After a long hiatus for this story, I got some time to finish this chapter. Well, it is not technically finish. Sorry for some grammar errors, but I hope you enjoy reading this chapter. New Cards Cheat Sheet will be added at later time.
A/N: New cards introduced in this chapter is moved to the New Cards Cheat sheet for the next chapter after this one.
Chapter 37-Terra Bull Strikes Back-
The lighting in the room was dim, but bright enough to see another person when you're in the room. Six people were inside the room, each of them sitting on their respective throne-like chair at the round table with other 6 empty.
"Say, where's our sheepy friend of ours?" Pup asked as he was wearing a hood to conceal his true face.
"Drake is currently mentoring our new brother/member." Toro answered to him.
"Can we just get this meeting over with? I am SOOO bored!" Minnie whined, revealing her face and red hair, and her whining caused everyone to roll their eyes.
"Not until our boss, Tigre arrives, Minnie." Alice said, causing Minnie to moan more.
"The little rat is right, Minnie. So, just sit tight and shut up,…Monkey Butt!" Pup barked.
"What did you say, you stupid dog!?" Minnie burst out in rage.
Suddenly, the two's respective shadow grew, turning into shape of a monkey and dog barking and crying at each other. At that moment, a third shadow appeared, shape of a tiger, roared so loudly that it stopped the other two shadows fighting.
"Looks who's here." Alice pointed out as Tigre sat on his chair.
"Let's begin our daily meeting. So, what is new?" Tigre questioned to everyone, making them to pay attention to him, so they won't get punished.
"Ssssss, I ssssaw our sssssiisstr lord dueled against ssssssome male Duelissssst, bt lossssst." Sly hissed, yet cleared enough to hear what he says.
"Does she have some crystal pieces left?" Tigre asked sternly.
"Don't worry about that, boss. I met her, and gave her the last golden crystal piece I found." Pup admitted.
"That's good to hear. So, that makes her, Drake, and Alice to move on to the top 50." Tigre thought out loud. "That leaves me, Toro, Sly, Minnie, and you Pup, left for hunting crystal pieces."
There was a moment of silence until Toro speaks up. "Master Tigre, if I make speak.." Toro said, catching everyone's ear, including Tigre. "There is a certain Duelist I want to Duel."
"Hmmmm, let me guess. You want to Duel again with that girl."
"Yes, that is right, sir." Toro replied.
"Hey! I want to Duel her too!" Minnie yelled.
"Me too!" Alice shouted.
"Hold on, Monkey Girl and Little Rat!" Pup interrupted.
"It's Mouse!" Alice pouted.
"Whatever. Anyway, we all want to Duel her. You both have to wait in line." He exclaimed.
"Hey! What is that all about!?" Minnie argued back, but Pup and everyone else simply ignored her and Alice's pouting complains.
"So, you want to Duel Muiko again." Tigre said. "I will allow you to do so. As much as I hate a member of ours in the same rank chew on the same 'chew toy', I'll let this one slide. However, if you lose, Toro…"
Tigre gleaned on Toro like a predator preying on its target. "I know the consequence very well, and I will not fail you." Tigre said determinedly.
Muiko's POV
"Elemental Beast Fluorine Cheetah, direct attack!"
Muiko's monster dashed toward her opponent and slashed his Life Points down to zero. The field and her monster faded away.
"Congratulations, Muiko! That was your fifth win, meaning you have only one more Duel to go!" Cody praised her.
"Yeah, but I'm hungry. Let's get something to eat." She said, with her stomach growling.
She shook hand with her opponent before they departed from each other.
"So, what to eat?" Muiko asked out loud.
"Let's see." Cody opened up his laptop, turning it on, and searched for food and restaurant on the Internet. "There is the Slifer Hot BBQ not too far away from here, or we can go to Obelisk Steakhouse. If you want to something more on the healthier side, we can go to the Ra Yellow Salad Bar."
"Let's go in here." Muiko interrupted as she entered a familiar café.
"Timegazer's Café?" Cody read the sign before he went inside after Muiko.
"Hello! Welcome to Timegazer's Café! Please allow me to escort to your table!" The maid said in a cheerful, girly voice.
She led them to their table. "I would like to have corn cream soup." Muiko ordered, reading from the menu book.
"I will have the same, please." Cody said.
"Good choice! Two corn cream soups coming right up!" The maid smiled. "Bob! Two corn cream soups! Pronto!"
Cody gasped at how quickly maid's sweet voice turned to rough, masculine voice.
While they were waiting, the maid brought them two glasses of water, and also something else. "Excuse me, maim."
Muiko turned to her shoulder. "Yes?"
"There is a letter for you. A previous customer asked to give this to you." The maid said.
"To me?" She asked, accepting the letter, opening it up, and read it.
"What's the letter about?" Cody asked.
"…Wait here. I'll be back in a bit." She said as she got up and left out.
Muiko walked away quietly. She entered a skinny ally, leading her to a wide area between buildings. It looked like abandon lot. "Whoever you are, I am here alone! Come out and show yourself!"
Suddenly, dark portal appeared and familiar man came out.
"So, it's you again…Toro." Muiko said.
"It is nice to meet you again, Muiko." He greeted, smirking. "How are you in the tournament? Have you collected al seven crystal pieces?"
"I only have six." She replied coldly. "Let me guess. You're in the tournament, too."
"That is correct. I already have all seven crystal pieces. Therefore, my medallion is complete and I can move on to the top 50." Toro explained, showing his completed medallion. "So, how about we have a rematch? Last time I remember, your weak friend, what was his name…ah yes, Mike, got in my way."
"Yeah, but let's see who is really weak. Unlike last time, I gotten a lot stronger and things will be different."
Toro chuckled a bit. "I can sense your strength. You indeed are stronger, but confidence like that won't guarantee victory. Now…show me your strength!"
Toro activated his Duel Disk as she did her.
"Duel Mode Standby! Action Field Selection on!" Duel Disks stated in a computerized voice. "Action Field selected! Field Spell: Magma Cavern!"
The surrounding areas became into the field spell. There was a huge pool of magma below them as they were standing on a rocky pillar with smooth top. There were more rock pillars around them.
"This Duel will be heating up until I defeat you, Muiko." Toro stated determinedly.
"Bring. It. On!" She replied, with a strong glare at him.
"DUEL!" With a snap of a finger, the Action Cards above them scattered into the field.
"I'll go first. I draw!" Toro drew his first five cards, and looked over them before he chose one of them. "I Normal Summa Level 1 Terra Bull Bombull."
A little black bull shaped of a bomb with short rope attached to the bac, acting it as its tail appeared on his side. It had red horns, showing off its little 100 ATK.
"Then, I play the Continuous Spell: March Forward from my hand." It depicted Gia the Fierce Knight charging against Ojama King as it charged back at Gia.
"As long as this card remains face-up on the field, all monsters face-up must attack. However, this is the first turn, so I cannot declare to attack. I set a card. Turn end." Toro finished.
"He's forcing me to attack, but I don't have to if I set a monster instead." Muiko thought. "My turn, draw!"
She looked at the card she drew, added it to her hand, and picked out a different card. "I set a monster and one card. Turn end."
Toro gave a strict glare at her. "Hmph! You think you're safe by setting your monster for the rest of the Duel? Preposterous! I draw!"
He looked at the card and smirked. "I Normal Summon Terra Bull Berserker!" A black, bipedal bull with iron mask and red eyes appeared. It wielded a mallet, and wore golden ring on each wrist.
"Thanks to the effect of March Forward, I must attack! Berserker will attack your set monster!"
Berserker swung its mallet at the blue orb with red eye, revealing closely to be a familiar mantis monster. "Flip Mantis' flip effect activates! I draw a card for every face-up Spell on your field! I draw 1 card!"
Toro didn't really mind about it. "I activate Berserker's effect. When it destroys a monster in defense mode, you're inflicted with pierce damage!"
Berserker Bull threw its mallet at Muiko. She snatched an Action card quickly. "I use the Action Spell: Divider!" It depicted a light signal that shows a division sign. "With this card, damage I gain is halved!"
The mallet became small and hit Muiko with decreased force. She only lost 300 Life Points.
"Not bad, but I still have one more attack! Go, Bombull! Direct attack her!" Toro commanded as his monster pushed Muiko off the pillar. Luckily, the push caused her to fall on a different platform Her Life Points decreased by extra 100, leaving her with 3600 left.
"I end my turn." He ended.
Muiko looked up see her opponent, who was glaring down at her like a hawk. "My turn, I draw!"
She heard magma bubbling beneath the solid rocky platform beneath her shoes. The magma erupted, pushing the rocky platform up into the air. It reached high enough for her to get off onto the pillar she was at.
Toro smirked at her. "I was little bit worried there that you will stay down there forever. However, I will make you fall!"
"In your dream." She replied coldly. "I Special Summon E.B. Copper Bull through its effect!" Her common Elemental Beast roared into the field. "Next, I release it to Advance Summon E.B. Nickel Minotaur!"
Copper Bull disappeared to be replaced by its bipedal counterpart.
"I activate Nickel Bull's effect! When it is Advance Summoned using E.B. Copper Bull for its tribute, it gains 900 ATK!" She stated as the monster's muscles grew bigger. Its chest puffed up like a balloon, causing its ATK to be at 2900.
She eyed on another Action Card on the other platform. "Without a choice, I declare Nickel Bull to attack on your Terra Bull Bombull!"
Her monster hopped into the air, getting ready to destroy Bombull. As for Muiko, she went after the Action Card.
"Do you think I'm not aware of what you're planning!?" Toro shouted. "Trap open! Terra Barrier!"
A card flipped up, depicting it to be a barrier made of rock protecting weak Normal Monsters.
"When my opponent declares to attack on EARTH monster, the attack is negated and my opponent gains the damage instead!" Toro explained excitedly.
The barrier showed up, blocking Nickel Minotaur's hoof punch, which caused shards of rock to break off from the barrier and flied toward to Muiko.
She snatched the Action Card successfully and activated it without looking at it. "Action Spell: Miracle activates! I target one monster to prevent its destruction and gain half of the damage! I target my own monster, Nickel Bull!"
Nickel Bull surrounded itself in blue aura as Muiko took the damage. Her Life Points decreased to 2200. She gritted her teeth. "I end my turn."
Not Muiko's POV
"Muiko! Muiko!" Cody yelled as he searched for her.
"Hey, Cody!"
Cody turned his head around to see Mike and Hannah.
"What's with you? Did something happen to Muiko?" Hannah asked.
"It's Muiko! She went missing!" Cody said horrifically.
"What!?" They gasped.
Muiko's POV
"My turn, draw!" Toro drew his card strongly, and gave a sneering glare at Muiko. "Foolish girl. This Duel reminds me so much of our last duel. I don't see any new sign of strength from you!"
Muiko gave him a stern glare as a reply. "The Duel has just begun, and I still have not shown you my full power yet, neither are you."
Toro smirked to her comment. "I agree with you on that." He snatched an Action Card and placed it on his Duel Disk's blade. "I activate the Action Spell: Magma Storm!"
The Spell card depicted a tornado made up of magma. "When this card is activated, all your monsters on the field are destroyed."
Suddenly, a tornado of magma hurled her Minotaur into it, burning itself before it turned into ashes completely.
"Then, you take 100 points of damage per Level of the destroyed monsters!" Debris of molten rock threw out of the tornado, hitting Muiko as she was covering her face. She took 600 points of damage from that effect.
"Next, I activate Terra Bull Bombull's effect! By releasing this card to the Graveyard, it inflicts 500 points of damage to you!"
Bombull jumped to Muiko as the tail sparkled with fire, indicating that it will explode. Muiko ran away from it, and saw an opportunity. She jumped high, and caught the Action Card on the silicate ceiling.
"I activate the Action Spell: Reflect!" It showed a figure laughting with a mirror reflecting an energy beam. "With this, the effect damage is dealt to you instead!"
Bombull u-turned itself and blew up in front of Toro. Toro crossed his arm when the explosion impacted him. "Little damage is alright for me, but this Duel is over! I declare Terra Bull Berserker to direct attack!"
His monster leaped into the air and launched its attack on Muiko when she looked at it directly.
"Strange? Why isn't she flinching?" He asked.
"I activate Beetle Blocker's effect from my hand!" Muiko shouted out. "When my opponent's monster attacks while I have this little guy in my hand, I can negate that attack and Special Summon this guy to the field!"
Beetle Blocker appeared in front of her, using its horn and armor to block the attack just in time.
"Tch! I set a card and end my turn."
"Thanks." She said to her beetle, which it replied back with a roar. "My turn, I draw!"
With the two specific cards she had in her hand, she knew what to do. "I, using Scale 2 E.B. Nitro Salamander, and Scale 8 Mystical Grove Cacti Guardian, set the Pendulum Scale!" She placed the two cards in her Pendulum Zones, making the word "Pendulum" appear on her Duel Disk blade.
The two monsters rose up, and the numbers 2 and 8 appeared below them respectfully.
"With that set, I can summon Level 3 to 7 monsters simultaneously!" She exclaimed. "Sway, the pendulum of my soul! Give me strength and hope in this time of need! Pendulum Summon! Bring out my monster allies!"
The portal opened up, causing two streams of energy coming out.
"Returning from my Extra Deck, E.B Nickel Minotaur!" The bipedal beast roared proudly as it flexed its arms and chest.
"Then from my hand, Mystical Grove Spring Vines!" The planet creature with vines for arms and legs flexed its "muscle."
Toro widen his eyes, feeling a bit surprised. "I can see that you know how to Pendulum Summon monsters. That can be helpful to summon your ace monster."
"True. I could Muikai Summon quicker when I summon multiple LIGHT monsters through Pendulum Summing, but that is not the time right now. I activate Spring Vines' monster effect!"
Spring Vines stretched its vine arms, tangling Toro's monster and Spell.
"What's this!?" He gasped.
"When Mystical Grove Spring Vines is Special Summoned, I can select up to two cards on the field and return them to their owner's hand!" Muiko explained. "Spring Vines, use Vine Grip!"
Spring Vines gripped Berserker tightly until it cried before it disappeared. The Spell card also disappeared with his monster, noticing him that they are in his hand now.
"Now, it is time to battle! Spring Vines will attack first!" Her plant monster spring itself with its head targeting toward Toro.
"Trap open! Terra Bull Strikes Back!" The revealed Trap showed an image of Terra Bull Berserker jumping out of the Deck and retaliating against Blue Eyes Ultimate Dragon on the field.
"When I am targeted for direct attack, I can Special Summon 1 Level 4 or lower Terra Bull monster from my hand or Deck and negate that attack!" Toro explained. "I Special Summon Level 3 Terra Bull Horned Wizard!"
A wizard with head of a bull and humanoid body, wearing blue wizard clothes appeared out of the white portal, and stopped Spring Vines' attack.
"Shoot! Fine! In that case, I activate Nitro Salamander's pendulum effect! During the Batte Phase, I select a monster I control that has attacked. I select Spring Vines." Nitro Salamander released a gas out of its wet skin. Spring Vines breathed in that air, causing its aura to glow in green color. "Then, that monster gains 500 ATK and it can attack again! Go, Spring Vines! Vine Whip!"
Spring Vines attacked on his monster, but Toro just smirked. "Foolish act! I activate Horned Wizard's effect! It cannot be destroyed by battle once!"
Magical force shield surrounded the wizard before Spring Vines made contact with its attack. It had no effect.
"But, I still have Nickel Minotaur to attack! Go, Nickel Minotaur!" Her Minotaur put up its hoof fist at the wizard.
"Not so fast! I activate Terra Bull Clobber's effect from my hand!" He revealed a monster card at her, which looked like a muscular, dark brown bull with 4 sharp horns and glowing yellow eyes.
"By sending this card with another card from my hand to the Graveyard…" He sends it with Terra Bull Berserker. "Horned Wizard cannot be destroyed by battle for the rest of this turn!"
Clobber's ghostly form blocked Nickel Minotaur's attack.
"Shit!" Muiko cursed. "I end my turn. During the End Phase, Spring Vines' ATK is returned to normal."
"Too bad. You almost got me, but you weren't able to penetrate my defense. Strength is not just about offense, but balance of sheer, unstoppable offense and unbreakable defense. You should've known better that I had a set card, and I could've used it anytime I wanted. You need to think ahead before you do your action, or your power will be wasted."
Muiko gritted her teeth, feeling frustrations.
"This Duel is becoming little bit boring, so how about let's move on to the main part of the show! For your sake, let's end this." Toro declared as he drew his card.
He looked at the card, and smiled, very rare to see. "I play the Normal Spell card: Offering to the Zodiac Lord!"
The Spell depicted several people in hood and robe, giving offering to the altar in front of a huge Chinese zodiac wheel.
"This feeling! He is going to summon that monster!" Muiko thought out loud.
"This Spell allows me to Special Summon 1 Zodiac Lord monster from my Extra Deck by banishing three monsters with the same attribute from my Graveyard and paying half of my Life Points!"
Toro's Life Points decreased by 1750 as a strange, magical seal that resembled the Chinese zodiac wheel appeared below them. Three black beams of energy with the Earth symbol spun around the seal before they got swallow into it.
"Hear my voce, Lord of Strength! Grant me your power from the Mother Earth and show the week fools their rightful place! Muikai Summon!"
The energy burst as the whole field shoot by a powerful earthquake, causing the ceiling to crumble.
Not Muiko's POV
"Director Akaba! A massive fluxation of Muikai energy is occurring at Section E-4, near the eastern corner of the city!"
"Send the officers out! I'll go as well." She ordered.
Meanwhile, Mike was searching for Muiko frantically, but with no result.
"Muiko! Muiko! Where are you!?" He yelled. "Ah! There is no use! Where the heck is she!?"
Suddenly, he heard an engine sound behind him. Next thing he knew, a Duel Runner or D-Wheel approached him, rode by the mysterious masked man.
"Ah!" He jumped in fright. He looked at the rider, remembering who he is. "Hey, I remember you. You are that masked guy I accidentally bumped week ago. Why are you?"
He padded an empty space on his seat, indicating that he wants Mike to ride on it. "Huh, you want me to ride with you? Are you…want to help me?"
He nodded, showing that the answer was yes. "Thank you!" Mike said. The masked man gave him an extra helmet, which Mike put on immediately. They then zoomed off.
Muiko's POV
The quake stopped. Muiko got up as her vision looked little furry until it got clearer. She noticed that they were standing on a large, solid platform surrounded by magma. In front of her was the nightmare that she must face again.
"You remember my monster, do you, Muiko?" Toro asked, smirking.
Zodiac Lord of Strength, Bull roared definitively. Muiko sweat, but smirked, feeling the real Duel is about to begin.
So, what do you think of this chapter? What will be the fate of Muiko? Will we know the identity of this mysterious helper? See you all next time.