Hard to believe it's September 22nd; my apologies to anyone who is in high school right now and perceiving their days as dragging along, but from my point of view, September is going by too fast – mostly because, IMOHO, August was the most brutal that I can remember.
I mean, the heat was one thing, having to use an air conditioner all the time was another. Not sure if it was the freon or dust or whatever, but using the thing always made me wake up sick and with a bad headache, not to mention the strain it was putting on my electric bill. Work was even worse; I'm a security guard for a firm that works for construction and demolition sites, and the one I've been at since June doesn't even have an AC. Course, it was much worse for the guys doing the actual construction.
But, hey, for everyone who did indeed just come back from school, TGIF, right? So… the duel between Terone and Harrington continues! Be sure to read to the end, folks, because our second iconic card to about to appear!
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Chapter Eight
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He Received Feedback
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I'd been in worse situations before, but not much worse.
(Terone: 4,700) - - - - - - - - (Harrington: 6,400)
I had four monsters right now in play. Standing in Attack Mode were Vulcan the Divine (2,000 ATK), X-Saber Wayne (2,100 ATK), and Rare Metal Dragon (2,400 ATK), while Familiar Knight (1,400 DEF) was defending, and I also had two set cards.
My opponent - tennis pro and part time pro duelist, Mr. Harrington Rosewood - had his signature monster, the Big Server, a Warrior with 300 Attack Points which I believe was usually used for an instant-win condition he specialized in. But for this duel, he was going very off script.
The Big Server had two Equip Spells, Mage Power, and Fighting Spirit, and with four cards total in his Spell Zone - The Dark Door, Brutalizer Volley, and the two Equips - plus four monsters on my side, that brought its total Attack Score up to 3,500.
And it could also make direct attacks, something I was reminded of when it soared across the playing field, causing Wayne to duck and Vulcan to dodge aside right before it slammed into my stomach.
Sometimes, I wondered if Seto Kaiba had too many good ideas.
(T: 1,200) - - - - - - - - (H: 6,400)
"Hey everyone! Yolanda here, and if you're just joining us, our home court duelist has just taken a commanding lead, his potent offensive lob knocking off nearly half of his hapless opponent's total score in one blow! To think, Brett, you actually said this game was for, uhm, what word did you use… 'wusses'?"
"Ah heh," said Brett, with a nervous laugh, "guilty as charged, Yolanda, but I will say I'd enjoy tennis if it was like this more often. Usually all I get from watching it is a stiff neck."
Yeah, sure Brett, I thought, I'd really like to see you up here.
"Yo, Rosewood! Take it easy, we can't have this end too quickly you know?"
"Hunter…" I growled. I really wanted to go over there and belt him one, but again, there were things a pro just couldn't do.
"Need a hand, son?"
The offer, complete with an outstretched hand, came from Wayne. For a second, I hesitated, not wanting to look silly. I mean, just how "solid" could the Solid Vision system truly be?
As I clasped his hand and he pulled me to my feet, I got my answer, even if I still didn't understand how.
"Uh, thanks. Guess I just got the wind knocked out of me there."
"Guess that puts us at 40 - 15," said Harrington, "advantage to me. Now I can use Brutalizer Volley's effect, meaning that whenever one of my monsters deals damage via a direct attack, the highest-Level monster on the field is destroyed. Fortunately, Big Server is only Level 3."
Vulcan the Divine shattered into pixelated triangles. This was bad - Brutalizer Volley was a Continuous Trap, and despite how strong he was now, Big Server was the lowest Level on the field. At the very least, the Server's Attack Score fell to 3,200.
"Don't forget, via the Big Server's effect, you draw once, and I get a Service Ace from my deck. And then it's over to you."
I made a draw… and suddenly, it seemed my chances just went up a great deal.
First, I played Defender the Magical Knight's card; I had previously sent it back to my hand when I used Vulcan's effect, and now he was back up front. (1,600 ATK) Naturally, this made the Server as strong as it had been before. (3,500 ATK). Undeterred, I used one of my set cards. "Gift of the Mystical Elf!" I exclaimed.
I saw the famed Duel Monster briefly, out of the corner of my eye, but I didn't need to see her to know she was there - her soft hands started to massage my shoulders.
"Oh yeah, yes, lower please…" She giggled, and then disappeared, her holy powers of healing flowing through me and restoring 300 Life Points per monster on the field.
(T: 3,000) - - - - - - - - - - (H: 6,400)
I breathed a long sigh of relief, then set two cards in my Spell Zone. "Sorry, Harrington, no attack this turn. It's your move."
"In that case, I'll draw, and… Hmm…"
I could tell from the look on his face that the card he had drawn was a good one, but also one he couldn't use right now – something I'm sure every fan of this game could relate to. He put it aside and then said, "Big Server, attack -"
"Think your Big Server is looking a little dehydrated there, Harrington," I said, "I activate Forbidden Chalice!"
Which seemed true enough; the quickplay Spell caused a golden chalice to materialize in front of the Server, which he quickly grabbed, drinking the contents in large gulps.
"It gives him an extra 400 points, but also negates his effects this turn, which means no direct attacks this time." (3,900 ATK)
"Dammit," growled Harrington. He looked pretty pissed, which was, of course, what I wanted. This next move was going to depend a lot on just how angry I had made him.
"Well, fine, as much as I hate to resort to such a crude type of style… Big Server, attack X-Saber Wayne!"
The Big Server tossed the goblet aside and spit on the floor, then prepared to serve. "Bring it," dared Wayne.
And "bring it", he did, the racket slamming into the ball, firing towards Wayne with the force of a missile. And it seemed my ploy had worked; my Trap opened.
"Covering Fire!" I shouted. "This card causes Wayne to gain Attack Points equal to another of my monsters!"
"Say WHAT?" shouted Harrington.
Wayne suddenly produced a racket of his own from - somewhere, as Rare Metal Dragon let out a loud roar. (4,500 ATK) With a powerful swing into a fierce backhand smash, he struck the incoming serve and sent a return volley with twice the speed and strength into the Big Server, knocking him over and sending him tumbling over onto his back.
(T: 3,000) - - - - - - - - - - (H: 5,800)
Wayne looked at his racket, which seemed to have been rendered red hot from the powerful strike. He spun it in his hand and said, "Nice."
"Well, it seems the Big Server was a pretty lousy receiver!" laughed Yolanda. "Looks like Terone gets the Set point!"
"But not the match point yet," added Brett. "That was clearly a double fault call against the Big Server, but it seems he isn't done yet."
And he was right. Despite having lost that battle, Harrington's monster had not been destroyed and was rising to his feet. He was bruised, his clothes were burned, he was angry, and likely humiliated, but he was still there.
Of course, Harrington himself was pretty upset and humiliated too, but quickly explained why. "Fighting Spirit has another effect," he growled, "my monster can survive the battle if I get rid of it. I'll set a monster and then you can go."
The monster he had set… Yeah, it was probably Witch of the Black Forest or another Flip Effect Monster. Regardless, the effect of Forbidden Chalice had worn off, so without Fighting Spirit, the Big Server's Attack Score was now 1,800, so it was time to strike.
I drew…
Paydirt.
I quickly took Alexandrite Dragon's card, the one I had returned to my hand when I had used Dragon's Soul Serenade to swap it for Rare Metal Dragon. (2,000 ATK)
"I'm moving this game up to the big leagues, Harrington!"
Alexandrite Dragon and Defender the Magical Knight faded away into vapor, the sky darkening with thunder rumbling. Horntail's glowing eyes pierced through dark fog as it unfurled its wings, looking to the heavens with a loud bellow…
"And behold, I shall be a blight upon the land, and everything I touch shall wither and die!"
Melodramatic and corny I know - some habits you just couldn't shake. (3,400 ATK)
"And score one for the Duelist of Hogwarts as he brings out his big surprise! Emphasis on big!"
"That's right, Brett," added Yolanda, "glad I'm not in Harrington's position, that Horntail looks ready to turn him into goulash! Walt, you on this one?"
"Oh, I do indeed Yolanda," came the reply, "and let me tell you, I wouldn't even want to be where you are right now, and you're talkin' to a man who has looked El Shaddoll Construct face-to-cold-stony-soulless-face here."
Walt G. Hydes was, of course, the true brains behind this duo as far as knowledge of the actual game was concerned. I knew for a fact he was indeed a retired pro, but I was about to discover that his wealth of knowledge didn't end with Duel Monsters. Of course, since Yolanda and Brett had to cut to the station for this part, I wasn't immediately privy to it, but fortunately Jenni was recording the livestream.
"The Hungarian Horntail! Likely the most wondrous of one-scene wonders in the works of J.K. Rowling, this beast has the reputation of being among the most dreaded in the Wizarding World and one of the most dangerous breeds of dragons, if not the most dangerous. Native to Hungary, naturally, the Ministry of Magic gives it a five-X rating, a designation shared by such mythological monstrosities as the Basilisk and Chimera, indicating a killer of wizards that is impossible to domesticate or train, though I doubt all that many had the courage to try. Simply put, this beastie was bad news; Charlie Weasley regarded the Horntail as a "vicious thing", and Rubeus Hagrid – a man with very odd opinions on what made good pets - said it was a "right nasty piece of work".
"The Horntail's scales were tougher than iron, literally, its claws able to rend a large tree in half with a single swipe, and true to its name, its tail had a cluster of spikes which struck with the force of a wrecking ball. Its fiery breath had a range of forty feet and was known to make stone red hot in a manner of seconds. Obviously, the best way to deal with one was to stay out of that range, but as Harry discovered, it wasn't easy, because as large as the beast was, it proved incredibly fast, able to match Harry in both speed and maneuverability despite the Firebolt Nimbus 2000 being among the fastest broomsticks in production and Harry having the position of Seeker on the Hogwarts Quidditch team. That ain't easy, and I doubt Harrington's Big Server is gonna cut it here."
Truer words had never been spoken. "Horntail, send the Big Server to the showers! Attack! Dark Blazing Inferno!"
As Horntail belched its stream of flames downward, a flaming fissure erupted where the fiery conflagration hit the ground, enveloping the hapless Warrior and Harrington shielded himself from the fiery backdraft.
"This gets even worse, Harrington, when Horntail attacks on my turn, your monsters are reduced to their base Attack Scores, so the boost from Mage Power isn't applied."
"So I noticed…" groaned Harrington.
(T: 3,000) - - - - - - - - - - (H: 2,700)
"In that case, I'll set one card facedown, and then it's your move. Let's see what else you've got."
Horntail growled a little, steam pouring from its nostrils as it looked hungrily at Harrington. "Patience, big guy," I said.
Harrington made a draw, and it was hard to read him this time - the expression on his face seemed anxious, but not worried.
"I activate the Spell Card, Hand Destruction."
How much draw power does this guy's deck have? I thought. Still, I wasn't going to argue, I shrugged, discarded two cards - my entire hand at the time, and drew twice.
"Before this goes any further, Terone, I'm using the Spell Card, Forgotten Arsenal."
This one I was unfamiliar with - thought I did recognize the monster pictured on the Spell Card as Treasure Panda, and it seemed the question about how many draw cards he had was, "even more than I had thought".
"Because I have at least two Continuous Spells or Traps, I can draw once, and if that card is an Equip Spell, I draw once more." He drew a card, then turned it forward - Axe of Despair, clearly a well-known Equip Spell.
"But, if the card I draw now is a monster, I have to banish both of them."
As I said before, that wasn't as much a problem for Harrington's deck. I didn't recognize the card this time when he drew it, but it was another Spell Card.
"Having done that," he continued, "I have to banish two monsters from my Graveyard and then take all the face-up cards in my Spell Zone and send them to the bottom of my deck."
The Dark Door and Brutalizer Volley disappeared, and he pocketed two other cards, Magician of Faith and Skelengel. But he was not done yet, not by a long shot. He flipped his facedown monster face up - looked like I had been suckered, it was only a Mega Thunderball, a sphere made of green, blue, and silver metal with spikes all over it, the size of a medicine ball. (750 ATK).
"I activate the Spell Card, Message in a Bottle! Using this card, I can Special Summon not one, not two, but three monsters from my Graveyard."
Using the card caused a large, glass bottle with a stopper to rise onto the field in front of him. The stopper popped open, and three rolled up slips of paper shot out of the top, unrolling into cards, and the cards turning into monsters in three bursts of light. One was the Big Server (300 ATK), another was Ocubeam, a winged gargoyle covered with fur, with a long tail, no mouth and a big, red eye (1,550 ATK) and the third was Cupid Dunk (a young, male Fairy in a toga with a bow strapped to his back, spinning a basketball on his finger) (1,800 ATK)
"Of course, summoning them that way means their Attack Points and Defense Points all go to zero."
"Seems Harrington has played a risky gambit," said Brett, lowering his voice to just above a whisper. "Message in a Bottle is indeed a powerful card, but unless he manages to Xyz Summon this turn, he'll take a full 4,000 points of damage at the end of the turn, which given his score, isn't a cost he can afford."
Of course, I had little doubt that Harrington knew that, nor any doubt he would have played such a card without being prepared.
"I activate Xyz Align! With this Spell, I can name a number between 1 and 12, and two of my monsters become that Level. I'll turn Big Server and Ocubeam to Level 4, and because Cupid Dunk is already Level 4, I can Xyz Summon!
"As an old, ahem, friend used to say, I'm going to 'Get my Game on!' and bring out my Blockbuster! I build the Overlay Network!"
The three monsters broke into their base pixels, spiraling into the Network appeared above, which oddly seemed different, taking on a light green hue with a pleasant, calming sound… A monster leapt from it, who seemed to be two dimensional, like a digital picture from an old computer game.
Which, it seemed, he was. The pixels faded, and he turned into the fleshy, 3D form of, well… an elf.
Okay, that may simplify it too much. To any fantasy RPG enthusiast, there would be no mistaking this Warrior's pointed ears, fair complexion, green eyes, and chestnut brown hair as that of anything but the fair race of elves. His clothing consisted of a green tunic with a pointed hat the same color, brown trousers, a belt, bandoleer, black gloves and boots. While this all seemed pretty mundane, the specific style of the outfit made it obvious who it was.
Link, the Hero of Hyrule, the retainer, bodyguard, and (to the opinion of most) lover of Princess Zelda.
Looking up at Horntail with a stoic and defiant expression, he slowly drew a sword from a scabbard on his back, a longsword that shimmered and shone in the dim evening light. (2,500 ATK)
"Whoa! Now that is a Duel Monster who is much easier on the eyes! Walt, you got any info on this handsome devil?"
"Oh, I sure do, Yolanda, and this time I'm seriously going to have to summarize, because one advantage this fellow has over the Hungarian Horntail is experience.
"Link, the Hero of Hyrule! Also known as the Hero of Twilight, Hero of the Winds, Hero of Time, Hero of the Sky, Hero of the Wilds, and to his friends, Linksy, this legendary swordsman has truly had a storybook career. First appearing in the first installment of The Legend of Zelda way back in that bygone era of 1986 where 8-bit games were the cutting edge, Link may not have gotten billing in the title, but quickly proved himself a man of few words and near limitless determination, bravery, and improvisation. He selflessly scoured the forsaken land of Hyrule, defeated the demonic overlord Ganon, rescued his beloved Princess Zelda, and brought peace upon the land."
"Yeah, until he had to do it again," said Brett with a laugh.
"Eh, the work of a franchise protagonist is never done, but Link is certainly capable of doing it. His weapon of choice has long been the legendary Master Sword, a weapon forged by the Goddess Hylia with the express purpose of defeating the dark god Demise and his evil creations. Of course, given the nagging status quo of video games, he can rarely actually use it, but fortunately, Link has trained and conditioned himself to be the literal "master of all", meaning if something can conceivably be used as a weapon, Link can use it like a pro."
"Maybe, but I don't see how he'd appeal to someone like Harrington; I doubt such skills would be very useful on a tennis court."
"Actually, Brett, you couldn't be more wrong, as Link has mastered a unique fighting technique called the Dead Man's Volley. If an enemy tries to nail him with a projectile, he can receive and return with near-superhuman skill and turn the projectile back upon his foe. Doesn't matter if it's boulders, spinning blades, spinning electric blades, or even fireballs, Link can send it back to its server with a backhand that would put Andre Agassi to shame."
"Heavy stuff, people!" said Yolanda with another perky laugh. "So, which of these icons can make the grade in this sort of contest? It's time to find out once… and… for… ALL!"
Although, from my point of view right now, that might not be difficult to determine. Link wasn't as strong as Horntail, and Harrington had flipped Mega Thunderball, which was now there unprotected in Attack Mode with only 750 Attack Points. It was kind of hard to believe Harrington hadn't considered that.
"Get your game on?" I asked. "How corny can you get?"
"You don't know the half of it, Terone. Ahem, as I was saying Link can strut his stuff when I use one of his Overlay Units and give him an Equip Spell from my deck." A small orb of light floated up from the ground in front of Link, and was absorbed into the blade of the sword, causing it to become shrouded in fire. It seemed he had thought of it. Via Burning Soul Sword's Effect, Mega Thunderball's Attack Score was added to Link's. (3,250 ATK)
This wasn't quite as strong as Horntail, and I naturally expected him to use another of those Equips on Link before attacking, but…
"Destroy the defending Familiar Knight!" ordered Harrington, "Razor Cross Slash!"
Link's forward attack wasn't exactly subtle, but it was fast and effective, his burning word making a diagonal cut and slicing through the defending Knight. Despite him being in Defense Mode, I certainly felt it.
"I'll use Familiar Knight's effect - we can both Special Summon a Level 4 monster from our hands, and I summon… Dragard!"
The monster I summoned this time was small, and again, wyvern-like, having legs and wings but no arms. It had violet scales and wings and wore a cybernetic vest with a pulsating orb in the center. (1,900 DEF)
"And I'll match that with Wonder Ball," replied Harrington.
This monster was actually kind of cute. It was a large tennis ball about three feet in diameter, "wearing" a sport's visor and sunglasses.
"Its Defense Score becomes 500 times the number of monsters you have on the field." (2,000 DEF) "I'll set two cards, Terone, and I'm done. We're entering the final set, this one's for match point."
I drew one card and…
WHAT THE…?
This was really getting out of hand. The card I had drawn… This was that card I had gotten from that strange booster pack, the one I had assumed I had put in my bedside table drawer.
I thought back to that… I had put the card in the drawer with the other cards in the pack, then the wrapper, and then I had taken the Dungeon Dragon card… The only explanation I could think of right now is that I had accidentally switched the two cards, meaning I had nobody but myself to blame. I couldn't worry about that right now, so I simply made a note to myself to go through my cards more thoroughly before using the deck from then on.
"Yo, Terone!" shouted Terone. "Shake a leg! We ain't got all day!"
As much as I despised him, he had a point. One rule in pro dueling was the time limit of 90 seconds per move, and I'd already wasted about 40 trying to figure out how this card got there. Fortunately, I didn't count on doing much this turn.
"Horntail, attack the Guardian of Hyrule! Destroy him!"
Unfortunately, it seemed Link had one other trick. As the burning flames homed in, the Burning Soul Sword shattered and a shield appeared in his left hand, a blue and silver crest with a golden triangle pattern (made up of three smaller triangles) on the upper half and a crimson bird-like insignia below it. Kneeling and covering himself with it, the deadly flames glanced off harmlessly.
"Nice try, but Link has a special way to use those Equip Spells. By using another Overlay Unit, he can deflect your attack, so long as I destroy the Equip."
Well, that was bad. But my turn wasn't over, and there was another monster I could take care of. Wayne lifted his revolver, and fired three rounds at Wonder Ball, causing it to puncture and deflate with a loud "PFFT!" like a balloon would.
Weird, I thought.
"Thanks again, Terone!" laughed Harrington. "When Wonder Ball is destroyed, you take damage equal to the Defense Score it had."
"Wait, you…" I started. But then two tennis pitching machines appeared behind Harrington and opened fire. Give you all one guest who the target was.
"Ow, ow, ow, OW!" I shouted, the barrage of tennis balls homing in on me. This was just not my day. When the assault subsided, I muttered, "I really hate tennis." Although for some odd reason, this brought back not-so-fond memories of how much I hated playing dodgeball in high school gym class.
(T: 1,000) - - - - - - - - - - (H: 2,700)
"Ugh," I growled, but righted myself up quickly. "I'll set one card and I'm done. Heh, keep going, I can't wait to see what comes next."
"You sure? Really? Okay then…" He drew, and then held up two more Spell Cards. "First off, an old but reliable card, the Axe of Despair! I'll equip it to… X-Saber Wayne!"
"Say WHAT?"
At first, I thought he was joking, but it seemed he was very serious, because the huge, ugly axe that had been a staple of Duel Monsters since its beginnings appeared in my monster's hands. Wayne grunted as he lifted the huge weapon, his muscles bulging as sweat poured from his brow and his veins throbbed. (3,100 ATK)
"Okay, Yolanda, I'm a little confused," started Brett, "any idea why Harrington is giving Terone's monster 1,000 more Attack Points?"
"Because I'm giving Link something better," replied Harrington, "an… elegant weapon for a more civilized age - the Divine Sword of the Sky."
Link lifted his arm, conjuring up a new weapon, and it did indeed seem more "elegant" being a spotlessly clean sword with jade hilt and a sapphire setting on the crosspiece. The blade had green runes etched into the metal, and it glowed with a soft light, almost like moonlight. Oddly, however, it didn't seem to change Link at all…
But that didn't stop Harrington. "Attack the Hungarian Horntail!" he ordered.
"Okay, I have no idea what the hell is going on," said Brett.
He and Yolanda watched Link bravely leap up and towards the much larger monster, the sword held over his head. Instinctively, Horntail exhaled his flaming breath weapon, engulfing the Warrior…
"Hold on, Brett, I think we may have the answer soon."
Link landed on the ground safely, still in one piece despite some still smoldering burns on his clothes and hair, having lost the new Equip Spell, but still undeterred.
"Like I did before, I used an Overlay Unit to protect Link, but via Divine Sky Sword's effect, it now becomes an Overlay Unit."
"And… uh… That still doesn't make sense, you spent an Overlay just to replace it?"
"You'll see why in a minute, I activate the Trap Card, Collected Power!"
With the Trap Card activated, Link held his hand out, and the Axe of Despair was yanked from Wayne's hand, spiraling towards Link, who deftly caught it. (3,500 ATK) While this just raised more questions as to what he was up to, the problem now was that Link was stronger than Horntail. But at least he couldn't attack a second time… could he?
"I'm moving to my second Main Phase," said Harrington, "first I'll set one more card, and then use the Spell Card Unfair Judge."
There was a loud whistle and a call of "OFFSIDE!" from someone I couldn't see.
"Seems you just incurred a penalty there, Terone, and because the total of the Attack Points and the total of their Defense Points are both higher than Link's, I can pay 800 Life Points, and not only does Link get another Battle Phase, he can attack all your monsters!"
"You have got to be kidding…"
"Afraid he isn't, Terone," said Hunter. "Finish the big lug off, Harrington."
Hefting the huge Axe, Link looked the colossal Dragon in the eye, made a leap, then a flip, and brought the weapon down on Horntail, splitting him in twain, right down the middle.
While I only took 100 points of damage, that was a tremendous blow to my ego, which I admit was getting too high. I expected him to attack Wayne next - which would deal 1,400 points damage more, which was more than enough to bring my Score to zero - but I had something that would disappoint him.
"Option Hunter!" I activated the Trap Card, and slowly I felt my energy - and my confidence - returning as the Trap restored my Life Points by Horntail's Attack Points.
(T: 4,300) - - - - - - - - - - (H: 1,800)
"Harrington you idiot!" shouted Hunter. "You could have won right there!"
Harrington stopped for a minute and clenched his fist before turning to Hunter. He was angry, and not with me.
"You just told me to 'finish off the big lug', remember?"
"Uh, I meant the other big lug."
"Uh-huh, didn't you say something about 'drawing the duel out as long as possible' before we started?"
Seems my earlier hunch had been right. "Well, well, the truth finally comes out."
I wasn't even the only one to notice it. "Abbot and Costello live," sighed Wayne, shaking his head.
Seems I had yet to learn not to tempt fate, as Harrington's turn wasn't over. The next few seconds were a slaughter. Link went for Draggard first, one swipe of the Axe slicing the (fortunately) defending Dragon in two. Rare Metal Dragon roared in anger, only for Link to bring his boot down on Rare's head, crushing him.
(T: 3,200) - - - - - - - - - - (H: 1,800)
"You're resilient, Terone, I'll give you that," said Harrington. "My turn ends here, but because it is my End Phase, Divine Sky Sword's other effect activates, and because it was destroyed during my turn, I get to take one more Equip Spell from my deck. Pretty sure I have at least one left here…"
Seemed he did, but again, he had made an odd move - why didn't he attack Wayne?
I drew a card, but again, Harrington answered my question quickly.
"I activate the Trap Card, Gozen Match!" he shouted.
"Oh, brother…"
"That's right Terone, this card prevents either player from having more than one Attribute of monster on the field."
And because he had not attacked Wayne, that meant I was stuck with Earth monsters. Swell. The only ones I had of that Attribute were Golem Dragon and maybe Dungeon Dragon; I wasn't sure if I actually put it there when I accidentally added the new card…
"What's the holdup?" asked Wayne. "Nervous?"
"Well, kind of."
"Hey, don't sweat it, kid. Like my dad always told me, you never try to start a fight, but you always try to finish one."
Sound advice, yes, but then, I very much intended to finish this one. But I wasn't sure I could finish it with victory. I looked at the card I drew, a Trap Card which would be very useful almost any time but now. I also had a Flip Monster of my own here, with could help defeat Link, if I even had a chance to use the Flip Effect. My other cards were Star Blaster (no good right now), and the monsters Dynamite Dragon and that… other card, which wouldn't help right now even if I could summon it. Then there was the one set card I had left on the field, which was certainly no good right now.
I was in an even tougher spot now, and I figured out why. As I noted before, Harrington's deck didn't have many monsters, at least not the type used offensively, so he could afford to allot more of his deck for Spells, even Equip Spells, which weren't as popular otherwise. And he practically had one for every occasion, in fact…
Suddenly it dawned on me, that was the point. I looked at Link, then pictured the Big Server next to Link - if I were Harrington, which Equip Spell would I want?I quickly went through my mind, thinking of the most popular and useful ones that might fit - three came to mind…
"Wayne, this is going to be something of a gamble, you with me?"
"Hey, I'll try anything once."
That sounded reassuring, so I set the Trap in my Spell Zone then set the monster, moved Wayne to Defense Mode. (400 DEF) and then gestured to mark the end of my turn.
This would all depend on how well I had "read" his strategy.
"All right, Link, this time for sure!" laughed Harrington, "I draw, and then use the Equip Spell, Big Bang Shot!"
Bingo.
Now Link was the one who became shrouded in fire, his Attack Score inching upward to 3,900. He turned towards the facedown monster I had set.
"Harrington is moving in for the kill!" announced Yolanda, "with Link endowed with this incredible increase in power and a piercing effect to boot, this one attack could end this match in a swift and brutal stroke!"
Not if I had anything to say about it. "I activate Staunch Defender!"
As Link made a rush towards my set monster in a blurring, he was enspelled by my Trap Card, his attack rerouted towards Wayne. Although, as the Axe hit the Warrior, I had to wonder if moving him to Defense Mode (which I had done so as to not make the setup obvious) had been a good idea…
(T: 1,300) - - - - - - - - - - (H: 1,800)
"Ow…" That had really hurt, but part one of my plan - protecting the set monster while getting Wayne off the field - was a success, and now I just had to make sure I didn't screw up on part two.
"Ha-ha, you are persistent, Terone," said Harrington with a short laugh. "So, I'll again set a monster, and then it's your move."
I stood up, closed my eyes, and grabbed the top card of my deck…
Yes! I managed to draw my favorite card - Cosmo Queen! Time to enact phase two… I flipped my set monster to Attack Mode, causing a short, shriveled, old man leaning on a green staff with a purple gem set into the tear-shaped tip, hunchbacked, wearing violet and crimson robes that seemed to be at least partially metal. (450 ATK)
"Old Vindictive Magician?" shouted Harrington.
"You got it! And via his flip Effect, he can destroy one monster." I pointed to Link, and Old Vindictive Magician pointed with his staff, preparing to cast a dark hex on the young hero. "Guess who that is."
"I activate Link's effect! Again, I use an Overlay Unit and destroy Axe of Despair!"
The weapon shattered, and like before, Link protected himself with his shield, this time, deflecting Old Vindictive Magician's effect. This was, of course, what I had intended, because using that last Overlay Unit and getting rid of the Axe brought Link down to an Attack Score of 2,900. However…
"...and I'll use the Axe of Despair's effect and sacrifice my set monster to do so."
That, of course, meant he would draw the same Equip Spell on his next turn, so I had to end this ASA-now! Not that I couldn't. With Star Blaster, I could downgrade a monster's Level by one for each 500 Life Points I spent, and I had just enough to use it and summon Cosmo Queen with one sacrifice, and because she, like Old Vindictive Magician, was Dark, I could use the latter monster as a sacrifice, and because…
…Wait…
As my hand went to the Spell Card though, I noticed that… other card next to it. There was a sly smirk on that card and an odd gleam in the eye… I could swear it hadn't been there before… My hand trembled a little, but I had no idea whether it was due to excitement, worry, or fear…
Then, my thoughts were interrupted by Hunter - again.
"HEY, Terone, what's the hold up? You gonna play that card or look at it all night? Getting boring here."
Whether it had been due to excitement, worry, or fear wasn't the issue now – it was annoyance.
OH-kay, Hunter, I thought, you asked for it…
Disregarding Cosmo Queen and Star Blaster, I grabbed the new card. "I sacrifice Old Vindictive Magician!" I declared, as the monster in front of me turned to an orb of pure darkness.
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I read an old humor magazine once, which had an article satirizing white collar workers and corporate executives - mostly negatively. One part of the article was "info" on how to identify who had what job in such an organization, and one such way was to take note on how they kept their desks. The first example given was someone who was busy at a desk that was cluttered with a large workload - this was your typical office drone, and clearly a failure at business. The second example was a man with a more organized desk and a smaller workload – this is a manager, seeing as he passes down most of his work to the office drone, and can be considered a moderate success at business. The third example was a man with nothing on his desk at all, having thrown everything - his workload, schedules, and the person he replaced - in the wastebasket under his desk, meaning he is clearly the Chairman of the Board.
Funny, yes, seeing as this was satire, though it does reinforce the perception that corporate bigwigs like Raymond Trask have the highest salaries for what may be the easiest (though possibly most boring) jobs in their companies. Phil told me once (well, more like said at a gathering I was attending) that when you're in Trask's position, the best part of your job is that no matter how outrageous your ideas are, you still get to do them.
This is especially true when it's a media company; I can't tell you how many folks have wondered if the folks in charge are being paid to watch shows on television all day and take notes on them. Usually, a statement made in jest.
So, what was the esteemed Mr. Trask doing right now? He was watching livestream broadcasts on television and taking notes on them.
Naturally, there were other duels in this tournament going on at the moment, and while he couldn't oversee all of them, the widescreen television in his office was showing two nested screens within the main screen. Occasionally he would switch the screens when something he found interesting came up, taking notes with his handheld mobile app before switching again. It was hard to tell exactly what interested him, because, as I've stated before, it was very hard to gauge his mood.
He did seem a little started when the mobile rang as he was using it, but then, who wouldn't be? Viewing the number, he was upset when he saw who it was, but still answered it.
"Haigh, I told you not to use this line unless it was important, and that if it was important for you to text me." He stopped to listen, and then stood up. "Seriously?"
He took the remote, turning off all three livestreams and then turning on another - mine.
This certainly made him take notice. What he saw was indeed very important for him.
He spoke into the phone again and said, "Put Hep on."
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Before I post the fanmade cards, I would like to get something off my chest right now. While I waited two years for The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom to come out and have become hopelessly addicted to it over the past few months, that is not why I used Link here, this was planned for a long time. But, the game has, if nothing else, convinced me to keep working on this story.
Sorry for again ending on a cliffhanger, but I couldn't simply introduce the story's deuteragonist on a whim. But the next chapter will indeed have that introduction, as this duel wraps up. And watch for the penultimate chapter of Shadowchasers: Blue Blood also coming soon.
And of course, the cards:
Forgotten Arsenal (Normal Spell Card)
Image: Treasure Panda, seen from behind, encountering a shrine in a jungle with the Wicked-Breaking Flamberge on an altar.
Effect: Activate when you control no monsters and control at least 3 Continuous Spell and/or Continuous Trap Cards; draw 1 card and reveal it. If the drawn card is an Equip Spell, draw 1 additional card; otherwise, banish both cards drawn via this effect. Then, send all Spell and Trap Cards you control to the bottom of your deck in any order and banish 2 monster cards from your GY; in you cannot do either, reduce your LP by 2,000.
0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0
Divine Sky Sword (Equip Spell Card)
Image: A hand with a brown glove holding a silvery longsword with a wavy blade.
Effect: Equip only to a Warrior Type Xyz Monster; a monster Equipped with this card cannot be equipped with any other Equip Spells. If this card is sent to the GY, attach it to the equipped Xyz Monster instead as an Xyz Material. If this effect occurs during your turn, then on the End Phase of the turn, add 1 Equip Spell from your deck to your hand.
0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0
Wonder Ball (Effect Monster)
Rock/Light/Lvl4/200ATK/?DEF
Effect: When this card is summoned, its DEF becomes 500 DEF times the number of monsters currently controlled by your opponent. If this card is Normal Summoned, you may move it to face up Defense Position. If this card is destroyed by battle and your opponent has 3,000 LP or more, you may inflict damage to your opponent equal to the DEF this card had while on the field. If you do, banish this card facedown.
0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0-0
Link, Guardian of Hyrule (Xyz Effect Monster)
Warrior/Light/Rank4/2,500ATK/2,600DEF
3 Level 4 monsters
Effect: Each of the following effects of "Link, Guardian of Hyrule" can be used once per turn, and only 1 effect of "Link, Guardian of Hyrule" can be used per turn:
If this card is not Equipped with an Equip Spell, you may detach 1 Xyz Material from this card to select 1 Equip Spell from your GY or deck and equip it to this card.
If this card would be destroyed (by battle or by your opponent's card effect) you may instead destroy 1 Equip Spell equipped to this card; in the case of battle, reduce battle damage to zero.
Due apologies to Nintendo and Shigeru Miyamoto, creative credit for this character goes to them.