This duel is one of the few times in my stories that two of my mains actually fight each other. Most other times it's because of plot, rather than just because they're gamers playing a game as they do here. This is actually in keeping with actual Yu-Gi-Oh! canon, in which a duel between main characters will always happen off screen unless it's important to the plot.
On the subject of the duel itself, I think it turned out really well. I think I did an okay job of going back and recapturing a little bit of my old writing style.
On the subject of the duel itself, I think it turned out really well. I think I did an okay job of going back and recapturing a little bit of my old writing style.
Chapter FourteenDuel Force vs. Duel Force!
The crowd got all worked up. They didn’t know who we were, but they thought it was interesting that two members of the same team were going to duel. We ignored the shopkeeper’s half-assed attempt to introduce us as we made our way up to the arena.
“I’ve never dueled anyone that I know in a tournament before,” said Sarah. “I wonder how this is gonna go, considering that we know each others’ decks so well.”
“I guess it’ll come down to who has the best strategy,” I answered, smirking, “and that’s me.”
Sarah smirked back, “I wouldn’t count on that. You aren’t the only one who’s been preparing for this Egypt thing.”
We parted, each taking up a different end of the arena.
Sarah gave me the smug face. I shot her mine back. I think the shopkeeper flipped a coin, but we ignored him, the air between us charged with competitive energy.
“I’ll go first,” Sarah declared.
“Fine by me,” I told her, and our voices rang out, “Duel!”
She drew, “Let’s start out with a classic. I summon ‘Mother Grizzly’ and equip her with ‘Steel Shell’.”
The blue-furred grizzly appeared, Sarah’s apparently favorite Equip Spell appearing on its back (ATK: 1400+400=1800).
“I set a card,” Sarah concluded. “Go, so I can beat the next guy and win this tournament.”
I drew my opening hand, Her monster is a searcher. She knows that I know that, but then again any Duelist worth their salt knows what ‘Mother Grizzly’ can do. All I can do is prepare as much as possible for what's coming. And the best way to do that is to summon a monster of my own with the power to Special Summon.
“I summon,” I declared, “my ‘Pinch Hopper’, equipped with ‘Insect Armor with Laser Cannon’.”
“Like I didn’t see that coming,” Sarah quipped. My monster appeared, the massive cannon on its back.
I ignored Sarah, “I activate the Field Spell ‘Forest’, making my monster even stronger.”
The field around us changed, becoming a dense forest. The ‘Pinch Hopper’ got even stronger under the shade of its many branches (ATK: 1000+700+200=1900).
“I attack,” I declared, and ‘Pinch Hopper’ fired its cannon, vaporizing ‘Mother Grizzly’ in an instant (4000+1800-1900=3900).
“You destroyed my ‘Mother Grizzly’,” Sarah explained unnecessarily, a huge grin on her face, “which means I get to summon a monster from my deck. I summon “Water Magician’.”
The sorceress appeared, her staff in hand and a smile on her face (ATK: 1400).
“I also get to reveal my ‘Numinous Healer’,” she added, her Life Points climbing (3900+500=4400).
“In that case,” I told her, “I set one card, and end my turn.”
She likes ‘Water Magician’, I thought, but there are plenty of better monsters in her deck that she could have summoned. That means that her ‘Water Magician’ is just a stepping stone to something bigger.
“Ready to be shocked?” Sarah asked. Without waiting for an answer, she continued, “I remove ‘Mother Grizzly’ from play to summon ‘Aqua Spirit’ and tribute both to summon a monster even stronger than your go-to metal bug,” the ‘Spirit’ appeared, and both monsters disappeared, giving way for a an even larger, fiercer version of Sarah’s favorite lizard warrior, “my ‘Gogiga Gagagigo’!”
The monster roared (ATK: 2950).
“Even with your Field out,” Sarah declared, “I think my monster and I can handle whatever you summon with ‘Hopper’’s effect. I set a card and attack!”
The lizard warrior crushed my ‘Hopper’ with its mighty claws (4000+1900-2950=2950).
“With the effect of my ‘Hopper’,” I declared, “I summon the monster that your ‘Gagagigo’ can supposedly beat, the ‘Metal Armored Bug’! And thanks to my Field, my monster outclasses yours easily (ATK: 2800+200=3000).”
“Well,” Sarah said, a look of resignation on her face, “I really didn’t think you had that in your hand.”
She was convincing, but I still saw a glint of confidence in her eyes. I looked at the hologram of her face-down card, and I knew what she was planning.
I smiled, Clever, but it won’t work on me.
“Draw,” I told her, “and I play the Spell card ‘Cell Budding’. I tribute my ‘Metal Armored Bug’ to summon ‘Insect Tokens’ up to the Attack of the tributed monster divided by five. That’s five tokens.”
My ‘Bug’ disappeared, and five worm-like insects took its place (ATK: 500+200 =700 (each)).
“I tribute two ‘Insect Tokens’,” I continued, “to summon ‘Insect Queen’.”
Two of the Token monsters disappeared, and my ‘Insect Queen’, a massive monster with a humanoid upper body and the lower body of a grotesque insect, appeared in their place with a screeching roar (ATK: 2200+200+800=3200).
“I play ‘Monster Reborn’ to revive ‘Metal Armored Bug’,” I continued, and my monster reappeared, towering over even the ‘Queen’ (ATK: 2800+200=3000/3200+200=3400).
Sarah frowned.
“I tribute an ‘Insect Token’ to attack with the ‘Queen’,” I declared. The ‘Queen’ ate one of the Tokens (ATK: 3400-200=3200). Then she turned to ‘Gagagigo’ and inhaled.
“Reveal ‘Dust Tornado’,” Sarah declared, “to destroy ‘Forest’.”
A powerful dust devil tore through the forest, reducing it to splinters and scattering it to the wind. My monsters grew weaker (3200-200=3000/3000-200 =2800). Had I simply attacked with my ‘Bug’, Sarah’s plan would have worked, and my monster would have lost.
“I restore ‘Queen’’s power,” I countered, “with ‘DNA Surgery’, changing all of your monsters into Insects just like mine.”
Sarah’s monster grew insect legs from its shoulder, a mandible from its jaw, and a bug eye. The ‘Queen’ grew stronger again (3000+200=3200), and she spit acid at ‘Gagagigo’, melting him on the spot (4400+2950-3200=4150).
“I end my turn,” I concluded, “with the Attack of my ‘Bug’.”
The giant ‘Metal-Armored Bug’ slashed Sarah (4150-2800=1350).
“When my turn ends,” I explained, “my ‘Insect Tokens’ are destroyed,” the worms disappeared, and the ‘Queen’ laid an egg, “and I summon an ‘Egg Token’ (ATK: 0).”
Sarah scowled, looking frustrated up at the two powerful insects. She drew, “I play my ‘Monster Reborn’ to revive ‘Gogiga’ and kill the ‘Metal Armored Bug’.”
‘Gagagigo’ reappeared, re-growing his insect parts, and lunged at the enormous bug, ripping through it with his claws (2950+2800-2950=2800).
I smiled, This duel is really good. I haven’t had this much fun in months!
“I end,” Sarah concluded, “by tributing ‘Gagagigo’ for ‘Neo Aqua Madoor’.”
A masked sorcerer appeared in the lizard’s place, summoning up a wall of ice around himself (DEF: 3000).
“I equip ‘Madoor’ with ‘Heart of Clear Water’,” Sarah continued, “making him invincible in battle, and making it immune to Spells.”
I looked down at my deck, and my empty hand, I really don’t have anything else planned. It all comes down to this next draw. This was something that didn't happen to me very often, relying on a single card to turn things around, with no strategy to work from, and I found it strangely exhilarating.
I drew, and I sighed, That might work.
“I activate," I declared, "‘Pot of Greed’ to draw two card.”
I drew again, and I smiled. “Next up,” I continued, “I summon ‘Big Insect’, and I play ‘Share the Pain’. I tribute ‘Big Insect’ to force you to tribute a monster.”
“Oh, come on,” Sarah exclaimed, "that's not fair". Her sorcerer and my ‘Insect’ lunged at each other, destroying each other.
“I tribute ‘Egg Token’,” I concluded, “to attack for the win.”
My ‘Queen’ absorbed the ‘Egg’, and attacked, dropping Sarah’s Life to zero.
Sarah frowned, “Oh well, I was getting sick of this tournament anyway.”
She smiled at me, “Go, get this last guy.”
I nodded, “I will. I can’t imagine that whoever it is will be harder for me to beat than you were.”
Sarah stepped down from the arena. I moved to do the same, but the shopkeeper pushed his way through the crowd, calling, “Wait, stay up there! Block A has finished, and their finalist has borrowed a Duel Disk so he can duel you out here, in one big, epic final battle.”
I nodded, “Okay, have him step up then.”
The shopkeeper turned to reveal the block A finalist, who was waiting behind him. Even before I saw my opponent, I knew who it was. There, behind the shopkeeper, stood Daryl, looking shy and on the spot.
“Get on up there, Daryl,” the shopkeeper urged. Daryl looked up at me, and I smiled and nodded. He seemed to find a bit of confidence, and he stepped up to face me.
“Alright,” the shopkeeper cheered, “let the finals begin!”
I drew my opening hand. I expected to beat Daryl easily, or at least more easily than I’d beaten Sarah. I was very wrong.
Card of the Day:
Share the Pain
Played by: Jen
To most Duelists, "Neo Aqua Madoor" made indestructible with "Heart of Clear Water" would be a difficult wall to scale, but to Jen, with the help of this card, it's less of an obstacle than an uneven sidewalk.
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