, no matter if anyone would collect enough Chips afterward. Also, in the tournament will also be a few so called 'eliminators', duelists hired by us to defeat you." He paused again after saying this, to let the muttering among the crowd end.
"That's it so far. In half an hour, there will be a fireworks above this castle, then the tournament is officially open. Until then, dueling is prohibited." The man then left the balcony and the duelists started to explore the island, alone or in groups.
Ryan was again with Mason, Alex and Josh after the ruling was announced. They headed into the forest, because Josh had won a game of Paper-Rock-Scissors. "Sooo," Mason asked while walking, "still excited?" Everybody nodded their head. The presence of their opponents had made an impact on them and it was certainly not getting better, because right in that moment the fireworks started.
"Well it's on," Josh said with a shaky voice.
"Come on," Alex shouted, "It has to sound this way: It's on! Guys, let's win some Star Chips!"
"I wish I had your confidence. But don't forget, I defeated you recently." Ryan reminded Alex grinning.
"That was pure luck." Ryan wanted to say something at the retort, but someone else did for him: "Well, luck is only for the lucky ones." All four of the group turned around. It wasn't one of them to say that.
"Wow, was I really that surprising?" Daniel asked, before addressing Ryan: "Hi Brother, what's up?"
"Well, just being in the Neo Duelist Kingdom. And you?" came the answer.
"Uhm, I lost Maria, have you seen her?" All four boys shook their heads, with Mason saying: "We've seen nobody since we left the castle."
"Okay, I might continue searching then guys. See..." before he could finish the sentence a triumphant scream was echoing through the woods and making their way towards the group: "Yeah, aha, oh yeah oh yeah oh yeeaaahh, Whoooo! Oh hey, here are you baby!" Maria was running, or more jumping her way towards her boyfriend, jumping into his arm and giving him a quick kiss, before pointing with her finger to her Duel Gauntlet and saying: "Baby, Baby guess what! Guess what! Guess what! I won my first Star Chip, Yeah!"
In fact, her Gauntlet was now showing three Star Chips. To be secure, Ryan quickly checked Daniels Gauntlet, but it still had only two on them.
Maria now turned to the other four guys: "Oh, Ryan, what's up, what's up, what's u-u-u-u-uuup!" She said the last thing in a hilarious hip-hop chant, so the guys had to do their best not to laugh at her. "Well, Duelist Kingdom, you kn-kn-kn-know, right?" Ryan answered similar.
"Hey, only I can do Hip-Hop."
"Maria, I challenge you to a Duel for two Star Chips!" Everybody turned their head to Alex, who said this, and then back to Maria who started laughing out loud: "Oh Ryan's friend, are you really, really, really, really sure that you wanna do this? I say you're not ready for this jelly."
Ryan took a short glimpse to Daniel, who seemed to be not happy about this twist of events.
"Oh Daniel's girl, this is a tournament and we're opponents, so I challenge you." Alex retorted, but it seemed to not have that effect that he wished.
"Wait, Daniel's Girl, Ryan's friend, we're almost something similar to a strange family! I accept your challenge, two Star Chips."
Now Josh had to intervene: "Alex, are you serious? If you lose, then you're out!" The answer came immediately: "I won't lose, that wannabee rapping girl will."
"Wannabee? Okay, now you're getting to feel the rage of M-Dog, Bitches!" She put her D-Pad on her arm, a standard version with a metallic greyish-black color, before putting on her D-Gazer of the same kind. Alex also readied his equipment.
"AR Vision – link established."
"DUEL!"
Alex: 4000 LP
Maria: 4000 LP
"I'm the girl, I take the start." Maria demanded and drew. "Ohh. Nothing original or FTKish here. So, I have to use this instead: 'Descore Pyrokinetic', Attack Mode." First, two orbs made of glass appeared on the field, with a strange purple energy pulsating inside of it. Then, stripes of black metal wrapped around both of the orbs, framing them, before continuing to build up what looked like a torso, with a dragon's head on it. When the figure was finished, a blueish-black fire was lit inside of its body and filled out all of the gaps between the stripes.
Descore Pyrokinetic / Level 4 / DARK / Pyro-Type / 1600 ATK / 100 DEF
"Turn end." Alex observed the new monster with a special curiosity, before drawing his card. "Fine. I'm going to finish this duel soon. I activate my Field Spell Card 'Melting Hills'!" The area around them morphed, until they stood inside a valley, surrounded by volcanoes, lava running everywhere.
"Now, every time a FIRE Monster is Normal Summoned, you have to send the top card of your Deck to the Graveyard. And, if cards are send from your Deck to the Graveyard, they are banished right after they landed there," Alex explained the effects of his Field Spell with a visible joy.
When Maria yawned theatricality, he continued visibly angered: "Ritual Spell Card, 'Melting Rite of Growing Up'! Level six 'Teneflare Unzen', I use you to Ritual Summon 'Teneflare Toba'!" The card from Alex hand disappeared in his Spell, and a giant shark, made of magma emerged of it.
Teneflare Toba / Level 6 / FIRE / Fish-Type / 2600 ATK / 1700 DEF
"Now I activate my Quick Spell 'Ritualistic Mill'! Since a Ritual Monster was summoned to my field, I can use this, to mill cards from your Deck, equal to my Monsters level. So six cards, first to the graveyard and then immediately banished." Maria took the top six cards of her deck and inserted them into her Graveyard, before pulling them back out.
Maria's Deck: 34 → 28
Alex then took the last card from his hand: "Finally, I Normal Summon 'Teneflare Rainier'!" Another magma-coated monster appeared on the field, this time it had the shape of a huge bird.
Teneflare Rainier / Level 4 / FIRE / Winged Beast-Type / 1800 ATK / 1800 DEF
Suddenly the Volcanoes around them exploded, with a bit of lava landing on Maria's D-Pad. She understood that this was the effect of 'Melting Hills' and took the top card of her Deck.
Maria's Deck: 28 → 27
"And I immediately use Rainiers effect and target Toba for it. Now, every time cards are sent from your Deck to the Graveyard because of its effect, you have to send three other cards directly after."
After Maria let out another bored yawn, Alex finally lost it: "Are you making fun of me? I'm going to wipe that 'sleepiness' out of your head! Toba, attack her thing, her 'Descore Pyrokinetic'!" The Shark spilled out a huge load of lava onto the strange figure, which completely disappeared among the flood.
"Due to my Monsters effects, you do not take any Damage from this battle, but you have to send cards from your Deck to the Graveyard equal to its level! And don't you forget the three additional from Rainier!" Alex was shouting now, being so unnerved from this girl, who just stood there, doing nothing but milling seven cards from her Deck.
Maria's Deck: 27 → 20
But although Maria was now down to half of her Deck, she did not lose her grin. And only one person know why. Daniels thoughts were even going further: "I think Alex has made a huge mistake this turn. And this mistake will come to revenge soon."
Next Chapter: Keep your head up! The Woods of Moths!
Author-made cards:
Teneflare Rainier / Level 4 / FIRE / Winged Beast-Type / 1800 ATK / 1800 DEF
Your opponent takes no Battle Damage from battles involfing this card. Once per turn: Target 1 "Teneflare" monster you control. Each time cards are sent of your opponents deck to the graveyard, because of the targeted monsters effect: Sent the top 3 cards of your opponents deck to the graveyard.
Teneflare Toba / Level 6 / FIRE / Fish-Type / 2600 ATK / 1700 DEF
You can Ritual Summon this card with "Melting Rite Of Growing Up". Your opponent takes no Battle Damage from Battles involving this card. If this card destroys an opponents monster by battle: Sent cards from the top of your opponents deck to the graveyard equal to the level of the destroyed monster.
Melting Hills / Field Spell Card
If a FIRE monster is Normal Summoned: Send the top card of your opponents deck to the graveyard. Cards that would be send from the deck to the graveyard are banished instead.
Melting Rite of Growing Up / Ritual Spell Card
This card can be used to Ritual Summon any "Teneflare" Ritual Monster. You must also Tribute monsters from the field or your hand whose total Levels equal the Level of the Ritual Monster you Ritual Summon.
Ritualistic Mill / Quick-Play Spell Card
Activate only if you Ritual Summoned a Ritual Monster. Send cards from the top of your opponents Deck to the Graveyard equal to the Monsters level. Your opponent takes no Battle Damage this turn.
Price question: What 'huge mistake' did Alex make? Are you smarter than Daniel?
Writing took me very fast this time, simply because I've had this part of the story in my head for long now. Maybe the next one will come similar fast, but then I think I'll slow down a bit.
Say Hi to Maria. She is a little bit crazy. Did you say hi? Did you? Did you? Did y-y-y-y-you, yo?
Something I forgot to mention last time: The Teneflares are all named after volcanoes. Oh, the Descores? Dead simple: Descore = Des Core = Death Core. And Pyrokinesis is the ability to light and control fire with ones mind. (Really Fanfictionnets Proofreading system? Hydrokinesis exists but Pyrokinesis not? Really?)
That's it for now, don't worry, there is a reason for Alex dueling two times in a row. See you/it at/in the next chapter!