We finally get to the action. Max is given a chance to let off some steam at Karen regarding her poor performance against Fiend Ruler in The Dark Duel Force. Meanwhile Sarah attempts to prove herself against her brother's rival.
Chapter FourRound One;
Max vs. Karen and Sarah vs. Christopher Johnson
After we received our numbers, the lottery machine kicked on, randomly expelling two numbers at a time until everyone was paired off. The pairings were: Max and Karen, Sarah and Christopher, Yugi and Jonouchi, Lawrence and the guy in the mask, Tucker and Doc. Crabtree, War Ruler (or Marcus, I guess) and Exodus, me against Evo (what kind of name is that anyway?), and Jen and Kaiba, in that order. There were three stages out on the arena floor, so the first six duels would take place three at a time, and then the last two duels, mine and Jen’s duels, would take place last, again at the same time.
We were led out into a shaded box along the side of the stadium floor where we could sit in comfort and watch the other duels. I had almost put my paranoia out of mind when I overhead Yugi and Jonouchi, who were sitting in the seats nearest to the exit. It didn't occur to me until almost a week later that they had been speaking Japanese, and that I shouldn't have been able to understand them, but for whatever reason, I did.
Jonouchi was showing Yugi a card, “What do you think it means?”
“I don’t know, but if ours are back, that means Kaiba’s could be back too.”
I would have loved to listen to what they were saying, seeing as how eavesdropping is a hobby of mine, but I didn’t want to be caught listening in and have to explain. So I kept walking, finding a seat next to Karen. I sat down, pondering what I’d just heard, and what it could mean in the context of the tournament.
Karen
My duel was first, against Max of all people. I can usually read people easily, but Max was a different story altogether. Not only had I only seen him duel a few times, but he had also recently upgraded his deck with several new, rare cards. I hadn’t seen him duel even once since then. I didn’t know what to expect.
He and I walked to Duel Stage #1, the crowd clapping and cheering from the stands. We stepped up, and we began our match immediately.
“We may be on the same team,” said Max in an aggressive matter-of-fact way, “but today you’re my enemy, and I plan to treat you as such.”
I smirked, “Don’t worry, I won’t go easy either.”
“I’ll go first,” said Max, staring me down. “I set one monster and activate ‘Card of Safe Return’, a Permanent Spell card. Then I end my turn with three face-down cards.”
He smiled, “Make your move and then step aside, because no one can overcome Death.”
Sarah
My opponent was Christopher Johnson, my brother’s first real rival. I’d lost to him once, and I wasn’t about to do that again.
I have to set up a combo that will leave me in the lead even this early in the game, because if I give Christopher an inch, he’ll take a mile.
“I’ll start things off,” I said aggressively. “Go, ‘Pot of Greed’!”
I drew two cards from my deck and then checked my hand.
Oh yeah, that’ll work!
“I summon the ‘Soldier of Atlantis’,” I declared, and a blue-skinned fish man appeared, carrying a harpoon gun in his right hand (ATK: 1900).
“Next I play ‘Big Wave Small Wave’,” I said, “sacrificing my ‘Soldier’ to summon another water monster in his place, my ‘Revival Jam’.”
Water rose up around ‘Soldier of Atlantis’, and he melted away, becoming the plasma monster ‘Revival Jam’ (ATK: 1500).
“Interesting,” Christopher commented. “I look forward to seeing what feeble reason you have for tributing a Level Four monster for another Level Four monster.”
“I’m not done yet,” I snapped, “because I drew the ultimate hand! I remove ‘Soldier’ in my Graveyard from play to summon my favorite monster, ‘Aqua Spirit’!” A pillar of bubbles rose up. The bubbles popped, and the blue-skinned water fairy ‘Aqua Spirit’ emerged (ATK: 1600).
“Next I end with ‘Card of Safe Return’ and two face-down cards. Gimme your best shot, Christopher, because I guarantee it’s not going to be enough.”
“Oh,” said Christopher, drawing to begin his first turn, “I will, and it will.”
He looked over his hand and smiled a devious smile. “Do you know why I’m King of OTK?” he asked. When I didn’t answer he said, “I’ll tell you anyway. I have studied this game extensively. I’ve always had a talent for seeing connections, and because I know every card in the game I only have to see a few cards in any given duelist’s deck, along with a bit of their Dueling style, to see through every one of their combinations.
“For example,” he said, smugness in his voice, “your face-down cards are ‘Jam Defender’ and ‘Solemn Wishes’.”
What? I thought, glancing down at my cards. How’d he know?
“You’re planning on blocking whatever monster I summon using a combination of ‘Revival Jam’ and ‘Jam Defender’,” Christopher explained, “and then use a combination of ‘Solemn Wishes’ and ‘Card of Safe Return’ to cancel out ‘Revival Jam’’s Life Point cost and rebuild your hand all at once. Then you’ll use ‘Aqua Spirit’’s effect in combination with cards such as ‘Gravity Bind’ and ‘Level Limit – Area B’ to limit how many attacks I can make until you can draw into ‘Levia Dragon – Daedalus’ and ‘A Legendary Ocean’.”
“Y-you figured out my entire deck!” I was so shocked that I was actually shaking.
“Yeah,” he said. “See, I’ve always been good at this guessing thing, and ever since a recent defeat I’ve honed it, turning it into my greatest asset. Now I’m invincible. I can always defeat your deck because I know your deck as well as I know my own. I begin with my own ‘Pot of Greed’ to draw two cards. Any number of the cards in my deck will work for what I need them to do, so it doesn’t really matter what I draw.”
He drew his cards and looked them over intently. Maybe, after everything, he didn’t draw what he needed, I thought, my resolve returning. It didn’t remain for long.
“Sorry,” Christopher said, “it was fun, but I’m going to end this, and I’m gonna do so starting with ‘Dark Hole’, destroying every monster on the field, even the otherwise immortal ‘Revival Jam’.”
My monsters were sucked into a black hole that appeared high above the field, which closed seconds later. Christopher selected a second card from his hand, “Next I activate ‘Polymerization’, fusing the Gemini Monsters ‘King Pyron’ and ‘Aquarian Allessa’ into ‘Metal-Armored Beast Raptinus’!”
‘King Pyron, a humanoid figure made of fire, and ‘Aquarian Allessa’, a young girl in a blue kimono, appeared in the air and merged into a huge dragon with multicolor patchwork skin and broad tan wings (ATK: 2200).
“Now I play ‘Graceful Charity’, drawing three cards and then discarding ‘Blazing Warrior Lady’ and ‘Frozen Sorceress’ from my hand," Christopher continued, "and I remove ‘Allessa’, ‘Frozen Sorceress’, and ‘Blazing Warrior Lady’ from play, fusing ice with fire to form my ultimate card, ‘Frost and Flame Dragon’!”
A pillar of fire rose up alongside a pillar of water. The water began to freeze as the two pillars twisted together, forming a huge two-headed dragon, one head an icy blue, and the other a fiery red (ATK: 2300).
“Next up,” said Christopher, “I activate ‘Dimension Explosion’, returning ‘Raptinus’ to my Fusion Deck to allow us both to Special Summon up to two monsters that we have removed from play.” ‘Raptinus’ disappeared in a flash of light. A ripple appeared in the air beside me, and ‘Soldier of Atlantis’ emerged (ATK: 1900). A ripple appeared beside the ‘Frost and Flame Dragon’, and ‘Blazing Warrior Lady’ and ‘Frozen Sorceress’, two of the strongest Level Four monsters in the game, emerged to stand at my opponent’s side (ATK: 2200 each).
“Finally,” said Christopher, “I play ‘Premature Burial’, paying eight hundred Life Points (8000-800=7200) to summon ‘King Pyron’ from my Graveyard!”
The humanoid flame ‘King Pyron’ appeared with a burst of heat and fire (ATK: 1500).
“Now,” said Christopher, playing his final card, “I double the size and strength of my ‘Frost and Flame Dragon’ with the Spell card ‘Megamorph’.” A glowing magic ring appeared below the two-headed dragon, and he grew to twice his size (ATK: 4600), “and I activate his special attack ability, Burning Ice Breath!”
‘Frost and Flame Dragon’ breathed ice from his frozen mouth, freezing my monster, and then breathed fire from his fiery mouth, melting my monster away in a torrent of flames.
“Now my four monsters attack, finishing you off.” ‘Frost and Flame Dragon’ breathed fire and ice from his two mouths, ‘Pyron’ launched a burst of fire from his palms, ‘Blazing Warrior Lady’ swung her katana, releasing a swirling of heat and fire, and ‘Frozen Sorceress’ spread her arms, summoning up a fierce icy breeze. The attacks hit, dealing me over ten thousand damage at once.
Christopher’s monsters faded away, and he stepped forward and shook my hand. “Despite the outcome here I think you’ve got more power than that. I’d like to duel you again someday. And don’t worry about that ante thing. I don’t need any of your cards.”
He turned and walked away, leaving me even more determined to beat him than ever.
Karen
“For my move,” I began, “I start out with ‘Toon Alligator’.” An axe-wielding lizard appeared at my feet, jumping up and down excitedly (ATK: 800). “Next I play ‘Double Summon’, tributing the ‘Alligator’ for the ‘Dark Magician Girl’.” A young woman appeared wearing a blue dress and a witch’s hat over long blond hair. She carried a staff as a wand, which she aimed at Max, winking provocatively (ATK: 2000).
“‘Dark Magician Girl’,” I commanded, “attack with Dark Burning!” ‘Dark Magician Girl’ fired waves of energy from the tip of her staff, hitting the face-down monster, which was revealed as a wooden man carrying a scythe.
“You attacked my ‘Regulus Reever’,” Max explained, “which means we each discard a card from our own hand, and then your monster loses five hundred Attack (2000-500=1500).”
I discarded my card and then continued without hesitation.
“I play ‘Card of Sanctity’,” I said. “We each draw until we hold six cards.”
I looked over my hand. It’s not much, but it’ll have to do.
“I place two cards face-down and end my turn.”
“Reveal,” said Max, “my ‘Call of the Haunted’ card. With this I revive my ‘Reever’ (ATK: 1600) and draw one card with the effect of ‘Card of Safe Return’. Now I draw, and I summon ‘Emissary of the Afterlife’.”
Another, more classic-looking grim reaper monster appeared, ghostlike, with a decorated scythe (ATK: 1600).
“I attack with ‘Regulus Reever’,” Max declared, “revealing ‘Robbin’ Goblin’.”
“Not bad,” I said as the wooden reaper lunged at my weakened sorceress. “You plan to deal me damage, activating the effect of your ‘Robbin’ Goblin’, forcing me to discard a card, but it won’t work.”
I smiled, as did my monster, and she raised her staff. “Reveal ‘Rush Recklessly’,” I declared, “raising the Attack power of my ‘Dark Magician Girl’ by seven hundred (1500+700=2200).”
“I don’t think so,” said Max. “Reveal ‘Attack Reaping’, cutting the attack of your monster by half at the cost of 500 Life Points (8000-500=7500).” A reaper burst from Max’s Trap, slashing my monster (2200/2=1100) and disappearing. Moments later ‘Regulus Reever’ swung his scythe, cutting my sorceress in half down the middle (8000+ 1100-1600=7500). Also, because of the effect of ‘Robbin’ Goblin’, I was forced to discard a random card from my hand, leaving me with only three.
“I also attack with ‘Emissary of the Afterlife’,” said Max. His second monster slashed with its scythe as well, and my Life Points fell (7500-1600=5900). I lost another card, leaving me with two.
“Finally,” said Max, “just to be safe, I activate ‘Delinquent Duo’, paying one thousand Life Points (7500-1000=6500) to discard the last two cards from your hand.” Twin demons appeared, flying over to me and snatching my last two cards, ‘Monster Reborn’ and ‘Toon Cannon Soldier’, and placing them in my Graveyard.
Max smiled evilly, “I end my turn.”
I drew my card. ‘Blue-Eyes Toon Dragon’. “I reveal ‘Jar of Greed’,” I declared, a little desperate, “to draw another card.” I drew again and got ‘Toon World’.
There was nothing left that I could do.
“I end my turn,” I said. Max’s smile widened even further.
“If that’s the case,” he said, “then this duel ends right now.
“I sacrifice both of my monsters,” he declared, “for the Bringer of Fear, ‘Despair from the Dark’!”
The two reapers merged, forming a massive shadowy torso with mighty and powerful claws, towering over the field from its place behind Max (ATK: 2800).
“‘Despair’ attacks,” Max commanded, “with Shadow Claw!” His monster reached toward me, reaching over Max’s head, and slashed me across my chest (5900-2800=3100).
“Now I activate ‘Offerings to the Doomed’,” Max declared, “destroying my own monster,” ‘Despair’ melted away, becoming wisps of smoke, “which lets me activate ‘A Deal with Dark Ruler’, summoning my strongest card.”
The smoke reformed into a large brown skeletal dragon, “Meet the Bringer of Fear and Death, ‘Berserk Dragon’ (ATK: 3500)! Attack with Berserk Flame!”
Max laughed madly as the dragon inhaled sharply and then exhaled, releasing a barrage of fireballs. They hit me and my Life Points disappeared (3100-3500=0). I fell to my knees, defeated.
Card of the Day:
Robbin' Goblin
Played by: Max
This card is integral to Max's strategy going forward from here. He isn't just about survivability on the field now, he also increases his survivability by reducing the number of cards that his opponent can play. With this card active, every single monster gains the power of Max's "Spirit Reaper" to destroy a card in the opponent's hand, and "Spirit Reaper" destroys two cards with each attack instead of just one.
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