C.3 - Future Device
"C'mon! Mister Muto, if we don't get going soon both Yugi and Joey are gonna already be finished with the finals." Teà pleaded with the old man as he followed her down the stairs, having just gotten off the train that had brought them to this part of Domino.
It was also where they would apparently be meeting the rest of her friends, but no one was even here, still, even after they returned from their little detour. Did her friends all forget to meet her here or something?
"Please Teà, you must forgive an old thrill seeker like me, when i see a nearby game shop, i can't help but inspect the competition." The old man then chuckled heartily to himself.
"Thrill seeker my butt, you just bought yourself a new board game." She sighed to herself.
"Yes, I mean…" Solomon Muto sheepishly turned away with the board game's box in his hands. "It was a good find, I haven't seen a game like this in my shop. That's for sure. I would like to play it soon. Oho!"
"Yes, well… we still need to find Yugi and Joey. Man, I can only imagine the trouble they're getting themselves into now. Just imagine what Joye could be doing right now."
"I'm sure that student of mine will be alright." The old man assured Teà, but the aspiring dancer couldn't help but feel worried for her friends, especially with all this talk of Rare Hunters that women at the Exhibition had spoken about. Honestly, she really hated all these people gunning to hurt her friends who haven't done anything to them.
Haven't they been through enough already…
Joey was running through the streets of Domino, looking desperately for someone to duel, but so far all he'd come across was people already in duels or people waiting to duel the people who were already duelling and refused to face him because of that.
That was incredibly annoying, but he had to find someone, he was itching for a duel.
He turned and found himself in a large plaza, with multiple floors to it divided by stairs, on the nearby semi-tall supermarket buildings that bordered the street, he could see people looking out the windows from where they sat in diners or restaurants, small gardens also rested on the ledges to these buildings. The actual street was somewhat narrow, and could probably only support the space for one duel without blocking the passage way.
Multiple duels were already in progress at different points along the walkway to this street. He could see various monsters and he even recognised a few of them, like that giant purple dinosaur with two heads facing some kind of android.
-Wait a second!
He charged over to that duel, which just so happened to be the closest and pushed his way to the front of the crowd where he found who he was looking for. The two duelists. He didn't recognise the boy in the pink shirt with black stripes horizontally across it, they also had green hair, but he found nothing really that notable about them besides that.
Who he did recognise however was the green jacket and red beanie wearing boy duelling siad kid.
It was Rex Raptor, but he didn't look like he was having a nice time.
"Jinzo!" The green haired duelist called out. "Attack his Two-Headed King Rex and end this duel!"
The android obeyed, firing a ball of electricity across the arena that crashed into Rex's Iconic dinosaur, destroying them and reducing the boy's life points to 0.
Rex collapsed to his knees. "No way… it was like he could see every move I was gonna make." The former runner-up then slammed their fist into the floor.
"Aha! Now do you believe me!" The other boy grandstanded, raising his arms up to the crowd. "That's what you get for doubting me! Espa Roba, the transcended duelist! Now I'll take your locator card and that pathetic Serpent Night Dragon of yours!"
"Agh…" Rex winced.
"Woah!" He couldn't help but comment, Rex Raptor looked behind them, finally looking at him, they gasped and their eyes then went wide.
"Wheeler!"
"Hey Rex." he waved. "Fancy seeing you here. Say wanna have that rematch you were looking for?"
"Ah…" He looked relieved for a moment before he seemed to remember something and lowered his head. "I've lost my last Locator Card, I can't." Rex dipped his head downwards.
"Damn man." He frowned. "Well maybe next time. Okay?"
"Sorry but," Espa spoke up, interrupting his talk with his… um.. Buddy. Yeah that describes his and Rex's relationship pretty well. Espa then continued to say. "Who is this blabbering moron Rex? Some groupie?"
"Groupie?" He growled at the insult.
"Sorry to say, but your favourite pro seems to be nothing more than a washed up has been." Espa shrugged his shoulders as he gave a dismissive shake of his head. He then stepped forward and took the Dragon and Locator Card Rex had reached out to hand him.
"Rex Raptor is no more, this is the age of Espa Roba! The transcen-"
"Yeah, yeah, enough with that whole act." He groaned as he reached with one of his pinkies up to his ear and acted like he was picking it. "Your voice is so grating, I get your gimmick already."
"G-g-gimmick!" Espa Roba gasped in shock. "It is more than a gimmick, I can see the future! In each of my duels I know the exact cards you'll play before you even do. These are the powers that greater beings from beyond the veil have granted me! This is the power of the Cosmos!"
He snorted at the idea. "Yeah sure, look man, I've already had the pleasure of meeting two psychics already, let me tell you. I don't think you're gonna break the trend kid." Between Mai's tricks and that one pervert at his own school, he honestly didn't care much for Psychic's nowadays. The only real Psychic he's seen was Pegasus and he could only do that because of his weird Millenium thingy.
"Why you, I am no fraud Wheeler!" Espa growled out. He then pointed a hand at him. "And I'm more than happy to prove my skill to you!"
"You wanna duel!" He lowered his hands and placed them in his pockets. "That's great then, how many locator cards, see i've only got the one at the moment."
"Ha!" Espa Roba jeered at him, earning another frown from him. "So you're just some weakling who hasn't even gotten a single win yet."
He growled at that. "Hey! I'll have ya know that I came runner-up in Duelist Kingdom!"
"Bah!" Espa Roba laughed off before walking over to his side of the field, it seemed the boy had to prepare his deck after that last duel, after all the Duel Disks didn't come with a Auto-Shuffle Function.
As the big-headed psychic duelist went to their side of the field he went to his side, the crowd kept a couple steps of distance away from them as he prepared his deck. Shuffling it.
Rex ran up beside him and desperately went to tell him. "You can't underestimate him, he really can see what's in your future."
"Lotta good that'll do him." He grinned at Rex. "He'll just be seeing how he loses. Trust me, kid, I'll win this duel. I got the heart of the cards on my side and with it I'll avenge you!"
"The heart of the- what?" Rex asked confusedly before then just shaking his head and stepping backwards to be with the rest of the crowd.
Once their shuffling was finished they both slotted their decks into their Duel Disks and held them out. "LET'S DUEL!" They both shouted out in unison as they Duel Disks powered on.
Espa Roba (4000LP) VS Joey Wheeler (4000LP)
"Now who wants the first turn?" He asked.
Espa closed his eyes and shrugged his arms arrogantly. "I couldn't care less, but in the manner of fairness, I guess rock-paper-scissors to decide it would be good?"
Joey nodded. "Alright."
They both shook their hands and chanted before calling out.
"Rock!" Joey called.
"Scissors!" Espa called out.
The crowd gasped at the fact that the Psychic had lost.
"Ha! Your psychic act is already crumbling." Joey grinned like he'd just won the jackpot. But his excitement at winning was dulled quickly as Espa just shrugged.
"That false confidence of yours shows just how tiny your head is."
"Wh-what did you say!"
"As a Transcendent Duelist," Espa preened as he spoke with an overly grandiose tone. "I can see more than just the future, that is just a gross simplification, I see the cosmic energies themselves and the universal constructs, their grand designs are what I see! By losing here I merely store my luck in the astral energies, allowing me to win this duel even faster than before!"
"Wh-what?" Joey stammered. What on earth was this kid on?
Espa Roba then clicked their tongue and shook their head. "It doesn't even matter anyways, you get to choose who goes first, but I know for a fact, Wheeler," Espa then suddenly pointed his finger outwards towards Joey. "That your choice of who goes first, is the one I wanted to go first all along."
"Agh! That's bull, you'll just claim whoever goes first was your choice all along."
"Would you rather I write it down?" Espa suggested.
"I'd rather you duel already, you're going first." Joey declared.
"Hm!" Espa chuckled to himself. "As I knew I would."
"Agh!" This kid was really starting to grate on his nerves. He was being so annoying and full of himself, he just couldn't take it.
They then both began to draw their opening hands when he was suddenly interrupted by an annoying sound.
"Hummm"
"Oh what is it this time?" Joey groaned.
Thankfully Rex began to explain from behind him. "He's contacting the universal and cosmic energies!"
"Oh? course he is… why didn't i think of dat?" He just shook his head and continued to draw his opening hand.
Well, if his opponent was gonna waste his time, he might as well look at his own hand and see what he can do. He then raised his cards up to look at them. Looking here he already had Time Wizard and Baby Dragon, as well as one of his dice cards.
"I know what I'll do and I also know what you'll do!" Espa Roba called out. "So I'll play this! The mighty Cyber Raider in attack mode!" A man in a superhero-like spandex of blue and black appeared, they had a metal helmet that obscured most of their head. (1400/1300)
"Next, I'll play two cards face-down and end my turn!"
"My turn!" He called out, "I draw!" He did so, pulling out a normal monster. That's great! "I play the Protector Of The Throne in Attack mode!" he called out as a woman dressed like some princess with a wavy single piece dress appeared lounging on a golden throne. (600/1500)
"Next, since I control a normal monster, I can special summon Time Wizard from my hand in defence mode!" He called out, summoning the little red clock-wizard to his field. "Now I'll use their effect to flip a coin!"
"Yes, the Time Wizard… i'm familiar with the card, i faced someone else who had one today as well…It's not that rare a card." Esba Roba revealed. "You target a normal monster on the field and flip a coin, if you land on heads you'll get to send that monster to the graveyard to summon a fusion normal monster from your extra deck, but if it's tails you'll instead take damage equal to your monster's attack points. A risky card." Espa clenched his teeth.
"Well, what do you have to fear, if you've seen my future then a coin flip shouldn't be causing you a lot of stress." He asked.
"It isn't." Espa growled out. "Now flip your coin, Wheeler!"
"Alright then!" He then turned his gaze to his Time Wizard. "Let's do this, Time Roulette Go!" He called out. His little wizard leapt up into the air and floated there as he raised his sceptre, the roulette on the end of the sceptre showed two sides, a black side with a death skull painted on it and the other side with a red time machine symbol on it.
The roulette began spinning, going, going, before slowing down.
It seemed to pause just a bit over the skull, causing him to sweat in anticipation, it then lurched over to the time machine side, causing Espa Roba to wince, then it lurched again, only just barely remaining on the time machine symbol before jumping all the way to the skull side before slowing slowing down.
"Ugh…" He groaned, "Come on, give daddy a new monster!" he pleaded. Whether or not the hologram heard him, it kept slowing down moving towards the dividing line, if it crossed that line he'd win big. It grew closer, closer, then just barely flipped over to the magic side of the roulette.
He pumped his arm up into the air. "Hell yeah!"
A tornado filled with clocks, from analog to digital surrounded his Protector Of The Throne before disappearing to reveal a large man with luscious blonde locks in a dark robe, emerald green armour and a magical spear held in their hands.
"Alright, now you're getting the pleasure of meeting Giltia The Dark Knight!" (A:1850/D:1500)
"Hah! All that work for such a mediocre monster." Espa Roba scoffed at his cards.
"Hey, don't knock it until you try it." He grinned. "Now, let's battle, Go Giltia, Soul Spear Strike Attack!" His Dark Knight leapt forwards, holding his spear like a javelin he was about to throw downwards, it then flew, piercing through the Cyber Raider and destroying it.
Espa grimaced. (3550LP)
The Psychic Duelist then gestured towards one of his set cards. "I activate the trap card, Soul Rope! By paying 1000 life points, when a monster I control is destroyed by battle, I can special summon any level 4 monster from my deck! And I'll do just that to summon my Reflect Bounder in attack mode!" (2550LP)
A floating bronze machine that resembled a man appeared, multiple circular mirrors on their joints and chest were attached to their body. (1700/1000)
"Hmm." He considered the new monster carefully, his Time Wizard wasn't going to be able to attack his foe directly because of this. That's unfortunate. But he knew what he'd have to do. "I set two cards face-down and end my turn."
Espa Roba drew from his deck quickly. Espa then paused there, staring at his two set cards he'd placed on his field last turn. After a beat the psychic duelist then grinned. "You're a fool Wheeler, I can see the future, your Magical Arm Shield and Dice card won't be able to save you."
His eyes widened. "Wh-what! You know."
"Oh course i know, i'm a Psychic Duelist, or is that brain of yours so small you forgot i told you that." Espa jabbed at him. "And unfortunately for you I activate my own set card, Mystical Space Typhoon to destroy your card on the left. Say goodbye to your arm shield!"
A bolt of lightning then rained down from outta nowhere and blasted his set card, sending out smoke blasting past him that he had to raise his arms up to defend against. It was just like Espa said, he knew that not only that he had set his Magical Arm Shield was, but exactly where he had set it on the field. That's wild. He lowered his arms.
Maybe this kid actually does have psychic powers.
"I can see it on your face." Espa grinned. "You've finally been convinced that I have ESP!"
"No!" He adamantly refused to admit otherwise. "It's not possible, there's no way you have an ESN."
"It's ESP you moron!" Espa Roba growled before continuing his turn. "I'll play the Illusory Gentleman! Attack Mode!" A strangely well dressed man whose head only had a single eye on it appeared on the field, cane held in hand. (1500/1600)
"Next I'll play the Normal Spell Soultaker!" Espa Roba yelled out.
Suddenly a ghostly hand appeared in the air and flew forwards, crashing into Giltia's gut, making them double over. From the Fusion Monster's back an orb of light appeared and was forcing by the hand into his own gut. His Fusion Monster then exploded leaving him without a monster to defend himself.
"What the?" He asked out loud. What just happened? He was especially confused since he had gained life points after that according to his duel disk. (5000LP)
"With Soultaker I can destroy any monster on the field, but you'll gain 1000 life points afterwards, not that you'll get to keep them for long once I'm done with you this turn. But before we get to that I'll play this card! The Phantom Thief's Escapade!"
"Huh? What does that do?" He'd never seen a card like that one before.
"With this card i can declare the name of 1 card in your hand, if you have it, you need to show me, then i'll get to draw two cards! So let me show you Wheeler, the power that I possess!"
He could feel a bead of sweat past down his forehead, ah, things could go really wrong for me if he can guess what the last few cards in his hand are.
"And using my ESP, tapping into the cosmic forces, I will see your card! No doubt!" Espa Roba then closed his eyes and put both of her hands up to his ears.
Espa Roba then began to hum deeply to themselves, forcing him to wait as the Psychic Duelist listened out for the cosmic forces. After a moment he opened his eyes, yes, I see it, the card to your left. That one is the puny and pathetic, Swordsman Of Landstar!"
He revealed the card his opponent had pointed to, revealing that Espa Roba was correct.
"Great!" Espa shouted. "As expected! Now due to my escapade, i draw two cards!" He did so, boosting the size of his hand. Espa Roba then grinned. "With this many cards, you're screwed, Wheeler!"
"We'll see about that!" He adamantly shouted back. No way he was going down just because his opponent says so. He'll fight back at every step, tooth and nail!
Espa Roba then clapped his hands together. "Now we battle, Reflect Bounder, eliminate the Time Wizard!" The machine obeyed the psychic and fired a blast of energy into the wizard, destroying them. Luckily his monster had been in Defence Position, saving his life points at the very least.
"Illusionary gentleman!" His monster jumped forwards and struck him in the head with their sceptre, causing him to stumble back a step. (3400LP)
"With that, I'll end my turn." Espa Roba declared.
He took a calming breath before drawing from his deck, only to grin at the card he'd drawn.
"Alright! I'll Normal Summon Baby Dragon! Then I'll play Premature Burial in order to summon the Time Wizard from my graveyard!" A young yellow dragon tyke appeared on his field, before a pillar of white light appeared next to them, revealing that red clock wizard yet again. (1200/700) (500/250)
Joey (2600LP)
"What! Him again, you're kidding!" Espa replied, shocked.
For a moment before he had had the chance to draw he'd thought he might've been in real trouble there, but clearly this kid had some problems with their Psychic Powers if they didn't see this coming! Now he could at least attempt to come back.
Now he just needed to destroy that Illusory Gentleman and get rid of that Reflect Bounder. He knew just how to do that too!
"I'll use Time Wizard's effect, targeting my Baby Dragon, Time Roulette! Let's spin once again!" The Time Wizard twirled their wand before pointing it upwards into the sky, opening a portal and causing Baby Dragon to be tossed into it by some invisible force that even the little dragon looked like he wasn't expecting.
The roulette on Time Wizard began to spin again, flipping between the Time Machine Symbol and the Skull Symbol. Skull, Machine, Skull, Machine.
Various objects from ancient history kept falling out of the portal. He watched the crowd and even Espa Roba hold their breaths as they all looked to the portal. What would come out of it? Something greater, just some plain failure…
He bet his come back all here!
The spinner kept going between Skull and Machine, Skull, Machine…
Skull…
Machine!
But it just kept going.
Ah.. please no!
Joey winced, but the spinner lurched one final time revealing its result to be the time machine. A large silhouette of a massive brown scaled dragon with a well grown goatee and sideburns on its head descended down and land on the floor. (2400/2000)
"Jackpot! I need ya to say goodbye to Baby Dragon and then say hello to Thousand Dragon!" He cheered. "Now let's attack! Thousand Dragon, dust them!" He called out pointing towards the Illusory Gentleman, who just as his dragon turned towards him and released a blast of win from their nostrils, disintegrating the gentleman.
Espa Roba winced as their life points dropped even further behind his own. (1650LP)
"With that, I'll end my turn." He declared. "Looks like all you really had was just a bighead after all."
"Agh…" Espa winced, a bead of sweat dripping down his face. "You don't know what you're talking about!"
"Really, then give up on these Psychic Forces, don't care about the bloody cosmos, fight me with what you got, not what some mystical mambo jumbo says you got!" Joey dared him,
Espa growled before drawing from his deck. "Aha! This'll work nicely. I play the spell Silent Doom, to revive a normal monster in my graveyard and summon it in Defence Position, I'll then tribute this monster to bring forth my ultimate creature!"
"Huh!?" He suddenly became surprised as the gentleman appeared and disappeared just as quickly only for a monster to rise out of the floor, their arms crossed over their chest in a massive 'X' shape, like they were rising out of a coffin. They were dressed in green surgical rubbery looking leather, metal armour pieces, with spiked wrists. The only piece of their skin left exposed was their bald head which pulsated disgustingly.
The creature face however was covered in a metal fanged mouth piece/respirator and a set of goggles with red lens that gleamed in the light.
Electricity streamed over their body before blasting outwards, causing Joey to stumble backwards a step. "Woah… this guy's something else."
"This is what you wanted right? Wheeler? Say hello to the culmination of my psychic abilities, and with the aid of my cosmic powers. You will crumble before the analytical expertise of the enigmatic psycho shocker! AKA, Jinzo!"
Ending Notes
Hello, Mimikree here!
Espa VS Joey is always been one of my more favourite duels. here you can also see what i've done to make Joey's deck work better. He plays a deck of very cheap normal monsters that he can use Time Wizard with to summon out his notoriously hard to access to Fusion Monsters. (Yes, Joey can finally reliably summon Flame Swordsman. It's amazing.)
On top of that he plays a lot of Equip Spells and Dice cards that are meant to give him small bonuses until he's able to amass enough bursty resources to win in the late game, assuming his aggressive strategy of spamming Fusion Monsters doesn't work out in the early game.
Anyways, Espa Roba is a fun, if big-headed, full of himself kind of character. So getting to write him up to be obnoxious was especially entertaining to me.
That's all for this chapter, if you liked it. Fav/comment your thoughts. I love seeing what other people think of my work. ;D
This is Mimikree, signing off.