See, I told you there would be a rematch! Maybe it's predictable, but I think the duel in this chapter and the one that follows are still exciting despite this.
Chapter SixThe Rematch
“I’ll start us off,” my opponent said. “I activate ‘Charge of the Light Brigade’, sending the top three cards of my deck to the Graveyard,” he discarded ‘Realm of Light’, ‘Jain, Lightsworn Paladin’, and ‘Lightsworn Barrier’, “to move a ‘Lightsworn’ monster from my deck to my hand,” he sifted through his desk and chose a card. “Next,” he continued, “I activate ‘Graceful Charity’, drawing three cards and then discarding two.” He discarded ‘Lumina, Lightsworn Summoner’ and ‘Wulf, Lightsworn Beast’.
“I end my turn,” my opponent concluded, “by summoning ‘Jenis, Lightsworn Mender’ in defense mode.”
A young woman wearing a bright, lavish dress appeared, shielding her body with a barrier (DEF: 2100).
This is when I made my mistake last time, I thought. I did what one of a dozen amateurs might do. I only saw his monsters for what they were at face value. If I had taken into account that his true goal might have been to summon a trump card, I would have looked closer. Then I would have realized that there was actually a purpose for him discarding so many of his own cards, and I would have used the ‘Soul Release’ card that I had in my hand to remove his discarded cards from play.
But this time around, I already know what’s coming, and I’ll be ready. This time I really do have this duel in the bag.
“I draw,” I declared, “and for my turn, I activate the Spell card ‘One for One’, discarding ‘Red-Eyes Black Dragon’ to summon ‘Level Eater’ from my deck.”
The level-star-backed beetle appeared (ATK: 300).
“Now I tribute ‘Level Eater’ to summon the ‘Summoned Skull’!”
The beetle was vaporized in a bolt of lightning that spread out, becoming a massive skeletal demon with wings and huge claws. Lightning danced along his body (ATK: 2500).
“I attack with ‘Summoned Skull’,” I declared, “Lightning Strike!”
Lightning struck my monster and jumped from him to the target, shattering her barrier and vaporizing her.
“I set a card,” I said. This is it. This is the moment of truth.
“It looks like my plan worked,” my opponent said. “By destroying ‘Jenis’ you placed a fourth ‘Lightsworn’ into my Graveyard, and with four ‘Lightsworn’ monsters in the Graveyard, I can summon my ultimate card. Show yourself, ‘Judgment Dragon’!”
A massive wave of light erupted from the ground behind my opponent, and the immense, beastly dragon emerged (ATK: 3000).
“Don’t think that your monster or your Trap will stand in the way of my monster,” my opponent announced. “Nothing can save you from my final judgment. At the cost of one thousand Life Points (8000-1000=7000), I can banish every other card from the field. ‘Judgment Dragon’, Banishing Light!”
Light began building around the monster, threatening to explode outward and destroy everything besides the dragon. I smiled, “I thought so. I figured that a monster as powerful as ‘Judgment Dragon’ would have some kind of devastating effect designed to protect it from Trap cards. That’s why I was ready with this. Go, ‘Divine Wrath’!”
“No way!”
“I discard ‘Dark Master – Zorc’,” I continued, “to negate Banishing Light and destroy your monster.” I discarded my card, and an intense bolt of lightning fell from the sky, blowing the dragon away.
“I set two card,” I opponent declared, frustration in his voice. “Just because I lost my dragon, it doesn’t mean I’ve lost the duel.”
I smiled, “We’ll see.
“I draw,” I said, “and I activate the Spell card ‘Card of Sanctity’, letting us each draw until we hold six cards.”
I drew five card from my deck, Bingo!
“Activate ‘Heavy Storm’, destroying every Spell and Trap card on the field.” My opponent’s two face-down cards were swept away. I never saw what they were. “Next I tribute ‘Summoned Skull’ to summon ‘Great Maju Garzett’, a monster with twice the Attack of the sacrificed monster!”
The ‘Summoned Skull’ became smoke, which reformed into a massive brown skeletal demon, even larger than the last, with a crystal sphere in each shoulder, and a third in his forehead (ATK: 5000).
“I’ll also activate ‘Double Summon’, letting me summon my ‘Chaosrider Gustaph’ from my hand.”
A green-skinned demon in red armor padding appeared, riding a mean-looking motorcycle, a pike in his hand (ATK: 1400).
“I remove two Spell cards in my Graveyard from play to increase my ‘Chaosrider’’s Attack by three hundred per card,” I explained. A green aura flared up around my monster (ATK: 1400+600=2000).
“Attack,” I commanded, “with Battle Pike!”
‘Chaosrider’ revved his engine and shot right past my opponent, slashing with his pike (7000-2000=5000). He circled around and rode back to my side.
“And I finish it,” I declared, “with the attack of my ‘Great Maju Garzett’, Vile Energy!”
‘Great Maju Garzett’ unleashed a black beam from his palm, overwhelming my opponent and bringing his Life Points to zero.
“Yeah,” I cried triumphantly, “I’m back!”
“Don’t get too confident,” the second figure said, trading places with his associate. “You still have to defeat me too. And at this point, I’ve seen enough of your deck to understand your strategy. I know that you don’t have what it takes to win.”
“If you’re so sure,” I said, “then why don’t you make the first move?”
“Don’t mind if I do. And I think I’ll start big with a Field Spell card, and possibly the most powerful card in my deck, the ‘Magical Citadel of Endymion’.”
Our surroundings changed. Suddenly my opponent, our friends and I were in a gleaming golden city, arcane symbols formed of light swimming through the air along paths like ribbons. Behind my opponent, a massive golden tower formed from nothing. I examined the city in awe. I’d heard of this card, but I’d never actually seen it in action before.
“I’ll also summon,” my opponent declared, “‘Defender the Magical Knight’ in defense mode.” A wizard knight in blue armor shaped like robes appeared. He carried a large rectangular shield, strapped to his left arm, a jewel embedded in the center. He carried a dagger in his right hand. He raised his shield in a defensive pose (DEF: 2000).
“When my monster is Normal Summoned he gains a Spell Counter,” my opponent explained, and the crystal in ‘Defender’’s shield lit up.
“I set two cards,” my opponent concluded, “and end my move.”
“Then here I go,” I said. “I draw, and I place a card face-down. Then I summon my ‘Twin-Sword Marauder’.” The dual-bladed warrior appeared, holding his blades up, ready to strike (ATK: 1600). “I equip ‘Marauder’ with ‘Fusion Sword Murasame Blade’, raising his attack strength by eight hundred.” The three-pointed blade on my monster’s right arm remolded into a longer, single-pointed blade, extending until it was the length of his arm (ATK: 1600+800=2400).
‘Twin-Sword Marauder’ crossed his swords and shot forward, toward the enemy monster. He swung his two swords in tandem.
“I remove the Spell Counter from my monster,” my opponent announced, “to prevent his destruction.”
The red crystal in the monster’s shield went dark, and a purple, transparent energy barrier appeared, deflecting my monster’s blades.
“Whether I destroyed your monster or not,” I explained, “I still deal piercing damage (8000+2000-2400=7600). And when my monster attacks a defense mode monster, it can attack again.”
The energy shield faded away, giving my monster a clear path to its target.
“Attack,” I commanded, “with Double Blade! This time your monster can’t save itself.”
My opponent didn’t flinch. “Reveal,” he declared, “the Continuous Trap card ‘Pitch-Black Power Stone’, creating three new Spell Counters.”
“Nice try,” but I know that your ‘Defender’’s effect can only be used once per turn.”
“I didn’t plan on using his effect. Reveal, ‘Radiant Defense’. I remove a Spell Counter from a card that I control to prevent my monster’s destruction and draw a card.”
As he drew the aforementioned card, a spherical Spell Counter emerged from the hologram of my opponent’s Trap, blossoming out into a spiral of light that surrounded his monster, deflecting my monster’s blades (7600+2000-2400=7200).
But more importantly, the swirling light lit up my opponent’s face. For the first time, I got a good look at my opponent’s eyes. They were fierce and confident. Completely unfaltering. It was then that I realized just how much trouble I was in.
Card of the Day:
Defender the Magical Knight
Played by: The Second Card Taker
John's "Twin-Sword Marauder" vs. this monster, and apparently this monster wins.
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