Yu-Gi-Oh! DF Book One: Gather the Duel Force - Chapter Two

These'll be coming one or two a day for the foreseeable future so, ya know, look forward to that.

If you couldn't tell, the duel in this chapter is very much an homage to the televised duel between Weevil Underwood (Insector Haga) and Rex Raptor (Ryuzaki) at the start of the Duelist Kingdom arch. 



Chapter Two

Team Match;
Team Duel Force vs. Team Beatdown



The next day, my team and I met at the local mall, making our way to the location of the long awaited Game Center, a place where Duelists all over the area could go to experience new versions of the game and improve their skills. A man that I am pretty sure was the Game Center's newly-hired manager had just finished wheeling a portable podium out in front of the large entrance, which was blocked off by a thick black curtain. Duelists of varying ages had gathered all around the podium, and above the podium hung a large flat-screen video monitor.

It was only a few minutes after we arrived that the manager stepped up to the podium to speak. “Welcome,” he said, “to the Grand Opening of the seventeenth Industrial Illusions Game Center, the first to open here in Ohio-” His speech continued, but I didn’t really pay too much attention.

“John,” Tucker asked, “you know this Christopher Johnson guy, the one that they got to captain Team Beatdown? Is he really as good as everyone says?”

“From what I’ve heard he is,” I replied, while still keeping an eye on the events playing out before us. “I read up on him on the internet. He’s just as careful not to let anything get posted online about his deck as anyone else, but people have posted plenty about Christopher himself. He's never lost a duel. He was chosen as one of two team captains because of his history as the long reining regional champion, while I was chosen randomly off of a list on some database.”

“You think we’ll win?” Sarah asked.

“Not a chance,” I said, absolutely matter-of-fact, “now be quiet. I think this guy’s about to say something important.”

“Now everyone,” the manager said, stepping aside as the screen above his head lowered into position, “I give you the sponsor of this establishment, Maximillion Pegasus!”

Everyone in the crowd clapped, though the recording of the Duel Monsters creator could not hear them. I watched, eagerly, as the face of the legendary figure appeared on the screen. “Greetings Duelists,” the recording said in a sing-song voice that just struck me as odd coming from the lips of a man Pegasus' age, “and welcome to the grand opening of my newest Game Center. Like with all of my Centers I consider this, the first Game Center to open in the grand state of Ohio, to be a special project. I spared no expense in equipping it with the latest technology, including Duel Disks and Holomats, all available for rent. You will also find a full Duel Disk arena, a store, and a restaurant, ensuring that your experience here will be the best it possibly can be. And now, if I am correct, it is nine-o-clock, time to open the doors and begin the exhibition match, featuring regional champion Christopher Johnson!”

There was an uproar from the crowd all around me. Everyone knew who Christopher was. I heard people talking to their friends, saying things like “...king of swift attacks...” and “...able to win in a single turn, no problem!”

The screen rose back up to the ceiling, and the manager returned to his previous place behind the podium and cried out, “Now, ladies and gentlemen, Duelists of all ages, welcome to the Game Center!”

The curtain behind him parted, and the crowd around me poured inside. I stood and watched them with my team. When the crowd thinned enough for me to make out who was walking and who was standing still, I noticed a group of four standing to my left. Three of them were unremarkable. Normal kids. One was tall, about 6’ 1”, with long brown hair. The other two were about my height. One had brown hair, and the other had light blond hair. They didn’t stand out. They didn't look too weak, or too strong. They were absolutely average.

It was the fourth one who caught my attention. Christopher was sixteen, one year older than me, with light brown hair and almost yellow-brown eyes. He wore dark blue jeans, and a jean jacket over a faded black t-shirt, and he had a Duel Disk strapped to his left arm. He was watching me too. Our eyes met, competitive aggression passing between us, and I could tell two things about him. One: he didn't seem to be a bad guy. He looked stern, but he really looked like someone who you would be glad to have watching your back. And two: he had absolutely no doubt in his mind that me and my team would lose.

I know I told Sarah that we didn’t stand a chance against these guys, but right there, in that moment, Christopher’s confidence triggered my own arrogant competitiveness, a trait that I try to keep to myself whenever I can. I decided in that moment that, despite my chances, I would win.

After the rest of the crowd had gone inside, my team and Team Beatdown were led by the manager into a large area alongside the actual Game Center where the management offices were located.

“Is everyone on both teams clear on how this is gonna work?” the manager asked.

“Yes,” Christopher replied, speaking for his team.

“Team Duel Force?” the manager asked, addressing me.

“Yes,” I answered confidently. Maybe overconfidently.

“Okay, good,” the manager turned and led us to a large door leading to the interior, “remember that you can’t deviate from the pre-submitted order or the whole team will be disqualified.”

“Right,” I nodded as another man led Team Beatdown out onto the floor. I could hear cheering and applause.

“Your turn Duel Force,” the manager said, “good luck.”


As my team and I entered the main room we were met by applause. I looked around to check the place out. The front half of the large round room was nothing but booths lining walls, snack machines, tables, and the restaurant. The back half was arcade games (only some of which were Duel Monsters themed), and stadium style seats around a large raised platform. My team was led to one end of the platform. Team Beatdown was led to the other. All around us, sitting at the tables and the seats, were at least two hundred Duelists. The ceiling was dome-shaped, like a stadium. The room was lit by dozens of rows of fluorescent lights.

“Now,” said the manager, “it’s time to begin. Will the first two Duelists please step up onto the arena floor?”

The crowd cheered as the first member of Team Beatdown, the taller kid, stepped up onto the platform. Some staff guys brought my team and I our new Duel Disks (which I was told we were allowed to keep, awesome!), and our first Duelist, my cousin Jen, stepped up across from her opponent.

“Whaaat!?” the tall kid cried in a way that was both dramatic and condescending, “I have to fight a little girl? I’m James, of Team Beatdown! Some little girl won't even be a snack for my deck!”

“We'll see,” I said from my place below, trying not to sound as hostile as I felt toward this guy who would so casually insult my friend. “Jen’s no pushover.”

“I go first,” said Jen (LP: 2000). “Draw, and activate ‘Pot of Greed’. With this card’s effect, I can draw two more cards.”

Jen drew, and selected a new card, “I set a monster in face-down defense position, and set two cards face-down.”

“Ah ha,” said James, obviously mistaking strategy for weakness, “You’re already running scared! I’ll have to make this quick and put you out of your misery. I summon my ‘Gilasaurus’ as a Special Summon, which means I can summon a second ‘Gilasaurus’ as well, also as a Special Summon! And finally I summon my ‘Uraby’, and I attack!”

James’ monsters, two small brown dinosaurs about six feet tall, and a larger dinosaur, fifteen feet tall, so dark brown that it was almost black, stood poised to attack Jen. ‘Uraby’ took two steps forward and slashed at the hologram of Jen's face-down monster with his long claws. Just before the monster was destroyed it was revealed as a large, green grasshopper.

“Alright!” said James. “Attack her, my two ‘Gilasaurus’! Finish her off (Total ATK: 2800)!" The two dinosaurs roared and started forward.

“Activate,” said Jen, “the effect of my ‘Pinch Hopper’. When it goes to the Graveyard I can summon any Insect card from my hand. I choose to summon the ‘Empress Mantis’.”

Between Jen and the attacking monsters appeared a giant praying mantis with a frilly white collar (DEF: 1400). James’ dinosaurs leaped at her, but she repelled them with her blade-like arms.

“Now I activate the Trap card ‘Zero Gravity’, changing the battle positions of every monster on the field (‘Mantis’’s ATK: 2200/‘Gilasaurus’’s DEF: 400/‘Uraby’’s DEF: 800). And since a monster you control was changed to defense mode, I can activate the Trap card ‘Tragedy’, destroying every defense position monster on your field.”

James stared, shocked, as his one-turn army of monsters disappeared before his beady little eyes.

“Now I move again,” said Jen, drawing a new card. “I attack you with my ‘Mantis’ and finish you off.” Throughout the entire duel, through all of the goading, Jen had remained calm and collected, as I’d known she would. And it had paid off. As the ‘Mantis’ struck (James’ LP: 2000-2200=0) the crowd fell silent. As it turned out, a newbie could beat a pro after all.

Jen stood at her end of the platform and placed another card face-down. She held the remaining two cards close to her, and ended her turn. James stepped down and Jen’s next opponent, the other brown haired boy, took his place. “Hi,” he said, “I’m Jason, and I’m the one who’s going to defeat you.”

Card of the Day:

Zero Gravity

Played by: Jen

Read "Played by: Jen" above. Jen is awesome, this is a card that she played in her first appearance and still has in her deck in the current draft of my latest book, therefor this card is the card of the day.

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