Yu-Gi-Oh! DF Book Eight: Team Duel Regional Tournament - Chapter Five

Okay, so yeah, I just knocked out half of the competitors in one chapter, but let's be fair, only about half of the teams were genuinely interesting. And I think I make it pretty amusing where I can. I say "where I can" because the real purpose of this chapter is to build up one of the opposing teams in particular. There isn't really a villain this book, but this team is the closest that we really ever get. I may over-exaggerated their abilities a tad in this first chapter, but I think it still works out alright. We also don't get to see a lot of dueling from Jen's point of view in this book. So, you know, enjoy what you get here.

Also, yes, those are A Midsummer Night's Dream-inspired cards toward the end of the chapter. And yes, this chapter did end up running really long.

Chapter Five

Preliminaries

Sarah


I was worked up now. My brother, one of the strongest American Duelists, if not one of the strongest Duelists in the world, had just branded me a rival. The rest of the world might not remember how strong he is, but I do. John had won every duel that he and I had ever played, but I was serious about proving myself against his this time. I would prove myself to him. Prove that I was worthy of inheriting his team and its name. Even if I didn't beat him I would make a good show of trying. And you can bet that, as his Team Illusion grew more popular, I would play up our rivalry like crazy. Until then, I wanted to duel someone, or, at the very least, watch someone else duel someone, to work off some of adrenaline that I was feeling.

Thankfully, I wouldn't have to wait very long for that to happen.

Just as John stepped into his team's booth to stand with the rest of his team, I noticed that the sixth booth had been filled, and that another group was on its way to booth three.

Ah, the illustrious Team Sinister, I thought looking at them. They were decked out in full costume, including intricate carved armor plates, similar yet unique masks, and capes. They looked like a bunch of black knights, though each of the four members' armors bore trim in a secondary color. I couldn't tell for sure what those colors were at this distance. I couldn't even tell the genders of the members under their costumes.

"I've heard of these guys," said Tucker, now standing beside me. "They just appeared on the pro circuit. Their managers have worked overtime to keep any info on their decks off of the internet. And apparently they change up their decks a lot after each duel, just enough to throw people off. That's the rumor anyway. But they're supposed to be really good."

I looked over at Tucker, surprised by his knowledge and his initiative, "You read up on these guys too?"

"And asked around," he answered. "I'd heard that they were powerful, so when I heard that we might be fighting them, I got worried. I wanted to make sure the team was ready."

I was taken aback by how serious Tucker looked. How intense. He looked like the old Tucker. The fiercely protective Tucker who had been firmly against allying with Pegasus all of those years ago when Pegasus had asked us to quest for the Duelist's Souls. His gaze was so sharp that I was worried that Team Sinister would feel it.

I'd thought of Tucker as just this goofy guy who only took things seriously in the heat of the moment for years. Was it possible that this other Tucker had been in there the entire time? Maybe acting so goofy was how he coped with the craziness of our everyday lives.

You know, I thought, this is how he acted back when we fought the Dark Duel Force, too.

I thought about it, and I realized that I'd actually encountered this side of Tucker way more often than I'd ever realized. It was like I had blocked it out, and latched on to only the really stupid, reckless stuff that he did sometimes. Now, though, in that moment, I was seeing Tucker in a new light.

"Can you see their power at all?" Tucker asked me. He had never really been good at reading the Duelist's auras of his enemies unless he was close to them. I had never been able to read Duelist's auras at all, but I could filter my perception through my Soul of Water and see how the Duel Energy of my opponents interacted with the water vapor in the air. If they had a lot of Duel Energy, I'd see a lot of their energy in the air around them.

"Their auras are big," I told Tucker, staring at the massive trails of energy that extended from them all the way back to the entrance, in several distinct colors. That's when something caught my eye.

"Hold on," I said, "I count more than four energies in their auras. Some of their power might come from magic artifacts of some kind."

"Let's hope that they get knocked out of the tournament early," Tucker grumbled. "We just dealt with the whole magic thing. I don't want any of that stuff in my life unless I don't have a choice."

I nodded, "I'm with ya there, buddy."

Just then, a voice rang from the stadium speakers, echoing down and around the stadium center, "All teams are now present! It's time to begin the preliminary round of the tournament!"

I looked around at the other booths. I hadn't even seen that Team Beatdown was here already, and that they were waiting patiently in their booth. Had they come in after Team Sinister, and I'd been too focused on Team Sinister to notice? Or had I just overlooked them? I really didn't know.

"The preliminary round will take place in two parts," the tournament announcer continued, "four duels at a time, until eight of the sixteen competing teams have been eliminated."

"That's pretty brutal," Tucker said, sounding more like his lovable idiot self as he popped a jawbreaker from his pocket into his mouth, "cutting the bracket in half pretty much at once."

"Yeah," I agreed, "but I guess it makes sense. They've got those four pre-finals arenas out on the stadium floor for a reason."

Pairings are being displayed on the jumbotron screen now," the announcer concluded. "Teams please choose your play order and step up to your arenas now."

I glanced up at the bracket. Team Duel Force was the second team from the top, paired with Team Pixie. I smiled. Our name would be one of the first that people would see. Then I glanced down the bracket, and my smile disappeared. The fourth name was Team Sinister. That meant that, assuming that both teams made it through the preliminary round, we would fight in the first round.

I elbowed Tucker. "I see it," he said.

"There's only four of them," I reasoned, "so chances are they will use the same lineup against us."

I turned to my team, "Alright, first round line-up is Mina, Kris, Amanda, and then Nate. And Nate, if you go easy on our opponent's because they're cute girls, I'll twist your ears off."

The four of them exited the booth and made their way to one of the four arenas that surrounded the larger central arena meant for the finals, to face off against the four members of Team Pixie. I watched them introduce themselves to each other. As they did, I turned to Jenna and Tucker.

"Okay guys," I told them, "I kept us out of the duel this round so that we can keep an eye on Team Sinister. They've got some magic hanging on them. They could be dangerous."

I looked over at Team Sinister for a moment. I could see them better now. The one up first was wearing armor trimmed with dark green.

"Dangerous how?" Jenna asked. "Like fight for our lives dangerous?"

"I don't know," I told her. "It's just a feeling. They have at least two magic items of some kind. We probably shouldn't let them walk out of here with them if we can help it. They might not understand what they have. Or if they do, we have no idea how they might intend to use it."

I looked out over the arenas. I saw the Team Sinister Duelist and their opponent draw their first cards. Then I noticed that Team Beatdown was up at the arena next to them. One of the original members, the one with Dragons and Warriors (Mike, I think) was up first. He and his opponent had apparently gotten right to the duel. He and his opponent, one of the girls on Team Paradise, knocked each other out of the duel at once, and Jen stepped up to replace him and face the first of the male Team Paradise members. I found myself focusing on her duel instead of the one that I was supposed to be watching.


Jen


As my team mate stepped aside, dejected that he hadn't managed to actually defeat his foe outright, I stepped up to take his place, against the smaller of Team Paradise's male members. He didn't introduce himself. Like his, I'm going to assume his sister, he was unusually intense. My guess would be that they were flustered, having to fight the defending champions so early. Honestly, I didn't blame them. I was a little off myself, still fuming internally after my confrontation with Christopher a few days ago. He and I had barely spoken since. But I refused to let that compromise my ability to duel.

My opponent drew, and declared, "I play 'Graceful Charity' to draw three cards and then discard two."

I saw what he discarded, and I frowned. I knew immediately where he was going with this, and that he would be much more difficult to defeat than his sister. I had to act fast.

"Let me guess," I told him, conversationally, "you plan to defend yourself long enough to summon those two 'Mokey Mokey''s, and another from your deck, and overwhelm me in your second turn."

He grimaced, "Just because you figured that out, it doesn't mean that you can stop me."

He set two cards, "I end my turn."

I drew, "I play 'One for One', discarding a monster from my hand to summon 'Naturia Mosquito'."

A little needle-nosed insect with leafy antennae, and a body colored with bright greens, pinks, and blues appeared at my side.

"I play 'Multiplication of Ants'," I declared next, "sacrificing my 'Mosquito' to summon two 'Army Ant Tokens'."

The 'Mosquito' disappeared, and two dog-sized ants appeared in its place.

"Activate," I continued, "'Token Sundae'."

My two Token monsters lunged at my opponent's face-down cards, and exploded, taking those cards with them.

"Finally," I declared, "I play 'Monster Reborn' to summon the monster that I discarded to activate 'One for One'," an amazonian woman wearing stag beetle themed black armor and carrying twin single-edged beetle-horn swords appeared standing beside me, towering over the field (ATK: 2500), "my 'Great Hades Beetle'. And I attack directly."

My opponent signed heavily as 'Hades Beetle' slashed at him with her swords, reducing his Life to zero. He stepped over to the side with his defeated team mate. I set a card, and ended my turn as the other female member of Team Paradise, the youngest of the four, stepped up and took his place.

"Hi," the girl of about twelve said in a sing-song voice, "I'm Mary. I'm actually a big fan of yours. This is a huge honor."

I nodded at her, "Nice to meet you, Mary."

The young girl smiled wide, and drew her opening hand, "I play 'Pre-Preparation of Rites', adding 'Primal Cry' and 'Radiant Divine Bird Vene' to my hand from my deck."

My left eyebrow shot up, This girl isn't to be taken lightly.

"I activate 'Primal Cry'," she announced, "and tribute 'Herald of Glorious Light' in my hand to summon 'Vene' to the field."

A huge, radiant phoenix with golden wings, the Ritual Monster 'Vene', appeared behind my young opponent, uttering a musical cry (ATK: 2800).

"'Vene'," Mary commanded, "attack 'Hades'."

The bird flashed with golden light, and my monster was vaporized (2000 -> 1700).

I smiled, "Good play. You're really strong. I'd like to see you duel in a full-length game some time, where your deck can really open up."

The light from 'Vene''s attack faded, and there was still a figure at my side, another towering humanoid. This time male, muscular, with dark skin and light armor themed after a Hercules beetle. He carried a trident in his right hand.

"When 'Great Hades Beetle' is destroyed," I explained, "I can summon 'Great Poseidon Beetle' from my deck (ATK: 2500)."

Mary looked upon my monster in awe. I drew my next card.

"'Vene' is a very strong monster," I told Mary, "and my monster isn't as strong, but I'm sorry to say, I'm still about to win this duel."

"That's okay," Mary said, genuinely, "I didn't expect to beat you."

I nodded, "I play 'Half Shut', halving the Attack of 'Vene' for the turn (ATK: 2800 -> 1400). And I attack."

'Poseidon Beetle' stabbed the radiant bird with his three-pronged weapon (2000 -> 900), but the bird remained on the field, unharmed. "My 'Half Shut'," I explained, "also prevents your monster from being destroyed in battle this turn, but that's my secret weapon. When 'Great Poseidon Beetle' battles a monster, but that monster isn't destroyed, be can attack it again."

My monster struck the bird again with his weapon. Mary's Life dropped to zero, and her monster faded from the field. The score was now one to three in Team Beatdown's favor. But my next opponent, the larger, more muscular male member of Team Paradise, the oldest of the four, stepped up next, and I could tell from the absolutely confident look on his face, to the way that he carried himself, that he would not be easily beaten. In fact, I might have taken my last turn of the game.

"I draw," my opponent declared, "and I activate 'Dark World Dealings'. We each draw a card, and then discard a card."

I watched my opponent draw, and then discard a Trap, while I drew and discarded my 'Token Stampede'. My opponent smiled subtly and nodded to himself. "I discard," he declared, "a monster in my hand, activating her effect, discarding her and my 'Nurse Reficule the Fallen One to draw two cards."

That caught my attention. He was hoping that I wouldn't pick up on what kind of deck he was playing, but I knew. My prediction was right. I was about to lose.

"Now," my opponent declared, "I play 'Polymerization', fusing 'The Forgiving Maiden' and 'Marie the Fallen One' in my hand into 'St. Joan'."

An armored, sword-wielding woman appeared at my opponent's side.

"Next," my opponent announced, "I play 'Altar of the Darklords' to summon 'Darklord Iztab' from my Graveyard," a woman with pale skin, purple hair, six black wings, and a red halo, wearing a black dress, appeared alongside 'Joan', "and I tribute both monster."

His two monsters disappeared, and a tall, powerful-looking young man appeared in their place, with six black wings, a similar red halo, and wearing black armor, carrying a black sword. My opponent smiled, "Introducing my most powerful monster, 'Darklord Lucifer' (ATK: 3000). When he's summoned, he calls another Darklord monster from my hand or deck for every effect monster that you control. I summon 'Darklord Mastema' from my hand in attack mode."

Another winged monster, with another red halo, and the head of a bull, appeared alongside 'Lucifer' (ATK: 2600).

"My monsters attack," my opponent commanded.


Sarah


As Jen's time in the duel came to an end, I lost interest. I intended to return my attention to Team Sinister's duel. Jen had made short enough work of the two opponents she'd beaten than I figured that they couldn't be too far into their match. That's when Tucker said, "There it is."

I looked, just in time to see a feminine monster in armor, with free-floating pauldrons and a white cape, carrying two blades made of energy appear on the green-armored Team Sinister Duelist's field. Despite the fact that his opponent, one of the members of Team Bulldog, had several monsters out, the feminine monster swung her swords, and reduced the opponent's two thousand Life Points to zero in an instant.

I waited for the next Duelist to step up and face this monster, which radiated magic, but instead the duel came to an end. In the time that it had taken Jen to defeat two opponents, the first member of Team Sinister had defeated four. I was flabbergasted. Tucker and Jenna didn't look much better.

"Did you see what monsters he uses?" I asked Tucker.

"No," he answered, "I couldn't make them out for sure from here, but that last one, I think it was the magic source you were sensing."

"It was," I told him, "and I recognized its magic. It's one of those one-of-a-kind Planet cards."

Like the one that Frost gave me, I thought, choosing not to say it out loud. I didn't want to remind Tucker that she'd left.

"But whatever it is," I said, "I think that we were definitely right to be worried."

"Yeah," Jenna said, "I think you might be right."


Meanwhile, as Team Beatdown managed to wear down and defeat the last member of Team Paradise with their last two members, Christopher himself striking the final blow, my team had about as easy a time as Team Beatdown had overall. Their opponents were strong, but the members of my Duel Force were at least as strong, and simply had more experience. According to Kris and Amanda, after the duel had ended, Mina had impressed by defeating two members of Team Pixie herself, and putting a big dent in the Life Points of the third, before she was finally knocked out of the match. Then that third Pixie had actually managed to knock Kris out as well before she could even get off a single attack.

Unfortunately for that Pixie, her next opponent was Amanda. As usual, it only took my youngest cousin a single turn to remove that Pixie from the duel as well. The final Pixie stepped up next, facing down the triplet 'Harpie Lady Sisters', the pink-haired 'Harpie Lady 1', and the elegant green-haired and white-feathered 'Harpie Queen'. Despite the disadvantage that she found herself at, she was completely undaunted. Her expression was something between the forced elegance of a supermodel, and the forced sweetness of a pop star trying to appeal to young girls.

According to Amanda, this is how the rest of the game went down.

"Wow, the Duel Force is really strong," the final Pixie said nicely, "but you guys haven't won yet."

She drew her opening hand, "I play 'Half-past Six', which allows me to halve the Attack and Defense of a Level six Plant-type in my hand, and Special Summon it. I choose to summon 'Fairy King Truesdale', and I chain 'Infernal Reckless Summon' to summon two more 'Fairy Kings' from my deck. And since you already sent one 'Harpie Queen' to your Graveyard, and your 'Harpie Sisters' can only be summoned by a specific Spell, unless you have more than one copy of 'Harpie Lady 1' in your deck, I'm betting you won't actually get to summon anything by my Spell's effect."

She was right. Three elves in ornate green and gold robes, carrying delicate wands, appeared side by side on the Pixie's side of the field (ATK: 1100/ATK: 2200 (x2)), but no new monsters appeared at Amanda's side.

"I also play 'Midsummer Sun'," the final Pixie announced, "increasing the Attack of every Level five or six Plant-type that I control by three hundred for every Level five or six Plant-type on my field."

The Attack of her monsters climbed (ATK: 1100 -> 2000/ATK: 2200 -> 3100 (x2)). Two moderately strong monsters, and a weak one, had suddenly become three dangerous monsters, two of which just happened to be more dangerous than the third.

"My monsters attack," the final Pixie declared, her monsters waving their wands, reducing Amanda's monsters to streamers of light. If the two of them had not been fighting on Amanda's home field, the 'Harpie's Hunting Ground', Amanda would have lost then and there (2000 -> 450). Amanda was one turn away from losing, but thankfully, Amanda rarely needs more than one turn to turn a duel around completely.

Completely nonchalant, Amanda drew her next card, and announced, "I reveal 'Hysteric Party', and discard 'Simorgh, Bird of Divinity' to summon 'Harpie Lady 1' and two 'Harpie Queens' from my Graveyard, and destroy your 'Midsummer Sun'."

Two of the elegant 'Harpie Queens', and the less elegant 'Harpie Lady 1', appeared, and surged forward and crushed the Pixie's Spell card with their talons via 'Hunting Ground''s effect. The Attack of the 'Fairy Kings' dropped to normal, while the Attack of Amanda's monsters climbed (ATK: 1300 -> 1800/ATK: 1900 -> 2400 (x2)).

"And I play 'Solidarity'," Amanda declared, "increasing the Attack of all of my monsters by another eight hundred."

"Well," the final Pixie said flatly, dropping her cutsie facade, "shit."

Amanda's monsters struck one after another, reducing her opponent's Life to zero, and ending the duel. She didn't even wait to watch it happen. She walked away casually, checking her phone absentmindedly.


Team Elements, Team Rough Seas, Team Hope, Team Pressure, and of course Team Pixie, Team Paradise, and Team Bulldog, had all been defeated. Team Illusion, which had decided to save their secret weapon, Karen, for last, had only needed three of their members to knock out their opponents on Team Bad Blood, ending things with a punch from John's 'The Fiend Megacyber'. Things had gone well for the Duel Force, for Team Illusion, and for Jen on Team Beatdown, but the tournament was only getting started. And in a Team Duel competition, pretty much anything can happen.

Card of the Day:

Great Hades Beetle

Played by: Jen

Really only because it's a Jen card, and a new major offensive card in her deck, which is often lacking heavy hitters. It would be "Great Poseidon Beetle" here, but I'm saving him in case I want to make him the Card of the Day later.

Next Chapter (Coming Soon)