"Delteros, Triverr, attack directly!" Blair cried out as her two Star Titans tag-teamed against her opponent, dropping his life points to zero.
"Blair is on top form," Alexis stepped towards the rail. "She might be the best of this year's freshmen."
"Seeing as how Sorano put up more of a fight than her current opponent, I'm inclined to agree," Wilona looked up to the screen. "It appears the other matches have also finished. How quickly these quarter-finals passed. A shame; I wanted to watch the other contestants."
As soon as she said this, Crowler's face appeared on the public screens. "And there you have it, folks! We are down to four of our finalists! Let's give a good round of applause to the following!"
The screens, thankfully, changed into a cross showing four different slots.
"Blair Flannigan!" The upper left square revealed the girl's face.
"Ty-Tyranno Hassleberry." Crowler did his best not to sound confused as he read the name aloud.
"Reginald Van Howell III!"
Alexis, Bastion, and Wilona found themselves squinting when they saw the 3rd person. "Please tell me he does not look like who I believe he does." Wilona felt a headache coming to her.
"I should have a word with Dimitri later this week. This is starting to look less like a coincidence." Bastion noted out loud.
Alexis was less sophisticated in her words. "I could handle maybe two to three Jadens. But please don't make me stomach two Chazzs."
Thankfully, Crowler went on. "And last but certainly not least, Sera Abraxas!" Wilona blinked as she saw the Egyptian teen appear on the screen. Something about her picture felt uncanny to her, but Wilona didn't know why.
"As we can tell, these duelists have worked to reach the top among their peers. However, this isn't over by a long shot. Only three of these duelists will be allowed to face the best of last's year's top first-years! Who can imagine what kind of duels we'll be seeing? But one thing's for sure, they'll all be eye-opening!" Crowler pointed up. "Now, let the machines decide who will duel whom!?"
Everyone watched as the four panels started to glow. A second passed before the screens showed the two males against each other while the females faced off.
"Has anyone seen Ms. Abraxas before?" Wilona asked Bastion and Alexis.
"Wilona, we watched the same duels together. She never crossed our arena." Alexis answered. "Unless one of us heard something else. What about you, Bastion? ... Bastion?" After a second of silence, the two girls turned to the Ra Yellow.
However, he had a flushed face before he coughed into his fist. "I don't believe we've seen this Sera before this moment. However, if she is a finalist, then she's no doubt a powerful duelist." Luckily for the Ra Yellow, his two female friends didn't realize or ask why he found her to be mysteriously beautiful.
[Tag Force: Heroes and Villains]
As the duels started, many flocked to the last two dueling arenas. However, it became obvious that more went to the duel with both Sera and Blair than the other two. No one knew the exact reason why. But it didn't take much brainpower to realize that Sera and Blair were very pleasing to the eye compared to someone who dressed like a dinosaur and another who looked like he had a stick shoved up his "deck".
Sera and Blair, funny enough, would duel in the arena where Jaden dueled Crowler. So, of course, Alexis convinced the others to hang out where she and Zane once stood over Jaden's Duel with Crowler.
"Hello!" Blair waved over to her opponent. She looked happy to see another prominent female Duelist among the applicants, especially since there were so few of them in the application tournament. "Let's have a fun duel!"
The exotic girl smiled serenely at Blair's energetic spirit. "Very well."
With pleasantries out of the way, the two duelists had this sixth sense that the person before them was no pushover. In other words, this duel was going to be their hardest battle yet.
"Let's Duel!"
Blair: 4000 LP
Sera: 4000 LP
Turn 1.
"I go first!" Blair drew her card before checking her hand. "I summon Satellarknight Aslham in defense mode!" The familiar archer Satellarknight appeared once more with bow ready.
Satellarknight Alsham [Type:Effect Monster/Sub-Type: Warrior/Attribute: LIGHT/Level: 4/ATK: 1400/DEF: 1800]
"When he's summoned, he knocks out 1000 from your Life Points! Go, Alsham!" The Satellarknight let loose a star that formed into an arrow. With one expert flourish, he sent the projectile sailing towards Sera.
However, the mysterious girl picked up a card from her hand. "I play the trap card, Crown of Protective Fire." She exclaimed as she placed the card in the slot, and a barrier made of flames prevented the arrow from making contact. "I can activate this Counter Trap from the hand if I have no cards on the field. It negates then turns effect damage into life points gained!"
Blair: 4000 LP
Sera: 4000 → 5000 LP.
Blair knew better than to rely on one move. But she had to admit that Alsham's effect was a low-risk, medium-reward that she loved to use. It even helped her defeat Damon before he could turn the duel around. That was why it getting countered without effort clued the girl that this would be a duel she won't forget anytime soon.
Blair looked at the rest of her hand before she picked up a card. "I set a card down and end my turn!"
Turn 2: Sera. Cards: 4.
As Sera drew her card, her expression remained neutral. "I play the field spell, Fire King Island!" She exclaimed as she placed the card into her field slot. The dueling field changed into what looked to be a tropical island with an active volcano. Behind Sera, an old temple covered in vines rose to surround her side of the field.
Those from Duel Academy were getting Deja Vu. If the hologram were to exchange the old Indian-styled ruins with their buildings, they would feel very uncomfortable.
The Egyptian teenager moved her hand. "I activate my field spell's ability: it allows me to destroy a monster in my hand." The totems started to activate, and one of the cards in Sera's hand caught on holographic fire. Yet even with the holographic flames, the teen calmly sent the card into her graveyard, confusing everyone else watching.
Wilona raised her brow. "Misawa, do you know what type of deck that destroys their own monsters?"
"Nothing comes to mind." Bastion put a hand on his chin. "Fire King. Fire King." He repeated as if it would trigger some memory.
Meanwhile, Sera took another card out of her hand. "I then summon Disciple of Nephthys in defense mode!"
Disciple of Nephthys [Type: Effect Monster/Sub-Type: Spellcaster/Attribute: WIND/Level: 2/ATK: 0/DEF: 2000]
Alexis' ears perked up after hearing the monster that appeared on the field. "That's a name that I recognize."
Sera threw her hand out before Alexis could finish her thought. "My monster can destroy one card in my hand," The girl picked up a card that also lit aflame as her previous one did. "When done so, I can pick a Nephthys monster from my deck that isn't Disciple!"
Blair couldn't help but also feel confused. "Why are you destroying your monsters before you even use them?"
Yet the girl didn't directly answer. Sera only finished getting the card she needed. She looked over to Blair before saying, "I end my turn there."
Seeing as her opponent was not the talkative type, Blair moved quickly. "Not quite! I reveal my facedown: Quick Summon! This will allow me to normal summon a monster, and I choose Satellarknight Vega in defense mode!"
Satellarknight Vega [Type:Effect Monster/Sub-Type: Warrior/Attribute: LIGHT/Level: 4/ATK: 1200/DEF: 1600]
As the familiar warrior appeared on the field, Blair pointed out. "I now activate her effect that allows me to summon another Satellarknight from my hand! I choose Satellarknight Unukalhai in defense mode!"
Satellarknight Unukalhai [Type:Effect Monster/Sub-Type: Warrior/Attribute: LIGHT/Level: 4/ATK: 1800/DEF: 1000]
As the New Satellarknight arrived, Blair threw her hand out. "Unukalhai allows me to send a Satellarknight from my deck to my grave!" Blair did so, choosing Capella as her monster's target. "And now I'll let you end your turn!"
Turn 3: Blair. Cards: 2
Blair felt happy as she exclaimed this. She set up three monsters on the field for one of her XYZ monsters. As soon as she drew her card, she would capitalize...
The maiden's eyes widened when she saw Sera's graveyard sparking into flames.
"When these monsters are destroyed by card effect, they rise from the ashes and a reborn anew!" As she claimed this, the two flames flew out of her graveyard. The fires flew to the air on different sides of Sera before transforming into fire bir—wait no. Blair knew a far more frightening word for what she was facing: Phoenixes.
Blair's eyes widened as she recalled the mythology of how Phoenixes could always rebirth themselves whenever they were destroyed. Realization hit her hard at that moment. "Wait, that's why you spent your entire turn destroying your own monsters?!"
Sera only closed her eyes before she swiped her hand out as the two fires started to form. "Although they share an ability to be reborn during the standby phase, I assure you they are very different! Come forth, Fire King High Avatar Garunix and Sacred Phoenix of Nephthys!"
Two Phoenixes screeched into existence, their voices quelling the flames around them. The second to be reborn was a monster those from Duel Academy were familiar with. Sacred Phoenix of Nephthys is a monster unique for its ability to come back to the field after being destroyed by a card effect. Or at least it was unique until a certain brunette's wish. The other phoenix looked more tribal than sacred, but it seemed to exude more raw power than the familiar phoenix monster.
Fire King High Avatar Garunix [Type:Effect Monster/Sub-Type: Winged-Beast/Attribute: FIRE/Level: 8/ATK: 2700/DEF: 1700]
Sacred Phoenix of Nephthys [Type:Effect Monster/Sub-Type: Winged-Beast/Attribute: FIRE/Level: 8/ATK: 2400/DEF: 1600]
"Since Garunix came first, I activate his ability! After he is destroyed by a card effect, he can destroy all other monsters in the field!"
"What!?" Blair cried out. However, her worries grew when Nephthys also gathered energy similar to Garunix's charging.
"Do not forget Nephthys also has a trigger effect when she returns from being destroyed! She is my second chain and will destroy all spell and trap cards on the field!"
Blair's eyes widened as she heard this. "The only spell or trap on the field is your field spell! Looks like you miscalcu..." The Satellarknight duelist saw the calm look on Sera's face. "Wait, you're destroying your field spell on purpose too!?"
Sera once more ignored Blair's question as she raised her hand. "Purge the land with flames of rebirth!"
Everyone else covered their eyes as the two Phoenixes unleashed a wave of fire that caused the entire field to blow up with smoke. Those watching the other duel also saw the smoke coming from the other side of the dome.
Wilona was the first to lower her hand when the smoke died down but didn't clear the arena yet. "Well, she certainly knows how to make an impression."
When the arena cleared up, everyone saw an empty field on both sides...
...Except for the lone red egg glowing in front of Sera.
The mysterious girl started to speak. "Normally, High Garunix would be the lone survivor after his effect. However, when Nephthys destroyed my field spell, its effect activated. If this face-up card in the Field Zone is sent to the graveyard or banished: I must destroy all monsters under my control. So he too must return to ash."
Blare shook her head as it started to clear from the large explosion. Even though it was holographic, she had this need to cough as if she couldn't breathe for a second. "S-So why is there still something on your field!?"
As Blair asked this, the red egg stopped glowing before it cracked open. A little chicklet wearing jewelry similar to High Garunix appeared with a peppy chirp before it used its wings to flutter into the air.
Sera remained calm even after a powerful board wipe. "If a Fire King monster I control is destroyed by a card effect, I'm allowed to special summon Fire King Avatar Garunix to the field from my hand."
Fire King Avatar Garunix [Type:Effect Monster/Sub-Type: Winged-Beast/Attribute: FIRE/Level: 3/ATK: 700/DEF: 1700]
"And do not forget, my Disciple was also destroyed. Her effect will activate on the next Standby Phase." Sera put down her duel disk. "Now, I return your turn back to you."
"I don't want to be in Blair's position. Sera's basically nuking the field at every standby phase. But she prepared to keep resources even after clearing her own field." Alexis kept her eye on the duel.
"Yes, not only that, Blair has lost her resources after her attempt to set the board to her favor. She'll have to make a new plan from scratch." Bastion started to write notes. "What's more interesting is that Sera seems to have seamlessly weaved two Archetypes into one deck. I never imagined that possibility."
Blair, on the other hand, did not enjoy her current situation. She looked at the card she drew. "I summon Satellarknight Rigel in attack mode!"
Satellarknight Rigel. [Type:Effect Monster/Sub-Type: Warrior/Attribute: LIGHT/Level: 4/ATK: 1900/DEF: 700]
A new Satellarknight appeared, one that looked nobler than the others of his kind. "Now, I attack your Garunix!"
The blonde celestial pointed with his palm and shot an energy arrow that pierced through the chicklet.
Sera held out her hand as a cinder-like feather floated into her palm. "When Garunix is destroyed, by effect or battle, I can summon a Fire King Avatar from my deck!" She put the feather on top of her deck before it faded. She picked up the card she needed soon. "I choose, Fire King Arvata!"
Her monster soon appeared on the field, revealing a fire elephant styled after India's mythology.
Fire King Avatar Arvata [Type:Effect Monster/Sub-Type: Beast-Warrior/Attribute: FIRE/Level: 3/ATK: 1800/DEF: 200]
"Why do all her monsters have floating effects?" Blair muttered under her breath. Yet she looked back up. "I set a card and end my turn."
Turn 4: Sera. Cards: 0.
Sera took out another card from her deck. When she did, her graveyard started to enflame itself again.
It did not take long for both Nephtys and High Garunix to be reborn into the field.
"Not only do the two's effects activate once more but so too does my Disciple's effect! Her power allows me to add a Nephthys trap or spell card to my hand after the turn she was destroyed!" Sera explained as her two phoenixes gathered energy. "However, I add a fourth chain link with Arvata's ability! I can negate a monster effect by destroying one of my fire monsters, and I choose to negate High Garunix's ability for this turn! As for the fire monster that I must destroy, I can choose Fire King Barong in my hand!"
Arvata crossed its arms together to absorb the energy of High Garunix's ability. As Sera discarded one card in her hand, Arvata dissipated the gathered energy.
Nephthys never stop hers. The attack unleashed, destroying Blair's lone facedown card. This meant that both Nephthys and High Garunix were now on the field staring down Blair's meager defense.
"I activate the card I received, Rebirth of Nephthys!" Blair watched as Sera set the card into its slot. As it did, she quickly spotted the symbol on the top right.
"A Ritual Card? That's not good." Alexis noted out loud, also spotting the mark near the Spell Card.
Blair felt the same way as Sera motioned her hand towards Nephthys. "I tribute Nephthys for a ritual summon!" As she exclaimed this, a new temple started to arise behind Sera. The temple lit up with blue fire, and the monster she chose flew into the mysterious blue flame. "A cycle of rebirth reaches its apex. May the exception to time evolve beyond life and death! Come forth, Cerulean Sacred Phoenix of Nephthys!"
The blue fire enlarged as it absorbed Nephthys. Yet, instead of being turned to ash, it looked more like the phoenix's form was changing with the fires. In another explosion of flame, a bigger and blue version of the Sacred phoenix appeared with a scream strong enough to make visible shockwaves.
Cerulean Sacred Phoenix of Nephthys [Type: Ritual/Effect Monster/Sub-Type: Winged-Beast/Attribute: FIRE/Level: 8/ATK: 3000/DEF: 1000]
Blair did not enjoy how the two phoenixes stared her down. She enjoyed it less when Sera only continued her turn. "I activate Cerulean's effect! I can destroy Nephthys cards in my hand or field and destroy monsters on my opponent's side equal to the number I chose! Since you only have one, I choose to destroy Cerulean to destroy your Rigel!"
The blue phoenix enflamed herself before diving right for the lone monster in Blair's field. The Satellarknight Duelist grunted when her only defense was gone, leaving her wide open.
"High Garunix and Arvata's combined attack points are over 4000." Bastion perked up after doing the math. If Blair let these attacks through, the game belonged to Sera.
"High Garunix, Arvata!" Sera pointed to Blair. "Attack directly!"
Both monsters roared before firing their attacks on the Satellarknight Duelist. Everyone waited for the dust to settle after the explosion.
Yet, when it did, Blair stood her ground with a smile.
Blair: 4000 → 1750 LP
Sera: 5000 LP.
Sera's eyes widened after seeing her opponent still standing.
"You got a really strong deck." The fire duelist looked over to Blair, who had this defiant smile on her face. "Being able to destroy everything on either of our turns sounds pretty good. But what about the cards you're not supposed to destroy?" Sera's eyes widened while Blair pointed forward. "The facedown you destroyed was my trap, Barbed Field! If this card is destroyed by an opponent's card effect, all damage I received is halved for the rest of the turn!"
"A brilliant move: placing a trap card and expecting it to be destroyed. Blair used her opponent's effect to her advantage there." Bastion wrote notes down.
Sera smiled even though she did not win outright. "Well played. I end my turn there!"
Turn 5: Blair. Cards: 1.
Blair drew her next card. However, Sera swiped her hand. "I activate several effects! First, Cerulean's effect! She can return to the field in the standby phase when she was destroyed by card effect or battle!"
Blue flames set ablaze before Cerulean Sacred Phoenix of Nephthys returned into the field.
Cerulean Sacred Phoenix of Nephthys [Type: Ritual/Effect Monster/Sub-Type: Winged-Beast/Attribute: FIRE/Level: 8/ATK: 3000/DEF: 1000]
"A monster that comes back to the field no matter how many times it's destroyed? And that's not even including her other two Fire King monsters." Alexis had to admit things were looking bad for Blair.
Sera continued to speak. "Now, Barong's effect allows me to add a Fire king card from my deck to my hand that doesn't have the same name." The brunette finished as she chose the card she needed.
The dark blue-haired girl looked at the card she drew before revealing it to the duel. "I play Spell Books from the Pot! We both draw 3 extra cards!" As Blair picked up her cards, her eyes widened. "I summon Satellarknight Sirius in attack mode!"
As she summoned this new Satellarknight, many noticed the more canine look this celestial warrior styled himself after.
Satellarknight Sirius. [Type:Effect Monster/Sub-Type: Warrior/Attribute: LIGHT/Level: 4/ATK: 1600/DEF: 900]
"Sirius has a special ability! After sending 5 of my Satellarknight monsters from my grave back to my deck, I can draw 1 card!" Luckily for her, all her destroyed monsters, along with Unukalhai's effect, helped set up her graveyard. "Now, I play the spell card, Satellarknight Skybridge! I can shuffle Sirius back into my deck and then special summon a new Satellarknight with a different name! And since she's back in my deck, I choose Vega!" She cried out as the familiar monster appeared once more in the field.
Satellarknight Vega [Type:Effect Monster/Sub-Type: Warrior/Attribute: LIGHT/Level: 4/ATK: 1200/DEF: 1600]
"And you know her ability! I can special summon a Satellarknight from my hand! I choose Satellarknight Altair!"
Satellarknight Altair [Type:Effect Monster/Sub-Type: Warrior/Attribute: LIGHT/Level: 4/ATK: 1700/DEF: 1300]
The familiar pair stood close to each other. Yet Blair took another card from her hand. "I now summon Satellarknight Canis Minor thanks to his ability!"
Satellarknight Canis Minor [Type:Effect Monster/Sub-Type: Beast-Warrior/Attribute: LIGHT/Level: 2/ATK: 500/DEF: 500]
The small dog appeared in the field. Blair pointed forward and said, "Canis Minor can copy the level of one monster on my side of the field, and I choose Altair!" (Level 2→4)
With 3 level 4 monsters on the field, Blair exhaled deeply. "I set the Overlay Network!"
As she cried this out, a galaxy soon appeared that all three of her monsters ascended into.
"Come on out, Satellarknight Triverr!" Blair cried out as the familiar Titan appeared from the explosion of stars.
Stellarknight Triverr [Type: XYZ/Effect Monster/Sub-Type: Warrior/Attribute: LIGHT/Rank: 4/ATK: 2100/DEF: 2500]
Blair didn't hesitate to point forward. "When Triverr is XYZ summoned, he can send all other cards on the field back to their owner's hands! Go, Celestial Supernova!"
As Triverr gathered energy Sera narrowed her eyes. "Arvata still has his ability! I can negate your monster's effect!"
Blair picked up the last card in her hand. "I play the quick-play spell card: Oblivious Fool! If anything other than a counter trap attempts to negate a card effect, I can stop their negate and draw one card!"
Whatever energy Arvata gathered to counter Triverr instantly got blocked. This allowed Triverr to perform the same move he used on Daigo, sending all cards on the field back to the hand.
With Sera's board clear, Blair tossed her hand upward. "I now activate Triverr's effect! By releasing one material, I can force you to discard one card!"
Triverr did so, narrowing his lone eye towards one of Sera's cards. The Fire duelist picked the card chosen and discarded it to the grave, revealing that it was Arvata that got sent to the grave.
"Now, attack directly, Triverr!" Blair declared as her Titan unleashed a powerful wave slash at the opposing duelist.
Blair: 1750 LP
Sera: 5000 →2900 LP.
"I set a card and end my turn there!"
Turn 6. Sera. Cards: 6.
"Blair really turned that all around: using Triverr's board wipe to return all the cards back to Sera's hands." Alexis looked on excitedly at the match.
"Not only that, she's broken Sera's board control. It would be hard for her to destroy cards in her hand after all the cards she's already spent in doing so. I doubt she could do something like that again even with all the cards in her hand." Bastion noted out loud.
However, Wilona stared at the girl as she drew her next card. She felt a strange pulse for a second.
"I begin my turn by activating a card from my hand: by destroying two fire-type monsters in my hand, I'm allowed to summon True King Agnimazud, The Vanisher, in attack mode!"
As soon as she exclaimed this, she placed the card in her duel disk. Many watching did not recognize the name of the monster. However, a ring of fire exploded behind. Eyes glowing through fire snapped open before the flames scattered by the opening of giant wings. A mighty dragon appeared behind Sera and unleashed a deafening roar.
True King Agnimazud, The Vanisher. [Type: Effect Monster/Sub-Type: Wyrm/Attribute: FIRE/Level: 9/ATK: 2900/DEF: 1900]
"That monster," Wilona narrowed her eyes. "It belongs to neither archetype Sera used so far, right?"
She didn't get an answer as Sera continued her turn. "When he is summoned this way, I can choose and banish one monster on my opponent's side of the field!"
"Wait, banish!?" Blair cried out. Triverr had an effect that allowed it to summon a Satellarknight from the graveyard if it was sent to the grave, but it wouldn't activate if he was banished.
Energy gathered into Agnimazud's head before the creature unleashed a roar and a laser that annihilated the star titan.
With Blair's field empty of monsters, Sera took another card from her hand. "I now summon Defender of Nephthys in attack mode!"
As soon as she called it out, an armored warrior appeared on the field, styling herself after Nephthys.
Defender of Nephthys [Type: Effect Monster/Sub-Type: Spellcaster/Attribute: WIND/Level: 2/ATK: 1400/DEF: 200]
"Now, Agnimazud, Defender, attack directly!" Sera pointed to Blair as the two monsters unleashed their attacks on the girl.
Knowing this would end the duel if she let those attacks connect, Blair pressed her duel disk. "I play Defense Draw! I turn Agnimazud's attack to Zero and then draw one card!"
"Yet you still take damage from Nephthys!" Sera shouted.
A barrier prevented Agnimazud's attack from connecting, but Defender's wave slash hit Blair head-on.
Blair: 1750 → 350 LP.
Sera: 2900 LP.
"Blair's life points are getting low." Alexis tensed.
Wilona ended up smiling. "That only means she's going to fight harder."
"I will end my turn with two facedowns!" Sera declared.
Turn 7: Blair. Cards: 1.
Blair drew her next card. But Sera started to speak up.
"I reveal the two monsters destroyed by Agnimazud! I destroyed both High Garunix and Chronicler of Nephthys! Since you know Garunix's ability, allow me to tell you of Chronicler's float effect! I can add a Nephthys card from my grave to my hand, and I choose the Sacred Phoenix Nephthys." She pointed forward as a familiar flame ignited from her graveyard. "Now, return to the field, High Garunix!"
Blair had to admit she was getting sick of phoenixes, especially the one she was facing.
"Now, I reveal my first facedown: Card Guard! By discarding one card, this quick-play card prevents my monsters from being destroyed by card effects and battle!" Sera exclaimed as a shield appeared and protected her other monsters from Garunix's ability.
"That card also lasts the whole turn." Bastion's eyes widened as he realized what was happening. "If Blair does not defeat Sera by this turn, she will lose."
"And she already used Triverr's ability. But that card's been banished; it's much harder to get back than if it went to the graveyard." Alexis' eyes widened as she started to see how futile it was for Blair.
Wilona, on the other hand, watched Blair. The green-haired girl absentmindedly thought that if Jaden were in her place, he would be excited beyond a doubt.
Blair picked up the card in her hand. "I play Pot of Greed!" She cried out before getting two more cards. Her eyes lit up as the dark blue-haired girl saw what she drew. "Now I start off with Burial from the Different Dimension, which can send some of my banished cards back to the graveyard!"
"Of course," Wilona giggled as she picked up what was going on. After all, only one of her cards got banished during the duel. "If it's not broke, don't fix it."
"Now, I play the spell card, Re-XYZ! I can target Triverr from my grave and Altair, Vega, and Rigel! This card allows me to XYZ Summon from the graveyard!" As she cried out, the spirits of all three of her monsters appeared and flew up into another Overlay Network.
Blair redid her summoning chant as Triverr appeared onto the field once more.
Stellarknight Triverr [Type: XYZ/Effect Monster/Sub-Type: Warrior/Attribute: LIGHT/Rank: 4/ATK: 2100/DEF: 2500]
"And you know what him being XYZ summoned means!" Blair threw her hand out. "Triverr, Celestial Supernova!"
Sera pressed her own duel disk in response. "You summoned a monster, so I play Torrential Tribute! This card destroys all monsters on the field! But thanks to Card Gaurd's effect, my monsters are protected!"
"But it's not going to stop Triverr's ability!" Blair shouted back.
Both cards from the Duelists started to glow before unleashing exploding energies that collided and combined into an even bigger explosion.
As the dust settled once more, something new appeared. Or rather, there was something left on the field, but this time it wasn't on Sera's side.
Satellarknight Rigel. [Type:Effect Monster/Sub-Type: Warrior/Attribute: LIGHT/Level: 4/ATK: 1900/DEF: 700]
Blair smiled. "When Triverr gets sent to the graveyard while he has materials, I'm allowed to summon a Satellarknight monster from my graveyard, and I chose Rigel!" Blair pointed over to her last card. Everyone realized that now Blair was the only one to have a remaining monster after a board wipe. The Satellarknight Duelist did not hesitate when she saw the opening before her. "Now, Rigel, attack Sera directly!"
Sera braced herself for the attack. Even after the attack made contact, she'd survive and be able to resummon Agnimazud to set up her High Garunix loop once—
In the long term, Blair knew that Sera could take board control the moment her turn was over. That was why she intended to end the duel right then and there. "I now play my final card, Ego Boost! When a monster attacks, I can target one card and give them a 1000 attack point boost! So Rigel gets 1000 attack points needed to take out the rest of your life points!" (ATK: 1900 → 2900)
Sera's eyes widened at the realization that Rigel's attack would take out the rest of her life points.
Rigel flew and unleashed an energy fist at Sera. However, the exotic girl only remained calm as the attack connected, causing a holographic explosion in her area.
Blair: 350 LP.
Sera: 2900 → 0 LP.
As her points hit zero, the crowd erupted into cheers after watching the nail-biting duel.
Blair ended up releasing a breath she didn't know she was holding in. That was, without a doubt, one of her toughest duels in this entire tournament.
"You have done admirably." The long-haired girl looked up to see Sera walking up to her. "Well dueled."
"Aww, shucks! You did amazing too!" Blair blushed before the two shook hands.
Crowler and Bonaparte reveled at how much attention the duel was getting. "Can you believe it? This scheme of yours is actually working well, Crowler!"
"Indeed! I never thought things would go this smoothly! But we have to make sure that Sera girl gets into the exhibition matches. It would be criminal not to ride on the success of such a budding student!"
"Oh, don't worry about that." Bonaparte chuckled to himself. "Since I know we're pressed for time, there's a much easier way for us to choose Ms. Abraxis for our 3rd Duelist."
[Tag Force: Heroes and Villains]
"You did well, Blair." Wilona wasn't expecting the younger girl to give her a hug.
"Did you see me out there!? I played out of my mind in that last duel!" The younger girl exclaimed.
"You were amazing there, Blair. You had everyone on the edge of their seat." Alexis congratulated the girl.
As Blair let go of Wilona, Bastion looked ahead of the pair. "You also did very well, Ms. Abraxas."
Sera walked in after Blair. "Thank you for your kind words. However, it seems as if I lost this time around." She turned specifically towards Wilona. "It is an honor to meet all of you."
"The pleasure is all ours, Abraxas." Wilona started as she felt a strange imbalance that disappeared as quickly as it appeared when Sera turned to her.
"I have to admit, you already show a great understanding of Duel Monsters to combine two Archetypes together, even if they have similar abilities." Bastion found himself saying out loud. "I doubt that you need to learn more about Duel Monsters, so may I ask why you've come to duel Academy?"
"That is," Sera paused as she placed a hand on her chest. "I simply have a dream I must accomplish."
Wilona fought the urge not to call that cryptic. She hoped that this wouldn't lead to something that would cause so much trouble later on. "Considering what we've been through in the last year, we've heard stranger." The green-haired realized they had another eccentric student added along to the school. The more, the merrier, she supposed. Now that she thought about it, with Chumley, Brier, and Beauregard graduating last year, she would need more students for her club.
At that moment, people could hear cheering from the other side of the dome, signaling that the other Semi-Finals were finished. The second-years checked their PDAs to see the result of the duel.
"Ugh, the Chazz-Clone won." Alexis couldn't help but groan after seeing the message of the result.
Wilona fought the urge to smile at her friend's reaction. "Keep your chin up, Rhodes. Maybe this one won't be anything like Princeton."
[Tag Force: Heroes and Villains]
"So you're my opponent? How about after I win, we go and trade cards?" The way Reginald spoke made it obvious trading cards were one of the last things on his mind.
"Spoken for, creep." Blair narrowed her eyes as she stood on the opposite end of the dueling field.
It didn't take much to see that Reginald seemed miffed about being rejected by a pretty girl. "Whoever that punk is, there's no way he could ever measure up to me, Reginald Van Howell III!"
"I take what I said back. He's somehow worse than Princeton." Wilona narrowed her eyes. She also did not react at all to Blair's comment about being spoken for. Yep. Totally. She wasn't gripping the rails tighter for that.
"Ladies and Gentlemen!" Crowler's voice boomed throughout the dome. "We now have our finalists! Whoever wins here will be the number one ranked freshman! Who will take the crown? But I suppose I've dragged this preamble long enough! Duelists, prime your duel disks!"
"Let's Duel!"
Blair: 4000 LP
Regi: 4000 LP
"I go first!" Blair took the first draw of the duel. "I play the spell card, Double Summon! So I can normal summon twice this turn! I choose to bring out Satellarknight Unukalhai in attack mode!"
Satellarknight Unukalhai [Type:Effect Monster/Sub-Type: Warrior/Attribute: LIGHT/Level: 4/ATK: 1800/DEF: 1000]
"When Unukalhai gets summoned, I can send one Satellarknight monster from my deck to my graveyard! I choose to send Satellarknight Capella to my graveyard!" After picking up the card, she declared, Blair went for her next card. "Now, I summon Satellarknight Altair in attack mode!"
Satellarknight Altair [Type:Effect Monster/Sub-Type: Warrior/Attribute: LIGHT/Level: 4/ATK: 1700/DEF: 1300]
"When he's summoned, I can special summon a tellarknight from my graveyard in defense mode! Come back to the field, Capella!"
Blair pointed to one of her empty monster zones Altair used his power on. This new Satellarknight looked much bulkier than the rest of her kind. Yet there was a majesty about her that the others didn't seem to match.
Satellarknight Capella [Type:Effect Monster/Sub-Type: Warrior/Attribute: LIGHT/Level: 4/ATK: 1100/DEF: 2000]
"Three monsters of the same level. Who do you think she'll summon this time? Triverr or Delteros?" Alexis asked aloud.
"Triverr is a good option to lower Reginald's hand. Delteros has potential as well with his decent stats. Could go either way really." Bastion noted out loud.
Blair pointed her hand out. "I now activate Capella's effect! I can treat level 4 or Lower Satellarknights on my field as level 5s!"
"Wait, level 5? Blair has a Rank 5?!" Alexis' eyes widened as he heard this.
"Now, I set the Overlay network!" Blair cried out as the same galaxy appeared overhead, and all three monsters started to fly upward. "Come forth, creature forged by the stars of the heavens, ancient power, and the hope of the earth! Xyz Summon!"
The galaxy exploded as a creature larger than Triverr and Delteross started to rise behind the Satellarknight duelist. "I summon Stellarknight Constellar Diamond in attack mode!"
Stellarknight Constellar Diamond [Type: XYZ/Effect Monster/Sub-Type: Wyrm/Attribute: LIGHT/Rank: 5/ATK: 2700/DEF: 2000]
To say that it was a breath-taking creature would have been an understatement. It gleamed in a way that made both stars and gemstones look dull but exuded power, unlike anything Blair's deck had before. It unleashed a roar, causing holographic winds to blow.
"Next, I place one card facedown and end my turn!" Blair exclaimed.
Turn 2: Reginald. Cards: 5.
"Not bad, not bad. But it's going to take more than some overgrown lizard to stop me! I draw!" The Chazz-wannabe cried out as he took a card from his deck. "I summon Merlin in defense mode!"
Many even remotely familiar with mythology recognized the name of England's legendary wizard. Duel Monsters did well capturing the look of an enigmatic and esoteric old man with magic powers.
Merlin [Type:Effect Monster/Sub-Type: Warrior/Attribute: DARK/Level: 3/ATK: 1400/DEF: 500]
Reginald smiled as he knew this one card would help him set up his board. "Now watch as I activate his effect!"
"No. You don't." Blair narrowed her eyes before pointing to her monster. "You are trying to activate the effect of a Dark monster! That means Constellar Diamond can use cleansing light!"
The Xyz monster absorbed one of its orbiting lights before he stretched his wings and unleashed a gleam of light down on the wizard.
"W-What!? What happened!?" Reginald asked in shock.
"Constellar Diamond can negate Dark monster's effects with a material! And when he does, that dark monster gets destroyed! Go, Solar Purification!"
The wyrm unleashed two lasers from the rings of his wings. The attacks incinerated the legendary wizard where he stood, leaving Reginald's field empty once more.
Reginald looked down at his hand, but because of Merlin, he had already wasted his normal summon.
"You're really struggling with an overgrown lizard, huh?" Blair smirked as she saw the panicked look on her opponent's face.
"Shut it! No one messes with me and gets away with it!" Reginald took one card. "I set a card and end my turn!"
Turn 3: Blair. Cards: 2.
"Man, I didn't know Blair had a monster like that in her deck. It's fearsome if it can go against decks with Dark attributes." The Queen of Obelisk Blue found herself staring at the majestic beast.
"Huh, how did she know that Mr. 3rd over there would use a dark monster?" Wilona asked aloud.
"I don't believe she did, Wilona," Bastion responded to her question. "Rather, I think that might have been what her facedown was for until her opponent summoned a natural dark monster."
Back in the duel, Blair knew that she had to capitalize on her momentum. She drew her next card and realized who it was.
"I now summon Satellarknight Ashlam in attack mode!"
Satellarknight Alsham [Type:Effect Monster/Sub-Type: Warrior/Attribute: LIGHT/Level: 4/ATK: 1400/DEF: 1800]
As soon as the archer appeared, Blair pointed over to Reginald. "Alsham can deal 1000 points of effect damage when he's summoned!"
The small Satellarknight fired another one of his arrows. Unlike with Sera, the strike landed against Reginald.
Blair: 4000 LP.
Reginald: 4000 → 3000 LP.
"Now, Constellar Diamond and Alsham, attack directly!" Under her words, both her monsters poised to take out the rest of her opponent's life points.
Reginald's eyes widened as he pressed a button on his duel disk. "I reveal my continuous trap: Mirror Wall!"
As both attacks flew, a wall of mirrors erected from the ground to stop both attacks.
"As long as this card is up, I can half the attack of your monsters!" Reginald said this even as sweat poured down his head. "So what if I still take damage? I'm still in this game!"
Reginald gripped his fist as he braced himself for the incoming blows. He did not brace for the fact Blair was already picking up a card from her hand.
"I play Mystical Space Typhoon and link it with your Continous Trap! So much for your defense!" Blair cried out as a storm flew past her two monsters, shattering the wall of mirrors before her monsters could touch it.
"Wh-What!? It can't end like this!?"
Blair: 4000 LP.
Reginald: 3000 → 0 LP.
The duel ended just like that. Compared to Sera and Blair's duel, the grand finals was...
"Underwhelming." Wilona admitted after watching Reginald lose his footing after the blast.
"No way, I want a do-over!" Reginald cried out.
"Now, now, don't be a sore finalist." Crowler's voice interrupted him. Many turned to see both him and Bonaparte reaching the field with mics. "First and foremost, let's give a warm welcome to the new number 1 among the first years: Blair Flannigan! As a reward for winning: we will grant you one request, as long as it's reasonable within school rules."
Crowler didn't mind handing his mic over to the girl. After all, this new rising star of Obelisk Blue was sure to help catapult Duel Academy to fame and glory!
"I would like to apply for Slifer Red!"
See? Crowler could feel the...
"WHAT!?" Both he and Bonaparte yelled before they collected themselves. "B-Beg your pardon?"
"Master can stay in the Red Dorm, so I want to also!" Blair's eyes started to shine as she thought about staying with the other Slifer Reds.
Crowler originally made everyone focus on Blair since he wanted people to forget about that rather lackluster grand final. He didn't expect the winner to shift on wanting to be part of the very dorms he was trying to destroy.
Bonaparte felt the same way as he activated this mic. "Well, folks, now that the examination tourney is over, it's time for our long-awaited exhibition matches! You're probably wondering who would be chosen as the 3rd top freshman of this year? Well, as much as we'd like to see another duel, we're pressed for time! That's why we'll choose the one who scored higher in their written exam, and that was none other than Ms. Abraxas!"
Sera, who currently watched from the female lockers, heard the sound of a disgruntled cry coming from across the hallway. The Egyptian girl thought it odd that she heard someone screaming through several thick walls.
Back in the arena, Bonaparte pointed upward. "Now, with that out of the way! We will finally have our Exhibition Match with the top 3 of last year's freshmen!"
Up in the stands, and while the crowd started to cheer again, Wilona couldn't help but laugh kindly at Dr. Crowler's antics. "I still do not understand why Dr. Crowler is so adamant in promoting Duel Academy when it's already one of the most prestigious dueling schools in the world?"
"It's probably for the fame and the glory." Alexis sighed as she put a hand on her head. "Why did Chancellor Sheppard want him to get promoted?"
"Well, from my standpoint, aside from taking his grief out on Yuki, he takes his job very seriously. I recall Professor Banner complimenting how hardworking Crowler was one time, and I respect that."
"Wilona, I feel as if you're the only one among our friends who sees Crowler's strong points." Bastion folded his arms but kept a casual stance. "Yet, I may have to thank him for giving me an opportunity to use one of my new decks."
After hearing that, the green-haired girl thought of something. "I'm in a mood," Wilona stood straight before putting a hand on her hip. "How about we show our juniors who they're messing with?"
All three of them, even Alexis, couldn't help but smirk as they looked at the three chosen to duel them.
"You know what? You're right." Alexis smiled. For once, they were the ones who had the overwhelming odds in their favor. "Let's crush them."
Anyone who decided to look in the three's direction would instantly see the villainous aura they emitted.
{Author Notes}
Wilona is tempting her friends into the dark side. "Aren't you tired of being nice?"
Anyway, here's the next chapter of Tag Force: Heroes and Villains. A lot slower than I'm used to, but at the same time this Season goes in a different direction than the one I took in the first season. Also, thanks for the Favorites! I reached 200! (Someone unsubs as I write this) 199 Favorites! (Still counts as I reached the number.)
So, let's give a warm welcome to Sera from Darkside of Dimensions! Now, I ran into a small problem with her as I did with Blair. Her new deck in this story. I didn't want to give her Cubic monsters because well...
Cubic Monsters: *holding a balloon* You'll float too.
No, not that. The idea didn't really fit Sera because the Cubic Monsters were more Agami's thing. There was the option to use her Duel Links Deck: Constellars.
But uh...
Blair:...
Yeah. I created a problem for myself when I gave Blair the Satellarknight deck. In lore, Satellarknights are technically "Descendants" of Constellars. So, I didn't quite want the similar Decks to be fighting each other.
So with both main decks of hers gone, I had to pick a new deck for her. I tried several decks until I stuck with the Fire King/Nephthys types. I liked the idea of Rebirth and Priestess-like themes they had and thought they would fit Sera in this story. As for why she's here? That's going to be explained later.
Now, I know it was quick, but Reginald in this story uses Noble Knights. In his one duel with Chazz, he had a monster with a lot of Equip Cards, so I thought about giving him the deck with Equip Spells and monsters. But I'm not sure about giving him the Ignoble Knights, and it's unlikely I'll give him that stuff.
Anyway, it's almost time to finally get back to Duel Academy. I've got a few surprises over there before we can kick off Season 2. It's shaping up to be even longer than Season 1, so go me on writing all those stories.
Good luck out there and be safe.
{Altered/Made Up Cards}
Edit: Thanks again to Kurimaster for pointing out another mistake. I swear, I actually saw this mistake but I forgot to rewrite it. Oh well. I may as well just make it work for this story.
Nephthys: (The Sacred Version) Can only return on the owner's standby phase. Thought it would be fun to make it work how the fire kings do.
Crown of Protective Fire: I made this card basically to set the flow of how this battle goes. Both would fight inch by inch for victory.
Quick Summon: Anime-only card.
Fire King Avatar Garunix: This card is still the same as the TCG. The only real change is the appearance. I based it on the form of the chicklet on the quick-play card and not the grown version.
Barbed Field: A trap card I made to help out Blair against Sera nuking the field every turn.
Canis Minor:
Oblivious Fool: Now, technically, Blair has the ultimate counter to Sera's continual reincarnation. But I made Sera keep Arvata on the field, who has a monster negate. So, I had to make up a card to circumnavigate that.
Card Guard: This is from the anime. A pretty OP Card now that I think about it.
Re-XYZ: This is an Anime only card.
