I have returned…
And so has this story. I'm dedicating this chapter to my friend, Ty (Cloud), who has been patient with my writing this, as I took forever (sorry, guys.)

Chapter 3: Thus Burns the Phoenix!

Cloud's POV

The announcement had come early this morning. The first sign of trouble was when Emerald and Tyler were shaking me awake. I rolled my eyes impatiently, but Emerald soon cleared it up.

"Valtor has changed the order of the duels. You're going first."

My eyes widened in surprise. "What?!" I asked.

Tyler sighed. "You're dueling in about an hour."

Emerald then nodded. "I'm going to tell you all I can about your deck within that time. I'm going to send it via text message as well, so they can't track it."

Phoenix, who had been watching from the surveillance room, cursed and stormed off to the shooting range/obstacle course. He needed to calm down after this.

I nodded, still a bit dazed after this turn of events.

Emerald smirked. "Don't worry… I created your deck with some punch, and I expect it can pull its weight."

I nodded again. "So, what's the highlight of this deck?"

Emerald shrugged. "It has two main functions… Fusion Summon and Synchro Summon. I'll explain in more detail soon."

I frowned, disappointed. "No Xyz monsters?"

Emerald shook his head. "Apparently, I'm the only one who has one."

I sighed. "Lucky you."

Emerald smirked again. "I might let you borrow it at some point, but not right now. You need to prove your own power, with your own strength, with your own deck."

I nodded, appearing to understand. "So, what's the big idea with my deck, anyways?"

He smirked. "They're like the Crystal Beasts, except Metals, with their own support cards. Just look through them and see if you can piece any strategies together… I'll give you all the main combos via Facebook message, alright?"

I smirked. "Sounds like a plan to me."

Emerald smiled. "Just beat down Phoenix, alright? You're going to be on our side, whether you like it or not."

I nodded, actually smiling now. "No problems there."

Emerald nodded. "I'll be looking over my deck in the other room… I'll leave you to your ruminations."

I nodded as Emerald left the room, dying to be alone. I spread the deck out on the floor of the room I was given, noticing that I had multiple copies of several cards. I raised my eyebrows for a second before I looked at my extra deck, which was made up of several fusion monsters and a few Synchros.

I smiled as I got it. "The ones with multiples are either tuners or fusion materials."

I also saw a few key cards that I could use, and made a note of them.

Tyler suddenly slammed the door open, causing my deck to fly everywhere, landing in disarray. I glared at Tyler, who shrugged in apology.

"Sorry, but we have to go now! You might be late!"

I cursed as I gathered up my deck and ran towards the coliseum.

When I got there, Emerald, Shane, Valtor, Larthinox, and Tess were all comfortably seated, waiting for me. Valtor was looking at me maliciously, Emerald gave me a thumbs-up, Larthinox looked like he was waiting impatiently for any sort of action, Tess was waiting for the duel to begin, and Phoenix… well, he was loomng at the other end, intimidating as ever. Tyler took his seat in the stands before looking towards me.

Phoenix sighed. "You ready to lose?"

I shook my head. "No way am I losing this! Let's duel!"

Phoenix sighed before activating his duel disk.

"Let's get this over with."

Phoenix: 4000

Cloud: 4000

He drew a card. "I'll take the first move."

He saw his hand and nodded. "Your doom arrives quickly."

He activated his first card. "I play The Cheerful Coffin. Its effect allows me to send up to three monsters from my hand to the graveyard."

He discarded two monsters from his hand, then looked to me.

"I summon Savage Walker in attack mode!"

The brutal beast appeared, smashing its arms together (1200/500).

He nodded. "I'll set one card facedown and end my turn."

He placed the card in his duel disk and motioned for me to continue with my turn.

I sighed. "Alright, here I go. Draw!"

I drew my card and was delighted to see that my hand was fairly good.

"I'll start out by summoning Metallic Beast Copper Leona!"

A suave lioness with a metallic shine appeared from the card, who growled softly at Phoenix (1800/1000).

I smirked. "Now, I'll play a spell called Metallic Luster, which, by halving the attack of a Metallic Beast monster, destroys one monster on your field!"

Phoenix sighed. "It won't be that easy. Savage Walker can't be destroyed by card effects. Furthermore, when it's targeted by one, its attack increases by 1000."

The savage beast glowed in a dark energy as its attack increased to 2200.

I frowned. Nice move, Cloud. You just powered up his monster.

I looked at my hand and sighed. "I'll place two cards facedown and end my turn."

Phoenix appeared to smirk underneath his mask. "I'll draw my card now, if you're done helping me."

I cringed, as that hadn't been a terribly good first impression on Valtor. I looked at the stands, to see an unimpressed Valtorian council. Emerald shrugged, unfazed at my bad start.

I looked back to see Phoenix play a spell card. "I'll activate Monster Sylosis, targeting Savage Walker. Because it was targeted, it gets 2200 extra points because of Sylosis' effect and its own."

Savage Walker roared as its attack doubled. I blinked in surprise, taken aback by his deck's power.

He smirked. "I'll activate my facedown card, Hellpyre Twister. It destroys spells and trap cards on the field up to the number of Zombie-type monsters in my graveyard."

I stepped back, shocked. "Only Valtor could have given him such a powerful card."

Copper Leona growled at the tornado, and I smirked. "I play Leona's effect! By tributing her, I can negate an effect that destroys spell or trap cards."

Phoenix smirked. "That would leave you defenseless."

I chuckled. "Not so!"

I flipped one of the facedown cards I had. "I play Core Material Shift! When a Metallic monster is tributed by its own effect, I can special summon another Metallic monster from my deck." The deck ejected a card and I sighed in relief.

"I'll summon Metallic Beast Iron War Horse in Defense mode!"

A platinum-colored horse outfitted in red armor and a helmet outfitted with a lance, neighing as it glared at Savage Walker (1700/1400). It was outlined in blue, showing it was in defense mode.

Phoenix sighed. "I'll summon my Undead Adder in Attack mode."

The last card in his hand appeared on the field, a decaying, mummified snake with venom dripping from its fangs hissed, its half-tongue snaking out (1600/100).

Phoenix chuckled beneath his mask. "You're finished. Adder, attack his War Horse!"

The snake slithered slowly towards the horse, but when he tried to bite into the armor-clad equestrian, his fangs shattered. War Horse burro-kicked him back to Phoenix's field, where his fangs regrew. Undead Adder hissed once more before slinking back.

Phoenix looked toward me, unamused. "Why isn't that monster in the graveyard yet?"

I chuckled. "You're not the only one that can use effects to his advantage. It just so happens that War Horse can survive one attack per turn."

Phoenix sighed. "Savage Walker, finish it."

The creature traipsed over to War Horse and slammed it into the ground, shattering it into fragments.

I frowned. "Not good."

Phoenix sighed. "I'll play my facedown card; Mystic Wok, so that the adverse effects of Monster Sylosis don't activate."

Phoenix: 8400

Cloud: 4000

"And that ends my turn." He concluded.

I glared at Phoenix. "You won't win this."

Phoenix huffed. "The odds don't seem to be in your favor."

I drew my card and looked at my hand.

"I think I can pull off a great combo here."

"I'll activate the spell card Alloy Fusion!"

The spell appeared and showed a "metal remix" of Polymerization.

"It fuses the Copper Leona in my hand with a Zinc Ram to create a beast of power."

The two monsters appeared before melting down and joining.

"I fusion summon Alloy Beast Brass Minotaurus!"

A bipedal creature formed itself from the metal mix, alloying itself into a light brownish shine. The muscular creature appeared to be part-bull, part-lion, as opposed to the mythical man/bull hybrid. It roared as it proudly displayed its mane, its horns glinting in the faint light of the colosseum (2600/1400).

I smirked. "Let's go, Minotaurus! Take out his Undead Adder!"

My creature stomped over to the snake, which hissed in distaste. The brass behemoth slammed its fist down onto the snake, destroying it.

Phoenix: 7400

Cloud: 4000

Phoenix appeared not to care, and Minotaurus stepped back in clear pain. I looked to Phoenix for an explanation.

"Your attack, while barely weakening me, has decreased the attack of you monster by 1000."

I cringed as I could see Undead Adder's fangs protruding from Minotaurus' fist, its poison seeping through Minotaurus (1600/1400).

I sighed. "I'll set this facedown and end my turn."

The card appeared and Phoenix drew his card.

"I play Undead Avarice, which allows me to draw cards up to the number of Zombies in my graveyard."

He drew four cards from his deck as I looked at my field. "Your deck is extremely powerful."

Phoenix remained stoic. "Any deck is, in the right hands."

I glared at him as he continued his move. "I play Reaping the Graves. At a 1000 lifepoint cost, I can summon all the monsters in my graveyard."

Phoenix: 6400

Cloud: 4000

"This deck is extremely OP!" I thought.

"I bring back Rattlecage Skeleton (1700/0), Savage Walker (1200/500), Undead Adder (1600/100), and Lich Snare (500/0)."

Each monster appeared, glowering at its opponent.

"I'm going to activate the effect of Lich Snare, tributing it to take control of one of your monsters."

The larva-like creature disappeared, but Minotaurus stood firm.

I smirked. "Nope! I play my facedown card, Metallic Ductility. Its effect negates a card effect targeting a Metallic monster and destroys it!"

The card took effect and Lich Snare vanished to the graveyard.

"Hmm... a minor complication. I'm going to activate Hell Beacon and Spell Sanctuary."

The two cards appeared, both of which had devastating effects. "I'll set the last card facedown. Now, Rattlecage Skeleton, destroy Minotaurus!"

The skeletal creature lumbered over to Minotaurus and prepared to strike.

"I don't think so! Minotaurus' effect activates, which increases his attack points by 200 for each Metallic monster in the graveyard until the end of the turn. That's 800 points!"

Minotaurus roared and slammed Rattlecage Skeleton into the ground (2400/1400).

Phoenix: 5700

Cloud: 4000

Phoenix shrugged. "I play Undead Mirage, which brings Rattlecage Skeleton back in attack mode."

The lumbering collection of bones reappeared (1700/0).

"I guess you can take your turn, then."

Minotaurus' attack points returned to their decreased value (1600/1400) as I drew my card and nodded. "I play Metallic Beast Silver Serpent!"

A coiled-up serpent appeared, glowing in metal plating. It hissed at Phoenix and the other monsters on the field (1500/1300).

"When Silver Serpent is Summoned, I can activate its ability to Special Summon one Metallic Beast from my hand by paying 500 Lifepoints ... so, I'll choose another Copper Leona!"

The bronze-colored lioness appeared, growling at her opponents (1800/1000).

Phoenix: 5700

Cloud: 3500

"And with that, I will-"

"Not so fast," Phoenix interrupted. "I play my facedown, Black Magic Magnet!"

The card appeared, showing a pentagram-image of red energy with a zombie being dragged into a bottomless abyss.
"This card allows me to tribute one of my zombies to switch them all to attack mode and force them to attack this turn. I'll be taking away my Rattlecage Skeleton, then using its effect to pay 500 life points to bring it back in Defense Mode."

Phoenix: 5200

Cloud: 3500

The effect activated, and Rattlecage Skeleton disappeared, then reappeared with its arms crossed (Defense: 0)

My eyes widened. "Wait... does that mean?"

Phoenix nodded. "Indeed it does."

All three of my monsters struck Hell Beacon, which shattered.

"Now, I bring forth my ultimate creature! Dead Zero - Jigoku God!"

The colosseum widened to accommodate the extremely powerful monster, appearing out of a pillar of shadow. It appeared to exude an aura of power and evil (Attack: 4900).

I frowned. "Well, I guess that ends my turn. I will set a facedown first, though."

Phoenix scoffed he drew his card. Jigoku roared as his attack increased to 5400.

You've got to be joking! I thought.

"I'll be playing Mystical Space Typhoon to destroy your facedown card."

I sighed as Mirror Force was decimated.

Seriously? Okay, this is too much.

"First, Undead Adder, finish his Silver Serpent!"

The snakes slithered towards each other, both glaring, then lunged. However, Undead Adder struck first, eliminating the serpent.

Phoenix: 5200

Cloud: 3400

"Now, Jigoku, eliminate his Minotaurus!"

The monstrous creature aimed its arm gun at the minotaur, which roared defensively as its attack was raised to 2400. The Zero God released a wave of dark energy that eliminated my monster, the explosion knocking me backwards.

Phoenix: 5200

Cloud: 400

"You all right?" I heard Emerald say.

I sighed as I got up. "Peachy."

Phoenix appeared unamused. "So, you have the strength to stand on what will be your last turn. I'll end my turn right now, so I can finish this quickly."

I glared at him. "I can still come back from this!"

He shook his head. "It's impossible to do so. Even from the start of the duel, you've been dueling like an amateur. My most powerful monster will end you, and you will feel the gravitas of your failure."

I stood there, shocked.

Phoenix then turned his head away and continued, "You're a worthless duelist. You'll never amount to anything."

Those words struck a nerve as I remembered what my father had said to me, years ago.

Flashback: 9 years in the past.

It was my ninth birthday, and my mom had given me a deck of cards as a present. I grinned upon receiving it and hugged her. "Thanks, mom!"

She just smiled. "No problem, Cloud!"

It was at that moment that I felt a shadow looming over me. I turned around to see my father, a duel disk on his arm and five cards already drawn. "How about a duel?"

Being the ambitious person I was, I nodded, a smile on my face. "You're on!"

My father was reckless throughout the duel, using powerful monsters and more powerful strategies to eliminate my lifepoints without losing a single point. He stood there stoically as his victory was shown. I dropped to my knees, beaten.

My father glared at me. "That was completely unprofessional! How can you expect to be a good duelist if you lose to someone like me?"

I was left shocked. "I... I don't know."

He turned around, scoffing. "You're a worthless duelist, son. You'll never be able to amount to anything."

End Flashback

I glared at Phoenix. "You know nothing of me! You're going to lose this duel, and I know it!"

Phoenix motioned his hand to my duel disk. "Then make your move."

I nodded, drawing my card. I looked at my hand and smirked. "That's it!"

"I summon Metallic Beast Tin Eagle!"

A dimly shining, grey-colored bird appeared on the field, screeching (1400/1400).

"Now, I'll activate his effect, which switches himself and one monster on your side of the field to defense mode! And I'll be choosing Dead Zero- Jigoku God!"

The gigantic creature was forced to take a knee (0) as my bird landed and crossed his wings in front of him (1400).

"Now, I'll activate the spell Card Treasure Greed, which allows me to draw a card for any Metallic monster on the field!"

I drew two cards, smirking at the results. "Now, I'll play the effect of Alloy Fusion in the Graveyard! By sending a Metallic monster from my deck to the graveyard, it can return itself to my hand."

I sent another Tin Eagle to the Graveyard as Alloy Fusion returned itself to my hand.

"And now, I'll activate it, fusing Leona and Eagle to form Alloy Beast Bronze Gryphon!"

The creature appeared, having a lion's body and tail, but an eagle's head and wings (2500/1300).

Phoenix shrugged. "What good is that going to do for you?"

"Gryphon's effect, for starters! With it, I can summon another Metallic monster from my hand, such as my Sodium Shark!"

A brittle, white shark with menacing teeth appeared that was glowing in energy (1200/800).

"And not only that, but his effect destroys a Spell or Trap card when he's summoned. So, say goodbye to your Spell Sanctuary!"

The card was destroyed as Sodium Shark flew over there and chomped down on it.

Phoenix responded, "So I have one card left in my backfield. Even if both of your monsters attack, there's no way you're going to win."

I chuckled. "I think not! I tune my level 2 Sodium Shark with Level 8 Bronze Gryphon!"

Shark separated itself into two green energy rings, which Gryphon flew into.

"Synchro Summon? None of your monsters can beat my Jigoku."

Gryphon turned into a white beam of energy, signalling the formation of a Synchro monster.

"I beg to differ! Arise, Amalgam Beast Titanium Dragon!"

A giant dragon appeared from the beam of white light, colored silver. It was a quadruped, with golden-highlighted wings and razor-sharp fangs. It roared as it appeared (3200/2000).

Phoenix began to laugh. "Is that all you've got?"

I smirked. "Not at all! I activate Titanium Dragon's effect! By banishing any number of Metallic Beast monsters in my graveyard, Titanium Dragon gains 500 points for each one!"

All nine Metallic Beast monsters in my Graveyard were banished. Titanium Dragon's attack points immediately rose to 7500 points.

"Impressive," Phoenix said, "But I play my trap card, Gravitas Return. It switches all my Zombies to defense mode."

"It doesn't matter," I asserted. "I'm still going to win in this turn."

Phoenix retaliated, "That's impossible! You monster won't even do damage!"

I began to laugh, which gradually built into a smile.

Phoenix responded with a tone of anger in his voice. "You can't win!"

"Except for the fact that Titanium Dragon has piercing!"

Emerald smirked. "Take him down, Cloud." He said.

I glared at Phoenix. "With pleasure! Go, Titanium Dragon! Attack Jigoku with Metallic Inferno Burst!"

The dragon roared, then shot a gigantic burst of silver fire at the Zero God. Although it retaliated with its cannon blast, it was overpowered and went right through Jigoku, hitting Phoenix, who was standing right behind it. He slumped to the floor upon his defeat.

Cloud: 400

Phoenix: 0

Winner: Cloud.

I looked away as the monsters on both fields disappeared. "Don't you ever say I'm worthless!"

As I stepped off the duel field, I was met by Emerald and Valtor. I nodded to Valtor, who smirked.

"You won the duel... I'm impressed with your skills. You have proved your place on the Orichalcos council."

"Thank you, Master Valtor. I will not let you down."

He walked away, and Emerald looked at me suspiciously. "Flashback?"

I blinked in surprise. "Well, yeah... How'd you know."

He chuckled. "It was just a guess... but I guess I was right."

I facepalmed. "Well, I guess that worked."

He nodded. "Yeah. I guess Valtor will keep us in the dark as to who's going to duel next."

I nodded and looked back to Phoenix, who had gotten up and was walking towards me.

I looked over to him, grinning. "You upset that I beat you?"

Phoenix shook his head and said, "You may have won this duel, but that doesn't mean you've proved your place. I'll be watching you."

He proceeded out of the room and Emerald sighed. "Well, that's kinda creepy, when you think about it."

I shook my head. "I guess."

Emerald held a hand out. "Good job out there, by the way."

I smiled and accepted the handshake. "Thanks, bro."

He nodded. "No problem. I guess I should go over some more strategies with you and Tyler, if you want."

I smirked. "Sounds like a plan."

We walked back to the room, where Tyler was waiting for us.

Tyler looked to us and said, "That was a great duel, Cloud! You did well."

I nodded. "Thanks."

Emerald sighed and jumped on his bed. "Just watching the duel exhausted me. I'll be here for a while."

I sighed and pulled up my computer, checking for any news.

The first headline that came up was, "Syndicate of Shadows Eliminates Tag-team Duelist Champs."

I gasped. "Guys, look at this!"

They both went over and saw the headline. Tyler looked down while Emerald appeared angry. "The Orichalcos legion sends us up against this?! You've got to be kidding me!"

I looked at both of them confidently. "If I can beat Phoenix, these guys will be child's play!"

Emerald looked away, eyes closed. "I certainly hope you're right."

...

Well, I did my best on this chapter. Hope y'alls like it!

-E.D.