"Sunny, are you okay?" asked Roll as they gathered around their friend sitting on the bench.
"I think so," said Sunny as she held her arm.
"Maybe we should get you checked up at Nurse Redheart's office. Just to be safe," suggested Roll.
"No… it's fine, I can, Ow!" exclaimed Sunny as she felt pain when she tried to stand up.
"Sunny!" said Hitch as he was concerned for his best friend after the beating she took from Flurry.
"I can't leave. We still need to win," said the girl.
"But what if you're seriously hurt?" asked Pipp.
"The next duel has been selected!" said Cadance as she got the attention of everyone.
On the screen, it showed the next two students who would be facing each other.
"It'll be CHS' Hitch against Crystal Prep's Ace, JD!" said Luna.
"Right now?" said Hitch, feeling he needed to be by his friend's side and make sure she was okay.
"It's alright, Hitch. Pipp and I will take Sunny to get checked up. You focus on your duel," said Roll as she assured her friend they would look after Sunny while he did his job.
"Alright," said the boy as the two girls put Sunny's arms over their shoulders and began to lead her away.
The rest of them watched the trio leave as Hitch prayed Sunny would be okay. He picked up his cap on the bench before putting it on and stood before the small set of stairs. The boy took a deep breath as he had to focus on the task and get another win for his team if they still wanted to stay alive. He glanced at Mario as the boy approached his friend; it was clear what he was thinking regarding his actions in Sunny's duel.
"You got a problem, bud? Do something about it then," taunted Mario to his friend. "You want to come at me for doing something you didn't have the balls to do? I saved Sunny. I did something that you should have done as her friend. And I have no regrets for what I did because it was the right thing to do."
"Hitch!" said Zipp, as she knew that as much as he wanted to deal with Mario, he had to focus on his duel.
With a sigh, Hitch backed off his friend and exited the field. The heiress could see several mixed emotions running through Hitch's mind as she hoped he could pull it together to avoid losing and knocking them out completely. She then turned her attention to Mario, who crossed his arms and stood there with an emotionless expression.
How do you know those two won't screw you all over in the name of their bloodline?
"JD, finish it," said Flurry as she unstrapped her duel disk and turned her back to her comrades while rubbing her wrist.
"Consider it done, Cap," said the boy as he grabbed his duel disk and prepared to face off against Hitch.
Flurry turned her back to her friends, and the girl instinctively angrily kicked a nearby trashcan over. The others turned to see Flurry throw her duel disk onto the bench, which made a loud sound. The others could see that this duel affected their friend, as she kept her intense look. Both boys arrived on the field as they prepared to fight. Hitch was still a bit out of it, recalling what Mario said to him.
I did something you should have done as her friend.
"Thinking about your friend, sheriff!"
Hitch was snapped out of his thoughts as he looked at JD. The Crystal Prep boy strapped on his duel disk as he smiled smugly at Hitch, knowing full well what was going through his mind.
"Don't worry. You'll join her soon enough once I beat you and secure ultimate victory for Crystal Prep."
"That's not gonna happen," said Hitch with a determined look and strapped on his duel disk.
Hitch's due disk came online and projected a green-colored card tray as JD's emitted an orange card tray. Both boys had their game faces on, looking ready to lock horns and prove their male superiority.
"Opponent detected. Streaming data. Duel mode set. Initiating. Commencing duel."
JD's Life Points: 8000-
Hitch's Life Points: 8000-
"Let's duel!" said both teens.
Their portraits were flashed on the screen as Hitch's was highlighted to signal he would get the first move.
"Looks like Hitch is going first," said Izzy.
"He's gonna need it," responded Mario.
Turn 1: Hitch (Hand 5)
I wish I were with Sunny to check on her. I promised her father to watch her while we were attending CHS. I just hope she's okay.
"You gonna make a move or what, sheriff?!" shouted JD, snapping the boy from his thoughts.
"R-Right," said Hitch as he collected himself and drew his card before looking at his starting hand. "To start, I'll summon Max Warrior(1800/800)." A monster wielding a staff with a magnet shaped like a U appeared.
"I'll then place one card facedown and end my turn."
Turn 2: JD (Hand 5)
"It's my move!" said JD as he drew his card. "And I play the spell card, Unexpected Dai. This spell lets me summon one Level 4 or lower Normal monster from my deck. So I'm summoning X-Saber Anu Piranhu(1800/1100)!" A blonde woman in red armor appeared as she twirled her saber before bringing it to rest on her shoulder with her hair covering her left eye. "Then I summon the tuner monster, XX-Saber Fulhelmknight(1300/1000)!" Another blonde knight appeared as she twirled her sword like a whip.
"A tuner monster. Not good," said Zipp as she and the others knew what was coming next.
"I now end my turn!" said JD.
"Huh?" said Hitch.
The CHS boy was caught off guard by JD's move as he expected his foe to use his tuner monster to synchro summon like normal. Instead, he didn't. JD just smiled as he left himself wide open to allow Hitch to take out his weaker monster without any spells or traps as insurance.
Something's wrong. Why didn't he Synchro summon or even put something facedown? What's he up to?
Turn 3: Hitch (Hand 4)
"It's my move!" said the boy as he drew his card. He still looked at JD's field and questioned why he didn't combine both monsters to bring out something powerful.
I have to attack. I have no choice.
"Max Warrior, attack XX-Saber Anu Piranhu!" commanded the boy as his monster leaped into the air. "During the battle, Max Warrior gains 400 extra attack points."
"Just as I expected, I now activate the special ability of my XX-Saber Fulhelmknight. While she's on the field, I can negate one of your attacks!" The blonde knight twirled her sword-like whip, creating a barrier that repelled Hitch's Max Warrior. The monster tried to break free but couldn't as it returned to the boy's field.
"So that's why he didn't Synchro summon," said Izzy as they knew what JD was cooking.
"That's your best, sheriff?" taunted the Crystal Prep teen.
"I end my turn."
Turn 4: JD (Hand 4)
"It's my move!" proclaimed JD as he picked a different card in his hand. "I play the spell card, Reinforcement of the Army. I now add a Level 4 or lower Warrior monster from my deck to my hand. So I'm taking my XX-Saber Boggart Knight(1900/1000) and summoning him. And don't forget, my Boggart Knight's ability allows me to summon a second 'X-Saber' from my hand. So I'm also summoning my X-Saber Palomuro(200/300)!" Two monsters appeared before JD, who had nearly a field full of creatures. "Now… I tune my Palomuro with my XX-Saber Boggart Knight!"
"Here it comes," said Hitch as he prepared himself.
The reptile holding its weapon turned into a single giant green ring that circled its comrade, who turned into four white stars lined up with a yellow light surging through.
"I Synchro Summon! Naturia Beast(2200/1700)!" said JD as a roar was heard. A tiger covered in bark and leaves emerged, which landed with a thud.
"What?" said Hitch as he was taken aback by the monster that appeared.
"You think you're the only ones who stepped up their game after our last encounter, sheriff?" JD mocked. "Now… Naturia Beast, attack his Max Warrior!" The tiger growled before it began to run at its prey. Hitch's monster lifted its staff as the creature came down on it and destroyed it.
Hitch's Life Points: 7600-
"And now that you have nothing left… X-Saber Anu Piranha, attack him directly!" instructed the Crystal Prep boy as his blonde knight charged at Hitch.
"I reveal my facedown, Defense Draw!" said Hitch, "Now the damage I take from this battle becomes zero. In addition, I get to draw a card!" A barrier of cards appeared before the boy as it blocked the attack from JD's monster. Once it died down, Hitch drew his top card as the blonde knight returned to her master's side.
"Come on, sheriff! Fight me!" taunted JD.
Hitch panted a bit as he looked at JD. The boy was still worried about Sunny as he hoped she was okay and nothing bad happened to her. As much as he wanted to make sure his best friend was okay, he had to focus on this duel as he barely managed to avoid JD's attack.
Turn 5: Hitch (Hand 5)
"My turn! I play Shield Wing(0/900) in defense mode!" A tiny dragon emerged as it crossed its arms, and its wings formed a shield.
"Oh, this is gonna be easy," JD smirked after seeing Hitch continue playing defense.
"I end my turn."
Turn 6: JD (Hand 3)
"My turn!" exclaimed the Crystal Prep boy. "And I play the continuous spell card, Synchronized Realm! Now everytime I Synchro summon, you take 500 points of damage. Then I summon my X-Saber Galahad(1800/800)!" Out came another one of JD's monsters as he twirled his weapon before thrusting it outward.
"Now JD has three monsters. That's not good!" said Izzy.
"X-Saber Galahad, attack Hitch's Shield Wing! Oh, and when Galahad attacks, its ability kicks in. It gains 300 attack points!"
"Thanks to Shield Wing's ability, it can't be destroyed twice in battle!" said the boy as JD's monster made contact with his dragon and withstood the attack.
"Well, it's good I've got two more attacks lined up! X-Saber Anu Piranha, your turn!" The blonde knight reeled her saber back before thrusting it forward as it made contact with Hitch's dragon again. "And now… Naturia Beast, finish it off!" The tiger ran forward as it jumped onto the dragon, and pinned it to the ground. It raised a paw before it came down on the dragon and exploded.
"Come on, Hitch! Fight!" shouted Zipp as she felt he wasn't doing anything but avoid fighting.
"Aw, what's the matter, sheriff? Too concerned about your best friend to fight back!" JD taunted as Hitch gritted his teeth. "Well, like I said, you'll be joining her soon enough. As a matter of fact… why don't you ask your buddy Mario over there to throw in the towel again? Hmm. I'm sure he'd be willing to do it for you… he is your friend, after all, isn't he? And as a friend, wouldn't you do what you thought was best for your friends?"
The boy glanced over at his friend as Mario was shown reaching for the same towel he tossed in Sunny's match. He raised it up as if to ask Hitch if he wanted to give up so he could check on Sunny. Zipp noticed it and grabbed Mario's arm to prevent him from tossing the cloth, but Mario broke free and returned to look at Hitch. The boy could see his friend was willing to do it as he struggled with his thoughts.
In Nurse Redheart's office, Pipp and Roll were seated off the side as the woman worked her magic. She had Sunny laid on the bed as she finished running her checkup. The nurse made some noises as she wrote some stuff on her clipboard before turning to look at the two girls.
"What's the status, Ms. Redheart?" asked Pipp.
"Your friend is fine," responded the nurse casually. "Just the standard bumps and bruises you kids get when dueling. I swear, you kids get intense with your dueling. Of the many students I see over the years, you all are still the same."
"So, she's good, right?" said Roll.
"Yes. However, some rest would do her good."
"You hear that, Sunny!" said Pipp as she looked at their friend.
"That's a relief," said the girl, as she was pleased to know she wasn't hurt in any way.
As Nures Redheart talked with Sunny about taking it easy for a bit, Roll stepped out for a bit.
Back with Hitch, the boy was struggling as his mind was scattered. JD was currently in control as he had half his field full of monsters and Hitch was left with none. He turned back to see Mario still holding that towel as if waiting for some kind of signal from Hitch to throw it so he could be there for his friend. But… he knew that if he did that, he would get them their second loss, and their school would lose entirely. Just when it seemed like Hitch was about to tell Mario to do it, he got a notification on his duel disk.
His screen flashed as he touched it, and Roll came up.
"Roll?"
"I thought I'd let you know that Sunny's fine."
"What?"
"Yeah, just needs some time to rest and recharge. But she's fine."
Hitch was relieved to hear that his best friend was alright from the beating she got from Flurry. It helped ease the boy's mind as he shifted his gaze to look up at JD.
"Hitch… now that Sunny is okay. Can you do something for me?"
"What?" said Hitch, still looking at JD with a set of determined eyes.
"Win your duel!" said the girl.
"Yeah… I was just about to!" said Hitch as Roll smiled and ended the call.
"Did your friend call you to give up?"
"No… in fact, she told me to win!" said Hitch as he now had confidence back in himself.
Turn 7: Hitch (Hand 5)
"It's my draw!" exclaimed Hitch as he got back into the saddle of things. "First, in order for me to call out this laser-toting sharpshooter, I first have to discard a monster from my hand. So, by sending my Level Eater to the graveyard, I can summon Quickdraw Synchron(700/1400)!" Out came a small robot cowboy with a brown torn cape and one eye revealed from under its hat, having a white feather in it. "Next, I activate Level Eater's special ability from the graveyard. So by lowering Quickdraw Synchron's level by one, I can summon Level Eater(600/0) to the field!" A ladybug appeared with a single yellow star on its shell.
"Next, Quickdraw Synchron can take aim and absorb the powers of one tuner 'Synchron' monster, and it looks like he's targeting the abilities of… Junk Synchron!" said Hitch as all his 'Synchron' cards he had in his deck appeared and began to spin in a circle before his robot cowboy pulled out his side blaster and fired a shot; Hitch's Junk Synchron was shown in its card form with a hole through it. "Now Quickdraw Synchron can give my Level Eater a well-deserved tune-up!" Hitch's robot cowboy turned into four giant green rings that circled his tiny insect and turned into a white star with a yellow light surging through.
"Even the tiniest scrap has value! And this monster will prove it! I Synchro Summon, Junk Warrior(2300/1300)!" Hitch's monster appeared before thrusting its fist out as it surged with power. "Now attack JD's X-Saber Galahad!"
Hitch's monster soared toward its target as JD's monster lost some strength, which didn't go unnoticed by the others.
"Why did his monster lose 500 attack points?" asked Izzy.
"Because that's Galahad's special ability. When it attacks, it gains 300 during the battle until the end. But when it's the one being attacked, it loses 500," explained Mario.
"Go, Scrap Fist!" shouted Hitch. Junk Warrior made contact with its target, punched the monster in the chest, and exploded upon impact.
JD's Life Points: 7000-
"I activate the effect of my X-Saber Palomuro from my graveyard. I can revive it by paying 500 Life Points!" stated JD as his monster appeared.
JD's Life Points: 6500-
"With that, I'll lay a facedown and end my turn!"
Turn 8: JD (Hand 2)
"Heh. Looks like someone found their balls again," mocked JD as Hitch gritted his teeth. "But it's too little, too late, sheriff. My move! And it's time to send that Junk Warrior to the scrap heap! I play the spell card Leodrake's Mane! Since I control a 'Naturia' monster, its attack points become 3000 until the end of the turn." stated the Crystal Prep teen as his tiger roared.
"That's not good," commented Izzy.
"Now… Naturia Beast, send Hitch's Junk Warrior back to the junkyard!" commanded the boy as his beat began to run at its target. The tiger leaped into the air and came down on Hitch's monster, destroying it while he covered up.
Hitch's Life Points: 7100-
"And now… X-Saber Anu Piranha, attack him directly!"
"I activate my trap, Spirit Force!" said Hitch as he touched his duel screen to make his facedown flip up. "With this in play, I can avoid taking any damage by deflecting your attack; after that, I can add a reinforcement to my hand from my graveyard!" A barrier appeared over Hitch as the attack from the blonde knight bounced off before she returned to JD's side.
"So I'm taking back my Quickdraw Synchron!" said Hitch as his duel disk ejected his monster, and he grabbed it to add to his hand.
"I end my turn."
Turn 9: Hitch (Hand 4)
"My move!" said Hitch, looking at what he drew before scanning his hand. "Since you control monsters and I don't, I can summon my Level Warrior(300/600) as a Level 4 monster! Then I'm summoning my Righty Driver(100/300)!"
Out came a small female girl-like machine. It was blue, and a sheet of metal attached to it made it look like flowing hair. It had a small blue crown on its forehead to match the rest of its color scheme with a metal pipe that was its hairpin, sticking out just a bit longer than its body.
"When I summon her, her ability kicks in. She can bring out a friend to join her. So meet her sister, Lefty Driver(300/100)!" A similar monster appeared, but this one was yellow and had a similar metalpipe hairpin on the left side of its hair. "And when Lefty Driver is special summoned, she becomes Level 3 until the end of the turn. And there's one more thing: my Righty Driver can substitute for a 'Synchron' tuner monster."
"Hitch got his mojo back!" said Zipp.
"But before I do what I'm going to do, I'll play this spell card: Synchro Chase! Now… it's time I tune all three of my monsters together!" Hitch's Righty Driver turned into a solid green ring that circled both of its comrades, which turned into seven stars that lined up with a yellow light surging through. "This monster will blaze a path all the way to my victory! I Synchro Summon… Floor it, Road Warrior(3000/2500)!" A warrior dressed in a gold color scheme appeared with a fierce look.
"Now, the effect of my Synchro Chase activates! Since I synchro summoned a 'Warrior' monster, I can target one monster I used as Synchro material to summon it and bring it back on the field in defense mode. So, I'm bringing back my Level Warrior. And that's not all, because next I activate Road Warrior's special ability. Once per turn, I can special summon a Level 2 or lower Warrior or Machine-type monster from my deck. So I choose my Junk Anchor(0/0) in defense mode!" A tiny robot appeared before kneeling down.
"I'm not done yet!"
"There's more?!" said JD.
"By lowering my Road Warrior's level by one, I can special summon my Level Eater from the graveyard!" stated Hitch as his insect appeared. "And now… I tune Level Warrior, Level Eater, and my Junk Anchor. And thanks to Junk Anchor's ability, he can substitute for any 'Synchron' tuner!" stated the CHS boy as his tiny robot turned into two giant green rings that circled its comrades as they turned into four white stars that lined up with a yellow light surging through. "Here's a gargantuan that grinds the greatest garrisons! I Synchro Summon… Drill Warrior(2400/2000)!" Out came a large robot that had a drill for a hand.
"Hitch is popping off right now!" said Zipp as she and Izzy were amazed at how many plays their friend made.
"Now… Road Warrior attack Naturia Beast! Lightning Claw!" instructed the boy as his monster zoomed forward and thrust out its hand. The claws on its outer shell above the hand came out and slashed at the tiger, who roared in pain.
JD's Life Points: 5800-
"Drill Warrior, your turn! Take out his X-Saber Anu Piranha! Whirlwind Winder!" commanded Hitch as his other monster thrust its drill hand out; it spun rapidly before driving into the blonde knight's chest and exploding. JD covered up as he skidded back a bit before coming to a stop.
JD's Life Points: 5200-
"Now I activate my Drill Warrior's special ability. So by discarding my Quickdraw Synchron, I can remove him from play!" Hitch sent his monster away as his Drill Warrior vanished.
"Why would he do that?" Izzy asked, questioning Hitch's decision to leave himself with one fewer monster.
"With that, I'll lay a facedown and end my turn."
Turn 10: JD (Hand 2)
"Alright," said JD before wiping his mouth with the back of his hand and spitting some saliva. I'm done playing around with you, sheriff! It's time to put you down! I draw!"
Hitch kept a defiant look as he prepared for what JD would do.
"Perfect. I play the spell card, Card of Sanctity. Now we draw till we're holding six cards in our hands!"
"Looks like JD is hoping to draw something to turn this duel around," said Zipp.
"Next, I think I'll play another XX-Saber Boggart Knight. And remember, when I summon him, he can bring along a friend to join the battlefield like XX-Saber Ragigura(200/1000)!" A chameleon standing on its hind legs appeared as it donned armor, a red cape that was bigger than it and had two mini daggers in its hands.
"With XX-Saber Ragigura on my field, I can add an 'X-Saber' monster in my graveyard to my hand. So I'm taking my back my X-Saber Anu Piranha. Then, because I have at least two 'X-Saber' monsters on my field, I can summon my XX-Saber Faultroll(2400/1800)!" Out came the larger warrior as he showed off his sword. "And you remember his ability, right, Hitch?"
"Yeah. You can revive a Level 4 or below 'X-Saber' monster from the graveyard," said the CHS boy.
"Exactly. And guess which one I'm bringing back? XX-Saber Fulhelmknight!" said JD as his blonde knight appeared and twirled her whip-like sword. "Now… I tune my Fulhelmknight with my Faultroll!" The blonde knight turned into three giant green rings that circled her comrade as he turned into six white stars that lined up with a yellow light surging through. "I Synchro Summon! XX-Saber Gottoms(3100/2600)!" A giant warrior fully donned in armor and wielded a massive sword on its shoulder appeared.
"I also hope you didn't forget about my Synchronized Realm spell card. Whenever I synchro summon, you take 500 points of damage!" said JD as a blast of energy fired at Hitch, who blocked with his duel disk. The boy stood his ground as he lowered his duel disk and started to show his battle marks.
Hitch's Life Points: 6600-
"Now, Gottoms… take out his Road Warrior!" instructed JD as his monster rushed forward. The giant brute swung his sword and brought it down on Hitch's monster; it exploded when the blade touched.
Hitch's Life Points: 6500-
"My Road Warrior may be gone, but he's making a comeback. I reveal my facedown, Miracle's Wake! So Road Warrior returns!" said Hitch as his monster reappeared and was revving to fight.
"I end my turn with a facedown!" growled JD as he despised Hitch for bringing back his monster.
Turn 11: Hitch (Hand 6)
"It's my turn. And since it's my Standby Phase, guess who's making a return?" said Hitch as his Drill Warrior appeared in the blink of an eye.
"Hey, Hitch's Drill Warrior is back!" said Izzy with a carefree smile.
"As you recall, I discarded a card to remove my monster from play during my last turn. Now, the second half of that effect kicks in. On the turn that it returns from being banished, it can bring a friend. So I'm taking back my Righty Driver!" said Hitch as his duel disk ejected the card for him to grab. "Next, I draw!"
"So that's why he banished his monster. Now he has even more ammo to use," said Zipp.
In Nurse Redheart's office, the three girls watched Roll's duel disk as she managed to tap into the feed of JD and Hitch's duel. They tuned in during Hitch's previous turn when he brought out both his Road Warrior and Drill Warrior. They were amazed by his insane combos that bounced off each other and his fine-tuned skills as a duelist.
"I got to say, Hitch has stepped up his game from when he started," said Pipp as she admitted she was impressed by how much of a better duelist their friend had become since they all started last semester.
"He might give you a run for your money, Sunny," joked Roll.
The girl looked at the live feed, which showed her childhood friend. Seeing the sight of Hitch as he dueled with such confidence brought a smile to the girl but also made her heart beat a bit faster. It didn't go unnoticed by Roll, who merely smirked at seeing Sunny's fascinated gaze at Hitch.
"Now then!" said Hitch, looking to continue the momentum. "Road Warrior, take out his Boggart Knight!"
"No, you won't! I reveal my facedown. Negate Attack! So your battle phase ends before it even begins!" said JD as he managed to save his weaker monsters.
"In that case, I'll set two cards facedown!" said Hitch.
Turn 12: JD (Hand 3)
"My turn! I draw! And it's time to end your comeback here and now, sheriff!" shouted JD. "I play this. Saber Slash! This spell lets me destroy cards on your field up to the number of face-up 'X-Saber' monsters I have. So since I have three, both of your monsters are gonna bite the dust!"
"I had a feeling you'd try something like that. Which is why… I had this ready!" said Hitch as he touched his duel screen. "Go! Reveal trap card, Starlight Road! I can activate this card when two or more of my cards are set to be destroyed. The first thing this trap does is negate your spell card!"
The card in JD's hand was shot out as it vanished from the boy's fingers. He growled as he glared at Hitch for countering his mass destruction move.
"Then… with this trap, I can summon Stardust Dragon from my Extra Deck. Arise, my beast!" said Hitch as his duel disk glowed brightly. A pillar of light shot straight into the air, and when it died down, there was the boy's creature. The dragon appeared as it roared and surged with power.
"I can't believe it… he summoned that monster, and it's not even his turn," remarked Axiom.
"The stud knows his thing," said Shirai.
"JD, get the job done… by any means necessary," growled Flurry to herself as she was sick and tired of her cousins' friends.
"You're gonna find out why they call me the Ace, Hitch! Because you never bet against one!" stated JD. "I tune my Boggart Knight with my Palomuro!" The reptile turned into a single giant green ring that circled its comrade, who turned into four white stars lined up with a yellow light surging through. "I Synchro Summon! X-Saber Wayne(2100/400)!" A cowboy wearing a white mask appeared as it wielded a blaster with a sword attached at the end of it.
"Due to my Synchronized Realm, you lose another 500 Life Points!" stated JD.
Hitch's Life Points: 6000-
"And there's more. When X-Saber Wayne is synchro summoned, I can summon a Level 4 or lower 'Warrior' monster from my hand. Meet… Gagaga Gardna(1500/2000)!" Out came a monster that had a shield in its right hand. "Gottoms, send that Road Warrior packing!" The giant brute swung its sword and took out Hitch's monster in one swipe.
Hitch's Life Points: 5900-
"I'll then end my turn with a facedown."
Turn 13: Hitch (Hand 6)
"My move!" said Hitch, looking at his hand to figure out his next move. "From my hand, I'm summoning Ghost Gardna(0/1900) in defense mode!" A white and blue striped machine-like ghost appeared, and its slender body waved in the air. "Now, Stardust Dragon, take aim and blast his X-Saber Wayne! Go, Cosmic Flare!" Hitch's dragon charged up as it let loose a stream of cosmic energy and blasted the cowboy off the field.
JD's Life Points: 4800-
"And now, Drill Warrior! Take out his Gagaga Gardna!" instructed the boy. His other monster rammed its drill into the shield and, pierced through the metal thing, and made contact with JD's monster before it exploded.
"Next, I activate Drill Warrior's effect. So by discarding a card from my hand, I banish it until my next Standby Phase. Then, I'll lay one card facedown and end my turn."
Turn 14: JD (Hand 1)
"It's my move. And I think Gottoms wants to attack your dragon, sheriff. XX-Saber Gottoms, slay that annoying reptile!" commanded JD as his giant brute leaped into the air with his sword and looked to deliver a slash across the chest of Hitch's dragon. At that moment, Hitch's Ghost Gardna appeared between the two. "Hey! Ghost Gardna, down in front!" shouted the Crystal Prep teen to the monster to get out of his way.
"Ghost Gardna's special ability allows it to draw your monster's attention and become the target of your attack! So Gottoms won't be attacking Stardust Dragon!" said Hitch as his monster took one for the team and saved its comrade from being destroyed by the brute. "And after it gets destroyed, it can lower the attack points of one of its opponent's monsters by 1000 until the end of the turn."
"Does it look like I'm worried!" said JD.
"Well, maybe this will! I activate a trap card, Counterattack Beacon!" said Hitch as one of his facedowns turned right up. "It activates when one of your monsters attacks one of mine and manages to destroy it in battle. Once this trap card activates, it not only gives one of my monsters 500 more attack points. It forces that same monster to attack even though it's not my turn."
"Woah! Didn't expect that kind of move from Hitch," said Zipp as the boy kept on surprising his friends with the newly polished skills he'd been practicing.
"Interesting… so now Stardust Dragon has more attack points than JD's Gottoms," said Roxanne, observing Hitch's plan.
"Stardust Dragon, attack!" commanded Hitch as his monster prepared to fire back.
"Not bad, Hitch. But not bad is not good enough!" said JD with a smile. "Not when I've got the Prideful Roar trap card! For the low cost of 1000 Life Points, I can give my Gottoms 1300 more attack points!"
JD's Life Points: 3800-
"No way!" said Izzy as Hitch now had the weaker monster and looked to be destroyed.
Stardust Dragon opened its mouth to fire its attack. Gottoms raised its sword to repel the attack as it created a light show for all to witness. The energy from the attack got bigger and brighter as Gottoms managed to hold its own and swat the attack away before slashing down on Stardust Dragon, who roared in pain as it exploded. The giant brute landed before JD as the Crystal Prep teen smiled, glad to know Hitch couldn't rely on his new ace monster. The smoke from the attack cleared up as JD gasped upon seeing something. A roar was heard through the smoke as familiar white and blue wings appeared.
"What's going on? That attack should have destroyed your monster!" said JD as he pointed at Hitch, demanding an explanation for why the creature was still there. "It had more attack points, so it should have been destroyed!"
"It's all thanks to this. My Shield Warrior!" said Hitch as the card of his monster appeared.
"Wha? But how?"
"Simple because it's in my graveyard."
"But I never sent that card to the graveyard!" shouted JD angrily.
"You never did, but I did," said Hitch as a quick flashback showed him discarding a card last turn to activate his Drill Warrior's effect. Just as Hitch was shown slotting his card into the graveyard slot of his device, it paused to show a much clearer image of what card he chose to get rid of, as it was indeed his Shield Warrior.
"But why?" said JD.
"Because when Shield Warrior is in the graveyard, that's where its special ability can activate! All I have to do is remove it from play, and then I can use its power to save a monster from being destroyed!" said Hitch. "But don't worry, JD. Your attack still hits me for 400 Life Points."
Hitch's Life Points: 5500-
The son of a bitch made me waste 1000 Life Points!
"Now they're almost tied in Life Points," said Athena.
"And I'm pretty sure your Prideful Roar's effect wears off after an attack, so your XX-Saber Gottoms is back to its original power level!" said Hitch as JD gritted his teeth.
"You may have saved your overgrown lizard this time, Hitch… but I promise you, I will slay that mad dragon!" threatened the Crystal Prep teen.
Turn 15: Hitch (Hand 4)
"It's my turn. Like before, my Drill Warrior returns during my Standby Phase, and I can add a monster from my graveyard to my hand." Hitch's monster appeared as his duel disk slotted out a card for him to grab. "Now I draw. I play the Half-Shut spell card; with this card, I can cut the attack points of one monster in half; in exchange, that monster can't be destroyed in battle this turn. And I think I'll choose your XX-Saber Gottoms!"
"Oh, yeah! Now Hitch's monsters have the upper hand!" exclaimed Izzy with a smile.
"Stardust Dragon, attack with Cosmic Flare!" said Hitch as his dragon fired its attack and shot it forward. XX-Saber Gottoms put its sword out to block the incoming attack as it stood its ground.
JD's Life Points: 2250-
"Drill Warrior, your turn!" said Hitch as his second monster entered for its attack and drove its drill forward. XX-Saber Gottoms blocked the attack with its sword as a piece of the blade chipped off.
JD's Life Points: 1200-
"Were those attacks supposed to scare me?" taunted JD as he stood tall against Hitch's attacks.
"No, but these two facedowns might," said Hitch as he ended his turn by setting two cards from his hand. (Hand 2)
Turn 16: JD (Hand 2)
"It's my turn," said JD as he drew, his eyes focused on what card appeared. "Well, well, well."
"That can't be good," said Hitch, as he didn't like the look in JD's eyes.
"Remember when I said I'd slay your dragon, Hitch? Well, the time has come. I play a rather special card. I activate… Miracle Synchro Fusion!"
"What's that?!" said the boy, who had no clue what JD was doing.
"This rare card lets me conduct a fusion summon using Synchro monsters either from my field or graveyard."
"You're conducting a fusion summon?!" said the boy in disbelief at what his opponent was doing.
"That's right. So I fuse my X-Saber Wayne and my Naturia Beast!" declared JD as his two monsters appeared before being sucked into a swirling vortex that emitted orange and purple lights. "I Fusion Summon! Naturia Gaiastrio(3200/2100)!" A giant creature, both a mix of animal and plant, appeared as it towered over JD and roared. Hitch was taken aback by how huge the new creature his foe summoned as the power that it had was one to fear.
"What the hell is that?" said Zipp.
"Your worst nightmare, sheriff!" proclaimed JD with a smile.
I can't believe it. He summoned that monster using two Synchros to bring out a Fusion monster.
"Now Gottoms, attack his Drill Warrior!" said JD as his brute swung its sword at its target and managed to slice it across the chest as it flung back and exploded, causing Hitch to cover up.
Hitch's Life Points: 5000-
"And now Naturia Gaiastrio will take out your Stardust Dragon!"
"I reveal my facedown, Scrap-Iron Scarecrow! With this trap, I can block your attack!" said Hitch as his scarecrow appeared and took the hit for his dragon. "Then I set this card to use again later."
"So you managed to save your dragon, did you? But do you really think it's gonna make a difference!" taunted JD as he ended his turn with a facedown.
"Time to find out!" responded Hitch.
Turn 17: Hitch (Hand 2)
"It's my turn. First, I play the spell card Graceful Charity. So I draw three cards and discard two!" said Hitch as he drew and then picked which two from his hand to get rid of as he slotted them away. "And one of the cards I discarded was Stardust Xiaolong(100/100), but with Stardust Dragon already summoned, Xiaolong instantly resurrects to the field in attack mode!" A small Chinese dragon appeared as it roared before placing beside the boy.
"I now end my turn with a facedown."
Turn 18: JD (Hand 1)
"Oh, this is getting good, sheriff!" taunted JD as he drew.
"You got that right, and after I play my trap, Superior Protector, it's only gonna get better!" said Hitch as he activated his facedown. "See, with this card's power, I can only take battle damage if Stardust Dragon battles."
"All you've done, Hitch, is made your dragon a target!" mocked JD with a smile. "Now all I need to do is crush it so that I can crush you! Naturia Gaiastrio, attack his monster!"
"Now I send Superior Protector to the graveyard to protect us!" said Hitch.
"Nice move, but you're still taking battle damage!" said JD, "And thanks to my Wicked Trample trap card, when you take battle damage other than a direct attack, that damage is doubled!"
"What?!" said Hitch as JD's facedown flipped over.
Naturia Gaiastrio's attack made contact with the barrier surrounding Hitch's dragon, causing the boy to fall to the ground. His cap went flying as he lay there with more marks on his body and clothes.
Hitch's Life Points: 3600-
"And don't think I forgot that you still have your Scrap-Iron Scarecrow. So I'm gonna activate Gottom's ability. By offering my Ragigura, I can send one random card in your hand to the graveyard!" JD's reptile turned into a blue light that encased Gottoms' sword and fired at Hitch's hand. One of his two cards flashed in blue as he groaned before grabbing it and sending it away.
"Look at you, clinging to your last bit of Life Points, and you only have one card left in your hand. Not to mention, your dragon doesn't stand a chance against mine monsters. Your little trap can't save you forever, Hitch. This duel is mine!" said JD.
Turn 19: Hitch (Hand 1)
"I still have cards and Life Points to spare; so far as I'm concerned, it's not over. I draw! I play Pot of Greed to draw two additional cards."
"Draw whatever cards you think will help. You can't beat my two powerful monsters on the field!" said JD.
"Maybe this can. I play my spell card, One for One. So, by discarding one card from my hand, I can summon out a Level 1 monster from my deck. I'm summoning Majestic Dragon(0/0)!" A small dragon, emitting stardust particles and sparkles, appeared.
"But that monster has zero attack points. What's he's thinking?" said Zipp.
"I now tune my Majestic Dragon with my Stardust Xaiolong and Stardust Dragon!" Hitch's small dragon turned into a single solid giant green ring that circled its comrades into nine total white stars lined up with a yellow light surging through. "When the stars shine as one, they point towards a miracle! I Synchro Summon! Come forth, Majestic Star Dragon(3800/3000)!" Out came a bright white dragon that emitted beautiful sparkles from its body as part of its slender build was crystal and see-through.
"Look at the beast!" said Zipp, amazed by what Hitch was able to bring out.
"Next, I'm summoning my Adamancipator Analyzer(1500/1700). Then, I activate its ability. I can excavate the top five cards of my deck and special summon one Level 4 or lower non-tuner rock-type monster. And as for the others, I place them on the bottom of my deck." Hitch picked up his five cards and fanned them out to see his options. "I choose my Blockman(1000/1500)!" A monster made of toy building blocks appeared.
"You may have brought out a powerful monster, but that's still not enough to end this duel!" said JD.
"Well, I'm not done. Just like you did, I'm going to do something different and summon a completely new monster!" declared Hitch.
"Wha?" said the others.
This one is for you, Sunny.
"I'm gonna overlay my Adamancipator Analyzer and Blockman!" said the CHS boy.
"You're gonna what?!" exclaimed JD in shock.
"He can't!" said Axiom as he and everyone else was shocked to see Hitch doing something other than Synchro summon.
Hitch's two monsters turned into orbs of light that hovered in the air. A portal opened before the boy as the orbs were sucked in, and a pillar of light emerged.
"The most noble of knights is clad in light! I Xyz Summon, a leader and warrior without fear… Heroic Champion - Excalibur(2000/2000, OLU: 2)!" shouted Hitch. The ground shook and then erupted outward. A warrior in bulky silver and dark red armor leaped onto the field, a massive broadsword held in the air. It landed, light rippling off spikes on its shoulders and helmet, and gripped the blade with two hands, holding it steady. Twin orbs circled it, pulsing.
"Impossible! There's no way he just summoned that!" shouted Athena as she stood up in defiance.
The others shared similar expressions as they didn't like what Hitch had just managed to do.
"I now use Excalibur's ability! By detaching all of its overlay units from it, its attack points double until the end of your next turn!" said the boy. The orbs of light around Excalibur lit up and slammed into its sword. It roared and held its blade higher, the steel glowing and growing larger.
"4000 attack points?! Then that means…"
"Excalibur, attack XX-Saber Gottoms! Double Shock Sword Slash!" commanded Hitch as his monster brought its sword down right down the middle of JD's brute, and it exploded. The boy was forced to a knee as he looked up to see Hitch's dragon ready to strike.
JD's Life Points: 300-
"And now… Majestic Star Dragon, end this duel. Attack Naturia Gaiastrio with Sonic Blaster!"
The dragon shined and powered up before it soared toward its target. Naturia Gaiastrio roared in defiance as it tried to swat the monster out of the sky, but Hitch's monster avoided it. It then spread its wings out, shot forward like a shooting star, and pierced through the monster, leaving a giant hole. Stardust began to emit from the hole as the monster roared before it vanished. The attack transferred to JD, who managed to put his arms up to cover, but the force was enough to send him off his feet and tumbling to the ground.
JD's Life Points: 0-
Winner: Hitch.
Hitch's portrait appeared as it was highlighted in yellow with the words winner below it, while JD's was greyed out. A celebratory airhorn went off as the crowd roared.
"Students, the winner of this duel is Hitch!" said Vice-Principal Luna as the boy stood there confidently and coolly with his duel disk raised proudly.
To be continued…
Author's Note: Despite losing the prior duel, it seems Hitch was able to keep the hope alive for our group and for CHS. With that win, it now all falls on Izzy, Zipp, and Mario to win their duels to still stay alive. But that's easier said than done.