Chello, my fellows! Here be part one of the crazy Duel Monster match between my main OC and antagonist OC.
So, some Author Maintenance beforehand.
Throughout the course of these next two chapters, I'll be drawing on some cards that'll be more familiar to the classic Yu-Gi-Oh! realm, specifically that of a certain gambler duelist whose history will also be touched on. In that light, I hereby indite the following disclaimer: I do not own any references, subtle or otherwise, to the original Yu-Gi-Oh! manga. Such copyright ownership belongs to the fabulous creator, Kazuki Takahashi, as well as publishing companies Shueisha and Viz Media.
I do however, own one of the cards that's featured, a creation of my own imagination, a Rank Three Monster by name of Deranged Roulette. If you wanna know more, keep reading 'cause I'm not giving the details away this quickly, lol.
...Hm, what else? Oh yeah! You'll notice that Athena's deck will be a bit different than previously. See, I'm gonna start to gradually shift gears here and try to make her card structure a little more, unique and fit her personality a bit better. Not that it hasn't been interesting to write Yuma's deck as her own...but after some deeper analyzing and research, I think it'd be wise to start down a new path, while ma~ybe keeping a few of the original protagonist's cards. We'll see.
On that note, since I'll be working to craft in some better originality, I would greatly appreciate some assistance on your part. If any of you have some good ideas for cards to add into Athena's deck or perhaps one of my other OCs for this story, don't be shy and send them my way. But please, for the sake of my sanity as well as yours, do not, flood, the Reviews! When in doubt, PM me and I'll have a little looksie as soon as I can. I'll more than likely not use all of them, but every idea will be helpful in getting the creative juices sparking as we continue along.
...Phew. Okay; I think that's all I gotta get out at this point in time. Once again, heed the content warning made in the last chapter, and off we go!
We return to the unraveling situation at hand within the abandoned floating art gallery just outside the downtown corridor of Heartland City, just as Athena Fujina and Janko Trilos begin their long-awaited Duel Monsters match...
However, one could very well classify this battle as more of a shootout, both sides seeking to beat the other to a literal bloody pulp rather than simply bruise their egos. Yes, true, the former is here on the more noble intention of rescuing the younger sibling of an almost acquaintance...but who says that had to be her only reason for coming to meet deck-to-deck as well as fist-to-fist with the street gang leader?
...
On the sidelines, Tiffany swallows down some saliva building up in her mouth, and asks the older boy next to her,
"U-Um, Akira...?"
His aqua green irises glance sideways to meet her cornflower blue.
"Yeah?"
"...Just, how physical, is this fight gonna get?"
Cringing, the young man with golden-honey skin reluctantly replies,
"Lemme put it this way: whatever aggressive duels you've seen before will look like a game of hopscotch after tonight."
"Mph, that's what I'm afraid of."
Addy...
Though something in his steel gray irises suggests a mild interest, Kite nonetheless found himself scoffing a little.
"Are you sure you're not exaggerating just the slightest?...How bad can this 'Duel Fist' battle be? It sounds like a game played by neanderthals."
The girl with the black bob of hair makes an indignant sound at the blond's seemingly uncaring tone, while Akira turns to frown at the late teen before retorting,
"It's answers like that which tell me despite your growing infamous reputation, you're still quite ignorant to the underground dueling world. I'd pay close attention if I were you...Maybe you'll start to understand the lengths Addy and I once had to go through just to survive another day, and protect our monsters."
Orbital Seven makes the motion to shout at the middle-aged teen for his comment about Kite's knowledge, but the blond gestures them quiet, glancing at Akira with a flash of surprise before focusing back on Athena...
She meanwhile, breathes in deep as the AR world finishes setting up, preparing herself for what may come.
Well Addy, here you are, back in the old ring that you've been trying to avoid for more about two years now...
I was hoping I'd never have to expose my monsters to this brutality again, but, some things can't be helped.
...I just have to remember who I'm doing this for, and I'll make it to the end.
"Athena?"
She blinks out of her pep talk and glances over at Astral whom despite his usual calm stance, had a gleam of worry shining in his mismatched eyes. Sighing quietly, the girl forces up a smirk and chides,
"It's okay, Astral...It's, not like I could avoid this forever after all. Besides, it's just Trilos, and I've gone up against four of his boys at once way back when. This match will be easier than it appears to be."
A small, weak smile forms on the face of the being from beyond.
"As much as I would like to share in your confidence...I cannot help but worry for you. You are basically being pulled back into the past you have been trying to move away from."
He looks ahead at the male with black-tipped green hair, his expression forming into a distasteful frown.
"Though I have not seen him in action yet, based on what you have told me and what I have seen regarding his personality...I can already sense that Trilos is not the type to leave his opponents unpunished."
"Mm, you're not wrong. His strategy's as brutal as they come. Hell, Quattro would look tame in comparison...But getting swallowed by a whirlwind of fear's not gonna help me."
Quickly shucking off her leather jacket and exposing her white tube top, Athena proclaims while tossing the article of clothing for one of her friends to catch,
"I just need to stay calm, keep true, and I will beat him!"
"Ha! That's what you believe, huh?"
Amber red irises lock with burnt orange as Trilos comments with a mean grin,
"Stayin' cool under pressure can only get you so far, as you well know! You also need a killer's instinct, be unafraid to bash a few heads to get the job done. Clearly, I need to remind you about what it means to live it with the Fallen Stars!"
He grips his free hand over the first card in his deck and swipes it up.
"My move! I Draw! First, I send one monster in my hand to the Graveyard...Then, I summon Machina Soldier to my field!"
A Level Four monster with the appearance of a robot warrior with mint green/silver armour and a single thick blade for one hand arises in front of their wielder, 1600 Attack Points on display...
"And when I successfully bring him out while I have no other monsters on my field, I can Special Summon another Machina monster from my hand. So here comes, Machina Sniper!"
Another Level Four monster arose on the soldier's left, their appearance a little more lean and carrying a large futuristic fire rifle in their right hand, and with Attack Points resting at 1800. Smirking a little, Trilos adds,
"When Sniper's out on the front line, no other Machina monsters other than him can be attacked, so good luck tryin' to land a blow against my Soldier. Heha!"
Narrowing her eyes in thought, Athena mutters to herself,
"So this monster's got an ability similar to Stray Cat. Just a little more basic..."
He's got Sniper acting as a human-or, I guess robot shield for his Soldier.
"I end my turn with a face-down. You're up, punk!"
...Unbeknownst to the duelists and main audience members, standing atop one of the marble statues on the left side and watching from above after arriving before Hart's rescuers, were Trey and Quattro!...The two survey the battlefield and comment,
"Well this looks like it'll be an interesting duel...But we mustn't forget why we're here: we need to get Hart and take him to Vetrix."
"And we will, just relax. We've got plenty of time to scope out the match before we have to complete our mission...Besides, Quinton hasn't even shown his face yet, heh, not that I'd blame him for not coming after his blunder in the Bay Area."
Personally, I'd like to see for myself how that little wretch managed to take down my older brother so quick. She's gotta have more than that strong punch she gave my shoulder earlier today...
Plus, I wouldn't mind watching the girl squirm some.
"You want it, you'll get it, Trilos! I Draw!"
Glancing at the card she drew from her deck for a second, Athena forms a quick plan to start executing on her first turn.
"I summon Flelf to the field!"
The Level Two warrior elf with golden-blond hair, deep blue cloak and lance hops onto the field through the summoning circle, displaying their 800 Attack Points for all to see. Her two friends standing by Kite and Orbital Seven on the sidelines were a little surprised by the rather, basic start.
"Huh?"
"That's, a little underwhelming..."
The blond teen with green bangs and steel gray irises hums with a touch of curiousity behind indigence.
"Tch, what a rookie move."
But, then again...that may be the point...
"I then activate Flelf's ability: once per turn, I can reveal one monster in my hand, and increase his Level by that monster's until the end of my turn."
"And what's the point of that? You're just giving away your moves."
Smirking slightly at her enemy's snide comment, she replies as she reaches for another one of the cards in her hand,
"Not necessarily...The monster I choose to reveal in my hand, is Golden Ladybug."
Athena holds up a Level One monster with the appearance of a jewel-like insect - which also has no Attack or Defense Points - for all to see.
"So Flelf's Level increases to three, (small grin) and then I activate Ladybug's effect. Once per turn, whenever they're revealed in my hand, I gain a 500 boost to my Life Points."
Said total increases from 4000 to 4500...but Athena was not finished.
"Next, I summon Fire Princess to the field!"
Level Four and with 1300 Attack Points, the monster rises in a whirling flame on Flelf's right, revealing herself as a beautiful young woman with long, grey-silver hair that had stalks of burnt flowers woven at the top, ivory skin, and carrying a wooden staff while wearing a dress of dull orange under a long, sweeping red cloak.
A short-lived smile of reminisce graces Athena's lips as she thinks to herself,
About time I have mom's favourite card make their debut in my deck...
"And under Fire Princess's ability, each time I gain Life Points, you take 500 Points of Damage."
Trilos grits his teeth on the defense, and the girl with the long, tamed-down plait of copper red-tipped black hair raises a commanding hand to direct,
"Fire Princess, hit 'im with your magic!"
Said royalty of the element twirls her staff before swinging it down diagonally, unleashing a small wheel of fire to go shooting through the air to hit the enemy duelist, blasting against his chest while his Life Points lowered to 3500.
"Grrh...!"
"I end my turn with one card face-down, which means Flelf goes back to his original Level, and Golden Ladybug's nowhere to be seen."
As said monsters revert back to their starting positions, Astral comments internally,
It would seem she's fortifying her defenses, (glance) including setting that Trap Card...
The Shift Trap allows a duelist to change the targeted monster of an Attack, Spell or Trap effect with that of another monster that would not be as dramatic a loss. A very useful card when wanting to avoid total annihilation...
His mismatched irises turn to glare a little in suspicion at his friend's current opponent.
What surprises me is that he did not try an XYZ Summon straight away with both his Machina monsters...but perhaps he has something more in mind.
...Then there was that card he sent to the Graveyard. Was it something he plans to revive later, or simply an undesirable card?
"Ha! You call that a good field? All I see is a bunch'a easy targets...I Draw! Now then...how 'bout we give our audience a crash course of how a Duel Fist fight really works, eh?"
...Another shockwave of power rings through the floor from the center to the edge of the battlefield, before the area glows to reveal a red net texture...
"Now normally, I'd just send Machina Sniper to go attackin' your Flelf and be done with it, (smirk) heh, but where's the fun in that? While the Duel Fist Zone's in effect, your opponent gains the option of allowing the regular fight to happen...or, they can take their monster's place as the target and protect them from destruction. If they do that, the duelist has to evade attacks for as long as they're able until it connects."
Tiffany mutters to herself in surprised confusion,
"So then your opponent becomes a moving target instead of having their monster destroyed?"
Akira nods in confirmation.
"Yeah, but there's a little more to it than that. Just listen..."
Trilos finishes his explanation just as a timer for two minutes appears above the battlefield, with a counter made from three light-bulbs on a metal base next to it.
"Now then, getting to the point of the exercise: for every two minutes you're able to dodge, your potential for damage is cut down by a third, and that third is dealt to whoever invoked the zone rule as damage. Heh, lookin' at it like that, nobody's safe...So, what's it gonna be?"
He taunts with a gleam in his orange irises,
"You brave enough to go into a rumble with my Sniper, or will you let your Flelf get shot down?"
Breathing in deep, Athena replies without any hesitation,
"I think you already know my answer...I'll take Sniper on and protect Flelf!"
A few gasps sound, including that of the shadowed Trey.
She's actually willing to risk direct damage to save her weak monster? What could she be thinking?!
"Heha, I knew you'd say that!...Alright: Duel Fist Battle, monster versus duelist, begin!"
That red netting rises over Athena's body and Sniper's for a short moment...before both sections dispel in a cluster of pixels...The field becomes as quiet as the dead for a few micro-seconds...before the Machina monster cocks his modified gun and aims to shoot straight at his new target.
(...Pow)
An energy blast flies, and the girl with red irises acts fast, ducking and rolling to her right to dodge. Because he was hovering close to her side, Astral was forced to fly up high to avoid the impact as well.
"Uh!"
Oh my...!
"Hh, hh, hh, hh..."
He follows his ears to see Athena crouching down and catching her breath, thinking to herself,
That, was close...ah!
She then scrambles to run forward from another shot, heading into the monster field where Sniper was waiting. They rush forward, intending to blast their target in the stomach, but the latter dodges by jumping up into the air!...From the sidelines, Tiffany's mouth gapes with shock at what she's watching.
...This is insane!
Akira clenches his fist and grits his teeth in his own worry and distaste, praying for some sort of success on his old friend's end, while Kite's own eyes widen a little at what he was witnessing.
This is different...
The next minute and a half had everyone on pins and needles, or in Athena's case, burning for a chance at less of an impact.
Hah, hah, almost there. Just fifteen more seconds...
She bends backwards to dodge another shot from Machina Sniper, so far that her hands touch the ground...
Five...
Four...
Three...
Two...
One...
Zero!
A beep sounds from the clock, and one light-bulb blinks to life in a blue glow.
Yes, made it to the first interval!...Ulp!
(Ka-cank...POW)
"Gaaaaaaahhhhhhh!"
Unfortunately, Athena would not be able to near-miss the next shot from the monster, and is blasted straight back to her starting spot! Letting out a chuckle as he watches his enemy roll to a stop, Trilos comments,
"Alrigh', so you were able to make it to the first two minutes. You lose a third of the damage you would've taken...Still, 1200 Points of Damage is nothin' to laugh off."
As said receiver of that bulk struggles to get up smoothly, her Life Points sink to 3300...
"Meanwhile, that third you lost is taken off of my total."
Trilos's Life Points drop to 2900, which hardly deters his mocking smirk.
"But that doesn't scare me a bit, especially since that was only round one...Round two's comin' your way with Machina Soldier! And once again, you have the option to either let your monster get destroyed, or take their heat. Heheh, you can't possibly be crazy enough to do a second round..."
Glaring back, Athena retorts,
"Can't I?"
"Hm?"
"I offer myself as a shield for my monsters again, so go on! Hit me with your best shot!"
Astral exclaims his human partner's name in warning, but she ignores him while Trilos shrugs with an amused expression.
"Ha! Guess you are that crazy. Maybe you haven't so much gone green and just lost your shit...Either way, it's good news on my end, (grin) because this allows me to punish you through the entire duel. You heard her, Machina Monster: slice her to ribbons!"
On that note, another battle between monster and duelist commences, and Athena would once again scramble to evade the sword of that robotic soldier...At one point after the first minute, she's backed into one of the giant marble statues.
"Hh!"
(Sla-SHING)
She barely misses getting her head sliced in two, bobbing it to the right and leaving the monster's blade to embed the rock...Sensing eyes on her form, the girl glances up, and gasps quietly upon spotting,
Trey and Quattro?!
"Damn...!"
Noting the new agitation in her expression coming from outside the realm of battle, the young male with golden-honey skin darts his attention upward to lock onto the two spying forms.
"Gh! Oh shoot...!"
Tiffany asks him,
"What's wrong?"
Pointing upward, Akira mutters,
"We've got some secret audience members, that's what, and they're not the good kind."
"Hm? (Looks up) Uh! Quattro and his brother! When'd they get here?!"
"...You know what? Who knows, and who cares. Our main priority should be keeping an eye out so they don't try anything funny while everyone's distracted by the Duel Fist match."
Having listened to their conversation and knowing precisely what the other male was referring to, Kite glances between the hidden brothers and his own younger sibling, before vowing to himself with a dull burn of anger in his eyes,
If those fools even take so much as one step towards my little brother, they'll regret it with their lives.
Getting back to the more perilous action, Athena succeeds once again in making the first two minutes without getting hit...but would not go any further than that.
(SLASH)
"Urrgh!"
The monster then lands a good cut across the girl's right arm, and as it hops back to Trilos's side of the field, her Life Points drops too 2233, while her enemy's only sink to 2367. Hart exclaims from his involuntary seat in the audience,
"Oh, no!"
That creep's ahead of her with life...Athena...!
Meanwhile, Trilos continues displaying his enjoyment of the course of the match with an increasing sadistic pleasure.
"Hehahahaha, I actually expected you to last longer that time. You've really gotten rusty, haven't you, Berserker?"
His lips curve into a mean little sneer as he adds,
"But then again, Life Points aren't the only thing you should be concerned about, am I right?"
Athena almost forms a confused expression in response...until she feels something dripping down her right arm.
"Hm?"
Glancing down at said appendage...her eyes widen the slightest when she sees that tell-tale red liquid streaming from a reasonable cut into her skin! Cursing quietly, she thinks to herself bitterly,
So it begins...
Having seen the injury as well, the girl with cornflower blue irises covers her mouth with a horrified gasp.
"Oh god, Addy...your arm...!"
How...How can that be?! That kind of injury shouldn't be possible in the AR!
...Unless...is this the power of the Duel Fist Zone?
Almost as if he picked up on Tiffany's freaked-out question, Trilos belts out another guffaw and exclaims,
"And this is why I love this Duel Zone! The damage...it becomes more lethal than ever before! Hehaha, Hell, it can get so bad, some poor saps have even died in these fights!"
Tiffany lets out a frightened squeak, and even Orbital Seven makes a startled comment.
"Died?! Th-That's not logical in Duel Monsters! It should ne-ne-never get that rough to warrant a danger to one's health!"
"Logic's got nothin' on the underground, ya bucket of bolts."
"Huh?"
He extends his head to peer over at the lowlife who continues to hold Hart hostage, who grins and punctuates,
"In our world, it's kill or be killed, and the Duel Monster game's no different. If that's somethin' you can't handle, you get out of the ring and let a real warrior show you how it's done."
The youth with green spiky hair tipped black nods in approval to the description.
"Couldn't have said it better myself, Viper. The Fallen Stars is no place for sissies: it's for wild freaks who don't know what their limits are."
He turns to look over Athena with his burnt orange irises.
"At one time ago, you were one of those people...and from what I'm seeing so far, you still are, if a bit soft for the little guys."
"Grrrh...!"
"But we've got time to reminisce. I have a turn to finish up, don't I? Alright...I activate from my hand, the Silent Doom Spell Card!"
A giant humanoid hand manifests onto the field left of Machina Sniper, and begins siphoning a light from the Graveyard portal...
"I can use this card to Special-Summon one monster from my Graveyard in Defense Mode. 'Course, the only drawback is that the monster can't attack after being summoned this way...Heheheh, but their defense strength will more than make up for it."
Plus, with my special trap lying in wait, my monster will 'technically' get a shot at dealing that punk the kind of blow she'll never forget.
"Rise on back, Pendulum Machine!"
The Level Six monster rose from the hexagram, revealing itself as some sort of living torture device made from bronze metal, with two large talon hands at its sides, set flat against the ground to help balance the huge pendulum blade swinging in the middle backwards and frontwards, 2000 Points making up a strong defense.
Tiffany whines out a noise of nerves with her right fingers curled to her lips and her left hand balling her friend's leather jacket tight, while Akira comments with a glare,
"Looks like somethin' out of a psycho killer movie..."
"My turn ends here. Show me what you've got, kid, if you haven't already began to cower out!"
As he stares down at the panting form of his human partner, particularly at the new bleeding cut on her arm, Astral thinks to himself with worry creeping in,
Of all the dueling scenarios I have witnessed, heard of and even participated in since I first arrived in this world...I have never known one that actually has the...potential of death for the duelist.
And this, was once a regular occurrence for Athena?...It is a miracle her body only carries a few deep scars and not more...
"Pendulum Machine...I know that monster."
"Hm?"
He snaps out of his anxiety to the sound of the girl's voice, the source herself squinting her amber red irises at the new beast a small distance away.
"It's one of those old school cards that isn't used in alot of today's decks anymore, mostly because they're not as easy to come by. Half the time, they'd have to be inherited off an olde-...Wait...No way..."
He couldn't, possibly be...
"What is it, Athena?"
"...There's only way Trilos could've gotten his hands on Pendulum Machine."
She darts her vision to the enemy duelist himself.
"You inherited that freaky machine from another's deck, didn't you?"
"Heh, took you long enough to remember...Yeah, that's righ': while most are more familiar with the 'heroes' of the Dueling History, I like to think of myself as an expert of the lowlifes and villains. Does the name, Bandit Keith ring any bells?"
"Bandit Keith?...Uh! As in Keith Howard, the infamous American Card Professor?!"
"The very same."
Trilos jabs a thumb at himself and proclaims with a proud grin,
"You're lookin' at the last direct descendant of one of the greatest Dueling Champs of America, back during the game's golden age!...At least, until the creator took 'im down in that mockery of a duel."
Putting her right hand on her hip, Athena adds,
"Yeah, I've heard of that jerk. Didn't he have one of those brutal prize hunter personalities and only played the game as another opportunity to gamble?"
"You watch your mouth! His reasons may not have been moral, but his strategy was top notch! Grh...and then that fruitcake Pegasus just had to go and ruin his streak by making a fool out of him during that televised duel. I dunno how he managed to pawn Keith's moves beforehand, but that should've count as cheating...It all went downhill after that for him, trying to drown his sorrows in the underworld before attempting revenge against the one who done 'im wrong..."
Trilos's orange irises were practically blazing by this point of the history summary, despite his calmer tone.
"People may say he died a fool, but I believe his actions were justifiable. I mean, really, think about it: at what time do any of us not hit a low point and head down the dark road to get compensation for everything that's gone sideways? Anyone judging before experiencing are the real fools, a bunch'a blind, self-righteous wussies. I still wander the dark, my boys do the same...and you. You may claim to have turned the other cheek, but I can see it in your eyes: you're still drownin' in the shadows with the rest of us."
Athena recoils a little from the accusation, before retorting back,
"You're wrong! I'm nothing like you and your band of lost souls! I escaped back into the sun and haven't looked back!"
"O~h then by all means, go on ahead and prove it."
"Gladly!...I Draw! First, I reveal Golden Ladybug in my hand again to gain 500 Life Points."
Her total rises up to 2733...
"And that allows me to activate Fire Princess's ability again, so prepare yourself for another 500 Points of Damage!"
For the second time, a wheel of flames is cast forward to hit the opposing Duelist in his chest, taking his Life Points down to 1867.
"Rh!...Keh, that's the best you got?"
"Who said I was done? Next, I summon Goblin Elite Attack Force to the field!"
A second Level Four monster rises up next to Flelf's left, comprised of about four to five green-skinned creatures dressed in the silver/gold armour of the medieval knights, each one carrying a lance at ready to fully demonstrate their collective strength of 2200 Attack Points. Tiffany and Akira smile a little with hope, each commenting,
"Nice!"
"Army's beginning to grow. You got this, Addy!"
She sends a small smirk back at them, before sharing a stare with the third human member of her audience.
Kite...don't worry. I won't let this bastard get away with messing with Hart.
He hums a bit and nods the slightest back as if he read her message, and she turns to focus on the field in front of her.
Now, let's see...I could try attacking his Machina Sniper. Hell, even Pendulum Monster's vulnerable enough to being destroyed...
But on the other hand, there's no telling if that face-down will somehow block me or if he has a card in his hand that will do the same.
...Besides, the nature of this duel's not like the regular ones. The duelist's life is at a higher risk than their monsters.
"Okay...I end my turn, and once again, Golden Ladybug's flipping back to being unseen."
"Kh! Tryin' to play it safe and strengthen your defense, eh? That's gonna cost ya I'm afraid."
The gang leader swipes out a new card...
"I'm gonna show you why you should've destroyed one of my machines while you had the chance, by bringing out the most disturbing beast in my deck, one that even the late great Bandit Keith would tremble before!...But first, a little prepwork: from my hand, I play the Level Tuning Spell Card! Now all my monsters' levels drop by one until the end of my turn!"
In which case, Machina Soldier and Sniper each become Level Threes, while Pendulum Machine becomes a Level Five...
"Now then, the coup de grâce! I Overlay both my Machina Soldier, and Machina Sniper!"
Both monsters form into orange streams of light that go flying through the air, diving right into an aerial red vortex portal...
"I Xyz Summon, Deranged Roulette!"
...
...
Suddenly, a bunch of bullets come shooting out back the other way to blast the ground, the blaring echoes of each shot causing most to cringe and/or cover their ears...Once the smoke clears, we would see the Rank Three creature summoned, in the form of a black-clad stranger the height of a typical teenager, wearing a black hoodie with the hood up, moth-eaten pants and shoes that held...questionable stains near the soles. Their right hand trembles, making the gesture of a handgun over and over again, and we see the two Overlay Units circling their form in an almost, hesitant manner, like they didn't want to be around this monster. Overall, they did not appear overly strong, as made further evident by the 1000 Attack Points.
Orbital Seven was the first to make a comment about the latest summon.
"O-Only 1000 Attack Points? Seems a little weak, especially contras-sting such a, creepy appearance..."
His human master narrows his steel gray irises in suspicion at the new arrival, noticing that Akira was starting to shake a little while looking at the monster with a flash of fear in his aqua green eyes.
He knows what this monster's capable of...and based on that expression, it can't be anything pleasant.
"I now activate Roulette's ability, Suicide Bullet!"
An overlay unit connects with the trembling right hand of the monster, causing them to freeze...before lifting their head and revealing a pale, sunken face that was grinning like a madman!
"Now, here's where we put our grit to the test."
Deranged Roulette quickly shoves their hands into their hoodie pockets, to pull out a twin set of silver revolvers...One weapon each is tossed to be caught by the opposing duelists.
"Uh!"
Catching hers, Athena looks down at the gun with wide eyes.
...No...No, he's not suggesting...!
"We're gonna play a little game of Russian Roulette, Duel Monsters style! We both aim at our skulls, and each take a turn pulling the trigger. If it fires, that player is hit with 1000 Points of Damage. If it's a dud, nothing happens...So then, Berseker."
Trilos points his copy of the revolver at his head with a taunting grin.
"Think you got the balls to play a game with Death?"
Up atop the marble statue, Trey takes a turn in letting out a gasp, his green eyes wide with surprise.
Russian Roulette and Duel Monsters in the same space?!...Unreal...!
His brother Quattro, meanwhile, had found a new thrill to grin at.
"Hehaha, wow, even I can't make my duels this brutal! What a riot!...There's no way that twerp can do it; this duel may as well be over and done with!"
...Based on the expression of the said girl of subject, the Asian Champion's comment may come true. Athena could not respond to her enemy's taunt, her eyes locked onto the gun in her hand as she swallows down a new lump in her throat.
...Russian Roulette...