Chapter 10: Wishful Heart: Lagoon Dragon Strikes Back

Maira glared and aggressively drew her next card, "I'll summon forth my Deep Dreader to the field!" A fiendish-looking diver appeared, his eyes glowing red as he slumped his dark blue body over.

Deep Dreader LV4 WATER/Aqua
ATK: 1500 DEF: 1000

"...okay... so.." Kell was trying to think through her next move, until Maira screamed out.

"I'll activate my spell card; Murky Doom! All WATER monsters with attack power above 500 get an extra attack this turn! Attack his Soul Thief!" Deep Dreader moved with along as streak of blue bubbles arose all around his helmet. Armed with a harpoon at hand, it aimed the sharp end towards Kell's monster.

"Ah, ah-ah!" said Kell said, activating yet another one of his face down cards, "I play Heart of Courage. This card increases the DEF of a monster I pick by 1000, switches it to Defense Position and make it unaffected by card effects for this turn's whole battle phase." Soul Thief's heart suddenly pumped loudly, a light aura grew from him which knocked back Maira's Deep Dreader.

Soul Thief

DEF 1000+1000=2000

Maira LP 5900-500=5400

"W-what..?" Maira looked a little distressed.

"Oh my, is the great 'Duel Queen' getting shaken up? Don't worry, I'm sure you'll recover... eventually..." he looked off as if he did not know the answer, and in a sense didn't want his prediction to come true. "You done?"

Maira's fist twitched, 'It's only the beginning... It's only the beginning...' she repeated in her head. "No, I'm not! I play the card Bigger Fish! This can only be activated during my Main Phase 2 and allows me to summon three LV3 or lower Aqua, Fish, or Sea-Serpent monsters to my field. I'll summon Saltwater Man-Eater, Freshwater Devourer, and Wish River Fish to my field!"

Saltwater Man-Eater LV 3 WATER/Aqua
ATK: 800 DEF: 800

Freshwater Devourer LV3 WATER/Sea Serpent
ATK: 800 DEF: 800

Wish River Fish LV3 WATER/Fish
ATK: 1000 DEF: 800

As Maira's spell was activated, a small dark pond manifested on her field, and the three monsters she selected appeared.

"And, I'll activate Wish River Fish's ability! She can select any WATER monster on my field and change their LVs. I'll change all my three fishes in the pond to LV4!"

Wish River fish swam in a small circle and its long whiskers grew smaller. The other monsters swam with it and then flashed as their LVs changed.

Saltwater Man-Eater LV4

Freshwater Devourer LV4

Wish River Fish LV4

"WHAT?! Wait.. You're not gonna.. Are ya..?" said Kell who fearfully knew Maira's next move. "I should have known; Maira has filled her deck with incredible cards!"

"I'll overlay the LV4s Deep Dreader, Wish River Fish, Saltwater Man-Eater, and Freshwater Devourer!". Maira's four monsters transformed into spirit-like entities that spiraled into the air. Their forms all converged into a large spacial area which burst into thousands of particles. "I create an overlay network with these 4 monsters! XYZ summon! Lagoon Dragon!"

Maira's ace monster; a murky purple dragon with numerous scales, gems, pearls that covered its body came to being. It flapped its powerful fin-like wings and roared as it rose from the spacial area.

Lagoon Dragon RANK 4 WATER/Dragon (Also treated as a DARK monster)

ATK 2600 DEF 1600

"I activate Deep Dreader's ability; while he is treated as an Overlay Unit for one of my WATER Xyz monsters, that monster can enter a second Battle Phase and attack, and also when it attacks, I can switch the position of one of those monsters, so I think I'll go after your Soul Thief again!" Kell gulped in fear, as Maira's dragon opened its mouth, charging a concentrated water sphere. It then fired the sphere, which turned into a large tsunami vortex that destroyed Soul Thief.

Kell LP 8000-1200=6800

"W-well, it's not that bad." he spoke to himself, "Okay. I'll accept that. You're still way more down in life points than me. You end your turn?"

"... yeah.." she didn't have anything left to defend with.

"Good, because I activate Fearful Heart's ability from my graveyard." he pulled out a card, on it was a woman sprawled out on a piece of draped fabric that loomed over her, she was crying as her hair seemed to be cut in many different lengths. "When a monster on my field is destroyed, I can banish this card from my grave along with that monster, and then I'm allowed to special summon Righteous Hero of the Heart from anywhere! Come out and defend me!" he ruffled through his deck searching for the monster card and summoned it. A man with a dazzling smile came out winking at Maira. It wielded a shield and sword decorated with gems and it wore an armor of gold and a red cape that flowed with the wind.

Righteous Hero of the Heart LV6 LIGHT/Warrior
ATK: 2000 DEF: 1800

"Now, my draw." Kell smiled, feeling he had at least some defense now.

"Hmm.. kinda.. Romantically flashy.. don't you think?" Maira chuckled under her breath, hiding her smile with the back of her hand. She seemed more amused than afraid of Kell's new monster.

"Hey, what you are saying!?" Kell felt a bit insulted.

"It just kinda seems... like a fan girl's play..." Maira began laughing.

"What?! It is not! he's strong, and he's summoned-"

"By a fearful woman's heart? What are you playing? A romantic tragedy?" Maira remarked mockingly.

Kell pouted in irritation at Maira's teasing. "...I thought it was sweet..." He added "You're just upset cause I'm winning!" he stuck his chest out victoriously in a muscular manner.

"It ain't over till the fat lady sings." replied Maira who was waiting for Kell's next move.

"And it's opera tonight!" he readied for his normal summon. "I'll summon Goody Robin Hood in defense mood." Robin Hood came out wearing a green and red cloak. He pranced around, armed with an arrow which he was aiming towards Maira on one knee.

Goody Robin Hood LV3 EARTH/Warrior
ATK: 1200 DEF: 400

"Due to his effect, he can perform direct attack while in defense position! Go!" Goody Robin Hood aimed his attack, and then shot straight up. The arrow then fell and made a direct hit towards Maira's disk.

"AH!"

Maira LP 5400-1200=4400

Maira turned angrily at Kell as she brushed of his last attack. "That's not fair!"

Kell stood confident with a smile."That's his ability, so deal with it! It was only 1200 points anyway."

"Grr..." Maira twitched again, her anger increasing. "This is cutting it to close!"

"Now, then. I'll activate Righteous Hero of the Heart's ability, while a monster with lower ATK is on the field in defense mode, his ATK increases by the monster's DEF." Kell smiled, "So, how much is Lagoon Dragon's ATK again?"

Goody Robin Hood
DEF 400

Righteous Hero of the Heart:
ATK: 2000+400=2400

"I wouldn't attack next turn if I were you." Kell winked. "I'll end my turn."

Maira seemed a bit impressed by Kell's current ability and could not help but compliment him."Man.. you're not that bad huh?"

"See what dueling with low class duelist does to ya? You need to be training with higher ups, like myself." Kell vainly pointed to himself and bowed.

"...Kageru's pretty good. I wouldn't diss him that way. Besides, it's not nice to judge before you've even dueled him." she smiled and looked to her duel disk "Come on, if there's one thing Kageru taught me; it's to have the will to go on, blaze through, never let your passion die. I have to find the light that will lead me out of this dark ditch. But what.."

"Maira, I've ended my turn, hurry up!" Kell rushed on impatiently, much to Maira's annoyance.

"Ugh! you're like a nagging girlfriend asking her boyfriend why he's hasn't texted her back yet!"

"Sh-shu-SHUT UP!" Kell threw a fit at the comment, and Maira laughed as he made up billions of reasons why he's manly.

Maira took a deep breath, and drew her next card, "This is it! I can feel it!' she looked to the card, for a moment, the whole world felt surreal to her.

"Hey, what'd ya draw? Anything good?" Kell asked, being slightly sarcastic.

"Kell... I can't WAIT to see your face." she grinned brightly, her whole face lighting up as she held the one card that could change everything, and save Maira's reputation.

"R-really? wh-why is that?" Kell looked a bit nervous.

"I'll place one card face down, and activate Lagoon Dragon's ability!" lagoon dragon reared her head up, her overlay units spiraled up her neck to her mouth. "I'll sacrifice two overlay units, and destroy your two monster's on the field!"

"What?! But, wait, it can do that!?" Kell looked confounded as he mentally panicked and pointed an accusing finger at Lagoon Dragon while looking nervously at Maira.

"YYyyep." Maira said, folding her arms and smiling widely. The dragon's wings unleashed themselves as giant tentacle-like arms of water which grabbed the two monsters on Kell's field, having them both destroyed instantly. "And now, I'll play my face down card! Wishing Well!" the card flipped over to reveal a well and someone tossing a coin into it.

Wishing Well: Normal Spell

You can only activate this card while you have a Wish River Fish in the graveyard. Pay any amount of Life Points and increase the attack of a monster on the field equal to the amount paid.
"Soooo..." she smiled, "I'll pay up to 3200 life points!" Lagoon Dragon flew into the air. The well drained Maira's life points and shot up a fountain of water that surrounded Lagoon Dragon. The amount cannot equal to or exceed your opponent's Life Points

Maira: 4400-3200=1200

Lagoon Dragon
ATK: 2600+3200=5800

"And you're WIDDDDE open." Maira teased as she prepared to attack. Kell's mouth dropped to the ground in shock. "Wha.. How the..?"

"And can you believe I just 'drew' this card?" Maira rubbed it in his face. "It's like my deck's a freakin' magician's hat."

"No kiddin'..." Kell said flabbergasted before clearing his throat. "So, are you and lady luck just tight or something?"

"To be honest, and don't tell this to Kageru or my friends, but... half my winnings? Are all based on luck." she laughed slightly.

"...Wait what?" Kell said, not really believing her.

"I mean, I have the talent and skill and all.. But.. I suppose my talent and skill is based on the luck of draw?" She said, innocently mocking her own victories.

"...now that's just not fair... your whole life's a lie huh?"

"Nah, just the dueling part." she teasingly laughed. "Well, any who. Enough stalling. Lagoon Dragon, attack him directly!" Lagoon Dragon charged up a large water sphere and sent an enormous vortex straight at Kell.

Kell LP 6800-5800=1000

"Wow, well I think that hurt my pride more than me. but hey, you still got a pretty lucky come back there." Kell commented.

"Oh, I'm not done." Maira replied, as she had more cards ready in play.

"..."

"The effect of my spell also allows me to transfer Lagoon Dragon's ATK to my Life Points, and in exchange, her attack goes to 0." Lagoon Dragoon glowed, as its power began to flow towards Maira as healing energy.

Lagoon Dragon

Original ATK: 2600

Maira LP: 1200+2600=3800

Lagoon Dragon
ATK: 0

"Well, well. A pretty price." Kell commented. "But now you can't switch Lagoon Dragon into defense mode, your forced to end your turn right? So I'll just blast you next turn." Kell tried to think of a recovery while Maira tried to plan her next defense.

"I'll place one more card face down and end my turn." she looked at the card, and sighed. "I hope you don't fail me little buddy..."