Chapter 18.5
"Bug Wars"
AJ was still pondering about the storm clouds she saw out in the distance. 'It doesn't make a lick of sense. Those storm clouds were striking lightning in a single place, but there ain't nothing that way except for a river that's part of the city's water system. Unless there was a duel going on over there.' she pondered. Soon, she heard her radio go off. "AJ? Do you read me, over?" said the voice on the other side. It was Fluttershy. "This is AJ go ahead, sugar cube." the cowgirl replied. "If you saw some lightning over near the river where Domino City gets its reservoir water, that's due to a duel that took place between Yugi and one of Marik's Rare Hunters." Fluttershy said.
"Well, that explains it, but what kind of monster summoning would create storm clouds?" AJ asked. "It was a creature called an Egyptian God Monster. It's one of three, the one that caused the storm was named Slifer the Sky Dragon." Fluttershy answered. "Egyptian WHAT?!" AJ asked in shock. "I told you, it's one of three of the most powerful monsters in Duel Monsters. Kaiba explained everything because he has one of them, too." Fluttershy replied. "Which one is it? And did Yugi win?" AJ asked. "He did, and Kaiba was ready to duel Yugi for ownership of Slifer because he has the second Egyptian God Card, Obelisk the Tormentor." Fluttershy explained.
"I bet that's another reason why he threw this whole tournament; to get his egotistical hands on these Egyptian God Cards and make his deck unstoppable, just so that he can beat Yugi and reclaim his title of world champion. Fluttershy, I'm gonna continue my patrol near the zoo, you tell the others about these Egyptian God Cards and to be on the lookout for the last one. I don't know if Marik has it or if he gave it to one of his goons, but if these things are called god monsters, they may be for a reason." AJ stated before turning her radio off.
"So, you heard about the Egyptian God Cards, have you? Well, you consider yourself luck that I don't have the last one." said a voice. "If you're one of these Rare Hunters I've been looking for, show yourself!" AJ demanded. She soon got her wish as one came out from behind the threshold of the insect pavilion. "That blasted fool Weevil Underwood claims he's the bug extraordinaire of the dueling world, but that's where he's mistaken. I'm Konner, the true master of the insect variety of Duel Monster." the Rare Hunter said as he removed his hood.
"Should I be lucky you're not related to Weevil?" AJ asked. "Yes, because unlike that ex-Regional Champion, I hunt my prey and duel them fair and square. Some of my fellow hunters claim that makes me the black sheep of the group, but like the spider plays by the rules when waiting for a passing fly to get stuck in their web, I prefer to duel without any shortcuts." Konner replied. "I guess there is honor among thieves." AJ suggested.
"Indeed. So I propose that we duel, and if you win, you get my rarest card, the Insect Princess." Konner responded before holding up said card. "Fair enough. And if you win, you get my Amazoness Swordswoman." AJ replied. Soon, both players took their positions, activated their Duel Disks and their life points set to 4000. "Hope you don't mind this duel getting a bit, buggy, so to speak." Konner said. "Trust me, I've dealt with my fair share of termites where I come from, now let's get this game started!" AJ replied before activating her ring. And so, with an equally determined 'Let's duel!' from both players, the game began.
"Ladies first." Konner said. "Well, that's pretty kind of you." AJ said before drawing. "First thing I'll do is summon my Amazoness Archer in attack mode!" she declared before her monster, a level four, Earth attribute warrior/effect monster with 1400 attack points and 1000 defense points, appeared with her bow in hand. "Next I'll set two cards face down and end my turn." she concluded.
"A good start, I will admit." Konner said before drawing. "But I think a change of scenery is in order. I play Terraforming, allowing me to put a single field spell in my hand from my deck." he continued before doing so. "Now, about that change of scenery, I play Forest." he added before trees and grass appeared around both players. "As I said, I'm an insect Duelist, so allow me to bring out my first bug. I summon Killer Needle in attack mode!" he continued before his enormous bee appeared.
"I'm familiar with what Weevil did at Duelist Kingdom, he lured Yugi into an open part of the forest so that his monsters could get a field power bonus, and that's the effect of Forest. It grants 200 attack and defense points to all of your insects." AJ stated before seeing the Killer Needle's attack and defense points increase from 1200 and 1000 to 1400 and 1200, respectively. "Glad to see you know how field spells work, now allow me to give my Killer Needle a little extra stinging power with Laser Cannon Armor!" Konner responded before equipping said card to his monster, increasing its attack and defense points to 1700 and 1500, respectively.
"Alright, Killer Needle, show the Amazoness Archer what happens when you mess with a bee!" he ordered before Killer Needle blasted the archer apart, lowering AJ's life points to 3700. "Not bad, but you always have to have a backup plan in Duel Monsters, and here's mine! Attack and Receive!" AJ declared as she activated that card. "Smart." Konner simply said. "Thanks. This allows me to deal 700 points of damage after you attack me." AJ responded before Konner's life points lowered to 3300. "I suppose I'll end my turn with a facedown." the kindly Rare Hunter said before setting his card.
"That was just the first round, but this duel is about to get a bit more fun for one of us." AJ said before drawing. "I summon the Marauding Captain!" she declared before her monster, a level three, Earth attribute warrior/effect monster with 1200 attack points and 400 defense points, appeared. "You see, like any good leader, the Marauding Captain inspires loyalty in his fellow warriors. And in this case, he allows me to special summon one level four or lower monster from my hand. And I pick The Unfriendly Amazon!" she continued before her next monster, a level four, Earth attribute warrior/effect monster with 2000 attack points and 1000 defense points, appeared alongside the Marauding Captain.
"Time to go on the offensive! Unfriendly Amazon, attack Killer Needle!" AJ declared before Killer Needle was sliced in half, lowering Konner's life points to 3000. "Now, Marauding Captain, follow up with an attack on his life points!" she commanded before one slash of the warrior's sword greatly decreased Konner's life points to 1800, but Konner didn't seem worried. "You're not the only one who can set a trap, you know. I activate Numinous Healer!" he said before said card activated. "This can restore 1000 of my life points." he explained before his life points increased to 2800.
"Well, I guess that'll do it for now." AJ said with a smile. "Then here I come!" Konner declared before drawing. 'Nothing much I can do here. Better switch positions.' he thought. "I'll simply set a monster and leave it at that." he said aloud. "Well, that was short and simple." AJ said before drawing. "I forgot to mention that The Unfriendly Amazon requires a sacrifice to keep her in play, so I'll have my Marauding Captain do the honors." she explained before her captain was destroyed. "But there's always a way to keep the duel going, so I tribute my amazon to summon Ushi Oni!" she declared before her monster appeared.
"Ushi Oni, attack his facedown monster!" she ordered before the creature struck. "Well, that's nice of you. By attacking and destroying my Skull-Mark Ladybug, you increased my life points by 1000." Konner said with a smile before his life points rose to 3800. 'Dagnabbit! He's almost back to full strength.' AJ thought, frustrated. "I end my turn." she said aloud. "I will admit, that's an impressive monster you've got." Konner said as he drew. "So I'll stay on the defensive with this monster in defense mode, and a facedown for later." he concluded.
"Back to me then." AJ said before drawing her next card. "I summon the Battle Ox in attack mode!" she declared before her bovine warrior appeared. "And thanks to your Forest, my ox gets 200 attack and defense points." she added before Battle Ox's attack and defense points increased to 1900 and 1200, respectively. "Now, attack his face down with Axe Slam attack!" she commanded before the mighty bovine landed a blow on the hidden creature, revealed to be a level three, Earth attribute insect with 700 attack points and 1400 defense points known as Kumootoko.
"First your spider, and now your life points! Ushi Oni, attack him directly!" she declared before the attack landed, decreasing Konner's life points from 3800 to 1650. "That'll wrap things up over here." she concluded. "You're a great Duelist, just a shame that we're on opposing sides." Konner said before drawing. "But maybe I can at least get our monsters on the same page. I reveal my facedown, DNA Surgery!" he declared. "What kind of trap card is that?" AJ asked. "Well, this card allows me to declare at least one type of monster and that will turn all face up monsters on the field to that variety. And I choose, insect!" Konner answered before the card started to glow and AJ's monsters quickly became part insect.
"My monsters! They're turning into bugs!" AJ shouted. "Only partly, as you can tell. So I'll end my turn by setting a monster." Konner said before doing so. "They say you can change who you are by changing your ways..." AJ said before drawing. "But you can't hide from who you are on the inside when you try to be someone or something else that you're not. So first I'll set a monster, and then have my Battle Ox attack your facedown monster!" she continued before the creature slammed its axe down on the hidden monster, revealed to by Pinch Hopper.
"Looks like you met my helpful friend, Pinch Hopper. When he's sent to the graveyard, I can summon any insect monster in my hand, and I choose the Metal Armored Bug!" Konner declared before his new monster, a level eight, Earth attribute insect with 2800 attack points and 1500 defense points, now increased to 3000 and 1700, respectively, appeared. "Shoot. That's the biggest bug I've ever seen!" AJ declared. "I'll take that as a compliment. So I'll take it that you end your turn there?" Konner responded. "For now." AJ said before Konner drew.
"Just to make sure we don't start an insect turf war, I'll play the Insect Barrier magic card." the kindly Rare Hunter stated as his card activated. "With this in play, none of your monsters can attack because they're part insect. Only non-insect monsters can pass through." he explained, seemingly annoying AJ. "Next I'll summon my Arsenal Bug to the field!" he continued before his new monster, a level three, Earth attribute insect/effect monster with 2000 attack and defense points, now increased to 2200, appeared.
"You see, this litle guy's attack and defense points depend on if there's another insect on my side of the field. If there isn't, they drop. But thanks to the presence of my Metal Armored Bug, that won't happen." he explained. "Speaking of which, Metal Armored Bug, attack Ushi Oni!" he ordered before AJ's monster was crushed underfoot like a cockroach, lowering AJ life points to 2850. "Not bad, but you stepped into a web of my own! I activate, Michizure!" she revealed. "No! Not Michizure!" Konner shouted. "When this card is activated, I can target one monster on your side of the field and destroy it, so that means Ushi Oni won't be going to the graveyard alone, because I choose to destroy Metal Armored Bug!" AJ explained before the ground opened and the giant bug fell through.
"That means my Arsenal Bug loses 1000 attack and defense points!" Konner shouted as his monster's attack and defense points decreased to 1200. "I guess you outplayed me. I end my turn." he said. "If you say so." AJ responded before drawing. "I summon Breaker the Magical Warrior!" she declared, shocking Konner as Breaker, a level four, Dark attribute Spellcaster/effect monster with 1600 attack points and 1000 defense points, appeared. "Based on that look on your face, you know what he can do." AJ hypothesized.
"Yes, Breaker gets a single Spell Counter that increases its attack points by 300." Konner responded before Breaker's power rose a bit to 1900. "And that means I can use that spell counter to destroy any magic card on the field. It may mean Breaker loses his 300 extra points, but at least it'll mean your Insect Barrier will be destroyed!" AJ explained further as her monster raised its scepter and created a shockwave that destroyed the Insect Barrier while lowering its attack points back to their original value.
"And now I reveal my hidden monster, the Trap Master!" she added before her creature appeared, surprising Konner. "But why didn't you reveal it earlier? You would've easily been able to slide past the Insect Barrier if you had him." he asked, puzzled. "Call it being too focused. Now, Trap Master, destroy his DNA Surgery trap!" AJ responded before, with one strike from its chainsaw, Trap Master destroyed said card and turned her monsters back to normal.
"Now, Battle Ox, attack his Arsenal Bug!" she ordered before one Axe Slam slice the bug in half, lowering Konner's life points to 1150. "Outplayed once more, just like what occasionally happens in the bug world. Do your worst." Konner said after hanging his head for a brief moment. "You played fairly, and I respect that. Breaker, end this game and wipe out his life points." AJ declared before one blast from Breaker's scepter dropped Konner's life points to 0, ending the game.
"For what it's worth. I'm glad I played a fair and honorable duel." Konner said before getting down on his knees and putting his hands behind his head, knowing what was about to happen. "I suppose so." AJ said as she pushed her ring down, signaling the police to arrive. "My Insect Princess, is yours." Konner simply said as the police arrived and arrested him. "Thank you kindly. Maybe a little time in jail can help you sort things out." AJ replied after picking up her prize. "Though I understood the price of failure when I joined the Rare Hunters, I didn't want to simply steal cards from Duelists. Nor did I want to cheat to win them." Konner said as he was loaded into the police car.
"Hey, listen. Maybe you can help the Domino City police, and the world, by explaining everything about the Rare Hunters. Maybe then you can stop the stealing." AJ suggested. "Perhaps..." Konner simply said before being taken away. 'I sure hope he can help stop the Rare Hunters. But as long as those Egyptian God Cards are out there, they won't be stopped until possibly Yugi claims both the last one they have, and the one Kaiba has.' AJ thought before she walked off, ready to continue her patrol like a sheriff in the wild west.