Night of Destruction
"Let's kick this into overdrive!" Mateo shouted, confidently. Anya chuckled.
"You're so eager to die. Let's bring it on, then! But this time, the stakes will be higher!" Anya mounted her Duel Runner and turned it on, causing the black ink to seep off the Duel Runner, leaving it a crimson red, like blood. The ink slithered up the walls of the dome and covered the entire roof in the Dark Seal, causing the entire duel stadium to be trapped in the duel. "It's time to begin!"
"Agreed!" Mateo and Illeya revved and blasted down the track.
"Turbo Duel engaged. Autopilot, standing by." The computers spoke in a slightly distorted voice. "Activating the Speed World 3 field spell."
"Let's duel!"
Mateo: 4000 LP SPC 0
Anya: 4000 LP SPC 0
"I'll make the first move!" Mateo drew a card from his deck.
Mateo: 4000 LP SPC 0-1
Anya: 4000 LP SPC 0-1
"I'll set three cards facedown!" Mateo looked back at his hand. I'll have to be careful. She's gonna find a way to summon a Dark Synchro monster quickly. Something tells me that she's going to use a similar strategy to her puppet a little while ago. "I'll also summon Influence Dragon in defense mode!"
Mateo's monster appeared to the field in a defensive position with a blue hue coating it. "I end my turn."
"Looks like it's my move, then! I draw!" Anya drew the top card, and looked at it for a moment. She snickered. "Looks like your fate is already sealed!"
"Is it?"
Mateo: 4000 LP SPC 1-2
Anya: 4000 LP SPC 1-2
"I'll start my turn by placing two cards facedown!" Anya placed the card she just drew in her hand and pulled two other cards from her hand, setting them onto the field. As she started to reach for the three cards next to the one she just drew, Mateo sprang into action.
"Not so fast, Anya! See, I had a feeling your deck has a strategy based around your Dark Synchro monster, so I had a plan in place, just in case!" Mateo activated one of his trap cards. "Go, Lightforce Sword!"
"Lightforce Sword?"
"You probably haven't heard of it, it hasn't been used in a very long time." Mateo explained. "I can select one card from your hand and banish it from the game until your fourth turn after I use this card, and I'm choosing the card you just drew!"
On cue, a sword shot out of the card and struck the card Anya just drew, causing it to enlarge and be pierced to the Duel Track. Anya chuckled. "Lucky guess. But don't think you've saved yourself. That's not my only Dark Tuner – Ultravetrix, and as long as I can keep you at bay, you'll be at the mercy of the deadly Frelt!"
"We'll see!"
"In any event! I summon Exarion Universe! While it may not be as old as Lightforce Sword, it is just as deadly! Attack Influence Dragon!" Anya called as her monster appeared. It charged at Influence Dragon. "When Exarion Universe attacks a defense position monster, I can have my monster lose 400 attack until the End Phase of this turn. This, in turn, allows my monster to inflict piercing battle damage! Trample his monster!"
Exarion jabbed his spear through Influence Dragon, and it exploded, hitting Mateo with a wave of energy. "Aaagh!"
Mateo: 4000 LP-3500 LP
"Hah! Is that all you've got?"
"Heh. You truly are a cocky duelist, aren't you?"
"That I am. Is it my turn?"
"Make your move!"
"Very well! I draw!" Mateo looked at the card he drew, and smirked.
Mateo: 3500 LP SPC 2-3
Anya: 4000 LP SPC 2-3
"I summon Alexandrite Dragon!" Mateo called as his dragon appeared. "Alexandrite, attack, with Blinding Refraction!"
Alexandrite Dragon opened its mouth and a blinding rainbow exploded from it, dissolving Exarion Universe with the power of the light, striking Anya with a shockwave of energy.
Anya: 4000 LP-3800 LP
"Hah! Hah hahahahahah!" Anya laughed. "Is that the best that you've got?"
"Far from it!"
"Good! Can't make this duel too easy, can you? My turn! Draw!"
Mateo: 3500 LP SPC 3-4
Anya: 3800 LP SPC 3-4
"This marks the first turn that my Ultravetrix is locked away, Yurigaya. Don't think that your little victory with Alexandrite Dragon will last!" Anya smirked. "I summon Dark Shielder in Defense mode! So long as this monster is on the field in Defense mode, any monster you control that attacks it will have its attack cut in half during the damage step! I'll also set one more card facedown! With that, I'll end my turn!"
"My move! What's the matter, Anya? Can't summon Frelt, so you're already on the defense?"
"You'll see what my plan is."
"I hope it's good, or I'll be disappointed! Draw!"
Mateo: 3500 LP SPC 4-5
Anya: 3800 LP SPC 4-5
"I activate my facedown trap card, Battle Mania! On the turn I activate this effect, you must enter your battle phase!" Anya extended her arm as the card activated, causing a wave of energy to flow over Mateo's field. "And since Dark Shielder has seventeen hundred defense, you'll be unable to destroy it!"
"We'll see! I summon Delta Flyer! And using its special ability, I can raise the level of one other monster I control by 1! Now go, Delta Influence!" Delta Flyer roared, causing a Delta symbol to appear on Alexandrite Dragon's chest. "I'm tuning my level three Delta Flyer to my now level 5 Alexandrite Dragon! The Earth burns in this terrible beautiful display of power and might! Illuminate the path of destiny! Synchro Summon!"
Delta Flyer split apart, becoming its three level stars. Alexandrite Dragon roared as the level stars created glowing green Synchro rings around it. The roaring slowly subsided as Alexandrite Dragon faded away into its four level stars, as well as the Delta symbol, which transformed into a fifth level star, and followed the suit of the first four in creating a straight line. A green light pierced through all five of these stars, and expanded to the innermost edge of the Synchro rings as Mateo reached his hand into the air, the card of the monster he is about to summon appearing in a flash of light. "My display of strength, Red Dragon Archfiend!"
"Red Dragon Archfiend?" Anya said as she turned to look at the monster. "With that, he could—"
"Completely vaporize your monster? I agree! Red Dragon Archfiend! Attack Dark Shielder with Crimson Flare!" Mateo extended his hand forward as Red Dragon Archfiend did the same, his fist powering up with fire. It charged at Dark Shielder, despite its halved attack points, and attacked, sending a shockwave back at Mateo while Dark Shielder was coated in flames, and exploded.
Mateo: 3500 LP-3300 LP
"You'll pay for that! It's my turn! Draw!"
Mateo: 3300 LP SPC 5-6
Anya: 3800 LP SPC 5-6
"I activate my Speed Spell – Shift Down! At the cost of six speed counters, I can draw two cards!" Anya activated the card from her hand. Her Duel Runner slowed down slightly as she drew two cards from her deck.
Anya: SPC 6-0
"Next, I summon another Dark Shielder, and activate my face down trap card, Nightmare Wheel!" Anya called as Mateo's Red Dragon Archfiend was strapped to a demonic looking wheel. "Two turns from now, I'll be reclaiming my Dark Tuner – Ultravetrix! And so long as your Red Dragon Archfiend is trapped in my Nightmare Wheel, you'll take five hundred damage during every one of my Standby Phases!"
"We'll see! It's my turn!"
Mateo: 3300 LP SPC 6-7
Anya: 3800 LP SPC 0-1
"I activate the effects of Speed World 3! By revealing a Speed Spell in my hand and paying 7 Speed Counters," Mateo continued, flashing his Speed Spell – Accelerator Draw, "I can destroy one spell or trap card on the field besides Speed World 3, itself, and I'm choosing to destroy your facedown card!"
Mateo: SPC 7-0
"I'm going to counter that destruction by activating Waboku! For the rest of this turn, I take no damage from battles this turn, and my monsters cannot be destroyed in battle!" Anya laughed. "And with your Red Dragon Archfiend locked away, you won't be able to destroy my Dark Shielder with its special ability!"
"I never said I was done." Mateo replied. He pulled another card from his hand, and placed it on the field. "I summon the tuner monster Dread Dragon! And with the effects of my facedown trap card, Level Retuning, I can reduce Red Dragon Archfiend's level by up to two! Now I'm gonna tune my level two Dread Dragon to my now level six Red Dragon Archfiend! Clustering stars, flow, and give form to this mighty being! Illuminate the path of destiny!"
Dread Dragon roared before it faded away, leaving two Synchro Rings. Red Dragon Archfiend strained against the chains holding it to the Nightmare Wheel until it separated into its six level stars, causing the Wheel to shatter. The six level stars aligned themselves in a straight line in the two Synchro Rings, and the stars was pierced by a green light that expanded to the innermost edge of the Synchro Rings. Mateo removed Red Dragon Archfiend from his Duel Field and held it up as it flashed a bright light and was transformed. "Synchro Summon! Take flight, Stardust Dragon!"
Back at the stands, Mateo's friends watched the duel, while also noticing the people who were gathering at the entrances, careful not to touch the edge of the Seal that had blocked all the exits and entrances. With a flash of light, Stardust Dragon appeared to the field. Leo spoke up. "This duel seems to be going a little better than the last one."
"It's too early to speculate. Mateo can't do any damage to her this turn, and with Dark Shielder and its special ability, Mateo won't be able to get past it easily." Jack replied. Luna looked from the slowly growing crowd back to Mateo's duel.
Look over him, Ancient Fairy Dragon. He has to win this.
"I'll have to end my turn there."
"Looks like it's my turn, then! This turn marks the last turn before I reclaim my Dark Tuner, Yurigaya!" Anya declared.
Mateo: 3300 LP SPC 0-1
Anya: 3800 LP SPC 1-2
"My Dark Shielder is adequate protection for this turn. Unfortunately, because Nightmare Wheel was destroyed when Red Dragon Archfiend left the field, you won't take five hundred damage for it," sighed Anya, "so I'll end my turn."
"It's my turn!" Mateo drew a card from his deck. I have to hope that this turn will count, because if not, she's gonna summon Frelt, the Ender of Lives!
Mateo: 3300 LP SPC 1-2
Anya: 3800 LP SPC 2-3
Mateo looked at the card he drew, and his heart sunk as he saw that it was Stardust Xiaolong. Damn it! Stardust Xiaolong can't prevent Frelt from being summoned, but I might be able to use it in order to prevent my Life Points from taking a direct hit. Frelt requires you to tribute a monster after it attacks, and it prevents other monsters she controls from attacking while it's on the field. I think I might be able to do this. "I summon Stardust Xiaolong in defense mode! Do your worst, Anya!"
"I intend to! It's my turn! And it's the turn that brings your death about!" Anya held her hand up as the card pinned to the ground from Lightforce Sword shot back to her hand, Lightforce Sword having worn off.
Mateo: 3300 LP SPC 2-3
Anya: 3800 LP SPC 3-4
"By discarding three cards from my hand, I can special summon Dark Tuner – Ultravetrix! And now, I normal summon Catastroph, the Dark Centipede! I Dark Tune level negative eleven Ultravetrix to my level two Catastroph! When the Shadows are devoured by even Darker Shadows, the curtain pulls back to reveal a world without light!"
Ultravetrix pulsated with dark energy, before exploding into eleven black level stars. They punched through Catastroph forcibly, leaving only a glowing outline. Inside, two of Ultravetrix' black level stars cancelled out Catastroph's, and the remaining nine flew out, flying in a circle connected with black lightning. They vanished into another dimension as a large gaping hole to the Dimension of Darkness tore open. Dark energy passed from within the portal, headed towards the entrances, and the people gathered there. Mateo looked to the Signers in panic, and they rushed to action, blocking off each entrance and protecting the people with their power of their Marks of the Dragon. Shiho, alone, stood in the stands as black energy touched him. He staggered back a moment, before looking down at his phone.
"Dark Synchro Summon! Hi ho, he cometh, your old friend, Frelt, the Ender of Lives!" Anya smiled as her mighty monster stepped through the tear between Dimensions and entered the Duel Field. "Attack Stardust Dragon with Nightmare Sword Slash!"
Frelt hefted his sword and brought it down on Stardust Dragon. A shockwave of energy hit Mateo, and his Mark of the Dragon began to glow. His eyes went white for a brief moment, causing the bolt of darkness headed for Yusei to alter course and strike Mateo directly. "AAAAAGH!"
Mateo: 3300 LP-3200 LP
A purple glow flowed through Frelt's sword, and entered his body, causing him to grow in size. The dark energy it was emitting pushed against the other Signers harder, but was not strong enough to punch through the power of the Crimson Dragon. He then grabbed Dark Shielder and absorbed energy from it in order to maintain itself.
Frelt, the Ender of Lives: 2600 ATK + 2500 ATK = 5100 ATK
"There's no way you can win, Yurigaya!" Anya laughed maniacally. "There's no way you can defeat Frelt this time! Hah hahahahahah!