I don't own Yu-Gi-Oh! or any of its spin-offs. If I did, Kaiba would tear into Chazz's brothers more. He knows how to treat a little brother.
Chapter Thirteen: Fears, Family, and Amazons
Mana woke to a yell from the guys' room. Worried it might be another Shadow Rider attacking, she jumped out of bed and grabbed her wand. She banged on the door, shivering slightly in the night air. "Guys? Are you okay?" she called to them.
Syrus opened the door. "Mana?"
"I heard a scream. What's going on?"
"Ask Jaden," he answered.
"I'm fine," Jaden called from his bed. "It was just a nightmare."
Mana could see something else was bothering Jaden, but she decided to let it drop, at least for now. "Okay, just remember the walls are thin. I can hear you guys from my room."
They nodded, and Mana returned to her room. At least she could get a few more hours of sleep before she had to get ready for the day.
When morning came she knocked on the guys' door. "Okay, Jaden, what's bothering you?" she asked when he answered.
"Nothing's bothering me," Jaden looked away.
"Jaden, I know you. If it was nothing, you wouldn't wake up screaming. You have nerves of steel. You're the only one of us who wasn't afraid when we went to the Abandoned Dorm. Something is on your mind. So tell me."
"Mana, I'm telling you nothing is wrong," Jaden insisted.
"Then let's duel," she challenged him. "You always say you'll learn what you need in a duel. So let's do it."
"But what about the Spirit Keys?" he asked. "Won't the duel risk them?"
"Now I know something's bothering you," Mana looked past him to Syrus and Chumley. "Guys, hold our Spirit Keys for us." She took off hers and tossed it to Syrus. Jaden followed suit and tossed his to Chumley. They descended the stairs to the open area outside the dorm and readied their duel disks.
"It's time to duel, Jaden!" Mana yelled.
"Get your game on, Mana!" Jaden called back to her.
"Oh, I will," Mana took the first draw. "I summon Chocolate Magician Girl (1600/1000) in attack mode." A blue-haired magician in a dark blue tube top and mini skirt appeared on her field. "Next I'll activate Chocolate Magician Girl's effect. She lets me discard a spellcaster from my hand to draw a card. Then I'll end my turn with a face-down."
"Then it's my turn!" Jaden drew. "I play Polymerization to fuse Avian and Burstinatrix into the Elemental Hero Flame Wingman (2100/1200)!" The green and red warrior hovered on his field. "Then I'm going to play the field spell Skyscraper!" Tall buildings surrounded them. Mana glared at them. "Now, Flame Wingman, attack Chocolate Magician Girl with Sky Dive Scorcher!"
"When Chocolate Magician Girl is attacked, she can call on a spellcaster from my Graveyard, and your attack is redirected to her. So say hello to Dark Magician Girl!" The blue-and-pink clad spellcaster materialized on her field. "And your Flame Wingman's attack points are cut in half!"
"It's a good thing I have Skyscraper then. When Flame Wingman is the underdog, he gains an extra 1000 attack points." Jaden's hero now beat Dark Magician Girl by 50 attack points.
"I reveal my face-down card! Magician's Defense! As long as I control a spellcaster, any damage I take is cut in half!" Mana lost 25 LifePoints from Flame Wingman's battle with Dark Magician Girl, and then his effect inflicted another 1000 points of damage to her, dropping her down to 2975.
"Nice combo," Jaden said. "I'll throw down a face-down and play Mirage of Nightmare."
"I bet I know what card that face-down is," Mana smirked. "Draw your four cards."
"You know me," Jaden grinned and drew. "And if you guessed my face-down was Emergency Provisions, you were right." He destroyed Mirage boosted his LifePoints to 5000.
"Now that that's out of the way, I summon Berry Magician Girl in attack mode." A toddler magician in pink and teal burst onto Mana's field in a shower of sparkles. "When Berry Magician Girl is summoned, I can add a Magician Girl from my deck to my hand. I choose Lemon Magician Girl. And then I'll activate Chocolate Magician Girl's effect to discard Magician's Valkyria and draw a card. Then I'll end my turn with a face-down card."
"Then it's my go!" Jaden took his turn. "I play Fusion Sage to add Polymerization from my deck to my hand. Then I'm going to play it to fuse Sparkman with my Flame Wingman to create the Elemental Hero Shining Flare Wingman (2500/2100)." The white and green warrior materialized in a flash of light on Jaden's field. "Shining Flare Wingman gains 300 attack points for every Elemental Hero in my graveyard, making his attack points 3700. "Your magicians can't beat this."
"Not on their own," Mana smirked. "I activate my face-down card: Dimension Reflector! By removing two monsters on my field from play, the Dimension Reflector summons a mirror monster that reflects that stats of your Wingman." A mirror encased Chocolate Magician Girl and Berry Magician Girl. "And when this mirror is summoned, it deals you damage equal to its attack points." Jaden's LifePoints fell to 1300. "Attack me if you dare."
Jaden looked to Syrus and Chumley before scanning the cards in his hand. That must be it. Mana finally realized what was bothering her friend. He's afraid that losing will cause the others to get hurt. I know Atem and I told him to take the Shadow Games seriously, and he should, but he shouldn't be afraid of losing every duel. Mana resolved to win to prove her point.
"It's over, Mana!" Jaden yelled. "I play the spell Kishido Spirit! Now my monsters can't be destroyed if they battle a monster with the same attack points."
"Aw, man," Mana didn't have anything to stop Jaden's attack. "Of all the cards for you to have."
"Yep, you know what that means," Jaden grinned. "Shining Flare Wingman, destroy the Dimension Reflector with Solar Flare!" The Elemental Hero's attack vaporized Mana's mirror. "And don't forget his super power. You take damage equal to your monster's attack points, and since you don't have a spellcaster anymore, your Magicians' Defense won't halve the damage."
Mana shielded her eyes as her LifePoints fell to zero. "Good match, Jaden."
"That's game," Jaden gave his victory salute. "I can so keep it up."
Well, that didn't work as well as I'd hoped. Even if Jaden was acting like his cheerful self, Mana could still see the worry in his eyes. Maybe she should ask Atem or Zane to duel him. That might snap him out of it.
"Oh, shoot! I gotta go!" Mana forgot she was supposed to meet Atem at the pool. Since they didn't have class, they thought it would be a good time to meet up and relax. Mana ran up the stairs to her room. She tossed her swimsuit and towel into a bag before sending her brother a message on her PDA.
"Wait, Mana!" Syrus called to her. "You forgot your Key!"
"Shoot! Thanks, Syrus!"
"Where are you going?" he asked.
"I promised Atem I'd meet him at pool. I'm late so I gotta hurry!"
"The pool actually sounds like a good idea," Jaden said. "Mind if we join you?"
"Yeah sure, meet you there!" Mana took off running. It was the longest sprint she'd had to do since they went chasing after Damon and the Eggwich. She found the girls' locker room and changed into her one-piece sky blue swimsuit and wrapped her towel around her neck, keeping her Spirit Key on. If the magic was strong enough that it could only be taken in a duel, a little water wasn't going to hurt it. Mana headed to the wading pool in search of Atem.
He was waiting for her at the entrance, clad in his dark blue swim trunks. "There you are. What took you so long?"
"I stopped to duel Jaden. Sadly, he beat me."
"Why were you dueling Jaden?"
As they found a spot to dive in, Mana told him about Jaden having nightmares and her suspicions that he was afraid to lose. "I'm really torn about what to do. On one hand, Shadow Games are serious and things don't end well for the loser, but on the other hand, if Jaden plays like he's afraid to lose, he probably will. His fighting style thrives on not being afraid what his opponent does. And either way he can't just avoid losing a duel forever."
"So let me guess, you want me to duel him?" Atem reasoned.
"Or Zane. You two have the best chance of beating Jaden, and Zane's already done it once."
"Okay, I'll try to talk to him later," Atem promised.
"Geronimo!" A surge of water splashed over them. Brown hair popped up next to Mana, making her shriek. Jaden laughed at her reaction. "Gotcha!"
Mana splashed water at him. "Not funny, Jaden!"
Syrus and Chumley dove in, and another wave crashed over the group. "Okay, is everyone finished jumping in?" Mana asked.
"Maybe with jumping," Jaden grinned, splashing water at her.
Mana splashed water back at him, which encouraged Syrus and Chumley to join in. Atem took the opportunity to duck below the water's surface. Avoiding the freshmen's antics, he slipped away, and while his sister was distracted, he surfaced and shoved water at the four of them.
"That's it!" Mana's wand appeared in her hand. Breaking away from the group, she swiped it horizontally in front of her, creating a tidal wave that crashed into the four guys.
Five guys surfaced when the water calmed. "What the heck?" Chazz yelled at them.
"Sorry, Chazz," Mana grinned sheepishly. "I didn't know you were there."
"Yeah, maybe don't use magic here," Atem told her, shaking water out of his hair. Even wet, it still stood up in gravity-defying spikes.
Mana stuck her tongue out at him. "Well don't gang up on me, and I won't have to."
Syrus's response was to splash water at her and then at Chazz. The two of them chased after the blue-haired Slifer, starting another water fight. Chumley joined in after a few minutes, and Chazz was soon the one ganged up on, much to his displeasure.
Atem and Jaden were about to join in when Winged Kuriboh called. They turned toward the sound and saw him going off to a remote area of the pool. Figuring something was up, they followed him.
Mana spotted Jaden and Atem swimming farther away as; she just saw Winged Kuriboh before he disappeared. What's going on? She swam after them, gaining the attention of the other guys. Des Koala appeared to guide them as well. When they hit a certain spot in the water, some force pulled them under, and a light blinded them.
When they landed, they were fully clothed in a cavern. Right above them was a hole in the ceiling filled with water—the way they just came from. Several Duel Spirits surrounded them. Mana recognized most of them from her binder of stories.
"My glasses," Syrus felt the area around them. "I can't see without my glasses."
"Okay, Velma," Mana looked around for them. Des Koala handed them to Syrus.
"Thanks, Chumley," Syrus said to the spirit.
"We're in some kind of Spirit World," Chumley concluded.
"Wait a sec, Chumley?" Syrus looked between his friend and the one who handed him his glasses. He screamed at the koala next to him. "Des Koala?"
"Who brought us here and why?" Atem questioned. "Someone had to bring us to the Spirit World."
"I don't know, but it's kind of bizarre," Jaden answered.
"Who are you calling bizarre?" the leader of the spirits stood over them. He wore a black long-sleeved shirt and black pants with a red vest and a white open trench coat similar to Seto Kaiba's. His long reddish-brown hair trailed down his back, and his face was obscured by a helmet resembling the Blue-Eyes White Dragon.
"No way," Mana said. "It's Kaibaman."
"So, are you the one that brought us all here?" Jaden asked. "The one that's in charge of this place?" He tensed. "Or is this all some Shadow Rider scheme?"
Kaibaman smirked. "You ask a lot of questions. But you won't get any answers unless you take me on in a duel now."
He even sounds like Uncle Seto. Mana tensed as Jaden readied his duel disk against the Duel Spirit's challenge. "From the looks of you, I'd say you accept my challenge. But from what I sense, I'm not so sure. I sense fear." Jaden grimaced at Kaibaman's words. "Yes, deep fear. Fear that you'll lose and you and your friends will pay most dearly."
Kaibaman knows. He knows Jaden's afraid of losing. But how? Mana watched the spirit who resembled her uncle warily. Anyone who knew Jaden could tell he was nervous about something; Chazz even offered to duel in his place, but Jaden refused to back down. Maybe this is what Jaden needs.
Kaibaman showed off the Blue-Eyes White Dragon as a card Jaden would have to face in the duel. "Man, Airi's going to be jealous when she hears we got to meet Kaibaman and watch him duel with Blue-Eyes," Mana said to Atem.
"Yeah, she loves those cards," he answered.
"Wait, who's Airi?" Syrus asked.
"Friend of ours back home," Mana told him. "Airi Kaiba. She's supposed to start here next year. Her two favorite cards are Blue-Eyes White Dragon and Kaibaman. Which shouldn't be a surprise considering her parents." (1)
"But knowing her, she's going to say her dad's better anyway," Atem grinned. "But yeah, she's not going to be happy knowing she missed this."
Jaden started the duel with Elemental Hero Bubbleman (800/1200), and since there were no other cards on his field when Bubbleman was summoned, he could draw two cards. Jaden ended his turn by equipping Bubbleman with Bubble Blaster.
"Hey, is it true Kaiba designed Kaibaman himself?" Chazz asked.
"No, he didn't," Atem answered.
"Pegasus designed it as a joke to Uncle Seto," Mana explained. "Especially since both Uncle Mokie and Airi have always considered him their heroes. Pegasus gave the first copy to Airi when she was seven. I think it's still her favorite birthday present."
"I don't know how many copies are in circulation," Atem added. "The card is really only useful to the Kaibas. No one else has Blue-Eyes."
Kaibaman summoned himself, and then tributed his doppelganger to summon Kaiba's most famous monster: Blue Eyes White Dragon (3000/2500).
"Not him," Jaden said.
"Yo, Jaden," Mana called to her friend. "Blue-Eyes is a girl."
"Since when?" he asked.
"Since always," she answered. "I'll tell you later."
The dragon roared and attacked Bubbleman with its White Lightning. Luckily for Jaden, Bubble Blaster negated the hero's destruction and kept Jaden from taking damage. He then fused Bubbleman and Clayman into Mudballman (1900/3000), an equal defense to Kaibaman's Blue-Eyes White Dragon. Kaibaman was unfazed by Jaden's new hero and activated his Burst Stream of Destruction spell.
"Isn't that an attack that the Blue-Eyes uses?" Jaden asked.
"What's it doing as a separate card?" Chazz added.
"It's like my Dark Magic Attack spell or Nightshroud's Inferno Fire Blast," Mana explained. "As long as the corresponding monster is on the field, the spells can devastate the opponent. Fortunately for Jaden, Blue-Eyes won't be able to attack when her spell is used."
The Burst Stream of Destruction wiped out Mudballman, clearing Jaden's field. Then Kaibaman summoned Manju of the Ten Thousand Hands (1400/1000), allowing him to add White Dragon Ritual to his hand. He played his ritual spell, sacrificed Manju, and summoned Paladin of White Dragon (1900/1200). The Paladin attacked Jaden, knocking his LifePoints down to 2100. To finish his move, Kaibaman sacrificed the Paladin to summon a second Blue-Eyes White Dragon.
"This is bad," Syrus said. "Dealing with one was hard enough. Now Jay's gotta face two of them?"
"Looks like the card based on Kaiba's a chip off the old block," Chazz added. "Jaden better hope that deck of his isn't an exact copy or he's in for it."
"Chazz is right," Atem said. "The only person to ever defeat Uncle Seto in a fair fight is Dad. As far as I can tell, it is the same deck, but Kaibaman isn't Uncle Seto. I'm having a hard time believing he's actually a Shadow Rider though."
"Same," Mana said, "though that might be because I don't want to imagine someone who looks so much like Uncle Seto being set on destroying the other world."
"It's your move," Kaibaman passed the duel to Jaden.
"It's about time," Jaden still had some tricks up his sleeve. By playing Monster Reincarnation, he was able to discard Necroshade to get Clayman back in his hand. And since Necroshade was now in the graveyard, he could summon Bladedge (2600/1800) without a tribute. Then he played Skyscraper, boosting Bladedge's attack points by a thousand. The hero sliced through one the dragons, and Kaibaman's LifePoints fell to 3400. Jaden ended his turn with a face-down card. "And to think I was worried I'd lose," Jaden grinned. "Well not anymore."
"Is that so?" Kaibaman asked, amused.
"For sure," Jaden answered. "I'm so over my fear. The trick is to take what you're scared of, and not let it happen."
Jaden, it's not that simple. Mana and Atem exchanged a look. If there was one thing they learned from their parents' stories, it was that not every bad thing can be prevented.
"Not let it happen?" Kaibaman mocked the Slifer. "Anything can happen. Do you really think by beating one Blue-Eyes you've won this duel? You've avoided that defeat you fear? I think not. You're a long way from winning this contest. And Blue-Eyes is a long way from being beat!"
"I don't believe you!" Jaden yelled at the spirit.
"It's true," Kaibaman grinned. "Like it or not, your fate and the fate of your friends all still hang in the balance. You have to accept that and face it head on! This is how a true duelist lives. Not afraid of the thought of defeat, but always prepared to accept it. This is the nature of dueling, and it's high time that you learn it."
"That really sounds like Uncle Seto," Mana said.
"He would know better than most people," Atem added. "He was undefeated until he dueled Dad. Now he accepts that losing to Dad is a part of dueling."
"Not so much losing to other people," Mana laughed.
"But he knows now that no victory is for sure until the duel is truly over," Atem said.
Kaibaman started his move with Silent Doom, resurrecting Blue-Eyes in defense mode. Then he played Polymerization to fuse the two dragons on the field with the one in his hand to summon Blue-Eyes Ultimate Dragon (4500/3800).
"His deck really is the same as Seto Kaiba's," Chazz said.
"Now Airi's really going to be jealous," Mana chimed in.
The Ultimate Dragon attacked Bladedge, but Jaden countered with his trap Edge Hammer. By sacrificing Bladedge, he could destroy Blue-Eyes, and Kaibaman would take damage equal to the dragon's attack points. Kaibaman chained his De-Fusion, splitting Ultimate Dragon back into three separate dragons and taking away Edge Hammer's target. Jaden was now defenseless against three of the legendary Blue-Eyes White Dragons. The three dragons attacked, wiping out the rest of Jaden's LifePoints.
Jaden collapsed to the ground. Mana ran to help him. "Are you okay?"
"Are the others?" he asked.
Kaibaman stood over them. "Defeat is nothing to be scared off, Jaden," he said. "What matters is if you can get up after."
"Wait, are you telling me this entire duel was to teach me that?" Jaden asked as he stood up.
"Tell me, are you afraid now?" Kaibaman asked.
"Actually, no I'm really not," Jaden grinned.
"And that is because you've faced it. You've lost, and you're okay. And so are they," the duel spirit pointed to the rest of the group as they came bounding over.
"Thank you for your help," Mana turned to see Dark Magician Girl come from deeper in the cavern.
"Dark Magician Girl!" hearts appeared in Syrus's eyes.
"Syrus, not now," Atem nudged the blue-haired Slifer.
"My pleasure," Kaibaman answered the blonde spellcaster.
"Wait, you two know each other?" Mana looked between the two spirits.
"Whom do you think asked him to face you?" Dark Magician Girl grinned. "Jaden needed a push, and sometimes a threatening rival does that better than a kind friend. Winged Kuriboh and I realized that during your duel this morning, so we brought you here. We had to ask someone you hadn't already met, or you would see through our plan."
"So which dimension are we in?" Atem asked.
"We're underneath the castle where the crystal statues of the Legendary Dragons once stood."
"Cool! Can we see it?" Mana asked.
Dark Magician Girl winked. "Maybe another time. But for now you must return to your own world."
"Good," Chazz grumbled. "This place is low-rent."
"Leave it to me," Dark Magician Girl pointed her wand at the group. "I recommend closing your eyes for this. And you might want to hold your breath too."
Water gushed from below them, forcing them upward. Mana broke to the surface of the water and gasped for air. Atem the others were right behind her. A look around showed they were back in the Academy pool and in their swimsuits. The sun was starting to set, so they grabbed their towels and exited the pool, heading back to their dorms.
On the way back, Mana saw Winged Kuriboh hovering around Jaden. "By the way, thanks, buddy," Jaden said to the spirit. "And tell Dark Magician Girl thank-you for me too."
"We've always got your back, Jaden," Mana told him. Dark Magician Girl appeared next to her. "Just remember to rely on us every now and again."
ΩΩΩΩΩΩΩΩΩΩΩΩΩΩΩΩΩΩΩΩΩΩΩΩΩΩΩΩΩΩΩΩΩΩΩΩΩΩΩΩΩΩΩΩΩΩΩΩΩΩΩΩ
Mana stood in the doorway to Chazz's room with Jaden and Syrus. She could tell Chazz was stressed out, again, and her two friends had to poke the bear with a stick by inviting themselves in, kicking their shoes off, and jumping on Chazz's king-size bed like it was a trampoline.
"Guys, now's not the time to be messing around," Mana chastised them. "And just so you guys know, it's a bad sign when I have to be the responsible one. Chazz, Chancellor Sheppard needs to see you. It's really important."
"Sheppard? Why?" Chazz asked.
"He didn't go into details, but we need to go see him now," she answered.
"I'm coming," Chazz shoved Jaden and Syrus off his bed, and they headed to the chancellor's office.
Sheppard explained that someone was attempting to buy out Duel Academy, and if they succeeded they would get rid of all the students and professors and shut it down. As owner, Kaiba agreed as long as the buyer could beat one of the students in a duel. The selected student was Chazz.
Banner turned on the video phone as the potential buyers called. Mana clenched her hands into fists at the appearance of Chazz's brothers. "Lousy scrubs. What do you want?" the youngest Princeton asked.
"Remember?" Slade grinned at Jagger. "World domination. It was our little family project."
"Your project maybe," Chazz scowled at his brothers.
"Well now it pretty much has to be," Slade scowled back at him.
"That's right," Jagger agreed. "Because you couldn't pull your weight. You couldn't conquer the world of Duel Monsters like we planned. So now Slade has to do it for you."
"I can't believe Seto Kaiba is willing to do business with you two," Mana spat. "Especially with the way you treat Chazz. You guys suck as older brothers."
"Stop, Mana," Chazz put his arm in front of her, ending her tirade against his brothers before she really got started. "So I'm dueling Slade?"
"You can beat him, Chazz," Syrus encouraged the black-haired student. Mana and Jaden voiced their agreement.
Slade shot down their enthusiasm with the terms of the duel. He got to use all the rare cards Chazz refused to use in his duel against Mana, and Chazz could only use monsters that had less than 500 attack points. Kaiba had already agreed to the terms of the duel, so there was nothing they could do but let Chazz fight with such an unfair handicap.
"You guys really do suck!" Mana yelled at them. "You think playing by these rules will make you the top duelist, but all it does is make you look like you can't fight a fair duel. That you need special rules to win, and you're afraid to face a real duelist! Chazz will still beat you and kick your sorry butts back to your fancy overpriced yacht!"
"We'll see about that," the elder Princetons laughed and ended the video call.
"We'd better go pack up," Chazz turned and left the room. "Duel Academy is through."
The other Slifers chased after him. "Chazz, wait," Mana called to him, ignoring the whispers and taunts of the other students. "You can do this."
"No, I can't," Chazz kept his back to her.
"Yes, you can," Mana insisted. "You forget that I actually know the school's owner. Uncle Seto wouldn't have agreed to these terms if he didn't believe you could actually do it. Remember he's seen you duel too. He knows what you're capable of."
"I'm with Mana," Jaden chimed in. "You're a tough duelist, and we know because we've dueled you."
"They're right," Bastion and Alexis joined them.
"But he's too tough." Mana jumped at Zane's voice behind her. She almost elbowed him like she would Atem but stopped herself. Zane would probably be less than appreciative if she did. "It's about Chazz not being able to even duel," Zane continued. "His deck isn't built with monster s with less than 500 attack points."
"All my cards are too powerful," Chazz explained. "My deck is useless because of the condition by brothers set up. All I've got left is him." He held up Ojama Yellow.
Yeah, Ojama Yellow is an acquired taste. Mana rolled her eyes as everyone recoiled from the card. Banner told them from his spot on the nearby stairway about a rumor passed around. Deep in the woods was a well full of cards discarded by duelists because they were too weak. Though the spirits would be angry for being left behind. I would be too. Who could disrespect their cards like that? Though if it's true, they could help us save the Academy.
Chazz resolved to go find the well, and Mana and Jaden agreed to go with him. Or at least they agreed they were going and ignored Chazz's decision to go alone. "Chilling out with the crew in the school yard! Finding trouble, never looking to hard!" Jaden sang as they walked.
"Jaden, you're off-key," Mana teased her friend.
"You saying you could do better?" Jaden challenged her.
"Not really, but I've jammed out to my friend Joan's music more often than I care to admit," she answered. "She always has music blaring when she tinkers, and she sings along. She's got a great voice."
"Did you both have to follow me?" Chazz interrupted. "I don't need help."
"But who's going to look out for you if you get jumped by angry duel spirits?" Jaden asked. "I mean, the whole Academy's counting on you."
"Give me a break," Chazz said.
"Even if the angry spirits part is a rumor, we still have Shadow Riders to worry about," Mana pointed out. "I think it's better if those of us guarding the keys stay in groups.
"I'll give you that," Chazz relented before almost walking into a glowing white form. The three Slifers jumped at the sudden appearance. More white spirits circled the area around them before attacking the travelers. They fazed through the humans with no damage.
"Nothing happened," Jaden said as he checked himself for injuries.
"Of course not," Chazz said. "Remember, these are weak spirits. Kind of like the annoying roommate I got crashing in my deck."
"He can't be that bad," Mana said.
"You try living with him."
A little farther in the trio found their destination. Chazz unrolled his rope ladder and secured it; Mana led the decent into the well. Like Banner said, it was full of weak cards. Chazz could build just the deck he needed with them.
Before they could start collecting the cards, two spirits blocked their way. One was a skinny green creature with one eye and a wide mouth and long tongue; the other was a rounder black creature with a large nose and even larger mouth. Both wore red speedos. The two spirits attempted to chase the humans away because they had been abandoned by humans in the first place.
"Listen, we didn't leave you here, but somebody did because you're weak," Chazz said.
His words gave the two spirits a reality check, and they hugged each other and started sobbing. "Please, it's okay," Mana reached out to the spirits. "We need your help to save our school. You're Ojama Green and Ojama Black, right?"
"What's all the noise?" Ojama Yellow appeared on top of Chazz's head. "Black? Green? Is that you?" He jumped down to the other two spirits, and they twirled around, celebrating their family reunion.
"Aw, isn't that sweet," Mana smiled watching the Ojama brothers.
"It really is a family reunion," Jaden said.
"Maybe a dysfunctional one," Chazz grumbled as he turned to leave.
The Ojamas grumbled at Chazz's attitude, insisting that he take them with him. The other spirits of the well begged to be taken too. "Fine," Chazz relented. "Anyone who wants to can come with me." The spirits cheered. "But there's one condition." He didn't get say anything else as he was swarmed with hugs from the abandoned spirits. He really is a good guy deep down. He just doesn't want to show it. Mana smiled at Chazz's acceptance of the spirits.
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The time for the duel finally came. Mana and Jaden had helped Chazz assemble his new deck, and she watched with nervous anticipation as her friend stared down his older brother. The duel started, and Chazz summoned Soul Tiger (0/2100) in defense mode.
Slade laughed at his little brother's move and played Polymerization, fusing Lord of Dragons and Divine Dragon Ragnarok into King Dragun (2400/1100). King Dragun allowed him to special summon his Luster Dragon #2 (2400/1400). Both Dragons attacked, destroying Chazz's Soul Tiger and knocking his LifePoints down to 1600.
Chazz could only keep up his defense and set a monster. Slade normal summoned Luster Dragon (1900/1600) and then special summoned Hyozanryu (2100/2800) with King Dragun's effect. He attacked Chazz's monster, intent on ending the duel right then and there. The destruction of the monster unleashed a swarm of demons, courtesy of Unhappy Maiden (0/100), and ended Slade's battle phase. Chazz continued with Spirit of the Breeze (0/1800) in defense mode and activated The Dark Door, preventing either player from attacking with more than one monster each turn. Slade destroyed Spirit, and Chazz kept his defense with Catnipped Kitty (0/500).
Slade grinned at his draw, setting the card face-down. Then he had King Dragun attack the Kitty. Chazz made his draw, and Slade revealed his face-down card: Dust Tornado. A swirling brown storm swept away The Dark Door, leaving Chazz defenseless on the next turn.
Chazz remained unfazed by the trap and played his Painful Choice spell. He selected five cards from his deck, and Slade chose which one to add to Chazz's hand. The rest went to the graveyard. Slade went with the only card that wasn't a monster: Thunder Crash, to Chazz's expectations. Then Chazz played Enchanted Fitting Room, paying 800 LifePoints to allow him to flip over four cards and summon any level three or lower monsters among them. Ojama Yellow (0/1000), Black (0/1000), and Green (0/1000) materialized on his field in attack mode.
"Don't tell me you pinned the hopes of saving your little academy on those three twerps," Slade laughed at the colored brothers.
"Yeah, I did, and you're about to see why!" Chazz yelled at him. "Sure, they look funny, they smell real bad, nobody even likes them, and they won't shut up, but these three taught me something important. That good bros support each other!"
"You tell him, Chazz!" Mana cheered for him
"So I'm not a good bro?" Slade sneered.
"That's right," Chazz spat, "which is why I don't feel bad about doing this." He played the spell Ojama Delta Hurricane. The three Ojamas stood back-to-back and started spinning, faster and faster. They circled Slade's field, and his monsters were destroyed in the Ojama blur. Continuing his combo, Chazz activated Thunder Crash, sacrificing the Ojamas to inflict 900 points of damage to Slade's LifePoints. Finally Chazz summoned Chaos Necromancer (0/0), which gained 300 attack points for every monster in Chazz's graveyard. Chazz had eleven, so the necromancer's points rose to 3300. He attacked Slade directly, wiping out the rest of the elder Princeton's LifePoints. "You go bye-bye!" Chazz yelled as the attack hit its mark.
"Way to go, Chazz!" Mana cheered for him, and the rest of the students joined in.
"You know the cheer!" the victor yelled to the crowd, prompting them to yell his catchphrase. "Chazz it up!"
"Great job," Mana congratulated him on their way back to the Slifer dorm. "I never doubted you for a minute."
"Thanks," Chazz grinned as he stopped at his room. All of his adopted spirits hovered in his already cramped living space. "Hey, do you want to adopt some of these guys?"
Mana grinned and shook her head. "You promised them they could live with you. If they want to come with me, I'll let them. But I think they like you."
Chazz groaned and entered the chaos of his room. Mana laughed and headed up the stairs to hers.
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Mana woke to the sounds of barrel guns firing. She grabbed her wand and ran out of her room. The guys' door was open, and the firing sound continued. Mana spotted a black-haired figure in the doorway and fired her magic, knocking him to the ground. The firing stopped, and a hologram of Barrel Dragon disappeared.
"Bastion?" Mana cautiously checked person she attacked.
"That's waking up with a bang," Jaden said from next to his bed.
"What hit me?" Bastion asked.
"Sorry," Mana apologized. "I thought the guys were under attack."
"No, it was just me," the Ra said. Mana offered a hand and helped him up. "But now that we're all awake, how about some good old-fashioned daybreak duel exercises?"
Before they could really object, they were up and down by the cliff drawing cards to Bastion's count. I get this probably works for Bastion, but I don't see how. It doesn't matter how fast you actually draw the card in a duel, unless someone decides to make that a challenge.
"Whoa, you have Thunder Nyan Nyan?" Chumley noticed one of the cards Syrus drew during their exercise.
"Yeah, I kind of have a bit of a card crush on her," Syrus said sheepishly.
"Card crush? That's so lame," Chumley pulled out his card. "At least having one on that card. Check out mine."
Mana rolled her eyes at their discussion. "Syrus, I thought your crush was on Dark Magician Girl?"
"You're the one who keeps telling me to give up on that," Syrus said indignantly.
"Yeah because she's taken, and you can't see card spirits. Try talking to human girls and see where that gets you."
"So you don't have a card crush in your deck?" Syrus asked.
"Nope. If I ever have a crush, it's going to be on a human, not a Duel Spirit."
"What about you Jaden?" the blue-haired Slifer turned his attention to their friend. "Do you have a card crush in your deck?"
"You bet I do," Jaden grinned. "They bring loads of luck."
"Beg your pardon?" Bastion interrupted them. Right, we're supposed to being doing exercises with him. "I thought we were training here! And training, lady and gentlemen, does not comprise of standing around talking about birds!"
"I'm guessing Bastion doesn't have a card crush," Chumley said.
"A crush on a card?" the Ra repeated. "Of course not! That's just plain irrational, illogical, ridiculous!"
Mana decided to test a theory and took her out her White Magician Pikeru, holding it up for Bastion to see. He refused to attack this during our duel. I bet this is why. Bastion blushed at the sight of the card and shook his head. "Look, let's just get back to our duel exercises, all right?" he insisted.
"Sure, but I do have plans to play Solitaire with Thunder Nyan Nyan in about 15," Syrus grinned.
Bastion scowled. "You'll be breaking that date, and soon breaking a sweat! Now, back to our duel training!"
"And back to the doghouse for me," Syrus grumbled. "She hates it when I cancel on her."
Mana rolled her eyes as they continued Bastion's training regime.
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There were several students absent from Professor Banner's class that day. If Mana had been more awake, she would have thought it was odd, but she was struggling to stay awake as it was. Jaden, Syrus, and Chumley were already asleep next to her. Mana was just starting to drift off when a woman came in searching for Banner. She held up a bag for him, which he recognized as belonging to one of the absent students. Knowing something was wrong, Banner dismissed the class and led the Spirit Key wielders in the class along with Syrus and Chumley in search of the missing students.
Their search led them deep into the forest. Eventually they found a coliseum that appeared to be new. "Where did this come from?" Jaden asked.
"I don't know, but I'm going in," Bastion declared, heading for the entrance.
"Wait," Atem blocked their way.
"Prince? Why aren't you in class?" Mana asked.
"Dr. Crowler never showed up," he explained. "A lot of other students were missing too, so I went to investigate. Some woman showed up and offered people rare cards if they helped build this place for her. I can't tell if she's using some kind of spell or not, but I think she's a Shadow Rider. I didn't want to charge in until I knew for sure, so I've been using Kuriboh to scout out the area." The little brown furball came bouncing over and landed on the Obelisk's shoulder, nuzzling him happily.
"Well now the cavalry's here, so we can go in no problem," Mana grinned and took off running. Bastion and Jaden were right behind her.
Inside they found the missing students and Dr. Crowler. All were hard at work building just like Atem said. Before they could intervene, a tiger appeared and started chasing them. Mana whipped out her wand and fired a spell, the same one she used on Bastion that morning. The tiger skidded back a few feet and stared her down.
"Mana, I think you made it angry," Syrus said from the top of the pillar he and everyone else had climbed.
"Good, it did the same to me," she said. "No one attacks my friends and gets away with it. So who's running this place? Some gladiator?"
"It's Amazon," a woman called off her tiger. She was tall and muscled, wearing a gray-green sleeveless shirt that showed off her muscular arms and black pants with a cream stripe going down each leg. Her hands were covered by black and gold gauntlets, and her silver duel disk was shaped like a large blade. Her auburn hair was pulled into a high pointed, and two scars ran down the right side of her face. Her blue eyes watched them in delight. "And thanks to your friends, I've been able to finally finish my glorious arena."
"Let me guess: a dueling arena?" Atem asked. Kuriboh chirped next to him.
"You got it," the woman called her tiger over to her, allowing everyone to drop down from the pillar. She then handed everyone who was working rare cards, like Atem said she had promised. "Who knew Duel Academy students made such fine laborers?"
"What is going on?" Jaden asked.
"What does it look like?" The woman grinned at them. "I'm setting the stage, Key Keeper, for your vanquishing."
"So you are a Shadow Rider," Mana held her wand steady at the woman.
"That's right," the woman answered. "The name is Tania, and now that the battleground has been established, it's time that we battle. Now then, which of you big strong men will it be? After all, I would never harm a sister."
"What, you think we can't take you?" Mana started to lunge at the Amazon, but Atem held her back.
"Don't do us any favors," Alexis spat at the Shadow Rider.
Jaden, Chazz, and Bastion all stepped forward to face her. Atem continued to hold onto his sister to keep her from doing anything rash. Tania looked over each of the three and selected Bastion as her opponent.
"So what's your name?" Tania asked him with a smile.
"Bastion. Bastion Misawa."
"Be careful, Bastion," Mana called to her friend.
"Go get her!" Jaden yelled.
"And don't easy because she's a girl!" Syrus added.
Both players had to decide which of their decks to use. Bastion had his six attribute decks, and Tania had her deck of knowledge and her deck of courage. She let Bastion choose, and he opted to face the knowledge deck; he chose to use his earth deck. Tania also revealed the duel would not be a Shadow Game. She wasn't interested in collecting souls like the last two Shadow Riders—she wanted to make Bastion her husband.
Tania started the duel with Amazoness Swordswoman (1500/1600) in attack mode. Mana knew she would be a challenge, especially since her effect would deal Bastion the battle damage know matter who won the fights she was in. Tania ended her turn by setting a card.
Bastion brought out his Magnet Warrior Σ+ (1800/1500) in attack mode. Unfazed by the Swordswoman's effect, his Warrior attacked and destroyed her, taking the 300 points of damage. Tania revealed her face-down card: Pride of Tribe. It allowed her to summon another Amazoness Swordswoman from her deck. Bastion set a card and ended his turn.
"So much for Bastion taking the lead in monsters," Mana said.
"It's still early," Atem pointed out.
"Though I'm thinking it's been a couple of years since Tania's interacted with a guy," Syrus commented on the Amazon flirting with her opponent.
"Try a couple of decades," Jaden countered. "This lady is man-crazy."
Tania summoned Amazoness Blowpiper (800/1500) in attack mode, and Bastion chained his face-down: Magnet Force Minus. It turned the Blowpiper into a minus monster, forcing it to battle Σ+ that turn since opposites attract. The Shadow Rider countered with Amazoness Spellcaster, switching the original attack stats of the two magnetically charged monsters. Blowpiper now overpowered Σ+, and Amazoness Swordswoman attacked directly, knocking the Ra down to 1200 LifePoints.
"Uh-oh, I think she's starting to get to him," Mana saw Bastion starting to lose his composure. "It doesn't help he doesn't know anything about her deck. He isn't thinking through her ability to counter his plays, so he's walking right into them."
"Another miscalculation and it'll be game over for him," Atem added.
"Bastion!" Mana called to him. "Calm down and shut everything else out. You can do this. Remember to prepare for the unexpected!"
Bastion pulled himself together and activated Magnet Conductor Plus to add Σ+ back to his hand. Then he discarded his recovered Magnet Warrior and Magnet Warrior Ω- to special summon Conduction Warrior Linear Magnum ± (2700/1300) in attack mode. Magnum ± received half the attack points of another magnet monster, in this case Amazoness Blowpiper, and it attacked, destroying the Blowpiper. Tania's LifePoints fell to 1700. Bastion ended his turn with two face-downs.
Tania drew and sent Amazoness Swordswoman in to attack, intent on her effect to end the duel and wipe out Bastion's LifePoints, but Bastion countered with the spell Power Off, sacrificing Magnum ± and resurrecting Magnet Warrior Ω- (1900/600) and Magnet Warrior Σ+ in attack mode. Tania canceled her attack and summoned Amazoness Paladin (1700/300) in attack position, and the Paladin gained 100 attack points for each of Tania's Amazoness monsters. Tania finished her turn by setting two cards.
Mana felt a shift in the air as Tania continued to flirt with Bastion, and he started to give into the Amazon's charm. Is she using some kind of magic now? It's not a Shadow Game. That much I'm sure. But it's definitely something. "Bastion, snap out of it and win this!" she called to him.
Bastion's face was still flushed red as he brought out Magnet Warrior Σ- (1500/1800). Then he revealed his face-down card: 100,000 Gauss. It weakened Amazoness Paladin by 800 points, giving him the apparent edge he needed to win the duel, but Tania countered with Dramatic Rescue, returning Paladin to her hand and replacing her with Amazoness Tiger (1100/500). The Tiger received 400 attack points for every Amazoness on the field, boosting it to 1900 points, and Bastion couldn't target any other Amazoness for an attack.
He sent his Ω- into destroy the Tiger in a double destruction, but the Amazon Shadow Rider revealed her Amazoness Archers. Each of Bastion's monsters lost 600 attack points and was forced to battle the Tiger. All three monsters were destroyed, and Bastion's LifePoints were wiped out.
"He walked right into that trap!" Chazz yelled. "What was he thinking?"
"With all the love talk, I don't think he was," Banner answered.
"I think she used more than just talk," Mana said. "I could be wrong, but I think she cast some kind of magic on him."
"I'm all yours," Bastion said as he collapsed. His Spirit Key disappeared, its magic unlocking the third Spirit Gate.
Mana and Jaden jumped down from the seating area and ran to their friend, but Tania's real tiger blocked their way. Mana pointed her wand at it again, but the tiger was unafraid this time and chased them out of the arena, leaving Bastion alone with Tania. Bars locked the entrance to the coliseum as soon as they were out. "Sorry, Bastion and I are officially on our honeymoon now. So get lost!" Tania's voice rang out.
Jaden pounded on the bars. "This isn't over!" he yelled at the Shadow Rider.
"We'll stop you!" Mana added. "Count on it."
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The group camped outside the coliseum all night, huddled around a fire and waiting for the gate to open so they could help their friend. Mana flipped through her spellbook, trying not to let Bastion's screams of agony get to her as she studied.
"I hate hearing Bastion suffer like that and not being able to help," Alexis said.
"No joke," Chazz said. "They've been dueling all night, and from those screams, it sounds like Bastion's been losing all night too."
"How long can this go on?" Professor Banner asked.
"Not much longer if I have anything to say about it," Mana answered without looking up from her book. "There has to be something in here I can use."
"Can't you just blast the doors open?" Syrus asked. "You blasted your way through the pillars holding us during Jaden's duel with Nightshroud."
"And I'd rather not end up in the infirmary again," Mana told him. "That takes a lot of power to do, and that's not entirely what I'm looking for."
"You think Tania cast some kind of spell on Bastion?" Atem looked over her shoulder at the spellbook.
"There's nothing else that can explain that feeling I had during the duel," she said. "I may not know every possible combo in Duel Monsters like you do, Prince, but if there's one thing I know at this point, it's magic."
"So how do we reverse it?" Chazz asked.
"If I knew that, I wouldn't still be searching through this thing. Though it would help if I knew for sure what kind of spell it was."
Their discussion was cut short as the bars to the coliseum entrance rose, and Bastion stumbled out of the arena. His face was red, and his eyes were dazed. Jaden caught him as he collapsed. The beaten Ra explained Tania dumped him because he couldn't defeat her, no matter which of his decks he used. But he was still smitten with her. She said she wanted a champion that could give her a duel to remember.
"Partner, Mahad, I think I'm going to need your help with this one," Mana called on the Dark Magicians. Their transparent forms appeared next to her. "What do you guys think?"
"It is an unusual spell," Dark Magician observed.
"Mahad, don't pretend you don't know what kind of spell it is," Dark Magician Girl chastised him. "You should know better than anyone it's a love spell. My previous mistress cast one on you when she got annoyed with you for not telling Isis how you felt. You made a fool of yourself until the Pharaoh and Seto removed the spell."
Everyone who could see the Duel Spirits laughed at her words. Dark Magician flushed red before regaining his dignified composure. "Okay, it's a love spell," he relented. "But it is unusual. Most love spells cause the recipient to fall in love with the first person they see. And yet, as the caster, she should be able to remove it at will, given her ability to use it with no wand, potion, or incantation. So if she's done with him, why didn't she just remove the spell?"
"Will it wear off?" Mana asked.
"It's hard to say," Dark Magician Girl answered. "Give him a day or so, and if it doesn't wear off by then, we'll have to take a more drastic approach."
"All right, let's get him home for now," Mana helped Bastion to his feet. "Come on, Bastion. It'll be okay."
Two days went by, and Bastion showed no signs of getting over the Amazon. Or no signs of her spell wearing off. The other Key guardians kept an eye on him, and they finally brought the Ra to the dueling arena to snap him out of it. He refused to duel without Tania, no matter how much the rest of the gang encouraged him to move on. Zane even pointed out that the world was at stake, but Bastion was ready to give up dueling if he couldn't have the feeling of passion he had during his duel with Tania.
"Okay, I think it's time for a more drastic approach," Mana tossed Dark Magician's card to Atem. "Prince, do me a favor and summon Mahad."
Her brother nodded. "Dark Magician, come forth!" The purple-robed spellcaster appeared before everyone. Mana's wand materialized in her hand, and the orb at the end glowed. Dark Magician Girl appeared next to her. Everyone else stared at the spellcasters in awe.
"Everyone, meet the Dark Magicians. Mahad, Partner, meet everyone. Now, were you able to learn anything else about this spell?" Mana said.
"It's not a spell!" Bastion insisted. "Tania and I were in love! Nothing can ever replace her in my heart!"
"Yeah, okay, Bastion," Mana rolled her eyes at him. "Leave the definition of magic to the experts." Dark Magician narrowed his blue eyes at her. "I meant you of course!" Mana raised her hands defensively.
"Anyway, based on what we know, I believe the spell originated from a Shadow Charm," Dark Magician stood in front of the love-struck Ra. "That would explain the lack of materials or incantation, but it also makes it difficult to break. The Shadow Charms are not as powerful as the Millennium Items were, but they are close. We'll need Tania's to break this spell."
"And the only way to get that is to defeat her in a duel," Atem concluded.
"There's more," Dark Magician Girl said. "The spell is tuned specifically to Tania, and she can cast it again if she chooses. But it will only have an effect on males."
"That leaves me and Alexis," Mana said. "Good, I was ready to kick her butt anyway. Come on, Bastion, we're going to go challenge her to a rematch."
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It was almost nightfall when Mana and Bastion led the way to the coliseum. As the group was about to enter, the bushes rustled behind them. Tania leapt from them, riding her tiger. "Tania," Bastion called to her.
"Can't you take a hint?" Tana asked the love-struck Ra. "I already dumped you."
"Then why not take off your spell?" Mana asked. "Either do that, or take me on in a duel."
"I already said I wouldn't duel a sister," the Amazon answered.
"Yeah, well there are two things you need to know about me," Mana scowled. "One, I don't like being told I can't do things because I'm a girl. Ask the guy with three colors in his hair. Two, no one gets away with hurting my friends. You hurt Bastion, and now you gotta deal with me."
"You got a lot of spunk," Tania said. "Fine, I'll take you on."
"You're going to need to come up with different stakes than you used on Bastion," Mana said once they entered the arena. "After all, I'm not the man you're looking for, and I'm pretty sure I'm not your type."
"Fine, if I win, I get your Spirit Key, and you have to join my tribe," Tania stated her terms. "I think my sisters would like you."
"Well that's not going to happen, because I'm going to win," Mana accepted the challenge. "And when I do, you have to release Bastion from your spell."
"What make you think I cast a spell on him?" Tania asked innocently.
"I'm a magician. I know magic," Mana said, activating her duel disk. "Now it's time to duel!"
"Bring it on!" the Amazon yelled.
"Oh, I will," Mana smirked as she drew. "I'll start with Berry Magician Girl (400/400) in defense mode." A toddler magician with strawberry blonde hair clad in pink and teal appeared on her field with translucent fairy wings.
"That little thing is going to put me in my place?" Tania laughed.
"Don't underestimate her," Mana said. "Especially since when Berry's summoned, she lets me add another Magician Girl from my deck to my hand. I choose Kiwi Magician Girl. Then I'll set one card face-down and end my turn."
"Then I'll just clip the little girl's wings," Tania said as she drew. "I summon Amazoness Paladin (1700/300)!" The female warrior materialized on her field, brandishing her sword at Berry Magician Girl. "And while Paladin's on the field, she gains an extra 100 attack points for every single monster out with Amazoness in its name. And I activate this: the spell known as Amazoness Charm. Now all the monsters on your field that are in defense mode are switched to attack mode, and they gain an extra 200 attack points." Berry Magician Girl waved her wand threateningly at the Paladin. "So are you enjoying the match?" Tania grinned.
"I'd be enjoying it a lot more if you weren't trying to steal the Spirit Keys or had hurt my friend."
"Well maybe you'll enjoy this: Amazoness Arena. When this card activates, we both gain 600 LifePoints. And it's not just fun, but captivating." A black cage rose from the ground, entrapping the two duelists. "See, Amazoness Arena is a sacred arena. In here, you don't just fight with your monsters, but with your soul."
"Oh, that sounds fun," Mana said sarcastically.
"Oh, it will be," Tania grinned. "But first Amazoness Paladin will destroy your Berry Magician Girl."
"You've activated her effect," Mana countered. "When Berry is attacked, I can change her battle position and summon one of her friends to help her. Say hello to my spirit partner, Dark Magician Girl!" The blonde spellcaster appeared on Mana's field.
"Paladin can still destroy your little pipsqueak," Tania said as the Paladin sliced through Berry Magician Girl. "And now you'll see the power of my arena! After our monsters are all done, your soul can battle mine. If you sacrifice a hundred of your LifePoints, you can take away a hundred of mine!"
"I play my trap! Magicians' Defense!" Mana revealed her face-down. "Now as long as I control a spellcaster, any and all damage I take is cut in half!"
"I'll still take you out," Tania was unfazed by Mana's trap and activated the arena.
"Don't expect me to back down," Mana also used the arena's ability. She dodged the Amazon's first blow and punched her in the side. Tania swung around and elbowed her in the ribs. Mana ended up with 4450 LifePoints, and Tania was left with 4400. They separated and caught their breath. "My Magicians' Defense is going to give me the advantage here," Mana smirked.
"We'll see about that, but nice right hook," Tania smirked back at her.
"Thanks, my uncles taught me," Mana said as she drew. "I play the spell Fissure! It destroys the monster on your field with the lowest attack points." A crater opened underneath the Amazoness Paladin and swallowed her. "Now, Dark Magician Girl, attack Tania with Dark Burning Attack!" The pink-and-blue clad spellcaster fired her magic at the Amazon. The blast knocked her flat on her back as her LifePoints fell to 2400. "You okay?" Mana cautiously asked.
"Not bad," Tania said as she stood up. "You'll fit right in with the tribe."
"Not going to happen," Mana continued her move, "especially since I'm fighting for a friend! I set two cards face-down and end my turn."
Tania leapt back to her feet and drew her card. "First I'll put down a face-down, and then I'll summon Amazoness Swordswoman in attack mode!" The warrior with the wild red hair and long curved sword appeared on Tania's field. "Make your move."
"I will!" Mana drew. "I summon Apple Magician Girl (1200/800) in attack mode." A magician with shoulder-length brown hair in a short red dress and hat appeared on her field with winged apples hovering around her. "Dark Magician Girl, attack Amazoness Swordswoman! Dark Burning Attack!"
"I've got my trap: Amazoness Archers! I can only use this rare card when you make the mistake of attacking a field that only has Amazoness monsters on it. Once you do, all your monsters lose 600 attack points. Not too shabby, huh? Especially since all your monsters have to battle mine."
"Good thing I have Enemy Controller!" Mana revealed one of her face-down cards. "It switches your Swordswoman into defense mode!" Both Magician Girls battled the Amazoness, and both duelists used the Arena's effect. Mana was grateful for all the fighting moves Joey and Tristan had taught her as the brawls kept coming. Mana's LifePoints fell to 3650, Tania's dropped to 2200. "I end my turn."
"Then it's my turn!" Tania said. "I summon a little card I like to call Amazoness Tiger (1100/1500)!" The white tiger appeared on Tania's field and growled menacingly at the spellcasters. "Actually, she's not very little because this kitty gains 400 attack points for every single Amazoness monster I have. She just loves company. And next I'll play the spell Amazoness Spellcaster. I'm sure you remember what it does. I get to switch the original attack points of one of my Amazoness with one of your monsters, and I think I'll choose to switch my Tiger's with Dark Magician Girl's. Now, Tiger, destroy her Dark Magician Girl! Fanged Frenzy!" The feline slashed Mana's spirit partner with her claws and destroyed her, dropping Mana's LifePoints to 2650. They each used the Arena again, leveling the score at Mana with 2500 and Tania with 2000. "Now, Amazoness Swordswoman, destroy that fruit girl!" The warrior's sword pierced Apple Magician Girl, and after another round of Arena brawls, the score stood Mana 2350, Tania 1800.
"When Apple Magician Girl is destroyed, I can add up to three Magician Girls from my Graveyard to my hand. I'm going to bring back Berry and Dark Magician Girl." Mana added the cards to her hand.
"They won't help you," Tania smirked. "You're magicians are cute, but they won't last against my Amazons. That trap is all you have left defending you."
"Don't count them out," Mana defended her cards. "Yeah, alone they may not be the strongest, but just like how I rely on my friends out there to support me and give me strength, my magicians rely on each other for strength and support. And we won't lose. Not when we have friends depending on us to win." She drew her card. "It's time for me to finish this; I'm ending the duel on this turn."
"Good luck with that, sister," Tania smirked at her. "I still have 1800 LifePoints. You won't be able to deal that much damage in one attack. All that's left on your field is that Magicians' Defense.
"Try me," Mana smirked. "First I summon Berry Magician Girl in defense mode." The toddler spellcaster appeared in a shower of sparkles, her little wand held protectively in front of her. "And Berry lets me add another Magician Girl to my hand, in this case Chocolate Magician Girl. Next I reveal my face-down card: Magical Dimension! Since I have a spellcaster on my field, I can sacrifice one monster to summon a spellcaster from my hand. Let's welcome back Dark Magician Girl!" Berry Magician Girl vanished into the spell's sarcophagus, and Mana's spirit partner appeared on the field. "And now Magical Dimension's second effect lets me destroy a monster on the field."
"Let me guess, you want to destroy my Tiger?" Tania asked innocently.
"Normally, yes, I would," Mana answered, "but I haven't forgotten your Swordswoman's ability to deal me all her battle damage. So she's the one going to take the hit." The sarcophagus blasted Amazoness Swordswoman with its magic, destroying her. "Next I'll equip Dark Magician Girl with Black Pendant, raising her strength by 500 points."
"That's still not enough to wipe me out this turn," Tania said.
"Good thing I still have one more card to use," Mana smirked and revealed her last card. "I added Kiwi Magician Girl to my hand on the first turn. I've had several opportunities to use her, but I was waiting for just right moment. You see, her effect lets me discard her to increase the attack points of the Magician Girls on my field by 300 points for every Magician Girl on my field and in my graveyard." Transparent forms of Kiwi, Apple, and Berry appeared behind Dark Magician Girl. "There are now three Magician Girls in my graveyard plus Dark Magician Girl on my field, so her attack points rise to 3700! I told you my magicians support each other, and now you see the proof of it. Dark Magician Girl, destroy her Amazoness Tiger with Dark Burning Attack!"
The blast knocked Tania backwards, but she still stood. Mana struck her victory pose. "And that's why you don't mess with my friends."
"You beat me, Mana, fair and square," Tania said. "I joined the Shadow Riders to find a worthy husband, but maybe I'm the one who's not worthy. I was looking for someone powerful, but maybe I need find someone I want to protect and care for, just like you do with your friends. Even though you're not an Amazon, you're just as powerful." She shifted into a white tiger and walked away, her cream-colored tiger following her. Her gauntlet stayed on the ground in front of Mana.
Mana picked up the Shadow Charm, examining the eye on the palm. She turned to the rest of the group. "Are you okay, Bastion?" she asked.
"I am," he assured her, though he looked back in the direction Tania had walked off in. "And thank you. You fought so hard to defend me, and to show me there were others reasons to fight besides love."
"Bastion, everyone has something worth fighting for," Mana told him. "For me, it's the people I care about. If someone hurts my friends, I'm going to go after them with everything I've got. I'm sure you have something too, something other than love. And hey, even if this bout with love didn't work for you, there are other chances.
"Yeah, there are other fish in the sea," Jaden grinned as he chimed in.
"But not so many tigers," Bastion laughed.
"That's probably for the best," Mana said as she led the way back to the Academy.
1. Airi is an OC you guys will get to meet down the road. If you want to know more about her parents, check out my story A Dragon's Destiny. That story is almost like a prequel to this, considering I started this first. You don't have to read that story, just know that Kisara is alive.
Thanks for reading! I didn't realize until now it had been almost a month since I updated this story. I'm sorry to keep you guys waiting, but I hope you enjoy this chapter.