I feel I should point out that a portion of this chapter is not only the first thing that I posted in relation to this story ever, but very close to the first thing I ever wrote about Yu-Gi-Oh! I'm referring to the skirmish between "Great Maju Garzett" and Christopher's monster near the end of the chapter. In the original version of this story, it took place on Duelist Kingdom Island, during an anniversary tournament replicating that one. Just like in this version, John could only defeat the main baddie with "Great Maju Garzett". There, however, it was because he literally didn't have any monsters with more than two thousand attack. I think he originally tributed "Whiptail Crow" to summon it.
Just FYI.
Chapter Three
A Rivalry is Born
“Since you have cards in play and more wins than me,” Jason announced, “I get to make the next move, no contest. I start with the Spell card ‘Painful Choice’. I choose five cards from my deck and show them to you. You choose one to add to my hand, and I discard the rest.”
Jason fanned out his deck and looked through, choosing five cards. He placed them on the five Monster Card Zones of his Duel Disk, and holograms of the five cards appeared in the air above his head. Three ‘Berserk Gorillas’ and two ‘Voltech Kongs’.
“Add ‘Voltech Kong’ to your hand,” Jen said, though I'm sure she saw as well as I did that her choice probably didn't matter much. Either way, Jason did as he was told, sending the remaining cards to the Graveyard.
“I summon,” Jason declared, “my ‘Bazoo the Soul-Eater’ in attack mode!”
Between Jason and Jen’s insect appeared a large baboon-like monster, purple in color, with a gray belly and horns. “My monster,” Jason explained, “can eat three souls per turn to increase his attack points by three hundred per soul until my next turn. So I remove ‘Voltech Kong’ and two ‘Berserk Gorillas’ from play to raise his attack power to twenty-five hundred.
“Now,” Jason declared, “I play ‘Wild Nature’s Release’, raising ‘Bazoo’’s attack by an amount equal to his defense (2500+900=3400). I also activate two more Spell cards, ‘Mystical Space Typhoon’ to destroy your face-down card, and ‘Poison Fang’, a card that increases the damage a Beast monster can deal to my opponent by five hundred.”
A burst of wind cut through Jen’s card and destroyed it.
“Attack with ‘Bazoo’ to destroy the ‘Mantis’,” Jason declared. ‘Bazoo’ reached out and crushed the giant bug with his right hand (LP: 2000 +2200-3400-500=300). “Now I end my turn with a face-down card, and my ‘Bazoo’ is destroyed by the effect of ‘Wild Nature’s Release’.” ‘Bazoo’ disappeared.
Jen drew her next card, finally beginning to look distressed. She only had four cards left in her hand, and nothing in play.
“I summon my ‘Neo Bug’ in attack mode,” Jen declared, a large, dark green mantis with blades for forearms appearing at her side (ATK: 1800), “and attack you directly to even up the score.”
‘Neo Bug’ lunged at Jason, its blades raised, but Jason was one step ahead. “Reveal,” he said, “the Trap card ‘Call of the Haunted’, summoning my ‘Berserk Gorilla’ from the Graveyard.” A large orange/brown gorilla appeared and beat its chest (ATK: 2000). I glanced up at Jen’s hand. As I suspected, she had lost.
“I stop my attack,” said Jen, “and, based on page seven of the Team Duel Rulebook, I forfeit two thirds of my remaining Life Points to the next Duelist, Tucker.” Jen’s Life Points dropped to zero, and she and Tucker traded places (Tucker’s Life Points: 2000+200=2200).
“Watch out,” Jen told Tucker as she passed him, “this guy is pretty good.”
“Shush,” Tucker replied proudly, “I got this.”
Addressing his opponent he said, “Since you have cards in play, I go first.” A grin spread wide across his face, “I play ‘Graceful Charity’, which lets me draw three cards, as long as I discard two afterward. I discard the Fire monsters ‘Hinotama Soul’ and ‘Tyhone #2’ and remove them from play to Special Summon ‘Inferno’ and ‘Spirit of Flames’.”
Tucker’s monsters appeared. ‘Inferno’ was a floating face made up of raging flames (ATK: 1100), and ‘Spirit of Flames’ was a muscular humanoid figure with red skin and two curved horns on his head (ATK: 1700).
“Next,” said Tucker, “since both of these monsters were summoned by Special Summon, I can Normal Summon ‘Gaia Soul the Combustible Collective’. Wait ’til ya see his ability!”
A large mass of heat, fire, and flesh appeared, floating in the air. It absorbed Tucker’s other two monsters into itself to raise its own attack power (ATK: 2000+1000 +1000=4000).
“‘Combustible Collective’ attack!” Tucker commanded, and the monster fired itself at ‘Berserk Gorilla’ like a living meteor. It exploded, taking the Beast monster with it. Jason threw his arms up to protect his face from the smoke and flames that washed over him, even if they were only barely-tangible holograms (2000+2000-4000=0). Jason stepped down and was replaced by the third Team Beatdown member, the blond-haired one.
“So who are you?” Tucker asked.
“I’m Mike,” he answered, sounding annoyed, “and I go first (LP: 2000). I draw, and I summon my ‘Warrior Dai Grepher’.”
A tall, muscular warrior appeared, wearing black leather padded armor and carrying a longsword (ATK: 1700). He slashed Tucker with his blade (2200-1700=500).
“Next,” said Mike, “I lay two cards face-down, and I end my turn.”
Tucker drew, frowning, and threw his hands up in frustration. “All I’ve got is a lot of nothin’, so I’ll just set a defensive monster and end my turn.”
“Then I draw,” said Mike, “and play ‘Polymerization’, fusing my ‘Warrior Dai Grepher’ with my ‘Spirit Ryu’.” ‘Warrior Dai Grepher’’s sword morphed into a double-ended blade, and purple dragon armor formed over his head and torso, “forming ‘Ryu Senshi’ (ATK: 2000). Next I summon ‘Dark Blade’,” a warrior clad entirely in black armor, carrying a long, menacing curved blade it each hand appeared as well (ATK: 1800).
“‘Dark Blade’ attacks,” commanded Mike, “killing your face-down monster-.”
“And activating my monster’s effect,” Tucker cut in, his Tucker-smirk growing even wider.
‘Dark Blade’ slashed, just as the monster was revealed as a smoldering shadow. The monster was cut in half.
“That,” Tucker explained, “was ‘The Thing in the Crater’. When this monster is destroyed by battle, I can Special Summon any Pyro monster I want from my hand.
“Using my ‘Thing in the Crater’’s effect, I Special Summon ‘Twin-Headed Fire Dragon’.” A large red dragon appeared, its two necks connected to a large round mass, as if it had once been two dragons that were forced to combine together in some kind of accident (ATK: 2200).
“Attack,” commanded Mike, “and I activate my ‘Dragon Burst’ card, raising the attack power of my ‘Ryu Senshi’ by eight hundred points (2000+800=2800)!” ‘Ryu Senshi’ swung his sword, cleaving the dragon in half, destroying it (500+2200-2800 =0).
“Looks like the score is equal now, two and two,” said a kid in the audience.
“Yeah,” another kid replied, “but Christopher hasn’t gone yet.”
My sister, Sarah, stepped up next. She didn’t look all too tough, being thin and short, and just generally small in stature, but just as she often proved in sports, those things don't matter if you're good enough. And she was good. Really good. Her deck was one that reflected her qualities and skills in real life: determination, quick fluid thinking, and directed fury. Duel Monsters wasn’t her favorite thing in the world, but that didn’t mean she took the game any less seriously than the rest of us.
“My turn,” said Sarah, “and I start out by summoning my ‘Water Magician’ in attack mode.”
Sarah’s monster, a woman in a blue cap and cape appeared, carrying a jeweled staff (ATK: 1400).
“Next,” said Sarah, “I equip my ‘Water Magician’ with two Spell cards, the magical trident ‘Power of Kaishin’, and the metal-plated ‘Steel Shell’.” A trident weapon appeared in the female monster’s free left hand, and a metallic shell appeared on her back (1400+300+400=2100).
“‘Water Magician’,” Sarah commanded, “attack ‘Ryu Senshi’, Aqua Magic Attack!” ‘Aqua Magician’ crossed her trident and her staff, and summoned a stream of water that poured over ‘Ryu Senshi’, drowning him (2000+2000-2100=1900).
“I end my turn,” said Sarah, “with a face-down card.”
Mike drew his next card, but paid it very little thought. Whatever his strategy was, he already had it planned out. “I begin my turn with the Spell card ‘Draconic Attack’,” he began. “This card equips to the Warrior monster ‘Dark Blade’, giving him the fury of a dragon (1800+500=2300). My ‘Dark Blade’ attacks and destroys your ‘Water Magician’ with Draconic Burst!”
‘Dark Blade’ became wreathed in an aura of blue flames. The flames spread out, becoming fiery wings. ‘Dark Blade’ rose up into the air above ‘Water Magician’. He crossed his swords and a stream for blue flames in the shape of a serpentine dragon burst from the point where the swords met. ‘Water Magician’ crossed her weapons as well, releasing her water stream attack, but the Draconic Burst dispersed it and burned the ‘Water Magician’ to ashes (2000+2100-2300=1800).
Sarah scowled. She wasn’t mad so much as she was frustrated that she would have to summon another monster. That’s just how she is.
“My move,” said Sarah. “I’ll begin with a defense monster, my ‘Hyosube’.” A tall amphibian man with brown hair, blue skin, and a turtle’s shell appeared, crouched down into a defensive position. (DEF: 900).
“Now,” Sarah continued, “I’ll finish up with two face-down cards. End turn.”
“My move,” said Mike, drawing again, and again disregarding the newest addition to his hand in favor of the cards that he already held. “I summon my ‘Pitch-Dark Dragon’.”
Beside ‘Dark Blade’ appeared a large black dragon, letting out a loud roar (ATK: 900).
“‘Pitch-Dark Dragon’ is a Union monster," Mike explained, "that can give my ‘Dark Blade’ a piercing ability and another four hundred attack points. As I’m sure you know, that will make my monster’s attack power twenty-seven hundred, and twenty-seven hundred minus nine hundred is eighteen hundred exactly. Looks like you lose this turn, Water Duelist.”
“Not quite,” said Sarah, “because I have a Trap card, ‘Torrential Tribute’. The waters of ‘Torrential Tribute’ flow when a monster is summoned, and destroy every monster on the field.”
As Sarah explained the effect of her card, the card hologram of the card flipped up, and water poured from it, washing all three monsters away.
“Anything else you wanna try?” Sarah asked. “No? Then at the end of your turn I activate another Trap, ‘Soul Resurrection’, reviving my ‘Water Magician’ in defense mode,” ‘Water Magician’ reappeared, assuming a defensive stance.
“Now, as my turn begins," Sarah announced, "I change ‘Water Magician’ to attack mode, and remove ‘Hyosube’ in my Graveyard from play to Special Summon my favorite monster, ‘Aqua Spirit’, and attack with both monsters for the win.”
‘Aqua Spirit’, a young, blue-skinned water sprite in a blue dress, appeared in a spray of foamy bubbles (ATK: 1600), discharging a stream of water alongside the attack of the ‘Water Magician’ (1900-1400-1600=0). Mike was defeated, but he shrugged dismissively, like he didn't really mind.
Christopher, an image of grace and confidence, traded places with his fallen teammate. He stood to face Sarah for either the tie or the win. He looked across the length of the arena and met her eye, nodding respectfully before saying, “Looks like I get to make the first move.” Just like that, the real game was underway (LP: 2000).
“I begin my move,” said Christopher, “with one of my favorite cards, ‘Burning Beast’,” a beast made of magma appeared on Christopher’s field (ATK: 1500).
“My ‘Burning Beast’, however, is weak on his own,” Christopher explained, “so I’ll increase my advantage with ‘Frontline Base’, a Continuous Spell card that allows me to summon my ‘Freezing Beast’ as well.”
Beside ‘Burning Beast’ appeared a second beast, this time made of ice (ATK: 1500). I knew immediately what was going on.
“Finally,” said Christopher, “I play ‘Banner of Courage’, increasing the strength of my monsters during my own Battle Phase, and I unionize my monsters into the mighty and massive ‘Freezing Burning Beast’ (ATK: 1500)!”
Christopher was good, I could see that, but as his two monsters merged into an amalgam of magma and ice, twice as large, with two heads which were partially merged together, I had already noticed two details which stood out as flaws in his strategy. First, he had played enough cards in one turn that his hand was almost empty. Second, he had just merged two monsters into one, giving up one opportunity to attack to create a monster with the same attack points. To me, this move made very little sense.
“Now I attack your ‘Water Magician’,” said Christopher, “with my ‘Beast’’s Burning Ice Attack (ATK: 1500+200=1700)!” ‘Freezing Burning Beast’ opened one of it's two mouths, the one which seemed the most complete, and a stream of burning snow poured forth, burning the ‘Water Magician’ to ash (1800+1400-1700=1500).
“I follow up my attack,” said Christopher, “with a Spell card, ‘Combination Attack’. This card de-Unionizes my ‘Beast’, returning him to his original state as two monsters,” the ‘Beast’ split into ‘Burning Beast’ and ‘Freezing Beast’, and I understood what Christopher had done.
“Now I attack you," he concluded, "with Burning Attack and Freezing Attack!”
‘Burning Beast’ blasted ‘Aqua Spirit’ with an incinerating blast (1500+1600-1700=1400), and ‘Freezing Beast’ showered Sarah with icy breath, reducing her Life Points to zero.
“Now I end my turn with one more card,” said Christopher, “the Spell card ‘Card of Sanctity’, letting me rebuild my hand by drawing until I hold six cards.”
The crowd all around us cheered, reacting to the brilliance of Christopher’s play. With only two Spell cards he had managed to tie up every hole in his strategy, turning one attack into three, and replenishing his entire hand. He really was a genius. I stepped up to face him. I knew that I was strong, but I also understood just how small a chance I had of winning. But that didn't matter. We had done well, and people would remember that.
“Hello, Christopher,” I said, “I’m John. It’s an honor (LP: 2000).”
“Likewise,” Christopher replied. “I’ve heard you’re good. I’m looking forward to testing your strength for myself.”
I drew my hand and examined it, looked up to examine the state of the field. I looked Christopher in the eyes, competitive sparks passing between us. He still had the lava creature ‘Burning Beast’, the icy creature, ‘Freezing Beast’, and the Spell cards ‘Banner of Courage’ and ‘Frontline Base’. I smiled, “You want to see my strength? Then I’ll start with my best, my favorite monster, ‘The Fiend Megacyber’!” The yellow-armored warrior appeared, his fists charged with energy (ATK: 2200). He was ready for a fight!
“I’ll attack your ‘Burning Beast’ with my ‘Megacyber’,” I declared, “Megacyber Impact!” The spectators fell silent as my ‘Fiend Megacyber’ struck the magma beast with a glowing fist. The creature blew apart, reduced to chunks of smoldering rock that broke down into pixels. As Christopher’s Life Points fell (2000+1500-2200=1300), his fans began to realize that their idol was only human, that he could be harmed.
“I end my move,” I said, “with a face-down card.” My card’s hologram appeared at my feet, and my opponent’s turn began.
“I draw,” said Christopher, “and I summon one of my favorite cards, ‘Blazing Warrior Lady’ (ATK: 2200).” A beautiful female warrior appeared, drawing a katana which was surrounded by flames.
“And to complete my strategy for this turn,” Christopher continued, “I play ‘Deadly Ice Field’ which allows me to destroy your face-down card, and in exchange the effects of all of my face-up Spell and Trap cards are negated until the end of the turn.” Ice crept up over Christopher’s two cards, spread across the ground, and ice spikes burst up out of the ground beneath my Trap card, ‘Sakuretsu Armor’, destroying it.
“Now I attack your ‘Fiend Megacyber’ with ‘Blazing Warrior Lady’, destroying them both.” The two monster's rushed at each other. Fire and energy wrapped around them fiercely. Their attacks met, and the resulting energy wave vaporized both monsters completely.
“Now,” Christopher concluded, “I attack directly with my ‘Freezing Beast’ (2000-1500=500).
“Not bad,” I said, drawing my next card as the ice over Christopher’s cards receded, “but if that’s all you’ve got, I’m a little disappointed.”
I tried to feign confidence, but truth was I was scared. I didn’t have any cards in my hand that could defeat Christopher’s ‘Beast’.
“I activate the Spell card ‘Graceful Charity’," I announced, a little desperately. "I draw three cards, and then discard two cards. Next I play ‘Pot of Greed’ to draw two more cards.”
I looked over the cards in my almost entirely new hand. I’d drawn some good stuff, including 'Summoned Skull', the monster with the highest base Attack in my deck. I had ‘Monster Reborn’ as well, which could be used to call ‘Fiend Megacyber’ back from the dead. But if I did, Christopher would survive the turn, and if his previous turns were any indication, he would be able to overcome my monster again and deplete my last five hundred Life Points before I could counterattack.
I have to end this Duel now, I thought, or admit defeat, but even if I summon my ‘Summoned Skull’ I will only deal Christopher one thousand damage!
And then I noticed another card that I’d just drawn: my newest card. I smiled a wicked smile as a new plan formed.
“I think it’s about time we ended this Duel,” I said, grinning with confidence. “I’ll begin my comeback with the Spell Card ‘Monster Reborn’ to return my ‘Fiend Megacyber’ to the field!”
My warrior appeared again, fists charged and ready. But he was no longer my trump card. “I sacrifice my ‘Fiend Megacyber’,” I announced, “to summon ‘Great Maju Garzett’!”
The crowd fell silent as ‘Fiend Megacyber’ became wisps of black smoke. The smoke reformed into a tall, brown, skeletal demon with a crystal in his forehead. “The ‘Great Maju Garzett’’s Attack power,” I explained, my whole body tingling with pride and anticipation, “becomes two times the Attack of the sacrificed monster (ATK: 2200x2=4400).”
Several people in the audience gasped as they realized what this meant. With no face-down cards and only thirteen hundred Life Points, Christopher could not survive my ‘Great Maju’’s attack. “‘Great Maju Garzett’,” I commanded, “finish him off with Vile Energy Blast!” ‘Great Maju’ thrust with his palm, discharging a burst of black energy that incinerated Christopher’s monster and ended Christopher’s reign as an undefeated champion all at once.
Card of the Day:
Great Maju Garzett
Played by: John
There were a lot of cool cards played in this chapter, which is the first chapter to feature original cards (see below), but "Great Maju Garzett" is probably the most important of the bunch. Even in the latest chapters in this series, this monster is John's trump card. John is someone who overwhelms his opponent to win, and this is his heavy hitter, a monster with the power to overwhelm pretty much any monster in the game. At this point in the story, this monster could have up to 5000 ATK.
Original Cards in This Chapter:
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