Chapter 5: Queen of Deception

Erika: 4000

Man: 4000

"Ladies first." Erika declared as she drew a card.

"Hehe…I summon Trickster Cat in Attack Position." She said with a grin. A skinny cat wearing a magician's hat and a magician's uniform appeared. It stood on its hind legs and was carrying a staff. (ATK: 1000) The man looked confused as the cat was running alongside Erika. He then smiled.

"Time to cut off his claws. I draw." He said.

"Not quite. I set a card and end my turn." Erika countered, the grin staying on her face. An unknown card appeared and then disappeared. The man then drew his card.

Erika: 4000 SPC: 1

Man: 4000 SPC: 1

"Interesting. I summon A Man with Wdjat in Attack Position." He said calmly. A man with a third eye, wearing a red cloak with a unique symbol on it appeared. (ATK: 1600)

"This man has a special power, like you. You see, he has a third eye, which allows him to see that face-down card you have." The rider explained. Erika simply huffed. The man's eye glowed, causing Erika's face-down card to be revealed. The rider smiled.

"Graverobber, huh? Interesting." The mysterious rider mused.

"Why don't you attack?" Erika tempted with a smile. The man knew something was up, but he decided he'd take the bait.

"A Man with Wdjat, attack Trickster Cat!" He ordered. Wdjat attacked the latter with his third eye, but Trickster Cat took off its hat and pulled out a card from it; a Spell known as Speed Spell- Magic Barrier. The man gasped in shock.

"What!? You took my card!?" He exclaimed. Wdjat attacked and destroyed Trickster Cat.

"Argh!" Erika said. But then, she smirked.

Erika: 3400 SPC: 1

"When Trickster Cat is attacked, I can add a card from your hand to my own. Also, I can Special Summon two more Trickster Cats from my deck. Lucky you, their abilities are negated." She explained, keeping her mischevious smirk. Two more Trickster Cats appeared. (ATK: 1600)x2

"Heh. I end my turn." He said.

"Bad move! I draw!" Erika teased as she drew a card.

"I send my two Cats to the graveyard to summon Black Gale Falcon in Attack Position." She said, glee in her voice. The two Trickster Cats disappeared and a large black-winged eagle with a symbol of a shuriken on its forehead appeared. (ATK: 2700)

The man gasped looking at the large bird following Erika, but then he smiled.

"Impressive. Very." He said calmly.

"I'm not done. Black Gale Falcon has some surprises. When he's summoned, I can Special Summon monsters from my graveyard. Come back, my Trickster Cat!" She continued, snapping her fingers. Black Gale Falcon cawed and the two latter monsters appeared. Then Black Gale Falcon flapped its wings, creating a large tornado that returned A Man with Wdjat and the man's face-down back into his deck, much to his surprise.

"Wait! My cards didn't return to my hand?!" He exclaimed.

"Nope! When Falcon brings back monsters, for each one returned, a card you control is sent back to your deck. Just a little insurance so you won't try to activate a card from your hand." She explained, a hint of mockery and glee in her voice. The man looked at his hand to find a counter. He growled, signifying that he didn't.

"Let's go, you three!" She exclaimed. Black Gale Falcon created a tornado as the two Trickster Cats pulled dynamite from their hats and threw it at the man. All attacks caused the man to lose control of his D-Wheel and get knocked off. Erika stopped next to him with a smile.

"Impressed? I'm leaving." She mocked, preparing to speed off. The man chuckled, causing Erika to stop. She turned around.

Erika: 3400 SPC: 3

Man: 2000 SPC: 3

"You survived!? But how?! I attacked you for 4700 points of damage!" Erika cried out. The man grabbed a card that shot from his graveyard and showed it to Erika.

"You might know this card..." He trailed.

"Kuriboh?!" She realized.

"Yes. It negates all battle damage from a battle this turn." He confirmed. Erika looked back at her hand. Specifically a Spell card called Smoke Screen. The problem was that it was not a Speed Spell, which was the only type of Spell cards that could be played in a Turbo Duel. But then her eye caught the card she took from the man's hand through Trickster Cat.

"Speed Spell- Magic Barrier…" She said to herself. Her thought was interrupted when the man got back on his D-Wheel and sped off, saying, "This duel is far from over, Emerald!"

"Emerald...? Whatever. I still want my answers!" She said, wondering what he was talking about, but shaking off what he said. Erika followed the man before activating the Spell she took.

"Speed Spell- Magic Barrier, activate! Now, I'm allowed to use non-Spell cards otherwise useless in a Turbo Duel. With that, I activate Smoke Screen!" She said in her usual mischievous and playful tone. The Spell activated, but nothing else happened, causing the man to raise a brow in curiosity. He shook that off and drew his card.

Erika: 3400 SPC: 4

Man: 2000 SPC: 4

The man looked at his hand. He chuckled, which then turned into a full laughter, causing Erika to look at him like he was crazy.

I guess I've seen stranger things in my years on the streets… She thought to herself.

"I summon Dark Elf in Attack Position." He began. A black-skinned woman with long blue hair, wearing a gold head gear and a green dress, with gold armor-like equipment appeared. (ATK: 2000)

"This woman requires 1000 Life Points to attack, but I have a feeling it will be worth it. Attack, Dark Elf!" Dark Elf attacked one of the Trickster Cats, but a field of smoke covered the field. When Dark Elf found her way out, she was instead attacking Dark Gale Falcon, not much to the man's surprise.

I knew it. That was your play. Clever, as the Emerald should be. He thought. The man activated a card and, unknown how to Erika, Dark Elf attacked and destroyed Dark Gale Falcon, knocking her D-Wheel off course a bit. Erika recovered.

Erika: 900 SPC: 4

"Wh-what the…!? I-I lost so many Life Points!? Bu-but how-how!?" She stammered, starting to lose her cool.

"Too much for you, Emerald?" The man asked.

"Tell me!" She demanded.

"Well, I'll answer this question now. You see, I activated Speed Spell- Power Baton. A very powerful card. It allows me to send any monster I want to the graveyard from my deck and Dark Elf gains that monster's ATK." He explained.

"What?! A card that powerful and it has no drawbacks!?" She exclaimed.

"It does have a drawback, actually. A very small one. I can't draw next turn. Also, if you were wondering, I knew of your Smoke Screen Spell. I thought you'd try something like that. I set 1 card and end my turn."(The Man's Hand: 0)

Erika made a "tch" noise, took her turn and drew. (Erika's Hand: 4)

"I activate the Spell Card, Rodent Rush. This allows me to summon all copies of Rascal Rat from my deck in Attack Position." She said. Three small rat, rodent-like creatures all wearing a small red shirt appeared. Their tails was all curled. (ATK: 500)x3

"I'll activate one of their abilities. I can take control of a face-down Spell or Trap Card you control." She said, her trademark smirk returning. The man gasped as one of the rodents scurried to his side and picked up his face-down, returning to Erika. She looked at it and smiled.

"Magical Dimension? You were planning on 1-uping me, huh? Trying to be sneaky now, are we? I guess I'm rubbing off on you!" She teased.

"Fate leads each one of us different places." He replied.

"What...?" Erika looked at him as if he were crazy.

This nutso is talking all psychological and stuff, running his mouth about fate and whatever... She thought. She shook it off and continued her turn.

"The cool thing about my Trickster Cats is that they are Spellcaster monsters." She began.

"What?!" He realized.

"That's right~! So I can use Magical Dimension against you. I tribute one of my Trickster Cats to Special Summon Black Gale Magician in Attack Position!" She continued, using that playful tone that she loved so dearly. Trickster Cat disappeared and a woman with long black hair, done into two pigtails appeared. She wore a white cloak with stars all over and carried a staff with an orb on it. On the back of her cloak was a black hole. (ATK: 2400)

"With Magical Dimension, I can destroy a monster; like your Dark Elf." A coffin appeared and encased Dark Elf in it, destroying her. Then Black Gale Magician raised her staff and a beam shot into the man's face-down card, causing it to set itself back down, but this time on Erika's side of the field. She smiled.

"Confused?" She taunted. Instead, the man just smiled.

"When a card is destroyed on the field, Black Gale Magician can select another card on the field and add to mine. Get it?" Erika explained.

"I get it…Emerald." He said dully.

"Stop calling me that! I'm not 'Emerald'! I'm a thief! Get it!?" She growled.

"Let's continue this Duel and all shall be revealed." He replied.

"Yes, let's. I think I was about to win, right? Monsters, let's end it for real this time!" She said furiously, motioning with her hand. But before anyone could attack, an explosion occurred, taking all of Erika's monsters with it, shocking her.

"What the!? My-my monsters!" She exclaimed.

"Do you think I would lose so easily without finding you first, Emerald? I think not. I activate Fake Nuke. With this card leaves my field, it destroys all monsters on the controller's side of the field. And that's you." He explained.

"Grrr…I end my turn." Erika cursed. The man took his turn, but was reminded by Erika that he couldn't draw a card. He ended his turn. Erika took hers.

"I summon Marauding Captain in Attack Position." She began. A man with short blonde hair and a scar on his left eye appeared. He wore dirty green armor with a red cape, carrying two swords appeared. (ATK: 1200)

"When he's summoned, I can Special Summon another monster from my hand. I summon Saggi the Dark Clown." She continued. A weird face-painted clown wearing a magician's hat appeared. (ATK: 600)

"Monsters, attack directly!" She ordered. The two monsters attacked the man.

"Argh!" He grunted.

Erika: 900 SPC: 7

Man: 200 SPC: 7

"I end my turn." She said, breathing a sigh of relief. The man drew a card. He looked at the card and smiled.

"I believe it's time to unlock your power." He said. She raised an eyebrow.

"My…power? What are you blabbing about? Are you high?" She asked, laughing a bit.

"I Special Summon Dark Magic King in Attack Position." He continued, ignoring her question. A large, 10-foot man with a long beard wearing a magician's outfit with intricate designs appeared. He was carrying a staff with a snake's head on it. (ATK: ?)

"It's ATK is undetermined?! Why!?" She demanded.

"Because, this card is a powerful monster. For each Spellcaster-Type monster and Spell Card in both graveyards, he gains 500 ATK. There are 5 Spellcaster-type monsters in my graveyard and 4 Spell cards, so Dark Magic King gains 4500 ATK. By restricting its attack this turn, every single card on your field is destroyed. You also lose 800 Life Points." He explained. Her breath hitched as the realization hit her. Dark Magic King raised his staff and the snake eyes glowed a dark aura color. Then, all of Erika's card became engulfed in that aura before getting destroyed. Erika was then engulfed in the aura.

"Argh!" She cried.

Erika: 100 SPC: 7

"I end my turn. Can you win?" He asked. That last attack messed up Erika's D-Wheel a little. She tried to continue on, but she fell off her D-Wheel. She glared up at him.