The entire Duel Monsters landscape was rocked by a surprise return that no one could have predicted. After a long hiatus, Sunset Shimmer returned to the scene, immediately making a significant impact as she challenged the reigning World Champion, Isaac, and made her intentions clear.
Once the show ended, Sunset was shown walking out of the arena to where her car was. Reporters and tons of media spotted her, and they began to bum-rush the fiery redhead as she opened the door to her vehicle.
"Sunset Shimmer, Sunset Shimmer! What a return! Does this mean you're going after Isaac and his World title?" asked a reporter.
"What do you think?" smirked Sunset as she entered her car and closed the door.
The massive photographers barked at her and tried to get her to answer more questions, but Sunset started her car and drove off quickly as she zoomed out of the arena.
Once Isaac returned to the hotel, Twilight didn't waste time confronting her husband.
"Did you know Sunset was returning?" asked the lavender-haired woman.
"I didn't. But… I guess I should've put two and two together with her clues."
"So… what's the plan? Sunset gonna be your next challenger?" asked Twilight as she sat on the bed and looked at her husband.
"Well, that's still up in the air. It's clear what she wants. But as you know, several duelists usually take time off after Super Showdown. Applejack told me she's gonna head back home for a bit to recharge. So Sugarcoat and Sour Sweet will have to put their tag rematch on hold. As for me, Juniper secured a few weeks of rest, so Sunset's challenge will be on the back burner. At least, that's the buzz around.
"I see. Well, either way, we got time to yourselves then," smiled Twilight, grabbing her husband's face and pulling him in for a kiss.
"I did promise to take Aj and her family to the airport tomorrow morning," said Isaac.
"A shame we couldn't spend more time," smiled Twilight as she kissed her husband again. "Come on, let's get some rest."
Nighttime had fallen, and despite it being near midnight, the casino aspect of the hotel was still going strong. However, while most guests were fast asleep, some activity was happening in the dead of night. Some hooded figures were shown slipping in and out of the shadows as they looked about. The shadows slowly made their way to their destination as they approached a set of doors. One of them pulled out something as he managed to open the locked door. The room that was unlocked was the hotel's ballroom, as inside were all the valuable artifacts that had been moved earlier in the day. A fist was heard before a smash sound followed.
A loud alarm rang throughout the entire hotel. The ringing awoke most of the guests, and the staff rushed everywhere.
"Who the hell!" yelled Mario as he sat up in his bed and put his pillow around his ears to try and silence the loud ringing.
The whole building was instantly ablaze with light.
"You'll get your coffee! Quit buzzing me!" mumbled Izzy as she was still fast asleep and was the only one not awoken by the blaring alarm. "Glitter, glitter."
"AH- OO-GA! AH-OO-GA!"
"Turn that thing off!" shouted Zipp as she put earplugs into her ears to block out the noise.
The hotel manager knew what the alarm meant, and it wasn't good. Clad in his bedroom slippers and bathrobe, he followed the warning signal to the ballroom. The door to it was wide open! Shards of glass lay strewn over the floor from several shattered display cases. And worst of all… the six most valuable pieces in the entire collection were gone.
"There's been a robbery!" shouted the hotel manager.
Half an hour later, the local authorities arrived and began taking notes in the ballroom. Several officers from the local department were rolling out yellow caution tape and keeping guests out of the ballroom while others laid out evidence numbers, took crime scene photos, and questioned the staff.
"That alarm ruined my beauty sleep!" pouted Pipp, clothed in a pink silk robe and satin slippers.
"Speak for yourself!" responded Roll.
The teens gathered in the hallway just outside the ballroom as Twilight and Isaac spoke with the authorities, answering their questions.
"Does anybody know why the alarm went off?" Sunny asked, feeling a bit cold in her pajamas.
Hitch then came behind her as he put a blanket around his girlfriend to keep her warm.
"Thanks, Hitch," smiled the girl at how considerate her boyfriend was.
"Anytime," responded the boy as Sunny rewarded him with a kiss before he put his arm around her to give her more warmth.
At that moment, both Isaac and Twilight approached the kids as they had just finished the questioning from the officers.
"What happened, Mom?" asked Roll.
"Seems there was a break-in. Several things were stolen."
"You serious? Who would want to break in and steal the stuff?" asked Zipp.
"Unfortunately, we don't know. The officers said that's on a personal matter," said Isaac.
"I wonder…" Twilight then tapped the side of her glasses as her A.I. booted up. "Owloysius?"
"Owloysius, here, ma'am. What can I do for you?" asked the A.I. to his creator.
"Can you access the hotel's security footage?" said the woman, gesturing to the kids to follow her with her hand.
"Right away, Twilight."
The kids and her husband began following Twilight as they were going to conduct their own investigation. Once the group returned to the adults' room, Twilight and her A.I. assistant got to work as she pulled up her laptop. The card designer worked hard as she tried to tap into the officers' feeds.
"Alright, we should be good to go, Mrs. Sparkle."
"Pull it up!" said Twilight with a clap of her hands.
The feed of the officers from down below played on her laptop for all to hear.
"Any evidence?"
"Shattered glass. A piece of fabric that was found."
"Did the purple light pick up anything?"
"Footprints, sir."
"Footprints, huh," said Zipp.
"It's clear someone broke into the artifact exhibit," answered Twilight. "Owloysius, any luck with the security feed?"
"Processing, Twilight," responded the A.I.
The program then pulled up the security footage showing the camera in the main hallway as they saw the shadows that broke into the hotel. A second later, the camera changed to show the inside of the ballroom, as a glass shattering was heard before the camera froze and died.
"Rewind it ten seconds and… enhance on G5," said Twilight.
Her A.I. did what she instructed, reviewing the footage and then paused. It then zoomed in on what Twilight asked for, enlarging the image to showcase a rather familiar pendant.
"Figures," said Twilight as Isaac looked over his wife's shoulders.
"Shadow Duelists," stated the World Champion.
"What?" said Hitch.
"But what would they want with some useless artifacts? They're just hunks of dusty old junk," said Zipp.
Twilight put a hand to her mouth as it seemed she was thinking about something.
"Mom, what is it?" Roll asked, knowing her mother's expression meant she was deep in thought.
"Well, call me crazy, but those six artifacts that were specifically stolen might be dangerous."
"What do you mean?" asked Sunny.
"Well, history is often complicated. As you all know, those artifacts belonged to some incredible historical figures in the past. Legends said that these artifacts had some kind of hidden power. Almost as if it were…. Magical, in a way."
"So, you're saying these stolen artifacts could be dangerous?" asked Zipp, as that was the vibe she was getting from the ard designer.
"In theory," answered Twilight.
"Well, if they're dangerous, then we can't let them have whatever they seek," said Sunny.
"What do you expect, Sunny? We go after these Shadow Duelists ourselves and retrieve the artifacts," joked Mario.
"That's not a bad idea, lover boy! I'm down for that plan!"
"I was kidding, rich girl!"
"Actually… you might be on to something, Mario," said Twilight as she admitted her son had a genius idea. "Owloysius, can you kindly Vac-U-Form a digital wireframe? I need a manipulatable projection."
Twilight then began to touch her glasses once more. To her alone, a giant screen came up. While the others couldn't see what she was doing or seeing, Twilight moved her arms about before clapping her hands together shut.
"Scan complete, ma'am."
"You all might want to step back," said Twilight to the teens.
The kids did what they were told. Twilight opened her hands a second later as a giant hologram lay around their feet. The kids looked down as they stood on the Las Vegas map. Twilight then touched her glasses again and gave her A.I. some instructions.
"Owloysius, do some sifting. How many buildings are there?" asked Twilight as she looked over the digital projection under their feet.
"Am I to include the many waffle houses?"
"That was rhetorical. Just show me," said Twilight to her A.I.
Her assistant then showcased the many buildings on the digital map. She snapped her fingers, and the map began to spin. Soon, the map turned on its head as it was against the window for all to see, with Twilight standing in front of it and looking at it.
"I see… Owloysius, highlight the unisphere," asked Twilight as she pointed at the center of the map. She made the small dot expand as she began to think. "Lose the footpaths. Get rid of them."
"What is it you're trying to achieve, ma'am?" asked the A.I. as he wanted to know why Twilight was asking him to do this.
"If the authorities arrived half an hour after the crime, the thieves would need to be somewhere to slip out with the artifacts and keep them hidden until the coast was clear. They'd need a fast and secure route without anybody seeing them," explained Twilight as she continued to look at the map. "Lose the landscaping, the shrubbery, the trees. Parking lots, exits, entrances."
Owloysius began to do what Twilight asked as the map was stripped down to the bare bones of an outline. Twilight was wrapping her brain around this as she touched the projection and began to trace some things with her finger, leaving a red line behind. Once done, she clapped her hands to make the circles bigger as tons of images of nearby places were shown. As Twilight looked about, her eyes then landed on something. She clapped her hands again as everything was gone. She then opened her hands as if a sole image remained, and she smiled before projecting it on the window for all to see.
"There!" said the card designer as she had located where exactly the relics were being kept.
The group was getting ready to move out of the hideout where the valuable relics were. The Shadow Duelist in charge was shown contacting his mistress.
"We've acquired what you've asked of us, mistress. We're moving the relics to transport."
"Delay that order."
"Mistress?"
The evil one of the group was shown on her throne as she moved a chess piece forward and took a white piece. Her mouth formed a smirk before she looked at the piece she had taken.
"Stay where you are."
"Mistress, what is…"
"You're about to have company. And I believe the pieces are starting to come together. Here are your new orders!" said the evil sorceress as she informed her minions.
Meanwhile, two heads peaked out from nearby shrubs, as it was Roll and Hitch. The two teens were near the front of the entrance of the Shadow Duelist's hideout. The pair looked about as they saw nothing, no defense, no guards, or any of the Shadow Duelists that might be defending their hideout from authorities.
"Seems all clear," said Roll.
"I still can't believe your mother figured out their hideout was a supply factory for babies," said Hitch as the pair looked at the sign of a hideout.
"Well, yeah, it makes a good cover," said Roll, as nobody would think a baby supply megastore would be a cover for a shady group. "Best to let them know."
"Right," said Hitch as he tapped his duel disk, and Sunny's image came on the video call. "We're in position."
"Just be careful, you two. Roll, please look after Hitch, make sure he doesn't do anything stupid."
"Give me credit, Sunny!"
"Don't worry, girlfriend. I'll make sure I bring your boyfriend back in one piece. I wouldn't want anything bad to happen to him after it took so long for you two to get together." joked the girl.
"Good luck in getting your relic back," responded Sunny as the video call ended from her end. "Please, Hitch. Come back to me in one piece."
"You really like him, huh?" said Twilight as she appeared behind Sunny.
"He's been my best friend all my life. Of course, I like him."
"I know that feeling. My husband was my best friend before we even got together, before we even dated, for that matter," responded Twilight.
"How did you know he was the one? Was it love at first sight?" asked Sunny.
"Well, it seemed that way. But we let time pass and got to know each other. Once we realized that we had feelings for each other, we acted on those, and now, 15 years later, we're together and have two kids. I couldn't ask for a better life."
"Wow," responded the girl, as hearing Twilight's romance story about her and Isaac made her swoon. She wondered if she and Hitch might have something similar in the future.
"Come on, let's talk some more about the boys later. Once we've retrieved Starswirl's journal," said Twilight.
The card designer and girl approached a garage door, and Twilight used her glasses to bypass the locking mechanism. The door then began to open slowly, and both bent down and snuck under, and they began to scour the area.
The group was spread out all over the mega factory. Twilight had deduced that the best plan would be to spread out among the facilities to try and locate the relics, as they might be separated for safekeeping, and to cover more ground to report to the others. So, while Roll and Hitch took the front entrance, Twilight was with Sunny as they were sneaking in through the garage part of the factory.
Zipp was zooming in between boxes and jumping over other stuff as she peered about. The girl pulled out her high-tech vizor, looking for any signs of the relics. She spotted nothing until she noticed a closed-off supple cabinet wardrobe. The girl couldn't understand what was inside using her X-ray setting, so she tried to open the door.
"Hi, Zipperoni!"
"Ahh!" screamed the girl as she fell flat, knocking off her vizor. "Izzy! Don't do that!"
"Heh, whoppies," said the girl as she apologized for startling her friend.
"Why'd I have to get stuck with you? I wish I were with Mario instead," mumbled the girl as she hated her luck of being teamed up with Izzy, given she was slow in claiming the boy all to herself.
Speaking of the boy, he was with Zipp's younger sister. Almost immediately after Twilight devised the plan to split into groups, Pipp clung to the boy like a lioness trying to protect its meal from another predator. The pair were currently on one of the upper levels of the mega factory as they were trying to find their set of relics.
"You know I never pictured myself being on a rescue operation for Spring Break?" said the social media girl.
"Yeah, well, neither of us expected to be awakened in the dead of night. The sooner we get these stupid things, the sooner I get back to sleep," mumbled Mario.
"Though, before we retrieve the relics, mind if I get a few pics for my Pippsqueaks?" said Pipp.
"Does it look like I care?" asked Mario.
The boy took cover behind a wall when he noticed a door. His back was against the structure, and Pipp slid up against his chest, putting her phone in front of her to take a photo.
"What are you doing?" asked the boy as he looked at the girl.
"Just to capture the moment," said Pipp before snapping a pic of them. "One more."
"Re-"
Before Mario could respond, Pipp grabbed his face and pulled him in as their lips touched, and she snapped the button. The photo was taken as Pipp pulled apart from Mario and quickly turned as she sent the photo away.
"Thanks," smiled Pipp.
Mario rolled his eyes as he entered the door with Pipp following him.
"What the hell!" yelled Zipp.
"Oh, did you find the relics?" Izzy asked as she tried to peer around her friend, who was currently looking at her phone after receiving a message. She checked who it was, as what she saw sent her into a seething growl that she kept hidden from Izzy.
"Y-Yeah, they're uh, this way," lied Zipp as she pointed in a direction.
Izzy just mindlessly followed her as she skipped past the heiress. Zipp then turned her eyes back to her screen as she saw the photo Pipp sent of her kissing Mario.
"Pipp! Why did you send me this!?" growled the heiress as seeing the photo of her younger sister kissing Mario seemed to irk her in a way when she really shouldn't, given Pipp had a crush on him… but for some reason, she couldn't let it go.
The girl put her phone away as she tried to distract her mind and catch up to Izzy to avoid her doing anything stupid. A door opened as Isaac stood before an office of sorts. He saw a light switch on the wall and flipped it up. As if on cue, the factory came online, and the many lights throughout the facility turned on. The others picked it up, and they all stopped and looked about, expecting some kind of trap.
"Is that good or bad?" asked Hitch as they saw the sign lit up and flicker.
"I'm not sure," said Roll, unaware her father flipped the power.
In the office, Isaac approached the desk and scoured its many papers. He took a seat and noticed the many images of the stolen artifacts, as there were some reports on them. The World Champion looked over the papers and noticed something caught his eye. There was a symbol on a piece of paper as he looked at it. He couldn't quite make out the mark, but from what he could gather, it looked like some kind of flame with a set of wings next to it.
"Find anything interesting!"
Isaac turned as there was a robed figure. The robed figure pulled out his hand, holding something as it began to spark with magic. Smoke emitted as the Shadow Duelist's mistress appeared but still didn't show her face.
"A pleasure seeing you again, Isaac."
"What do you want?"
"Simple. World Domination. But… for now… I'm collecting the pieces necessary for my ultimate plan. And it seems I'm not the only one who came here with a plan. Tell me… how are your kids and wife?" said the mistress as, at that moment, her plan was set into motion.
Roll and Hitch were exploring the front of the facility when the boy noticed something. Off to a corner of the yard was a podium. On that podium was a shovel as it attracted the boy's eye.
"Hey, Roll. Check that out!" said Hitch as he and the girl approached the podium.
"That looks like one of the relics," said Roll as Hitch reached for the shovel.
He tried to remove it, but it seemed bound by magic. Roll soon put her hands on his as the two teens tried their hardest to pull the item, but it didn't budge. Eventually, the two fell on their behinds as they breathed heavily.
"Any ideas?" asked Hitch.
"I don't know… it seems something is holding it in place," panted Roll as the two got up.
"So… what now?"
At that moment, two lights shined down on the teens, who covered their eyes to avoid the sudden light entering their vision. Soon, two shadows jumped down and stood before the pair. The duo saw the necklace they wore as purple flames began to circle both teens; all four were now trapped.
"At this very moment, my minions are picking off your kids, their friends, and your wife, one by one. How does knowing you can't save them from the Shadow Realm feel?"
"Leave them alone. Take me instead!" said Isaac.
"See, that's not how this works, Isaac. See the game that I'm playing well… it requires everyone. And your kids and your wife are pieces to that. So are their friends… well, most of them at the moment. After tonight, it'll be determined if the remaining ones will play a role," said the evil sorceress. True to her word, all the pairs were engaged in their own fights.
"What do we do, Roll?" asked Hitch.
"What else? We fight, sheriff!" said the girl.
"Remember the mission," said one of the Shadow Duelists.
"Right," responded the other as they revealed their duel disk and activated them.
"If it's a duel you want, then we will have no problem. Right, Hitch?"
"Uh, y-yeah," responded the boy as he wasn't prepared for the sudden challenge.
"In that case, let's make this interesting. The rules for this tag duel will consist of both sides having 8000 Life Points, but each duelist on that team will have half that amount. Furthermore, the duel doesn't end until both players are defeated. Do you agree to the terms, little girl?" snickered Shadow Duelist #1.
"Fine by me. You're gonna learn that I'm not some defenseless little girl. Prepare to feel the wrath of this sea maiden!" barked Roll as she strapped on her duel disk and slotted in her deck to project a yellow card tray. "Come on, sheriff! We got a duel to win!"
"Oh, boy," said Hitch as he took a position aside Roll, strapped on his duel disk, slotted his deck in, and projected a green card tray.
"Opponent detected. Streaming data. Duel mode set. Initiating. Commencing duel." said all four devices.
Team 1: Roll and Hitch
Roll's Life Points: 4000-
Hitch's Life Points: 4000-
Team 2: Shadow Duelists
Shadow Duelist's #1's Life Points: 4000-
Shadow Duelist's #2's Life Points: 4000-
"Let's duel!" said all four individuals as they drew their opening hands.
Turn 1: Shadow Duelist #1 (Hand 5)
"The first move is mine!" said the robed figure as he drew. "I place a monster facedown in defense mode! Then I end my turn by placing two cards facedown."
"That's it?" said Hitch.
"Hitch, focus. Don't be distracted!" said Roll, trying to get her friend not to be shaken by the first move of this intense tag duel.
"Right, sorry," apologized the boy.
Turn 2: Hitch (Hand 5)
"Here I go!" said the boy as he drew and looked at his hand. "I summon Max Warrior(1800/800)!" A monster wielding a staff with a magnet shaped like a U appeared. "I then end my turn."
Turn 3: Shadow Duelist #2 (Hand 5)
"It's my turn! I draw! I summon Pompadour Blizzardon(1400/1400)!" Out came a dino with ice sticking out of its arms to look like wings and on top of its head as it roared, creating an icy wind blowing over the field.
"Then I'll place two cards facedown and end my turn!"
"You kids are gonna wish you never got out of bed tonight," Shadow Duelist #1 smirked.
Turn 4: Roll (Hand 5)
"Well, you're gonna wish you stayed outta the water!" shouted Roll as she drew. "'Cause I'm summoning Big Jaws(1800/300)!" A whirlpool appeared as it burst apart to reveal the girl's shark with razor-sharp teeth. "And that lets me summon Shark Stickers(200/1000)! See, I can bust this monster out whenever I summon a Fish-type monster to the field!"
"That's two Level 3s back to back," commented Hitch as he knew what Roll was setting up for.
"I overlay Big Jaws and Shark Stickers! With these two monsters, I can build the Overlay Network!" said Roll as her monsters turned into orbs of light and hovered in the air. A portal opened before her as the orbs were sucked in, and a pillar of light emerged. "I Xyz Summon! Submersible Carrier Aero Shark((1900/1000, OLU: 2)!"
"Nice move," said Hitch, glad he had Roll as a teammate.
"And now I activate its special ability! Once a turn, using an overlay unit, Aero Shark can dish out 400 points of damage for every card in my hand! Since no one can attack until each player takes a turn, I found a way around that and can dish you two damage! Since I have four cards in my hand, I'm serving up 1600 points of damage to you!" said Roll as she pointed at the first Shadow Duelist. The capsule was fired before breaking into several missiles that bombarded the Shadow Duelist, who covered up and gritted his teeth.
Shadow Duelist's #1's Life Points: 2400-
"Nice shot, Roll!" smiled Hitch.
The boy then heard eerie laughter from the Shadow Duelist, and his smile dropped. The smoke cleared, and the robed figure stood with a smile.
"We were hoping you'd do that," responded the cloaked figure.
"I activate my trap. Blizzard Egg Level 5!" shouted the second Shadow Duelist as his card flipped up. "When a special ability deals damage, Blizzard Egg enables the duelist who took damage to summon one Level 5 monster from his hand. But if he has no monster to summon, that duelist gets slammed for 500 points of damage himself."
"So that means…" said Hitch as he put an arm up to shield his eyes from the icy wind blowing over.
"I summon Level 5 Baggy Pants Lavasaurus(2100/1300)!" said the first Shadow Duelist as he summoned his monster. "And now, to really heat things up, I activate my trap! Flame Egg Level 5! Flame Egg grants my teammate the power to summon one Level 5 monster from his hand when I take damage from a special ability. But if he's not holding one to summon, then he takes 500 points of damage."
"Great," muttered Roll as she covered up from the intense heatwave that washed over her.
"I summon Icebergdon(1300/2100) in defense mode!" shouted Shadow Duelist #2 as his monster appeared, almost entirely covered in ice as it roared.
"And now our combo's big finale! I activate Glare Level 5!" said the first Shadow Duelist. "Thanks to the power of this trap, you take 500 points of damage for every Level 5 monster on our fields. We've got two Level 5s out, so we're talkin' a thousand points of damage! And it's all for you!" said the robed figure as he pointed at Roll. The screech from both dinos made contact with Roll, who covered up as her clothes fluttered in the wind before she was pushed back.
"Roll! Are you okay?" asked Hitch as he was concerned for his teammate as she dropped to a knee.
Roll's Life Points: 3000-
"Thanks for helping us in executing our combo, little girl. See, we had a feeling you'd try the same strategy when you faced our comrade previously. So we prepared to deal with it!" smirked the Shadow Duelist.
"I place two cards facedown and end my turn!" responded Roll defiantly while still on a knee.
Turn 5: Shadow Duelist #1 (Hand 2)
"Now the fun begins! I draw! First, I switch my facedown monster to attack mode. Here comes Flamesaurus(1800/1200)!" An ankylosaur with a spiked shell and spiked ball for a tail appeared. "I then activate Flamesaurus' special ability! Which allows it to become Level 5. Now I can overlay Flamesaurus and Baggy Pants Lavasaurus!" The two monsters turned into orbs of light that hovered in the air as a portal opened before the duelist. The orbs were sucked in, and a pillar of light emerged. "I Xyz Summon Number 61: Volcasaurus(2500/1000, OLU: 2)!" A large dino made of molten rock and lava appeared as it stood as tall as an actual volcano.
"Okay, wow. That's like… humongous," said Hitch as he couldn't believe the size of the monster they had to deal with.
"I'm not done yet! I activate Volcasaurus' special ability! By using one overlay unit, one of your monsters is destroyed, and you take damage equal to its attack points. Say bye-bye to Aero Shark! And say hello to a world of hurt!" The monster fired two lava beams straight at Roll's monster, which vanished, taking the girl off her feet. She let out a cry and hit the ground.
Roll's Life Points: 1100-
"No, Roll!" called out Hitch as he saw the girl lying on the ground.
"I wouldn't be worried about her!" said the second Shadow Duelist to Hitch.
"Next, I'm destroying your little Max Warrior!" responded the first Shadow Duelist as his monster fired a beam of molten lava from its mouth and melted away Hitch's monster, knocking the boy off his feet as he landed just before Roll, who got to a knee and saw her friend.
Hitch's Life Points: 2400-
"Hitch, are you good?" Roll asked as it was now her turn to check on her friend's welfare.
"Yeah, I'm alright," said the boy, sitting up and looking at their foes. "For the record, my Grandma Figgy punches harder than that!" The teen was trying to act tough and not show the pain he was in from the attack.
"Real smooth comeback, sheriff. Real smooth," dismissed Roll as Hitch's weak attempt to trash talk didn't quite hit the mark.
"Hey, at least Volcasaurus doesn't have anymore overlay units. So we don't have to worry about its special abilities," said Hitch, trying to stay positive and stood up.
"That's where you're wrong, kid! Volcasaurus, attack the girl directly!" commanded the Shadow Duelist as he looked to take out Roll.
"You just had to say something, sheriff!" barked Roll at her friend. "I activate my trap! Poseidon Wave! This card can blow off your monster's attack!" A tidal wave came over Roll, protecting the girl from the lava as it evaporated.
"It looks like you lucked out this time," remarked the first Shadow Duelist.
"Whew! That was a close one!" said Hitch, wiping his forehead. He didn't realize he was sweating because Roll was close to losing.
"You think you're safe now?!" remarked the second Shadow Duelist.
"There's only one way this duel ends. With you two losing and getting sent to the Shadow Realm for all eternity. I now place two cards facedown and end my turn!" said the first Shadow Duelist.
Turn 6: Hitch (Hand 5)
"My go, then… I draw!" the boy said as he drew and looked at his hand. "Since you two control a monster and I don't, I can summon this card as a Level 4 monster. Level Warrior(300/600)! Next, I'm summoning out Junk Changer(1500/900)! Then I activate Junk Changer's ability. When it's summoned, I can target one 'Junk' monster and change its level by one. So Junk Changer becomes Level 4!"
Not bad, Hitch. But neither of those monsters are tuners. So you can't Synchro Summon… but…
"I hope you know how to pull this off, Hitch!" shouted Roll to her friend.
Hitch looked over at his friend before returning to the field; the Shadow Duelists awaited his next move as he closed his eyes and thought back to what Roll's mother told him before they left the hotel.
"Before you kids leave here," said Twilight as she approached Hitch and handed him a card.
"What's this?" asked the boy, looking at what Roll's mother gave him.
"A little insurance policy. Sunny and my daughter have told me you've used an Xyz monster or two in the past despite you being a Synchro user. I figured I'd give you this to suit your deck's archetype."
"Are you sure?" asked the boy as he didn't understand what the woman said.
"Trust me. You'll need it," said Twilight as Hitch looked at the card.
The boy finished recollecting as he took a deep breath.
Hope this works.
"I now overlay my Level 4 Junk Changer and Level Warrior! With these two monsters, I build the Overlay Network!" said Hitch as he had both of his monsters turn into orbs of light and hovered in the air. A portal opened up, and a pillar of light emerged.
"What's going on!" shouted Shadow Duelists, who covered their eyes.
"There you go, Hitch!" remarked Roll, supporting her friend.
"I… Xyz Summon! Number 39: Utopia(2500/2000, OLU: 2)!" Out came a warrior with a humanoid body with white and golden armor and holding a sword. On Utopia's left shoulder, in red, was the number 39.
"Knew you had it in you, Hitch," smiled Roll as she was proud of her friend for being able to bring out the monster that her mother gave him.
"Don't get attached to your new monster! I activate the trap card, Avalanche! It freezes your monster in its tracks, preventing it from ever attacking!" said Shadow Duelist #2 as he touched his screen and triggered his card.
"No!" said Hitch as he watched his monster be covered in ice and snow as it shut down.
"Oh, and did I mention, if you try to use your monster's ability, you take 500 points of damage!"
"Seriously? Hold on, maybe there's something I can do… I can still… well… I mean," stuttered Hitch as he looked at his hand, trying to find some answer.
"Forget it, Hitch. They shut Utopia down!" stated Roll, as there was nothing they could do to help the boy's monster. "But hey, not bad in bringing him out. I'd give you an 8/10 on that Xyz Summon."
"Heh, thanks, Roll," smiled the boy at his friend.
"If you two are done flirting with each other, then end your turn so we can move things along!" the second Shadow Duelist barked.
"I place two cards facedown and end my turn!" remarked Hitch.
"Of course, you're ending your turn, boy. There's nothing else you can do!" the first Shadow Duelist responded.
Turn 7: Shadow Duelist #2 (Hand 2)
"But there's a lot more that we can do!" said the second Shadow Duelist as he drew. "For instance, I can shift Icebergdon into attack mode! And know what else I can do… I can have Icebergdon attack you, sea maiden, directly!" The monster raised a leg before it began to head toward Roll, who gritted her teeth,
"Not going to happen! Because… I activate Utopia's special ability!"
"Hitch, don't! If you use that, you'll get slammed by that Avalanche trap!" warned Roll.
"I'm not afraid to take a little damage! You said so yourself that I can't always hide behind my monsters! If I keep playing it safe, I'm scared of losing and not trying to win."
"Hitch…." said Roll as she looked at her friend.
The boy's monster absorbed one of its circling overlay units through its chest. The power coursed through its veins as Hitch turned to look at his monster.
"Go Light Wing Shield!" instructed Hitch. Utopia used one of the wings on its back and extended it out to block the attack and protect Roll while holding it back.
"If a hurting is what you want, then a hurting is what you're gonna get!" stated the second Shadow Duelist as his trap went off.
Hitch soon found himself being lifted by the icy, chilly wind. He was then flung into the air before he came crashing down onto the ground and let out a cry.
Hitch's Life Points: 1400-
"Hitch!"
"Now, Pompadour Blizzardon, take out the rest of her Life Points!" the second Shadow Duelist instructed.
"I activate Utopia's ability!" said Hitch as he was willing to take damage once more to protect his friend. "Go Light Wing Shield!" Utopia once more used one of its wings and extended it to block the attack and protect the girl. However, Hitch would take more damage as he was knocked hard to the ground.
Hitch's Life Points: 1400-
"Hitch, you alright?"
"Argh! That kinda smarts…" grunted the boy as he rubbed the back of his head while getting to a knee.
"Good. Now stand up!" said Roll as she instructed her friend to return to the fight.
"Yeah," responded the boy as he got up and took his position next to Roll.
"Maybe this will keep you two down! I activate the Volcanic Ash trap card! Using this card's power, I can put my partner's Pampadour Blizzardon in defense mode!"
"Any clue as to why he did that?" asked Hitch.
"Thanks for the hook-up, partner. Now, from my hand, I activate the power of the Frozen Ice Cave spell card! It can increase the level of a monster on my field in defense mode! So Pompadour Blizzardon becomes Level 5!"
"That's two Level 5s now. Not good," stated Roll, knowing what that meant.
"I think you both know what's about to happen next. I overlay Icebergdon and Pompadour Blizzardon!" said the Shadow Duelist as his two monsters turned into orbs of light that hovered in the air. A portal opened before them as the orbs were sucked in, and a pillar of light exploded. "I hope you kids brought your jackets 'cause the weather outside's about to get nasty! I Xyz Summon Number 19: Freezerdon(2000/2500, OLU: 2) in defense mode!" A giant iceberg glacier appeared before it began to transform and take the shape of the monster before it made a chilly wind blow.
"Uh, Roll… not to cause any worry or anything, but uh, heh… they got two Xyz monsters on the field!" said Hitch in a slight panic as Roll kept her stoic expression.
"And I think it's time I help out my partner by activating Freezerdon's special ability! So by using one overlay unit, I can restore Volcasaurus' overlay units!"
"No way!" expressed Hitch as they shielded their eyes from the ice beam launching at the molten monster, which now had two orbs circling it again.
"Now that it has its overlay units again, it can knock us around some more," commented Roll. "How convenient."
"I place two cards facedown and end my turn!"
"So, kids, do you regret ever standing in our way? Because you're about to see the deadly punch combo of fire and ice on full display!" said the first Shadow Duelist.
"Hitch…"
"Yeah?"
"You ready to take these two out?" said the girl with a smile.
The boy smiled as he nodded. At that moment, their arms began to glow, as they noticed it. On Hitch's arm, the circle he saw before appeared, as on Roll's, the crystal-like horn mark appeared on hers. The girl felt her mark, and compared to last time, it was searing with pain. It felt warm and calm, almost like it was telling her something and how to win this duel.
"Let's do it!" said Roll as her mark glowed brightly red.
Turn 8: Roll (Hand 2)
"It's my turn. I draw! First, I'm activating a spell card! Xyz Gift! When at least two Xyz monsters are on the field, I can use Xyz Gift to draw two more cards. Next, I summon Needle Sunfish(1500/100)!" stated Roll as her monster appeared. "Now, I activate the Surface spell card from my hand! This allows me to summon one Water monster from my graveyard! So watch out, 'cause Big Jaws is coming back for more!"
"Do it, Roll!" said Hitch with a smile.
"Now I overlay Level 3 Needle Sunfish and Big Jaws!" stated the girl as her monsters turned into orbs of light and hovered in the air. A portal opened before her as the orbs were sucked in, and a pillar of light emerged. "I Xyz Summon, a champion of darkness and devastation… Black Ray Lancer(2100/600, OLU: 2)!" The girl's monster appeared and twirled its lance above its head before spreading its wings and pointing its weapon at its foes.
"Next, I activate Black Ray Lancer's special ability! Using one overlay unit, I can stop Volcasaurus from using its special abilities!"
"You what?" exclaimed the first Shadow Duelist.
"Next, I activate Needle Sunfish's special ability! Since this guy was sent to the graveyard, Volcasaurus loses 500 attack points!" smirked Roll as her monster appeared and opened its mouth to fire several needles that bombarded the giant volcanic dino.
"What are ya' waiting for, Black Ray Lancer? Attack Volcasaurus!" commanded Roll as her mark empowered her. "Go Shimmering Spear Slash!"
"I activate Compensation Exchange!" said the second Shadow Duelist. "This trap card stops Black Ray Lancer's attack, but now my Life Points get hit with all of Volcasaurus' attack points!"
Shadow Duelist's #2's Life Points: 2000-
"Now I activate Volcanic Abyss!" responded the first Shadow Duelist. "With this card, I can check out one of your hands and if there's a monster card, it gets sent back to your deck. Let's see… you holding any cards, sheriff?"
"He's talking to me, isn't he?" responded Hitch with a low boost of confidence in his tone.
"Just show your hand, Hitch," stated Roll.
The boy's two cards were then projected for all to see. When Hitch's cards appeared before Roll, she looked at them well.
Junk Synchron and Monster Reborn… maybe that can help.
Monster Reborn. There's no way that kid knows how to use that.
The Shadow Duelist smiled as he downplayed Hitch's skill as a duelist and could tell a powerful card like Monster Reborn was above his knowledge.
"You got a monster; now you have to send it back to your deck," said the Shadow Duelist, pointing at the Junk Synchron card.
"Sorry, Junk Synchron," apologized Hitch, as he was hoping to play that monster in the next turn to bring them back on track. The boy grabbed his card from his hand and placed it on top as the auto shuffler kicked in.
All the while, Roll glanced at her partner before shifting them back to the duel. She glanced back at her own hand before grabbing a card.
"I place one card facedown and end my turn."
Turn 9: Shadow Duelist #1 (Hand 1)
"Fun and games are over. It's time to send you two the Shadow Realm! My move, I draw!" said the Shadow Duelist, looking at what card he drew and smiling. "Get ready to feel the heat, 'cause I'm activating Volcasaurus' special ability! Magma Max! First, Volcasaurus destroys Black Ray Lancer, and then you take damage equal to your monster's attack points!"
"Roll!" shouted Hitch.
"You're finished!" said the Shadow Duelist as his monster fired a magma beam toward the girl. It took out her monster as it vanished and headed straight for her.
"Not so fast!"
"Huh?" responded Roll as she looked at Hitch.
"I activate Damage Diet! This trap cuts Roll's damage in half this turn!" stated the boy as Roll covered up from the searing wave of flames that washed over, leaving her covered in bruises.
Roll's Life Points: 50-
Once the effect died down, Roll quickly followed Hitch's move as she touched her duel screen.
"And now, I activate my facedown, Icy Crevasse! So now I can destroy one of your monsters and then strike you with damage equal to your monster's attack points!" stated the girl as the ground began to crack open, and Volcasaurus began slowly sinking into the open ground.
"I don't think so!" responded the second Shadow Duelist. "By activating my facedown, Forced Change, I can make Freezerdon and me take the fall instead!"
"Huh?" said both teens, stunned to hear and see that move.
The ground then changed direction and headed for the large icy dinosaur. The crack got bigger and split the ground in two. The large behemoth was shown falling into the center of the earth, landing in a pool of lava and melting away, creating a massive wave of damage that made contact with the Shadow Duelist, who let out a cry and was thrown back.
Shadow Duelist's #2's Life Points: 0-
"Didn't see that coming. Talk about taking one for the team," muttered Hitch.
"Now… I use Volcasaurus' ability to destroy Utopia!" said the first Shadow Duelist as he wanted revenge on the two teens for taking out his teammate.
"Oh, boy…" said Hitch as he covered up from the intense heat that washed over him, leaving him with bruises as well. "Damage Diet activate!" stated the teen as he held on still.
Hitch's Life Points: 150-
"I'll finish you in a second. But now… Volcasaurus, attack the girl directly!"
"I play the Final Offering trap card!" yelled Roll as her last facedown flipped over. "With this trap card's power, I can force a battle to stop by pulling one card from my hand and giving it to another player… like Hitch!"
"Wha…" said the boy as Roll took the final card she had in her hand and tossed it at him. He caught it between his fingers but was shocked that Roll was willing to give up her hand for him. "You mean… are you sure about that?"
"Yup," responded Roll nonchalantly.
"Lucky break, but now… I activate the Twin Volcano spell! This card explodes for 500 points of damage during each of my turns, and it erupts with 500 points of damage when I send it to the graveyard!"
"Then that would…"
"Be enough to take both of us out when it's his turn again," said Roll as she finished Hitch's sentence, making the boy gasp as he realized their situation.
"You kids never had a chance!" said the second Shadow Duelist as he was shown on a knee, still suffering from the effects of getting hit.
"That's where you're wrong. You guys never had a chance," said Roll defiantly.
"I hope you're right," muttered Hitch, as he wasn't fully confident they could win in this exact turn.
Turn 10: Hitch (Hand 2)
"I draw!" said the boy as he drew his card and then nervously looked at his hand. "Okay now, um… if uh…"
The answer's right in front of you, Hitch! This is your chance to take your skills and game to the next level. I know you can do this, but you have to play this right.
Hitch looked at his hand as he contemplated how to secure a win this turn; otherwise, they were done for.
Okay, if I use Monster Reborn, I can bring back a monster from my graveyard, then…
Just as Hitch was about to reach for the card to recall his monster, his eyes then glanced to the card on the left, which was the card that Roll had given him when she used her trap.
Wait… Roll's card. Armored Xyz. But why?
The boy turned to look at his friend as he wondered why she'd give him that card, of all things, to him. At that moment, he remembered exactly what the card did. A second later, he had his plan of attack.
"I knew you could do it, Hitch," said Roll, as she didn't directly look at her friend. She opened her eyes with a smile. "Now finish it!"
"Right!" said the boy, as now his glowing mark was brighter, giving him a warm feeling.
"I now play the spell card, Monster Reborn! Now I can revive a monster from any graveyard, and I choose… Black Ray Lancer!" declared Hitch as Roll's monster appeared.
"You could've brought a game changer like Utopia, but instead, you just brought out a game-ender!" said the Shadow Duelist with a smirk.
"I don't think so," responded Roll with a smile.
"From my hand, I activate the spell card… Armored Xyz! The power of this card allows me to equip one monster on my field with one Xyz monster in my graveyard! Utopia, rise and equip onto Black Ray Lancer!" said Hitch as his monster appeared and broke apart as bits of itself attached to Roll's monster, now donning a second suit of armor on top of its current one.
"Also, Black Ray Lancer's attack points now become the same as the monster that equipped itself onto it! So it has Utopia's attack points!" stated Roll, making the two-robed figures gasp.
"Black Ray Lancer, attack Volcasaurus!" instructed Hitch. The monster spun its lance before bringing it down and slashing the huge monster diagonally across the chest before it exploded.
Shadow Duelist's #1's Life Points: 1900-
"With your partner out and no monsters left, you're done!" smiled Roll, giving a nod to Hitch as he returned the gesture.
"Now by sending Utopia to the graveyard, Black Ray Lancer can charge in again and attack you directly!" said Hitch as his monster vanished.
"No way!" said the cloaked figure.
"Go… Shimmering Spear Slash!" shouted Hitch as their monster twirled his weapon before throwing it as hard as it could and took out both Shadow Duelists as they were knocked to the ground.
Shadow Duelists' Life Points: 0-
Winner: Roll and Hitch
"We did it!" said Hitch as realization hit him.
"Nicely done, sheriff," said Roll as the girl approached her friend.
The boy didn't know what came over him as he pulled the girl in for a surprise victory hug. It caught Roll off guard, but she soon smiled and put her arms around her friend. The two separated a bit as they looked at each other.
"Alright, sheriff. Take it easy. Don't want to make Sunny jealous now."
"Wha? What do you…" stuttered Hitch as Roll playfully shoved him off and punched Hitch in the shoulder. He didn't appreciate that she was trying to mess with him.
The two then noticed their marks as they continued to glow. A second later, the glow faded compared to the last time their marks remained on their arms. The two teens looked at their limbs and spotted the tattoo marks as they touched them.
"That's definitely new," said Hitch as he looked at his mark.
The two turned to where the two Shadow Duelists were, now gone. They noticed the podium where the shovel was as the magical binds that held it disappeared. The pair approached the relic as Hitch grabbed it and easily pulled it out of the holding case.
"That's one down," said Roll. "Let's find the others and tell them about this."
The girl was looking at her arm and Hitch's as they knew this latest development about their special marks was going to be a topic of discussion.
Author's Note: Just when it seems like things might finally calm down, things go sideways just like that. The action continues to be nonstop as with Sunset's epic return to Duel Monsters, we also have a bit of a thief take place. The ancient relics that Twilight and the kids spotted for the exhibition show have been taken and now they're set to get them back. However, it seems it won't be easy as some new developments are occurring as evidenced by the marks that Hitch and Roll now have on their arms.