Chapter 7: Amy vs. Gypsy Part 2
Amy felt as if this duel was about to spiral out of her control.
As of now, she only had two cards in her hand, both of which were monsters with one being unplayable and the other being useless with Blue-Eyes White Dragon to combo with it, a Black Skull Dragon on the field she couldn't attack with thanks to Gypsy's Insect Barrier and DNA Surgery combo and while she at least had a face-down card to protect her, it was the only one she had for now. Once it was gone, Gypsy wouldn't have much to worry about. There was one card she needed to draw but Amy wasn't sure how far in her deck it was. For all she knew, it was at the bottom and she'd never draw it! The redhead sighed to ease herself. Don't panic, there's still a chance you can win this duel! Gypsy hasn't won yet!
Amy watched as Gypsy executed her next turn. The bug duellist drew her arc and grinned with pleasure.
"Nice one." she purred, "I'll set this handy-dandy card face down on the field."
She set the card and Amy watched it materialize into view next to DNA Surgery and Insect Barrier. What was it? A Spell Card that could help Gypsy and hinder her or a Trap waiting to be sprung? She would make sure to be careful of it. If Gypsy was so happy about drawing it, it wasn't good news.
"And next, I'll sacrifice both my Worm Tokens to Tribute Summon Brain Crusher from my hand." Gypsy continued.
A hideous insect creature materialized onto the field beside Ultimate Insect LV5. Brain Crusher (2400ATK/1500DEF) was a reasonably powerful monster with a deadly effect that Gypsy fully intended to exploit. When it destroyed a monster by battle and sent it to the Graveyard, it could bring back the destroyed monster on Gypsy's side of the field. It would be a handy way for Gypsy to take Amy's monsters and build up her own army.
"I'm not done with my Insect Army yet, darling." the green-haired girl crooned, "I have Ultimate Insect LV5's special ability to activate. I can now send it to the Graveyard and Special Summon its improved form, Ultimate Insect LV7 from my Deck!"
Ultimate Insect LV5 disappeared from the field and was replaced by Ultimate Insect LV7 (2600ATK/1200DEF). Amy had a feeling it could do that as the entire gimmick surrounding Level Monsters was sending their weaker levels to the Graveyard and Special Summoning their upgraded forms. Ultimate Insect LV7 looked similar to LV5 but it was blue and red in colour, much bigger and more ferocious looking than before.
"And here's something really handy…for me that is." Gypsy crowed, "While Ultimate Insect LV7 is on the field after being Special Summoned by the effect of LV7, all monsters on your side of the field lose 700 attack points!"
"NO!" Amy exclaimed, "My Black Skull Dragon will be weak enough for you to defeat it!"
She was right. Thanks to Ultimate Insect LV7, her dragon now fell down to 2500ATK points, 100 points low enough for Ultimate Insect LV7 to destroy it and remove Amy's powerful Fusion Monster from the game.
"This is bad! What will Amy do without that Black Skull Dragon?!" Chloe shrieked worriedly.
"Even if she can't attack with it, it's at least standing guard for her Life Points so Gypsy can't get anywhere near them. With it gone…she's wide open." Kazuki observed, "However…"
He cast his eyes to Amy's face-down card. Maybe that would save her! He watched with baited breath as Gypsy called her attack. She switched her Arsenal Bug into Attack Mode so now she would have three monsters to attack with at once in a combined assault that would no doubt wipe out Amy's Life Points.
"Ultimate Insect LV7, destroy Amy's pitiful monster now!" she screeched.
Ultimate Insect LV7 buzzed towards Black Skull Dragon and prepared to rip it to pieces with its sharp legs. But as the attack was launching, Amy started to laugh.
"Hey, hey! What are you so happy about? STOP THAT SNICKERING!" Gypsy yelled irritably.
"How many times are you gonna walk into an obvious trap before you FINALLY realize maybe it's a bad idea?" Amy retorted, "Activate Trap Card, Widespread Ruin!"
The card rose up and revealed itself. Gypsy recoiled.
"Please don't tell me that card's going to be really bad for me!" she shrieked.
"It's very bad for you!" Amy sneered, "When you attack me, Widespread Ruin can destroy one monster on your side of the field with the highest attack. Naturally, that includes your Ultimate Insect LV7!"
The huge bug exploded into pixels and vanished from view as it was sent to the Graveyard. Now it was gone, its effect no longer applied to the duel and Black Skull Dragon's attack points returned to normal. Gypsy groaned in annoyance. Now she was back with a 3200 attack point wall that stood between her and Amy's Life Points. How could she possibly win the duel if she couldn't get past that blasted dragon and get rid of Amy's Life Points?!
"Stall all you like Amy, I can do that too with my DNA Surgery and Insect Barrier combo!" Gypsy cried desperately, "I'll get past your monster, you mark my words!"
"Yeah right, I'll break down that barrier of yours before that ever happens." Amy spat.
Chloe turned to Kazuki.
"Does Amy have a card that can get past Gypsy's barrier?" she asked anxiously.
"I do recall her using Remove Trap in our past duels, and she also has Trap Master." Kazuki explained, "It'll just depend now if Amy draws either of them. I sure hope they're not buried deep in Amy's deck somewhere…"
Amy was thinking the same thing as Kazuki. She could stall all she liked, it wouldn't help her any if she couldn't attack. She had to destroy Gypsy's barrier or this duel would never end! Amy sighed softly and drew her next card. She winced in annoyance. She drew Twin-Headed Behemoth. Dammit! That card wouldn't do any good against Gypsy's protection! But it would at least give her another monster to defend herself with in case Black Skull Dragon met its end.
"I'll just play Twin-Headed Behemoth in Defence Mode and end my turn. That's all I can do for now." Amy muttered.
A twin-headed purple dragon with wings and two tails appeared kneeling down beside Black Skull Dragon. Its most unusual feature was that its twin heads were in place of its arms with no actual head where it would normally be. Thanks to DNA Surgery, it too was transformed into an Insect-type. Gypsy allowed herself to relax for now. At least Amy didn't have anything that could help her right now. This would give her the chance to take control of this duel at last! She drew and smiled to herself.
Oh my. I got a second Cocoon of Ultra Evolution! she thought excitedly, That'll come in very handy! Now if I can get an Equip Spell or at least another Parasite Paranoid, I can make my comeback…
She activated her face-down card. Amy flinched, expecting it to be a destructive Trap Card or one that did damage to her Life Points. But it was neither. Gypsy had activated Jar of Avarice, a Trap Card that allowed her to shuffle five cards of any type back into the Deck and draw another one afterwards. Gypsy chose Perfectly Ultimate Great Moth, Verdant Sanctuary, Pot of Greed, Cost Down and Forest. They all went back into the Deck and she drew her next card after shuffling it. She'd drawn another powerful monster, and one she'd hold onto for later.
"I know you can't attack me for now, but I'm still going to play cautiously with you." Gypsy announced, "Just in case you get past my barrier, I'll switch Brain Crusher and Arsenal Bug into Defence Mode for now."
Both her monsters changed into Defence Mode. Amy nodded, seeing Gypsy's plan here. It was probably the smartest move she'd made so far in this entire duel.
"At least you're smart enough to know that no duellist is truly safe, even if they're hiding behind a barrier of some kind." Amy said sarcastically, "Now I just gotta hope I finally draw the card I need to get past your Insect Barrier…"
She closed her eyes and placed her fingers over the top of her deck. She breathed out slowly.
"Please…please let it be what I need…" she whispered to herself.
Even Lord Hallows had to admit he was getting oddly excited about this next turn.
"Will you get a good draw or a dead one, little Amy…?" he mused.
Amy drew the card and slowly opened her eyes. All at once, the duel no longer seemed hopeless and she had a way back into it.
"YES! Yesyesyesyesyesyesyesyesyes! Perfect! I finally got what I needed!" Amy hollered, "Gypsy, it's time to knock down your stupid wall for I play Remove Trap!"
"OH NO!" Gypsy shrieked in horror.
She didn't need Amy to explain to her how that card worked. As soon as Amy played Remove Trap, her DNA Surgery Trap Card was destroyed in an instant. Amy had put this card in her deck for precisely occasions like this if she needed to deal with a particularly pesky Trap Card. Now DNA Surgery was gone, her monsters returned back to their normal forms, no longer stuck as Insect Monsters. Insect Barrier was completely useless now DNA Surgery was gone and Amy could attack again. She switched her Twin-Headed Behemoth into Attack Mode so she could launch a double assault.
"Nice try Gypsy but all you did in the end was waste time when I could've ended this duel quicker as a result! Now Black Skull Dragon, destroy Brain Crusher and Twin-Headed Behemoth, destroy Arsenal Bug!"
Her monsters launched their attacks. Black Skull Dragon blazed Brain Crusher to a crisp and the moment it was gone, Arsenal Bug's Attack and Defence dropped to 1000 par its effect as Gypsy didn't have any other Insect Monsters in play. It was weak enough for Twin-Headed Behemoth to destroy as well. Gypsy's field was nearly empty with only a useless Insect Barrier left. It was certainly looking bad for Gypsy and Amy had this duel firmly in the palm of her hand. Chloe and Kazuki punched the air in triumph.
"Unreal, she drew the card she needed at just the right time!" Chloe squealed, "I was beginning to think she wouldn't do it, but she did!"
"Gypsy's wide open and there's nothing she can do to stop our girl now!" Kazuki crowed, "Hallows's first threat is going down!"
Amy smiled with pleasure. It was good that Chloe and Kazuki were here to support her now. She would've felt isolated and unsure of herself without them. Their support was carrying her through this duel and making it possible for her to win! She turned back to the duel. Deciding to play it safe, she used her second Main Phase to set Kaibaman on the field. She had a feeling Gypsy might had some trick left to play and that she could do with keeping up a good defence by having plenty of monsters to defend herself with.
Meanwhile, Lord Hallows took in Amy's last move with a cautious, observant eye.
"So the little brat has a Remove Trap in her deck…that will be troublesome for me and my Destiny Board." he muttered, "No matter, I have what Gypsy lacks in that department: Spell and Trap protection! I warned her that she should have Imperial Custom to go along with her DNA Surgery and Insect Barrier combo but would she listen? No! She assumes her strategy on summoning powerful monsters in a variety of quick and easy ways is all she needs to win! Well she better hope this next draw pays off or I'll have HER soul to feed off of instead of Amy's!"
He watched as Gypsy made her next move. The insect enthusiast looked as if she was about to faint from how pale and worried she looked. Amy was impressed she could still stand after all that. Gypsy drew her next card…and all at once, the colour returned to her face and her composure become more confident and cocky.
"Well, well, well…looks like Lady Luck is on my side again." Gypsy crowed, "For I activate from my hand Parasite Paranoid once again!" she cried demonically as she showed the card to Amy.
"What?! I thought you already used that card! Did you have another copy waiting to be drawn?" Amy demanded.
"I do have more than one copy but I shuffled my first one back into the deck with my first Cocoon of Ultra Evolution earlier so make it easier to come across." Gypsy explained, "Whether this is the first or my second copy, it doesn't matter. I now use it to infect your Black Skull Dragon!"
Amy could only watch helplessly as her invincible dragon was transformed back into an Insect Monster thanks to Parasite Paranoid wrapping itself around the huge draconian creature. Chloe and Kazuki began to feel the tension building up. Was Gypsy about to pull off her parasite/cocoon combination again? Their worst fears were confirmed as Gypsy proceeded to do just that. She played her second Cocoon of Ultra Evolution immediately afterwards, sacrificing Amy's infected dragon in order to Special Summon Metamorphosed Insect Queen (2800ATK/2400DEF) from her hand and Perfectly Ultimate Great Moth from her deck. Amy wasn't surprised at the moth's return as she had a feeling Gypsy would've shuffled it back into the deck with Jar of Avarice to potentially use it again. She didn't recognize Metamorphosed Insect Queen as that was new to her. It looked a lot like Insect Queen, even having the same colour scheme as her, but this one was bigger and with four arms and two legs instead of just a set of legs.
"So what's Metamorphosed Insect Queen then? Is it basically Insect Queen but stronger and uglier?" Amy inquired.
"It is my dear." Gypsy boasted, "Metamorphosed Insect Queen was another present from Lord Hallows. It has higher attack power than Insect Queen and while it has a tricky summoning condition that requires me to use a card effect to get it on the field, it's well worth it in the end for reasons you'll see later. Perfectly Ultimate Great Moth, destroy Twin-Headed Behemoth!"
The colossal moth flapped its wings and created a huge, blustering wind that swept Amy's twin-headed dragon away. Amy cried out, feeling like she was going to be blown away with it. The attack left Amy with 5500 Life Points left and Fang the Spider descended further down from up high towards its potential meal. Amy looked up, and wished she hadn't, as the spider came closer to her. Her stomach churned as its six evil red eyes stared down at her. It was close enough to dribble on her, the gooey liquid dripping down messily onto her head. Amy cringed and shook her head furiously.
"Ugh, you should teach your little pet that it's rude to dribble on people!" Amy gagged.
"Fang doesn't need table manners, darling. All he needs is your flesh when all is said and done." Gypsy sneered, "Now then, my Insect Queen will…huh?!"
She blinked in confusion as Twin-Headed Behemoth suddenly returned to the field good as new! It came back in Defence Mode this time so Amy could protect herself.
"Hey, I just slew that dragon! Why is it still here?!" Gypsy cried in outrage.
"Oh, didn't you know? Twin-Headed Behemoth comes back after being destroyed the first time." Amy crowed, "True, it comes back with only 1000 attack points, but at least it can protect my Life Points from your second monster."
"Hopefully after that, it'll STAY gone!" Gypsy growled, "Metamorphosed Insect Queen, slay that dragon for good!"
Metamorphosed Insect Queen grabbed Twin-Headed Behemoth with her four arms and clawed it to pieces in all four directions, slicing up, down, left and right until Amy's monster was gone. After that, Metamorphosed Insect Queen lay an Egg Token. Unlike Insect Queen, Gypsy could choose which mode to play her token in and naturally, she chose Defence Mode so Amy couldn't attack it and do a lot of damage. Amy could see that her sure-fire win had been swept away in an instant. She was so close to victory but Gypsy had gotten the luck of the draw and now she was the one who was in trouble! She had no Spells or Traps to protect herself with, she had a weak monster in Defence Mode that would offer no real protection and a Valkyrion the Magna Warrior she couldn't use right now! Gypsy had no backrow to protect her or her monsters and still had a useless Insect Barrier in play but she had two very powerful monsters to utterly decimate her. Her heart pounded with worry. How could she come back from this one? She closed her eyes for a moment. Remember Jack. He's counting on you! He wouldn't give up on you and you should do the same for him!
"It's not over til its over Gypsy! I'll squash those ugly bugs of yours, you see if I don't!" Amy declared.
She drew her next card. While it wasn't the best card she could've drawn, she had a feeling it would still be somewhat useful.
"I now play Twin-Barrel Dragon in Defence Mode!" Amy called out as she played her monster.
Twin-Barrel Dragon (1700ATK/200DEF) materialized next to her face-down Kaibaman on the field. It looked like a robotic dinosaur creature with a double-barrelled pistol for a head. Amy was glad to draw this card as it allowed her to destroy a monster on the field if she tossed a coin twice and got heads twice from it. It was one of those effects that relied on chance and could only be done once, but it was worth a gamble if it meant destroying a powerful monster. Amy couldn't get rid of both of Gypsy's monsters, but she could at least give her one less beat stick to worry about. Amy's dragon activated its effect and Amy tossed the coin. Chloe and Kazuki watched intently as the coin spiralled through the air. Amy caught it and smiled as she saw it was heads. Now she had to toss it again. If it was another heads, she could destroy one of Gypsy's monsters! Amy tossed the coin again. Curiously, Gypsy didn't seem too particularly concerned for if Amy was going to succeed or not. She looked calm and confident as if this thing would barely even inconvenience her. Kazuki saw this and frowned. Why didn't she look more worried? Was there some unspoken effect from Metamorphosed Insect Queen Gypsy hadn't yet told Amy? His eyes widened in realization. Gypsy had said her monster was "well worth it for reasons you'd see later". He was sure he was about to see what Gypsy had meant by that.
Amy caught the coin and placed it on the back of her hand. To her sheer delight, it was heads again!
"YES! Go me! Now my dragon can blast your Perfectly Hideous Moth outta the game!" she cheered, "Do your stuff Twin-Barrel Dragon!"
The dinosaurian robot took aim at Perfectly Ultimate Great Moth and blasted it…but nothing happened! The laser shot just pinged harmlessly away from Gypsy's moth! Everyone gasped while Gypsy laughed.
"No way, that should've destroyed your monster! What happened?!" Amy protested.
"This is one of those reasons I said you'll see later for why my new Insect Queen is worth the effort." Gypsy gloated, "You see, as long as I have another Insect Monster on the field, Metamorphosed Insect Queen prevents Insect Monsters from being targeted or destroyed by card effects. Essentially, she's a shield for all Insect Monsters I have now and you're helpless to do anything about it!"
"Oh shit! It's that powerful?!" Amy screeched, "Crap…how am I gonna get past that?!"
"You're not, that's how!" Gypsy cackled, "As long as she's in play, I'm indestructible!"
"Wait a sec…so you have this powerful bug that can protect your monsters from being destroyed by card effects as long as there are other Insect Monsters in play…and you didn't think to use it earlier in the duel?!" Amy exclaimed as she suddenly realized that Gypsy had been playing even worse than she already thought she had, "Do you even realize how much trouble you could've saved yourself if you brought it out earlier in the duel?!"
Gypsy scowled.
"I thought you'd be easy prey and wanted to save my Metamorphosed Insect Queen for later so I didn't use it up right away." she explained, "But then I saw I was wrong to underestimate you so it's a good thing I DID save it for later instead of using it up so soon. As you can see, it all worked out for me in the end."
"Just barely." Amy retorted.
"Don't you get sore at me because you're now starting to lose." Gypsy taunted, "You may as well surrender now Amy. With this terrible twosome in play, you haven't a hope of defeating me now!"
"As long as I can still draw cards, I ALWAYS have a chance to beat you." Amy declared, "For now, I end my turn."
Kazuki and Chloe watched grimly as the turn passed over to Gypsy. They too were beginning to feel scared for Amy. With two enormous beat-sticks, one of which would protect all other Insect Monsters from being destroyed, it looked as if Amy would need a miracle to pull through this duel.
"I can hardly bear to watch! I don't want Amy to lose and get eaten by that giant spider!" Chloe whimpered.
"Don't assume the worst just yet Chloe. Like Ames said, she always has a chance to win as long as she can still draw." Kazuki noted, "She's already pulled off some miraculous draws in this duel so maybe she can get another one to help her out."
"I sure hope so!" Chloe shrieked, "Jack will be so crushed if Amy ends up joining him in the Shadow Realm because she failed to save him!"
"Are you two done talking over there? You're starting to irritate me." Gypsy muttered, "Do I have to web your mouths shut?"
"Just go already Gypsy and leave my friends out of this. This is between you and me." Amy snapped.
Gypsy just shrugged and made her move. She drew a card and then set it face-down on the field. Next, she used the effect of her second Cocoon of Ultra Evolution in which she could banish it from the field, shuffle an Insect Monster back into the deck and draw another card. She chose Parasite Paranoid for the second time, hoping to abuse its effect again. After shuffling it back into her deck, she drew her new card. To her delight, she'd drawn Forest again after shuffling it back into the deck with Jar of Avarice earlier. At least now her Insect Monsters would do slightly more damage with a couple of extra attack points. Amy at least appreciated getting some nice scenery again for this duel so she could forget about being in a creepy castle for the time being. If this duel was her's to lose, at least she could lose in a nice forest environment.
"Ah it's good to be back in the woods again." Gypsy purred, "And my deadly duo will be making this no picnic in the forest for you Amy! Metamorphosed Insect Queen, destroy Twin-Barrel Dragon!"
The blue and red insect monster clawed Amy's dragon robot to pieces. Twin-Barrel Dragon wailed electronic wails of anguish as it was destroyed.
"You may have destroyed my dragon, but I still have another monster face-down in Defence Mode so you won't get to my Life Points this turn." Amy crowed.
"That's where you're wrong, sugar." Gypsy retorted, "Metamorphosed Insect Queen has another handy ability. If I tribute any Insect Monsters, it can attack again, but only if you have more monsters on the field. Your defences will not stand against my moth when it comes next!"
"What?! Oh no!" Amy cried worriedly.
Gypsy continued on her onslaught, sacrificing the Egg Token so Metamorphosed Insect Queen could attack again and destroy Amy's Kaibaman. Now it was gone, Perfectly Ultimate Great Moth was free to attack directly. With 3500 attack points, Amy knew this one was going to hurt very, very badly. She braced herself for impact as the Great Moth flapped its wings and blew away 3500 Life Points from Amy. She had dropped down from a relatively safe 5500 Life Points to a pitiful 1800. If Gypsy was able to attack directly next turn, Amy would be finished. Fang screeched excitedly as it crawled further down its web towards Amy. It was now so close that Amy could smell its breath coming from right above her. It made Amy's skin crawl just knowing the spider was mere metres above her. If Fang moved a few more inches, it would be able to reach out and touch Amy with its front legs. Chloe put her hand over her mouth, feeling as if she was about to vomit. How had her best friend ended up in such a hideous situation?! She couldn't imagine a worse fate for anyone, never mind Amy! Even Kazuki was struggling to watch. He wasn't arachnophobic, but it didn't make it any less cringe worthy to see the grotesque creature move and come closer to Amy.
"Yes Fang, your feast awaits." Gypsy purred as if she was a kind dog owner letting her beloved pet know that dinner was ready, "Just one more turn, darling, and I'll have Amy's soul for Lord Hallows while you get her remains."
"One turn is all I need to turn everything around!" Amy declared, "Just you watch!"
Despite her bravado, she was almost afraid to draw her next card. Suppose she got a dead draw and the duel was all over for her? It was possible, but what choice did she have? She couldn't surrender as Hallows would only get her soul anyway and Fang would gobble her up. She couldn't even run away as her feet were webbed into place. She had to keep playing and hope for the best.
"Jack…if you can hear me…please guide me to victory." Amy prayed.
Just mentioning her brother's name was all the motivation she needed to keep going. She placed her fingers on the top of her deck and drew. Her heart pounded as she looked at what she drew. Her eyes lit up with glee as she saw that her prayers had been answered.
"YES! I knew you'd help me out in this duel, Jack!" Amy cried, kissing the card as if she'd drawn her ticket to victory, "This was a card he gave to me and it's gonna give all the help I need for I play Monster Reborn!"
"Wow, she drew Jack's favourite card!" Chloe exclaimed excitedly, "That was so lucky of her!"
"And I think I know what she'll bring back." Kazuki said with a smile.
His guess was spot on for to Gypsy's dismay, Amy's Black Skull Dragon made its triumphant return to the field. The huge dragon spread its wings and roared up to the heavens as if it felt the need to announce its return. Fang recoiled as if worried this hologram would somehow be able to attack it. Gypsy knew what was going to happen next and she cried out as Black Skull Dragon launched its attack. It blazed Metamorphosed Insect Queen into ashes and the huge insect monster was wiped out from the battlefield. Gypsy only had 4500 Life Points left as a result of this attack. Now Gypsy's monsters were no longer protected from card effects. If Amy drew a monster with a strong effect or a destructive Spell or Trap card, Gypsy's moth would be in serious trouble. But that wouldn't matter in the long run if Amy didn't draw anything useful. Gypsy's moth was still the strongest monster on the field and Black Skull Dragon wouldn't be a match for it. This was proven so as on Gypsy's next turn, she simply had Perfectly Ultimate Great Moth blow Black Skull Dragon away. Amy's mighty Fusion Monster was no more, its return short-lived. With only 1300 Life Points left, Amy's situation still looked no better than before and Fang moved down even closer. It was now able to reach down and poke Amy's head as if to warn her "Just a little further and you're mine!". Amy tried to ignore it and focus on the duel.
"Draw whatever card you want, little girl. It won't stop my ultimate moth from wiping you out!" Gypsy crowed, "Oh Lord Hallows will be so pleased with me when I deliver your soul to him!"
Contrary to Gypsy's beliefs, Hallows wasn't going to be pleased.
"You only got to this point because of your cheating earlier." he muttered, "And as Amy pointed out, you really should've used that Metamorphosed Insect Queen earlier as it would've saved you from many of her earlier Trap Cards. Amy on the other hand has been duelling very well, even if most of it has been down to luck. I'll be impressed if she can get out of this sticky situation…"
Amy breathed out slowly and drew her next card. After her luck in drawing Monster Reborn, she was sure that luck would be on her side again. She looked at it and sighed, clearly disappointed with what she'd drawn.
"Looks like I'll just set this face-down and end my turn." she mumbled sadly.
Kazuki raised an eyebrow in thought. Amy had a face-down, yet she seemed disappointed with what she had. Was it really a useless card that wouldn't help or was she trying to bait Gypsy into attacking her? Even Gypsy was feeling unsure of herself as she drew her next card.
She's wide open for attack, but she has a face-down card. What if it's a trap again and she's trying to trick me into attacking? she thought, I can no longer trust ANY card that wretched girl has anymore! Oh well, if I keep my remaining Insect Token from my destroyed Insect Queen, at least I'll have something to defend myself in case it is a trap. But do I dare take the risk again…?
Hallows could sense his minion's hesitation. He couldn't blame Gypsy. After what he'd witnessed, he too would be cautious of what Amy had face-down.
"Well, well Gypsy. Do you attack or risk stumbling into yet another obvious trap? Unlike you, I don't buy Amy's little act for one minute! She has to be pretending it's useless…" he crooned to himself.
Gypsy seemed to take an age to make up her mind. Kazuki and Chloe could practically hear her brain ticking as the Insect Duellist made up her mind on what to do. Amy's face remained blank. She was giving nothing away. Gypsy knew that Amy got overly excited if she drew a good card but in this case, she hadn't so that had to mean it was safe to attack, surely? But suppose Amy was putting on a really good act? She'd always been neutral when setting her Trap Cards in previous turns so this could be the case again. Gypsy sighed. In the end, it might be worth taking a risk just in case she ended up passing an opportunity to end the duel.
"I bring forth Chainsaw Insect in Attack Mode!" Gypsy declared as she drew her next card and played it.
Chainsaw Insect (2400ATK/0DEF) was true to its name, looking like some small bug creature with chainsaws for mandibles. Amy could imagine a bite from this thing would be the most grisly experience imaginable. She was amazed that a Level 4 monster like this could have so many attack points. She could also see what Gypsy was hoping for. She wanted to have a lot of monsters available in case of her face-down card.
"I know I'm taking a huge risk but in a duel, you have to take risks sometimes." Gypsy acknowledged, "I've just got to hope your face-down card is as useless as you're making it out to be. Perfectly Ultimate Great Moth, attack Amy directly and end this duel!"
The giant moth flapped its wings and blew a storm towards Amy. Chloe put her hands to her mouth in worry. Was it all over? Fang watched eagerly, hoping that now it'd finally get a chance to eat. But unfortunately for Gypsy, her risk turned out to be costly. Amy smiled deviously as she activated her face-down card.
"I was hoping you'd be stupid enough to do that." she sneered, "Go Mirror Force!"
"NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO! NOT THAT, ANYTHING BUT MIRROR FORCE!" Gypsy shrieked in terror.
She was helpless to do anything now as Perfectly Ultimate Great Moth's attack reflected back to it and Chainsaw Insect, destroying them both and leaving Gypsy with nothing to attack Amy with. Only her Egg Token, which was still in Defence Mode, remained on the field. It had been the perfect move for Amy as Metamorphosed Insect Queen would've rendered Mirror Force useless if she'd drawn it while it was still in the field. Thanks to Black Skull Dragon, it had left Gypsy vulnerable to destruction effects and now she'd paid the price for her risk taking. Kazuki and Chloe cheered ecstatically. Trust Amy to have just the Trap Card she needed for the occasion! Hallows just rolled his eyes and scoffed. It WAS a bluff and Amy DID have a handy Trap Card the whole time! That didn't even warrant a "called it"! Why did Gypsy have to take such a dumb risk?!
But Gypsy wasn't entirely dead yet. She still had a reasonable amount of Life Points left, one monster protecting her while Amy had nothing to attack with for now and she also had a face-down card of her own.
"You were lucky to draw that Mirror Force, Amy, but in the end the risk was worth taking as it allows me to use a Trap Card of my own." Gypsy explained, "You see, when Chainsaw Insect attacks or is attacked, you get to draw a card. This allows me to activate Appropriate!"
Her Trap Card flipped face-up to reveal itself. Appropriate could only be activated if a duellist drew a card outside their normal draw phase. Whenever that happened, Appropriate let the controller draw two cards as a result. Amy drew her card and Gypsy drew two as a result of this. Amy looked pleased with her draw while Gypsy looked annoyed. She'd drawn two Spell Cards, one of which would be useless as it was Insect Armour with Laser Cannon. It would give her Insect Monsters 700ATK points, but what good would it do if she had no strong monsters to equip it to? Her Egg Token had 200ATK points thanks to Forest's Field Power Bonus so it would be useless even with Insect Armour with Laser Cannon! But she did draw Verdant Sanctuary again. That might help her out. She finished her turn by playing it. At least if her Egg Token got destroyed, she'd be able to add a Level 1 Insect Monster to her hand to continue defending herself.
As for Amy, she'd drawn United We Stand, a handy Spell Card that increased a monster's attack by 800 and then increased it even further if she had more than one on the field.
Great, this Spell Card will help me finish this duel! Now I just need a monster to equip it to. Hopefully it's a good one and I draw it on this turn…Amy thought to herself.
She drew her next card, hoping that it was a Monster Card. To her delight, it was and it was her lucky charm no less.
"I wondered if you'd come out to play, buddy." Amy said brightly, "I now call to the field my Ground Attacker Bugroth!"
The machine-like monster appeared on the field (1500ATK/1000DEF), ready for battle. Ground Attacker Bugroth looked like some kind of alien war machine with legs for landing and walking, two large engines and short arms that fired lasers. Amy liked to imagine what it would be like to actually pilot it if it was a real machine rather than a Duel Monsters card. Now she had a monster in play, she equipped Bugroth with United We Stand. Its attack increased from 1500 to 2300. Gypsy would need to draw a particularly strong monster to get past it now. Amy ordered her machine to blast the Egg Token into smithereens. Bugroth took aim with its cannons and fired at the egg. It was blasted into atoms and Gypsy was left with no monsters left to defend herself…for now at least. Verdant Sanctuary allowed her to add a Level 1 Monster to her hand now her Egg Token had been destroyed. She only had one, a measly little Petit Moth. She added it to her hand in dismay. This little caterpillar would barely be a stumbling block, let alone a defensive wall to stand against Amy's powered up machine! Even with Insect Armour with Laser Cannon, it wouldn't be a match for Ground Attacker Bugroth. She needed to draw something good if she had any hope of staying on top of this match!
She drew her next card and sighed in disappointment. She'd only managed to draw Laser Cannon Armour, another Equip Spell that wouldn't do her any good as Petit Moth was too weak to be useful even with two Equip Spells. Sighing, she just played Petit Moth in Defence Mode and ended her turn. Hopefully Amy wouldn't draw another monster and Petit Moth could stall her out until she could draw something decent. But unfortunately for Gypsy, it wasn't to be. Amy shook her head in mock pity for her opponent.
"So is that it then? Just stuck playing defensively for now? I'd feel sorry for you if you weren't trying to kill me with this duel." she taunted, "Well I'm gonna end this duel right here, right now!"
She drew her next card and just as she'd hoped for, it was another monster. She played Spear Dragon in Attack Mode (1900ATK/0DEF). Spear Dragon was true to its name with its long sharp snout that looked like it could skewer its victims like a spear. Now Amy had another monster in play, United We Stand granted Bugroth another 800ATK points, giving it 3100 in total. Gypsy remained confident that the duel still wasn't over yet.
"So what if you have another monster? I'll still have some Life Points left when this is over." she declared.
"That's where you're wrong!" Amy shot back, "You see, Spear Dragon inflicts piercing battle damage when it destroys a monster in Defence Mode so it'll do enough damage for Bugroth to finish the duel!"
"WHAT?! NO, THIS CAN'T BE!" Gypsy exclaimed worriedly.
"It can! Your ugly bugs are going bye-bye and Amy's soul is staying where it belongs you freak!" Chloe jeered.
"Give her what she deserves Amy!" Kazuki cried.
"With pleasure!" Amy said eagerly, "Spear Dragon, destroy Petit Moth so Ground Attacker Bugroth can attack for game!"
Spear Dragon skewered Petit Moth like meat on a kebab, destroying it instantly and inflicting 1500 points of damage to Gypsy. If Forest hadn't been in play, it would've done slightly more damage. But with only 3000 Life Points left, Ground Attack Bugroth had just enough to finish the duel. It took aim with its cannons and blasted Gypsy with enough force to knock her clean off her feet. With a loud scream, she landed heavily on her back and winced as the weight of defeat pressed down on her. She was all out of Life Points. The duel was over and Amy was the winner! Amy punched the air excitedly. If she wasn't webbed to the floor, she would've been jumping for joy.
"I did it! Woohoo! Against all odds, I pulled through! Wow!" Amy squealed, "What a win!"
"Whew…thank goodness! I doubt my heart could've taken much more of this!" Chloe sighed with relief, "Amy did it! I'm so glad she won!"
"Way to go Ames! You showed her what for!" Kazuki cried happily.
Their celebrations were rudely cut short as Lord Hallows suddenly returned, rising up from the floor again and throwing his arms out wide. He clapped for Amy, though the red-haired girl had a feeling it was sarcasm.
"Excellent, excellent Amy! You were a brilliant duellist out there and I congratulate you wholeheartedly!" Hallows applauded, "No matter the odds, you pulled through and proved that anything can happen in a duel!"
"Am I supposed to be flattered or suspicious?" Amy muttered grimly.
"Take it how you want, child." Hallows said dismissively, "In the meantime, let's get you free so you can go to the next room and challenge my second member of the Fiendish Five. I assure you, he won't be as easy as Gypsy was…"
He pointed at the web around Amy's feet and magically caused it to break away. Amy flexed her legs and wriggled her feet, relieved to be able to move them again. Fang quietly retreated back into the shadows, disappointed that it wouldn't be snacking on anyone today. Kazuki and Chloe ran over to Amy and hugged her in congratulations. While that happened, Lord Hallows came over to Gypsy. Gypsy remained where she was, too terrified to stand up again. Her heart pounded wildly.
"P-p-please master, d-d-don't b-banish me! I d-d-did my best!" she pleaded, tears welling up in her eyes, "G-g-give me another chance, I c-can do better!"
"You broke my rules you insolent wench!" Hallows snarled, pointing his cane at Gypsy as if he was about to impale her through the chest with it, "You cheated numerous times throughout this duel despite my strict orders not to and even with that, you STILL managed to lose because of your blundering! Your lack of preparation and caution towards Amy's Spell and Trap Cards cost you dearly and now you must suffer for failing me and defying my orders by spending an eternity in the Shadow Realm!"
He aimed his cane at Gypsy and the skull head absorbed her soul from out of her body as it had done to Jack. Amy, Kazuki and Chloe heard Gypsy scream and they turned around to see what was happening. They were shocked as they watched Gypsy's soul being ripped out of her body and swallowed up by Hallows's cane. Her empty body now looked the same way Jack's did: lifeless with no light left in her eyes. Amy was horrified. Gypsy was not a nice person, that much was certain, but she hadn't wanted to get her banished to the Shadow Realm! She glared at Hallows with her face full of rage.
"You bastard! This isn't what I signed up for!" she snarled, "I only wanted to beat the Fiendish Five so I can get to you and get Jack's soul back! I didn't ask for this!"
"How could you do that to your own accomplice?" Chloe demanded, "I don't like Gypsy but even I wouldn't wish that on her!"
"What I do to my minions is none of your business." Hallows dismissed, "They are mine to do with as I please. They know the penalty for failure, hence why they duel as they do to make sure they DON'T fail! Besides, their failure is my success as I just get more souls to banish and more duelling energy to feed off of!"
"So is that your big plan then? I challenge your minions and if I beat them, I'm essentially making you stronger?" Amy deduced, "If that's so then I'm outta here! I ain't playing your sick, twisted game anymore Hallows! I'm not being your executioner for your minions and I'm certainly NOT giving you more souls to toy with!"
"Oh but you MUST continue playing my game Amy." Hallows purred, putting a hand on her shoulder and grinning wickedly, "Otherwise poor little Jack will remain a soulless husk for the rest of your life. Tell me child…will you be able to live the rest of your life knowing that your brother won't be a part of it because you didn't love him enough to get him back?"
"You back off Hallows! Of course Amy wants her brother back! How could you even suggest that?!" Kazuki growled angrily.
"Oh but she clearly doesn't if she'd rather quit now than finish my challenge." Hallows retorted, "I'll tell Jack's soul that you're a selfish little sister who doesn't care for him and would rather save her own skin than risk it for his sake! I imagine it'll break his heart into pieces…or rather not as he no longer has one!" he taunted.
"SHUT UP! Just shut up!" Amy screamed, her eyes filling with tears, "Don't you ever say such shit to me again, don't you ever dare! Jack is my whole world and I would do anything to get him back! I hate this, but you're leaving me with no choice. If the Fiendish Five have to go to the Shadow Realm so I can get Jack back…then that's how it'll be. Who knows, maybe I can save them as well as Jack."
Kazuki and Chloe were satisfied with Amy's answer. Maybe they could get back more than just Jack's soul if they beat Hallows. The shadow demon grinned, glad that he'd gotten Amy to do what he wanted again.
"Very good! Then let the games continue!" Hallows cried excitedly, "Come with me children! The next challenge awaits!"
He led them out of Gypsy's room and to the next one. Amy glanced over at Gypsy's soulless body as she walked away. It was strange to think that Gypsy had been plotting to feed her to a giant spider when she won and yet Amy found herself actually feeling sorry for her. Maybe Gypsy could've led a better life if she'd gotten away from Hallows and his castle. Maybe before she ever met Hallows, she was living a good life and Hallows took it away from her. And now she'd never get a chance at redemption because her soul had been banished to the Shadow Realm. Maybe if she beat Hallows, she could save Gypsy and any other of the five after she beat them. She didn't want to do this to them but it had to be done. Amy only hoped that they could forgive her for essentially consigning them to their fates…
Amy has emerged victorious in spite of everything but it's ultimately a hollow victory for her as now when she beats the Fiendish Five, she's condemning them to their own demise. Still, she has to save her brother no matter the cost and maybe Amy can save the Fiendish Five as well. Next time, she has to deal with a mechanized mercenary in the form of Garth as she goes on to face the second member of the five in "Amy vs. Garth"...
Trivia: This duel was going to go a little differently with Amy using Mirror Force to destroy Metamorphosed Insect Queen and Perfectly Ultimate Great Moth but I then realized that M. Insect Queen's effect would actually stop that as it prevents Insect Monsters from being destroyed by card effects if there's another Insect Monster with it so I had to have Amy use Monster Reborn to bring back Black Skull Dragon a turn early to get rid of M. Insect Queen so Mirror Force could do its job.
Also for some reason, Chainsaw Insect's effect doesn't actually activate Appropriate despite the fact your opponent drawing outside their Battle Phase is what activates it to begin with. It doesn't make sense to me so I ignored this and made it so it does activate it here.
Also Gypsy yelling "Hey, hey, what are you so happy about? STOP THAT SNICKERING!" is a deliberate reference to Weevil saying the exact same thing in his duel against Yugi in Duellist Kingdom.
Oh and one more thing readers: Happy Halloween! :D