//------------------------------// // Turn 15: Breaking the Curse with a Curse // Story: Yugioh EQG: Cyberse Tournament // by Banshee531 //------------------------------// The second round of the Cyberse Tournament continues and already, one of the contestants has made it through. The rest continue their Duels, with one of them only just starting. In the city of energy, Scootaloo and Yona were racing atop their new Duel Boards and had just begun their Duel. A lot of people watched, fascinated by this new style of play. As the girls surfed along the energy highway, they had drawn their cards and were now preparing to start the game. "Yona go first!" She drew her card. "Yona summon Berserking Swordsman, ATK!" The sword wielding barbarian appeared, swinging his weapon around as he flew through the air beside Yona. (A1600/D1400/L4) "Swordsman skill!" Her deck slotted out a card, "Yona add Berserking Spearman to hand. Then place face down and end turn." Adagio: "A simple beginning, but I get the feeling this is going to lead to a more impressive strategy later." "It's my turn," Scootaloo cried. As she said that, Rush Raptor let out a roar. "My Deck Master's Ability activates during my draw phase. Instead of drawing, I can look at the top five cards of my deck and add one to my hand." The cards flew off her Deck and she looked through them, taking one whilst the other four shuffled themselves back into the deck. "Next I summon, Gilasaurus!" The dinosaur appeared and let out a roar, as it began to run through the air like Rush Raptor was doing. (A1400/D400/L3) Adagio "And since that was a special summon, Scootaloo can summon another monster to the field. But which one?" "Now I tribute Gilasaurus, to summon Sliceratops!" Gilasaurus vanished and from out of the light, a large ceratopsian appeared. Its three horns had been replaced with large blades and the same blades could be seen on its knees. (A2300/D1300/L5) "Sliceratops' skill. Once per turn, I can remove a Dinosaur from my graveyard and make your monster lose half that monster's ATK." Yona watched, as Gilasaurus appeared and flew into the dinosaur's horn blade. It then swung its horn around and unleashed a blade of light, which struck Berserking Swordsman. (A900/D1400/L4) "Sliceratops! GO!" The dinosaur charged forward, Berserking Sword bracing itself. "Yona activate Quick-Play!" Her face down flipped up, "Berserking Rage! Now all Berserkings eight hundred points stronger!" Swordsmen roared, as his power increased. (A1700/D1400/L4) That wasn't enough to save him from the dinosaur's rampage, which slammed down on him and caused the barbarian to be destroyed. Yona: 3400 Scootaloo: 4000 The shockwave from the explosion, caused Yona to almost lose her balance and she nearly fell off her board. But she managed to keep herself from falling off, as Scootaloo smirked. "I'll place a card face down and end my turn." Adagio: "Scootaloo's taken the lead and has a pretty powerful monster on the field. Can Yona recover?" In the elimination room, everyone was watching this new Duel with great intrigue. "I kinda like this way of Dueling," Trixie smiled. "Isn't it just a Turbo Duel with smaller runners?" Sandbar asked, but Sunset shook her head. "It's like Turbo Dueling, but it's also different. Mostly because in a Turbo Duel, your runner's using an autopilot. So really, there's no difference between it and standard Dueling. But with this, you've actually gotta use your own skill. Let an attack hit you directly and you could be knocked off the board. That'd be game over for sure." "She's got ya there," Gallus told Sandbar. "Is it really fair to have those two Duel like that then? Scootaloo's obviously more talented on that board, so doesn't it give her the edge?" They watched Yona almost fall over again. "Maybe," Wallflower stated. "But if Yona's thrown off by something like that, maybe she doesn't deserve to be in this tournament." Yona's friends all frowned, but didn't argue with her. Instead, they just focused on the rest of the Duels taking place. In another Duel Field, Spike and Fluttershy's Duel was growing more and more heated. Spike's Life Points were much higher than Fluttershy's, but Fluttershy had managed to cripple his deck thanks to her Cursed Bind Trap card. And now, it was her turn and the girl was clearly intending to make a big comeback. "Here I go!" Fluttershy drew her card, as the portal formed above her head. "I PENDULUM SUMMON!" The portal opened and three lights flew out, hitting the ground and exploding to reveal Fluttershy's monsters. "Kindness Pegasus!" (A1300/D1800/L4/P5) "Looming Serpent!" (A1800/D900/L4/P8) "And Kindness Dragonoid!" (A2600/D1900/L7/P5) "Kindness Pegasus' skill!" Her deck slotted out a card, Fluttershy taking it and instantly placing it in her graveyard. "By discarding Sacred Guardian Beast, Dancing Bee, I can add any Spell in my deck to my hand." Her deck slotted another card out and she instantly played it. "Now, I equip Kindness Pegasus with the Mystical Mask of Meadowbrook!" Said mask appeared on the winged horse. Aria: "Impressive! That mask makes the monster wearing it immune to monster effects. And whenever it destroys a monster, she'll gain Life Points equal to that monster's Level. But why put it on Kindness Pegasus?" "I activate the effect of Kindness Dragonoid!" Fluttershy's dragon turned towards Kindness Pegasus before breathing out a pink mist, which surrounded the winged horse. "Now, I can transfer any of my dragon's original ATK to a Level four or below monster. And I'm giving Pegasus all of Dragonoid's power." The horse stepped out of the mist, looking much stronger than before. (A0/D1900/L7/P5) (A3900/D1800/L4/P5) Aria: "Kindness Dragonoid won't regain those ATK points. Meaning it's basically a sitting duck now. Good thing she put it into DEF mode." Spike watched, as Kindness Pegasus took to the air. "Now, Kindness Pegasus. Destroy Gandora-X!" The pegasus dived down, aiming right for Spike's dragon. If this attack struck, Spike would lose. "I activate the effect of my Deck Master!" Spike cried, with Drag-Blader raising his sword. "By banishing a Dragon from my graveyard, I can power up another dragon by half its ATK!" The ghostly image of Iron-Tail Dragon appeared before exploding and flying into Drag-Blader's weapon, causing it to catch fire. "When did you get that monster in your graveyard?" "Graceful Charity!" Spike cheered. "Sure, it won't be enough to save my dragon. But it should be able to protect my life points just enough!" Drag-Blader swung his sword around and unleashed the fire, which wrapped around Gandora-X and powers it up. (A2350/D0/L8) Moments later, Kindness Pegasus slammed into Gandora-X and destroyed it. Spike cried out, as he was pushed backwards by the explosion. Spike: 300 Fluttershy: 100 As Spike staggered back, the mask on Pegasus' face began to glow before the light sprinkled down on Fluttershy. She sighed, as her Life Points rose above Spike's. Spike: 300 Fluttershy: 900 As Spike regained his footing, he heard a hissing and looked over to see Looming Serpent. "Sorry Spike. But you forgot my other monster." She pointed at Spike and the snake charged, but Spike could only smirk. "No I didn't!" With that, Drag-Blader leapt forward. "I Master Summon Drag-Blader, to stop your attack." (A1800/D1200/L4) "But their ATK is the same. And if your Deck Master's destroyed, you'll lose the Duel anyway." But as she said that, another ghost appeared. This ghost was Flame Tracker Dragon, who exploded and flew into Drag-Blader's sword. "No. Don't tell me..." "My Deck Master's ability can be used as many times as I want. Though I can only power up a monster once every turn." (A2450/D1200/L4) The flames around Drag-Blader increased and he was able to cut Looming Serpent to pieces, making Fluttershy cry out. Spike: 300 Fluttershy: 250 Aria: "Amazing! Spike was able to defend himself thanks to his Deck Master. But this has put him in a dangerous situation. If that monster is destroyed, Spike will lose the Duel even if he somehow manages to protect his Life Points. He once again has no cards in his hand and barely any cards on the field. He's gonna need something big to win this Duel." Fluttershy placed a card down called an end to her turn, Drag-Blader's ATK returning to its normal value as she did. (A1800/D1200/L4) Spike looked down at his deck, trying to think of a card that might be able to help. But things were looking pretty grim for him. "Without my Synchro Monster, maybe I don't have a chance." He felt himself becoming overwhelmed, but closed his eyes and took a deep breath. "No. Flash has overcome harder obstacles before. If he can still win, then so can I." He reached for his deck, "I can do this. I can do this." He opened his eyes. "I can do this!" Fluttershy was surprised by that statement, as Spike let out a cry and drew his card. In the wind tunnel Duel Field, Flash and Fizzlepop's own Duel was raging on. The pair had been fighting with everything they had, with Flash having managed to get himself a slight lead in Life Points. And now, with Star Fang Magna Tiger on the field, Fizzlepop would need to pull something big out of her hat to win." "It's my turn." She reached for her deck, "I draw!" She did so and quickly played the card she got from Resurgence. "I activate my Storm Guard Reload. To banish Storm Guard Spear and draw four cards." She did so and Magna Wolf howled. "Since a monster was just banished, my Deck Master gets to power up a monster on my field. So now, Magna Tiger is three hundred points stronger. (A2700/D2100/L7) Tempest shrugged. "Well now I set the Pendulum Scale, with scale one Spine-Hog Liberator and scale nine, Storm Guard Liberator Ryyk!" The pillars of light appeared, as two monsters flew up into them and the portal began to form. "Now, I will cut through space time and carve my own arc of victory." The portal began to open. "I PENDULUM SUMMON!" Two lights shot out of the portal, exploding on the ground and revealing Fizzlepop's monsters. "Rise, Tempest Rogue Liberator, Scarvolt!" (A2500/D2000/L7/P4) "And Storm Guard Liberator, Glaive!" (A1900/D1200/L4/P3) "Scarvolt's skill!" Scarvolt's body sparked before a bolt of lightning exploded into the sky. "Since she was special summoned, I can summon a Storm Guard from my deck that has less ATK than your Magna Tiger." Her deck slotted out a card, which she took and slapped onto the field. "Rise, Storm Guard Liberator, Katar!" Flash watched as the lightning shot down onto the ground, then faded to reveal a monster carrying a bladed gauntlet. (A800/D1300/L3) "And whenever Katar is special summoned, I can cut the ATK and DEF of one monster in half for this turn." Katar swung its blades around and unleashed a crescent blade of lightning, which struck Magna Tiger and made it roar in pain. (A1350/D1050/L7) "Seriously?" Flash asked, glad that he had at least powered his monster up a bit. But as he turned back to Fizzlepop, he remembered Scarvolt's other ability. "Since I have two Liberator monsters on my field, Tempest Rogue Liberator gets a thousand ATK points this turn." The other two monsters sparked before the light flew into Scarvolt. (A3500/D2000/L7/P4) "ATTACK!" The Liberator leapt into the air, raising her golden swords as they sparked with lightning. "Don't forget!" Flash announced, "Galaxy Storm Dragon is still in my graveyard. So I can banish him and swap the battle position of your Scarvolt!" The portal opened up again, as the Fusion Monster flew out of it. Fizzlepop frowned, as she turned to the other two cards on Flash's field. Should she save her Deck Master's Ability...or was Flash wanting her to not use it here. "I activate the skill of my Deck Master!" She discarded a card, as Tempest Unicorn's horn sparked. It fired a blast of lightning and struck Galaxy Storm Dragon, blowing it up and causing Flash to flinch. Sonata: "Ow! Flash hoped to stop her attack, but she wouldn't let him. Does Flash have anything else to fall back on?" "Lightspeed!" Flash suddenly yelled, his face down flipping up to reveal his Quick-Play Spell card. "This Spell lets me power up a monster by one thousand points!" Magna Tiger glowed. (A2350/D2100/L7) It raised its gauntlet in defence, but Scarvolt slashed through it and destroyed the monster. "Gyah!" Flash: 1350 Fizzlepop: 2100 "Glaive!" Fizzlepop yelled, "finish him off!" The monster rushed forward, but Flash's other face down soon flipped up. "Trap Card, OPEN!" A barrier appeared around Flash, "Defence Draw!" Glaive's attack bounced off the forcefield, as Flash drew a card. When he saw what it was, he smiled as Fizzlepop called an end to her turn. Scarvolt's sparking body stopped sparking, as her power returned to normal. (A2500/D2000/L7/P5) Sonata: "Amazing! Flash was able to save himself, but he's still in a bad position. If he doesn't pull out a game change sooner, he's gonna be in trouble." Back in the energy city, Yona and Scootaloo's Duel continued as they raced along the highway. Yona was still a little wobbly, after almost being knocked off her Duel Board. But she refused to let that get the better of her and used all her balancing skills to keep upright and reached for her deck. "Yona draw!" She did just that and looked through her cards, nodding as a strategy formed in her head. "Yona summon Berserking Spearman, ATK!" The spear wielding barbarian appeared. (A1900/D300/L4) "Yona then discard Berserking Axe-Master, which weaken Scootaloo monster!" Scootaloo watched as a battle axe carrying barbarian appeared, who quickly threw his axe towards Sliceratops. The axe slammed into it and made the dino roar in pain. (A1300/D1300/L5) "Not good." "Spearman, attack!" the warrior charged forward and before Scootaloo could try anything, he stabbed her monster in the chest and destroyed it. Yona: 3400 Scootaloo: 3400 The impact caused a shockwave, which Scootaloo was barely able to avoid on her board. And as the wave weakened, she quickly activated her face down. "Trap Card, Open!" It flipped up, "Surviving Extinction! You know the story of the dinosaurs, don't you? The bigger ones died out when something horrible happened, but the smaller ones were able to survive." "Yona know that," the girl said. "Small dinos become her chicken nuggets." "Um...yeah. Anyway. When a Dinosaur monster is destroyed, I can summon another Dinosaur that's at least one Level lower from my deck." Her deck slotted out a card and she quickly summoned it. "Lophusaurus!" In a flash of light, a green saurolophus appeared. Its body was covered in leaves and other pieces of greenery, as it let out an almost cow-like bellow. (A1700/D1100/L4) Yona looked through her cards and placed one face down. "Yona end turn." "Alright," Scootaloo's deck let the five cards up, "it's my turn." She looked through the cards and smiled before adding one to her hand, the others shuffling back onto her deck. "I activate, Dino Pack Hunting!" Lophusaurus roared, as he started glowing. "This Spell lets me select a Dino on my field, then summon two other Dinosaurs from my Deck with less ATK." Adagio: "So she needs to summon two Dinosaurs with less than seventeen hundred points. Shouldn't be too difficult." Two cards slotted out of Scootaloo's deck, the girl quickly taking them out before summoning them. "Arise, Blade and Rush Raptor!" In a flash of light, the two monsters appeared. One was a copy of her Deck Master and the other was a raptor who was covered in blades. (A1200/D1400/L3) (A1300/D1000/L3) "Next, I activate the skill of Lophusaurus!" The monster roared as it glowed. "Now I can make his Level the same as any other monster on the field. And I pick Rush Raptor. (A1700/D1100/L3) Adagio: "Three Level three monsters. We all know what that means!" "Now!" Scootaloo cried, as her monsters changed into lights. "I use these three monsters to build the Overlay Network!" The lights shot into the air before flying into a black hole, that had just formed below Scootaloo's board. "Watch as the ancient powers of a Dinosaur are awakened!" The black hole exploded in light as a new monster appeared. "I XYZ SUMMON." The light faded revealing Scootaloo's Xyz monster. A larger version of Rush Raptor, with large wings that let out a mighty roar. "Wild Rush Raptor." (A2000/D2000/R3) "Since I have a Rush Raptor for an Overlay Unit, my Wild Rush Raptor gets another five hundred ATK points." (A2500/D2000/R3) "Attack!" Yona watched, as Wild Rush Raptor flew into the air and dived down towards Spearman. "Bring it!" "It's brought!" Scootaloo cried, as one of the Overlay Units flew into Wild Rush Raptor's mouth. "And by removing one Overlay Unit, any damage Wild Rush would deal is doubled!" The dinosaur slammed its feet into Spearman, grinding it into the energy road and allowing the beast to savagely rip him apart. As it did, Yona flinched. Yona: 2200 Scootaloo: 3400 As her monster was destroyed, Yona activated her face down. "Trap Card, Open!" The card flipped up, "Call of Haunted!" In a flash of light, Spearman returned to the field. "This card let Yona summon monster in graveyard." Scootaloo nodded and called an end to her turn. Adagio: "Scootaloo did some big damage there, but Yona was able to pull her monster back from destruction. Will that give her the edge needed to turn the tables?" "Yona draw!" She did so and smiled when she saw what she had gotten. But before she could play it, an energy stream shot towards them and both Yona and Scootaloo had to move in order to avoid getting hit. "WOW!" Yona once again almost lost her balance. But she kept herself upright, Scootaloo looking back at her. "You okay?" "Yona fine!" She cried before playing her card. "Yona summon Berserking Warhammer, ATK!" The hammer-wielding barbarian appeared with a roar. (A1800/D1100/L4) "Warhammer skill. Send Berserking Monster from Deck to grave." A card slotted out of her deck. "Yona send Berserking Forger to grave." Adagio: "Good call. By banishing it, she can add any Equip Spell to her hand. That could come in handy later." As Yona discarded the card, Spearman and Warhammer glowed. "Now, Yona Overlay both monsters!" They both morphed into a light, which flew into the air as a black hole appeared below her board. "Smash apart and rebuild stronger. That Berserking way. Now Yona smash two monsters together to make more powerful beast!" The lights flew inside before the black hole exploded. "YONA XYZ SUMMON!" The light from the explosion faded, revealing the iron fisted viking in metal armor. "Berserking, Wild Smasher!" (A2400/D2100/R4) "Alright!" Gallus cried. "That's just what Yona needed. Go for it, Yona!" The others nodded, as one of the other monitors suddenly came on. "What's going on?" Applebloom asked, as the monitor suddenly showed Smolder. "Huh. Guess she's on her way to her next Duel." "But her opponent hasn't been decided yet?" Trixie frowned, as they watched the girl making her way through a dark corridor. It reminded them of the maze they had gone through, when they had first entered the Cyberse. They couldn't help but wonder, where Smolder was heading. The girl kept walking through the tunnel and as she did, she spotted a light at the end of said tunnel. She smiled and picked up the pace, eventually arriving at the end and heading through the light. But as soon as she did, she was suddenly feeling very cold. "Geez!" She shivered, her arms wrapping around herself to try and stay warm. The reason for the sudden chill, came from the face she had wandered into a snowy biome. She couldn't help but feel cold, as a freezing wind rolled through the place and picked up a bunch of snow from the ground. She also felt her feet beginning to sink into the snow, making her even colder. "Another snow field?" Sunset frowned, remembering the first round Duels that had taken place in the snowy locations. Gallus, Sandbar and Silverstream all frowned, wondering if Twilight had maybe run out of ideas for battlefields. They watched, as Smolder forced herself to walk through the snow. Luckily, she wasn't at risk of frostbite. Even so, Dueling in a cold environment wouldn't be easy. "I hope she's okay," Ocellus stated. They were all thinking the same thing, but knew this was just something Smolder would have to overcome if she wanted to continue in the tournament. And as they turned to the others monitors, they knew it wouldn't be long before she had some company. Back in the transformed zombie field, Fluttershy watched as Spike's turn began. He had drawn his card, the only hope he had to end this Duel with his victory before Fluttershy could defeat him. She knew the chances of a single card saving him with little to none, but she also knew many Duellists had been able to win with even less. Spike finished his draw and looked it over, his eyes going wide at the sight of it. Everyone who saw this wondered what it was, many expecting it was a card that might help him save his Synchros. But then, the portal began to form above him. "I PENDULUM SUMMON!" The portal opened and from out of it, a fireball shot out and struck the ground. The explosion that followed made Fluttershy cry out, as she staggered back and covered her face to protect herself from the heat. The fire began to spread, covering the entire field. Fluttershy's Duel Disk beeped and she looked down to see that her Field Spell was being utterly destroyed. In doing so, her Kindness Pegasus was also powered down. (A3600/D1800/L4/P5) "What? How?" Spike smirked. "The dragon I've summoned has the power to destroy any Field Spell when it's summoned." The Sanctuary was completely consumed and when the fire died down, Spike and Fluttershy were back on the zombie surrounded roof. "Let me introduce you, to my Curse of Dragonfire!" Fluttershy looked up and saw a large red dragon, which was a long serpentine beast with many spikes on its body and a pair of large wings. As it opened its mouth, it let out a bird-like squawk. (A2000/D1500/L5) "Curse of Dragonfire?" Fluttershy asked. "Isn't that just a red Curse of Dragon?" Spike laughed. "It is so much more than that." "Doesn't matter," Fluttershy told him. "It's no match for my Kindness Pegasus. Even if you did destroy my Field Spell." Spike smiled. "I'm not done yet." He pointed at her. "You're right. Synchro Summoning is important to me. But that doesn't mean it's the only summoning style I'll use." Both Drag-Blader and Curse of Dragonfire leapt into the air, as a portal formed behind them. "With Curse of Dragonfire's skill, I can merge these two monsters together." The pair were pulled into the portal, as Spike began to chant. "Warrior, with the heart of a dragon, spread your wings and unleash a fire that burns through anything!" The portal exploded, unleashing a blast of fire. "I FUSION SUMMON!" From out of the flame, a humanoid figure flew out. They were dressed in a full set of dragon-themed armor. Said armor was red, with a green light on the chest, knees and the back of its hands. A long metal tail-like whip was sticking out of its back, being twice as long as he was tall. A set of red wings were on either side of the tail and from out of its right gauntlet, a white blade extended and ignited. The monster's helmet was shaped like a dragon, with a pair of green eyes sticking out of its mouth section. And as it leapt into the sky, a trail of fire came off of it. "Dragon Knight of Eternal Flame!" (A2600/D2100/L7) Aria: "Amazing. I think this is the first time in Spike's career, he's ever used an Extra Deck Summoning that wasn't Synchro. How will this affect the Duel?" Fluttershy could hardly believe it. "How long have you had that card?" "A while," Spike stated. "But like you said, Synchro Summoning's more my thing. But I've kept this at the ready in case I ever needed it." "Fair enough. But it doesn't matter. It's still not strong enough to defeat my monster." She then looked down at her face down. 'And if he does find a way to make it stronger, my Sacred Guardian Beast Blast will kick in. Since the combined levels of my Sacred Guardian Beasts are higher than his, I can destroy his monster the moment it declares an attack. And since it's become his Deck Master, destroying it will lose him the Duel.' "I activate Dragon Knight's Special Ability!" The Fusion Monster leapt into the air, as a ball of fire appeared in his hands. "On the turn he's Fusion Summoned, he can blast away all of your Spell and Trap Cards." Fluttershy's eyes went wide, as the knight threw the fireball. It shot down and struck the roof, exploding to unleash a wave of fire that slammed into Fluttershy's cards. Her Pendulum Monsters, Cursed Bind, Mystic Mask of Meadowbrook and face down all burned up, the flames they flying up and into Dragon Knight of Eternal Flame. "Now, for every card he toasted, Dragon Knight gets another three hundred ATK points." The knight roared, as his power increased. (A4100/D2100/L7) "NOW ATTACK!" The knight flew down, sword drawn. Kindness Pegasus watched and could do nothing, as the knight flew down and swung its burning sword towards her. In a flash, he was suddenly behind her and a large gash was going down the winged horse's chest. The horse neighed before it exploded, Fluttershy crying out as a wave of fire washed over her. Spike: 300 (Winner) Fluttershy: 0 Aria: "He's done it! Spike managed to claw his way back from defeat. Using a rather unexpected strategy, he has defeated Fluttershy and will be moving on to the next round. Fluttershy tried her best, especially with her Cursed Bind Trap. But Spike managed to find a way around her card." Fluttershy had been thrown to the side of the building, her head leaning off it. Her hair had come loose from its bun and was going down the side of the building, a zombie that had managed to climb up seeing it and reaching out to take the hair for itself. But before it could reach it, Spike stepped up next to her and helped her sit up. "You okay?" Fluttershy blinked and shook her head, her hair flowing around her as she did. "I think so." Spike stood up and offered a hand, Fluttershy taking it and being pulled back up to her feet. "Well done. I wasn't expecting that Fusion Summon." "Yeah," Spike scratched the back of his head, "thanks. You were right about me being too predictable. I still like Synchros, but I can't let that be my only move. I guess Flash wouldn't be as good as he is, if he only ever stuck to one mechanic." "I wouldn't compare you to Flash," Fluttershy began to put her hair back up. "Flash might use many different mechanics, but that's just how he likes to play. If you like Synchro Summoning, you shouldn't stop using it just because your opponents might have a counter. Keep using your favourite technique and if you find you can't, just switch to another strategy. You're skilled enough to do it." Spike smiled at this and the two hugged, as Fluttershy's feet began to turn to energy. "Well. I guess this is it." Fluttershy pulled away, Spike smiling as he stepped back. "Good luck in the rest of the tournament. I know you'll do amazingly." "Thanks," Spike nodded as her entire body completely vanished. He watched as the light flew into the sky, whilst the zombies continued to try and crawl their way up the side of the buildings. He sighed, that last Duel having taken a lot out of him. And he still had two more opponents left to defeat, whoever they were. At that moment, a light appeared beside him and he stepped through it. Moments later, the light vanished and the zombies finally reached the top. But when a Reborn Zombie looked around, it saw its prey was nowhere in sight. It seemed it wouldn't be getting its helpings of brains this day. Scootaloo frowned, as she stared up at Yona's monster. She didn't know what it could do, but she knew it couldn't be good. "Yona use Wild Smasher's skill!" One of the lights around Wild Smasher flew into the monster's metal fist, as a circular glass disk lit up and revealed a number six. "Now Yona roll random number and effect depend on roll." The number in the disk started rapidly changing, switching from any number between one and six. They waited for the number to stop and soon enough, it slowed down and the number was revealed. A one. Yona smiled. "That mean you take five hundred point damage!" "Oh," Scootaloo watched as Wild Smasher swung its fist through the air. Doing so caused a blast of pressurised wind to fly towards her, slamming her in the chest. "Gyah!" She was almost knocked off her board, but managed to grab onto it as her Life Points dropped. Yona: 2200 Scootaloo: 2900 As she fought to stay in control of her board, Yona pointed downwards. "Now, Berserking Forger's skill!" A portal opened up before the monster flew out of it, disintegrating as Yona's deck slotted out a card. "Now, Yona give Wild Smasher the Axe of Despair!" Said axe appeared in the Xyz Monster's arm, causing him to roar as his power rose. (A3400/D2100/R4) "Wild Smasher! Attack Wild Rush Raptor!" Scootaloo watched, as the monster charged forward and raised its axe. Her own Xyz Monster charged forward, trying to overpower the boosted monster. But with one mighty swing, the barbarian sliced in half and unleashed a shockwave Scootaloo did her best to outrun this shockwave, but it eventually slammed into her and she was once again knocked out of control. Yona: 2200 Scootaloo: 2000 Yona watched as Scootaloo flew down and crashed into the energy bridge, which started sparking as she ground against it. Scootaloo screamed, as she tried to pull herself up. But as she did, an energy streak rushed towards her and she gasped. But before she could get hit, Rush Raptor flew down. It swung its tail around and Scootaloo grabbed a hold, the dino swinging around and pulling her and her board up into the air. Yona watched as Scootaloo did several flips in the air, then sailed down and landed ahead of her. The girl smirked back at Yona, who smiled back before calling an end to her turn. Rush Raptor somehow flew back up and started running beside Scootaloo, the beast roaring as the five cards flew off the top of her deck. She looked through them, then at her hand. After a moment, she picked one before adding the others back into her deck. "I activate, Magical Mallet!" She took three cards from her hand and returned them to her deck, which shuffled before she drew three new cards. "Next, I summon Hyper Hammerhead to the field in DEF mode!" In a flash of light, the hammer nosed dinosaur appeared in front of her. (A1500/D1200/L4) I place two cards face down and end my turn." "That's it?" Trixie asked. "That's all she's gonna do?" "That might be all she has to do," Ocellus stated. "With Hyper Hammerhead's ability, Yona might not be able to do anything" The others realised she was right. If a monster attacked Hyper Hammerhead, it would be returned to the hand after the battle. Unless Yona found another way to get rid of it, she wouldn't be able to attack. Suddenly, a bright flash of light made them close their eyes. From out of it, Fluttershy appeared and looked around. "Oh," she frowned, "is this where everyone else who lost is?" They all nodded, Fluttershy letting out a sigh as she moved over to sit down. "Hey," Sunset told her, "cheer up. Your Duel with Spike was amazing. That Trap you used was incredible." "Thanks," Fluttershy sat down and accepted a bucket of popcorn. "Too bad he also had his new Fusion Monster." She turned to the red of the monitors and saw who was Dueling. "Flash against Fizzlepop. Oh, this looks interesting." She then saw what Scootaloo and Yona were doing and gasped. "Oh dear!" "Yeah," Sweetie laughed. "Scootaloo decided to turn Yona into a stunt Duelist. But it's her who almost wiped out before." Fluttershy clearly didn't like the sound of that, as they turned their attention back to Flash and Fizzlepop's Duel. Sonata: "This is it, folks. Will Flash be able to draw something that can help him?" "It's my turn!" Flash reached for his deck. "I draw!" As soon as he did, the portal began to form above his head. "I PENDULUM SUMMON!" The portal opened and three lights flew out, hitting the ground and exploding to reveal his monsters. "Spark up, Volt Edge Dragon!" (A2000/D1200/L4/P5) "Let the elements shine, Magna Caster Attriborn!" (A1500/D1000/L3/P8) "Shine your light of victory, Flash Heart Dragon...ALPHA!" (A3000/D2000/L7/P4) Fizzlepop stared at Flash's ace card, worry washing over her as she saw it point a finger towards Katar. "Flash Heart Alpha's skill!" A portal appeared below Katar and the monster fell through it. "Now, since a monster was banished, two abilities activate." "Great," Fizzlepop frowned. "First, Magna Wolf will grant Flash Heart Alpha an extra three hundred points!" The wolf howled, as Flash Heart glowed. (A3300/D2000/L7/P4) "Next, Alpha's skill activates. I get to draw one card." He did so, adding it to his hand. "Now, Flash Heart, destroy Scarvolt!" The white dragon leapt into the air, its thrusters igniting as it flew forward with its fist pulled back. Fizzlepop frowned, as her monster raised its swords to try and defend itself. But the punch smashed right through them and slammed into her face, causing her to explode. Flash: 1350 Fizzlepop: 1300 Fizzlepop staggered back, as Volt Edge leapt into the air. "This next attack is sure to give you a shock!" Volt Edge's body sparked, as its power rose. (A2600/D1200/L4/P5) it slashed at Glaive and destroyed it, Tempest flinching one again. Flash: 1350 Fizzlepop: 600 Sonata: "Fizzlepop's Life Points have been reduced to less than a thousand. She's really in trouble now." "Attriborn!" Flash yelled, "finish her off!" The spellcaster raised his staff and pointed it towards Fizzlepop, launching a beam of light straight towards her. Fizzlepop gasped and the laser struck the ground, exploding and causing her to cry out. Flash cheered, but stopped when the smoke faded to show she was still standing. "What?" He looked down at his Duel Disk and got the surprise of his life. Flash: 1350 Fizzlepop: 2400 "How?" Flash asked, only to then see Fizzlepop's final face down flipped up. "My Trap. Final Miracle. I can only activate it when I have less than a thousand Life Points. If I'm attacked directly, I can increase my Life Points by the ATK of the strongest monster on your field." Sonata: "WOW! Not only was Fizzlepop able to stop Flash's attack, she increased her life points to more than the amount she had at the start of the turn. She was lucky that the last attack got her under a thousand. Any higher and she would be out of this tournament." Flash smiled at her, Fizzlepop smiling back. "Man, you sure know how to surprise your opponents." Fizzlepop laughed. "Of course. I can't let myself get predictable. I came into this tournament to prove I'm one of the best. And to prove myself better than...him." Flash frowned, as he realised who she was talking about. "It took everything you had to beat me when I was dominated. You lost to him several times before finally overcoming him. And now, you're a million times better." "Only a million?" "Either way, I have something I want to prove. That even though you've grown so incredibly strong, I'm still strong enough to beat you. To beat him." Flash nodded. He had been worried she might be trying to get some twisted sense of revenge, but that wasn't it. She just wanted to prove she was better than him. "I place two cards face down and end my turn." As much as he would like to see Fizzlepop stand as a great Duelist, he refused to simply roll over and let her win. He had a reputation to uphold. "If you want to prove you're stronger than him, you need to give this everything you've got. No holding back. No doubt or second guessing yourself. Come at me with everything you have!" Fizzlepop smiled, "oh, you don't have to worry about that. I intend to." No matter who won this Duel, both Duelists would be able to hold their heads up high. Back in the cold wasteland, Smolder continued to trudge through the snow. She shivered, wishing her opponent would show up so she could get out of there sooner. But no matter where she looked, she saw nothing but snow. She looked ahead, there was snow. She looked to her left, there was snow. She looked to her right, there was a building in the distance. She looked straight up there was- "Wait." Smolder looked right again and as she strained her eyes to focus, she realised she hadn't been seeing things. There was a building a short distance away. "YES!" She began to march forward, practically running and leaping through the snow. As she got closer, the building grew larger and she realised it wasn't just one building. It was some kind of large fort, with a square stone wall encircling it. Sticking up from behind the wall were a bunch of large pillars, Smolder wondering what kind of place she had just stepped into. As she reached the giant wood doors, she looked up to see if there was anyone manning the wall. "Hello?" She called out, hoping the door would soon open. "Anybody up there? Cold yet talented Duelists out here/ Could really use a hot cup of coco or something?" There was no response. "Come on. There's gotta be someone in there. Hello?" The gate remained closed, Smolder frowning, only to then begin to slowly open. She gasped, as she watched the wooden doors pull away from her. She got ready, in case something tried to leap out at her and attack. But nothing did and once the doors were completely open, she looked around and saw the place was an entire town. It was like one of those old fashioned western towns, with two long lines of wooden buildings that had a barely paved road between them. There was a well in the centre of it, with a bunch of stairs leading up to some kind of stone building in the centre of the fortress. Smolder began to step forward, the biting chill vanishing once she stepped through the gate into the fort. "What is this place?" She asked, as she looked into the many buildings. But each one was completely empty. "This place needs to seriously update itself. You'd get frostbite spending just one night here." She looked up at the stone building, which looked just as drafty as the wooden buildings. She approached the well and looked down it, half expecting to see it frozen solid. But there was water in there, with a bit of steam coming off of it. "Hot water? How does this place have hot water? What is this place?" She stood up. "Can someone please just tell me where I am alright?" "Very well." A voice echoed through the fort, making Smolder jump as she looked around. "I'll tell you what you want to know. But trust me. You'll wish you hadn't, once I'm done with you." The voice began to shift and Smolder slowly managed to locate it, the girl turning towards the large building. "You're in the famous North Academy." "North Academy?" Smolder repeated, as she suddenly realised where she actually was. "I know that place. One of the old Duel Academies. I heard it got shut down because students stopped trying to get in." "Is that so? Too bad. I guess the level of skill just dropped too much. Nobody was able to handle the harsh training that this place used. Guess that explains why you were moaning like a baby outside." "Hey!" Smolder cried, "it's cold. Not my fault, my body's built for surviving in warm places." "See. Total baby." Smolder growled. "If you were a Duelist in my day, you wouldn't have lasted a single turn. You probably only Duel when the weather's perfect. Do you know how to attack someone these days, or is that too aggressive?" "Why don't you quit hiding in there and come out to face me. I'll show you the kind of attack I use!" As soon as she said that, a new sound filled the air. A bunch of laughter, coming from within the building. And before she could ask what it was, something shot out of the building and flew down towards her. Five differently coloured monsters, all the size of babies and moving so fast Smolder couldn't react in time. "Gyah!" She fell to the ground, as the creatures started poking at her face. She eventually started swinging her arms around, swatting the beasts away. And when she did, she heard footsteps coming from the building. She looked up at the building and saw a man of some kind, who stepped out of the building and stood at the top of the stairs. He smirked, staring down at her, as he slowly made his way down the stairs. And as he did, Smolder was able to get a good look at him. He was a man in his twenties, with spiky black hair that was wearing almost all black. A black shirt, black pants and a long black overcoat. When he reached the bottom, he smiled at Smolder. "So, you think you stand a chance against The Chazz." "The Chazz?" Smolder asked, as a memory clicked. "Chazz Princeton? Thunder Chazz?" "That's right," he nodded. "One of the greatest Duelists to ever come out of The Duel Academy system. I started off in Duel Academy, but dropped out. That's how I ended up here, at North Academy." He stuck his arm up and pointed to the sky. "And here, I learned to become the greatest Duelist of my generation." "Really?" Smolder asked. "If I remember my history correctly, wasn't there one guy you never managed to defeat. Jaden...something." Chazz anime fell, groaning as he did so. "THAT DOESN'T COUNT!" Chazz yelled. "He might have beaten me, but he never went pro. I entered the pro circuit and became number one. And now, I stand before you now." He pointed at Smolder. "Get your cards out. It's time for you to prove you have what it takes...to beat The Chazz." Smolder frowned, as she realised what was happening. Some kind of filler Duel. And if she wanted to get to the next round, she had to beat this guy. "Bring it on."