Chapter 34: Trial of the Century, Part 1
Previously on Legends Unite…
The number-crunching member of the Big Five, Crump, challenged Leo to a duel, hoping to secure a spot in the Finals. While his Ice Barrier monsters put Leo on ice, he didn't account for him calling Luna's monster Ancient Fairy Dragon as well as Life Stream Dragon. With their strength combined, Leo shattered Crump's chances of victory and made it to the Finals.
With only three members of the Big Five remaining, who will take the stand against them?
Shade is irritated that two members of the Big Five have been defeated. "So much for the Big Five. I never should've pulled those corporate clowns out of that cybernetic prison!" Shade sneered.
"That was some amazing dueling, Leo!" He heard Luna compliment her brother.
"Th-Thanks, Luna." Leo thanked her.
"I upgraded their decks immensely and they were still out-dueled by children in a tournament I created?" Shade spoke. "It's just like people say: If you want something done right, you have to do it yourself, so perhaps now's the time I made myself known. I'll make sure this planet becomes their grave." He gets contacted by the Big Five's Johnson.
"On behalf of myself and the Big Five, I want to offer you our most sincere apologies, Lord Shade." Johnson said.
"Poor, pathetic Johnson…" Shade sighed.
"Let me explain…" Johnson spoke.
"There's nothing to explain. You five have failed me for the last time. You're all fired." Shade declared.
"Just hear me out, my lord." Johnson bowed.
"Your slick lawyer talk won't get you out this time, Johnson, so don't even try it." Shade said. "So far your partners Gansley and Crump each suffered an embarrassing defeat, so why should I believe the rest of you won't fail? You left me no other choice, Johnson. I must dispose of you all." He raised his right hand and dark energy enveloped it.
"Please, Lord Shade, don't do it! We've analyzed our attack patterns and we've come up with a solid dueling strategy that is guaranteed to bring us success, my lord!" Johnson pleaded. Shade sighed. "Understand my position. The Big Five are desperate to defeat anyone who'd dare get in our way. It's the only way we can take over their bodies and leave the cyber world behind! We can't let them win!" Hearing those words convinced Shade that they will claim a spot in the final tournament and lowered his hand.
"Very well. I'll give you one chance to redeem yourselves. Don't let me down." Shade told him.
"You won't be sorry!" Johnson said as he disconnected.
"No… 'Cause if they fail me again, he will be the sorry one. Their failures are a reflection of my arrogance. And I can't allow those meddlesome Legendary Duelists to make me look like a failure!" Shade seethed.
As days pass, several duelists have been winning their duels in different parts of the planet. Somewhere south of Rukan, Gong is going up against a boy named Fani. Fani has Fire King High Avatar Garunix and Sacred Phoenix of Nephthys on his field. Gong's field is currently empty.
Fani: 3200 LP
Gong: 1300 LP
Fire King High Avatar Garunix: Level 8/ATK: 2700/DEF: 1700
Sacred Phoenix of Nephthys: Level 8/ATK: 2400/DEF:1600
"You may as well face it, I have you completely outmatched." Fani said.
"We'll see about that. Gong draws!" Gong said as he drew a card from his deck.
"To start, since you've got two monsters out but Gong's got nothing, Gong can summon Superheavy Samurai Scales!" Gong declares as he summons a robotic samurai with a set of scales.
Superheavy Samurai Scales: Level 4/ATK: 800/DEF: 1800
"And thanks to Scales' ability, he can call out another Superheavy Samurai from the Graveyard. Come on back, Superheavy Samurai Gigagloves!" Gong said as a robot samurai with large hands appeared.
Superheavy Samurai Gigagloves: Level 3/ATK: 100/DEF: 1000
"And now, since Gong's Graveyard's got no Spells or Traps, Gong's gonna summon the Tuner Monster Superheavy Samurai Trumpeter!" Gong said as a small robotic samurai with a shell-shaped horn appeared.
Superheavy Samurai Trumpeter: Level 2/ATK: 300/DEF: 600
"I'm not afraid of those junk heaps." Fani said.
"You should be, because Gong's tuning Level 2 Trumpeter with Level 4 Scales and Level 3 Gigagloves!" Gong chants as Trumpeter turns into two green rings that surround Scales and Gigagloves, turning them into motes of light. "Time for this heavy liftin' samurai to break through the boulders and pave the road to victory!" A pillar of light shines down behind Gong. "Gong Synchro Summons! Level 9 Superheavy Samurai Beast Kyubi!" From the pillar of light, a white armored fox-like samurai appears with flames shooting out of the exhaust pipes forming horns and a set of 9 tails.
Superheavy Samurai Beast Kyubi: Level 9/ATK: 1900/DEF: 2500
"All that for a Synchro Monster?" Fani asked.
"It may look like it's no match for your monster, but if my Graveyard's got no Spell or Trap cards, my samurai gains 900 Defense Points for each of your monsters that was Special Summoned!" Gong explained.
Kyubi: DEF: 2500→4300
"Heh. Like that'll scare me. You know it's in Defense Mode, so I'm safe for another turn." Fani chuckled.
"I'm afraid that's not gonna happen. Kyubi has the power to use its defense points to attack." Gong told him.
"What?!" Fani gasped.
"Go for it, Kyubi! Attack and clip Garunix's wings!" Gong commanded. Kyubi charged right at Garunix.
"Go right ahead. I'll still have Life Points to spare." Fani said.
"Not for long. Gong discards Superheavy Samurai Helper from Gong's hand to activate its ability." Gong discards a card. "When a Superheavy Samurai battles a monster and Gong's got no Spells or Traps in the graveyard, my Samurai gets Defense Points equal to your monster's Defense Points." Blue armor appears onto Kyubi and the Synchro Monster roars with new strength.
Kyubi: DEF: 4300→6000
"6000 Defense Points?!" Fani gasped.
"And he's putting them all to good use! Kyubi, cook that bird and bring the win home!" Kyubi fired a stream of flame from its lance. The flame envelops Garunix completely. The phoenix screeches in pain as the flames incinerate it. Fani yelled as the shockwave sent Fani flying.
Fani: 3200→0 LP
"You got me good." Fani said as he sat up. He throws Gong two Link Crystals. Gong adds them to the eight he already has.
"You got some skills, kid." Gong said.
"Good luck in the finals." Fani said as he walked away.
Meanwhile, with Yusei's group, they're making their way out of the icy plains and through a dense forest on the way back to the Resistance base.
"Man, this place is really dense. It's hard to see anyone through all these trees." Aster said.
"If we're to find everyone and get the Link Crystals we need, we need to regroup and come up with a game plan." Yusei said.
Once they pass some more trees, they find Zack waiting outside the base.
"I see you've gone through a bone-chilling duel." Zack said.
"Very funny, Zack." Leo glared. Jaden, Jesse, Luna and Yusei laugh. Aster simply sighed as he walked past them and into the base without saying a word.
"What's his problem?" Jesse asked.
"It's just Aster being Aster." Jaden said. Everyone else then followed Aster inside.
Elsewhere, in a rocky field, Shay is looking for some more opponents. As he searches around, he sees a city ahead, one that's familiar to him.
"Is… Is that…?" Shay asked, completely bewildered. He heads to the city and looks around. "Heartland City! I'm… home!"
"Shay? Is that you?" He hears a voice that he can never forget. He turns to see Yuto.
"Yuto?" Shay asked.
"Welcome home, old friend." Yuto said.
Shay and Yuto walked along the streets of the city. "So, Shay, I haven't seen you in a long time. Been in a lot of duels lately?"
"Actually, I'm competing in this large-scale tournament. You need ten Link Crystals to reach the finals. I already got seven." Shay told him.
"Great! I sure hope you reach the finals." Yuto smiled.
"I hope so too." Shay said. "Say, I gotta ask. How's Lulu lately?"
"Lulu? Who's that?" Yuto asked.
"Huh? You don't know Lulu? You two have been head over heels for each other since you two met!" Shay told him before realizing something.
"Sorry… Never heard of her." Yuto shrugged.
"Wait a minute… The Yuto I know wouldn't last five minutes without talking about Lulu! There's no way you're Yuto! Who are you?!" Shay interrogated. "Answer me!"
Yuto chuckled. "Sorry, Shay. I just haven't been myself lately. In fact…" To Shay's surprise, his voice suddenly changed. "I mean that quite literally."
"Huh?!" Shay gasped. "Yuto" snapped his fingers and his form changed to reveal Johnson. Shay scowled.
"For someone I just met, you're a lot smarter than you look, Mr. Obsidian." Johnson said.
"I'll ask again: Who are you?!" Shay asked angrily.
"The name's Johnson. Attorney-at-law and former chief legal advisor for the Kaiba Corporation, at your service, sir." Johnson introduced himself as he presented his business card to Shay. "If you would just take my card, it's all here." Shay growled as he swatted the card out of his hand.
"Shut it!" Shay shouted.
"Shay, your presence is requested at the trial of the century so it's in your best interest to listen to me." Johnson said.
"What do you mean by "the trial of the century?" Is someone getting sued?" Shay asked.
"How do I say this? I'm afraid I'm taking you to court so I can claim your body." Johnson informed him. "See, defeating you is my only means of escape from this virtual holding cell and I've never lost a case in my life."
"There's a first time for everything." Shay glared. "And if you think you're leaving the virtual world in my body, you're more delusional than I thought!"
"That's funny… Joseph said much of the same." Johnson said. "You'll change your mind before too long. After all, controlling what people think is what I do best!" Shay glared. "Now, allow me to state the reasons why I deserve the right to take control of your body and–"
"Not a chance! I have had it with your lawyer-talk, Johnson!" Shay barked.
"Then, I'm doing my job, Mr. Obsidian." Johnson said.
"Well, where I'm from, talk is cheap! So put your money where your mouth is!" Shay demanded.
"Well then, why don't you take the stand so we can begin this trial?" Johnson asked.
"If by "trial", you mean a duel, then I'm more than happy to oblige." Shay said. "But before we begin, what's all that stuff you said about trials and taking the stand?"
"Good question. To me, the game of Duel Monsters is like a trial. Observe…" Johnson said as the environment began to rotate.
"What's all this?" Shay questioned.
"I'm taking you to our dueling arena, of course." Johnson said as the city square transformed into a courtroom. "And now my friend, justice can be served." His seat rises.
"I get it; to you, Duel Monsters is like one of your trials, so what could be more fitting to duel than a courtroom?" Shay guessed.
"Correct, and when you lose, you'll be sentenced to spend eternity lost in cyberspace!" Johnson said.
"I won't lose, Johnson!" Shay declared.
"I think you'll change your tune once you've had the opportunity to meet my avatar, so please be seated." Johnson said. He then morphed into the Judge Man. "The honorable Judge Man presiding!"
"I will say this: it's an improvement…" Shay smirked. "But looks won't help you win this duel!"
"Order!" Johnson said. "One more outburst like that and I'm holding you in contempt of court! Is that clear, Mr. Obsidian?" Shay scowled.
"The only thing I find this guy guilty of is being a nuisance!" Shay barked as his Duel Disk powered on. Johnson banged his gavel as his Duel Disk powers on.
"Now, before we begin, how about we set the wager?" Johnson asked.
"Fine. Three crystals should be enough." Shay said, showing his three Link Crystals.
"Now that both parties are present and the wager is set, this court is now in session!" Johnson declared. Two words followed that began the ultimate legal battle.
"Let's duel!" Shay and Johnson shout in unison.
Shay Obsidian: 4000 LP
VS.
Johnson: 4000 LP
"Seeing as we're in my courtroom, I'll begin this duel." Johnson said as he took the first turn. "Watch and learn."
Turn 1: Johnson (4000 LP)
"Now, I call Neiroy, the Dream Mirror Traitor to the stand!" Johnson starts by summoning a fiendish fairy clad in black with two sets of wings.
Neiroy, the Dream Mirror Traitor: Level 3/ATK: 1000/DEF: 1000
"He'll make sure you get the maximum sentence!" Johnson said.
"I never saw you use that monster before." Shay noted. "I'm guessing you got a new deck, like your other pals."
"Indeed I did. And thanks to his ability, when he's successfully summoned, by changing his Attribute to Light, I can add his counterpart to my hand. Then I'll place two cards face-down. Now, it's time to call your first witness." Johnson said, signaling the end of his turn.
"Yes, your honor!" Shay glared as he drew his card.
Turn 2: Shay (4000 LP)
The card is revealed as Raidraptor - Tribute Lanius. "Perfect. I summon Raidraptor - Tribute Lanius!" Shay summons a mechanical falcon with boosters in its wings.
Raidraptor - Tribute Lanius - Level 4/ATK: 1800/DEF: 400
"And because I summoned Tribute Lanius, I can send a Raidraptor card in my deck to the Graveyard." Shay said as he sends a card in his deck to the Graveyard.
"Now, Tribute Lanius, take out Neiroy!" Shay commanded. Tribute Lanius swooped in and slashed Neiroy.
(Johnson: 4000→3200 LP)
"Direct hit!" Shay smirked.
"(He used his monster's special ability right away. Not bad.)" Johnson thought. "(But this trial has just begun!)"
"I'll lay this face-down and give you the floor." Shay ends his turn with a face-down card.
Turn 3: Johnson (3200 LP)
"My move…" Johnson chuckled. "I'll just place this monster face-down and end my turn."
"Big deal, pal." Shay said as his turn began.
Turn 4: Shay (4000 LP)
"(This is too easy. I'll just keep attacking and sooner or later, he'll be humiliated.)" Shay thought in his mind. "Why don't we keep this going? I summon Raidraptor - Napalm Dragonius!" Shay summons a bird with metal wings and a long tail.
Raidraptor - Napalm Dragonius: Level 4/ATK: 1000/DEF: 1000
"I could attack you now, but how's about I show you Napalm's special ability?" Shay told him. "Once each turn, I can blast you with 600 points of damage." Napalm Dragonius shoots flames from its wings at Johnson.
(Johnson: 3200 →2600 LP)
"Now, Napalm Dragonius, attack his monster! Fire Bomb!" Napalm Dragonius swoops down and takes out his monster, revealed as Skelengel.
"It appears you've destroyed my Skelengel. This lets me draw one card." Johnson said as he drew a card from his deck.
"Draw as much as you like, it won't help you, especially since you're out of monsters!" Shay said.
"I wouldn't be so sure of that, Mr. Obsidian." Johnson retorted. "You see, monsters of the Dream Mirror archetype have two sides to them. They are the same monster, yet different at the same time. Take Neiroy for example. What you destroyed last turn was his dark half."
"So what? Are you saying you can bring him back somehow?" Shay asked.
"In some way, but not in the sense that he can be revived. End your turn so that I may present evidence to this fact." Johnson said.
"You forget that I still have one more monster. Tribute Lanius, swoop in and attack him directly!" Shay commanded his monster to attack.
"Objection! I activate the Quick-Play Spell Half Shut! While your monster can't be destroyed in battle this turn, it loses half its Attack Points!" Johnson said, activating a spell which cut Tribute Lanius's attack points in half, keeping Johnson alive.
Tribute Lanius ATK: 1800 → 900
Johnson LP: 2600 → 1700
"You may have survived, but in my first turn, I've cut your life points down by a huge margin. You're more suited to the courtroom than in a duel." Shay said.
"You believe so? Appearances can be deceiving." Johnson replied. "Tell me, Mr. Obsidian. If you were to win this tournament, what would your wish be?"
"What else? To bring Lulu back to life." Shay said. "She's permanently fused with Zuzu in my world, and she can switch control with her other selves at will, but that's not enough!"
"I see. This Lulu must be very important to you." Johnson said. "You must've been through quite a lot to get to where you are now."
"More than you know, but my story is wasted on someone like you. All you need to know is once I defeat you, I'll be one step closer to getting my wish granted. I'll end my turn by placing this face-down." Shay said as he placed one more card face-down, ending his turn. "As soon as my next turn comes, I'll have this finished faster than you can say "court adjourned!"
Turn 5: Johnson (1700 LP)
"Then allow me to prove you wrong." Johnson said, taking his draw phase. He had four cards in his hand, and he smiled when he saw what he drew. "Now then, remember when I said that Dream Mirror Monsters have two sides to them, and that they are the same monster yet different? Let me present my case on that fact, right now. I'll start this turn by activating the Trap Dream Mirror Hypnagogia! This allows me to activate two Field Spells on both our fields."
"So? What good will two field spells do you?" Shay asked.
"I'll show you." Johnson said. "From my hand, I'll activate Dream Mirror of Joy on my side of the Field, and from my deck, I'll activate Dream Mirror of Terror on your side." The field starts to change according to the cards. Johnson's side turns into a peaceful garden, while Shay's side becomes a haunting castle.
"So your courtroom became a double-sided field." Shay said.
"These field spells do more than just change the scenery, Mr. Obsidian. For as you will soon see, when both Dream Mirror of Joy and Dream Mirror of Terror are out on the field together, that's when the true power of The Dream Mirror monsters is revealed. To solidify my point, I'll call Phantasos, the Dream Mirror Friend to the stand."
A white dog was summoned to the field, looking cute and gracious.
Phantasos, the Dream Mirror Friend: Level 4/ATK: 900/DEF: 1900
"He may look innocent, but appearances can be deceiving. Because now, since Dream Mirror of Terror is in play on your side of the field, I can tribute Phantasos as he is now, and summon from my deck his dark counterpart, Phantasos, the Dream Mirror Foe!"
Phantasos was swallowed in shadows coming from Shay's side of the field, as he then suddenly turned into a more monstrous version of himself, being more demonic compared to his light counterpart.
Phantasos, the Dream Mirror Foe: Level 4/ATK: 1900/DEF: 900
"Is that all? You only just changed your monster's look." Shay scoffed. "You have a powerful monster now, but you'll be wasting an attack if you sic your mutt on either of my Raidraptors."
"Who said he's going after your birdies?" Johnson asked. "You see Mr. Obsidian, when Phantasos is Special Summoned in his darker form via the effect of another Dream Mirror Monster, he is granted special permission for this turn to attack you directly!"
"What?!" Shay asked in shock.
Johnson laughed. "You shouldn't underestimate my monsters when they tap into the powers of darkness. And for that, you will be penalized. Phantasos, attack Mr. Obsidian directly!"
Phantasos leaps up into the air and pounces at Shay.
"Hate to burst your bubble, but your puppy will have to heel. I activate the Trap The Forceful Checkpoint!" Shay revealed his Trap card. "This lets me see your hand, and it stops Phantasos' attack if there are any monsters among the cards in it!"
Johnson had no choice but to reveal the remaining three cards in his hand, and among them was Dark Eruption, Morpheus, the Dream Mirror Black Knight, and Neiroy, the Dream Mirror Disciple.
"Looks like I spy two monsters, meaning your dog's attack is negated." Shay said as Phantasos stopped. "And I forgot to mention, that in addition to negating your direct attack, I'm allowed to force you to discard one of the monsters in your hand."
"Take your pick, Mr. Obsidian." Johnson welcomed.
"Gladly. I choose the strongest monster out of the two in your hand, your Black Knight Morpheus!" Shay said. Johnson discarded the Level 8 monster in his hand.
"(Enjoy this while you can. For when the trial is over, you will be charged with a lifetime sentence on this planet!)" Johnson thought.
Meanwhile, with the battle of the Kaibas…
Gozaburo has taken his Draw Phase and is analyzing his hand.
Turn 5: Gozaburo (6000 LP)
"I'll start by activating the spell Dark World Dealings." Gozaburo activated a Spell card. "This lets us both draw a card, and then discard a card." Gozaburo said as he and his opponent both draw a card. Kaiba discards Beacon of White while Gozaburo discards Chessmate Dark Bishop. Gozaburo smirks when he sees the card he drew.
"Remember what I said earlier that a queen is nothing without her king?" Gozaburo asked. "Well, I think now's a perfect time for you all to meet him."
"Please. Bring out whatever monster you can. My dragons will just take it down easily." Kaiba smirked.
"Such overconfidence will land you in trouble, Kaiba. And this will ensure that you'll be deep in it. I activate the Miracle Synchro Spell card." Gozaburo activated his Spell, depicting Synchro rings emerging from the Graveyard. "This lets me Synchro Summon by banishing the required monsters on my field or in my Graveyard."
"You can use monsters in your Graveyard to Synchro Summon?!" Liane gasped.
"Surprised, aren't you? This deck often sent those who haven't mastered its power to the infirmary." Gozaburo commented. "Only a true grandmaster can see this deck's potential, and I aim to make do. From my Graveyard, my Level 3 Dark Bishop tunes Level 4 Marble Rook!" From the Graveyard, Shining Knight and a mage in dark purple robes emerge as the mage transforms into three rings of energy that surround Shining Knight.
"The darkness of the kingdom eclipses all who oppose his malice and majesty." Gozaburo chants as a pillar of light shines behind him. "I Synchro Summon! Bow down before Chessmate Shadow King!" Emerging from the pillar is a man in regal black and purple robes with a dark blue scepter wearing a gold crown with blue and purple jewels.
Chessmate Shadow King: Level 7/ATK: 0/DEF: 2300
"For a moment, I thought you'd have something more sinister, but I guess I was mistaken." Kaiba said.
"You'll see soon enough. For now, I'll give my Brilliant Queen her Grandmaster's Crown again." Gozaburo equips his Brilliant Queen with the crown again. "Now she gains 200 Attack Points for every Chessmate monster in my Graveyard. And right now, there are two." The crown glows, strengthening her.
Brilliant Queen: ATK: 2800→3200
"Now his monster's more powerful!" Mia said.
"And he can attack every one of Kaiba's monsters!" Liane said.
"Indeed I can. Brilliant Queen, take out his Blue-Eyes White Dragons!" Gozaburo commands his monster to attack. Gozaburo's Brilliant Queen strikes Kaiba's two white dragons with her scepter, destroying them.
Kaiba's LP: 4000→3800→3600
"(I could take down his Jet Dragon, but if I do that, my crown will just be sent back to my hand.)" Gozaburo pondered. "Brilliant Queen, attack his Pawn Token!" Brilliant Queen destroys Kaiba's Pawn Token.
"I'll just end my turn there, but not before I activate Brilliant Queen's special ability. At the end of my Battle Phase, she deals you 400 points of damage for every monster she destroyed this turn. That 1200 points coming your way, son!"
Brilliant Queen blasts Kaiba with orbs of light energy.
Kaiba LP: 3600→2400
"Alright, son, let's see what you can do." Gozaburo said, signaling the end of his turn.
Turn 6: Kaiba (2400 LP)
"You should've attacked my King of D. and used your queen's effect to finish me." Kaiba said.
"That would be possible, but I'm not the kind of guy who'd end things too quickly." Gozaburo said. "I prefer to watch my opponents sweat and squirm as they think of a way out."
"You know, most people crack under the pressure of such a board. I'm not most people." Kaiba said as he prepared to draw. "I am KaibaCorp's CEO!" He draws his card.
"I'll begin by playing Card of Demise!" Kaiba plays his Spell. "This lets me draw until I have five cards. But in five turns, I must discard my entire hand."
"Draw all you want, nothing will get past my monsters." Gozaburo said.
Back in the courtroom, Shay stopped Johnson's attack earlier and forced him to discard one of his strongest cards.
"I wasn't expecting you to block my attack, Mr. Obsidian." Johnson said.
"I've been told that a lot." Shay smirked.
"Be sure to call your next witness, Mr. Obsidian." Johnson said.
Turn 6: Shay (4000 LP)
"Happy to." Shay said as he draws a card. "(Let's see… He's got one monster and a Field Spell. So my first course of action is to get rid of his monster.)
"I summon Raidraptor - Sharp Lanius!" Shay summons another Raidraptor, this one in white and dark red armor with bladed talons.
Raidraptor - Sharp Lanius: Level 4/ATK: 1700/DEF: 1000
"My formation is coming together nicely, huh?" Shay asked. "And that's just the tip of the iceberg! On the turn Sharp Lanius is successfully summoned, it switches one of your monsters to Defense Mode." Sharp Lanius screeches at Phantasos, forcing it into Defense.
"Now, to put that dog down and get outta here. Tribute Lanius, swoop in and attack Phantasos now!" Shay commands his monster to attack.
"I will now activate my Skill!" Johnson declared.
"What the…?! How?!" Shay gasped.
"(An amateur move on his part. I think it's time to show this rebel what the Judge Man can really do.)" Johnson thought as he slams his gavel. "Clear the Courtroom!"
"Did you say "Clear the Courtroom?" Shay asked.
"I did. Though using this Skill does cost me 1000 Life Points, it's worth the risk, as it clears the field of every monster you have in play, so you're back to square one!" Johnson explained as Shay's Raidraptors screeched in agony as they vanished.
"You can't!" Shay yelled.
(Johnson LP: 1700→700)
"It appears I just did." Johnson said. "And that's not all. For every monster that was removed from the court, you lose 500 Life Points."
"I lost three monsters, so… that's 1500!" Shay gasped.
(Shay LP: 4000→2500)
"That's correct, Mr. Obsidian." Joseph smirked.
"That's just great!" Shay seethed. "(He blocked off my chance to Xyz Summon, but I can still call out more monsters. Now, what have I got…)" Shay scans his hand and sees some new Raidraptors and two Traps. "(Raider's Unbreakable Mind. With this, I can destroy one of my opponent's cards if I Xyz Summon with a Dark monster. And my deck has a lot of them.)"
"You may have stopped my battalion before, but they always find a way to rise back up." Shay said.
"And what evidence you have to back up that claim, may I ask?" Johnson asked.
"Just these two cards." Shay said as he placed two cards face-down.
With Yugi and Zuzu, they continue searching around for any of their friends until they see a building with a door.
"Hey, check it out! Yugi, look! I found a doorway!" Zuzu reported.
"Well, what are we waiting for? Let's go!" Yugi said as the two of them ran towards the building. When they open the door, they find themselves in the arena where Shay and Johnson are dueling.
"Who's there?" Shay asked.
"Is it really?" Yugi asked.
"It's Shay!" Zuzu recognized him.
"Yugi! Zuzu! Where have you been?" Shay asked.
"Order!" Johnson barked. "Settle down! This court is still in session, if you still haven't noticed."
"You're on trial?" Zuzu asked.
"Yeah. I'm dueling one of the Big Five and you came here just in time. I'm minutes away from wiping the courtroom floor with him!" Shay said.
Turn 7: Johnson (700 LP)
"I believe it is my move." Johnson draws a card from his deck. "So sit down! You're lucky I don't have you two ejected from this courtroom."
"This doesn't look too good." Yugi noted. "Shay's got no monsters and it's this guy's turn."
"Come on, Shay." Zuzu said.
"I'll start by activating the Spell Dream Mirror Phantasms." Johnson starts by activating a Continuous Spell card. "With this, I can add a Dream Mirror monster from my deck to my hand." He adds a card from his deck to his hand. "And as long as it's in play along with Dream Mirror of Joy, my monsters gain 500 Attack and Defense points." Dream Mirror of Joy resonates, powering up Johnson's monsters.
Phantasos, the Dream Mirror Foe: ATK: 1900→2400/DEF: 900→1400
"Now, I summon Ikelos, the Dream Mirror Mara." Johnson summons a small fiendish fairy in dark clothing.
Ikelos, the Dream Mirror Mara: Level 1/ATK: 500→1000/DEF: 0→500
"Next, I switch Phantasos to Attack Mode." Johnson continued as Phantasos took an offensive stance.
"Their combined Attack points are just enough to finish off Shay!" Zuzu noted.
"That's right, little lady. Phantasos, strike Mr. Obsidian directly!" Johnson commanded his monster to attack. Phantasos charged at Shay.
"I'm afraid you're going to have to do better than that if you want to beat me. I activate Raidraptor - Readiness from my Graveyard!" Shay shouts as his Trap appears. "If I have a Raidraptor monster in my Graveyard, I can banish this card to reduce all damage I take this turn to zero!"
Phantasos ends up striking an invisible barrier. "Well played, but I'll make sure you never leave here. And it starts with this: Cauldron of the Old Man!" Johnson said as a cauldron with a bubbling green liquid appears on the field. "When this card is played, a potion is added to the brew. And one more will be added to it during each of my Standby Phases."
"Shay's in big trouble!" Yugi realized something. "Thanks to Cauldron of the Old Man, for every potion added to it, Johnson has the option to gain 500 Life Points or deal 300 points of damage to you." Yugi explained.
"Are you serious?" Shay asked.
"The spiky-headed pipsqueak is right!" Johnson said as a green mist seeped from the cauldron, rejuvenating Johnson. "And I choose to regain my Life Points."
(Johnson LP: 700→1200)
"He got his Life Points back!" Shay seethed.
"And there's more! I place this card face-down to seal your doom!" Johnson said as he placed a face-down card on the field.
"If it wasn't for his Skill, I would've clinched it. Now every time he attacks me, he gets stronger and stronger!" Shay scowled. "You had this planned all along, didn't you, Johnson?"
"Of course! But I have far worse in store for you, Mr. Obsidian!" Johnson laughs.
To be continued…