Yu-Gi-Oh! DF Book Seven: Their Most Dangerous Enemy - Chapter Twenty-Two

I totally make Mendo Cino an absolute asshole in this chapter. True, he wasn't this much of an asshole in the R Manga, but he wasn't really characterized well in the Manga, and if any of the Card Professors seemed like an unrepentant slimy jerk, it was him. So I made him a straight up villain instead of just as antagonist.

I only just realize, but Tucker only really has, like, three winning moves, doesn't he?

Yep, totally not going to acknowledge the fact that it's been almost a full year since I posted one of these chapters...

Chapter Twenty-Two

Tucker and Frost vs. The Deadliest Insect


“The monster I Special Summon,” Mendo declared, “Is ‘Orchid Mantis’.”

An oversized praying mantis appeared. It had a worm-like body, with a flower at the end of its tail, and its big arm things resembled blades (ATK: 1200).

“When you Special Summon your monster,” Frost interrupted, “It activates the effect of a monster in my hand, my ‘Dragon Ice’. I can discard any card, including ‘Dragon Ice’ himself to summon ‘Dragon Ice’ from my hand or Graveyard.”

An icy-skinned, humanoid dragon appeared, standing over Frost protectively (DEF: 2200). Including her set monster, she had two monsters in play. She was safe, even if she wasn’t in as secure a position as I was offensively.

“Once again,” Frost pointed out, “we’ve managed to avoid the cost of your ‘Labor Pains’.”

“Yeah, yeah,” Klamath said from his place at Mendo’s side, “you guys are actually pretty good, but our luck hasn’t run out yet.”

He drew, and smiled, “Perfect! You guys weren’t the only ones to benefit from ‘Card Destruction’. I play ‘Silent Doom’ to revive ‘Worm Drake’ sent to the Graveyard by your Spell.”

I giant, green snake-like creature appeared at Klamath’s side (DEF: 1500).

“I equip my monster with ‘Molting Escape’,” Klamath explained. “Now, when it would be destroyed by battle, it sheds its skin to use as a decoy to escape the attack. And each time it renews itself by shedding its skin, it grows stronger!”

“Well, yeah, it does,” Frost told him, giving him that “how can you be so stupid look”, that she gives to me all the time, “but a monster summoned with ‘Silent Doom’ can’t attack. So increasing its attack is useless.”

Klamath looked shocked, “Uh, yeah, I knew that.”

I had to stifle a laugh, Sure you did, buddy.

Frost glanced over at me, and I knew what she was thinking. Klamath Osler wasn’t a terrible Duelist, but he wasn’t the real threat here. He was only here, in this tag duel, because Mendo, a truly talented Duelist, had seen potential for Klamath’s deck to support his own.

“If you’re finished,” Frost told Klamath, “It’s my turn again.” Klamath nodded slightly, and Frost drew.

“I flip-summon,” she declared, “my ‘Crystal Seer’. I look at the top two cards of my deck, add one of them to my hand, and then put the other on the bottom of my deck.”

A fortuneteller appeared, carrying a crystal ball, and Frost carried out its effect, taking a second to choose a card, add it to her hand, and then insert the other into her Duel Disk, below her deck. It was a simple play, but there was a precision to it that seemed so professional. I was reminded of what Mendo said, that he’d seen Frost dueling professionally. I could see it now. She wasn’t just talented, she had also practiced certain movements to streamline the experience of those who might be watching. I think Frost realized the same thing, because she paused for a few seconds, not looking at her cards, but at her empty right hand, and at her Duel Disk. Then she snapped out of it, and continued with her turn.

“Next,” Frost declared, “I play ‘Monster Reborn’ to revive ‘Blizzard Dragon’ that was discarded by ‘Card Destruction’,” a pale blue-gray dragon appeared alongside Frost’s other monsters, “and I tribute ‘Blizzard Dragon’ and ‘Dragon Ice’ to Special Summon ‘Ice Master’ from my hand via her own effect.”

The two dragons disappeared, and in their place appeared a woman with long blond hair, wearing a white dress and cape, a blue face mask, and carrying a staff topped with a huge snowflake (ATK: 2500).

“I also,” Frost continued, “play ‘Magical Dimension’, tributing ‘Crystal Seer’ to Special Summon a Spellcaster from my hand.”

A coffin-like box, held up in a metal frame by metal chains, appeared. The fortune teller stepped into the coffin, and it closed. A moment later, it opened again, and another young woman emerged. She was wearing a similar white dress, and gold crown. She gestured with her right hand, and water in the air solidified into a staff, with a huge ball of ice attached to the end by an icy chain.

“When my ‘Blizzard Princess’,” Frost explained, “is Special Summoned with ‘Magical Dimension’, she can destroy any monster on the field.”

Frost’s monster (ATK: 2800) tapped the floor with the end of her staff, and the ‘Worm Drake’ was instantly encased in ice. The ice shattered, and the ‘Worm Drake’ shattered right along with it.

“Noo,” Klamath whined, “my good luck is turning sour.”

“It’s already turned sour,” Frost told him simply. “‘Blizzard Princess’, finish him off.”

‘Blizzard Princess’ swung her giant ice wrecking ball at Klamath, who watched with a look of grudging acceptance on his face, muttering, “Just my luck…”

He was hit by the attack (2600 -> 0).

“Now,” Frost continued, “I attack ‘Orchid Mantis’ with ‘Ice Master’.”

‘Ice Master’ raised her staff, and summoned up an icy wind, but before it had a chance to build, Mendo laughed condescendingly.

“Did you really think that you’d get away with that?” he asked. “I reveal ‘Forced Recovery’ to send ‘Ice Master’ back to your hand!”

‘Ice Master’’s icy wind turned back on her, blowing her off the field.

I was stunned. “You jerk,” I spat at Mendo, “Frost’s attack wouldn’t have beaten you. You could have used your Trap to save your partner, but you used it just to save yourself a few lost Life Points instead. That’s just wrong.”

“Oh come on,” Mendo said, ignoring Klamath still standing beside him, fuming, “Klamath is just a meat shield with occasionally good luck. I can handle both of you on my own.”

He drew his next card, “I Special Summon another ‘Kamakiri Token’.”

A second baby mantis appeared (DEF: 500).

“Oh,” Mendo taunted, “by the way, you weren’t the only ones to discard useful monsters when ‘Card Destruction’ was played. I play my ‘Silent Doom’ card. And I know how to use it. I summon ‘Guard Mantis’,” a mantis with giant top legs that it could hold up like a shield appeared on Mendo’s field as well (DEF: 2400).

“I also play ‘Monster Reborn’, to revive my most powerful mantis,” Mendo declared. There was a red flash of light, and from it emerged a towering, fifteen foot creature that looked like a combination of an insect and a man, with six insect legs leading into a humanoid torso, arms and head, covered in the exoskeleton of a mantis. In its humanoid hands, it carried a scythe.

“This is my ‘Dreadscythe Harvester’,” Mendo explained. “It’s Attack is already high (ATK: 2300), but during either player’s turn, I can tribute other Insects that I control to give their Attack to the ‘Harvester’ as well. That’s why I fill my field with monsters. Even if they only have five hundred Attack, the ‘Kamakiri Egg Tokens’ are perfect fuel for my ‘Harvester’’s effect, if they’re in great enough numbers.”

‘Harvester’ swung his scythe, cutting down two of the baby mantises, and the scythe began to glow. “‘Harvester’,” Mendo commanded, “destroy the most dangerous monster in play, the ‘Tyrant Dragon’ (ATK: 3300).”

The giant insect reached across the field with his weapon, meaning to chop my dragon’s head off at the neck. There was nothing I could do to save him. Thankfully, I had an ally who actually cares about her friends. Knowing that my turn was coming up next, and I’d have a good chance to turn things around if I had my dragon, she took action. My dragon glowed and disappeared, and ‘Blizzard Princess’ appeared in his place. Out of the corner of my eye, I saw my dragon appear where the ‘Princess’ had been.

“I reveal ‘Switch’,” Frost explained, “exchanging the positions of two monsters on our side of the field, allowing ‘Tyrant Dragon’ to dodge your attack.”

‘Blizzard Princess’ was cut in half at the waste. Frost took damage, since despite her monster being on my field, it was still under her control (4000 -> 3500). Frost looked over at me, and in her stoic, vaguely sarcastic way, she said, “Get him, Paul.”

I smiled at her, and then looked over at Mendo, “That’s how you’re supposed to help your allies.”

“Yeah,” Klamath agreed.

“Now pay attention, Mendo,” I declared, “because I’m going to turn the chance that my partner gave me into victory. I’m going to beat you this turn.”

“You should think twice about that,” Mendo gloated. “I still have two monsters that I can tribute. If you attack my ‘Harvester’, I can tribute my ‘Guard Mantis’, and he’ll be stronger than your dragon again. You could attack my ‘Guard Mantis’ first, instead, but what if my face-down card is ‘Staunch Defender…”

He let his voice trail off. I was shocked by just how confident this guy was, giving his strategy away like that.

“And of course,” he continued, “if you do nothing, I’ll just kill your monster in my next turn. It’s not like I don’t have a steady stream of tribute fodder coming in. Just face it. Your dragon, your strongest monster, is no match for me.”

He gave me the most condescending look I’ve ever seen, and said, “I guess real question here is, will you try to defend yourself and prolong this, or will you go down fighting, and attack my monster head on?”

But I wasn’t intimidated by his cute little speech. In fact, it made me chuckle. “Who said,” I asked, “that I planned to attack your monsters at all?”

“What?”

“I draw,” I declared, and when I saw my newest card, I smiled. For a second there, I’d thought that I was going to have to put my foot in my mouth.

“I activate my trump card,” I declared, “‘Incandescent Ordeal’.”

“A Ritual Spell card?” Mendo asked, taken aback.

“I guess you didn’t research me as well as you thought you did,” I told him. “You think ‘Tyrant Dragon’ is my only signature card? Well, you’re gonna be surprised. I tribute ‘Tyrant Dragon’ to pay the cost of my Spell.”

‘Tyrant Dragon’ was engulfed in, and burned up, in a torrent of blue and crimson fire. From the flames emerged a fit man wearing blue metal armor, a blue crown, and a jacket made of crimson and blue flames. He carried a staff and a dagger made of the same blue metal, a gleaming crystal set atop the staff. The flames left over from the ritual formed an aura around him.

“This is ‘Legendary Flame Lord’,” I explained (ATK: 2400).

Mendo laughed, “That monster is weaker than the dragon! What is it going to do that your dragon couldn’t?”

“You’ll see,” I told him. “I continue my turn with the Spell card ‘Spell Power Grasp’. It places a Spell Counter on my ‘Flame Lord’, and then, because a Spell was played, my monster gains a second Spell Counter as well. And with each Spell Counter that he gains, my monster’s aura grows stronger.”

Magic poured into the crystal attached to my monster’s staff, and the flames surrounding him flared up even brighter, and began churning around him.

“I activate ‘Hinotama’,” I declared, “dealing you five hundred damage.”

Fireballs fell from the ceiling, striking Mendo directly (2500 -> 2000). More magic poured into my monster’s staff, and the flames around him grew even more lively.

“Now, my monster has three Spell Counters,” I announced, “giving him enough power to unleash his ultimate attack, Annihilating Inferno!”

‘Legendary Flame Lord’ raised his staff above his head, and the excess flames in his aura formed a fireball at the tip of his staff. He rose into the air, and he dropped the fireball at the ground below him. It expanded out, and every monster in play, except for the ‘Flame Lord’ himself, was caught in the flames and reduced to ashes.

“N-No,” Mendo exclaimed.

“Yes. Your monsters are gone, and last time I checked, you had less than twenty-four hundred Life Points left. My monster attacks.”

‘Flame Lord’ crossed his staff and dagger, and he produced a stream of flames that swept over Mendo, burning the rest of his Life Points away. But when the holographic flames died down, Mendo was laughing.

“I still won,” he said, laughing. “We were never here to defeat you, just to trap you!”

He pointed at his feet, “I said that all four of us would have to step on our floor triggers before the start of the duel, or else we’d all be trapped here, remember?”

I was puzzled, “Yeah, so?”

Frost gasped, “Paul, they never stepped on their panels.”

I looked at Mendo’s feet, where he was clearly standing on his floor panel. Then I remembered the previous room, that the Card Professors hadn’t actually been there. What was there to stop them from doing the same thing again. And it hit me why this room had felt like a trap since we’d entered. I looked back up at Mendo’s condescending face, just in time to see it flicker away. Klamath’s hologram disappeared as well. Suddenly Frost and I were alone in the room, but technically, we had been the entire time.

“Well,” said Frost, taking the words right out of my mouth, “that’s just fantastic.”

Card of the Day:

Dreadscythe Harvester (Manga Version)

Played by: Mendo

Only because I hate how nerfed this card is in the actual TCG/OCG. Otherwise, "Blizzard Princess" would be here.

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