2 Ashleys down, 2 to go! TJ's next battle is against Ashley B - but what will he do when he discovers that Ashley B holds an Egyptian God whose power is virtually limitless? Is this one challenge that will break TJ?

With Ashley Q defeated, TJ and friends were making their way up the stairwell to the top of the building that housed Third Street School, where Ashley Q hinted that his next challenge against Ashley B would take place. Meanwhile, it was a race against time to defeat the remaining Ashleys and free Spinelli before she was completely transformed into the 5th Ashley.

"Those Ashleys are inhuman!" Gus called out as the group made their way to the school rooftop.

"Worse, Gus. They're debs," Gretchen remarked.

"I just hope Spinelli can hold out just a while longer...her becoming an Ashley would devastate TJ," Vince worried.

Inside the Ashley clubhouse, Ashley Q was stumbling in, battered from her duel against TJ.

"Like, I'm no mind reader, but I can tell by the way you came in that you failed miserably against Detweiler..." Ashley A snarked.

"Detweiler and his Elemental Heros beat me," Ashley Q confirmed. "How's Operation Ashley S progressing?"

"All is going as planned. We've changed her wardrobe and gotten through that obnoxious tomboy. Once Ashley B defeats Detweiler with that special card of hers, Spinelli's transformation will be complete. Detweiler was an absolute fool to think he could challenge us!"

'TJ...please, hold on...beat those powderpuffs...' Spinelli thought to herself. She was hanging on for dear life but the Ashleys' trickery was starting to wear on her. Her hope was that TJ could beat the remaining Ashleys and free her...before she became total Ashley.

TJ and the remaining Recess Gang had made it to the top of the school building within mere minutes, where Ashley B was waiting.

"DETWEILER!"

TJ snapped to the right to find Ashley Boulet, second in command of The Ashleys.

"Like, prepare to duel! And lose your girlfriend Spinelli forever!"

"BOULET!"

"Yes...and soon the entire playground will bow to us!"

"Your plan to transform Spinelli will never work, Boulet..."

"I'm afraid it already has. We've already drawn you into a duel you can't possibly win. Once I defeat you, Spinelli will be no more! All that's left of her will be Ashley S and the entire playground will be ours!"

"ENOUGH TALK!" TJ called out, switching out his Hero deck for his Yugi/Dark Magician deck.

"Prepare yourself for a force unlike nothing you've experienced before!"

"THAT'S ENOUGH OF YOU!"

"LET'S DUEL!"

TJ: 8000

Ashley B: 8000

"You Ashleys will never make Spinelli into one of you!" TJ exclaimed.

"I'm afraid I'll have to disagree..." Ashley B taunted, drawing her first card. "I'll begin by placing a card face-down, then I'll summon this - HUMANOID SLIME in Attack Mode!"

ATK: 800

DEF: 2000

"It's the beginning of the end for you, Detweiler. Now make your move!"

"You will fail, Boulet!" TJ retorted, drawing his card. "I play POLYMERIZATION! I'll use it to fuse Gazelle The King of Mythical Beasts and Berfomet to summon CHIMERA THE FLYING MYTHICAL BEAST!"

ATK: 2100

DEF: 1800

"I'll also lay a card face-down...then have Chimera attack your Slime with PULVERIZING POUNCE!"

Chimera dashed in and pounced on Humanoid Slime, destroying it.

Ashley B: 6700

"That ends my turn."

Ashley B smiled as she drew her card. "I play MONSTER REBORN! With it, I'll call Humanoid Slime back to the field. Next, I summon WORM DRAKE!"

ATK: 1400

DEF: 1500

"I hate to break it to you, but your worm doesn't have near enough power to take on my Mythical Beast!"

"True, Detweiler...but I can, like, totally fix that with ease. Time for POLYMERIZATION! I'll use it to fuse Humanoid Slime and Worm Drake together into a dastarly new monster! Here's my new weapon - HUMANOID WORM DRAKE!"

ATK: 2200

DEF: 2000

"Now for me to take down your Chimera - reveal face down card! QUICK-ATTACK! This lets me attack right now! Humanoid Worm Drake, destroy Detweiler's Chimera!"

Not so fast, Ashley B!

"I don't think so, girlie! You've activated my Spell Card! DE-FUSION! Much like Polymerization combines 2 monsters, De-Fusion splits them back apart!"

Ashley B was in shock. TJ knew her plan from the start!

"How'd you know what I was planning?"

"Once you brought back your Humanoid Slime, I knew then and there you had wanted me to attack it. You thought I had fallen for your bait but it was really I that had baited you into using your hidden card so that I could turn it against you."

"Well played, Detweiler."

"I was expecting a far more challenging duel from you but you've only disappointed me. You'll never take Spinelli if you keep making horrible plays like that, Boulet. My move now..."

His draw for the turn...

'Buster Blader...too powerful to use on her weak monsters but I'm sure it'll come in handy once she plays something much stronger. I'll save him until then,' TJ thought.

"I'll toss my Electromagnetic Turtle to summon this - APPRENTICE ILLUSION MAGICIAN in Attack Mode!"

ATK: 2000

DEF: 1700

"Now to dispose of your weak monsters! Illusion Magician, destroy her Worm Drake!"

TJ's Apprentice Illusion Magician twirled her wand and fired a stream of mystic energy at Worm Drake, destroying it.

"Chimera, take down her Humanoid Slime again! The difference in their attack strengths means you lose 1900 Life Points!"

Ashley B: 4800

"Ashley B's not even trying," Vince gawked. "This is too easy for TJ..."

"Perhaps a bit too easy..." Gretchen said, suspecting something fishy.

"This duel's about to get interesting," Ashley B warned. "Time for round 2, so get ready..."

Ashley B drew her card and got a sinister grin on her face.

"The card I now hold is like nothing you've ever seen before. It's a creature that simply cannot be destroyed. This creature is made of pure plasma, having no solid mass, which makes it the perfect defense against all enemy attacks. So prepare yourself for REVIVAL JAM in Defense Mode!"

ATK: 1500

DEF: 500

"Attack it if you dare! I'm certain you'll fail!"

"Looks super weak..."

"It looks weak, does it? Well, take a look at this - it's the Spell Card JAM BREEDING MACHINE! Now once a turn, I can summon a Slime Token to my field! However, as long as Breeding Machine is in play, I'm not permitted to summon any further monsters."

"Your plan is too obvious. You're gonna sit on that Breeding Machine until you have enough tokens to sacrifice to summon your Egyptian God card," TJ deduced.

"Very perceptive, Detweiler. A shame, however, that you'll be unable to stop me. Soon, Spinelli will be the 5th Ashley and the entire playground will belong to us!"

TJ just scoffed. "Sorry, Ashley B...but as long as I believe in The Heart of The Cards, your plan will never succeed. MY MOVE!"

After TJ drew his card, he decided now would be the perfect time to call his new warrior into action.

"I sacrifice Chimera and my face-down Beta The Magnet Warrior in order to summon this - BUSTER BLADER! My expert swordsman has the power to wipe out your Revival Jam as well as over half your remaining Life Points!"

ATK: 2600

DEF: 2300

"True, your Buster Blader is quite powerful, but I'm afraid it's of no use against my Revival Jam..." Ashley B snarked.

"We'll see about that! Buster Blader, take down her Revival Jam!"

It was a clean slash from Buster Blader that appeared to have destroyed Ashley B's Revival Jam.

"Your monster's been splattered!"

Ashley B was unfazed.

"Has it now?"

Revival Jam reformed!

"What's going on? Your monster's reforming!"

"Surprised? I told you my Revival Jam employed the perfect defense! It will always come back - not even the mightiest sword can destroy it! You can only watch as I build up the monsters needed for my ultimate sacrifice! Then comes your worst nightmare - MY EGYPTIAN GOD CARD! My turn...and here's the first Slime Token! I'll also lay a card face-down. Just 2 more turns now!"

That was when TJ found a flaw in Ashley B's strategy.

"Your strategy's got a hole in it. I might not be able to destroy your Revival Jam, but I can destroy your Tokens and each one my Blader takes out costs you 2100 Life Points. So if my math is right, in 2 turns you'll be all but defeated! Buster Blader, take out that token!"

Ashley B smiled as the attack went off. "Like a moth to the flame...ACTIVATE TRAP! JAM DEFENDER!"

Revival Jam took the hit!

"WHAT?!" Vince gasped.

"That attack was supposed to hit the token, not Revival Jam!" Gus flinched.

"NO WAY!" TJ cried out.

"As long as Jam Defender is out, Revival Jam becomes the new target of each of your attacks, Detweiler. That means each and every one of your attacks will be going nowhere," Ashley B explained with a sinister giggle. "I knew you'd try to go after my tokens in an attempt to stop me from summoning my God Card, so I set my Jam Defender card just in case. Now I have all the time I need to gather the resources necessary for your destruction! Now meet the 2nd Slime Token! Just 1 turn left...then I'll summon my Egyptian God Card to destroy you and any hopes you have of rescuing your girlfriend! But just to be safe, I'll play this - SWORDS OF REVEALING LIGHT!"

"NO! NOT THE SWORDS!" TJ gasped as an array of glowing swords surrounded his field.

"Now you're forbidden from attacking me for the next 3 turns! Not that you'll be around that long anyway. Appears you're out of options, Detweiler! Next turn, I'll have enough Slime Tokens to sacrifice for my Egyptian God Card! Then I'll use it to destroy you and claim your girlfriend for The Ashleys!"

TJ growled at Ashley B, drawing his card. "Never! As long as I believe in The Heart Of The Cards, you will never prevail!"

"Remember, you can't attack due to my Swords!"

"I'm forced to end my turn there."

"Good...now I'll summon the last Slime Token I need! Now I'll sacrifice my Jam Breeder and my 3 Slime Tokens to summon the most destructive force imaginable! The skies shall be shrouded in darkness as I summon the beast of your ultimate destruction and the Ashleys' ascent to total playground domination! Appear now, SLIFER THE SKY DRAGON!"

A giant red 25 foot tall twin mouthed dragon soon descended. TJ was face to face with an Egyptian God.

"That is one big dragon..." Gus remarked.

"How's TJ gonna beat that thing?" Mikey questioned.

"Inconclusive, Mikey," Gretchen assessed. "But he'll have to if we want to free our comrade Spinelli from those debs."

"Allow me to explain how Slifer works - the number of cards I have in my hand determines how many Attack Points Slifer has. I hold 2 cards right now and Slifer gains 1000 points for each card. That means Slifer has 2000 Attack and Defense Points! But this is just the beginning thanks to my POT OF GREED! This lets me draw 2 new cards...greed is good. I lost 1 card, but gained 2, giving my Slifer a total of 3000 Attack and Defense Points! I'll then activate these - INFINITE CARDS and CARD OF SAFE RETURN! You'll see how these work later..."

"Very well. My turn..."

TJ could attack if he was able to, but he was still trapped under the Swords of Revealing Light. He had drawn the Lightforce Sword and decided it would come in handy later.

"I'll lay these 2 cards face-down. Then I'll set this monster in Defense Mode. That ends my turn."

"That means it's time to unleash a force unlike nothing you've seen! I play my CARD OF SANCTITY! This forces us to draw until we're both holding 6 cards! And since that's the case, Slifer's points shoot up to 6000! Slifer, ATTACK HIS BUSTER BLADER!"

TJ chuckled. He was ready for it. "I don't think so. REVEAL CARD DESTRUCTION!"

Ashley B squealed. "OH NO! That means we lose our entire hand!"

"Actually, only you'll lose your entire hand...because I chain DROLL AND LOCK BIRD! I can only use this when you would draw cards outside of your normal draw. Now for the remainder of the turn, you're forbidden from drawing any cards by card effects! That leaves your hand...at 0. Buster Blader, RETALIATE!"

Buster Blader launched himself into the air, trying to destroy Slifer, however...

"Have you forgotten that Jam Defender is still in play? Revival Jam takes the hit instead! Usually, I'd draw 3 from my Card of Safe Return but due to your Droll & Lock Bird, I can't do that. So I must end my turn."

"Well then, my turn..."

TJ's draw was another card he'd save...

'Magic Cylinder! I can use this to turn Slifer's attack against it and shoot it right back at Ashley B's Life Points to win the duel!'

"First thing's first - I play MAGICAL HATS! Hats, materialize and protect my monsters! I'll conclude by placing these 2 cards face down beneath my Magic Hats."

"So your monsters are hiding beneath those hats?"

"Not just hiding - they lie in wait, preparing for a counterattack."

Ashley B just laughed as she drew her card. "HA! Like, dream on, Detweiler! None of your monsters are strong enough to take on Slifer! First, I play my CARD OF DEMISE! This lets me draw 5 new cards, so long as I toss my hand in 5 turns! Of course, this duel won't last that long anyway. Slifer, attack the hat on the far right!"

She was right...she had found Apprentice Illusion Magician.

"A lucky guess...but this duel isn't over! GO, MAGIC CYLINDER!"

Ashley B gasped. She had walked right into a Trap!

"Magic Cylinder cancels your attack and sends it right back at you! More specifically, right at your Life Points!"

"OH NO! And Slifer has 5000 points!"

"That means this attack will have more than enough power to wipe you out!"

"Or so you think..."

Revival Jam blocked that one too!

"NO WAY! Revival Jam can block redirections too?" Vince flinched.

"That's right, Lasalle! And since Revival Jam has returned, I draw 3 more, bringing Slifer up to 8000 Attack Points! But since my attack was negated, I'll end my turn with that."

"Wait a second! She's holding too many cards in her hand! You're only allowed to have a maximum of 6 cards in your hand at any time!" Gus pointed out.

"While, like, that's normally the case...but you're forgetting about my Spell Card - Infinite Cards. This lets me bypass the 6 card limit and hold as many cards as I want in my hand! That means Slifer's power is limitless! Like, you dorks are looking at the 5 card combo that makes Slifer the Sky Dragon unstoppable!"

"We'll see about that..." TJ retorted as he drew his card. "First, I switch my Illusion Magician to Defense Mode. Then I'll call BIG SHIELD GARDNA to the field in Defense Mode!"

ATK: 100

DEF: 2600

"Thank you, Detweiler...you've activated Slifer's special ability! Since you summoned a monster while Slifer is on the field, Slifer can use his 2nd mouth to eliminate 2000 points from whatever mode your monster's in!"

"WHAT?!" TJ exclaimed as Slifer fired a lightning blast from its 2nd mouth at Big Shield Gardna, knocking its Defense Points down to 600. "My turn's done..." he growled. But after that, he knew that he had found Slifer's weakness. He just needed a way to exploit it.

"My turn! And I play HARPIE'S FEATHER DUSTER! This wipes out every Spell and Trap you have out!"

A storm blew out of Ashley B's card, clearing out TJ's backrow.

"Next up, I'll play my DOUBLE ATTACK card! This lets Slifer strike twice! Take out his Gardna and his Buster Blader!"

TJ: 4100

"Now go ahead and draw your final card!" Ashley B laughed, thinking she had won. "It's such a shame to know you've gone this far for your girlfriend only to fail in the end."

"This duel's not over yet..." TJ said, drawing his card. A smile then overtook his face. It was the card he needed. "I play my own CARD OF DEMISE! This lets me draw 5 new cards, but if I don't use 'em in 5 turns, I lose 'em in 5 turns! However I intend to finish you off here and now! First up - MONSTER REBORN! I'll use it to bring back my Buster Blader! While this does activate your Slifer's 2nd mouth attack, I'm risking the duel on one final sword attack by my Blader! Buster Blader, ATTACK!"

"Just as planned...REVIVAL JAM, INTERCEPT! Now since 2 monsters have been brought back, Card of Safe Return lets me draw 6 cards and with it, Slifer's Attack Points rise to 13,000!"

"I knew you'd use your Revival Jam to intercept and once it re-forms...I play this! BRAIN CONTROL! By paying 800 points, this will have me seize control of your Revival Jam! And you know what happens next - Slifer must now attack any new monster that hits my field..."

So it did, destroying Revival Jam.

TJ: 3300

"You know what happens now..."

"Revival Jam...revives itself again!"

'This can't be!' Ashley B thought. 'Whenever Revival Jam reappears on the field, my dragon automatically attacks it! And since Detweiler controls Revival Jam, it will reappear on his side of the field, making me draw 3 more cards. Then my dragon will attack again. Each event triggers the next in a never-ending cycle! First attack...then regenerate...then draw! My dragon will get stronger with each cycle as I draw more cards but it doesn't matter because I'm trapped!'

"AAAAH! THERE'S NO WAY OUT!"

"That's right, Ashley B. Once you run out of cards to draw, you will automatically lose the duel!"

"NO! THIS CAN'T BE!"

"As powerful as the God Cards are, no monster is without weakness and it appears I've found Slifer's - it's second mouth attack!"

"NO!"

'I have no control over my Egyptian God Card! As long as TJ's Brain Control card is active, my monster will keep attacking Revival Jam and I'll keep drawing more cards until...'

SHE DECKED OUT!

"NO!"

"I turned your dragon against you, causing you to use up all the cards in your dueling deck!"

"NO! NO! AAAAAH!" Ashley B screamed.

"That means I win! IT'S OVER!"

Ashley B fell to the floor, her deck spilling out with Slifer face-up. TJ was quick to take it. "Ashley B...you aren't worthy of the power of a God Card. And that...makes all 3 in my collection."

"3 Ashleys down, 1 to go!" Vince cheered.

"Very good, Detweiler...now head to the Ashley Clubhouse...our leader awaits you there. Defeat her and Spinelli's all yours. Fail and not only will she remain in our ranks...BUT YOU WILL JOIN HER!" Ashley B threatened as King Bob then appeared.

"Next stop - Ashley clubhouse..." Vince told the group.

"It's time to shut Ashley A down and free Spinelli..." TJ said in a brooding voice.

Ashley A's subordinates are down. Next chapter is the start of the endgame as TJ leads the group on their way to stop The Ashleys from turning Spinelli into one of them! Will they get there in time? Can they defeat Ashley A and end her twisted plan? FIND OUT NEXT TIME!