The situation was teetering on a knife's edge. CHS was staging a remarkable comeback despite a crushing early defeat, their survival hanging by a thread. The only thing that stood between them and victory was the outcome of their final, decisive duel.
"Are you sure you trust your student to win this for us, Sweetie Belle?" said Scootaloo as she had her doubts regarding this final duel.
"I'm offended you two are praying on my student's downfall. I'll have you know that Mario won't let us down."
"Heard that before," muttered Apple Bloom as Sweetie Belle growled at her friends.
"You two just wait and see," huffed the woman as she tried to remain ladylike and not blow a fuse. "Please, Mario. Don't make me look like a fool." whispered the teacher to herself.
"Your teammate is in for the duel of his life. Axiom is a tough customer," said Shirai.
"And so is Mario," responded Zipp.
The two girls stared each other down before both put on smiles. They each turned to walk back to their side as both boys were getting ready to go out there in a matter of moments.
"This is the moment, students! The final duelists are steeling themselves for the ultimate clash on their respective sides!" Cadance's voice rang out, the tension palpable. The camera panned to Mario and Axiom, their expressions a mix of determination and anticipation. "Who will emerge victorious from this high-stakes battle? But don't forget… Crystal Prep already has secured a victory over CHS, so if they lose this bout, they are officially eliminated from the Friendship Games, and CPA will be awarded the victors. However, if CHS wins this final bout, they're still alive for the next event."
"Mario…" said Sunny as they all looked at him.
The boy took a deep breath, picked up his cap from the bench, and walked without acknowledging his friends. At the same time, Axiom did the same as he prepared to get on the field. He climbed up the stairs and was soon met face-to-face with Zipp. The two teens stared each other down as thoughts ran through their minds.
"Hey, uh, I just… I just wanted to say, good luck is all."
"Thanks," responded the boy as he walked past the heiress to meet his foe.
Zipp couldn't help but take her eyes off her friend as the words of Axiom still weighed on her mind.
How do you know he won't screw you all over in the name of his bloodline?
As much as she hoped Mario wouldn't let them down, a small part of her was thinking about it. Regardless, it was out of her hands as all she could do was sit back and watch what was about to unfold. Mario soon arrived at his position and looked up at Axiom; the two boys were hoping they would face each other in this event, as they had some unfinished business, given that their last duel had been interrupted before an official winner could be declared.
"Hope you're ready to let everyone down, Mario."
"If you're trying to scare me, you're wasting your breath! This duel is about one thing… and that's finishing what we started in the arena the other night!"
Axiom couldn't help but chuckle, sensing the unspoken tension between him and Mario. No matter how many times Mario denied his resemblance to his father, the same defiant scowl was etched on his face, a testament to his lineage.
"This is the moment of Destiny, Mario. Now… whom will she favor?" Axiom's voice was filled with a mix of anticipation and uncertainty. "The world's future stretches out before us, veiled in mist. Destiny will soon illuminate and disperse the fog. Which path will she unveil? The path chosen by us? Or the path chosen by those who'd rather align with a group of randos?"
"Do me a favor, Axiom. Leave Destiny outta this! I'm not interested in hearing this lecture. I only care about you, me, and the cards we play!" said Mario, looking determined at his rival. "Nothing else matters! Now, let's do this!"
Mario slotted in his deck as his device came online and projected a red card tray. Axiom did the same as he slotted his deck in and projected a purple card tray.
"Opponent detected. Streaming data. Duel mode set. Initiating. Commencing duel." said the boy's duel disk.
Axiom's Life Points: 8000-
Mario's Life Points: 8000-
"Let's duel!" shouted both teens, drawing their opening hands as they couldn't wait to fight.
Their portraits appeared on the screen as everybody looked on with interest and anticipation. Axiom's portrait was then highlighted to signal he would get the first move. All of CHS gulped as they hoped Axiom going first wouldn't seal the deal for both Mario and their school's fate.
Turn 1: Axiom (Hand 5)
"My move, I draw! And who better to start the hurt than my Destiny HERO - Diamond Dude(1400/600)!" Axiom's monster appeared as it had a tattered brown cape, its body having bits of diamond, and a visor made of the mineral.
"Wow, that's some start," said Izzy.
"It's powerful… but it's nothing Mario can't handle," said Hitch as he knew full well what Diamond Dude could do and had faith Mario would be fine against it.
"And now for a little special effect action! First, I draw the top card of my deck… and if it happens to be a spell card… it automatically activates on my next turn! Now the moment of truth!" said Axiom as he drew his card and looked at it before showing it off for everyone to see. "It's the spell card… Graceful Charity!"
"That's not good," said Zipp.
"I love it when a plan comes together," the Crystal Prep boy smirked as he sent his card away. "I end my turn."
Turn 2: Mario (Hand 5)
"It's my turn, so here goes!" said Mario as he drew his card and began strategizing on what to do. "You're not the only one who can start with a hero! And believe me, this bad boy is guaranteed to make a splash! So meet… Neo-Spacian Aqua Dolphin(600/800)!" A tidal wave came over, and behind Mario, who was jumping out of it, was an alien humanoid dolphin with blue skin who stood on two legs.
"Huh?" said Axiom as he couldn't believe Mario had summoned a monster weaker than his.
"Oh, an alien hero!" said Izzy as she was drawn in by Mario's monster.
"And next, I activate my Fake Hero spell card! Here's how it works. Now, I can summon one monster from my hand, but it returns to my hand when the turn's over. Now come out, Elemental HERO Bladedge(2600/1800)!" A golden-covered, muscular superhero appeared as he landed beside Mario's alien dolphin.
"And since Aqua Dolphin's special ability is in the house… I can ditch one card from my hand in order to grab a monster from yours!" said Mario as he sent a card away to activate his monster's effect. "And the unlucky winner is…" The boy's monster opened his mouth and fired a sonar soundwave that headed to Axiom's hand. It chose one of Axiom's cards as it was the boy's Destiny HERO - Captain Tenacious and made the monster appear on Axiom's field.
"No, not him!" said the Crystal Prep boy, who didn't like Mario's pick.
"Next, I pick a monster on my side, and if mine happens to be stronger, then your goes bye-bye! Oh yeah, and one more thing. You lose 500 Life Points!" said the boy with a smirk.
"Unh!" said Axiom as he flinched and covered up upon having his monster destroyed.
Axiom's Life Points: 7500-
"Not bad, huh? Next, I'll throw these down," said Mario as he set two cards facedown, "Take back Bladedge… and chill out."
Turn 3: Axiom (Hand 4)
"Lucky shot!" said Axiom as he drew his card, "But now… it's my move! Time for Graceful Charity! I draw three cards, and then I get rid of two! Now pay attention, class!" The Crystal Prep boy drew his cards and looked at them before adding them to his current hand and grabbing two others to send away. He then looked at Mario as he made a fierce look. "Ready? I activate… a field spell card! Mausoleum of the Emperor!"
The field around them began to change as a giant smoke cloud occurred. It covered the entire field and duelists within seconds, as nobody could see what was happening. It died down a few moments later as Mario and Axiom were shown on opposite sides with a giant pathway between them, and below the two boys were stone statues. Behind Axiom was an altar at the top with a flame flickering.
"And just to make this place even creepier, the basement's filled with a bunch of old statues," said Axiom as he pointed to the collection of stone soldiers below them, which Mario also looked at. "We both can use them. All we have to do is give up some points, 500 for each one to be exact. Then, we can sacrifice these statues to summon monsters! So I'll sacrifice two statues!" stated the Crystal Prep boy as two statues from below rose and disappeared.
Axiom's Life Points: 6500-
"So now I'll call to the field… my Destiny HERO - Dreadmaster(?/?)!" Axiom's monster was shown falling from the sky and landing behind the boy with a thud. A large, muscular brute with chains wrapped around its ankles and wrists appeared. It also had a chain with a golden lock with the letter D. The brute wore a helmet as it roared.
"And now that the master of dread is here… I can bring back two heroes back from the grave! So, without further ado… I summon Destiny HERO - Captain Tenacious(800/800) and Destiny HERO - Doom Lord(600/800)! And their combined power gets added to my Dreadmaster's attack points!" stated Axiom as his two monsters appeared and empowered his large brute as his strength rose to 2800.
"You ready, dolphin-boy?" taunted Axiom as he pointed at Mario's Neo-Spacian Aqua Dolphin. "Let's see what kinda tricks you can do! Dreadmaster! Turn Flipper into fish-sticks!" The large brute roared before leaping into the air as he raised his fist and looked to bring it down on the alien dolphin.
"Hold it, muscle head! Negate Attack!" said Mario as one of his facedowns turned over. "Thanks to this, your attack is over before it begins!"
"I end my turn!" growled Axiom.
Turn 4: Mario (Hand 1)
"My move," stated the boy as he drew. "Hey, Axiom. Thanks in advance for sharing your field spell card. I'll sacrifice these guys… and then I'm gonna summon him!" Two statues rose before Mario as they disappeared while the boy held a card up high.
Mario's Life Points: 7000-
"My Elemental HERO Neos(2500/2000)!" said Mario as he brought out the signature monster of his deck.
"Let's see whatcha got, spaceman! Zap me with your ray gun!" taunted Axiom.
"He doesn't have one, but he does have a pretty cool trick," said Mario with a smile. "Since I have two Neo-Spacian monsters on the field, I can fuse them to form a new hero! All without Polymerization! Aquos and Neos merge together! Contact Fusion!" The boy's two monsters leaped into the air as they began to combine their powers in a flash of light.
"Meet Elemental HERO Aqua Neos(2500/2000)!" Out came Neos as it had the color scheme of its dolphin comrade.
"Wait till you see what he can do. If I get rid of one of my cards… two random cards in your hand are destroyed! So I'll toss out my Bladedge!" said Mario as he took the last card in his hand and sent it away. From Neos' eyes, two lasers fired and made contact with Axiom's current hand as he lost two cards, making him angry.
"Next, I activate… Heated Heart! Thanks to this, my Aqua Neos gets stronger by 500 points!" said Mario as his other facedown turned over. A giant H surrounded by flames appeared and empowered the boy's monster. "Aqua Neos, attack! Destroy his Dreadmaster with Sonic Zoom!" The boy's monster thrust his right arm out as a stream of water shot from its hand. It condensed into a single stream of bursts as it destroyed some of the ground on its way to making contact with the giant brute on Axiom's field, who was destroyed upon impact, making the Crystal Prep teen flinch.
Axiom's Life Points: 6300-
"Gotcha!" said Mario.
"Your cousin really is good, Flurry!" said Athena as Mario showcased his worth as a duelist and the son of the World Champion.
"Not bad," said Zipp as she was impressed by Mario's set of moves.
"He just dismissed Axiom's highest-ranking officer!" said Hitch as he was stunned to see Mario dispose of it so easily when he had a hard time.
"Awesome! Way ta play!" cheered Izzy.
"My Dreadmaster… blown to pieces," growled Axiom at how Mario took it down, "Your Martian mutant is nothing next to my Destiny Heroes!"
"Really?" smirked Mario.
"Especially because your monster's ability means it's shuffled back to your Extra Deck at the end of the turn. Leaving you with nothing and wide open to my direct attacks!" said Axiom.
"That's not true, right?" asked Pipp to Roll as the others did the same.
"Unfortunately, he's right. While my brother's Neo-Spacians can fuse without Polymerization, it comes at a price. He has to shuffle the cards he fuses together back into his deck, and whatever Neo-Spacian fusion monster he brings out also returns to the Extra Deck at the end of his turn."
"Oh, come on!" said Zipp as she couldn't believe Mario had to give up a powerful monster, leaving him with nothing.
"Aw, man. Now Mario's wide open now!" said Izzy as she feared for her friend. Mario's monster disappeared, and the boy was left with nothing and no cards in his hand.
Turn 5: Axiom (Hand 2)
"Since you're fresh out of monsters, I'll assume you're done. So now… I'll show you what real heroes can do," said the boy as he drew and held a smirk. "And the best way to do that is with this- a triple attack! So Diamond Dude… Captain Tenacious… and Doom Lord… let's do this! Direct attack!"
All three of Axiom's monsters heard the command of their master as they leaped into the air. One by one, they landed and struck Mario as he flinched and felt the monsters' attack. The last of the trio knocked him down as he landed on his back and made the cap he wore fall by his side.
"Mario!" shouted the boy's friends and sister as they were worried for him, given how much damage he just took.
Mario's Life Points: 4200-
"Ha ha ha!" chuckled Axiom as his monsters landed before him. "Soon you'll lose your Life Points… then your school will lose."
"What's the rush, Archer of Infamy?" barked Mario as he groaned while sitting up. He picked up his cap and put it back on before looking at his rival. "I was just getting warmed up. Now the real duel can start!"
Turn 6: Mario (Hand 0)
"All right. Enough thinking. Time for some action!" said Mario as he drew his card and looked at it. "So I play Elemental HERO Bubbleman(800/1200)! And get this- since he's the only card in my hand, Bubbleman counts as a special summon, and since he's the only one on the field, I'm allowed to draw two cards!" Mario picked up his cards as he looked at one of them. "Awesome! I just drew Pot of Greed, so now I pick up two more cards!"
Axiom growled as he didn't like Mario picking up cards and slowly replenishing his hand after having nothing just a few seconds ago.
"And check this out. One of them was Bubble Blaster! Now my Bubbleman gets 800 extra attack points!" said Mario as his monster received a giant blaster and forced his monster to kneel while resting the weapon on his shoulder. "And now I'd like to introduce a surprise guest! I summon Neo-Spacian Air Hummingbird(800/600)!" A light shot down from the sky onto the field in front of Mario, which died down to reveal the boy's humanoid alien hummingbird.
"Pretty sweet feathers, don't you think?" joked Mario as Axiom held his growling face. "All right, Hummingbird. Do your thing! Honey Suck!"
"Huh?" said Axiom as he noticed the three cards he held began to sprout giant flowers.
Mario's monster then began to suck the nectar from each of the flowers.
"I know it looks weird, but it's actually a rad ability! For each card in your hand, my Hummingbird sucks out 500 points- and I get'em!" said Mario as his monster flapped his wings to shower him with particles as his Life Points went up.
Mario's Life Points: 5700-
"It's gonna take more than that!" remarked Axiom to his rival.
"I know, like this guy- Bubbleman!" said Mario as he thrust his hand out to signal his monster to attack. The blaster his monster was holding fired a stream of water as it took out Axiom's Destiny HERO - Captain Tenacious, making the boy flinch and cover-up.
Axiom's Life Points: 5500-
"And remember, my Hummingbird didn't attack yet! Well… until now- Slaughtering Swoop!" said the teen as his monster took to the air and dove at Axiom's Destiny HERO - Doom Lord as it did a drive-by and made the monster be destroyed upon impact before flying back to his side.
Axiom's Life Points: 5300-
"And now, I'll go ahead and throw this down and give you a shot!" said Mario.
"What a comeback!" said Zipp.
"Yeah… Mario almost lost, and now… he's actually winning!" said Pipp, relieved to know her crush managed to turn things around. She was even more impressed by his skillset to put him back in form control.
"That's my brother for you. Despite what he thinks, he's a lot like our father. A flare for the dramatics." said Roll.
"Nice one!" shouted Izzy, giving Mario more support and encouragement.
"Well played, bud!" said Hitch.
Turn 7: Axiom (Hand 3)
"Whatever," remarked Axiom as he heard the praise Mario's friends were giving him and scoffed them off. "I've had enough of your lame space cadets. I prefer to duel in the real world! So now… I activate the field spell card Dark City!"
The field around the two boys began to change as the place they were in before disappeared. A second later, tons of buildings began to emerge all around them, causing Mario to look about while Axiom smiled. The sky above was nighttime as the stars were out, and the buildings themselves were shaded to be black, only illuminated by the lights inside them and the moon high above.
"A little change of scenery never hurt, right?" taunted Axiom. "Now, if a Destiny HERO's weaker than the opposing monster, it gains 1000 attack points!"
"Not bad," said Mario, biting his lip as he had to give the boy props for playing a powerful card.
"So it's like Mario's Skyscraper field spell, but for Destiny HEROs, that's not good!" said Sunny with a worried look.
"There's more! I'm ditching Diamond Dude to summon this! Destiny HERO Double Dude(1000/1000)!" Axiom's previous monster vanished as it was replaced by a man wearing a fancy, proper black dress suit, a top hat, and a cane, with a giant scarf covering his mouth.
"But that monster only has a 1000 attack points," said Pipp.
"Remember Axiom's field spell," said Sunny, reminding her friend what it could do.
"Attack Bubbleman!" said the Crystal Prep boy as he gave his monster his orders. "And don't forget- thanks to my Dark City field spell, he gets a power boost! Now, burst his bubble!" The boy's monster used his cane and crouched to leap high into the air as he appeared before the moon; he then dove toward his target as he transformed into his alter ego; he was now a muscular brute who had so many muscles that it burst through the clothes he wore.
"Did you forget about my blaster? Instead of my Bubbleman going boom, his blaster does!" said Mario as Axiom's brute came down and destroyed the weapon with his bare hands, sparing his Bubbleman.
"I know, but I forgot to tell you about Destiny HERO Double Dude's special ability. As his name suggests, he gets a double attack! So here's round 2!" smiled Axiom before looking at Mario's Hummingbird. "Say bye-bye, birdie."
The giant brute leaped back into the air and changed direction to target Mario's other monster. He then changed back into his secret identity as he was now the proper gentleman he was before transforming. The top-hatted man used his cane to slash and destroy Mario's alien hummingbird.
Mario's Life Points: 5500-
"Hummingbird!" shouted Mario, covering up and regretting that he couldn't save his monster from destruction.
"I'll toss this facedown and give you a break," mocked Axiom with a smile.
Turn 8: Mario (Hand 0)
"Not bad, but- check this out!" said Mario as he drew and showed off what he got. "It's my Graceful Charity! So I pick up 3 and toss out 2."
"What good is that gonna do him?" said Zipp, confused as to why Mario would go forth with such a risky move.
"Then I'll reveal… Disgraceful Charity!" said the boy as he activated his facedown. "Here's the deal. For this round only, any cards that we happen to discard come back to our hands!"
"So he meant to play that, huh? Never mind, he knows what he's doing," said Zipp as she retracted her previous statement about the boy.
"A good duelist is ready for anything, and that means not just knowing how to use all their cards but knowing how to play them too," said Roll.
The others all looked at the girl after hearing her say that, as what she said intrigued them.
"That's, uh, a little piece of advice our father gave us growing up," confessed the girl.
"Knowing how to play your cards?" repeated Pipp, as she didn't fully understand what Roll was saying.
"Of course! Knowing how to use a card and knowing how to play it are two totally different things!" said Sunny as she understood what her friend said.
"Uh, care to share with the rest of the class, Sunny?" asked Hitch as he and the others still didn't get it.
Back on the field, Mario was still in the middle of his move as he'd stop momentarily to recall a memory from his past. The memory was when he was younger and stood behind his father as he wanted to ask him something.
"Hey, Dad. I have a question. I tried asking Mom, but she couldn't help me. Maybe you can. What's the difference between knowing how to use a card and knowing how to play it? Aren't they the same?"
The boy's father sighed before opening his eyes, looking at his son, and uncrossing his arms.
"I wish I could tell you, Mario. But that's something that can never be taught but learned. It takes a moment of pure clarity when you see dueling on a different level. A higher level. All the angles, all the moves. You won't think, just act."
"I… I don't get it," confessed the boy, as he didn't understand what his father was saying.
"I know, but in time and with practice… you will," smiled the World Champ to his son before rubbing his head, making him smile.
"Why am I remembering this shit?" mumbled Mario; he didn't know why he decided to look back on that moment with his father, of all things, as he knew how he felt about his old man. The boy returned to reality as he shifted his focus back to the duel he was in.
"Next, I'll play this- Common Soul! Thanks to this little spell card, I can summon this- My Neo-Spacian Flare Scarab(500/500)!"
Emerging in a figure of fire was an alien humanoid beetle as he appeared on Mario's field.
"Ooh, another alien!" said Izzy as she couldn't help but be drawn in by Mario's alien heroes he had packing in his deck.
"Flare Scarab, you're up, pal! Activate Smolder Surge!" said Mario to his monster as his beetle began to have fire surround itself. "Here's how it works. For every spell and trap card that's on your side of the field, my Flare Scarab gains 400 attack points!"
Axiom was taken aback but noticed when he looked at his duel disk that the two cards he had currently out were on fire, empowering Mario's monster.
"And next, thanks to my Common Soul spell card, Flare Scarab is able to help out one of his peeps- by sharing his attack points!" stated Mario as the power Flare Scarab got also empowered his Bubbleman as he let out a powered up cry, feeling it course through his body. "And now, Bubbleman! Take down his Destiny HERO Double Dude!" The boy's monster leaped into the air as the blaster on his wrist was aimed out and blasted a stream of water at Axiom's monster, destroying it upon impact, making the boy flinch once more as he now had his share of battle marks.
Axiom's Life Points: 4200-
"No biggie, I'll just play this- Destiny Signal!" said Axiom as he touched his duel screen to activate his facedown. A spotlight shone from his card as a giant D was shown in the sky. "You remember, right? If one of my monsters gets sent to the graveyard, I can use this to summon a Destiny HERO from my hand or deck."
The Crystal Prep boy touched his duel screen once more as his entire deck appeared and began to cycle through it to choose which monster he wanted; once he made his choice, he clicked confirm, and the card slotted out for him to grab and show off.
"So check out my Destiny HERO Defender(100/2700) in defense mode!" A giant stonewall warrior appeared as he took a knee before his master.
"Not bad. That's a whole lot of defense for one hero," commented Mario.
"Told you. My Destiny HEROes are the coolest cards in the game, and you haven't seen them all yet!" said Axiom. "But, uh- thanks for the props, I guess."
"Did Axiom just say thanks to your cousin? His opponent?" said Roxanne as the boy's teammates couldn't believe what they heard from their friend.
"Cap?" said JD, turning to Flurry for her judgment.
"Let him," said the girl.
"Pardon?" said Athena.
"Just sit back and watch the duel, guys. Besides, it's just getting good," smiled Flurry as she enjoyed the battle between her right-hand man and her cousin.
The others just listened to Flurry's command as they returned to watching their comrades fight with their captain's cousin. Flurry looked on as her eye was drawn to Axiom; the boy was essentially her right-hand man and the person she could trust the most, perhaps because he was the first one she met. That triggered a memory for the girl as she closed her eyes.
Axiom and Flurry were shown in Crystal Prep's library, where they stood face to face with the boy with his arms crossed and Flurry with a hand on her hip.
"Sometimes I wonder if your life could have taken you down a different path. If you had never met me and entered my service, you might have had a more peaceful-"
"A more tedious path? Inconsequential and spoiled rotten, like so many other Crystal Prep students?" said Axiom as he cut off Flurry's train of thought. "Never. My duty to you is no mere obligation. I chose this. I had thought that would be obvious to you."
"I understand you well, Axiom. Better than anyone. But when I see you around school, studying with the others… it makes me wonder what kind of life you might have had without me. That's all."
"Such a life may have had its appeal. I thought I'd left my years of carefree innocence behind me. But I can't deny that I find myself enjoying my time at Crystal Prep."
"I feel the same way."
"That enjoyment, however, is only thanks to you, Flurry. Standing by your side is all that truly matters to me."
"I see. Then, I won't speak of such things again. I'll gladly keep you by my side if it's what you want. The path I must walk… is soaked in blood. It's a path that can lead to madness, can snatch away one's future, and… can even take one's life. And the pool of violence at my feet is growing larger. Those stains can never be washed clean."
"Please leave the violence to me, princess. A leader must be seen as pure… above the fray. Allow me to paint the path that lies before you red with the blood of your enemies. I will do it gladly as your right-hand man, Flurs."
Flurry Heart opened her eyes as she finished recollecting the memory of her and her friend. She looked back on the field and kept her eyes on Axiom.
"I know you won't let me down, Axiom," the girl said to herself.
Turn 9: Axiom (Hand 1)
"Anyway… my move!" said Axiom as he got everyone's attention back on the duel and took his turn by drawing his card. "Now get this: since you destroyed my Double Dude, its special ability activates. When it goes to the graveyard, two Double Dude tokens appear on the field to take his place!" Two copies of Axiom's previous monster appeared, each with 1000 attack and defense points.
"Next, I play Mystical Space Typhoon!" said Axiom as he showed off the card he just drew. A giant wind blew as Mario felt it and covered up with his arms. "Nice weather we're having, isn't it? But your space men might not agree."
Mario's Common Soul spell card was then blown off the field, which, in turn, caused his Neo-Spacian Flare Scarab to return to his hand.
"Aw! But I loved that guy!" shouted Izzy as she was upset Mario's space beetle had to leave.
"Don't forget- without him, Bubbleman gets weaker!" stated Axiom as Mario's remaining monster lost the bonus boost and returned to his original points. "Go! Token #1, attack!" Axiom's monster rushed forward and used his cane to destroy Mario's monster, making the boy flinch and cover up again.
Mario's Life Points: 5300-
"And now- Token #2, your turn! Strike him directly!" commanded the Crystal Prep boy as Mario looked up to see the monster approaching him. The monster brought his cane down on the boy, and he let out a painful sound before being knocked to the floor.
Mario's Life Points: 4300-
"And that's that," smiled Axiom as he ended his turn, and now he and Mario were almost dead even in Life Points.
"Oh, man," said Zipp as she could see Axiom was indeed a tough duelist to beat and was keeping up with Mario's skillset.
"He's got no backup!" said Hitch as Mario had no monsters on his field again.
"Looks like it's over, Tia," smirked Sombra as he could see Axiom was moments away from finishing this duel off.
The woman didn't respond to her acquaintance's remark as she bit her lower lip and looked worried. Her mind was racing with several thoughts.
If I know Mario as well as I know his father, then he has a plan… I hope!
Turn 10: Mario (Hand 2)
"All right, here goes! And thanks to your Destiny HERO Defender, I can draw two cards instead of one!" stated Mario as he picked up another card from his deck and looked at them. "I'll start with The Shallow Grave spell card! Now, we each pick a monster from our graveyard and bring him back to the field. But they have to be in defense mode. So, I choose my Hero Kid(300/600)!" A small boy wearing a cool superhero outfit appeared before kneeling and putting his arms in an X. "And when this kid is special summoned, guess what? Two more little hero dudes can join him! So now it's time for a triple threat!" Two lights shot from Mario's deck as two more little boy heroes appeared by their twin and took a knee.
"Hah! Come on. Do you honestly think those little brats have a shot against my Destiny HEROs, like Dreadmaster?" stated Axiom, as that was the monster he chose to bring back. The boy's brute appeared as he took a knee and raised his arms up in an X to defend itself. "And when this big guy's here, all of my non-Destiny HERos run for cover! But of course, they get replaced with two new heroes! Like my Diamond Dude- and Captain Tenacious!" The two tokens on Axiom's field vanished as the monsters he chose to bring back appeared. "And Dreadmaster's defense points- are equal to the sum of the attack points of Diamond Dude and Captain Tenacious!"
"What a coincidence! I'm also about to bring back an old friend- my Flare Scarab!" said Mario as his alien beetle reappeared with a revised fighting spirit that burned even hotter. "And thanks to your Dark City field spell card, he gets points, too! Flare Scarab, attack his Captain, now! With Flaming Arrow!" His beetle began to shoot out arrows of fire and bombarded Axiom's field as one of them collided with the boy's monster and destroyed it while also weakening Dreadmaster's total defense points.
"I'll throw down two facedowns and call it a turn!" said Mario.
"This duel is intense!" stated Sunny as she was getting into the battle between Mario and Axiom.
"I'm on the edge of my seat as is!" said Pipp as she admitted this duel got her fired up, even though she wasn't the one competing.
Turn 11: Axiom (Hand 1)
"That's it? How lame," said Axiom after reviewing Mario's turn. "Watch the pro. Pot of Greed! I pick up two cards and sacrifice Dreadmaster! Plus, my Defender and Diamond Dude! Now I can play my Destiny HERO Dogma(3400/2400)!" All three of Axiom's monsters vanished in a streak of light, and only his newfound called-upon monster remained.
"Now that's what I call a monster!" said Roll upon seeing the creature her brother would have to deal with.
"That thing is dangerous!" said Sunny as she recalled her experience with Axiom's creature from their King of the Hill duel.
"Now, Dogma, attack his Flare Scarab! Destroy him!" commanded Axiom as he pointed. His monster collected energy before concentrating it together into a solid orb and firing it. It began to head toward Mario's alien beetle as it got closer and closer.
"You triggered my trap! Kid Guard!" said Mario as he touched his duel screen to activate his facedown as it flipped over. "Thanks to this, I can sacrifice one of my Hero Kids in order to cancel your attack. And then I can grab an 'Elemental HERO' card from anywhere inside my deck!" One of Mario's kid superheroes quickly appeared before its comrade. He turned to the alien beetle and smiled as he took the hit intended for his friend.
"I won't let your sacrifice be in vain, friend," said Mario's monster as he turned to look at his master. "Mario, you know what to do."
"Yeah, I do," responded the boy to his monster before looking at his deck and then addressing Axiom and everyone watching. "It all comes down to this! I choose my Elemental HERO Neos to join my hand!"
"Well, I'll drop a facedown and end my turn!" stated the Crystal Prep boy.
"Remember, for every facedown card you play, my Scarab gets stronger!" said Mario as Axiom's latest card he set boosted his monster's strength.
Turn 12: Mario (Hand 1)
"All right, go time!" said Mario as he began his turn and drew his card.
"Not so fast! Go, Dogma!" shouted Axiom.
A flash of light emitted from his monster before Mario was encased in a similar light and screamed.
"AAH!" yelled the boy as the attack was intense and painful.
"Mario!" shouted both Pipp and Zipp, as seeing their friend in pain made them both worry.
The boy fell to his hands and knees as he panted heavily. The effect from Axiom's monster had a bit more power behind it as he couldn't see straight before rubbing his eyes and trying to collect his bearings.
"Didn't I tell you? Dogma's special ability cuts your Life Points in half during your Standby Phase!" smirked Axiom as he laughed at his rival on the ground.
Mario's Life Points: 2150-
"He's almost out of points, guys!" said Hitch.
"This isn't good," remarked Izzy as she was worried for Mario's sake.
"One major hit, and it's over," stated Sunny.
"Heh, heh, not bad," groaned Mario as he willed himself to stand up and stare down Axiom. "But I still got some fight left in me." He reached up to turn his cap around, determined to win this duel. "Now then… I'll play the field spell, Neos Space!" Mario's side of the field began to change as the boy was now in a supernova of sorts. "This card increases the power of my Elemental HERO Neos by 500! But you're probably asking yourself this? Where's my Neos? Well, the answer is… he's right up there!"
Mario's two remaining Kid Heros nodded in unison as if on cue before they leaped into the air and sacrificed their energies to bring forth the ace monster of their master's deck.
"So what? It still doesn't stand up to my Dogma!"
"Not yet! But who said I was done? Now, where was I? Oh, right. I'm creating a new monster-," said Mario as his two Neo-Spaciain Heros leaped into the air and combined their powers. "Meet… Elemental HERO Flare Neos(2500/2000)! And guess what? My Flare Neos gains 400 attack points for every spell and trap card on the field. So there are three cards on the field, plus the one I just played, giving him 1600 extra points! And on top of that, my Neo Space gives my Flare Neos an extra 500 attack points for a grand total of 4600!"
"That's enough to beat Axiom's Dogma even with his field spell Dark City in play to boost his monster's strength by 1000!" said Sunny as Mario had the upper hand.
"Flare Neos, attack!" shouted Mario. His monster soared into the air as he put his hands together and made a stream of fire shot toward Destiny HERO Dogma.
"I activate D - Shield! When a 'Destiny HERO' is attacked, it switches to defense mode and stays on the field!" said Axiom as he touched his duel screen to activate his facedown and protect his monster from Mario's attack.
"I end my turn. And thanks to my Neo Space, my Flare Neos is sticking around!" said Mario.
"Well, at least that's good to hear," commented Pipp.
Turn 13: Axiom (Hand 1)
"Stand back!" said the Crystal Prep boy as he drew. "Your monster may be around this time, but my Dogma and I have other plans for him. First things first. I switch Dogma to attack mode, so stand up!" On his command, Axiom's monster rose to his feet. "And then, I'll equip him with this spell card- Heavy Storm Blade!" A giant tri-blade shaped like a fan appeared as Axiom's monster grabbed it.
"Remember, every time a new spell or trap card is played, Flare Neos gets more points- 400 more!" said Mario.
"You think I care? Please. Now, attack!" commanded Axiom.
"What?" said Zipp in disbelief.
"That's weird. Axiom's monster is still weaker than Mario's," commented Hitch.
"So why attack?" asked Izzy.
It was clear the motives of the Crystal Prep boy were a mystery to the rest of the gang.
"Excellent question. And I can answer it with just 4 words-" responded Axiom. "My Heavy Storm Blade! Now, see for yourselves!" The boy's monster was shown above the field as it spun its blade-fan rapidly. It created a powerful wind that blew over the field. "Whenever a monster that's equipped with Heavy Storm blade attacks, every single trap and spell card on the field is instantly destroyed!"
"No way!" said Mario as he saw his facedown get blown away, and his field spell soon followed.
In a matter of moments, all the cards on both Mario and Axiom's field were gone in the blink of an eye.
"And now, Neos loses a few attack points!" smiled Axiom as he weakened Mario's monster. "Now, attack!"
The boy's monster flew toward his foe as he still held the fan blade. It collided with Mario's monster as it tried to fight back and hold the weapon back. The two different heroes glared at each other's eyes as they matched the intensity of their masters; the rivalry between the two types of heroes ran deep as neither wanted to submit to the other less than appear weak in front of their owners. However, at that moment, something began to happen. The fan blade that Dogma held began to crack as Flare Neos started to overcome its foe.
"No fair!" said Axiom.
"What's the matter?" smirked Mario. "Oh, I get it. You're wondering why my monster didn't bite the dust, right?"
"Maybe," responded the Crystal Prep boy defiantly.
"I hate to break it to ya, but it's your own fault. See this?" said Mario as he held up the facedown he had previously set that Axiom used his Heavy Storm Blade to get rid of. "You sent it to my graveyard! And when Spell Calling leaves the field, I get to replace it with 2 new spell cards, giving my Neos a power boost!"
Axiom gasped as he couldn't believe what Mario was saying or what was happening in front of his very eyes. Two facedowns appeared on the boy's side as his monster powered up and rose to 3700… making it stronger than his Dogma.
"Impossible! That means…"
"He wins!" shouted Celestia as she couldn't contain her inner excitement and blurted it out.
Dogma felt its strength slowly fading as it was destroyed by Mario's monster, making Axiom flinch and cover-up.
Axiom's Life Points: 4000-
"So now I reveal my facedown, Neos Power. Since my Flare Neos was able to destroy a monster in battle, he can attack again, only this time, he gains 500 extra attack points! Now, Flare Neos, end this!" shouted Mario.
The boy's monster soared into the air as he put his hands together. It caused a fire to appear before he shot it out into a condensed pillar that flew through the air. It made its way to Axiom as the boy covered up and tried his best to hold his ground, but he couldn't, so he was taken off his feet before hitting the ground hard.
Axiom's Life Points: 0-
Winner: Mario
"And that's game! And a sweet one, too!" said Mario defiantly.
A huge roar broke out as it caught the boy off guard. Mario looked out as he saw his side of the school cheering their hearts out; he didn't realize what he had just done by winning.
"We did it, Lulu! We're still in this!" yelled Celestia as she was so overcome with joy and glee that she didn't realize she grabbed her younger sister by the shirt and shook her furiously.
"Tia!" said Luna as she felt like she was gonna throw up based on how hard her older sister was shaking her.
Mario soon felt a pair of arms hug him from the side as he looked down to see his little sister had come up to embrace him.
"You did it, big bro," said Roll to her elder sibling.
Mario smiled as he wrapped an arm around his baby sibling as she broke apart, and the rest of their friends came up.
"That's what I'm talking about, lover boy! Way to go!" shouted Zipp. She gave Mario a hard pat on the back, and he moved forward a bit.
"Nicely done, handsome," said Pipp as she quickly kissed his cheek.
"Nice done, bud!" exclaimed Hitch.
"There's still hope, everyone! There's still hope!" said Sunny as her faith was restored by Mario's latest win.
"Students, if I could have your attention!" said Cadance over the speakers; it caused all seven to look up at the booth holding their principals. "CHS won most of their duels, so they secured their safety; we will have the next event tomorrow. Based on that result, it will determine if the final event will occur that same night. Congrats to CHS and its representatives for a hard-fought victory!"
The student body of CHS continued to celebrate and applaud the seven duelists gathered on the field. They all smiled and waved at their classmates as they relished this small win. Sunny looked over and saw Flurry as the girl stood up before signaling her friends to follow her as they did so. From the look on the girl's face, it was clear Flurry was still on her warpath to take them down.
In the booth, Sombra had held his stare as despite them losing, he didn't once flinch or show any signs of anger or resentment. He maintained a cool demeanor before getting up and adjusting his suit. He left the booth while Celestia was still celebrating their victory. Cadance saw the man leave as she followed him, knowing that he was already thinking of the plan for the next event.
Author's Note: I bet everyone who thought Mario would not come through for his team, you all are now eating your words, aren't you? In what was a fierce, intense, and close battle, Mario has not only won for this team, but has kept them alive. And now, they qualify for the next event and still have a chance to potentially win the Friendship Games for their school. That chance from what started out as a small sliver of hope seems to be growing. And... we got to see from Axiom's side, just how loyal he is to Flurry that he would do anything for her being anointed as her right-hand man. But everyone, we get to at least celebrate for our team at the moment, they aren't out just yet.