"Ladies and gentlemen, welcome to Super Showdown! Tonight promises to be one of the most extravagant, heart-pounding, emotional nights for all the duelists performing! It is a worldwide phenomenon. It's the greatest live event in all of entertainment! You are looking live at a sold-out stadium in Las Vegas!"
"What did you say, bud? I can't hear you because of the thousands of screaming fans in attendance!"
The two commentators would give a play-by-play of the event. Yet, they were having difficulty speaking into their headsets, given how loud it was around them from the fans.
"We are in for a stellar event, and what a way to kick off the show than with the Tag Team duel!"
"Let's get it started right… NOW!"
A bell was heard as it rang for all to hear, and nearly everyone sat down before the announcer spoke.
"The following is a Tag Team Duel, and it is for… the Tag Team Medallions!"
A drum was heard. Soon, more drums were heard, and coming out on the stage, a marching band appeared. The logo on the band was Crystal Prep. Cadance and Principal Sombra were backstage as they gave two of their alumni a special entrance. The band of Crystal Prep continued to play and twirl some flags. Sugarcoat and Sour Sweet rose in the center from below the stage. The two alumni duelists were shown in their special dueling attire, holding their medallions up high and out for all to see, as the column they were on stopped.
The crowd made some noise for the two, who had smug smiles before the pillar began to lower. Once it reached the stage, the two stepped off, putting the medals around their necks before walking down the long ramp toward the field. The Crystal Prep band began to follow the two alumni as they continued to play; when the two duelists stepped on the field, they each went to opposite sides to pan to the crowd as the marching band began to march around the field.
Meanwhile, backstage at that moment…
"I want to win! So I'm willing to work together for one match!" said Isaac.
"I don't need your help in winning those medallions! I can do it myself!" shouted Aj as the two scowled at the other.
The country gal then marched away as she slipped through the curtain. Isaac sighed as he kept his scowl before going through the curtain himself. Out in the arena, Sugarcoat and Sour Sweet were awaiting their opponents. Given her history with the country gal, the former looked forward to this. The Crystal Prep marching band had disappeared to the side of the stage as the music for Applejack played.
What you see is what you get
And I don't care if you get all of it
What you see is what you get
And I don't care if you get all of it
Applejack appeared as she came out, and the crowd made noise for her. The country gal looked down at the field, seeing her two foes, as her scowl grew. She then raised her right foot and stomped on the stage to trigger the signal, and fireworks and pyrotechnics went off around the top. She then began to walk down the ramp as she made her way to the field.
Ascending to the sky
My mind is on me
Never saying di-
Applejack was about halfway down the ramp when her music ended. She noticed it and turned, as almost immediately, it changed to Isaac's music. The country gal growled because she didn't like how they cut her off, adding more disrespect. Isaac appeared, and almost immediately, the crowd went crazy. The World Champion panned to the crowd as he walked to both ends of the stage to look at the fans before closing his eyes and taking in the moment. He then began to walk down the ramp as the crowd sang.
Adrenaline in my soul
Every fight out of control
Do it all to get them off their feet
Crowd is here, about to blow
Waiting for me to start the show
Out the curtain, lights go up
I'm home
"WHOA!" said Isaac as the crowd shouted as loud as they could with their arms out.
Pyro went off behind the World Champion as he stood in the middle of the ramp walkway, and Aj stood behind him as he performed his theatrics. The country gal growled even more as Isaac showed her even more disrespect.
"Boom!" said Isaac, fist-pumping the ground to set off the next pyro set.
Applejack then walked past and bumped him out of the way as Isaac noticed it. The World Champion looked at the country gal who would be his partner as she merely scowled at the World Champ and gave him the middle finger.
"Yee-haw, bitch!" responded Aj as she got on the field.
Isaac growled as he was too perturbed that he didn't do his normal gig of signing some stuff for the fans, given how Aj was pissing him off. The World Champion got on the field and took his position beside Aj, who was staring down both Sugarcoat and Sour Sweet. His music died down as the crowd took in the sight of all four duelists about to fight. The looks and stares each had as neither was showing any ounce of weakness. Sunny and the gang were excited; having a front-row seat to witness this fight was amazing.
"Introducing first, the World Tag Team Champions, the team of Sugarcoat and Sour Sweet!" said the announcer as the two took off their medallions and held them up high for all to see. The crowd made some noise for them as they kept looking at their foes. "And… the challengers. The team of Applejack and the World Champion… Isaac!" Once more, the crowd went crazy. Aj kept her scowl toward her foes while Isaac panned at the crowd.
"Been a while, Aj," smirked Sugarcoat as she had a personal rivalry with the country gal.
"Yeah, it has," responded Applejack as the two polar opposites stared the other down.
Sugarcoat and Sour Sweet then handed the medals to the official; he took them in both hands and held them up high as they dangled for all to see. The four duelists then listened to the official as he explained the rules.
"Alright, you four. Here are the rules for this tag duel. Both teams will start with a combined total of 16,000 Life Points. No one is allowed to attack until each person has taken a turn. Furthermore, you are free to attack your opponent if they do not have any monsters. As a partner, you are free to use your teammate's card to your advantage and use your monsters to protect from attack should you so please. The duel ends when one team loses their Life Points. Are we clear?"
All four nodded while staring down the others.
"Then go to your respective sides, and let's begin," instructed the official.
"Let's see if you two can even last a turn, working together," mocked Sour Sweet as she knew the personal beef between Aj and Isaac.
All four turned and walked toward the end of the field as they activated their duel dusks and slotted in their decks.
"Alright, Aj, here's the plan. I'll start off…"
"Screw you, city slicker! I'm not taking orders from you. You ain't the captain of this team. I said I can win these things by myself!"
"Oh, is that so, huh!" said Isaac as he got sick and tired of Aj's attitude.
"You get any closer to my face, city slicker, and I'll put mah boot up yer ass in front of your kids!"
"I'd like to see you try, bitch!"
Isaac and Applejack were touching their foreheads as they began to shout insults at each other. The official noticed as he came over and inserted his arms to get in between as the two continued to yell but not get physical.
"Look at them. I don't think it's a matter of whether they can coexist… it's a matter of who's gonna blow their top first," smirked Sour Sweet as seeing Aj and Isaac fight was looking good for their odds to beat them.
After Aj and Isaac somehow managed to cool off somewhat, the duel was instructed to begin. All four turned on their duel disks as Sugarcoat projected a pale purple light while Sour Sweet had a pale pink light. Applejack activated hers to project her green card tray while Isaac's golden one appeared.
"Opponent detected. Streaming data. Duel mode set. Initiating. Commencing duel." said all four duel disks.
Sour Sweet and Sugarcoat's Life Points: 16,000-
Applejack and Isaac's Life Points: 16,000-
"Let's duel!" shouted all four duelists as a split screen showed them holding their starting hand.
Turn 1: Sour Sweet (Hand 5)
"Let's get started, guys," said Sour Sweet gently before switching gears. It's time to crush you two. I draw! Since I have no monsters, I can summon this… my Amazoness War Chief(1900/0)!" An Amazon warrior appeared as she let out a battle cry before spinning her spear and pointing it at her foes. Then, I can set one 'Amazoness' spell or trap card directly from my deck."
Sour Sweet touched her duel screen as her deck slotted out the card she wanted for her to grab. She then slotted it into her duel disk as it materialized behind her monster.
"I'll leave there for now, you two," said Sour Sweet with a nice smile before it turned into a devious smirk.
Turn 2: Isaac (Hand 5)
"Then I'll take over!" said Isaac, as he didn't let Aj even put up an argument. He just took over, which ticked her off. "I summon Queen's Knight(1500/1600) in defense mode." A female knight wielding a sword and shield appeared as she took a knee. "Then I'll lay one card facedown and end my turn."
Turn 3: Sugarcoat (Hand 5)
"My turn, then. I draw. To begin, I'll play the spell card Terraforming. So now I can add a field spell card to my hand. Like my trusty Magnetic Field." Sugarcoat held her card as pillars of shining grey steel rose like a cross around Sugarcoat, sparks coursing along their length. "With this card in play, I can revive a Level 4 or below 'Magnet Warrior' from my graveyard as long as I control an Earth-attribute Rock-type monster. Next, I summon Delta the Magnet Warrior(1600/1400)!"
Trails of electricity rose from the ground, tracing out the image of a monster that solidified in a flash of silver light. It was a spindly robot, limbs of circular steel cable connecting hands and feet and a head of silver-blue metal with magnetic bars running along the edges. A horseshoe magnet around a triangular metal prism made its head, and yellow eyes blinked on the metal.
"Now Delta's ability activates; I can send a Magnet Warrior from my deck to the graveyard when he's summoned. I choose Alpha The Electromagnet Warrior(1700/1100). I then immediately use the effect of Magnetic Field to revive Alpha to my field." The steel pillars shot lightning bolts to the ground next to Delta. Another robot manifested, covered in bulky grey armor with magnets on its joints. It held out its hands, summoned a shield with a magnet and a staff consisting of a magnet and two long electrical coils, and swung them out.
"I then activate Alpha's ability. When he's summoned, I add a 'Magna Warrior' monster from my deck to my hand. I choose this, Berserkion the Electromagna Warrior!" said Sugarcoat as her deck ejected the card, and she showed it to both the World Champ and country gal. "I set two cards facedown. You move, Aj!"
Both Sugarcoat and Applejack stared the other down as the bitter and storied rivalry between the two polar opposites was well-documented and dated back to their days in high school. The country gal wanted to settle the score with her longtime rival.
Turn 4: Applejack (Hand 5)
"My turn!" shouted Aj as she looked to showcase her worth and not let Isaac outshine and disrespect her. "I play the spell card, Predaplast! Now, for every 'Preda' card I choose to reveal in my hand, I can place that many numbers of Predaplant Counters on your monsters. So I reveal three cards, each one for your three monsters!"
Three seeds fired and attached to Sugarcoat and Sour Sweet's monsters as they glowed in purple momentarily.
"Now your monsters have their levels drop to one. Then, since you have a monster with a Predaplant Counter on it, I can tribute one of them to summon my Predaplant Drosophyllum Hydra(800/2300). So Amazoness War Chief!" stated Aj as Sour Sweet's only monster vanished. "I ain't done yet! Because next, I summon my Predaplant Chlamydosundew(600/200). Then, I activate my monster's ability. I can fusion using monsters on my field along with any monsters you have with a Predator Counter on them, and as long as they have a Predator Counter on them, they're considered dark monsters. So I combine my Predaplant Chlamydosundew with your two Magnet Warriors!"
"Aj, wait!" said Isaac as he tried to warn the girl.
"I had a feeling you'd try that, Applejack! I know your strategies better than anybody. Too bad you can't say the same for me. In response to your Predaplant Chlamydosundew's ability, I'll chain it with Alpha The Electromagnet Warrior's effect." Sugarcoat snapped her fingers, and Alpha shattered into metal scrapings and light sparks. "By offering Alpha as a tribute during your turn, I can summon a Level 4 'Magnet Warrior' from my deck. I choose another copy of Delta the Magnet Warrior and summon it in defense mode." The shrapnel of Alpha's destruction congregated in an orb of metal and lightning, reforming into a new Delta, kneeling with a barrier of electricity around it. "Since the target of your effect has left the field, it is nullified. Furthermore, my new Delta doesn't have a Predator Counter, meaning you can't use it for your fusion summon!" the Crystal Prep alumni smirked. "I also get to activate Delta's effect when it was summoned. I send 'Beta The Electromagnet Warrior' from my deck to the graveyard."
"Does it look like it matters to me!" growled Applejack. "I combine my two Predaplants with your other Delta!"
All three monsters appeared and were sucked into a swirling vortex as it emitted purple and orange lights. Applejack's duel disk opened its Extra Deck compartment, ejected a card she grabbed, and slammed on her card tray before punching the ground to make it crack open.
"I Fusion Summon! Predalant Triphyoverutum(3000/3000)!" Applejack's monster emerged from the ground, stood on its hind legs, and roared with all three heads while spreading its wings for all to see.
"Oh my goodness!" said Pipp as she and the others leaned back to look up and see how huge Aj's monster was. Being in the front row made them look so small.
"That's a monster and a half!" said Hitch.
"That ain't no monster, sheriff. That's a freakin' kaiju!" said Zipp, as that was the best way to describe Aj's beast.
"I end-"
"Hold it! I activate my facedown! Amazoness Hot Spring!" said Sour Sweet as she smiled and activated her facedown.
"What?" said Isaac, stunned by what card Sour Sweet had just used.
"Shocked, Mr. World Champ. Well, let me explain my new card," said the Crystal Prep alumni with a cheery tone before it changed on a dime and put on a serious look. "When I activate this card, I can add an 'Amazoness' monster from my deck to my hand or… if it's a Pendulum monster, I can place it in one of my Pendulum zones."
"You have Pendulum monsters?!" said Isaac as Aj gritted her teeth.
"It's been a while since you faced my deck, Isaac. Since then, I've upgraded it. So I'll take this… my pendulum monster Amazoness Gold Whip Master(2000/1200, Level 5, Scale 1)!" Sour Sweet's duel disk ejected her card, and she grabbed it and placed it on one of the far ends of her duel disk. Her monster appeared in a column of light as the number one appeared before it.
"Grr. I'm done," said the country gal.
Turn 5: Sour Sweet (Hand 5)
"Lovely. My turn now! And look what I just drew. My pendulum monster, Amazoness Silver Sword Master(1200/2000, Level 3, Scale 7)! And I'll place her in my other pendulum zone to complete the scale!" said Sour Sweet as she placed her card on the other end of her card tray; the word pendulum was spelled out to indicate the scale was set. Her other monster appeared in its column of light as its number was in front of it before both columns lit up.
"And now that I have the scale set, I think I'll do some summoning right now. So… by using my Pendulum Scale, I can summon as many monsters as I want from Levels 2 through 6!" said Sour Sweet as she thrust her hand out and above her; a portal opened, and out came two lights that struck the ground. "I Pendulum Summon! Amazoness Queen(2400/1800) and Amazoness Spiritualist(800/1800)! And now, my Spiritualist's ability activates. Since it was special summoned, I can add a 'Polymerization' to my hand. But it won't be there for long because I now use it to combine my two monsters!"
Sour Sweet held her hands out with her monsters entering a swirling vortex, emitting orange and purple lights. "Ruler of hunters and spiritualist of hunters, combine your wisdom and spirit and reign supreme over this battlefield!" She brought her hands together. "From the deepest depths of the darkest jungles, I Fusion Summon Amazoness Empress(2800/2400)!" A bolt of light shot out of the vortex and into the former throne of Amazoness Queen, shattering it. The smoke cleared to reveal a massive warrior woman with white hair and red war paint on her muscles. Animal skulls adorned her shoulders, waist, and head, forming a horned crown. She snapped her hand out to the side, a red cape blowing out behind her, and in a flash of red light, a massive, curved, spiked sword appeared in her grasp.
"W-Wow," said Izzy as she was in awe of Sour Sweet's monster.
"If everyone is impressed by my monster, wait till you see her in action. But before that, I activate the pendulum effect of my Amazoness Golden Whip Master! Now, my Amazoness Queen gains attack points equal to its level by 100. So, since it's Level 8, it gains 800 extra attack points. But that's not all. I'll then activate the pendulum ability of my Amazoness Silver Sword Master. It does the same thing as my Golden Whip Master, so Amazoness Empress gains another 800 extra attack points!" stated Sour Sweet as her female warrior released a fierce battle cry.
"That Amazoness Empress has 4400 attack points. It's stronger than Ms. Applejack's monster," said Hitch as Aj gritted her teeth to show she didn't like that statement.
"Now, Amazoness Empress, strike down that three-headed beast!" commanded Sour Sweet. Amazoness Empress coiled her legs and sprinted forward, her sword out to her side. She reached Aj's monster and jumped to cleave it in two in a shower of red sparks. Isaac and Applejack covered up and flinched from Sour Sweet's attack.
Isaac and Applejack's Life Points: 14,600-
"Now, a couple of things happen. First, the other pendulum effect of my Amazoness Golden Whip Master activates. When an attack is declared involving my 'Amazoness' monster, my Golden Whip Master allows me to destroy one spell or trap card on the field. So say goodbye to your facedown, Isaac!" Sour Sweet's monster flung its whip, and the end of it smacked on his facedown and disappeared. "I then equip my Amazoness Empress with Amazoness Heirloom!" A necklace appeared as it appeared around the neck of Sour Sweet's monster, enfusing its power to her.
"I then place one card facedown and end my turn."
"Nice work, Sour," said Sugarcoat as she and her partner controlled the duel.
Turn 6: Isaac (Hand 4)
"You're not the only one who can build off others. Applejack and I can do the same."
"Not interested," responded the country gal to her partner.
"Aj…"
"Listen, city slicker, I don't need your help taking these two down. I can do it myself!" the farmer glared at her teammate. "So stay out of my way!"
"Applejack, we need to work together. That's the only way we have a chance of winning!"
"Spare me the typical party line, sugarcube! Let's get one thing straight: Never tell me how to duel! As of right now, Applejack comes first above anything else. So forget the old teamwork speech you're so good at. Got it? Teamwork, please, who needs it?"
"You do," muttered Isaac as he growled at Aj.
"Are you going to make your move or what?" shouted Sour Sweet as she was starting to get bored of waiting for Isaac and Aj to finish arguing.
"My move, I draw! I summon King's Knight(1600/1400). And when I summon him, I can automatically summon my Jack's Knight(1900/1000) to join him on the field!" said Isaac, now having his three royal knights before him. Next, I'll switch my Queen's Knight into attack mode. And then, I'll begin my assault. Queen's Knight, take out Delta the Magnet Warrior!"
The female knight leaped into the air before releasing her sword and stabbing the metal warrior as it exploded after she jumped out of the blast radius.
"Thanks for the help, Isaac. I now activate my facedown, Magnet Conversion!" said Sugarcoat as she tapped her duel screen to reveal her card. "This lets me select up to three Magnet Warriors in my Graveyard and return them to my hand." She tapped three more times, the cards sliding out of her duel disk as she did, and then held them up. "I'll take back Beta and my two Deltas."
"You may have gotten your monsters back, but you're wide open. King's Knight, strike her down!" instructed Isaac as his second monster went for the attack. He brought his sword down on the woman as she blocked it with her duel disk.
Sugarcoat and Sour Sweet's Life Points: 14,400-
"Now, Jack's Knight. Your turn!" said Isaac as his third knight prepared to attack his master's foe.
Sugarcoat and Sour Sweet's Life Points: 12,500-
"I place one card facedown and end my turn."
Turn 7: Sugarcoat (Hand 6)
"My turn again, draw. I summon my Delta the Magnet Warrior." As the silver magnetic robot appeared in front of Sugarcoat in a shower of sparkles, she ignored it in favor of pressing tool prompts that popped up on her duel disk. "I activate Delta's effect to send Gamma The Electromagnet Warrior(800/2000) from my deck to the graveyard, and then use the effect of Magnetic Field to revive Gamma." Sugarcoat's newest monster manifested from the lightning of Magnetic Field. It was a short, stocky robot with thick armor in dull gold, a magnet forming its collar, and a magnet mounted on the back of each large fist.
"Now Gamma's ability activates. When he's summoned, I can also bring out a level 4 or lower 'Magnet warrior' in my hand. I'll summon Beta The Electromagnet Warrior(1500/1500). But I'm done because, like Gamma, Beta's ability activates the moment he's summoned. So I'll then use its effect to add one level 4 or lower 'Magnet Warrior' from my deck to my hand. I choose to add this: my Magnet Warrior Σ＋." Sugarcoat before she smiled and looked up at her three monsters hovering before her. "And now, all the pieces are in place." She pulled a card from her hand and held it up. "I banish Alpha The Electromagnet Warrior from my graveyard and Beta and Gamma The Electromagnet Warriors from my field to special summon!" Her two monsters on the field turned into orbs of lightning and began to swirl around her, Alpha's hologram emerging from her duel disk and turning into lightning to join them. "Come forth, Berserkion The Electromagna Warrior(3000/2800)!" She slammed her card onto her duel disk.
The lightning orbs around her circled higher into the air and collided in a flash of light. The orb grew larger, the air crackling, sparks shooting out. It gleamed and then exploded outward to reveal a massive robotic monster. Its limbs were armored in red, silver, and blue, the metal curved and gleaming. Sparks flew from electrical coils embedded in its shoulders and running along its arms. A sword formed from a metal rod with electrical coils appeared in its hand, and it thrust the blade up to summon lightning to it, a metallic clang echoing across the field.
"That thing is massive!" gasped Sunny at the sight of Sugarcoat's robotic menace.
"I'm sure you know what happens next!" Sugarcoat said as she flipped her hand out to direct her attack. Berserkion, attack Applejack directly!"
The giant mechanical threat jumped into the air and stabbed its sword down. Applejack was in danger as she saw the monster coming straight for her. With no monsters to protect nor any facedowns, she was wide open, and Sugarcoat was smiling. The country gal prepared to be hit when Jack's Knight suddenly appeared before the girl put its shield out to block the attack but broke through the defense and destroyed the monster, keeping Aj safe.
Isaac and Applejack's Life Points: 13,500-
Applejack was stunned to see she was fine before she looked over at Isaac, whose eyes were closed before opening them. She looked at Sugarcoat and Sour Sweet with a defiant scowl.
"You saved me?" said Aj.
"Applejack, if you want to win this, then we need to help each other!"
"Are you questioning my skills as a duelist, sugar?"
"I'm saying that we must combine our forces to defeat them. They duel as a team and build off of one another's moves, and we have to do the same if we expect to win. I saved you, and if you don't protect me the same way, then I may not be around to save you again!" said Isaac.
Then good riddance, I didn't need you anyway.
"Your boyfriend may have protected you this time, Aj. But don't count on that again. I place two cards facedown."
Turn 8: Applejack (Hand 3)
"My move then! I summon Predaplant Flytrap(400/800)!" The ground in front of Applejack cracked open. A small spindly vine with hand-like leaves and a pair of jaws formed from two large leaves grew up from the crack. Predaplant Flytrap's special ability and place a 'Predator Counter' on your monster."
"Oh, no, you won't, Aj. I've seen this trick a thousand times. I reveal my facedown, Magnet Force!" said Sugarcoat as one of her facedowns flipped up. The Magnetic Field pillars around Sugarcoat lit up blue and shot beams of energy toward Berserkion. "During the turn, I activate this card, my Rock and Machine-type monsters are unaffected by your monster effects." Sugarcoat gave a small snort while Aj got even angrier.
"Aj…" said Isaac.
"Shut it, city slicker. I don't need your advice. I never needed it before, and I don't need it starting now!" said the country gal, determined to win without her teammate's help. "I'm a do-it-yourself kind of gal, and I'll continue to be that. I place one card facedown and end my turn!"
Turn 9: Sour Sweet (Hand 1)
"Back to me. So, by revealing my Amazoness Tiger, I can summon my Amazoness Spy(800/1200) in defense mode! But she won't be alone because I'm also summoning Amazoness Tiger(1100/1500) to give my ladies some company!" stated Sour Sweet as a striped tiger appeared and growled. "My sweet, adorable little kitty cat has a special ability. He gains 400 extra attack points for every 'Amazoness' monster I control. So since I have three on the field, my kitty gets 1200 attack points!" smirked Sour Sweet as her tiger got more powerful.
"And don't forget about my two pendulum cards. I'll use their effects to boost my Amazoness Empress and my Amazoness Tiger!" said the Crystal Prep alumni as her monsters strengthened.
"Gees. 5200 and 2700 attack points. That's not good." said Pipp.
"Amazoness Empress, take out her Predaplant Flytrap!"
"I activate my facedown, Fiendish Chain!" said Aj as she tapped her duel screen. The trap card flipped up, and four black chains emerged from it. They snapped around Empress' limbs and pulled tight, sparking. "With this card in play, Amazoness Empress can't attack, and her effects are negated."
"You may have stopped her, but my tiger still wants to play!" said the woman as her feline rushed forward.
"Go Spell Binding Circle!" said Isaac as he tapped his screen. A magical circle appeared as it encased Sour Sweet's tiger and couldn't move, making the duelist grind her teeth. "Thanks to my trap, not only does it render your Amazoness Tiger powerless, but it loses 700 attack points."
"Now you two are starting to piss me off!" growled Sour Sweet as she ended her turn.
"Listen up, sugar. I'll win this duel on my own, and if it's convenient, I might help you. But don't get it twisted for teamwork, or you'll be very disappointed. I'm dueling for me!"
"Aj, you need my help, and I need yours! Sugarcoat and Sour Sweet still have the upper hand!" said the World Champ to his teammate. "Put your stubbornness aside, and let's work as a team for once."
Turn 10: Isaac (Hand 3)
"Aj, Isaac, please," muttered Twilight as she watched the duel on the monitor from the back and was worried about her husband and friend and how they were performing as individuals rather than as a team to stand a better chance.
"Alright, I draw! I play the spell card Pot of Duality. Now, I excavate the top three cards of my deck and add one of them to my hand." Isaac drew his three cards and fanned them out. Once he chose, he grabbed the card, took the other two, and placed them on his deck before the auto shuffler kicked in. "Now I shuffle the rest of the cards back into my deck, and I can't special summon this turn."
"Well, that's a bust if you ask me," said Sugarcoat.
"I may not be able to special summon this turn, but I can still bring out my monsters the old-fashioned way. "Watch! I sacrifice my King's and Queen's knights to bring forth- my most trusted ally. Go, Dark Magician!" stated Isaac as he placed his star monster on his tray, bringing forth his ultimate wizard.
"He's here!" said Izzy as she let out her inner fangirl at seeing the star of Isaac's deck.
"And the World Champ finally brings out his ultimate monster!" said the announcer as the crowd went wild. Sugarcoat and Sour Sweet held defiant looks as they knew all too well that with the arrival of Isaac's magician, things just got a bit difficult.
"Now, Dark Magician, attack Amazoness Tiger! Dark Magic Attack!" said the World Champion as his monster put his palm out and fired his attack to blast the feline off the field.
Sugarcoat and Sour Sweet's Life Points: 12,000-
"Next, I play Thousand Knives. And with it, Berserkion is destroyed!" said Isaac as tiny daggers appeared by his monster's side. They flew forward and began to slash the metal foe to pieces.
"Thanks for the assist, Isaac. 'Cause now I can activate Berserkion's ability! His component monsters are returned from my banished zone when he's destroyed. I summon back my three Electromagnetic Warriors in defense mode." The pillars of the Magnetic Zone around Sugarcoat conjured three orbs of electricity and sent them floating down in front of her to reform Alpha, Beta, and Gamma. Sugarcoat began tapping on her duel disk screen. "With my monsters summoned their effects activate. Alpha lets me add another copy of Berserkion from my deck to my hand, Beta lets me add 'Gamma The Magnet Warrior' to my hand, and Gamma lets me summon my Magnet Warrior Σ＋(1800/1500)!" Out came another magnetic foe as it wielded a long baton and shield.
"In that case, I'll one card facedown and end my turn."
Turn 11: Sugarcoat (Hand 5)
Sugarcoat took a minute to assess the situation. She looked at her monsters and then looked at her opponent's field to see what they had planned. "Shall I presume those cards are something to stop me from calling Berserkion back to the field, or are they to defend your monsters so you can use them to destroy Berserkion on your next turn?"
"Why don't you try and find out?" said Isaac with a smirk.
"Even if I knew what kind of cards those are, those are your best options for a move, so of course you'd take them."
"Just as we know, you're probably gonna call out Berserkion on your next turn because that's your best move." Applejack nodded. "But that's the kind o' game this is, ain't it?"
"Move and counter-move, anticipate and intercede, until one of us can't do it any longer and falls behind." Sugarcoat nodded back. "Too bad you can do nothing to stop it." Sugarcoat flipped out a card from her hand. "I banish Alpha, Beta, and Gamma The Electromagnet Warriors, to Special Summon Berserkion, the Electromagna Warrior!" The three robots broke apart and combined into Berserkion again, the magnetic robot knight raising its sword and bellowing. "I'll then activate the spell card Monster Reincarnation and discard Delta the Magnet Warrior to return Berserkion the Electromagna Warrior to my hand." Sugarcoat held out a hand. "Then, I activate Berserkion's effect! I banish Delta The Magnet Warrior from the graveyard and destroy one monster on your side of the field. And I think I'll choose… your Dark Magician, Isaac! Say goodbye to your favorite monster!" Berserkion pointed its sword out toward Dark Magician. The ghostly image of Delta appeared over the sword and turned into a field of lightning that condensed at the tip and shot a lightning bolt.
"Getting rid of my magician won't be that easy. Since you targeted my Dark Magician, I can summon this monster from my hand. Come forth, Palladium Oracle Mana(2000/1700)!" said Isaac as his female magician appeared, wearing some ancient Egyptian battle robes and holding a small Kuriboh-like monster in her right hand. Thanks to my Palladium Oracle Mana, all my Level 7 or higher spellcasters can't be destroyed by card effects. So Berserkion won't be getting rid of it!"
"No matter. I can still take it out. Berserkion, destroy Flytrap!" commanded Sugarcoat as her monster aimed its sword to shoot out its beam of magnetic energy.
"I reveal my facedown, Magic Cylinder!" said Isaac as his facedown appeared. "Now, not only is your attack negated, but it's redirected right at your Life Points!"
"Awesome!" said Zipp.
Two cylinders appeared before Aj's sole monster, one absorbing the attack. The second one then opened up and fired the attack as it headed toward Sugarcoat and Sour Sweet, who covered up when the attack made contact.
Sugarcoat and Sour Sweet's Life Points: 9000-
"And the World Champion executes a perfect counter that drops his opponents past 10,000 Life Points!" said the second announcer.
"I'm starting to get pissed off, Isaac!" said Sugarcoat. "I still have Delta to take that weed out!" Delta ran forward, lightning sparking over its right-hand magnet before exploding the plant.
Applejack and Isaac's Life Points: 12,300-
"I place one card facedown and end my turn."
Turn 12: Applejack (Hand 2)
"My turn! I summon my Predaplant Spinodionaea(1800/0)!" A large green lizard, its skin vibrant green like a vine, leaped onto the field with a growl. A mouth formed of plant leaves sprouted on its back and opened, the maw quivering. "When I summon my little critter, his ability activates. I can place a Predator Counter on a monster you control. So I choose Berserkion!" A seed was fired from Aj's monster as it attached to Sugarcoat's monster.
"Now Berserkion's level drops to one. But there's more because since Berserkion now has a Predator Counter, I can activate the effect of my Predaplant Triphyoverutum from my graveyard. Since your monster has a Predator Counter on it, it can revive itself!" smirked Aj as her three-headed beast appeared and roared.
"Not good!" said Sour Sweet.
"Oh, it gets worse- because my Triphyoverutum's other effect activates. He gains the attack points of every monster with a Predator Counter on it."
"So since Berserkion has 3000 attack points, that means…"
"It has 6000 attack points!" said Zipp as she finished her sister's sentence.
"Now… take out that Amazoness Empress!" instructed Aj as her three-headed beast opened its mouth.
"I reveal my facedown, Amazoness Call!" said Sour Sweet as she tapped her duel screen. "Now I can add an 'Amazoness' card to my hand."
"Well, it won't save your monster because it's still being destroyed!" said Applejack as her monster blasted the Empress off the field, who screeched in defeat.
Sugarcoat and Sour Sweet's Life Points: 8200-
Once Aj's monster finished attacking, the smoke cloud from the attack died down, revealing that Sour Sweet's Amazoness Empress was still standing.
"How is it still there? Shouldn't Ms. Applejack's attack have wiped it out?" asked Izzy.
"Surprised, well my Empress doesn't go down with ease. Not when she's got Amazoness Heirloom equipped. Thanks to her shiny accessory, my Amazoness Empress can survive being destroyed in battle once per turn!" smirked Sour Sweet. "Oh, and I forgot to mention, remember my Amazoness Hot Spring from before. Well, whenever I take damage while I control an 'Amazoness' monster, I gain Life Points equal to the damage I just took. So our Life Points are restored, and basically, you can't damage me or my monsters!"
Sugarcoat and Sour Sweet's Life Points: 9000-
"Just great," groaned Applejack as the duel seemed to get a bit harder for her. "I place one card facedown and end my turn."
Turn 13: Sour Sweet (Hand 1)
"My turn. And I summon my Amazoness Swords Woman(1500/1600) in attack mode!" stated Sour Sweet as her female gladiator wielded her blade before her. "Now attack Predaplant Triphyoverutum!"
"Why would she do that? Her monster is way weaker than Ms. Applejack's beast," stated Sunny.
"Watch," said Roll.
Amazoness Swords Woman showed no backing down as it leaped into the air and looked to bring its blade down. Aj's beast roared and had all three mouths open to fire a tri-attack and destroy the monster. The country gal and World Champion then covered up as the attack transferred to them, nearly taking them off their feet.
Isaac and Applejack's Life Points: 7800-
"Why did they take damage?" asked Pipp.
"Because that's Amazoness Swords Woman's effect, chica," said Mario as he finally spoke for the first time in watching the duel. "Any damage that's dealt is dealt to the opponent instead."
"Did you two enjoy that?" smirked Sour Sweet as her opponents' faces contradicted that. "Well, don't worry. I got plenty more. I place one card facedown."
Turn 14: Isaac (Hand 0)
"It's my turn, then. I draw!" said Isaac, hoping that whatever he drew could help him and Aj out. "I activate Spell Textbook. Now, I can draw one card from my deck by discarding every card in my hand. And if it's a spell card, I can use it right away. Since my hand is currently empty, I don't have to discard anything."
Sugarcoat and Sour Sweet didn't like that sound as it worried them more that Isaac had nothing to lose and everything to gain due to an empty hand. The World Champion looked at his deck and took a deep breath before drawing it. He looked at the card he picked up before shifting his eyes to look at his opponents as he gave a small smile.
"I play Card of Sanctity. Now we each draw till we're holding six cards in our hands!" stated Isaac as all four duelists began to reset themselves and filled their hands. "Next, I play Mystic Box!"
A box with question marks appeared around Isaac's Dark Magician as it was locked. At that moment, swords appeared before they were slotted into the sides of the box as they went right through the object.
"What's the deal? Did your father just sac his best monster?" asked Zipp.
"Pay attention," muttered Mario as he sat back with crossed arms.
As if on cue, another similar box appeared around Sour Sweet's Amazoness Empress. Both boxes shined before the box on Isaac's field slowly opened. Inside what many expected to be his skewered Dark Magician was, instead, Amazoness Empress in card form, as it had all the swords going through it. The box on Sour Sweet's field opened, and the World Champion's monster came perfectly fine.
"Did your father just switch his monster with-"
"Yup," answered Roll as Sunny was in awe at Isaac's skills.
"Amazoness Heirloom may have protected your Empress from battle, but I found a way to get rid of her. Next, I can summon this beast by sending my Magician's Robe to the graveyard. Come forth, Timaeus the United Dragon(2800/1800)!" A roar was heard as a dragon descended onto the field of the World Champion, which got the attention of his teammate and their opponents.
"Looks like he added a new card to his arsenal," remarked Sugarcoat to her friend with defiant looks.
"Now I activate my Timaeus the United Dragon's ability. I can now fusion summon without Polymerization, so I combine my dragon with my Dark Magician!" Isaac's two monsters then entered a swirling vortex that emitted purple and orange lights. "I Fusion Summon! Meet… Dark Magician, the Knight of Dragon Magic(2900/2400)!"
"Look at that monster!" said Hitch as the huge crowd took in Isaac's new card.
"A new card?!" said Applejack as she was caught off guard by the new monster Isaac added to his deck. No doubt, that new monster might also be a preview of what Aj might face later in their duel.
"Time to showcase my monster's power. Dark Magician, the Knight of Dragon Magic, attack Amazoness Spy!" Isaac instructed as his monster flew toward its intended target. The magician rider thrust his staff out and blasted some magic at his foe. "My monster's power allows it to inflict piercing damage on the monster it destroys. Furthermore, when it destroys a monster in battle, you take damage equal to the original attack points of your destroyed monster!"
Sour Sweet and Sugarcoat covered up as Isaac's monster took them off their feet and landed on their backs.
Sugarcoat and Sour Sweet's Life Points: 6500-
"And… since you don't have any other 'Amazoness' monsters on your field, you can't use the effect of your Amazoness Hot Spring to restore your Life Points!" stated Isaac as he pointed at Sour Sweet. "And speaking of having no other monsters, Palladium Oracle Mana, attack her directly."
"I activate my facedown! Pride of Tribe! Since you destroyed my Amazoness Spy, I can replace her with a different 'Amazoness' monster from my deck. And lucky for me, I have another Amazoness Queen waiting in the wings!" stated Sour Sweet as her monster rose and Isaac's magician halted in her tracks.
"In that case, I'll call off my attack," said the World Champ as he backed off. "But before I end my turn, with two cards facedown!"
Alright, Aj. So long as you don't screw me over, we should be set to win this.
Turn 15: Sugarcoat (Hand 6)
"My turn. And thanks for the free cards, Isaac. 'Cause I can now summon this- by sending my Alpha, Beta, and Gamma the Magnet Warriors, I can summon forth… Valkyrion the Magna Warrior(3500/3850)!" All three monsters lit up blue and broke apart. Within the blue field, the three pieces began to gravitate together, connecting in new ways. The blue energy field faded around a gigantic steel robot, magnets set into its joints and forming horns on its head. A large pair of wings spread in the air behind it, and a sword with a magnet for a handle was in its hand, the blade gleaming.
"Now, I activate Berserkion's ability! I can destroy one card on the field by banishing my Alpha the Magnet Warrior. So Predaplant Triphyoverutum is gone!" stated Sugarcoat as Aj's monster vanished. "Next, I reveal my facedown Magnus Force Minus! When this card is activated, it can be equipped with one monster, and then, it's equipped to gain a negative magnetism and become what's known as a minus monster. So I choose your Predaplant Spinodionaea!"
Applejack's lizard was surrounded by red static energy as the country gal gritted her teeth.
"And this is where things get interesting. See, two 'minus' monsters, they're not allowed to engage in battle against each other… but a minus and plus, if they're out, they must fight!"
"I get it. So since Predaplant Spinodionaea is a 'minus' monster and Magnet Warrior Σ＋ is a 'plus' monster, they have to fight," said Sunny.
"But they'll both be destroyed since they have the same number of attack points," said Pipp.
"Yeah, but that leaves Ms. Applejack wide open so that her remaining monsters can attack her directly," said Hitch.
"You've heard the saying before, Applejack, about how opposites attract. Well, I'm afraid it's true. But I guess in your case, you and Isaac are anything but attracted to each other. You both repel the other!" smirked Sugarcoat as her personal rival ground her teeth. "Now… attack!" The two monsters with a magnetic pull collided as they exploded. "Next, Delta, attack her directly!" The tiny robot zoomed forward, threw out its fist, and made contact with Aj, who blocked with her duel disk before being pushed back as she skidded to a halt and dropped to a knee.
Isaac and Applejack's Life Points: 6200-
"Now… Valkyrion, strike her down!"
"If she takes both attacks, then they lose," said Roll.
Applejack looked up to see the sword coming down as she prepared for the worst. At that moment, Palladium Oracle Mana appeared before the girl, and she put up a magic barrier to try to hold back the attack.
"I now activate my facedown, Magicians' Defense. Now the damage we take is cut in half!" said Isaac.
"Maybe, but you still lose your monster and your Life Points!" said Sugarcoat as her monster broke through the barrier and took out the World Champ's monster.
Isaac and Applejack's Life Points: 5450-
"And now Palladium Oracle Mana's ability activates. When she's destroyed, I can summon my Dark Magician Girl!" stated Isaac as his top female spellcaster appeared. "And now I activate the effect of my Magician's Robe from my graveyard. Since I activated a spell or trap card during your turn, I can revive him, but when he's destroyed, I have to banish him this time!"
"I still have one attack left. Berserkion, attack Applejack directly!"
"Dark Magician, the Knight of Dragon Magic, defend!" stated the World Champ as he sent his other monster to take the attack, and the sword of its opponent slashed it down.
Isaac and Applejack's Life Points: 5400-
"And now my monster's ability activates. When he's destroyed, I can replace him with my Dark Magician and my Gaia the Dragon Champion(2600/2100)!" stated Isaac as his ultimate wizard appeared with a calvery rider who wielded dual lances and rode in on a dragon.
"I end my turn."
Turn 16: Applejack (Hand 6)
Alright, Aj. Just play something to defend yourself and then just chip away. Once it's my turn, I'll activate my facedown, and we'll get the dub.
Isaac looked at his duel screen. He touched the card he set, and it appeared on the screen for him to see. He looked at it as a sign that, for his plan to work, he would need Applejack's help to execute it. That being said, he needed the girl to bring out a monster to stall and protect herself.
"My turn! And it's time I win this!"
"Applejack, hold on!" said Isaac.
"I play Polymerization! So I fuse Magician's Robe and Dark Magician-"
"Aj, what are you doing?!" said Isaac as she took his monsters for her desires.
"I meant what I said, sugarcube! I can win this on my own. And I'll prove it!" shouted the girl as Isaac's two monsters vanished into a swirling purple vortex with tendrils of green energy appearing behind the country gal. "I Fusion Summon… the vicious, voracious, and venomous Starving Venom Fusion Dragon(2800/2000)!" She slammed her card on her duel disk, the card tray lighting up purple.
The ground shook as a massive plant bud grew behind Applejack and rose into the air. It shone purple and burst apart, a dragon flying out of it and circling the field. Its body was lithe and green, armored in hardened purple growths with thorns emerging from them. Orbs of orange light lit up on its claws, shoulders, and wings, pulsing with energy. The dragon stopped its flight above the country gal, a vine-like tail lashing the air, and roared.
"Since I fusion summoned my dragon, he gets an attack boost equal to all your special summoned monsters' attack points!" said Aj as Sugarcoat and Sour Sweet gasped. An aura of purple energy lit up over their field of monsters, and trails of it swirled into Applejack's dragon. The orbs on its wings grew brighter, pulsing with power.
"11,700 attack points!" said Sugarcoat and Sour Sweet as Aj's beast oversurged with power.
"Just one attack from that, and it's over," said Sunny.
"I ain't done yet!" growled the country gal.
"Aj, can you listen to me-"
"Shut it!" yelled the farmer.
"I play Dragon's Mirror!" A large mirror appeared in the air, the wings, claws, and tail of a dragon carved from its frame. "This lets me banish the Fusion parts needed to summon a Dragon-type Fusion monster from my graveyard and summon it. I banish Predaplant Flytrap and Triphyoverutum!"
The mirror pulsed and glowed purple, its surface cloudy. Applejack reached to her duel disk, fingers poised. "I combine my botanical nightmare and carnivorous predator to bring out a toxic terror like no other!" The mirror cracked down the center, the image of glowing purple eyes appearing in either half. "I Fusion Summon Greedy Venom Fusion Dragon(3300/2500)!" The mirror shattered, and a massive dragon flew out of the frame. Its serpentine body was glowing blue, purple, and yellow, with streaks of light along its limbs. Wings like the growths of a plant spread behind it, crackling with energy. It circled to float in front of Applejack, roaring down at Sugarcoat.
"I now activate another Predaplast. So I reveal three 'Preda' cards in my hand to put a Predator Counter on Amazoness Queen, Berserkion, and Valkyrion!" stated Aj as three seeds attached to those monsters. "Next, I'll discard my Predaplant Squid Drosera. By doing that, I can use its effect to target one monster I control, and for this turn, it has to attack all the monsters on your field with a Predator Counter on it."
"All of them?!" said Sunny and the others, shocked to hear what Aj was doing.
"Applejack…"
"Quiet!" said the country gal to her partner. "I now activate Greedy Venom Fusion Dragon's ability, so I target your Delta and strip it of its effects and all of its attack points. Now… take it out!" commanded the farmer as her dragon drew back its mouth and fired a jet of purple energy. Sugarcoat raised her arm and braced herself as the blast struck Delta, washing it away.
Sugarcoat and Sour Sweet's Life Points: 3200-
"Now… Starving Venom Fusion Dragon, end this!" commanded Aj as her dragon took to the sky. It then swooped down and flew forward. The orbs covering its body sent energy streams curling into its mouth, congregating into a large fireball. The fireball launched and engulfed Sugarcoat and Sour Sweet's entire field, a plume of smoke shooting into the air. Their monsters began to melt before triggering an explosion that took both duelists off their feet. Isaac also tried to stand his ground as he felt the power of Aj's move; he looked over at the country gal, but she didn't bother to grab him before he was taken off his feet.
The stadium rocked as Applejack's pair of dragons roared to the heavens, with the country gal standing firm and tall before her beasts. The smoke began to clear as Isaac, Sour Sweet, and Sugarcoat were left lying on the ground, with only Applejack standing tall.
Sugarcoat and Sour Sweet's Life Points: 0-
Winners: Applejack and Isaac
"Ladies and gentlemen, we have new Tag Team Champions!" said the announcer into the headset as the crowd made noise when they saw the screen and the results of the duel.
"Here are your winners, and… new Tag Team Champions… the team of Isaac and Applejack!" said the announcer over the mic she held as that statement rang about the arena.
"I can't believe it!" said Zipp, as nearly all of them were stunned by what they heard and saw.
Isaac began to stir as he sat up and rubbed his head. He noticed his cap was nearby as it flew off when Aj's attack exploded. He grabbed it, put it on when the ref was given the medals, and walked toward the World Champ. He bent down and presented one of the medallions to Isaac, who blinked twice when he saw it before him. He was stunned, to say the least, as it registered that he and Aj had won; he looked at the ref, who nodded to confirm his suspicions about them being the new holders. Isaac then went to grab his prize when Applejack suddenly appeared out of nowhere and grabbed both prizes for herself.
The country gal returned to look at her hands, holding both medallions. She felt a sense of joy and pride wash over her as she was true to her word and won the duel on her own to secure both medals. Isaac got up and was about to address the farmer when she turned her back on him and raised both prizes high above as she panned to the crowd.
"I did it! All by myself. I won on my own!" shouted Aj as she took in the moment.
Isaac had enough. He growled and immediately took one of the medals Aj was holding for himself. The country gal felt that and looked at her so-called partner. The two kept their stern faces as the ref put an arm in to separate them to avoid a potential scruffle. The two stared each other down, as despite them winning as a team, they were far from coexisting.
"Oh, no!" said Twilight, watching her husband and her friend get in each other's faces on the monitor in the back as she was worried they might have to send her out there to cool her man.
Eventually, Applejack backed off as she turned to the crowd and pandered to them, getting a reaction. Isaac then pandered to the audience, and he, too, got a reaction. Aj felt like Isaac was trying to take her moment and one-up her as she raised her medallion up high to get an even bigger reaction. Isaac, not wanting to be outdone, did the same as he held his medal up high. The two stared each other down as they held their awards up high.
"Ladies and gentlemen, what a match. What a way to kick off Super Showdown. We have new champions," spiked the lead commentator.
"But the question is: how does this affect the main event? Isaac and Applejack are the new tag champs, but in less than three hours, they'll be facing each other. Tag team partners will go one-on-one in the main event. What happens then?" said the other commentator, echoing everyone's thoughts. It's safe to say the main event got even bigger, if possible.
Author's Note: What a match. And we've only begun Super Showdown. Applejack and Isaac, somehow, someway, were able to become Tag Team Champions. However, they still have to fight each other in a couple of hours in the main event. And it seems them being able to coexist is looking like a far off idea, because now that they're Tag Team Champs, they're gonna have to be part of the team regardless after the main event. And if the main event leaves one of them feeling something bad, it might spell disaster. One thing's for sure: the main event is can't miss now!