This story was done in collaboration between me, Jriddle41 (Sodormatchmaker on DeviantART), and DaveMan1000 (both here and on DeviantART), and we own the OCs that are used in the story. AaronCottrell97 (known as stevecottrell on DeviantART) provided the Duel Layouts and additional ideas. Everything else belongs to their respective owners:
Thomas and Friends (c) Hit Entertainment and Mattel
The Railway Series (c) Rev Wilbert Awdry
Yu-Gi-Oh! (c) Konami
Gundam SEED characters, Orb, Blue Cosmos, M1 Astray, Strike Rouge, Murasame (c) Sunrise
Character of Lisa Drake (c) DaveMan1000
Character of David Xadashi (c) DaveMan1000
WARNING: Once again, this story is rated T for violence, some blood, suggestive themes, and some language. Reader discretion is advised.
WARNING 2: If you haven't read "Yu-Gi-Oh! The Sodor Chronicles Season 2", "Yu-Gi-Oh! The Sodor Chronicles Season 4", "Yu-Gi-Oh! The Sodor Chronicles (Pyramid of Light", "David Xadashi", "Lisa Drake", or "Team 4D's", you might want to do so before reading this story
Title: Catch a Shooting Star
Opening up in the New York City stadium, the Turbo Duel between Matt and David (LP: 4000) was ongoing, and the situation was as followed:
-David (LP: 4000): Controlled 'Life Stream Dragon' (Level: 8/ATK: 2900/DEF: 2400) and 'Dragon's Tranquil Barrage' (Spell Card).
-Matt (LP: 750): Field was completely empty, but he was about to begin his turn.
"Matt…" uttered Asagi.
"Fudo-san…" came from David.
At long last, Matt raised his head and smiled pridefully.
"Everyone, I'm back!" he declared.
The audience, along with David, the Astray trio, the MC, and, quite surprisingly, Lazar, gasped with hope and relief.
"Thank you, Dave and Asagi," Matt then told himself mentally, "Thank you for showing me that I was wrong to blame myself, and I should just duel with my heart," He then spoke aloud, "Now, Dave, throughout the duel, you have shown me just how good you are, and now it's time for me to show you how truly good 'I' am. Once I draw my card and begin my turn, this will become a whole new duel!"
While the audience burst into cheers, David looked shocked—yet relieved—to hear that. Initially, he wondered if Matt really was back to his usual self, but knew that he (Matt) wasn't one to lie. Before long, Matt braced the index and middle fingers on his Deck, and, all while drawing his card with a Destiny Draw, yelled out his main catchphrase…
"Let's rev it up!"
Turn Four: Matt Fudo (LP: 750)
Deck: 53
Current Hand (5): "Stardust Xiaolong", "Jet Synchron", "Junk Giant", "Scrap-Iron Signal", and "Reed Butterfly"
Action Card: "Flame Surge"
His drawn card was shown to be a Monster Card called 'Reed Butterfly'. Formulating a strategy with nearly all of the remaining cards currently in his hand, Matt made a move…
"If my opponent controls a face-up Synchro Monster(s), and I control no face-up Synchro Monsters; I can Special Summon this card from my hand," As Matt spoke, he placed his card onto his Duel Runner, "Come, 'Reed Butterfly'!"
Appearing onto the field was a large, orange butterfly with two colorful wings (Level: 1/ATK: 300/DEF: 600).
"Then, I'll once again Special Summon 'Junk Giant' from my hand!" continued Matt, taking another card ('Junk Giant') from his hand and placing it onto his Duel Runner. When his effect explanation (of the first effect) ended, his Duel Runner lit up, "If my opponent controls a Level 5 or higher monster, I can Special Summon this card (from my hand)!"
Reappearing on the field was the large robot made of metal with two large spikes coming out from the shoulders (Level: 6/ATK: 2000/DEF: 2400).
"And in case you've forgotten… A Synchro Summon using this card as material cannot be negated!" reminded Matt, pointing out the second effect of his monster before placing a third card onto his Duel Runner, "Finally, I'll Summon the Tuner monster, 'Jet Synchron'!"
Appearing onto the field was the jet-like Machine monster (Level: 1/ATK: 500/DEF: 0). From there, both 'Junk Giant' and 'Reed Butterfly' both started moving themselves into the sky.
"My Level 1 'Jet Synchron' tunes Level 6 'Junk Giant' and Level 1 'Reed Butterfly'!" The voice of Matt ordered, as the above scenario played out.
Floating into the air, 'Jet Synchron' turned itself into a single Synchro Ring, which both 'Junk Giant' and 'Reed Butterfly' soared through while turning into seven (six for 'Junk Giant', and one for 'Reed Butterfly') orbs of light as Matt began a Summon Chant…
"Gathering stars will become a new shining star! Become the path its light shines upon!" chanted Matt, as the symbols 6 + 1 + 1 = 8 appeared briefly just before the seven orbs of light within the single Synchro Rings turned into a massive beam of light, "Synchro Summon! Take flight, 'Stardust Dragon'!"
Appearing from the beam of light and flying into the sky, was the majestic-looking white/silver dragon itself (Level: 8/ATK: 2500/DEF: 2000). After both sides locked gazes, 'Stardust Dragon' and 'Life Stream Dragon' roared at each other, signaling a potential battle between the two.
"'Stardust'…" murmured Matt, before noticing his clothed right forearm (with the birthmark of the Crimson Dragon's head) beginning to glow, "Huh?"
"'Life Stream'…" came from David, before noticing his clothed right forearm (with the birthmark of the Crimson Dragon's heart) beginning to glow, "Eh?"
With Team 4D's in the audience, Michael, Carlie, and James R. each felt their respective right forearms with the birthmarks (Michael: Wings, Carlie: Foot, James R.: Tail) beginning to glow and react.
"Anyone sensing deja vu?" wondered James R..
Zack winced and clutched the sides of his head, sensing the powers of the Signer Dragons.
"I can feel it," The black-haired young man groaned, "It's another battle between Signers. Only this time, it's Matt against David."
"That's for damn sure, mate," agreed Michael, "The thing about it, is who will be the one to emerge triumphant next?"
"Or maybe-?" Carlie cut in, but stopped before she tried finishing her sentence.
Over with the remaining Orb representatives, Lisa, Mr. Kisaka, and Ms. Simmons each were staring at the glowing birthmark (Hand) underneath the former's gloved right forearm.
"Both 'Life Stream Dragon' and 'Stardust Dragon' are out," breathed Mr. Kisaka.
"And I think they're ready to rumble," acknowledged Lisa, "This is just like what happened between 'Life Stream Dragon' and 'Black-Winged Dragon' during the last round."
(elsewhere…)
Inside city hall's main office, the television was displaying footage of 'Stardust Dragon's' Synchro Summon from moments ago, while Rex watched the duel with ever increasing interest.
"So, 'Stardust' and 'Life Stream' are about to do battle," he mused, with both elbows resting on the surface of the desk and his hands pressed together, "However, it seems that Matt will not have such an easy time dealing with 'Life Stream Dragon' due to it being equipped with 'Dragon's Tranquil Barrage'. What will you do now, Matt? How will you combat such an effective strategy?"
(elsewhere…)
Back in the stadium, both Fudo Go and The Wild Card roared down the track while passing a couple of Action Cards. Matt, meanwhile, was far from being finished with the preparations for the ultimate comeback…
"I activate the second effect of the 'Jet Synchron' in my GY!" declared Matt, as 'Jet Synchron' reappeared on the field (Level: 1/ATK: 500/DEF: 0). He then discarded a card ('Stardust Xiaolong') from his hand, "If this card is in my GY: I can send 1 card from my hand to the GY; I must Special Summon this card, but banish it when it leaves the field," Within seconds of going into the GY, the discarded 'Stardust Xiaolong' Effect Monster Card emerged from there, "Then, I'll activate the effect of my discarded 'Stardust Xiaolong'! If I control 'Stardust Dragon': I can Special Summon this card from my GY in Attack Position."
During the card explanation, appearing onto the field was the Chinese Dragon-like version of 'Stardust Dragon' (Level: 1/ATK: 100/DEF: 100). A mere second later, both it and 'Jet Synchron' took to the sky.
"Level 1 'Jet Synchron' tunes Level 1 'Stardust Xiaolong'!" The voice of Matt requested, as the above scenario played out.
As the command to tune was being given, 'Jet Synchron' flew into the air and turned into a single Synchro Ring, which 'Stardust Xiaolong' flew into while turning into a single orb of light as a Summon Chant followed…
"Clustering wishes will call out a new speed's horizon! Become the path its light shines upon!" chanted Matt, as the symbols 1 + 1 = 2 were shown briefly just before the single orb within the lone Synchro Ring turned into a massive beam of light, "Synchro Summon! The power of hope, Synchro Tuner, 'Formula Synchron'!"
Appearing onto the field was the robotic, humanoid racing car-like monster (Level: 2/ATK: 200/DEF: 1500). Since 'Jet Synchron' left the field, it got banished due to its own effect.
"'Formula Synchron'?!" cried David, while in his thoughts, "So just like my 'Life Stream', Fudo-san's new monster is also a Tuner Synchro Monster… But still, while this is a surprising moment, 'Formula Synchron' isn't something a person would call a very powerful monster."
"I activate 'Formula Synchron's' first effect!" cut in Matt, drawing a card, "When this card is Synchro Summoned: I can draw 1 card."
He saw that his drawn card was a Trap Card called 'Zero Force'. In the audience…
"Oh boy," realized Carlie, having seen 'Formula Synchron' show up plenty of times, "This is the time, you guys."
"There's no mistaking the situation; 'it' is coming," agreed Zack.
Meanwhile, Ms. Simmons was the most intrigued by what was about to occur next. If what she thought was correct, Matt would definitely have the same gift she did; the gift to surpass one's own limits.
"Ms. Simmons?" interrupted Lisa, getting the brown-haired woman's attention, "What's up? You look a little…weird."
"Well, Lisa, that's because I have the feeling Matt's about to achieve something great," replied Ms. Simmons, "In fact, why don't you take a look for yourself?"
Those words caused Lisa to become interested, and so she did as she was told. Back on the track, David waited anxiously for what was going to happen next. What would Matt do with his two monsters in 'Stardust Dragon' and 'Formula Synchron'? Matt, meanwhile, had his head slightly down with a shadow over his eyes. At last, he raised his head, which dispelled the shadow and revealed the pure determination within those eyes of his.
"Dave, you really are more than a formidable opponent," said Matt, "More importantly, you're a True Duelist. As a result of that, I can't hold back the power I've been keeping locked away."
"P-Power?" repeated David, "Fudo-san, what do you mean by 'the power you've been keeping locked away'?"
This was the answer…
"The ultimate power I have obtained!" began Matt, before finishing with… "Clear Mind!"
With that last part shouted, he started crackling with absolute power as a large image of the Seal of the Crimson Dragon appeared behind him and Fudo Go.
"(これは悪いです、'これは悪いです'!) Kore wa waruidesu, 'kore wa waruidesu'! (This is bad, 'this is bad'!)" wailed David in Japanese.
This was the obvious sign of a 'huge' counterattack coming straight his way.
"Level 2 Synchro Tuner, 'Formula Synchron'," Matt went on, motioning his right arm about while also thrusting the right hand out. While still speaking, 'Stardust Dragon' flew above him and Fudo Go, "tunes Level 8 Synchro Monster, 'Stardust Dragon'!"
'Formula Synchron' immediately turned itself into two balls of light and was absorbed into an unknown force straight ahead, causing the symbols 8 + 2 = 10 to be shown briefly. Not only that, Fudo Go started to gain speed while also allowing flames to surround it. 'Stardust Dragon' let loose a roar as it flew above Matt and followed him, just as he began a new Summon Chant…
"Clustering crystal dreams open the door to a new evolution!" chanted Matt, raising his right hand into the air above 'Stardust Dragon', "Become the path its light shines upon!"
More and more flames surrounded Fudo Go as it went faster and faster, just as Matt gave quite possibly one of the strongest, most hot-blooded screams anyone in the New York City stadium could ever hear…
"Accel Synchro!" The dirty blonde-haired young man echoed, motioning his right arm out to his right at the very end of the scream.
Very quickly, a new card materialized out of thin-air and in-between Matt's fingers. It was what appeared to be an evolved form of 'Stardust Dragon' with a Level of 10, an ATK of 3300, a DEF of 2500, and one of its typings was said to be Accel Synchro. Not only that, both Fudo Go and 'Stardust Dragon' were also now moving/flying at the speed of light while burning like a shooting star—eventually vanishing into what looked like a green ring-like vortex without a trace.
"Fudo-san…!" stammered David, looking around the track, "He disappeared from the area!"
Within seconds, however, Fudo Go (and its rider) reappeared from the same vortex, overtaking the surprised aqua blue-haired boy and The Wild Card. Not only that, following Fudo Go before flying into the sky happened to be a new dragon…
"Be born, 'Shooting Star Dragon'!" boomed Matt.
Flying through the sky gracefully before stopping outside the stadium and in-front of the sun, was an aerodynamically-shaped, white-armored dragon with a light green glow, with wings resembling those of a jet plane (Level: 10/ATK: 3300/DEF: 2500). The sight of 'Shooting Star Dragon', widely acknowledged as Matt's most powerful monster of all, caused the entire crowd to go absolutely wild with the cheers and chanting.
(elsewhere…)
Back in Rex's office, the TV was displaying footage of 'Shooting Star Dragon' letting out a holy-like roar as it soon flew above Fudo Go.
"'Shooting…Star Dragon'?" peeped Rex, who was pretty well shocked over this surprise, "Matt Fudo has mastered Clear Mind and Accel Synchro both this quickly? But I thought it takes a-" He then recalled watching on TV the one duel where Matt awakened his dormant abilities (which was from a few years ago) before closing his eyes and shaking his head, "Even after all this time when he first discovered his hidden power on how to completely surpass one's own limits at the age of 16, he is still unaware of how special he truly is. I suppose I have no other choice but to tell him the truth should it come time."
Huh? What was that all about? Did Rex know something about Matt that nobody else knew? At this point, it's pretty clear he did.
(elsewhere…)
Back within the New York City stadium, both Fudo Go and The Wild Card moved across the track at great speed, while both 'Shooting Star Dragon' and 'Life Stream Dragon' followed their respective masters (Matt: 'Shooting Star Dragon', David: 'Life Stream Dragon'). Within the audience, Lisa was stunned by what she was seeing; there was actually more than just Synchro Summoning? How come she never knew that?
"Accel Synchro…" murmured Lisa, "Why is this something I've never even heard of until now?" She eased up a little bit, "Well, I guess it's no wonder why Matt's one of the strongest duelists in the world…"
"That he is," agreed Mr. Kisaka.
Ms. Simmons simply smiled, knowing something about Matt that Lisa clearly did not—although it was possible that Mr. Kisaka also knew of her little secret, too. Back on the track, David remained deeply surprised over seeing 'Shooting Star Dragon', who was not a Synchro Monster—but an Accel Synchro Monster.
"This is Fudo-san's…best monster," he thought to himself, before shaking his head, "Still, even if he has it, I'm still in a far better position; I control 'Life Stream Dragon', and it's still equipped with 'Dragon's Tranquil Barrage'. Fudo-san would have to be foolish to attack me now, and I know he is not a fool."
Of course, Matt's not a fool. At this stage, he was not planning on attacking, but instead decided to go on the defensive until it was time to attack.
"From my hand," While speaking, Matt slotted two cards into his Duel Runner, causing two Set cards to materialize on the field around Fudo Go, "I'll Set two cards and end my turn!"
The two face-down cards then faded away for later use.
"Fudo-san's monster is a sitting duck for my 'Life Stream Dragon'," realized David mentally, "I have to take this opportunity to attack, no matter what!" He drew a card and took his turn, "It's my turn!"
Turn Five: David Xadashi (LP: 4000)
Deck: 49
Current Hand (1): "Armored Back"
Action Card: N/A
Fudo Go sped past an Action Card (since Matt already carried one), and this gave David the chance to pick it up for himself—which he did. After looking at the Action Card for a few seconds, a final decision was made… He was going to attack.
"This is it, Fudo-san!" announced David, "I'm going to attack your 'Shooting Star Dragon' with 'Life Stream Dragon'! This will, in turn, activate the effect of my Equip Spell, 'Dragon's Tranquil Barrage'!"
'Life Stream Dragon' glowed a beautiful golden yellow as its ATK went up significantly (ATK: 2900 → 4350).
"When it battles an opponent's monster, it gains ATK equal to half of its current ATK during damage calculation only," David reminded, before announcing the attack name of his monster, "Life's Beauty Howl!"
'Life Stream Dragon' obeyed, opening its mouth, charging, and firing off a devastating golden breath attack towards 'Shooting Star Dragon'.
"Victory is mine, Fudo-san!" said David triumphantly.
"Sorry, Dave, but I beg to differ," cut in Matt, causing David to ease up, "By attacking it, I'll activate 'Shooting Star Dragon's' third effect!" As he explained the effect, 'Shooting Star Dragon' let out a roar as it began glowing a white light, "Once per turn, when an opponent's monster declares an attack: I can target the attacking monster; I must banish this card, and if I do, negate that attack."
Suddenly, 'Shooting Star Dragon' vanished in a streak of bright light, causing Life's Beauty Howl to miss entirely.
"Your attack has missed!" smirked Matt.
"Fudo-san, that was a foolish move on your part," chastised David, before holding his Action Spell Card ('Wonder Chance') out, "I activate my Action Spell, 'Wonder Chance'! I must target 1 face-up monster I control; this turn, it can attack once again," In the sky, 'Life Stream Dragon' looked ready to attack again, "As of now, you're wide open for a direct attack, Fudo-san! When I attack this time, I will win the duel!"
"Banishing 'Shooting Star Dragon' was part of my ultimate plan," Matt pointed out, "First to negate your attack, and then to activate a Trap Card."
"A Trap Card?!" realized David, worried.
On cue, a face-down card reappeared on the field behind Fudo Go, flipped face-up, and revealed itself.
"I activate 'Zero Force'!" announced Matt, "When a face-up monster I control is banished: The ATK of all face-up monsters on the field becomes 0."
David cried out in shock, watching as 'Life Stream Dragon's' ATK dropped all the way to 0 (ATK: 4350 → 0).
"David's 'Life Stream Dragon' now has an ATK of 0!" The voice of the MC thundered, as the audience watched on in surprise by the turnaround by Matt, "It can't finish off Matt like this! The best thing for him would be to end his Battle Phase and play another card!"
"He's right about that," David said, mentally, unhappily, before speaking out loud, "'Life Stream Dragon', stop!" In the sky, 'Life Stream Dragon' was still about to begin charging an attack when it overheard the following words, "Don't attack Fudo-san!"
'Life Stream Dragon' obeyed, not attempting to attack Matt directly considering it would not be able to do any damage to him. With his monster crippled, David was forced to abandon his Battle Phase and move onto Main Phase 2.
"With 'Life Stream Dragon' having an ATK of 0, Fudo-san will take advantage of it on his coming turn," The aqua blue-haired boy told himself, "I'll have to be ready for such an attack," He then looked at his drawn card and slotted it into a Spell & Trap Zone on his Duel Runner, speaking aloud, "I Set one card and end my turn!"
Matt checked the monitor of Fudo Go, noticing that a Set card appeared on one of the five Spell & Trap Zones on David's field. Thinking it over for a moment, Matt made another move.
"I activate the fourth effect of 'Shooting Star Dragon'!" As he spoke, 'Shooting Star Dragon' reappeared in the sky above Fudo Go (Level: 10/ATK: 3300/DEF: 2500), "During the next End Phase: I must Special Summon this card banished by this effect."
"Fudo-san's monster has returned," thought David, "And thanks to his Trap Card, 'Life Stream Dragon' has lost all of its ATK. So even with my Equip Spell, 'Dragon's Tranquil Barrage', it will not be able to withstand a single attack by 'Shooting Star Dragon' because its ATK would remain at 0. Although I still have a way to win… I just need to make sure I survive the upcoming battle."
Both Fudo Go and The Wild Card roared down the track while the audience burst into loud cheers over the exciting duel. At last, the next (possibly final) turn finally came…
"It's my turn!" exclaimed Matt, drawing a card.
Turn Six: Matt Fudo (LP: 750)
Deck: 51
Current Hand (1): "Half Shut"
Action Card: "Flame Surge"
Upon seeing his drawn 'Half Shut' Spell Card, it was go time…
"I activate 'Shooting Star Dragon's' first effect!" Matt went on, "Once per turn: I can excavate the top 5 cards of my Deck, shuffle them back in, also this card's maximum number of attacks per Battle Phase this turn equals the number of Tuner monsters excavated."
David recoiled, realizing that the time he needed to defend himself had become very short should those mentioned cards be drawn by his opponent. With various audience members in the stands…
"So, if Matt gets no Tuners from his draws, 'Shooting Star' wouldn't be able to attack this turn," figured Lisa, "He's really taking a big gamble in using this strategy."
"It's a gamble he's counting on," said Ms. Simmons, "Somehow, I feel like he'll pull it off."
"Matt…" whispered James R..
Back on the track, Matt drew the top five cards of his Deck and looked them over. These were what he excavated:
-'Road Synchron' (Tuner Monster Card)(!)
-'Cosmic Flare' (Spell Card)
-'Bri Synchron' (Tuner Monster Card)(!)
-'Variety Comes Out' (Spell Card)
-'Hyper Synchron' (Tuner Monster Card)(!)
"I did it!" thought Matt, before speaking out loud, "Dave, I've excavated three different Tuner monsters…" He threw three of his cards ('Road Synchron', 'Bri Synchron', and 'Hyper Synchron') forward, causing the Monster Cards to briefly materialize face-up on the field in-front of Fudo Go, "'Road Synchron', 'Bri Synchron', and 'Hyper Synchron'!"
"Then that's three attacks you can make for your Battle Phase!" grimaced David.
From there, 'Shooting Star Dragon' flew higher into the sky and began to separate into three colorful (red, blue, yellow) copies of itself, signaling the Battle Phase was beginning. Panicking over the incoming attack, David started looking around for an Action Card and managed to spot one up ahead.
"An Action Card!" he cried, speeding The Wild Card up to pass Fudo Go, "I need it!"
Finally, the Battle Phase commenced.
"'Shooting Star Dragon', attack 'Life Stream Dragon'!" ordered Matt, while the three colored copies of 'Shooting Star Dragon' flying in the sky waited for the attack name to be announced (which it was), "Stardust Mirage!"
The red copy of 'Shooting Star Dragon' charged towards 'Life Stream Dragon' at super speed while burning like a (what else) shooting star. David reached out to the Action Card and was able to pick up and use it straight away.
"Action Spell, 'Quick Guard'!" The aqua blue-haired boy announced, holding the mentioned Action Spell Card out, "I must target 1 face-up Attack Position monster on the field; I must change it to face-up Defense Position," He then sent his card to the GY, "This is a card I will use on my own 'Life Stream Dragon'!"
From there, 'Life Stream Dragon' switched into a more defensive stance (ATK: 0 → DEF: 2400).
"At least now I won't take any damage from your initial attack," sighed David.
"Now it's my turn to activate an Action Card," interrupted Matt.
"(何?!) Nani?! (What?!)" yelled David in Japanese, with his eyes widening.
On cue, an Action Spell Card called 'Flame Surge' materialized face-up on the field in-front of Fudo Go.
"This one is called 'Flame Surge'," explained Matt, "I must target 1 monster I control; it gains 400 ATK until the end of this turn."
The three copies of 'Shooting Star Dragon' (or, more specifically, the real one) grew stronger (ATK: 3300 → 3700).
"Why would Fudo-san increase 'Shooting Star's' ATK?" David thought to himself, "Because I switched 'Life Stream' into Defense Position, I shouldn't have to worry about taking any damage from the initial attack," Beginning to fear for the worse, he made another move, "I activate the third effect of 'Life Stream Dragon'! If this face-up card on the field would be destroyed, I can banish 1 Equip Spell from my GY instead!"
'Life Stream Dragon' started glowing all white, as though it had become invulnerable to destruction. David, meanwhile, was about to make an Equip Spell Card eject from his GY so it could be banished for the effect. Unfortunately, even that would not save 'Life Stream Dragon', as David quickly found out the hard way…
"Sorry, Dave, but I can't let you do something like that," Matt countered sternly. To prove his point, he pressed a button on his Duel Runner, "I activate a Counter Trap!"
From there, the second Set card reappeared on the field beside Fudo Go (on its left), flipped face-up, and revealed itself to be…
"'Scrap-Iron Signal'!" said Matt, as the audience listened to his explanation, "When my opponent activates a monster effect, while I control a Synchro Monster that lists a Synchro Monster as material: I must negate the activation," As he finished speaking, 'Life Stream Dragon' roared and continued to glow white as though it was going to survive an attack by 'Shooting Star Dragon', "also, after that, Set this card face-down instead of sending it to the GY."
Suddenly, the white glow around 'Life Stream Dragon' began to fizzle as its third effect ended up negated, while the face-up 'Scrap-Iron Signal' Trap Card went back to being a face-down card and faded away for later use.
"N-No way!" objected David.
"Finish your attack, 'Shooting Star Dragon'!" commanded Matt, as the red copy of 'Shooting Star Dragon' flew towards 'Life Stream Dragon', "However, there's also a second effect to my Action Spell, 'Flame Surge'!" He then went over his Action Card's effect, just as the red copy of 'Shooting Star Dragon' struck its target, "Also, this turn, each time it destroys a Defense Position monster by battle: I must inflict damage to my opponent equal to the destroyed monster's DEF!"
David panicked hard, watching, in the sky, as 'Shooting Star Dragon' finally destroyed 'Life Stream Dragon' in a massive explosion. From there, despite his monster being in Defense Position, David yelled out from being hit by the explosion's backlash as he sustained damage based on 'Life Stream Dragon's' DEF stat (LP: 4000 → 1600).
"Aaaahhh! David's LP have dropped all the way to 1600!" announced the MC, while Lazar and the Astray trio all stood nearby, "But that's not the worst part, he also faces two more attacks by 'Shooting Star'!"
With the first attack (red) used up, the only copies of 'Shooting Star Dragon' left were the blue and yellow ones. Once either of them struck their target directly, David would be out of the tournament. Despite the reality in-front of him, David decided he would not give it up.
"Fudo-san!" he began, full of determination, "You really are a True Duelist like everyone says you are… However, I won't be defeated by you like this!"
"I see," acknowledged Matt, "But I must admit, I'm curious to know how you'll try to ward off 'Shooting Star's' two remaining, full-powered attacks without 'Life Stream Dragon' to help you."
"I have one card left—a Trap Card," replied David, before pressing a button on his Duel Runner, "I first needed you to destroy 'Life Stream' for me to activate it."
Matt didn't say anything back; he only watched as a face-down card reappeared on the field in-front of The Wild Card, flipped face-up, and revealed itself to be…
"It's that one…" frowned Matt.
"That's right, Fudo-san… It's 'Armored Back'!" confirmed David, "When a monster I control equipped with an Equip Spell is destroyed: I must Special Summon that monster from the GY, and if I do, equip it with the Equip Spell it was equipped with. It cannot be destroyed by battle or by card effects this turn."
A burst of light engulfed the face-up 'Armored Back' Trap Card, shooting into the sky before dissolving and revealing a fully resurrected 'Life Stream Dragon' (Level: 8/ATK: 2900/DEF: 2400), who was alive and ready to fight the two copies of 'Shooting Star Dragon'. David then took one more card ('Dragon's Tranquil Barrage') from his GY, looked at it, and held it up.
"My ultimate combination will be reborn!" declared David, slotting the card into his Duel Runner, "I activate the Equip Spell, 'Dragon's Tranquil Barrage'!"
Thisn unexpected replay left the audience stunned, since it meant 'Shooting Star Dragon' was no longer able to attack 'Life Stream Dragon' because the latter would only gain more ATK if battling an opponent's monster, which would mean that Matt would be forced to call off his Battle Phase and end his turn.
"Now that I'm back at full strength, Fudo-san will have no other choice but to end his turn," thought David, before eyeing 'Life Stream Dragon' and the two colorful copies of 'Shooting Star Dragon', "Sure, it won't be easy to attack 'Shooting Star', but 'Life Stream' is now equally hard to destroy," He spoke aloud, "Fudo-san, with my powerful combo set back up, I'm in the clearing and now cannot be beat! All you can do as of now is call off your remaining attacks and end your turn!"
At first Matt said no word. Over with the MC, Lazar, and the three Astray girls…
"Dave really prepared himself well for this battle," admired Juri.
"Is Matt really going to have to end his turn here?" worried Asagi.
Back over with Matt, his mouth soon formed a small, grim smile as he uttered his catchphrase…
"Are you sure about that?"
This caught David's attention. Hearing such a catchphrase could mean only 'one' thing in the world of Duel Monsters… A counterattack of epic proportions would be coming by the duelist who uttered those words. And, sure enough, one was on the horizon.
"From my hand, I'll activate the Quick-Play Spell, 'Half Shut'!" announced Matt, holding his final card ('Half Shut') out before slotting it into his Duel Runner. On cue, the mentioned Spell Card materialized face-up on the field behind Fudo Go, "I must target 1 face-up monster on the field; it cannot be destroyed by battle this turn, also its ATK is halved until the end of this turn."
David was absolutely horrified to hear of this, watching as his 'Life Stream Dragon's' ATK fell by half (ATK: 2900 → 1450).
"It seems like David has fallen into Matt's trap!" The voice of the MC boomed, while the audience was outright surprised by Matt's own replay, "This is not good at all for him!"
Over with the three Astray girls…
"While 'Life Stream Dragon' can't be destroyed by any means, Dave will still take the damage from battle," said Juri, as enlarged images of the 'Life Stream Dragon' Synchro Monster Card (on her left) and the 'Dragon's Tranquil Barrage' Spell Card (on her right) loomed in the background, "And with only an ATK of 1450, 'Dragon's Tranquil Barrage' will only raise it up to 2175 instead of 4350 no matter how many times its effect activates during this battle."
"That will allow 'Shooting Star's' remaining two attacks to whittle Dave's remaining LP all the way to 0," added Asagi.
In the stands, there was much discussion going on between the remaining members of Team 4D's…
"I just thought of something," commented Carlie, " Earlier on, Dave could've used 'Quick Guard' to switch 'Shooting Star Dragon' to Defense Position instead."
"That's right," agreed Zack, "Although considering that 'Life Stream Dragon's' ATK was at 0 and he had 'Armored Back' Set, switching his monster into Defense Position so it would be destroyed and come back with full power and protection was a smart play."
"But when Matt activated the Action Card, 'Flame Surge', it caught Dave off-guard," added James R., "And when realizing that he was probably up to something, Dave tried protecting 'Life Stream' with its own effect, but Matt was yet another step ahead of him with 'Scrap-Iron Signal'."
"To make things worse, Matt had expected 'Armored Back' to be used and countered 'Life Stream's' return with 'Half Shut'," finished Michael, "As a result of that, he's thrown Dave completely off-balance."
Back on the track, the two remaining 'Shooting Star Dragons' let out holy-like roars, while David finally realized the truth of the situation he was in.
"Fudo-san… Whether he had misplayed on his first turn and was not fully focused on the duel or not, he must have already had everything he needed to ensure that 'Shooting Star Dragon' would be Summoned on fourth turn right from the beginning of the match," David was saying mentally, figuring out his opponent's strategy, "More importantly, he not only fully predicted that I would use 'Armored Back', but he also set up this combo of his in order to use my own actions against me. What terrifying foresight and precision, but it's to be expected from the second strongest duelist in the world."
And so, the Battle Phase carried on…
"My second battle!" yelled Matt, "'Shooting Star Dragon', attack 'Life Stream Dragon'!"
The blue 'Shooting Star Dragon' obeyed, diving down and striking 'Life Stream Dragon' head on. 'Life Stream Dragon' survived the blow, but David felt the attack's backlash as his LP dropped to DANGEROUSLY low levels (LP: 1600 → 75).
"The final blow!" continued Matt, "Dave, you've fought really well… However, it looks like this duel will be going to me!"
Knowing full well he would not survive the final attack, David spotted an Action Card up ahead and sped up The Wild Card to try and get it to save himself from such a loss. He got closer and closer and closer, to the point he reached out…
"Ngh!" groaned David, as his Duel Runner accidentally hit some rock chunks on the track, "No!"
…and missed the Action Card by a mere few inches. With his last ray of hope gone, David was forced to watch helplessly as his opponent finally ordered the final attack to happen.
"'Shooting Star Dragon'…" began Matt quietly, before yelling his monster's attack name for a final time, "Stardust Mirage!"
The yellow 'Shooting Star Dragon' obeyed, rising higher and higher into the sky by doing skillful aerial dynamics before dive-bombing at supersonic speed towards the track and hitting 'Life Stream Dragon' head-on, causing a dramatic explosion to ensue (even though 'Life Stream Dragon' was not destroyed). David hollered when he got hit by the explosion's backlash, which reduced the remains of his critically low LP all the way to 0 (LP: 75 → 0).
DUEL RESULTS: Matt Fudo wins!
The Wild Card, as a result of its rider's being defeated, overheated and emitted steam, just before coming to a complete stop near the finish line. The duel had finally ended, and David had lost to Matt. In the stands, Sean, Janice, and Gabriella each looked saddened over David's loss, but both Ren and Futaba smiled because they were still very proud of their son for trying his best.
"IT'S FINALLY OVER!" bellowed the MC happily, "After a small rocky start on the part of Matt, he was able to rebound and win the match through the power of 'Shooting Star Dragon'!"
The crowd all across the stadium listened to the words in pure happiness.
"David should get some credit for pushing the champion this far though! Please give both duelists a big hand for such a duel!"
And with that, the crowd began cheering for both Matt and David. Speaking of which, David removed his helmet and looked at it while sitting on The Wild Card, unsure on what to say about his first loss in a tournament of this size.
"Hey!" The voice of Matt called out, which got David's attentioned. The dirty blonde-haired young man, with his helmet removed and tucked under his left arm, approached David and smiled as he held his right hand out, "That was an amazing duel, and I also owe you a great deal of thanks for giving me that desperately needed wake-up call."
"Fudo-san…" replied David, before holding his own right hand out, "Yeah."
Both Matt and David shook hands, just as Asagi and her two best friends ran up to see them. As before, they each looked excited and happy for the two duelists.
"That was an absolutely epic finish, Matt!" praised Mayura, "While you definitely took a risk to try and get 'Shooting Star' to attack more times, it ultimately won you the match!"
"But, Dave, you did really well, too," added Juri, looking at David, "Not only that, you and Asagi also managed to help Matt overcome his problems and resume his way of dueling."
"You rule, Dave! Like seriously!" winked Asagi, giving a thumbs up.
As he listened to the words of praise he was getting from his new friends, David was doing some serious thinking about something important, wondering if he should make a confession regarding his own problems that have lasted for a very long time and told nobody about. At long last, he made up his mind and realized had he something he wanted to say…
"Fudo-san… Asagi-san… Mayura-san… Juri-san…" he trailed, while climbing off The Wild Card, "I have a confession I want to make to you four. For the longest time, I had no idea why I was still dueling if I did not enjoy the game. But at long last, the answer has finally dawned on me."
Matt and the three Astray girls were surprised by that sudden statement, but they all remained politely silent in order to allow David to give his explanation. What they didn't know, however, was David's family and friends were making their way to the track to congratulate him and Matt on a great duel, so they would be able to overhear everything.
"For as long as I can recall, I believed I always had to prove my skills and my worth as a commendable duelist to my peers, and not prioritize my own enjoyment," explained David gloomily, "But after many years of toiling away at this goal, I slowly began to realize that it wasn't actually the people around me whom I needed to prove myself to, but rather 'myself'. I know it seems as though I dismiss anyone who remotely acknowledges my talent, but the reason for that is… well… because 'I' don't see them," He then gestured to the other duelists around him, "You four, Hogan-kun, Izayoi-san, Atlas-sama, and Lisa-chan all have the fame, admiration, and greatness that I also wish to achieve—yet my subconscious always tells me that my proficiency is never good enough to deserve such success…"
"Dave…" whispered Mayura.
"That's not true at all, Dave," countered Matt, "You 'are' better than you think you are, and you 'have' proven yourself to be a True Duelist."
"I truly want to agree with you," David, while shaking his head, tried saying, "However, I don't know if I can believe your words, Fudo-san."
Before anything else could be said by anybody, they (being Matt, David, Asagi, Mayura, and Juri) all heard footsteps growing louder and turned nearby, noticing Sean, Janice, Gabriella, Futaba, and Ren all approaching.
"Hey, son," began Ren glumly.
"I hope you don't mind, but we heard everything you said," Sean pointed out, before looking a little disappointed, "Dave, why didn't you tell us this in the first place? Why keep it a secret from everyone?"
David at first didn't say a word; he simply looked down in sadness.
"Dave, why?" pressed Janice.
"Because…I have always felt that my own struggles are solely 'my' burden to bear and overcome, and I honestly believed that should others be made aware of my true feelings, they would only pity me and give me special privileges, which would only make me feel more like an outcast and like I'm not truly part of the group," answered David solemnly, before shaking his head, "Granted none of these things are true in the eyes of all of you, but due to my troubled history, I've essentially conditioned myself to think this way, and it's been slowly eating away at me for a long time now…"
"(お兄ちゃん!) O nīchan! (Big Brother!)" cried Gabriella, who was now upset with her brother for not coming clean sooner, "We could have helped you, but instead you hurt yourself! Don't you even trust your own friends or family?" Her eyes then began to water slightly, "Do you not trust…me?"
David was taken aback; Gabriella never raised her voice at him before. It deeply upset him, because it made him feel all the more guilty for not saying anything sooner about his problems, and the fact he might have broken some trust with his loved ones.
"Gabriella, that's not true at all!" denied David, "I do indeed trust you, Mom, Dad, Sean, and Janice very much! It's just… it's 'me' whom I don't trust," His body then shook as though he was about to cry, "Everyone, I'm so sorry! Please forgive me for my rash, somewhat selfish reasons for keeping silent regarding my problems! I swear I'll never do something like this ever again!"
There was a long, grim silence amongst the remaining visitors from England, Matt, and the Astray trio, which made David feel even worse. In the stands, Ms. Simmons, Mr. Kisaka, Lisa, Discord, Michael, James R., Carlie, and Zack were all watching the scene with the aqua blue-haired boy making his confession. Eventually, Gabriella approached David, and…immediately hugged him tightly.
"G-Gabriella?" peeped David.
"I forgive you, (お兄ちゃん,) O nīchan, (Big Brother,)" Gabriella reassured, "I love you so much."
David didn't respond initially; he instead continued to stare seemingly into space. Before long, the friends and rest of the family spoke up…
"It's okay, honey," smiled Futaba, "We're all not angry with you."
"All you did was make a mistake," added Janice, "Nobody's perfect, you know."
"For sure!" agreed Sean.
"Now do you understand, son?" said Ren kindly, "You're so much better than you think you are. You should learn to trust yourself more often. I want you to remember that, do you hear me?"
"I will, Dad," promised David, "And to think, this all could have 'easily' been avoided if I had just spoken up at the very beginning."
From there, the Xadashis, Janice, and Sean all gathered for a group hug. Matt, Asagi, Mayura, and Juri all could be seen smiling over the heartwarming scene, with Mayura even drying her wet eyes. However, they weren't the only ones to watch the scene; standing near the doorway where Ren, Futaba, Gabriella, Sean, and Janice all came out from was Lisa. She watched the scene while leaning against the wall with her arms folded, before closing her eyes and smiling to herself.
(elsewhere…)
Meanwhile, on the Island of Sodor in the United Kingdom… Outside the household of the Duel Monsters World Champion, Thomas Billinton, all was going particularly well for the now graduated former student of Sodor High School.
(inside…)
Inside the living room of the house, a TV was displaying footage of David being embraced by his friends and family on the race track after finally confessing his problems, apologizing for not telling anyone about them, and ultimately being forgiven for his mistake. Megan could also be heard reporting on the moment and the end of the duel. Sitting on the couch and watching the tournament on TV were both 18-year old Thomas Billinton and 18-year old Emily Stirling, and the former's twin younger sisters Annie and Clarabel (both now 15-years old). While Emily, Annie, and Clarabel each were on the silent front, Thomas was doing some thinking back to when he and Emily met David a couple of years ago while visiting the finals of a tournament being held at Crovan's Gate.
"Well, Dave, it seems you finally discovered the reason and answer as to why you were always so reluctant to duel," Thomas thought to himself, smiling proudly, "If we could meet again, I would be the first to say how proud I am of you."
(elsewhere…)
Later outside the stadium, David was wheeling The Wild Card to one of the garages for some refueling and minor repairs. Despite his loss to Matt, David had finally overcome his problems and was now able to enjoy dueling like his new friends did. As he got halfway towards the garage…
"Hey, Dave!" The voice of Lisa yelled out, causing David to look up. The pink-haired girl was then shown approaching while decked out in her Orb-based motorcyclist suit and wheeling Strike Rouge towards the stadium, "How's it going?"
"Lisa-chan!" greeted David.
Lisa stopped wheeling Strike Rouge, deciding to have a quick conversation with her friend before proceeding to the arena.
"I have to say, you were wonderful going up against Matt in that duel," praised Lisa, "Still, I'm a bit disappointed you didn't win the duel, but, hey, Matt's a very skillful and powerful duelist, so stuff happens," She shrugged in a good-natured way, "Although, you did help get through to him in that duel so that he would finally play with his heart instead of rushing things through, so that's more of a plus than a negative to me."
David nodded, just before remembering making his little confession in the stadium after the duel. He then also recalled Lisa briefly standing nearby and overhearing as he told his friends and family members the truth.
"Lisa-chan, I need to know something from you…" started David, looking more solemn and serious, "What did you think about my little confession? Was I in the wrong for keeping my problems from my friends and loved ones for so long?"
"You merely made a mistake," replied Lisa, shaking her head, "It's something 'everybody' makes from time-to-time—heck, even I goof up sometimes. Do you remember when I made that really stupid and risky bet with the Blue Cosmos school during their visit to Orb?"
"Of course, I remember that," acknowledged David, having done the research on her beforehand, "But still, at least you had good intentions, and you were victorious in the end."
"That's true," Lisa agreed, before trying to set the record straight, "But the point I'm trying to make is that everyone—your friends, your family—they have forgiven you for not telling them from the start, right?" This earned her a nod from David, "Then you shouldn't let it bother you anymore," She smiled reassuringly, "If all is well again between the lot of you, then you should be okay."
The aqua blue-haired boy remained on the silent front as he thought about that, but he was aware that Lisa was right about that. Lisa, meanwhile, was glad to see her point had been made and then wheeled Strike Rouge away again. Before she could get very far…
"Wait, Lisa-chan!" called David.
"Huh?" wondered Lisa, who stopped wheeling her Duel Runner before turning around, "What's up? You do know I have a match to get to, right?"
"Listen, I… I-I mean, I…" stammered David, blushing while acting all jittery, "I was curious… S-Since the finals likely won't be held until later in the week… I'm wondering if you're free later tonight? I-I mean, if you're not, then I completely understand, I-I guess…"
Lisa blinked a couple times at her friend's shy behavior, but quickly smiled when she got the idea what he was trying to say to her.
"Dave, are you asking me out on a date?" she asked playfully.
"Um… Well… I mean…yes?" replied David nervously.
Lisa chuckled, "Well, how can I say no to that?"
"R-Really?" David said hopefully.
"Really really," smiled Lisa, "When my duel with Mike, win or lose, is done, we'll hammer out the details, okay?" She then started to leave again, before stopping once more, "Oh, and one more thing… Mind keeping this a secret for now? I'm not sure I'm ready to reveal this to anybody—especially to my three boy-crazy pals."
"Keeping a secret is what gave me many problems," reminded David, "But for something harmless like this, I'll try to."
"Great! So, I guess I'll see you later after the duel."
And so, Lisa continued wheeling Strike Rouge to the stadium, while David turned and wheeled The Wild Card to the nearest garage. Along the way, he had a smitten look on his face and sighed as though he had been welcomed into Heaven, mostly because he had developed a crush on Lisa and was excited he was going on a date with her later tonight. In his mind, what could possibly go wrong? What David and Lisa both didn't know, was that someone DID overhear their upcoming date plans. Okay, make that three familiar somebodies. Hiding behind a tree, having seen and heard everything, were the Bio-CPU boys, and they were none too happy.
"Well, Shani, that plan of yours to bring Lisa onto our side sure is brilliant," deadpanned Clotho, "Oh, but would you look at that, a nerd seems to have won her over. This is gonna throw a big wrench into the whole scheme!"
"Got any more bright ideas in your head, Mr. Smarty Pants?" grunted Orga, unamused.
Shani said nothing back, and only continued to glare at both Lisa and David until both teenagers were out of sight. One way or another, he was gonna bring Lisa onto his side, even if he had to come up with another scheme to ensure it happened.
(new scene…)
Back inside the stadium with the roaring and cheering audience, the final duel of the semi-finals was about to commence. Both Lisa and Michael were waiting at the starting line on their respective Duel Runners (Lisa: Strike Rouge, Michael: Wheel of Fortune).
"So, you've made it this far… Do you have what it takes to beat the King of Turbo Duelists?" teased Michael.
Lisa smirked back, "Oh, I don't know," she countered, "Maybe I do have what it takes, or maybe I don't. We'll just have to let our cards do the deciding, eh?"
In the stands…
"Does Lisa really have a chance against Mike?" pondered Mayura, "I mean, the records gotta be listing him as, like, the third strongest duelist in the world."
"You know," cut in Juri curiously, "I'm actually a little interested in hearing about the standings," She looked nearby and spotted Zack, "Hey, Zack!"
"Yeah?" replied Zack, looking at Juri.
"You have your laptop with you, right?" Juri went on, as Asagi and Mayura looked at each other for a moment and back at her, "Do you think you could use it to find out the dueling records for the top ten strongest duelists currently? I'm interested in learning who the best duelists in the world are."
Getting up, Zack casually walked over towards the Orb representatives with his laptop. He sat down beside Juri, opened the laptop up, cracked his knuckles, and began typing. Soon, he pulled up the list of duelists considered to be the very best in the world thus far and started reading it over.
"Well, here we are," announced Zack, "Currently, there's only a top five list, but I'll share who's on it anyway," He then started going through the list while Asagi, Mayura, and Juri each listened carefully and with interest, "At the no.1 spot, we have both Thomas Billinton and Scott Gresley. At the no.2 spot, Matt Fudo and Spencer Gresley."
"Huh?!" gawked Mayura.
"At no.3, we have Michael Atlas tied with Emily Stirling," rambled Zack, "No.4 has a three-way tie between James Hogan, Percy Avonside, and James Hughes… And no.5 has Carlie Izayoi tied with Stanley Hudswell," He turned off the laptop and closed it up, "Yup, that's all for the top five duelists. So, did that help, Juri?"
When he finished going over the list, he turned and saw the three Astray girls giving him strange looks.
"What?" pondered Zack defensively.
"No offense, Zack, but that rankings list sounds really weird," commented Asagi, "I mean, I have no objections to some of the positions on it, but seeing as there are so many duelists tied in certain spots throughout the list, I can't help but find it to be a little biased."
"Hey, the data doesn't usually lie," dismissed Zack with a shrug, "I trust the source because it's pretty truthful in its findings," He then eyed the track (mainly Lisa and Michael) down below, "Now, why don't we focus on watching the duel instead of worrying about something as silly as the rankings of the top duelists?"
Speaking of them, both Lisa and Michael pressed a button on Strike Rouge and Wheel of Fortune respectively, activating the auto-pilot system as the audience continued to cheer for the duel to begin.
"Duel Mode, engaged," came a computerized voice aboard the two, respective Duel Runners, "Autopilot activated."
"This is, everyone!" declared the MC, "This is the final duel of the semi-finals before we reach the very last battle of the whole tournament!" On the track, Michael and Lisa waited for the start of the duel, "Whoever wins will move forward to battle with Matt Fudo, and whoever loses—well, at least you got this far," He then got right down to business, "Now, it's time to get things underway! Action Field, on! 'Crossover Acceleration'!"
This caused the dueling track around them to glow as several Duel Monsters cards began to appear floating in little balls of light all around the track. The countdown then commenced, with both Michael and Lisa revving their respective Duel Runners about.
"Turbo Duel!" began Lisa (LP: 4000).
"Acceleration!" finished Michael (LP: 4000), as the timer ran out.
Both Strike Rouge (Lisa) and Wheel of Fortune (Michael) took off down the track, going so fast that they sometimes rode alongside the walls in an attempt to one-up the other and get the audience going.
"I'd better forget about trying to get first place and the first turn," Lisa thought to herself, as she drove back onto the road, "Wheel of Fortune is much too advanced for my Strike Rouge to outspeed and outperform."
And she was right about that; Wheel of Fortune, after riding off the walls for a little bit, soon returned to driving on the track before crossing the finish line a fair distance from where Strike Rouge currently was.
"Alright, King!" called Lisa, "You won the race, so you get to go first!"
Michael smirked, "It's to be expected when facing me," he scoffed, drawing a card, "It's my turn!"
Turn One: Michael Atlas (LP: 4000)
Deck: 54
Current Hand (6): "Big Piece Golem", "Absolute King Back Jack", "Polymerization", "Scarlet Security", "Medium Piece Golem", and "King Scarlet"
Action Card: N/A
After seeing his drawn card ('Polymerization'), the smile on his face grew slightly evil-looking. Michael then added the drawn card into his hand (containing 'Big Piece Golem', 'Absolute King Back Jack', 'Scarlet Security', 'Medium Piece Golem', and 'King Scarlet') and took three cards out to use.
"I activate the Spell Card, 'Polymerization'!" The lime green-haired young man began, as the mentioned Spell Card materialized face-up on the field behind Wheel of Fortune, "I must Fusion Summon 1 Fusion Monster from my Extra Deck, using monsters from my hand or field as Fusion Material."
Lisa looked surprised; this 'Polymerization' Spell Card had a far different artwork than the copies she's seen throughout her dueling career. Still, even if the artwork was different, the effect was the same as it ever was. Speaking of which, a large gray rock-like monster known as 'Big Piece Golem', and a tan-colored rock-like monster called 'Medium Piece Golem' both briefly appeared on the field before fusing together.
"Fusion Summon!" declared Michael, "Come, my servant, 'Multiple Piece Golem'!"
Appearing on the field, when the Fusion Summon sequence ended, was a large stone golem-like monster with colors based off of 'Big Piece Golem' and 'Medium Piece Golem' (Level: 7/ATK: 2600/DEF: 1300).
"'Multiple Piece Golem'?" thought Lisa, looking up at the Rock Fusion Monster, "As powerful as it looks, it's actually not a very good Level 7 Fusion Monster. I wonder why Mike would make a simple play like that?" She looked at her hand quickly, "If that's it for Mike's turn, then I should be relieved over having the cards I need to defeat it without the worry of triggering anything funny."
Hopefully so. Back in the stands, specifically with the Orb representatives…
"You know, I just realized something important; Lisa's the only competitor from Orb who's left in the tournament, now," remarked Asagi.
"Yeah, and she's the only chance we have," agreed Mayura.
There was a beat, and both young women turned to look at their intelligent, dark blue-haired best friend.
"Why are you two looking at me like that?" quizzed Juri innocently.
"Because we'd like to know something," replied Mayura, "Who are you going to root for in this duel? Is it Lisa?"
Juri raised an eyebrow, "Huh?"
"Or maybe you'd rather root for that super handsome Mike, hmm?" teased Asagi, causing Juri to cringe and blush, "I bet it would be impossible for you to root for our fellow Orb member due to your not-so-secret crush on Mike. Well, am I right or wrong? Probably right."
The exasperated and embarrassed expression on Juri's blushing face said it all.
"Wh-What, are you kidding?" stammered Juri, "It's so obvious I'm going to root for Lisa because she's my friend!" She then stopped, "I-I mean, Mike's my friend too, but I…!"
"Sure, sure, Juri, whatever you say," said Asagi sarcastically.
She (Asagi) and Mayura then giggled playfully before resuming watching the duel, leaving Juri to scowl in annoyance and embarrassment before she shook her head and joined them both in watching the duel. Back on the track, the End Phase for Michael's turn had suddenly come.
"I end my turn!" declared Michael, before gripping onto the two handles of his Duel Runner.
Wheel of Fortune gained even more speed and zoomed ahead while it started moving along the walls. To make things even better, Michael did a 180 with it so that he could look at his opponent despite still driving forward on the wall.
"Now, Lisa, it's your turn!" hollered Michael, upside down, before holding his right hand out towards his opponent, "I want you to strike at the King with nothing but your absolute best!"
"Geez, Mike is really boastful!" Lisa told herself mentally, "Even still, he has the dueling skill to back it up, and I can't let myself get cocky against him—because I just might regret it," She then drew a card and spoke aloud, "It's my turn!"
Turn Two: Lisa Drake (LP: 4000)
Deck: 54
Current Hand (6): "Naturia Sacred Tree", "Naturia Stinkbug", "Blustering Winds", "Naturia Pumpkin", "Murmur of the Forest", and "Exterio's Fang"
Action Card: N/A
Adding the card into her hand, Lisa took another out and placed it onto her Duel Runner.
"I Summon 'Naturia Pumpkin' in Attack Position!" The pink-haired girl began.
Appearing onto the field was the green pumpkin with cartoony eyes, and limbs coming out of its body (Level: 4/ATK: 1400/DEF: 800).
"Next, I'll activate 'Naturia Pumpkin's' effect!" As Lisa spoke, she took another card ('Naturia Stinkbug') out and placed it onto her Duel Runner, "When this card is Normal Summoned while my opponent controls a monster: I can Special Summon 1 'Naturia' monster from my hand," She held her right hand out, "Come, 'Naturia Stinkbug'!"
Appearing onto the field was a green stink bug-like monster (Level: 3/ATK: 300/DEF: 500).
"The Levels of those two monsters equals 7," Michael thought to himself, still riding on the wall and upside down before smirking with slight interest, "Can this mean 'Ancient Fairy Dragon' will show herself this soon?"
Well, let's find out if it would appear.
"My Level 3 'Naturia Stinkbug' tunes Level 4 'Naturia Pumpkin'!" announced Lisa.
Okay, so it looked like 'Ancient Fairy Dragon' won't come out right away. 'Naturia Stinkbug' turned itself into three Synchro Rings, which 'Naturia Pumpkin' jumped into before turning into four orbs of light as Lisa was hearding performing a Summon Chant…
"Gentle creature of nature, withdraw yourself from your protective shell, and prove to the corrupt of business that nature will always win," chanted Lisa, as the symbols 4 + 3 = 7 were shown briefly just before spreading her right arm out in welcome, "Synchro Summon! Show yourself, 'Naturia Landoise'!"
Emerging from the resulting massive beam of light and onto the field, was what looked like a giant rock-like tortoise with a hill of grass and a tree on its shell (Level: 7/ATK: 2350/DEF: 1600). Both 'Multiple Piece Golem' and 'Naturia Landoise' quickly faced each other, while Michael (still riding on the wall and in a 180 turn) and Lisa glared at each other for who knows how long.
"So, 'Ancient Fairy Dragon' didn't appear just yet," thought Michael, "Still, that was an interesting choice of Synchro Summon for this early in the duel."
"This is just the beginning of everything, Mike," thought Lisa, "When I'm through preparing, your 'Multiple Piece Golem' will be demolished into pebbles and dust!"
(elsewhere…)
Inside the main office of city hall, Rex, sipping a cup of tea, was watching the final duel of the semi-finals. The appearance of 'Shooting Star Dragon' in the previous duel really got his attention and made him wonder what else the famous duelists of Team 4D's were capable of bringing out.
"And so, the King and Lisa begin their battle," mused Rex to no one in particular, "Will one of them evolve their Signer Dragon like Matt demonstrated against David? I look forward to finding that out in this duel. Whatever it takes, this tournament must be seen to the bitter end so that it will lure 'them' out."
(elsewhere…)
Back in the New York City stadium, Wheel of Fortune (now back on the track) and Strike Rouge continued their so-called 'race' as their respective monsters (Michael: 'Multiple Piece Golem', Lisa: 'Naturia Landoise') followed from behind.
"Although it's too soon to tell," The voice of the MC commented, "I can definitely foresee another truly epic battle that will commence at some point!"
As both Duel Runners froze in place while crossing the finish line, faded images of both Michael and Lisa (head to shoulders) appeared in the sky as they continued glaring at each other. This was going to be a duel to see who would face Matt Fudo in the final battle, and it would be anyone's game to determine the outcome.
That's right, this chapter features a cameo of some very important characters from "Yu-Gi-Oh! The Sodor Chronicles", now older, wiser, and all of that other good stuff. Either way, the semi-finals has at least one more duel before the final battle commences, so stay tuned for the exciting finale.