Hey everyone!
Hopefully, this update finds everyone well and good, and hopefully everyone subscribed actually finds it. Fanfic may be having a problem with the email alerts lately.
With Thanksgiving coming up (at least here in the States) and I assume more holiday gatherings after that, I figured this was a good a time as any to use this unique fanmade archetype of cards. Which were designed by fanfic writer and DeviantArt deviant D'Sceptre Inc. I may have had to adjust their effects slightly for sake of story here, but About 95% of them are his work. Thanks again for the cards, D'Sceptre!
So, without further ado…
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Chapter Nine
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…Not All Was Positive
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"Ooh, she's a little bit dangerous…
"You play my card… you take control…
"You're moving into my heart, into my soul…
"Come into my view, come into the light,
"I'll be here by your side, to get through the fight!
"Hey, what's your plan? What's your game?
"I know your method, but I don't know your name…
"Hold on tight, you know she's a little bit dangerous;
"She's got what it takes to make ends meet,
"The eyes of a lover that hit like heat…
"You know she's a little bit dangerous…"
The tune that started playing when I summoned the monster was an old pop tune with slightly different lyrics, but I only vaguely noticed it, due to the visual effect which turned the world… pastel. Multicolored hearts, stars, and bubbles amid blue and pink spotlights preceded her arrival to the song's tune. But even that was quickly eclipsed by the monster herself.
A lovely woman who seemed young, yet ageless, with flowing, blonde hair, big green eyes, and fair, unblemished complexion, with rounded bars painted under each eye with pink rouge. She was dressed in a dark blue dress with pink highlights, with a plunging neckline and daringly-short pink skirt, with matching blue boots and fingerless gloves. Her hat, well… It was a pointed sorcerers' hat of a style that almost all fans of the game would recognize, but few had ever seen firsthand.
Producing a short magical scepter, Dark Magician Girl slyly rested it on her shoulder, giving Harrington a smug look. (2,000 ATK)
"HOLY SHIT?" shouted Harrington.
Hunter was just as shocked, leaping up from his seat and shouting, "WHAT THE FUCK? How'd he get THAT?"
"Ooh, language, people!" scolded Yolanda.
"Everyone watching should consider themselves lucky we have a five-second time delay on this broadcast," added Brett, "for just such an occasion. Still, I'm pretty curious too, where did Terone get a card that rare?"
"Yeah, WHERE?" demanded Hunter.
"None of your business."
Seems my devious plan had worked, as I had forced Hunter to show his true colors - green with envy. In case you forgot, my whole issue with him started when I managed to pull a rare card that he wanted, and I'm hardly the only one he had such issues with. No matter how much the guy has, he always wants more, and always wants what he can't have. Probably why he wanted to be in this tournament in the first place.
I swear, if this guy somehow found a way to win one of Kaiba's Dragon, it would take him less than an hour for him to start wondering why he didn't have all three of them.
"Doesn't matter, Harrington." Hunter's voice was full of bile. "That dame is just an overrated junk rare, I mean, what can she do that -"
He stopped short - Dark Magician Girl turned to give him a dirty look.
While it made me kind of nervous myself, I was determined to end this duel before anything even weirder happened. I took from my hand a card I was saving for the dramatic finish.
"You have to think outside the box Hunter. The important thing is, this is a Dark monster, which means I can use…" I played the spell card, and a shining Golden ankh - the Egyptian symbol of rebirth - showed overhead. "MONSTER REBORN!"
Maybe I emphasized it a little too much, but when you are in this business, doing so with that particular Spell Card with something of an unwritten rule. It did the job, of course, because due to Harrington's Gozen Match Trap Card, I was only allowed to summon Dark monsters this way. Which gave me access to a much better one than I had before.
With a dramatic roar and a flourishing wings, Hungarian horntail was back. (3,400 ATK)
"If I may be so blunt Harrington, this means it's a game over! Horntail, attack the Warrior of Hyrule with infernal dark fire!"
Only too willing to obey my order, or until exhaled a burning blast of flames at Link; gasps came from the small crowd of spectators as his charred and burned shield and sword clattered to the ground.
Pretty sure he probably has a few bonus lives left, which is more I can say for you. Dark Magician Girl, attack directly! Dark Burning Attack!
Again, came that girlish and she spun into a flourish pointing her scepter at Harrington and unleashing a potent stream of Eldritch magic. It was over, Harrington clutched his chest as he fell to his knees, beaten.
(T: 1,300) - - - - - - - - - - (H: 0)
"Terone is the winner!" exclaimed Yolanda. "Game, set, match!"
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Watching from his control center Trask rubbed his chin. Standing over him was a woman who looked beautiful and dangerous at the same time - kind of like Natasha Romanoff, but much colder.
She was almost six feet tall, her height enhanced by stiletto heels, with a slightly muscular physique, perfect curves and a flawless bronze tan. Her outfit seemed rather inappropriate for the office, as it was lingerie. Seriously, she was wearing a black lacy basque along with matching opera gloves and garter belts. The most striking feature was her hair. It was jet black, bobbed, with bangs, and a white bleached vertical stripe on the right side.
She was the first one to speak as the duel ended. "Are you sure it is authentic?"
"If you aren't sure, then I'm certainly not. We need to confirm whether it is or not. I assume you know what to do?" She replied with a nod, and he added, "Just make sure you -" Then his mobile phone rang. "Wait, hold that thought."
He answered, then leaned back on his chair. "Talk to me." There was a pause as he listened. "Yes, I was watching it right here. Oh, really?" He leaned back further, his voice turning a lot less formal. "Huh, you don't say? So, how much are we talking about here?"
Then he sprang up in his chair in surprise. "HOW much?" He listened again, stood up, and said, "I see… Yes. After listening for about half a minute more he said, no, no I'll manage this from here. I'll get back to you."
He hung up and turned to the woman again saying, "Change of plans here, Hephzibah…"
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Boy, do I have a headache.
Those were my thoughts as I sat on the ground, holding my forehead. I had won the duel but felt… Nauseous. Even worse, right before the Duel Disks shut down, Dark Magician Girl had looked at me with a sly, mischievous smirk, something I could swear had not happened before with any Duel Monster. And while I had just gotten used to them talking, this was the first time I had heard one of them singing.
"Terone? Terone, here."
Harrington offered his hand, pulling me up onto my feet as I continued to hold my head. "Uh, thanks."
"Tyrone, I have to say I'm impressed. That was one hell of a winning serve there. Where did you get that card, anyway?"
"Uh, I'd rather not say. Where did Hunter go?"
He was gone. Seemed he wasn't as anxious to duel the winner as I expected he was, at least not anymore.
Harrington shook his head. "Eh, the little brat must have slipped down a drain somewhere. If you see him, let me know, I want a crack at him too. Anyway… I guess I owe you this."
I had almost forgotten about that. Of course, he was talking about his Blockbuster card. I was nervous and my hand quivered as I took the new Xyz card.
"I'll take good care of it," I said with a slow nod.
"Oh, you better! High five!"
The nerves went away. I returned the favor, slapping his hand, and finally feeling more confident about this whole tournament.
Maybe a little too confident.
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I was exhausted when I got home and was longing for a soft pillow on my face and a long sleep - fortunately, tomorrow was my day off. Still, as I got to the front door, my stomach grumbled. I was hungry too and was looking forward to the dinner Jenni had planned.
Seems it was almost ready, as when I opened the door I could smell the ham, potatoes, and…
"Cake?"
It was hard to hold back the shock, she made black forest cake! It was there on the table in plain sight as I came in and had been freshly baked. She usually only made that for my birthday, why would -
I was nearly lost in thought, and completely unprepared when she shouted "TERONE!" and grabbed me in a headlock.
"Jenni? Jenni! What?"
"I don't know whether to strangle you or drag you into the bedroom and make wild, passionate love to you like you've never had in your life."
I could say with certainty that I had never heard that sentence before in my life, and I can say now I have never heard it since. Before I could ask why or apologize for whatever I had done, she pulled me over to her PC console.
"Look at this!"
The screen showed the streaming service that the duels for the Blockbuster promotion were aired on. The service would let a subscriber watch the duel live, or download them, and those without a subscription could do so for a flat price, in my case, £3. The one I had just finished was available for download now, and…
"Twenty-thousand downloads?"
"It was two-thousand the first minute, Terone."
I started to see the positive side of her comment. I had gotten this many views before, but this many downloads were way above the typical number for someone in my tier. I looked at Jenni and asked, slowly, "What was our cut of this again?"
"Five percent."
I took a minute to take that in, and then asked, "All because of Dark M-"
"YES!" she shouted. "Terone, how long have you been sitting on that card? How long have you had it?"
A fast explanation later, Jenni was far less upset, but far more confused. I showed her the package the card came in, and from her expression, I could see she had never heard of that set before.
"Uhm, we're still going to have dinner, right?"
"Of course!" she said cheerily. Then she took the cake on the table and placed it inside a lidded cake tray. "After all, I want you well-fed and well-rested tomorrow morning for your next opponent - ME!"
"Wait, but -"
"You got it, buster. You want the cake, you're dueling me before this whole deal goes any further."
Now that was just mean. To be honest though, I figured she had intended to make this challenge when this tournament started. Most of the time she was the one who procured the cards I used. If I ever got a rare or powerful one that she hadn't, she wanted to see it used firsthand, by kicking my ass - or getting hers kicked - personally. She seemed to think she could convince me to duel her by bribing me with cake.
Unfortunately, she was right.
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Sometimes it is amazing how much a good night's sleep can help. It was strange, actually - the previous night I had been wound so tight I wondered if I would ever sleep, but when I woke up at eight the next morning, I could barely even remember going to bed. Now my head hadn't felt so clear in months.
I noticed the note on my bedside table quickly. It read:
Will be waiting at 9:30 AM. Bring Disk. Cake and grief counseling will be available at the conclusion of the duel.
Jenni could be a barrel of laughs sometime. Of course, this meant she wanted to have the duel in the test arena. I hadn't officially named that new computer "GLaDOS" yet, but that would become its designation soon.
In the meantime, I needed breakfast. I wasn't all that hungry after the feast Jenni had prepared (I actually regretted not having time to invite someone else) but I had grown up on the assumption that it was very bad to skip breakfast - one of the five or so things my mother nagged me about that I took to heart - figuring I would just get up and have some toast and orange juice.
But, upon going to the kitchen to make coffee, I found someone had already made it. Two slices of toast with butter and a glass of orange juice - were already on the counter. With a note next to it.
At first, I assumed Jenni had written it, possibly with some sarcastic remark written, so I picked it up to read it.
It wasn't from Jenni.
Even if I had forgotten what her handwriting looked like (unlikely, seeing as I had the note she had left by the bedside to compare it to) this was not her style, written in cursive with silver ink. I assumed.
It read:
"Come to me, and to great power be led,
Assuming it is not already over your head."
Whoever wrote it seemed to have Jenni's dry wit, at least. There was no signature, only:
"Duel Jenni, then return."
Oh, I'd return all right. I drained the glass, then placed it on top of the note. I had a feeling Jenni was going to livestream this duel on her blog, and when she did that, it would take far more than a strange note to convince her to cancel or delay her plans. But she would be glad to look at this later.
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As I entered the training arena in the basement, I heard the AI's voice, still clearly that of a robot, but strangely less mechanical than before.
"Identity confirmed, Terone Brickman. Accessory identified as TRI-model Duel Disk. Access granted."
Jenni had been working on it, obviously. I figured it sounded even more like GLaDOS now…
"Please be advised that a noticeable taste of blood is not part of any experiment conducted in this facility."
…and now I was sure it did.
"Such a phenomenon is an occasional unintended side effect of this facility's emancipation grill which may in semi-rare cases emancipate dental fillings, crowns, tooth enamel, and teeth."
For some strange reason, I suddenly regretted ever brushing my teeth. I was wondering if I had a chance to make a break for it, which was quickly lost when the door slammed shut behind me.
"Hey, Terone, good morning!"
Jenni had come in through the other entrance - right in front of a small table with the cake tray on it - and it seemed she was wearing one of her cosplay outfits. In this case, it was a black leather jacket over a white T-shirt, long, green spandex pants, and black pumps, plus a wig with waist-length scarlet red hair.
"Like the outfit, Jenni, sort of menacing and inviting at the same time."
"A unique style developed by Ray Charles during an obscure point in his career. I believe one fashion critic rated it adequate for those in the profession of explorer, eco-terrorist, comedienne, or showgirl, but gaudy, tacky, and lascivious for those in computer programming and researching careers."
"Don't mind her," said Jenni, rolling her eyes. "I'm working on her personality program."
"So, Jenni, I just have to duel you here and I get the cake?"
"Well, yeah!" She lifted the top of the tray, showing that the cake was there. "This time the cake isn't a lie."
"True, though I cannot say the same about its quality. I estimate it has roughly five times the daily allowance of calories and three times the daily allowance of saturated fat - per serving."
"Well gee, in that case you should be glad we won't have to share with you, huh?" The computer's "head" drooped a little. "Jenni, does she really need to be turned on?"
"She's a little harsh, Terone, but I need her in order to stream this on the blog."
"Hold on, are you sure you're -"
"Fear not," said GLaDOS. She perked up a little, her tone turning more serious and assuring. A screen on the left wall lit up. "Dueling grid format enabled, confidentiality and autonomy are assured."
This was a recent feature of the Duel Disk system that let a duel with the Solid Vision system be digitally broadcast as a video game would. The two duelists would be shown in a pre-chosen avatar form with online pseudonyms, the duel done in animated style. Background and music could also be altered to the player's specifications, but that was always Jenni - it was her stream, after all.
"One minute to streaming."
I started to think this might actually be enjoyable. "Well, here we go," I said. My Duel Disk activated. "So, what deck are you using this time?"
Jenni activated hers, assuming an all-too-familiar fighting pose. "I have something new," she said with a smile, "and don't forget, I'm holding nothing back! Duel!"
(Terone: 8,000) - - - - - - - - - - (Jenni: 8,000)
"Here we go! I'll draw, and… The Bistro Butcher!"
It made a deep, throaty laugh as Jenni finished by setting three facedown cards. "Sandwich up! Deviled ham on Swiss, hold the mayo!"
The Fiend that appeared was the notorious Devil Chef, a demon in a dirty chef's outfit and hat, with a metal meat hook having replaced his right hand. (1,800 ATK)
"Oh, that is just not right," said GLaDOS. "If I had skin, it would be crawling."
Fortunately, this rather old monster had a well-known effect, and one that I believed I could use to my advantage here. I drew a card, and then played a Continuous Spell Card.
"Wrath of Tiamat!" I shouted. "We'll get to that in a minute, for now, I've got someone here for your chef to tangle with… I summon Masked Dragon!" I played the card, and the small, rust-red Dragon with metallic scales hopped out in front. (1,400 ATK) "Don't try serving him up with ketchup, he prefers the taste of blood!"
This, of course, is where the TRI system chose to activate, and I was startled by a sinister laugh from the Butcher.
"Ooh-ho-ho-ho-ho, Teron-san, you are very funny." From his belt, he produced a long Ginsu cleaver, which shimmered as he brandished it. "But, at 450 degrees with some olive oil, you not be so funny anymore, eh?"
"I do not know what's worse," said GLaDOS, "that he's a demonic chef or one with a really dumb accent."
Her comments actually seemed to coincide with mine, so I had to finish this round quickly. "Masked Dragon, attack!"
The Dragon blew a streak of flames at the chef; unimpressed, the Bistro grunted "Hai!" and swung his cleaver, deflecting the blast back on Masked Dragon and reducing it to ashes.
"Toasted!" he laughed.
"True, but your effect lets me draw twice, so about those sandwiches your boss mentioned, I'll take two to go."
Unfortunately, as I made the two draws, Jenni used one of her Trap Cards, revealing another very old but still very useful - at least here - card.
"It also means I can use Appropriate," she added, "meaning that from now on, I can draw twice whenever you pick up extra cards."
"Clever, but my monster's effect lets me summon a Dragon with 1,400 Attack Points or less, so who's ready for seconds?"
A second Masked Dragon appeared, but this time, it was slightly bigger and fiercer looking. (1,600 ATK)
"You see, thanks to Wrath of Tiamat here, each time a Dragon is defeated this turn, the Trap gets a Wrath Counter, and each Counter grants each Special Summoned Dragon 200 more Attack Points of rage. And this battle isn't done, so I'll attack with my second Dragon!"
The next gout of fire was fiercer than the last, but still too weak to threaten Bistro, who again parried with his cleaver and blew the Masked Dragon to shards with the backlash.
"I draw twice again…"
"...and so do I…" added Jenni.
"But now I get a third Masked Dragon! And he's even stronger!"
Due to two Counters on the Spell Card now, Masked Dragon's Attack Score was 1,800.
"You're about to get a taste of your own cooking, fella."
"Ooh-ho-ho-ho-ho, but I already know how it tastes - terrible!"
Masked Dragon did not find it funny. He attacked the Bistro Butcher, its flame even stronger, and again, the Butcher managed to parry, but this time, the strain was too much, collapsing and shattering as the backlash took down its foe.
"Well done," said GLaDOS, "though seeing as this is only round 2, I guess he turned out medium rare."
"It ain't over yet! I can still use the third Masked Dragon's effect to summon Divine Dragon Ragnarok!"
Using yet another card, the wispy, ethereal Dragon appeared, and was even angrier than the last Masked Dragon. (1,500 ATK - (2,100 ATK)
"Which means he can make a direct attack on you, Jenni. Attack with Radiant Fury!"
Ragnarok gracefully twisted itself into an upright position, then blew its potent divine flames at Jenni, who grunted and sweated as she tried to shield herself.
(T: 7,400) - - - - - - - - - - (J: 5,900)
"Ugh, you done?" she asked.
"Only with the Battle Phase. Still have Main Phase 2, and thanks to those four extra cards, I can use Polymerization to fuse Ragnarok with Lord of Dragons…"
Using the Fusion Card caused the two monsters to combine, creating what was, up to now, my favorite Fusion Monster, King Dragun. (2,400 ATK) Due to its effect, which I would use now. I played Rare Metal Dragon's card, bringing it into play next to King Dragun. (2,400 ATK) Naturally, the power from Wrath of Tiamat increased both to a Score of 3,000 ATK.
"Two monsters with 3,000 Attack Points in one turn. Clever."
"I have another to come. See, that bonus from the Spell Card only lasts until the end of the turn. But Wrath of Tiamat has another effect. If I discard another Dragon, I can get rid of it, and summon a Dragon with a Level equal to twice the number of Counters it has. So, I'll get rid of this one -" I discarded Lava Dragon, and the Continuous Spell Card dissolved. "- to bring out this big fella, Des Volstgalph!"
I try to keep notes regarding my cards on my mobile, and Des Volstgalph is the only monster where my notes include a pronunciation guide; with a name as cool as this one, I don't want to mispronounce it. That was kind of why I used the card at all - it wasn't the best Dragon, and rather typical appearance-wise, but it never failed to get spectators to take notice. (2,200 ATK)
"I'll set one card, and I'll end."
"And I will activate this," said Jenni, using another of her cards. "Chaos Reconfiguration. Because the Bistro Butcher is a Dark monster, I can summon… Avoca the Sharp Greedyent!"
"Uh, what? Who? Greedyents?"
The monster started to form in an aura of soft light, an aura that suggested a sunrise on a warm, spring day. A large, boulder-shaped object started to form, a…
"An avocado?" asked GLaDOS.
Indeed, the monster Jenni had summoned was an avocado. Not a monstrous avocado, just a big avocado about six feet long, lying on its side…
…but then the huge vegetable split in half, like it had been sliced lengthwise, the top half now hovering over the bottom half. The large pit embedded in the center of the top half had a face and two small arms, which were clutching a machine gun that was mounted on a tripod set in the front of the bottom half! (1,850 ATK)
"Okay, I didn't expect that," I said.
Jenni made her draw to start her turn. "Don't forget the first rule of a game like this, Terone, always expect the unexpected." She brandished a Spell Card. "Because you never know just what your opponent will challenge you with. I activate Dragged Down into the Grave!"
"Oh, brother…" Reluctantly, I turned my hand of cards around, causing them all to appear over my head in oversized forms. This was another old card, but still a dependable one, that let each duelist see the other's hand and discard one from it.
"Mmm… Let's see…" She looked at the cards, then pointed to Sangan, and the card shattered.
"Go on," she said with a playful smile.
Of course, I couldn't blame Jenni for using that card - after all, I had used it in many of my previous decks, but this was still an annoying strategy when you were on the wrong side of it. Especially in cases where, like now, I didn't recognize any of these new… Greedyent cards Jenni had. One was obviously a Ritual Monster - a Level 1 Ritual Monster? - but I saw no Ritual Spells, and I did not like the look of that Level 8 Effect monster, so I pointed to it, and it shattered.
The second effect of the card let us both draw once, but that Appropriate card let her draw three times.
"Now then… time to start making my special chef's salad deluxe - so I can throw it in your face! I have the avocado, so I'll add my bell peppers, Bellpep the Vital Greedyent!"
This new Plant monster she summoned was even more bizarre than the avocado. It looked human-shaped, and was wearing a loud superhero costume, a yellow and red armored tunic with red sleeves under flared shoulders, and a utility belt, black gloves, red pants, and yellow boots with jagged blue stripes. He also wore a visor made of dark glass and had odd chakram-like blades on his utility belt shaped like clovers, or rather, like sliced bell peppers. The most remarkable thing about him though, was his head - it was a red bell pepper and was almost as large as his torso. (100 ATK)
"By summoning him, I can discard one of my cards in order to take another Greedyent, or a Ritual Spell from my deck." She discarded one card, Lord Poison, and quickly got what she wanted. "It has to be a certain type of Ritual Spell, of course, but for now I'll use my old fashioned Sprite's Blessing to sacrifice this monster here…"
A magic pentagram appeared in front of Jenni, and another monster briefly appeared in the center, a chubby, purple… thing. Violet flames started to burn at the points of the star, and the monster disappeared into an intense beam of radiant light…
"-and Ritual Summon Cheri the Gallant Greedyent!"
I was expecting some sort of demonic monster to emerge from that pentagram - but instead, I heard a loud "Whoa!" as a short, scrappy teenager pulled his way out of the symbol. Much like Bellpep, he had a vegetable for a head - though in this case, a cherry tomato - wearing a domino mask and a black ninja-style gi.
"Yo, Cheri, wassup?" laughed Bellpep. "Gimme five!"
"Would you… settle for three?" said the Plant ninja. He returned the gesture nonetheless, then knelt in Defense Mode. (2,200 DEF)
For some strange reason, I started to hear the theme from an old comedic anime in my head whose name I couldn't remember… Unfortunately, Jenni wasn't done yet.
"Now that I have Cheri here on the field, all Greedyents gain a Level, meaning Avoca is now Level 4, while Bellpep and Cheri himself is Level 2. We'll get to why in a minute. For now, I can use Cheri's other effect, and sacrifice one of my Plant Monsters -"
Cheri stood up, drawing a katana from the sheath on his back, then made a swing, slicing through Avoca and cleaving it in twain. Then he knelt, holding the weapon in a meditative position.
"Then, he can summon his other self, in the form of a Cheri Clone Token. Shinobi Art of Duplication!"
Cheri blurred, and then turned transparent, separating into two, a second Cheri phasing out and then turning solid. This one looked like the original Cheri, except wearing a buccaneer outfit and holding a rapier. (0 ATK)
"And, when Avoca is sacrificed, I can summon another monster that I sacrificed before this turn. So, I can summon Plumm, the Tendering Greedyent in Defense Mode."
With the summoning of this card, I got a much better look at the "purple thing". It wasn't a plum, but a large eggplant, with stubby limbs, a large mouth, and no other facial features. It plopped down in a sitting position with a loud, goofy laugh. (2,200 DEF)
"Again, due to Cheri's effect, Plumm's Level goes from 4 to 5, aaaaand… When Plumm is not at its original Level, the Attack and Defense Scores of all monsters on the field - other than Rituals and Synchros - switch!"
"Say WHAT?" I shouted.
"Ooh, Terone," said GLaDYS, "I calculate a 50% chance of this experience being painful, and about a 90% chance of it being humiliating."
She was right, as the effect it had on the monster in Attack Position was dramatic…
(Rare Metal Dragon: 1,200 ATK, King Dragun: 1,100 ATK, Des Volstgalph: 1,700 ATK, Cheri Clone Token: 2,200 ATK, Bellpep: 1,700 ATK)
…as was the battle that followed. The Cheri Clone made a rush at King Dragun, swinging his rapier and cleaving through the Fusion, bisecting it where its upper body met the lower, while Bellpep leapt while throwing a swarm of sharp, flashing chakra at Rare Metal Dragon. Both monsters shattered.
"Ugh, good call…" I grunted.
(T: 5,800) - - - - - - - - - - (J: 5,900)
"Now that that's done with," she continued, "I'll use the Ritual Spell that I got from Bellpep's first effect, Secret Recipe."
As she played the card, an odd figure materialized behind Jenni. It looked like a typical evil cultist, with a silvery-white cloak with violet highlights and gold embroidery, his hood hiding all but evil-looking glowing eyes. But he also wore a disposable paper chef's hat on top of the hood, held a long kitchen knife in his right hand and a cutting board in the other. He waved the knife as one would a magic scepter and chanted a mystical incarnation as both Bellpep and the Cheri Clone vanished through the thaumaturgic circle.
"Of course, this means my monsters are now their original Levels, so Plumm's effect no longer applies. But now… I can Ritual Summon Tuber III the Traditional-Rooted Greedyent!"
Again, what rose from the summoning circle barely matched the typical Ritual-Summoned abomination. There was a goofy, hayseed-type laugh as a huge - larger than Avoca - monster pulled itself onto the surface of the room.
"Ugh, potatoes," said GLaDOS, "It's like I saw that one in a previous life, and NOT a pleasant one."
Actually, this Plant looked like an odd cross between a potato and some sort of bulb vegetable, like an onion or leek, the leaves on the top of its head suggesting such. It had no legs, but smaller, similar bulbs for arms, one of them holding a sword. GLaDOS was right this time to use the plural, because it had brought with it two smaller versions of itself, though they looked like actual potatoes, each of them holding two cleaver-like blades. (1,800 DEF)
"This monster may not look like much, but so long as it's there, neither player can Tribute Summon or Special Summon from his hand. And, I'll use my Trap Card -" Her third, and for now, last Trap lifted up."- Gathering of Greedyents. Since I have a Plant Ritual monster, I can bring out another Gradient that's the same Level."
This was hardly a surprise this time as a twin of the first Avoca appeared, again aiming its machine gun at me. (1,850 ATK) Seemed that whatever these Greedyents were, they were big on swarming strategies.
"I'll throw one card facedown, and as I end my turn, Tuber's second effect comes into play, where I can destroy one of my Plant Monsters to destroy one of your cards!"
Tuber swung its blade, slicing Plumm in half; Des Volstgalph gasped in surprise, and a second long slash blew him to minute pixels.
"Your move Terone. And hey, cheer up, you know what they say, the more awful food tastes, the healthier it is!"
Of course, that was another thing my mother - and mothers in general I suppose - used to nag me about. It wasn't, however, one of the five I took to heart…
To Be continued…
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Again, special thanks to D'Sceptre In, who designed the original versions of all of the following cards except Chaos Reconfiguration. And as for the vital stats (some of which will be, for now, incomplete):
Chaos Reconfiguration (Normal Trap Card)
Image: A rift seen from the side, with the Different Dimension on the left side and the Sogen field on the right. D.D. Warrior Lady is bursting out of the rift on the right side, Chaos Hunter on the left.
Effect: Activate when a DARK or LIGHT monster you control is destroyed by battle. Banish the destroyed monster from your GY, and then Special Summon (from your deck) a DARK or LIGHT monster that is 1 Level lower and a different Attribute than the banished monster.
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Secret Recipe (Ritual Spell Card)
Image: A sinister-lookingcultist, with a silvery-white cloak with violet highlights and gold embroidery, his hood hiding all but evil-looking glowing eyes; also wearing a disposable paper chef's hat on top of the hood, held a long kitchen knife in his right hand and a cutting board in the other. Behind him is a ruined Shinto-style temple with odd, thorny potted plants. Dark flames border the whole scene.
Effect: Can be used to Ritual Summon any Plant-Type Ritual Monster, "Nouvelles" monster, or "Hungry Burger". You must also Tribute monsters from your hand or field whose total Levels equal or exceed the Level of the Ritual Monster you Ritual Summon. Once per turn you may (?)
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Avoka the Sharp Greedyent
Plant/Light/Lvl3/1,850/200
Effect: If this card is Normal Summoned: You can add 1 (?) from your Deck to your hand. Cannot attack, except during a turn when a (?). If this card is Tributed: You can target 1 Plant monster in your GY that was Tributed this turn; Special Summon that target in Defense Position, then if it is a Ritual Monster, you can (?)
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Belipep the Vital Greedyent (Effect Monster)
Plant/Light/Lvl1/100/1,700
Effect: If this card is Summoned: You can discard 1 card from your hand; add 1 "Greedyent" card and either 1 "Secret Recipe" or "Hungry Burger" from your Deck to your hand. If this card is sent from the hand or field to the GY you may, during the End Phase of the turn, destroy 1 face-up "Greedyent" card you control and 1 other card on the field. You can only use each effect of "Bellpep, the Vital Greedyent" once per turn.
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Plumm the Tendering Greedyent (Effect Monster)
Plant/Light/Lvl4/1,400/2,100
Effect: If this card's Level is different from its original Level, switch the original ATK/DEF of all monsters on the field, except for Ritual and Synchro Monsters. If a (?).
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Cheri the Gallant Greedyents (Ritual Tuner Effect Monster)
Plant/Dark/Lvl1/0ATK/2,200DEF
Effect: You can Ritual Summon this card with any (?) All "Greedyent" monsters you control gain 1 Level, except for Ritual and Synchro Monsters. Once per turn: You can Tribute 1 Plant monster from your hand or field, except a DARK monster; Special Summon 1 "Cheri Clone Token" (Plant/DARK/Level 1/0 ATK/2200 DEF). You can send this card to the GY; add 1 "Secret Recipe" from your Deck to your hand, then you can (?)
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Tuber III the Tradition-Rooted Greedyent (Ritual Effect Monster)
Plant/Dark/Lvl3/0ATK/2,300DEF
Effect: You can Ritual Summon this card with any (?) While you control this Ritual Summoned card, your opponent cannot Tribute any monsters on the field, nor Special Summon monsters from their hand with monster effects. If this card is (?)
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Gathering of Greedyents (Normal Trap Card)
Image: Several fruits and vegetables with happy or pouty faces leaping down a waterfall of sparkling water under a blue, sunny sky and rainbow.
Effect: Special Summon 1 "Greedyent" monster from your Deck with the same Level as a Ritual Monster or Plant monster currently face-up on the field; if you do, (?)