This thing's a gold mine.

"All right, reality check," Akiza quavered as she picked up another card to hold five in her hand. "I've got nothing on my field and only 200 points left. Jack, on the other hand, has Red Dragon Archfiend and all 4000 of his points. What do I do?" She scanned over her hand, looking for something that can stand to the behemoth looming over her.

"Make a move or surrender," Atlas commanded impatiently. "I am not fond of people who stall for time, especially during a duel. So hurry up!"

"Oh hush up," Akiza fired back, placing a monster card on the field. "Or maybe Gigantic Cephalotus will hush you instead." From out of the ground sprouted a mutated Venus fly-trap with legs.

"Weeds, nobody likes weeds," Jack commented on his opponent's monster. "But they all can burn."

"I happen to like my 'weeds,' for your information," the dancer retorted. "Especially when I can juice 'em up with Megamorph!" The equip spell placed below her plant card immediately rejuvenated with power and doubled its attack strength. Once he realized what just happened, Jack stayed quiet.

"It's feeding time!" she teased, sending her monster into battle. The once champ looked up and saw his dragon swallowed whole by Akiza's mutant plant thing as he lost 700 points, leaving him with 3300.

"That's what I'm talking about," she gloated over the applause of Crow and the twins. "I guess I'll finish with a face-down card then."

"She makes it look so easy," Luna theorized.

"This thing's not over yet," Yusei cautioned her. "Jack knows how to rebound quickly after losing his edge."

"No sweat," the blonde duelist calmly said, drawing to hold two cards. "My Mystical Space Typhoon will take care of your Megamorph nuisance." A gale of winds swirled for Akiza's equip card, ready to knock it down.

"I had a hunch you might do that, so I prepared for it," the dancer pointed out, playing her face-down card. "With Emergency Provisions, I can sacrifice my Megamorph and get 1000 life points back." She winked as an attempt to throw Jack off while her score went up 1200.

"No matter, I can handle this," the champ hummed. "With Axe Dragonute, I can mow down that weed." A dark winged dragon, wielding an axe, chopped its way onto the field of play.

"Okay, let's see what your big bad dragon does," Akiza mouthed in a straight face. Jack snapped his fingers, sending his monster after hers. One swipe of its axe and the "weed" was chopped in half, reducing Akiza's score 1050.

"After my monster attacks, it switches into defense mode," Atlas explained as his beast kneeled down. "With that, my turn's over."

"Then allow me to wow you again," the young woman requested, drawing to hold three cards. "I summon Twilight Rose Knight!" To her left appeared the purple armored knight, ready for battle.

"With its special effect, I can summon another plant monster to join my knight," she continued, designating Lord Poison as the monster to fall in line.

"I could get used to this," the dancer went on, initiating a Synchro Summon. "Especially when I can wield monsters like Black Rose Dragon!" Her best card descended from the sky in a stream of green light, waving its vines around, wanting to crush something.

"That thing looks like it wants to hurt me," Jack stated the obvious.

"How right you are," Akiza agreed, pulling a card out of her graveyard. "But with my dragon's special effect, it'll do more than hurt you." Black Rose Dragon chomped down on Botanical Lion and sent its vines at Axe Dragonute, switching back into attack position and draining its attack strength.

"He's got nothing to protect himself," Leo interjected, referring to Jack's situation.

"Let's do this," Akiza said with confidence as her dragon blasted the axe-holding dragon and took out 2400 of Jack's life points, leaving him with 900.

"I'll set this on the field and end my turn," she concluded.

"Their life points are almost even now," Yusei surveyed mentally. "I didn't think Akiza would hold up this well against him. Maybe she can win."

"I almost hate saying this in front of you all," Atlas uttered, drawing to hold one card. "But I can't remember being in an intense duel like this in a while. The only other duelist that pushes me to be my best is Yusei."

"What are you trying to say?" Akiza questioned him.

"I'm saying that your skills are almost on par with his," Jack answered. The dancer turned her head to see Yusei nodding at her.

"You got me right here, Jack," Akiza sobbed in joy, pointing to her heart. "Right here."

"I have that effect on women," the champ boasted, playing the last card in his hand. "So does Monster Reborn, which brings back Red Dragon Archfiend!" In a blaze of fire, Jack's signature beast flapped its wings to extinguish the fire that brought it back.

"Let's see what your monster can do," the dancer confidently said.

"You got it," Atlas agreed. "Red Dragon, attack!" It built up a fireball in its right claw and hurled at Akiza's monster, torching it and bringing her score to 450.

"I play my Michizure trap card," Akiza countered. "Since you sent my monster to the graveyard, your dragon must do an about-face and follow as well." Jack looked up as his dragon was destroyed for a second time.

"Looks like it's come to this," the former champ summarized. "We're both out of monsters and our hands are empty. First one to draw a strong and playable monster wins."

"And you're not worried about losing?" the dancer quizzed him, ready to draw.

"Everything's fine," he assured her. "In fact, based on what I've seen here, I'm convinced that you're not a spy. So take your best shot."

"With pleasure," she fired back, drawing what she hoped to be the winning card. "I play Violet Witch!" A stereotypical witch, with leaves covering her arms, faded onto the field. It raised its staff, shot a beam at Jack, and took his life points to zero.

"Congratulations," the once champion praised his opponent. "You did it." The twins showed their enthusiasm for Akiza's victory by running up to her and hugging her.

"I did it, I really did it," she thought to herself. "I beat Jack Atlas." While she let it sink in, Crow and Yusei came up and congratulated her as well.

"You have a knack for comeback victories," the Blackwing wielder added his kudos. "And you kept your cool against one of the most intimidating monsters in existence."

"You're on your way," Yusei interrupted.

"I am," Akiza thought. "Even better, my skills are closing in on Yusei's."

Two victories against two powerful monsters. Akiza is getting better. What more does she need to do? I'll see if I can add one more part or put up a short story before the upcoming 4th of July weekend. Review if you wish. I hope this story reaches 100 reviews just like "Your Shot." Who believes it's possible?