"So, why do you want to ask my father?" asked Roll as she walked with Zipp.
"I want to hear about this Shadow Realm. Mario said he and your mother used to have adventures with magic and whatnot when they were our age. Maybe something is there to help with this."
"And this all stems from what? The incident that Mario and me had on the train?"
"I think there's something bigger at play. Like some grand master plan that's being developed."
"And how much of this is based on your detective instincts?" asked Roll with a raised eyebrow.
"Most of it, but I'm confident. Let me show you something," stated Zipp as the pair entered her room. She approached the wall of her secret room and pushed a button; the mechanism activated and made the wall move as it revealed the girl's private computer lab.
"Gees, you really are a detective," said Roll as she rolled her eyes at Zipp for being like a superhero who had their own secret lair.
"Check this out!" said Zipp as she handed the same article she printed out for Mario to see.
Roll took the piece of paper and looked it over as her eyes told the whole story. She then did a few double-takes between Zipp and the article as she tried to wrap her head around this.
"I'm guessing your Mom didn't tell you either," said Zipp.
"No. But I get why. Aside from any bad publicity people might try to get from this, she probably didn't want us to be concerned. Yet… we still got sucked into all this." stated Roll.
"That's why I think whoever is doing all this has to involve your father."
"Mmm, that's a possibility," said Roll as she began to wrap her brain around Zipp's theory and worked her mind. "My dad has told us past stories of him and other mom and their friends taking on some crazy adventures. I mean, I never discredited him, but I guess my brain just shut off any attempt to know if they were real."
"Looks like it might be real, after all," said Zipp.
"Well, we'll have to wait for my father to return. My mom ain't here either."
At that moment, Zipp's phone made a sound as she looked to see she got a text. The girl read the text as it was from her sister. Her eyes widened a bit as Roll noticed that.
"Something wrong?" asked the girl.
"It's Pipp," said Zipp as she stood up. "Come on!"
"What's going on!?" said Roll as she chased after her friend as they were running down a flight of stairs.
"I don't know. She didn't give specific details. But just asked that we hurry to meet her and your brother!" said Zipp.
"I hope it's not what I think it is!" said Roll, who had a bad feeling about this.
The two girls quickly exited the mansion as they were heading to the garage building where the cars were. They were about to enter when they put the brakes on as someone stood before them. The teens looked as the person was a Shadow Duelist as he was moving in on his comrade's plan.
"Oh, no," said Roll.
"Cloak, mysterious aura. I'm betting you're a Shadow Duelist, right?" said ZIpp as she held a defiant look.
"Very perspective! Now!" shouted the Shadow Duelist as the amulet around her neck glowed.
Soon the thing happened as a giant wind blew over and caused both Zipp and Roll to cover up. The wind pushed back Roll as she skidded back and stopped just as dark flames began to surround the Shadow Duelist and Zipp as they were trapped.
"Zipp!" shouted Roll as she approached the barrier and touched it but couldn't penetrate it. "Zipp, you good?"
"I'm fine," said the girl as she looked at her opponent.
"Be careful! This isn't like a regular duel. Everything is real here. Including the damage!" warned Roll.
"It's time for the shadows of darkness to swallow the light!" said the Shadow Duelist as she activated her duel disk.
"Alright, time to find out how tough you guys are firsthand!" said Zipp as she wasn't backing down. The girl pulled out her rectangular device and strapped it on her duel disk. It came online and projected her white energy card tray as she prepared to learn more about these Shadow Duelists.
"Hope whatever Mario and Pipp are doing better than us," wondered Roll.
Minutes before…
Mario was currently walking behind Pipp as the girl was taking some quick selfie pics and deciding which one she wanted to post. The boy had a couple of her bags in his hand as he became the designated pack mule. The pair soon came across some TVs in a nearby window as they saw the press conference that was being held with Haven and his father.
"I still can't believe my mother and your father are working together," said Pipp.
"Yeah. Never saw that coming," muttered Mario as he glared at seeing his father.
Pipp saw the look her crush had as he walked away and chased after him.
"At least we'll have more opportunities to see each other," said Pipp, putting on a flirty smile, but Mario didn't seem to mind. "Uh, hey, how about we go get some ice cream? Maybe split a shake?" The teen tried her best to get something from her crush, but it wasn't working. "I know, we can…"
"Alright, what's your issue?!" said Mario as he abruptly stopped and turned to face Pipp.
"Uh, what?" responded Pipp nervously while twirling her hair.
Mario wasn't here to play games as he dropped the bags he was holding and began to approach the girl's personal space. Pipp instinctively backed up as Mario grabbed her chin to make her look him in the eye.
"What's the deal, chica? You got some issue that you're not telling me?" said Mario.
"Why would you say that?" responded Pipp sheepishly while feeling her crush holding her chin to get her to look him dead in the eyes.
"Do I really need to spell it out?!" said the boy.
Pipp knew what Mario was saying. She was a fool to think that Mario wouldn't notice. She knew not to underestimate the boy's intelligence. The girl let out a heavy sigh as Mario released her chin and allowed her to confess the pressing issue on her mind. The popstar teen looked at the boy as she brought a hand to cusp his left cheek.
"I…"
"Hope I'm not interrupting!"
A voice was heard as the two teens turned to see a cloaked figure emerge. Mario knew what this meant as he formed a scowl. Pipp was confused about what was happening as she felt Mario move her behind his back as if to protect her.
"What do you want?" asked Mario, knowing who was approaching them.
"To send you to the Shadow Realm!" said the Shadow Duelist as they activated their duel disk.
The pendant they were wearing glowed as a giant wind blew over. Mario stood his ground as he looked at his foe, while Pipp felt the effects of the wind despite being behind the boy as her hair fluttered in the wind. Flames began to surround the pair as Mario was starting to pull his duel disk out.
"Look out!" said Pipp as she instinctively pushed Mario out of the way.
The boy was confused as he looked back at Pipp when the flames enclosed and separated him from the girl trapped inside.
"Why did you do that?!" shouted Mario as he placed his hands on the barrier. "I was gonna duel him!" Mario glared at Pipp for doing something stupid; now she was trapped. "Hey! Open this up! Let her go, and we can duel instead!"
"Too late! Only one way to leave!" said the Shadow Duelist, as he wasn't going to comply with the boy's demand.
Mario gritted his teeth as he was helpless in saving Pipp. The girl was shown quickly sending a text to her sister before putting it away and looking at Mario through the barrier.
"Listen, Pipp. I hate to say this, but there's no other choice. You have to win the duel!" said the boy.
"Excuse me?" said the girl.
"'Cause if you don't, this may be your last one."
"Why are you saying it like I'm gonna die!" said the pop star as she didn't like how Mario spoke to her.
"Listen," said the boy as he placed a hand on the barrier, which Pipp did as she placed it on top of his. "I believe in you. I know you can do this."
"Really?" said the girl, as she doubted she could defeat the Shadow Duelist.
"I know you will. I'll be here if you need anything; I'm not leaving your side," said Mario.
Pipp smiled, and her heart beat a bit at hearing her crush tell her that. From the genuinely concerned expression on his face, Pipp felt a rise of confidence surge through her as she got up from the floor and turned to look at the Shadow Duelist. The girl took a deep breath and counted to ten before taking a few steps forward to face her foe.
"Let's get this show started!" declared the Shadow Duelist.
"You got this, Pipp. You got this, it's just like a performance. Confident, cool, and most importantly, don't choke." said the girl as she began to pull out her duel disk and strap it on. The device came online as it projected her aquamarine color card tray.
"Be careful, chica," muttered Mario, hoping his friend would be alright.
"Opponent detected. Streaming data. Duel mode set. Initiating. Commencing duel!" said the duel disks.
"Let's duel!" shouted all four duelists as they were taking place at the same time, along with another duel happening somewhere else.
Shadow Duelist's Life Points: 8000-
Zipp's Life Points: 8000-
Turn 1: Shadow Duelist (Hand 5)
"I draw! And I summon Flower Cardian Pine(100/100)!" A giant Hanafuda card appeared with an image of pine leaves. "Now, when I summon Flower Cardian Pine, I draw a card, and if it's not a 'Flower Cardian' monster, I have to send it to the graveyard!" said the Shadow Duelist as she drew her card and smiled. "I drew Flower Cardian Clover with Boar, so I don't have to get rid of it. I place one card facedown and end my turn."
Turn 2: Zipp (Hand 5)
"Is that all? Please. Watch this!" said Zipp as she drew with confidence. "Since I control no monsters, I can special summon my Speedroid Terrortop(1200/600) from my hand!" The girl summoned her monster, and a snake made of tops appeared with a set of fangs at the head. "And when I summon my Terrortop, I can add a 'Speedroid' monster to my hand. So I add my Speedroid Red-Eyed Dice(100/100) and summon it. And when Red-Eyed Dice is summoned, I can activate its ability. I can change the Level of a 'Speedroid' on my field from 1 to 6. So I change Terrortop's Level from 4 to 2! And now I tune my Red-Eyed Dice with my Terrortop!" Zipp's dice monster turned into a single green ring circling her other monster as light surged.
"I Synchro Summon! Hi-Speedroid Cork Shooter(500/1000)!" stated the girl as she summoned her monster. "And now I activate Cork Shooter's ability. So I can bring back the monsters I used to summon it." Zipp's former monsters appeared as the girl smiled. "Now, I tune my Red-Eyed Dice with my Terrortop to bust out a second monster to help!" Zipp's monster once more turned into a single green ring that circled her other monster as a light surged through it. "I Synchro Summon, Hi-Speedroid Puzzle(1300/1600)!" Out came a robotic humanoid monster dressed as a ninja, having only a single eye while the rest of its face was covered up and having a cannon as a right hand.
"And now I attack your monster with my Hi-Speedroid Puzzle!" said Zipp as her monster rushed forward and had the cannon in its right hand turned into a sharp blade; it sliced the monster it rushed past before the ninja vanishing back to her side.
"When Flower Cardian Pine is destroyed, I draw one card."
"I place one card facedown and end my turn!"
"Not bad, but Zipp better be ready for what comes next," said Roll as she knew, despite her friend's strong start, this was gonna be a war instead of a battle.
Turn 3: Shadow Duelist (Hand 6)
"Excellent. I was beginning to think this wasn't gonna be worth my time. But you proved me wrong."
"Gee, I'm flattered," responded Zipp.
"Which means you'll serve well for the darkness. Now, it's my move! And from my hand, I play the spell card, Flower Stacking! So now I take 3 'Flower Cardian' monsters from my deck and place them on top!"
"Why?" asked Zipp.
"Because I then activate this, Super Koi Koi! Now I excavate the top 3 cards of my deck, and if any of them are 'Flower Cardian,' then I can summon them, but their effects are negated, and their Levels become two. So I reveal Flower Cardian Cherry Blossom, Flower Cardian Pine with Crane, and Flower Cardian Peony with Butterfly!" said the Shadow Duelist as three more Hanafuda cards appeared. "Next, I tune all three of my monsters together!" Flower Cardian Peony with Butterfly turned into two giant green rings that circled the other two monsters as a surge of light shot through. "I Synchro Summon, Flower Cardian Moonflowerviewing(2000/2000)!" The monster that came out was a geisha girl with a small fan in her hand as the wind blew around her, spreading leaves.
"Now I activate Moonflowerviewing's special ability. During my turn, I can draw one card, and if it's a 'Flower Cardian' monster. I can summon it." The Shadow Duelist then drew her card, revealing it was a monster. "I reveal Flower Cardian Willow with Calligrapher(2000/2000)!" A new monster emerged as its power levels were on full display. "And thanks to my Moonflowerviewing's other half of its effect. It allows the monster I revealed to attack you directly, for this turn only. But before that, I activate the effect of Cardian Willow with Calligrapher, so I draw one card. And if it's a 'Flower Cardian,' then I can summon it. And wouldn't you know, it is! Come forth, Flower Cardian Clover with Boar!" Another monster appeared as it had the image of the hog standing on its legs like a human in a suit of armor.
"I then activate my Flower Cardian Clover with Boar's ability!"
"Gees, how many abilities are you gonna play?" said Zipp as she was getting impatient.
"Now I draw one card, and if it's a 'Flower Cardian,' monster, I can summon it. In addition, I can destroy one monster you control. So I draw… heh, and reveal Flower Cardian Cherry Blossom with Curtain(2000/2000)!"
"Another one?" said Zipp as she started to get irritated at how many monsters her opponent was racking up.
"So, say goodbye to your Hi-Speedroid Puzzle!" said the Shadow Duelist as he took out Zipp's monster. "And now, Flower Cardian Clover with Boar, attack her directly!" The monster bypassed the one on Zipp's field, going straight for the girl who covered up but was pushed back. The moment the attack made contact, Zipp felt some pain as she fell to her knees and clutched her stomach.
Zipp's Life Points: 6000-
"Zipp!" said Roll.
"Yeah… okay…" grunted the girl as she got to a knee. "You weren't kidding when you said the damage was real."
"That's just the appetizer! Now, Flower Cardian Cherry Blossom with Curtain, take out her Cork Shooter!" said the Shadow Duelist as he took out the girl's only monster and she was now left defenseless. "Flower Cardian Willow with Calligrapher, attack her directly!" Another monster rushed forward and bashed into Zipp as she fell back first to the ground.
Zipp's Life Points: 4000-
"Already down to half your Life Points. Let me dwindle them some more! Flower Cardian Moonflowerviewing, strike her!"
"Oh, this isn't gonna be good," said Roll as Zipp was already struggling.
"I reveal… my trap! Nutrient Z!" said Zipp as she pointed her arm outward. "Whenever I'm about to take 2000 points or more of damage, this gives me 4000 extra Life Points!" A shower of sparkles appeared above Zipp as her Life Points shot up to their original total.
Zipp's Life Points: 8000-
The girl then prepared herself as her opponent's monster bashed into her, which actually sent her flying and crashing into the barrier. She let out a yelp before sliding down and falling to the ground.
"Zipp!" said Roll as she saw her friend splat against the barrier before her.
"It hurts," grunted the girl, placing her hands near her head and pushing up to look at her foe.
Zipp's Life Points: 6000-
"You may have survived, but you have nothing on your field. I have a whole army of monsters waiting to strike. You can't win!" said the Shadow Duelist as she ended her turn.
Turn 4: Zipp (Hand 4)
"Yeah, well… I don't like to lose. In fact, I hate it," said Zipp as she managed to get to her feet and rubbed her shoulder. The girl looked at herself as she could see the attacks she took did a number on her as she was battered in both her skin and attire. "Anyways… it's my move. I draw! And I play the spell card, Shadow Stepper! Now I target one monster you control, then I can special summon one monster in my graveyard that I summoned my Extra Deck as long as its Level is equal to or less than, but its effects are negated. So I choose your Flower Cardian Moonflowerviewing! And since it's a Level 6 monster, I'm bringing back my Level 3 Hi-Speedroid Cork Shooter!"
"What's the pathetic excuse of a monster going to do?" taunted the Shadow Duelist.
"Plenty. Because I then play the Speed Recovery spell card. It allows me to revive my Speedroid Red-Eyed Dice. And then I activate Red-Eyed Dice's effect to change my Cork Shooter from Level 2 to Level 4. Next, I tune my Level 1 Red-Eyed Dice with my Level 4 Cork Shooter!" Zipp's dice monster turned into a single giant green ring, circling her other monster with a light surging through. "I Synchro Summon! Say hello to a monster that always edges down the competition. Hi-Speedroid Chanbara(2000/1000)!"
"I'm not impressed!" said the Shadow Duelist.
"Then maybe this will. Chanbara, attack Flower Cardian Moonflowerviewing!" said Zipp.
"Our monsters have the same attack points, so they'll both be destroyed!"
"Not if I activate Chanbara's ability!" smirked Zipp. "When it battles, it gains 200 extra attack points!" The girl's monster received the power boost as it rocketed forward and easily removed its target.
Shadow Duelist's Life Points: 7800-
"Oh, and one thing, you're really gonna like this. Chanbara can attack twice, and remember, each time it attacks, it gains 200 extra attack points. Take out Flower Cardian Willow with Calligrapher!" stated the girl as her monster made a U-turn, came from behind its next target, and speared through it as it was destroyed.
Shadow Duelist's Life Points: 7400-
"What was that about my monster not being able to do anything?" taunted Zipp. "I place one card facedown and end my turn."
Turn 5: Shadow Duelist (Hand 5)
"My turn! And because I used my Flower Cardian Moonflowerviewing's ability, the last turn, I skip my Draw Phase. But that won't matter. Now, I play the spell card Monster Reborn to bring back my Flower Cardian Peony with Butterfly. Then since I control at least a Level 10 or lower 'Flower Cardian' monster, I can summon my Flower Cardian Willow(100/100)! And then activate Flower Cardian Willow's effect to return my Flower Cardian Cherry Blossom with Curtain back to my deck in exchange for drawing one card!" said the Shadow Duelist.
"And now, I tune together all four of my monsters!"
"What? You can't do that! No monster can exceed Level 12," said Zipp as she added the levels of the Shadow Duelist's monsters as they went way over the limit.
"Flower Cardian Peony with Butterfly's ability makes it and any other monster I use for a Synchro Summon all treated as Level 2 monsters."
"That's not good," said Roll.
"I tune all four of my monsters!" stated the Shadow Duelist as his Flower Cardian Peony with Butterfly turned into two giant green rings that circled his other three monsters as a light surged through. "I Synchro Summon, Flower Cardian Lightshower(3000/3000)!" Out came an eunuch dressed in Japanese garments as he held an umbrella. "Lightshower, attack her Chanbara."
"Don't forget, every time my Chanbara battles, it gains 200 extra attack points," stated Zipp as she was able to minimize the damage she was going to take. Her monster rushed forward to meet its foe as they collided but was destroyed.
Zipp's Life Points: 5800-
"It's the end of the line for you," snickered the Shadow Duelist as she ended her turn. (Hand 4)
Turn 6: Zipp (Hand 2)
"It's a minor setback. Nothing I can't bounce back from," said Zipp as she drew her card and looked at it. Just then, a shower of light came raining down on the girl as she covered up but felt the firecrackers go off and knock her to the ground.
"You good, Zipp?!" asked Roll.
"What was that?" said Zipp as she got to her feet and struggled.
"Flower Cardian Lightshower's special ability. Whenever you draw during your Draw Phase, you get hit with 1500 points of damage!" snickered the Shadow Duelist.
Zipp's Life Points: 4300-
"Great," said the teen sarcastically, as she had another thing to worry about. "I banish my Speed Recovery spell card from my graveyard so that I can add my Terrortop back to my hand. And then, since I have no monsters, I can special summon him. And then its ability kicks in, allowing me to add a 'Speedroid' monster from my deck to my hand. And I know which one, Speedrod Tri-Eyed Dice, and I'm going to summon…"
"I activate my facedown, Fraud Freeze!" said the Shadow Duelist as they activated the card they set on their first turn. "With the power of this trap, when you special summon monster(s) from your hand, I can use this card to make them return to your hand."
"What?!" said Zipp as she saw her monster turn into a light that shot toward her hand as it reappeared in the form of a card. "Yeah, that's bad."
"Did you honestly take me for a fool?" said the Shadow Duelist.
"I end my turn," said Zipp as she had to rethink her strategy.
"Now the other effect of my Flower Cardian Lightshower activates, which means I'll skip my Draw Phase," said the Shadow Duelist.
"Usually, that'd be hurting, but Zipp's not in a good position that she can afford to skip her turn," commented Roll as she could tell the heiress was in a bind.
Turn 7: Shadow Duelist (Hand 4)
"Before I make my move, I have something to show you. Take a look!" said the Shadow Duelist as the pendant she wore began to glow, and before Zipp and Roll was a live feed of another duel. The two girls saw the feed and had their eyes widen at what they saw.
"Dad?!" said Roll as she saw her father currently in a duel.
"What's my mom doing with your father?" wondered Zipp as she saw Haven with Roll's father as he held his left arm up while she held his card.
An attack was launched as Isaac grabbed Haven and pulled her close; he turned around and used himself as a shield to protect the woman from harm. The sight made both girls widen their eyes as the live feed ended.
"Hey! What's the deal?!" shouted Zipp, wanting answers to what she and Roll had just seen.
"Some secrets are best kept," responded the Shadow Duelist as she smiled evilly. "Now, Flower Cardian Lightshower, attack her directly!"
"I activate my facedown. Back to the Front! Now I can summon a monster from my graveyard in defense mode. So I choose my Hi-Speedroid Puzzle!" said Zipp as her monster appeared before rushing forward to intercept the attack as it was destroyed.
"Your luck is running out, little girl. Soon, you'll fall to the darkness and be cast away forever."
"I ain't a little girl!" responded Zipp, as she didn't like being addressed that way. "Now I activate Puzzle's ability, during the End Phase of the turn, it was destroyed, I can add a 'Speedroid' monster to my hand from the graveyard. So I'm taking back my Red-Eyed Dice."
"As if it'll make a difference."
Turn 8: Zipp (Hand 5)
"It's my turn!"
"Remember, you take 1500 points of damage due to my Lightshower's effect!" cackled the Shadow Duelist as her monster spun its umbrella and fired off more fireworks that collided in the area around the girl who covered up.
Zipp's Life Points: 2800-
"Zipp's almost out of Life Points. One major hit, and it's over," muttered Roll as she doubted her friend could last much longer.
"I ain't out of Life Points yet, which means I'm not done either," stated Zipp as she looked to turn things around.
"Did you forget about my Fraud Freeze? The moment you try to special summon your monsters, I can return them back to your hand. So you can't Synchro Summon anything." stated the Shadow Duelist.
"Well, using my detective skills, I've figured out how to bypass your trap. I play the spell card Quill Pen of Gulldos! So I target 2 Wind monsters in my graveyard and one card on the field. So I choose your Flower Cardian Lightshower. Then I shuffle both Wind monsters back to my deck while your monster is returned to your hand! And since your monster is a Synchro Monster, it goes to the Extra Deck instead of your hand. Meaning you have to resummon it all over again!" smiled Zipp.
"No!" said the Shadow Duelist as she saw her monster disappear. "You'll pay for that."
"Cry me a river," mocked Zipp. "And without your monster, your trap card is also destroyed. Told ya I had a way. But you were right. I do plan on Synchro Summoning. So let's get to it. Since I have no monsters, I can special summon my Terrortop once again. And when it's summoned, its ability lets me add a 'Speedroid' monster to my hand, so I'll add Speedroid CarTurbo(800/1200), and since I control a Wind monster, I can special summon it! But I got one more monster to join the party. I summon Red-Eyed Dice!" In the blink of an eye, Zipp now had three monsters as she was all set up for what she wanted to do. "I now tune all three of my monsters!" Red-Eyed Dice turned into a single green giant ring as it circled the other two with a surge of light going through.
"I Synchro Summon, Hi-Speedroid Kitedrake(3000/2800)!" Zipp's monster appeared as it soared above the girl, letting out a sound. "Kitedrake, attack her directly!" The girl's monster powered up as it let loose several lasers that decimated the area around the Shadow Duelist.
Shadow Duelist's Life Points: 4400-
"Yeah, that's what I'm talking about!" exclaimed Zipp as she dealt a massive blow to her foe.
"Nice work, Zipp!" said Roll.
"I'll one card facedown and end my turn."
As Zipp ended her turn, her opponent began to laugh. It got her and Roll to raise an eyebrow as the Shadow Duelist began to laugh unbearably as a dark aura began to surround them.
"Mind telling me the joke?" asked Zipp.
"You… you. Because of you, I'm allowed to showcase the power we have. So thank you." said the Shadow Duelist.
"I don't like this one bit," said Roll.
"Prepare yourself!" declared the Shadow Duelist as she looked to the heavens.
Shadow Duelist's Life Points: 8000-
Pipp's Life Points: 8000-
Turn 1: Shadow Duelist (Hand 5)
"It's move! I draw! And I summon Batteryman Solar(1500/1500)!" Out came a solar panel as it began to transform and turned into a small battery robot. "And when it's summoned, I get to send one Thunder monster from my deck to my graveyard. And I choose this… Thunder Dragon."
"Oh, no," said Mario, as he already knew what kind of deck Pipp was facing.
"Then, by discarding my Thunder Dragonhawk, I can revive a 'Thunder Dragon' monster from my graveyard. So rise, Thunder Dragon(1600/1500)!" The monster that the Shadow Duelist sent away now reappeared as it roared and stared down the small girl.
"Oh my goodness," whimpered Pipp at the sight of the dragon.
"Get ahold of yourself, chica!" shouted Mario through the barrier. "Don't let her shake you!"
"I then play the spell card, Gold Sarcophagus. I now banish one card from my deck, and during my 2nd Standby Phase, after I activate this card, I can add it to my hand. So the card I choose to banish is my Thunder Dragonlord!" stated the Shadow Duelist as the card appeared above the sarcophagus; it opened up, and the card was shown entering it before the lid sealed up and the whole thing vanished.
"Now, the second effect of my Batteryman Solar activates. Since I summoned a Thunder monster while he was on the field, I get also to summon one Batterman Toke(0/0)!" stated the Shadow Duelist as a smaller version of his monster appeared. "I place one card facedown and end my turn."
Turn 2: Pipp (Hand 5)
"Then it's my turn," stated Pipp as she turned her head to look at Mario, who simply nodded. "I draw. And to start, since you control monsters and I don't, I can summon this monster from my hand. Solo the Melodious Songstress(1600/1000). But this solo performance is gonna turn into a duet. Because I'm also summoning Canon the Melodious Diva(1400/2000)!"
"And that's all you're gonna do because I reveal my facedown. The Summon Limit trap card! Now neither of us can summon no more than two times each turn."
"What?" said Pipp as she was taken aback.
"She walked right into that. But I can't blame her," muttered Mario as he saw the Shadow Duelist was trying to limit Pipp's moves.
"Well, I may not be able to summon anymore, but I can still attack. Solo the Melodious Songstress, attack Batteryman Solar!" stated the girl as she commanded her monster, who opened her mouth and fired a soundwave that took out her target.
Shadow Duelist's Life Points: 7900-
"Next, Canon will belt one one. Take out that token!" stated the teen as she had her other monster destroy the smaller version of the monster her opponent had. "Next, Canon's ability activates. Once per turn, when a 'Melodious' monster attacks, I can switch one of them into defense mode. So Canon take five!" said Pipp as she switched the position of her monster on her card tray sideways; her monster bent down with its arms into an X as it looked to defend itself.
"I end my turn."
Turn 3: Shadow Duelist (Hand 2)
"It's my move. And so I'll discard my Thunder Dragondark so that I can add another one to my hand!" stated the Shadow Duelist as she sent her card away, only for her duel disk to eject another copy.
"Why do that?" asked Pipp, as she didn't see the point in getting rid of the card she just received.
"Because now I have all that I need to activate this. Thunder Dragon Fusion! Now by shuffling cards from my field, graveyard, and/or banished cards back into my deck, I can perform a Fusion Summon. So I combine my Thunder Dragondark and Thunder Dragon!" snickered the Shadow Duelist as her two monsters combined and were sucked into a swirling vortex. "I Fusion Summon, Thunder Dragon Colossus(2600/2400)!" A dark colored dragon appeared as it had electricity flowing through its entire body as it roared. Pipp took in the massive dragon as it made her fall to her bottom.
"Pipp, don't be scared!" said Mario as he could see the girl was a bit frightened by the sight of how big the monster was.
"Thunder Dragon Colossus, attack her Solo the Melodious Songstress!" commanded the Shadow Duelist as her dragon opened its mouth and fired its attack. The electrical stream came into Solo's eyesight as she tried to cover up before letting out a singing cry of defeat.
Pipp's Life Points: 7000-
"Pipp?" said Mario as he saw the girl cover up while sitting on the ground.
"When my Solo the Melodious Songstress is destroyed, I'm allowed to summon a 'Melodious' monster from my deck. So I summon my Tamtam the Melodious Diva(1000/2000). And when I special summon Tamtam, I can also add a Polymerization to my hand!" stated the girl as her monster appeared and her duel disk ejected the card she wanted.
"Like it'll make a difference. I then summon my Lighting Rod Lord(1800/100). And thanks to his ability, neither of us can play spells during our Main Phase 1. So if you plan on using that Polymerization, think again!" snickered the Shadow.
"No," said Pipp as she was even more in a bind.
"I end my turn."
Turn 4: Pipp (Hand 4)
"What do I do?" asked Pipp as she couldn't play Polymerization to fuse her monsters, and neither of them had enough attack points to take down the giant of a dragon.
"Focus, Pipp. Don't let her get to you!" said Mario as he tried to remind Pipp that she still had plenty of time to mount a comeback.
The girl drew her card and began to scan her hand for a way to take down the giant dragon.
"I… place one card facedown. That's it," said Pipp, defeatly.
"And that's all you can do," said the Shadow Duelist as she smiled.
Turn 5: Shadow Duelist (Hand 1)
"It's my turn. And not only do I draw. But it's my 2nd Standby Phase, meaning the card I banished with Golden Sarcophagus is added to my hand!" said the Shadow duelist as the golden coffin appeared and the card inside hovered in her hand. "And now, I'll discard the Thunder Dragondark card in my hand to add my third. And because I did that, I'll banish that one away to summon my Thunder Dragonlord(3000/2000)!" The wind picked up as a light colored dragon appeared as it roared, causing electricity to occur.
"Another one?" said Pipp, looking at the dragon.
"Just hang on, chica!"
"Let's get to it. Thunder Dragon Colossus, attack her Canon!" said the Shadow Duelist as her monster easily took out the diva. "Thunder Dragonlord, your turn! Take out her Tamtam!" Another electricity beam was fired as it decimated Pipp's remaining monster and left her without anything. "And Lightning Rod Lord, attack her directly!" The monster aimed one of its arms at the girl as it fired a lightning bolt. It collided with Pipp, who was flung back and hit the ground hard as she winced in pain.
Pipp's Life Points: 5200-
The popstar got to her hands and knees as she put her hand to her cheek. She felt the pain that she just encountered as it hurt. She pulled out her small hand mirror and saw the bruise marks she just sustained from the attack. Mario gritted his teeth as he hated that it was Pipp having to be the one to duel as he should have been there instead. The boy was all but helpless as he had no way to help the girl.
"This will be easier than I thought. Only one more turn, and you're done. And thanks to my combo that I've assembled, you can't win." said the Shadow Duelist as she had the girl trapped. "And now my Thunder Dragonlord's ability activates; during my End Phase, I send 1 'Thunder Dragon' from my deck to my graveyard."
Turn 6: Pipp (Hand 4)
"What do I do?" wondered the girl as she stared into the eyes of the dragons.
"Pipp! Focus! You got this!" shouted Mario.
"No, I don't! I… can't do it!" said the girl as she knew the limit of her skills. She knew she couldn't be able to take down either beast.
"Yes, you can!" yelled the boy. "Remember what I taught you. Look at all the angles. I didn't waste my time tutoring you so that you can give up so easily."
"I'm sorry," said the teen as she just couldn't see how she could escape this.
"Oh, gees. I can't believe I'm gonna say," said Mario as he took a deep breath before getting Pipp's attention. "Pipp! You better stand up and figure out a way to win or… or… you can forget me taking you out on a date." It pained the boy that he just said that.
"What?" said Pipp as she blinked at hearing Mario's proposal while looking at him.
"You heard what I said! I'm not repeating myself!" yelled Mario as he was still uncomfortable that he was forced to say that as motivation for Pipp to get back into the duel. "Now get your ass up!"
The girl smiled as the promise of Mario taking her out seemed to lift her spirits. While the boy dreaded what he'd done, he could see the fire in Pipp's eyes had been ignited as she placed her hand on top of her deck and looked ready to fight back.
"It's my move now!" said the popstar as she drew.
"What can you do?" taunted the Shadow Duelist.
"Watch. I summon Aria the Melodious Diva(1600/1200)! And since I won't be battling, I'll skip to my Main Phase 2. So, I'll play this field spell, The Sanctuary in the Sky!" Pipp's background began to change as it showed a sky palace in the clouds. "I end my turn with a facedown."
Turn 7: Shadow Duelist (Hand 1)
"So much for a comeback. Now, Thunder Dragonlord, attack her Aria the Melodious Diva!"
"Aria's ability means my Melodious monsters can't be destroyed in battle."
"Maybe, but you still take damage!"
"Then let me activate the ability of my Score the Melodious Diva. By sending it to the graveyard, any monster that Aria battles has its attack and defense points drop to zero!"
"What?!" said the Shadow Duelist. She saw her monster's strength being zapped away as it was still on course with Pipp's monster, who fired back by opening her mouth and belting out a note as it collided with the dragon and was destroyed.
Shadow Duelist's Life Points: 6300-
"That's my girl!" said Mario as he smiled at Pipp taking down the mighty beast.
"And I'm not done. Next, I reveal my facedown, Melodious Finale! Now because you took damage, this trap allows me to destroy one monster on your side of the field. So Lightning Rod Lord is gonna sing his farewell song." smiled Pipp as she got rid of the monster. "Oh, and you take 800 points of damage."
Shadow Duelist's Life Points: 5500-
"You'll pay! Thunder Dragon Colossus, destroy her Aria!"
"Thanks to the effect of my field spell, any battle damage involving a Fairy-type monster that I control becomes zero. And remember, Aria can't be destroyed in battle!" smiled Pipp as she avoided taking any damage.
"Enjoy your little victory because you won't be winning!" shouted the Shadow Duelist.
"Is that right?" smirked Pipp.
"Oh, you have no idea," said the Shadow Duelist as she began to glow.
"What's happening?" said Mario.
Both girls looked at their opponents, unsure what the glowing aura surrounding them meant. The Shadow Duelists' pendants began to glow as if to answer their call for help. At the same time, they were experiencing something similar with Haven and Isaac.
Turn 9: Shadow Duelist (Hand 4)
"It's my move. I draw!" shouted the Shadow Duelist as the card she drew glowed purple. "I summon the dark tuner monster, Flower Cardian Iris(0/1800)!" Out emerged a large hanafuda card with the picture of an iris as it gave off the same dark aura as the Shadow Duelist.
"Dark tuner?" said Zipp, as she had never heard of such a thing.
"And when Flower Cardian Iris is summoned, I can bring back a Flower Cardian from my graveyard. So rise, Flower Cardian Cherry Blossom with Curtain! And now… I tune my Flower Cardian Iris with my Flower Cardian Cherry Blossom with Curtain." The tuner turned into four dark orbs of energy as they were absorbed by the other monster, who began to feel the dark energy beginning to take over as they were covered in darkness. "When even darker shadows devour the shadows, the curtain pulls back to reveal a world without light! I Dark Synchro Summon, Flower Cardian Phoenix(0/3000)!" A dark bird of fire appeared as it screeched and spread out its wings to show how massive it was. Zipp took in the sight of the monster as it nearly sent her chills down her spine.
"Okay. You didn't mention they could do this!" said Zipp.
"This is new to me as well!" shouted Roll as she was in awe at what she saw.
"I activate Flower Cardian Phoenix's ability. Now I destroy one monster on your side of the field, and we both take damage equal to half its attack points! And I choose your Kitedrake!" said the Shadow Duelist as Zipp's monster was struck down, causing both duelists to be shocked. Zipp felt the intense pain as her monster was gone.
Shadow Duelist's Life Points: 2900-
Zipp's Life Points: 1300-
"Why did you do that?" said the girl.
"Because now my Flower Cardian Iris gains attack points equal to the total amount of damage we took!" snickered the Shadow Duelist as her monster felt the power boost.
"No… way!" said Zipp as she struggled to reach her feet.
"This is the power of the darkness. We live to consume and purge the light and everyone who protects it!" declared the Shadow Duelist as they looked at Zipp. "And now to send you to the Shadow Realm! Flower Cardian Iris, attack her directly and wipe her out!"
"Zipp!" shouted Roll as the monster rushed forward and looked to finish the girl off as she was on her hands and knees.
Zipp saw the monster coming; it seemed like her life was starting to flash right before her eyes. The girl looked at her duel disk as she struggled to tap her screen.
"Hope… this works," grunted the girl. "I reveal my facedown. Dice Roll Battle! Now I banish my Hi-Speedroid Kitedrake from my graveyard and my Speedroid Tri-Eyed Dice from my hand. And doing that lets me Synchro Summon!" Zipp's monster turned into three giant green rings circling her other monster as a light surged. "I Synchro Summon! Hi-Speedroid Clear Wing Rider(3500/2000)!" A motorbike zoomed out of a portal as it had a line attached to a dragon spirit that roared.
"And now the other effect of my Dice Roll Battle trap card kicks in! By banishing it from my graveyard, your monster is forced to battle my new monster!"
"Flower Cardian Iris can't be destroyed in battle!" smiled the Shadow Duelist as she didn't mind taking the damage from both monsters colliding.
Shadow Duelist's Life Points: 2400-
"Nice one, Zipp!" Now finish it!" stated Roll.
Turn 10: Zipp (Hand 2)
"Don't have to tell me twice!" said the girl as she looked to end this duel. "I activate my Clear Wing Rider's ability. Now, by rolling a six-sided dice, I can shuffle as many Wind monsters from my graveyard into my deck and destroy that many cards!" said Zipp as a die appeared in her hand. "Your time is done!"
The heiress threw her dice as it bounced along the ground before landing on a three. "That's more than enough. So your monster is now destroyed, and it gives my monster an extra 500 attack points. So… Clear Wing Rider, finish this!"
Zipp's motorbike revved up its engine before screeching forward at high speeds. The dragon that it was attached to via a line roared before swooping down and infusing itself with the vehicle. Aura surged through the monster as it reached top speed and charged forward at the Shadow Duelist, who was flung back.
Shadow Duelist's Life Points: 0-
Winner: Zipp
The duel came to a close as the barrier separating Roll and Zipp ceased to exist. The girl ran to Zipp, who began to fall forward before her friend caught her.
"You good?" asked Roll.
"You… weren't kidding," said Zipp as she took a beating.
"Come on. Let's get you inside," said Roll, putting Zipp's arm around her shoulder and beginning to carry her friend inside the estate.
Meanwhile, with the other duel…
"What are you planning?" asked Mario from the outside.
"Watch! I activate the spell card, Dark Polymerization. With the power of this card, I can conduct a fusion summon. So I banish all three of my Thunder Dragons!" said the Shadow Duelist as the essence of the three monsters appeared before they were engulfed by the darkness and into a swirling vortex. "I Dark Fusion Summon! Thunder Dragon Emperor Supreme(3500/3000)!" A roar was heard as claws emerged, grabbing at the swirling vortex. Soon not one, but three heads appeared as electricity flowed through, and the sound of thunder and lightning went off. The dragon appeared and roared to the heavens and caused some of the building to shake.
"What is that?" questioned Pipp.
"I… don't know," responded the boy.
"The end of you! My Thunder Dragon Emperor Supreme has quite a number of abilities. The first is that it can only be destroyed by a Fusion Monster. Furthermore, it can't be destroyed by card effects. And once per turn, I can negate and destroy as many cards of yours as I want, and you take 1000 points of damage for each one!" said the Shadow Duelist as his monster caused lightning to strike Pipp's entire field as her monster and field spell were taken out before the electricity transferred to her as she let out a painful scream and fell to the ground.
Pipp's Life Points: 3200-
"Pipp!" yelled Mario as he watched the girl fall to the ground and wince in pain.
The boy banged on the barrier as he so badly wanted to check on the girl. Pipp didn't move for quite a while as it escalated Mario's fear. Soon, he heard some sounds as the popstar teen began to stir and slowly got to her hands and knees. She was badly bruised, and her hair was all sorts of messy. Though Mario let out a sigh of relief as he was glad Pipp was okay. He then banged on the barrier to get her attention.
"Pipp, you know what to do!" shouted the boy.
Turn 8: Pipp (Hand 1)
"It's… my move," said the girl as she struggled to speak, let alone stand. She mustered the strength to draw her card as she began to execute her move. "I activate the spell card, Osinato. Since I control no monsters, I can Fusion Summon a 'Melodious' monster from my Extra Deck using two monsters from my deck. So I fuse my Mozarta and Serenade the Melodious Diva! Pipp's two monsters appeared behind the girl as they were sucked into a vortex as orange and purple lights mixed. "Together, you'll sing a sensational duet to form an even more Melodious monster! I Fusion Summon, Bloom Diva the Melodious Choir(1000/2000!" A flower bud appeared as its petals began to drop to reveal a songstress inside as the buds became her dress. "Due to Bloom Diva's ability, it can't be destroyed by battle or card effects. So it bypasses my Osinato's destruction effect. Next, I'll play this… Pianissimo. This drops my Bloom Diva's attack to 100. Alright, Bloom Diva, attack with Wrecking Refrain!"
"You fool! Your monster may not be able to be destroyed in battle, but you still take damage!"
"No, I won't! Bloom Diva, show her what I mean!" shouted Pipp as her monster put her hands out and began to sing and created a barrier to hold back her foe. "I don't take any battle damage, and instead… you take the damage instead of me!" The songstress made her voice go even louder as it returned the attack to the Shadow Duelist, who fell to a knee and clutched her heart.
Shadow Duelist's Life Points: 2100-
"I then reveal my facedown, Melodious Illusion. This trap allows my Bloom Diva to attack again. Get ready for your swan song!" stated Pipp as her monster began to sing once more as the attack went toward the helpless Shadow Duelist, who was knocked off her feet.
Shadow Duelist's Life Points: 0-
Winner: Pipp
The barrier around the duel began to fade as Mario quickly ran toward Pipp, who fell to her knees with her head hung low. The boy came to her side and bent down while placing a hand on her shoulder.
"Nice work, chica," said Mario as he smiled.
Pipp smiled after hearing the rewarding praise from Mario as she brought a hand up to move some strands of her messy hair away from her face.
"Ugh. What a mess. I look awful, don't I?"
"Well…" started Mario.
"Be honest. How do I look?" asked the girl.
The boy kept his smile as he brought a hand to brush the remaining strands away from Pipp's face while staring into her eyes.
"Still as cute and pretty as always," commented the boy.
Pipp's eyes lit up after hearing that as she buried her head into Mario's left shoulder. She had her hands on his chest as she closed her eyes and relished him. Mario didn't fight back or push Pipp off; he just let her do her thing. The boy even returned the affection as he wrapped his arms around to hold her; Mario took in Pipp's scent as he ran his fingers through her hair, which felt nice and smooth. The pair remained like that for quite a while before Mario pulled back and stood up while lifting Pipp to her feet as well.
"Come on. Let's get back to the mansion," said Mario as he put Pipp's arm around his shoulder and began to head away.
"My Mistress." said a Shadow Duelist as he approached his master. "We… have failed."
"On the contrary," said the person sitting on the throne as she looked at the chessboard beside her. On cue, two more pawn pieces appeared and caused her to smile sinisterly. "It seems we've discovered two new pieces to join the game."
Author's Note: We now see the things that happened on Zipp and Pipp's side of things. And while Isaac and Haven were dealing with their duel, it seems both sisters have had their first encounter with this great evil that is hell bent on destruction and purging the light, as they say. Not to mention, the growing new power they have of summoning dark version monsters. And I think after this, it's time for things to be talked about.