• A new LGBTQ+ forum is now being trialed and there have been changes made to the Support and Advice forum. To read more about these updates, click here.
  • Hey Trainers! Be sure to check out Corsola Beach, our newest section on the forums, in partnership with our friends at Corsola Cove! At the Beach, you can discuss the competitive side of the games, post your favorite Pokemon memes, and connect with other Pokemon creators!
  • Due to the recent changes with Twitter's API, it is no longer possible for Bulbagarden forum users to login via their Twitter account. If you signed up to Bulbagarden via Twitter and do not have another way to login, please contact us here with your Twitter username so that we can get you sorted.

TEEN: Psychic Duelist Django (Season 3: Hidden Forces) Chapter 48 up!

Re: Psychic Duelist Django (Season 3: Hidden Forces) Chapter 20 up!

I told you I'd post the next chapter in a little while while still following forum rules. Anyway, moving on, the conclusion of Django's Duel with Virgil the Shadow Stalker is here. Django, once again, pulls out a new trick in order to turn the tables on this more creative Shadow Stalker. What does this new evolution mean for future battles? We shall see soon enough. For now, read and enjoy.

Feral Eyes

The Duel between Django and Virgil the Shadow Stalker was getting intense. On Virgil’s field was a powered-up Dark Rebellion Xyz Dragon sporting 4800 Attack Points and no Overlay Units, one face-down card, and 3500 Life Points left. On Django’s field was Berfomet (1400/1800) in Defense Mode, no face-down cards, and 2125 Life Points left. It was the start of Django’s turn.

Tempest said in a worried tone, “Virgil’s Dark Rebellion Xyz Dragon is now very powerful, having used its power twice. And as long as he has a Heraldic Beast Twin-Headed Eagle to use in his Graveyard, he can keep recharging Dark Rebellion’s Overlay Units. While Django is left with just Berfomet on his field, after the destruction of both Odd-Eyes Pendulum Dragon and Chimera the Flying Mythical Beast. At least his Damage Diet Trap managed to reduce the blow, giving him more than half of his Life Points left, although I must admit that’s the oddest amount of Life Points I’ve ever seen. But I know Django well, so I know he’ll turn this Duel around.”

Django said mentally, “My options are low right now, but that doesn’t mean I’m about to give up. So here goes.” He then said aloud, “It’s my turn, I Draw!” He looked at his new card, smiling, “Sweet. That’ll help. First, I invoke my Timegazer Magician and Stargazer Magician in the Pendulum Zones! I Pendulum Summon Obnoxious Celtic Guardian and Odd-Eyes Pendulum Dragon to the field in Defense Mode!”

A portal opened up in between the two pillars of light, just under the swaying Spirit Crest. Two bolts of energy followed, and the Obnoxious Celtic Guardian (1400/1200) and Odd-Eyes Pendulum Dragon (2500/2000) appeared on the field in a defensive pose.

Virgil huffed, “Why do that? Obnoxious Celtic Guardian can be Normal Summoned or Set without any trouble, being a Level Four monster. So Pendulum Summoning that monster was pointless. What are you up to?”

Django merely said, “You’ll just have to wait and see. For now, I place two cards face-down on the field to end my turn. And just FYI, the Obnoxious Celtic Guardian cannot be destroyed in battle by monsters with over 1900 Attack Points, hence the ‘Obnoxious’ part of his name. So in order to destroy him you’ll need to summon a weaker monster, one with more than 1200 Attack but less than 1900. That is, if you can. Plus you still have to deal with my Odd-Eyes. So let’s see if you’re capable of destroying it for good.”

Virgil growled mentally, “He’s taunting me. He knows that my Dark Rebellion cannot destroy his elf swordsman, and that most Heraldic Beasts are not outstanding attackers. However, I may still find a way around that and get rid of that annoying stall monster.” He then said aloud, “It’s my move, I Draw!” He looked at his new card, smiling, “This’ll help. I’m about to shut your Obnoxious Celtic Guardian down in one swoop. But first, I activate the effect Heraldic Beast Amphisbaena from my hand. I can discard one other Heraldic Beast from my hand to the Graveyard in order to Special Summon it. So I think I’ll discard my Twin-Headed Eagle in order to bring forth this creature!”

He discarded Twin-Headed Eagle from his hand to the Graveyard, which allowed a new monster to emerge. Heraldic Beast Amphisbaena was a double-ended dragon-like creature. It had an armored body with two heads, one on each end of its body, one with red glowing energy while the other had blue glowing energy, large wings equipped with a single claw, and sharp clawed hands that seemed to be ambidextrous enough to be used by either side depending on which head was in control. It was a Level Four monster with stats of 1700/1100.

Virgil laughed, “You said yourself that your Obnoxious Celtic Guardian cannot be destroyed in battle with monsters that have 1900 or more Attack. But my Amphisbaena has only 1700 Attack, making it just strong enough, yet just weak enough, to destroy your stalling monster without a problem. But I’m not done yet. Next I summon another Heraldic Beast Leo in Attack Mode!”

Heraldic Beast Leo (2000/1000) emerged on the field, giving a roar as it did.

“Now all I need to do is use my two Heraldic Beasts to clear away your weaker monsters, then I can wipe out your Odd-Eyes with my Dark Rebellion! Say goodbye, Django Spirit! Heraldic Beast Amphisbaena, attack his Obnoxious Celtic Guardian now!”

The head with the blue energy around its face charged in first, ready to take out the elven swordsman. Django, however, was grinning.

He stated, “You played right into my Trap! Reveal my Mirror Force! When an attack is declared, I can use this Trap to reflect and redirect that attack right back at your monsters! So say goodbye to all your monsters that are in Attack Mode, which is all of them!”

Amphisbaena slammed into a rainbow hued barrier that not only blocked the attack, but then sent powerful shockwaves right back at all of Virgil’s monsters, destroying them in an instant. Virgil roared in frustration while Tempest cheered happily.

She called, “That was awesome, Django! You purposely lured him into attacking, and he swallowed the bait whole. Now his juiced-up Dark Rebellion Xyz Dragon is gone, leavin him wide open for an attack!”

Django gave Tempest a smile and a nod before returning his attention back to the Duel.

Virgil, who was still upset, managed to say, “You may have stopped that, but I’m far from done! First off, since my Heraldic Beast Leo was sent to the Graveyard, I can add another Heraldic Beast from my deck to my hand. So I think I’ll add another Twin-Headed Eagle from my deck to my hand.”

His D-Pad ejected a card, which he took, revealed, and added to his hand.

“Now I reveal my Trap: Call of the Haunted, to revive my Dark Rebellion Xyz Dragon in Attack Mode! So my Dragon isn’t done yet!”

The Graveyard Portal opened up, allowing Dark Rebellion Xyz Dragon (2500/2000) to re-emerge and take its place back on the field.

“Now, Dark Rebellion, attack his Berfomet!”

Dark Rebellion charged in, exposing the energy generators in its wings, teeth and claws bared. It slammed its lower jaw into Berfomet, impaling it, before the Fiend monster vanished from the field.

“Now, I still have another trick up my sleeve, Django. I activate the effect of my second Twin-Headed Eagle in my Graveyard. By banishing it, I can target any other two Heraldic Beasts in my Graveyard and transform them into Overlay Units for an Xyz Monster that has none. So I choose Heraldic Beast Leo and Basilisk, which means I have big plans for you.”

Twin-Headed Eagle vanished from the Graveyard, but this caused the Graveyard Portal to open up, and two orbs of light emerged from it before turning into purple orbs and started to orbit Dark Rebellion.

Tempest groaned, “Déjà Vu all over again. Now Dark Rebellion can use its ability again. Those Twin-Headed Eagles are getting annoying.”

Virgil grinned, “If you don’t like it, then you won’t have to worry, as this Duel is almost over. Now I activate Dark Rebellion’s ability! By using two Overlay Units, I can cut one of your monster’s Attack in half, which will allow my Dark Rebellion to gain that power! So I choose Odd-Eyes Pendulum Dragon! Do it my great beast!”

Dark Rebellion ate both its Overlay Units, gaining a dark aura, which also appeared around Odd-Eyes. Odd-Eyes’ power dropped by half to 1250 while Dark Rebellion’s increased by the same amount to 3750.

“Now, since I sent my Leo to the Graveyard again, I can add another Heraldic Beast from my deck to my hand. So I think I’ll choose another Heraldic Beast Amphisbaena.”

His D-Pad ejected another card, which he took, revealed, and added to his hand.

“Now I activate Amphisbaena’s ability! By discarding another Heraldic Beast I can Special Summon it! So I discard my final Twin-Headed Eagle in order to summon my second Amphisbaena in Attack Mode!”

He discarded Twin-Headed Eagle in order to summon yet another Heraldic Beast Amphisbaena (1700/1100).

Virgil sneered, “Come next turn, I will use my last Twin-Headed Eagle’s ability in order to juice up my Dark Rebellion once again, and wipe you out for good. So take your final turn, because once you do, I’ll have won, and my Master Lucifer will be very pleased with me.”

Django growled, “Don’t count me out just yet, Virgil! I won’t lose, you’ll see.”

“Hmph, big talk for someone who has no cards in his hand, along with an annoying elf and weakened dragon on the field. You won’t last much longer. But if you want to go out in a blaze of glory, I’d be more than happy to light the fire.”

The inventor said calmly, “I’ll be going out in a blaze of victory, while you’ll be crashing and burning. All it takes is one draw to decide the outcome of a Duel, and I’ll prove it right now.” He touched his deck, thinking, “Soul of the Deck, I need your help.” He said aloud, “I Draw!” He looked at his card before activating it, “I activate the Spell: Graceful Charity. This allows me to draw three cards so long as I discard two.” He drew three cards and looked at them, thinking, “Pot of Avarice, Gamma the Magnet Warrior, and Gagaga Gardna. Pot of Avarice may come in handy. But what monsters should I return to my deck or Extra Deck?”

Just then his Spirit Crest flashed and a vision appeared in his head. It showed the silhouettes of what appeared to be Odd-Eyes Pendulum Dragon and Chimera the Flying Mythical Beast. They started to overlap, and a shadowy form of a new dragon appeared. He then opened his eyes and gained a grin.

“Okay, Shadow Stalker, I have a powerful plan that’ll wipe you out. So first I discard these two cards as per the effect of Graceful Charity.” He discarded the two monsters in his hand, “But they won’t stay in the Graveyard, as I use Pot of Avarice to recycle five monsters in my Graveyard back into my deck in order to draw two more cards. So I choose every monster in my Graveyard except Chimera. You’ll see why soon enough.”

He shuffled every monster except Chimera back into his deck, touched the top two cards, closed his eyes, and drew two cards. He opened his eyes and looked at them, smiling at what he got.

He stated, “This is it, Virgil. The cards I just drew will vanquish your Dark Rebellion and the rest of your Life Points! So first I activate the Spell: Monster Reborn, to revive Chimera the Flying Mythical Beast in Attack Mode!”

The Graveyard Portal opened up, allowing Chimera the Flying Mythical Beast (2100/1800) to jump out, giving a fierce roar as it did so.

“Now, I summon Swift Gaia the Fierce Knight in Attack Mode! And just so you know, even though it’s a Level Seven monster, I can Normal Summon it without a Tribute since it’s the last card in my hand. I could’ve also Pendulum Summon it, but that doesn’t matter right now. So come forth my great knight!”

A new monster appeared. Swift Gaia the Fierce Knight was an impressive and powerful-looking knight. He was outfitted with strong blue armor with red trim, battle tape wrapped around his lower arms and legs, a muscular stomach, a fierce face hidden under a blue helmet with red spikes, and was wielding two red lances, one in each hand. He was riding a purple horse with a yellow mane and tail, glowing eyes, and outfitted with a similar helmet to its rider, only designed slightly different. He was a Level Seven monster with stats of 2300/2100.

Virgil looked a bit unnerved, “That’s a powerful knight. But even so, my Dark Rebellion is more powerful!”

Django grinned, “Guess again. You seem to be forgetting about my face-down card. I was waiting for you to power up you Dark Rebellion before using it for a massive reversal finish. So I reveal my Trap: Breakthrough Skill! This Trap will negate your monster’s abilities for the duration of the turn, which also means your Dark Rebellion will lose the power boost it got! So that means I’m about to shut you down for good!”

Virgil watched in horror as the Trap fired a beam at Dark Rebellion, causing its already dark body to become darker, its power dropping back to its original 2500.

The Shadow Stalker managed to say, “E-Even so, my Dark Rebellion Xyz Dragon is still the strongest monster on the field. You’re just wasting your time!”

Django grinned, “I don’t think so. First off, I switch my Obnoxious Celtic Guardian into Attack Mode. Now for the real fun to begin. It’s time to awaken a new dragon! Do it now, my Spirit Crest!”

The Spirit Crest released a blinding flash of light, which caused Django’s Extra Deck slot to light up. A glowing card was ejected from the Extra Deck slot, which made Django grin.

“Now, I Tribute my Odd-Eyes Pendulum Dragon and Chimera the Flying Mythical Beast in order to invoke a form of Fusion Summoning known as Contact Fusion! Originally thought to be exclusive the Elemental HERO Neo, and similar to the power of the VWXYZ monsters, this new power will devastate you once and for all! So do it, my two beasts! Fuse together to bring forth a new creature! A dragon with feral eyes and the raging power of a beast!”

Chimera and Odd-Eyes started to overlap and were swallowed up by a spiraling vortex. Soon, a new creature emerged, giving a fierce roar as it did.

“I summon Beast-Eyes Pendulum Dragon in Attack Mode!”

Tempest exclaimed, “A Fusion Summon using a Pendulum Monster!? Once again Django pulls out a brand new power!”

Beast-Eyes Pendulum Dragon was a fierce-looking dragon. Its body structure remained largely the same as Odd-Eyes, but was now sporting thick bone-like armor over a blue, somewhat furry body. Its long tail was studded with spine made from the same armor ending in a silver spike tip. On its back where the two curved spines were on Odd-Eyes was now two straight spikes composed of the bone-like armor and a silver spike, with the one on the left side of its body seemingly broken off, giving it a more ferocious look. Its head was a similar design to Odd-Eyes, with two curved horns near identical in shape and style as before, but made from the same type of bone armor and lined with furry frills, with a matching horn on its armored snout. Its eyes were what made it most frightening, with the left eye being green while the right eye was a yellow one with a beast-like pupil, giving it a look of a rogue, feral creature. It roared as it entered the field, ready to battle. It was a Level Eight monster with stats of 3000/2000.

Virgil looked horrified, “B-Beast-Eyes Pendulum Dragon!? Odd-Eyes Pendulum Dragon can EVOLVE!? My Dark Rebellion is done for! But nevertheless, you can’t wipe out all my Life Points this turn, so I still have a chance to fight back!”

Django grinned, “Not quite. I’ve already done the math and you’re through. Beast-Eyes Pendulum Dragon, attack Dark Rebellion Xyz Dragon now!”

Beast-Eyes gave a fierce roar as it was cloaked in flames. It then released a flaming dragonic attack that charged toward Dark Rebellion. The flaming aura-like dragon slammed into Dark Rebellion, causing it to roar out as it was incinerated. Virgil skidded back as his Life Points dropped by 500 to 3000.

“Now to activate Beast-Eyes’ special ability! Whenever it destroys a monster in battle, you take damage equal to the Original Attack of the Beast monster I used to Fusion Summon this mighty creature. I used Chimera the Flying Mythical Beast, which had 2100 Attack Points. Which means you’re about to take 2100 points of damage!”

Beast-Eyes Pendulum Dragon fired another flaming aura-like attack, this time it was more beast-like, that slammed into Virgil, knocking him off his feet. He landed a short distance away with a thud, his Life Points dropping by 2100 to 900.

Django grinned, “Let the damage continue! Swift Gaia the Fierce Knight, attack Heraldic Beast Amphisbaena with Spiral Spear Strike!”

Swift Gaia charged in on his horse, lances jutting out, before slamming them into Amphisbaena, creating a small whipping whirlwind that hurled the Heraldic Beast monster into the air before it was destroyed. Virgil was struck by some of the wind of the attack, flinching as his Life Points dropped by another 600 to a mere 300.

“It’s over, Shadow Stalker! Obnoxious Celtic Guardian, attack Virgil directly with Silver Blade Slash attack! End this Duel now!”

Virgil could only watch in horror as Obnoxious Celtic Guardian drew his sword and charged in. He slammed it down upon the Shadow Stalker throwing him back even more as his Life Points dropped down to zero. A “Win” screen, showing Django, appeared before the Augmented Reality vanished, taking everything else with it. Tempest cheered and did a victory dance as Django took a calming breath, looking at his new Fusion Monster.

Virgil, who lay on the ground utterly defeated, muttered, “I can’t go back empty-handed. No, I’ll kill you here and now!”

He quickly jumped up, drew out a knife, and charged at Django. Both he and Tempest quickly noticed the charge and prepared to counterattack. However, that wouldn’t be necessary.

A voice boomed, “YOU’VE FAILED ME FOR THE LAST TIME, COCKROACH!”

A portal opened up, allowing a ghostly claw to emerge, striking Virgil in the chest. He cried out in pain before his eyes went blank, dropping the knife and falling to the ground, the claw extracting a glowing sphere. The claw then shattered the sphere, much to Django’s and Tempest’s disgust and horror. Then as the claw retracted, a pair of heterochromatic eyes appeared before them.

Lucifer said in disgust, “Pathetic cockroach. While I applaud your intention, it just proves how useless humans are. Using a knife against a Psykinox is utter stupidity at best. Humans think that they’re so clever, creating weapons such as knives, bombs, and guns, calling it ingenuity. All of that is really a waste of time. Psykinoxes can create far better weapons in their sleep than any human can in their entire life. Just goes to show that Psykinoxes are the strongest race of all for good reasons.”

Django growled, “Lucifer. Can’t you think of a more… pleasant way of inflicting punishment?”

Lucifer chuckled, “Hey, it keeps them in line, doesn’t it? Django, I must admit I’m impressed. Your Dueling abilities seem to evolve day by day. First you created Chaos Xyz Evolution, which I improved, then transformed a Limited Barian’s Force into Numeron Force, then created Shining Xyz Evolution, then created Pendulum Summoning and Pendulum Monsters, and now this. I must admit I’m impressed. Now, you’re probably wondering why I’m praising you? So when I destroy you, even with all your special tricks and techniques, my victory will be that much sweeter! So don’t think this fight is over, Spirit. We will meet soon, and when we do, I will destroy you and everything that is precious to you. So enjoy the game while you can because your days are numbered. Farewell, Spirit scum.”

The portal and eyes vanished, leaving Django and Tempest alone with the downed Shadow Stalker. Although reluctant, Django rummaged around Virgil’s lifeless body until he found a Star Piece. He then picked up Dark Rebellion Xyz Dragon off the ground, looked at it, then put it away, placing his newest Star Piece into his current frame.

Tempest said sadly, “I knew that Dusk wouldn’t be the only casualty of this tournament. Lucifer is getting worse by the day. If only there was a way to stop him before he destroys any more lives.”

Django gave a heavy sigh, “I agree, Tempest, but I doubt this is the end of it. Lucifer’s evil has grown to new heights, so we must stop him. But even at our current power, we don’t have enough strength to take him down for good. We’ll just have to keep getting stronger in order to save every life on this planet from his destructive wrath.”

The Wind Mistress then said in a more upbeat tone, “Still, that was awesome. Fusion Summoning using a Pendulum Monster. I think we should call that Pendulum Fusion. What do you think?”

“Pendulum Fusion? It has a nice ring to it. So that’s what we’ll call it. Now we have a new surprise for Cody and the others. We’ll take Kain by surprise as well. I can’t wait to see his face when I use Pendulum Fusion against him. Come on, girl, let’s get going. I hate to just leave Virgil here, but there isn’t anything we can do for him. So let’s get going. I doubt that this is the last of the Shadow Stalkers, so let’s get out of here. I just hope that every Duel in this tournament for me isn’t going to be against a Shadow Stalker. Come on, Tempest, let’s go. We’ve done enough damage for now, and I have a feeling the worst is yet to come.”

As the duo left the area, they were contemplating what had just happened. Little did they know, hidden within his deck holder, Dark Rebellion Xyz Dragon started to resonate with Odd-Eyes Pendulum Dragon, which made the Spirit Crest flicker briefly, but did not catch the attention of Django or Tempest.

Next Chapter: Dino Might

And that's all for now, folks. Another fierce creature to add to our heroes' arsenal. And yes, the next chapter has a very, very creative title, I know. I'll give you a little spoiler: it's a Tempest-focused one. That's all I'll say for now. Until next time. Same thread, same Duel Time.
 
Last edited:
Re: Psychic Duelist Django (Season 3: Hidden Forces) Chapter 21 up!

All right, chapter 21 is on the air! Time for Tempest to take center stage in her second Cyber Clash duel! How will her wind-based monsters do against a cocky and flirty dino Duelist? Read and find out.

Dino Might

After the recent Duel against a Shadow Stalker, Django and Tempest were continuing down the street, looking for more Duels.

Tempest said to Django, “Okay, so far, you have three Star Pieces, while I have two, and last we checked Cody also had two. So assuming the twins won at least one Duel since Cody’s Duel against Jerry, then they might have two Star Pieces as well. Django, how long do we have until the tournament preliminary round is over again?”

Django replied, “According to Kain’s rules, the Top 16 matches start next Friday at 9 AM in a hidden location. So that gives us roughly a week. Makes sense, as there were a large number of people partaking in the Cyber Clash tournament, and the first part of the finals involves the Top 16 matches. So we still have time. But by now some of the other Duelists must’ve been eliminated. I can only wish that Roger and Vanessa got booted from the tournament. They shouldn’t even be here. They probably overheard us on our last date when the tournament was announced, so that’s how they got involved. I wonder if they still have their Chaos Xyz Monsters.”

Tempest shrugged, “Probably, seeing how Lucifer hasn’t even bothered with them since he gave them those cards. According to Draco, he spared them for his amusement, but left a lingering threat of, what did he say again, collect their dues, I believe it was. So I think they still have them, which makes those cards their strongest and rarest, as CXyz Monsters are one-of-a-kind due to their nature. If so, fortunately, they’re not that bright, and we’ve come to know their tactics well by now, so their threat level is only moderate or less. I just can’t believe those two dimwits even got into the tournament. I guess they had decent records prior to when they started to mess with our group. Wait, that brings something to mind. Wasn’t Roger on probation from flirting or being around women when the two of us met? If so, then why is he with Vanessa?”

The inventor shrugged, “Probably because his probation expired by that point. They’re only temporary, anyway, just around long enough to ‘teach’ them not to do it again. But my guess is that his probation was over long before he and Vanessa teamed up. But it’s not like Cyber City police force are as good as they say they are. I should know, thanks to this blasted mark on my face. So even if it was still in play, they don’t check it often enough to make it worth it. But enough of that, let’s find you another opponent to Duel. You did very well against that Monarch user, Ryan Regal. Now let’s see if we can find you a good opponent to match wits with and claim your second Cyber Clash win.”

Just then they heard cheering and a large crowd of people were gathered near an intersection. Just as the duo was about to put on their Duel Gazers, the Duel was over and the Augmented Reality vanished. Despite that, the duo worked their way through the crowd and saw the end results. The victor was a teen about Tempest’s age with long, shaggy brown hair with red streaks under a baseball cap that was flipped backwards, light blue eyes, dark skin, and a confident smirk on his face. His opponent was a defeated younger teen, about 16, who was sulking.

The older teen stated in a somewhat scratchy voice, “All right! Another Duelist becomes dino chow for my monsters! Now, as per the rules, hand over your Tri-Horned Dragon and a Star Piece, and make it quick.”

The other Duelist held out a card and a Star Piece, asking, “Will you take care of my dragon?”

The older teen looked at it before responding, “Tri-Horned Dragon… it could be a useful back-up plan. So, yes, I’ll put it in my deck. Can never have too many bruisers around.” He turned to the crowd, “Now, who wants to be Rex Talon’s latest chew toy?” It was then he laid eyes on Tempest, eyes widening, gaining a grin, “Hello! What a babe. You, green-haired girl. How’s about you and me move away from these losers so you can see how awesome I am. You can be my cheerleader, especially with a body like that. After all, no woman can resist my charms and skills when it comes to winning! Whattya say, baby cakes?”

Django could feel his temper rising, but not as fast as Tempest’s. She gave him a piercing, fierce glare, which surprised the young adult slightly.

She snarled, “Keep away from the merchandise if you know what’s good for you. And don’t call me ‘baby cakes’, either. You got that? I’m not a prize to be won. If you want to impress me, Duel me, as this chick is in the Cyber Clash Tournament. Unless you’re afraid to be beaten by a girl.”

Rex, although surprised, said with a smirk, “You’ve got some bite to ya, babe. I like that. So you’re a Duelist, too? Fine then, let’s have ourselves a Duel. If I win, I get one of your rarest cards, a Star Piece, and you have to go out on a date with me. Sound good, sugar?”

Tempest’s temper was reaching boiling point when she replied, “I won’t lose so I accept your challenge. If you win, heavens forbid, you’ll get my Stardust Dragon and one date. But if I win, I take one of your rarest cards, a Star Piece, and you can’t make any more moves on me. Do we have a deal?”

Rex grinned, “Sure, but I’ll still win, so don’t get too comfortable with that Stardust Dragon, as it’ll soon be sitting in my deck. So let’s get this party started, babe.”

The Wind Mistress growled, “Oh, it’ll be a party, all right, one where you get wasted by my skills. So bring it on!”

Django said mentally, “This guy is gonna regret flirting with Tempest. She’s a fighter and does not tolerate being treated like a lesser being. He may be in for a rough ride. Even I know not to trifle with her temper, as her wrath can hold no bounds when sufficiently angered enough. But luckily, in my case, she won’t unleash it on me, as she’s too afraid of losing my trust and love, but still, even I have to be careful when she’s angry enough, as she’s quite scrappy.”

Rex armed himself with his green standard D-Pad and Duel Gazer while, to his surprise, Tempest armed herself with her Infinity Disk and Duel Gazer.

He sputtered, “Hold on, how do you have an Infinity Disk? They’re not even out on the market yet.”

The Wind Mistress grinned, “Simple. The man behind me is Django Spirit, the inventor of the Infinity Disk, and I’m a very close companion. I got it early as a Christmas gift. But enough small talk, if you want to impress this girl, then show me what you can do. And don’t take me lightly, or you’ll sorely regret it.”

Rex grinned mentally, “She’s got quite a bit of spunk. I like that. Not often you see a chick like her with such bite. But let’s see how much bite she really has.”

“Augmented Reality Visual link established.”

Both drew their starting hands, Life Points set at 4000.
“Let’s Duel!”

Rex stated, “I’ll open things up. I Draw!” He looked at his new card, grinning, “This’ll be fun. I activate the Field Spell: Jurassic World! This powerful Field Spell will boost the Attack and Defense of all Dinosaur monsters on the field by 300! So my dino horde will have even more power in each bite and slash!”

The Augmented Reality transformed the surrounding area into a dense, tropical, prehistoric jungle with a volcano in the distance. Rex then took another card from his hand, smiling even more.

“This’ll really get things going. I activate the Spell: Polymerization! This allows me to fuse together my Crawling Dragon #2 and Two-Headed King Rex in order to summon my Bracchio-raidus in Attack Mode!”

Two monsters appeared on the field briefly. Crawling Dragon #2 looked very much like a flightless dragon with a lean but strong black body, sharp claws, a long, whip-like tail, a long neck, and a spike-studded head with glowing eyes and sharp teeth. It was a Level Four monster with stats of 1600/1200.

Two-Headed King Rex looked more like a dragon than a dinosaur. It had a bulky blue body with sharp claws, a thick tail, large wings, two long necks, and draconic-like heads with glowing eyes and large spikes. It was a Level Four monster with stats of 1600/1200.

Both started to overlap and were swallowed up by a swirling vortex. Out emerged a new monster. Bracchio-raidus was a massive blue brachiosaurus, though, unlike its species, its neck was shorter than its tail. It was a Level Six monster with stats of 2200/2000 but Jurassic World boosted its power to 2500/2300.

Rex grinned, “Pretty impressive, right? I summoned a big bruiser right away. To wrap up my turn, I place one card face-down. Your turn, babe. Let’s see what you’ve got.”

Tempest snarled, “Oh, I’ll show you what I’ve got. It’s my turn, I Draw!” She took a different card from her hand, “First I summon Harpie Girl to the field in Attack Mode!”

Harpie Girl was a young harpie with long blonde hair, yellow talons, pinkish wings and eyes, and was wearing a blue, black, and pink bodysuit. She was a Level Two monster with stats of 500/500.

Rex chuckled, “You call that a monster? She looks totally weak. Why play her?”

The Wind Mistress grinned, “Sure, she seems weak, but I have a plan. She’ll be responsible for blowing your dino to extinction. But first, I activate the Spell: Double Summon. I can Normal Summon twice this turn. So I think I’ll summon my Harpie Harpist to the field in Attack Mode!”

Harpie Harpist was a beautiful harpie with long red and orange hair, pale skin, green wings, yellow talons, and blue eyes. She was wearing a black and purple bodysuit that left her upper chest and shoulders bare, a headband, and was holding a large winged harp. She was a Level Four monster with stats of 1700/600.

“Now to activate my Harpie Harpist’s ability. When she is Normal Summoned, I can target one Winged-Beast monster I control, except her, and one monster you control. Both are returned to their respective player’s hands. So I choose my Harpie Girl and your Bracchio-raidus! So your dino is about to be blown off the field!”

Harpie Harpist started to strum her harp, causing both Harpie Girl and Bracchio-raidus to glow. A burst of wind followed that caused both monsters to vanish, much to Rex’s shock.

Tempest grinned, “Since I returned your Fusion Monster back to the Extra Deck, you can’t summon it again without having to Fusion Summon it again. So not only did I just blow away all your hard work, but now you’re wide open to an attack. Harpie Harpist, attack him directly!”

Harpie Harpist swooped down and gave Rex a powerful swipe with her talon, causing him to skid back, his Life Points dropping by 1700 to 2300.

“I place one card face-down on the field to end my turn. That should do for now.”

Rex said, “Well I must admit, that wasn’t too shabby, girl. But it’ll take more than that in order to defeat me. So it’s my turn, I Draw!” He looked at his new card before activating it, “I activate the Spell: Pot of Greed. I can draw two more cards from my deck.” He drew two cards, looked at them, then played one of them, “I summon Sabersaurus to the field in Attack Mode!”

Sabersaurus looked like a vicious, dark red triceratops with blades for horns, two blades on its shoulders, and a sword-tipped tail. It was a Level Four monster with stats of 1900/500, but Jurassic World increased its power by 300 to 2200/800.

“Now, Sabersaurus, attack her Harpie Harpist! Smash that birdie!”

Sabersaurus charged in viciously, bladed head jutting out, before slamming its horns into Harpie Harpist. It then hurled the harpie into the air, causing her to vanish upon crashing into the ground. Tempest flinched as her Life Points dropped by 500 to 3500. However, she gained a grin.

She stated, “You activated my Trap! Go, Soul Rope! When a monster I control is destroyed, I can pay 1000 Life Points in order to summon any Level Four monster from my deck. So I think I’ll choose my Phantom Gryphon in Attack Mode!”

Her Life Points dropped by 1000 to 2500, but this caused her Infinity Disk to eject a card, which she played right away. Phantom Gryphon was a powerful-looking gryphon with a blue lion’s body, large talons, massive feathered wings, and an eagle’s head. It was a Level Four monster with stats of 2000/0.

Rex countered, “By summoning that creature you’ve activated MY Trap! Go, Hunting Instincts! Whenever you Special Summon a monster I can Special Summon one Dinosaur monster from my hand. So I choose my Black Stego in Attack Mode!”

As its name stated, Black Stego was a black stegosaurus with large diamond-shaped spikes on its back, sharp spikes on its tail, and a small head. It was a Level Four monster with stats of 1200/2000, but Jurassic World increased its power to 1500/2300.

“Now I place one card face-down to end my turn…” but was cut off.

The Wind Mistress stated, “Your turn doesn’t end until I say so! I activate Harpie Harpist’s ability from the Graveyard! If she was sent to the Graveyard this turn, I can add any Level Four Winged-Beast monster with 1500 or less Attack from my deck to my hand. So I choose Harpie Lady 1!”

Her Infinity Disk ejected a card, which she too, revealed, and added to her hand.

Rex shrugged, “Whatever. Now I end my turn.”

Tempest stated, “Then it’s my turn, I Draw! First I activate the Spell: Graceful Charity! This lets me draw three cards so long as I discard two.” She drew three cards and looked at her options, thinking, “Perfect, I just drew a card that will help me turn this Duel around. But I have to prepare for it first.” She then said aloud, “I discard these two cards as per Graceful Charity’s effect.” She discarded two cards before continuing, “Next up, I summon my Harpie Lady 1 to the field in Attack Mode!”

Harpie Lady 1 was similar to Cyber Harpie Lady, being a redheaded harpie with green wings, yellow talons, and was wearing a purple and black bodysuit. She was a Level Four monster with stats of 1300/1400.

“Now, thanks to my Harpie Lady 1, all WIND monsters on the field gain an additional 300 Attack Points!”

As she said that, Phantom Gryphon’s power increased by 300 to 2300 while Harpie Lady 1’s power increased to 1600.

She took another card from her hand, “I’m not done yet. Next I activate the Equip Spell: Gust Fan! This boosts the Attack of a WIND monster by 400 points, but decreases its Defense by 200. So I equip it to my Harpie Lady 1 for good measure.”

The Spell infused Harpie Lady 1 with new power, changing her stats to 2000/1200.

“Now, Phantom Gryphon, attack his Sabersaurus with Gryphon Wing Storm!”

Phantom Gryphon started to flap its wings heavily, creating a massive gust of wind, which then transformed into air slashes. These air slashes sliced up Sabersaurus to pieces, making Rex flinch as his Life Points dropped by 100 to 2200.

Tempest stated, “I know that your Black Stego’s ability allows it to switch to Defense Mode when attacked while in Attack Mode. Since the only other monster I have is Harpie Lady 1 with 2000 Attack, she wouldn’t be able to scratch Black Stego’s 2300 Defense without me taking damage. So I’ll end my turn with one card face-down.” She said silently, “Everything is almost in place. My face-down card will allow me to take the field by storm when I need to, and the card in my hand will wipe him out, no matter how strong a monster he summons.”

Django said silently, “Tempest has really gotten good. She was always talented with a deck, but her tactics and knowledge of the game have improved a lot. I think I know her strategy here, so even if this Rex guy destroys her defenses, she’ll have the ability to completely rebound and deal some hefty damage, possibly winning the Duel in one swoop.”

Rex said, “Not too shabby, girlfriend. But it’ll take more than that to defeat me. I Draw!” He looked at his new card, grinning, “This is it, girl. The card I just drew will wipe out all of your monsters and take a hefty bite out of your Life Points! But first, I activate the Trap: Call of the Haunted, to revive my Sabersaurus in Attack Mode!”

The Graveyard Portal opened up, allowing Sabersaurus (1900/500) to emerge, with Jurassic World boosting its power back up to 2200/800.

“Now I Tribute my Sabersaurus and my Black Stego in order to summon my deck’s supreme king! I summon Tyrant Dragon in Attack Mode!”

Both Sabersaurus and Black Stego vanished, but were replaced by a much more vicious creature. Tyrant Dragon was exactly what its name stated, a massive and muscular dragon with large wings, sharp claws, a long neck and tail, a fairly large head with horns, glowing eyes, dagger-like teeth, and a jewel imbedded on its forehead. It was a Level Eight monster with stats of 2900/2500.

Django mused, “So his ace, or at least one of them, isn’t a Dinosaur, but a Dragon. Figures, since Dragons tend to be aces even in decks that don’t revolve around them.” He then called out, “Tempest, be careful of Tyrant Dragon, as it’s exactly what its name states! That dragonic king can run rampant on your field!”

Rex laughed, “He’s right! My Tyrant Dragon has the power to pretty much level your field. Sure, it’s not a Dinosaur, so it won’t gain a boost from Jurassic World, but it’s still packing plenty of punch to take out all your monsters, as well as take a large bite out of your Life Points! I’ll show you what I mean. Tyrant Dragon, attack her Harpie Lady 1 now!”

Tyrant Dragon gave a fierce roar, opened its mouth, and fired a long tongue of flames. Harpie Lady 1 was instantly incinerated by the attack, causing Tempest to skid back as the flames struck her, her Life Points dropping by 900 to 1600.

Tempest growled, “Because you destroyed my Harpie Lady 1, my Phantom Gryphon loses the 300 point bonus it got from Harpie Lady 1. That means my Life Points are more vulnerable now.”

As she said that, Phantom Gryphon’s power dropped down to its original 2000.

Rex laughed, “Quite true, but the worst has yet to come! Now to activate Tyrant Dragon’s ability. When it destroys a monster and you have another monster on your field, my Tyrant Dragon can attack it as well! So do it, my dragon, attack her Phantom Gryphon now!”

Tyrant Dragon roared again as it summoned up more flames in its mouth and fired them. Phantom Gryphon was engulfed in flames before vanishing from the field. Tempest shielded herself from the fire as her Life Points dropped by another 900 to 700.

Django called out, “You okay, Tempest?”

She replied, “I’m okay, don’t worry, though I smell a bit burnt.” She turned back to Rex, “If you think your Tyrant Dragon scares me, think again. I’m far from done, so don’t underestimate me.”

Rex chuckled, “You sure have a lot of confidence for someone with no monsters on the field and only 700 Life Points left. But so be it, I end my turn. Let’s see if you have the strength needed to win.”

Tempest grinned, “Oh, I already won this Duel. You see, I wanted you to destroy my Harpie Lady 1, so I can take the field by storm. And I’ll prove it right now. I Draw! First I activate the Trap: Hysteric Party! I must first discard a card from my hand, but in return I can summon as many Harpie Ladies as I can from my Graveyard! So I’m about to call forth an entire army of Harpies. So I discard one card to summon Harpie Lady 1, Harpie Queen, Harpie Harpist, and Harpie Channeler, all in Attack Mode!”

She discarded one card, but this caused the Graveyard Portal to open up, allowing Harpie Lady 1 (1300/1400), Harpie Harpist (1700/600), Harpie Queen (1900/1200), and Harpie Channeler (1400/1300) to emerge onto the field.

This surprised Rex, but he quickly recovered, “It doesn’t matter how many Harpies you summon, as they pale in comparison to my Tyrant Dragon’s power.”

Tempest grinned, “Perhaps, but I wouldn’t bet on that. First off, because my Harpie Lady 1 is back on the field, all WIND monsters gain 300 extra Attack!”

As she said that, Harpie Lady 1’s power increased to 1600, Harpie Harpist’s power rose to 2000, Harpie Queen’s strength increased to 2200, and Harpie Channeler’s power grew to 1700.

The Wind Mistress said smoothly, “Now, I know what you’re thinking. How can four monsters with less Attack than your one Tyrant Dragon take it down? Simple. All I need to do is use this one Spell Card and the Duel is mine. I activate the Spell: Harpie Lady Phoenix Formation!”

Rex stumbled back, “Harpie Lady Phoenix Formation!? Not only is that card really rare, but immensely powerful! How can you have it in your deck!? I am done for!”

Django chuckled, “You’re in for it now, dino boy. Harpie Lady Phoenix Formation can only be activated when there are at least three Harpie Ladies on the field. And since Harpie Harpist, Channeler, and Queen have their names treated as Harpie Lady while on the field and in the Graveyard, this Duel is over.”

Tempest nodded, “That’s right, Django. This mighty card requires at least three Harpie Ladies on my field. It obliterates as many opposing monsters as there are Harpies, then deals you damage equal to your strongest monster’s Original Attack. The catch is that I cannot conduct my Battle Phase this turn, and I cannot Special Summon any monsters from the deck or Extra Deck. But none of that will matter shortly, as I’m about to win this Duel in one swoop! Do it, my Harpies! Go into your Phoenix Formation and wipe out Rex’s dragon and the rest of his Life Points!”

The four Harpies gave their rippling cries as they flew into a certain formation, with three lined up side-by-side and one on top of them, followed by a ring with ancient language encircling them. Then the four winged females were engulfed in blue fire that transformed into a massive flaming phoenix. It gave a cry as it barreled down toward Tyrant Dragon, with Rex watching in horror. It slammed into Rex’s side of the field, engulfing everything in flames. Tyrant Dragon roared as it was incinerated to ashes, the flames spreading and engulfing Rex, who cried out as he was thrown back. He landed with a thud, singed, as his Life Points dropped down to zero. A “Win” screen, showing Tempest, appeared, before the Augmented Reality vanished, taking all the Harpies with it. Tempest gave Django a thumbs-up, which he returned, before she approached the defeated dino Duelist.

She stated, hands on her hips, “Okay, a deal’s a deal. You owe me Tyrant Dragon and a Star Piece. On top of that, you can’t flirt with me anymore. After all, I am already quite happily taken, so I’m not interested in any other men. So please hand over my prizes.”

Rex, although a bit upset, handed over Tyrant Dragon and a Star Piece. Tempest put Tyrant Dragon away and placed her new Star Piece into her current frame, giving her three pieces.

The defeated Duelist asked, “You will take care of my dragon, right?”

She replied, “While I cannot use it, as I only use WIND monsters in my deck, I will take care of it, so don’t worry.” She turned to Django, “Come on, love, let’s get going. We have more Duels to win.”

Chuckling, Django nodded and the two started to make their way down the street. However, it wasn’t long before something happened.

A voice suddenly said, “Halt! Do not take a step further!”

They looked around and then looked up. Standing on a building rooftop was a cloaked man. Django and Tempest went into a defensive position as the cloaked person jumped down to their level.

Django growled, “Who are you?”

The man replied, “Are you… Astral’s and Elna’s son?”

The inventor looked surprised, “You… know my mom and dad? Who are you? How do you know them?”

The man replied, “My name is Avalon Luminz. I’m the second-in-command of the Psykinox race, as well as second-in-command of the Seven Psykinox Lords. As for how I know your parents… my family has a long history with the Spirit family. And… I’m glad I finally found you, Django Spirit.” He then went into a kneeling bow, “I am glad I finally found our true leader. Please, lead our race back into the light, my King.”

The duo sputtered, “K-King!?”

Next Chapter: Illuminating Luminz

What a Duel! And what a surprise twist at the end. Bet you all didn't see that coming. What will happen now that Avalon has located Django? Tune in next time to find out.
 
Re: Psychic Duelist Django (Season 3: Hidden Forces) Chapter 22 up!

The next chapter is on the air. Django and Tempest encounter Avalon Luminz, one of the Seven Psykinox Lords, as well as second-in-command of the Psykinox race. Avalon, who shows a high level of respect for Django's family name, requests a Duel in order to see how strong he is in hopes that Django can lead the race to a bright future. How will Django fare against yet another Number 10X? Quick warning, this chapter is a long one.

Illuminating Luminz

Django and Tempest were in a state of shock as Avalon bowed before them. Django in particular was numb with the sudden display of authority and respect.

He barely managed to say, “H-How am I… a king? Does that mean the leader of the Psykinoxes is referred as a king? For that matter, how do you know I’m the right Psykinox, Avalon?”

The cloaked Psykinox replied, “My family, the Luminz family, is very loyal and friendly to the Spirit family. We can easily recognize a Spirit. On top of that, not only do you look very much like our departed leader, Astral Spirit, but you wear his headband and Elna’s gold ring. Those are their trademark items. Besides… I remember meeting you long ago, Django.”

Tempest asked, “You… remember meeting Django? Then how come he doesn’t know you?”

Avalon explained, “Django was but a newborn at the time, so he would have no memory of it. I was still a child myself, but I remember that day well. Astral and Elna were elated at the birth of the Spirit that the prophecy spoke of, and our race was overjoyed at the prospect of the prophecy being fulfilled, as we loath the Bloodlust name with every fiber of our beings, wanting them eradicated once and for all. Due to my family’s connection to the Spirit family, being their right-hand assistants, I am very familiar with their mission and what each member of your noble family looks like. Even though I was only eleven when you were born, I can easily see that you are Astral’s son. The resemblance between you and your father is extremely striking, but you also have Elna’s eyes. That seems to be a reoccurring trait in the Spirit family, as your father resembled his father, Noble, but also had his mother’s eyes. But even if that wasn’t the case, I can detect the immense energies of the Power of Numeron radiating off of you, which further confirms you are a Spirit. And you are wearing the Spirit Crest as well, you family’s sacred heirloom. I am just relieved that you are alive, my King.”

Django said slowly, “So… your family is a close companion to mine? And you met me when I was just an infant? And you’re second-in-command of the Psykinoxes? Wait a minute. If your family is second-in-command to the race, then why is Lucifer in command and not you?”

Avalon replied with disgust, “That miserable Bloodlust capitalized on an ancient rule put in play when our race first came to be. Since my family had not been put in that position before the rule was made, Lucifer managed to use it as a loophole to gain control of the race. No Psykinox was happy about that, especially my family, but unfortunately we were bound by it, so that’s why Lucifer sits as our king and not my family or myself. If it wasn’t for that, our race wouldn’t be lurking in the depths of the Earth out of spite and anger toward the human race.”

The Wind Mistress mused, “So… that’s the flaw of the Psykinox chain of command Maxwell told us about. That ancient rule is what put Lucifer in charge instead of you. Now I can see how someone who is supposed to be at the bottom of the food chain in the Psykinoxes got on top.”

Avalon replied, “Yes, young Elemental, and it has continued to harm our race since then.” He then stood up, “Django Spirit, as a member of the Luminz family, I have to see your strength with my own eyes. While there is no doubt of your heritage and blood, it is required of my family to ensure that whatever Spirit is in command is able to lead our race to a bright future. Please, Duel me so I can see the strength that you hold. This does not need to be a Psychic Duel, however, as all I need to see is how powerful your skills are with a deck, as our race will respect a great Duelist as a leader. So please, prepare yourself for battle.”

Django replied, “I understand. But before I do, I want to see what you look like, so I know the face of an ally to my family.”

The cloaked Psykinox replied, “As you wish, my King.”

He threw off his cloak, revealing his true self. Avalon was built very much like Django, being athletic and broad, with peach skin, dark purple eyes, and sharp facial features. His short bluish-green hair was stylized in a similar likeness to a pair of angel wings wrapped around the sides of his head, with an additional lock of hair sticking up in a backward facing ahoge. He was wearing a somewhat noble-looking grey tunic studded with crystals, shoulder plates, dark blue pants with armored kneecaps, a belt, brown boots, and a long black and red glove with blue jewels on his left arm reaching his elbow. On the right side of his tunic was a crest that resembled a pair of crossed feathered wings attached to a golden sword in a red shield-shaped frame.

Django armed himself with his Infinity Disk and Duel Gazer, stating, “I hope you’re ready, Avalon.”

Avalon replied, materializing his supernatural Dueling equipment, shaped like a shield, from his left arm glove, his left eye becoming more luminous, “I am prepared for anything. Show me what a Spirit can do, Django!”

“Augmented Reality Visual link established.”

Both drew their starting hands, Life Points set at 4000.

“Let’s Duel!”

Django touched his deck, “If you don’t mind, I’ll open things up. I Draw!” He looked at his new card before activating it, “I activate the Spell: Polymerization, to fuse the Gazelle and Berfomet in my hand to summon Chimera the Flying Mythical Beast in Attack Mode!”

Gazelle and Berfomet appeared briefly before overlapping and were swallowed up by a spiraling vortex. Short afterward, Chimera the Flying Mythical Beast (2100/1800) appeared, giving a roar as it did.

“Finally, I place two cards face down on the field and then activate the Spell: Mirage of Nightmare. That’s all for now.”

Avalon mused, “That’s some of the cards in Astral’s original deck, according to my father. So it looks like you didn’t just inherit his looks, but also his cards. But enough of that, it’s my turn, I Draw!” but was cut off.

Django stated, “My Mirage of Nightmare activates! Now I can draw until I’m holding four cards.” He drew four cards then stated, “Now I activate the Spell: Emergency Provisions. I send my Mirage of Nightmare to the Graveyard and gain 1000 Life Points.”

Mirage of Nightmare vanished, but several sparkles rained down upon Django, his Life Points jumping up by 1000 to 5000.

Avalon replied, “A classic combo, but it works well. In any case, it’s still my turn. So I think I’ll first activate my Pot of Greed, which allows me to draw two more cards.” He drew two cards, looked at them, then activated one of them, “I summon Star Seraph Scout to the field in Attack Mode.”

A new monster appeared. Star Seraph Scout looked like a holy, mechanical being, shaped similar to a bird, mostly black with gold. It had large metal angel wings, blue in color with black and gold frames, and a gold “face” and “crown”. It was a Level Four monster with stats of 1200/1800.

“When Star Seraph Scout is Normal Summoned, I can Special Summon one Star Seraph from my hand. So I choose my Star Seraph Sage in Attack Mode!”

Another monster appeared. Star Seraph Sage was a vague metallic tome-like monster, blue in color with a gold front, a three-pronged gold “mane”, and a gold metal “face”. It was a Level Four monster with stats of 1600/1400.

Tempest observed, “He’s got two Level Four monsters right now. Will he Xyz Summon now? Or is there more to his plan?”

Avalon stated, “I’m not quite done yet, young Elemental. I activate Star Seraph Sage’s ability. By discarding a Spell from my hand, I can Special Summon another Star Seraph monster to the field. So I’ll discard my Celestial Transformation Spell in order to summon Star Seraph Sword to the field in Attack Mode!”

He discarded a card from his hand, but this allowed him to summon another monster. Star Seraph Sword was shaped like a golden sword with wing built with additional gold swords, a gold “face” with a priest-style head. It was a Level Four monster with stats of 1400/1000.

The Psykinox stated, “Now I Overlay my three Star Seraph monsters! With these three monsters I build the Overlay Network! I Xyz Summon Number 102: Star Seraph Sentry in Attack Mode!”

The three Star Seraph monsters became yellow orbs of light, shot up into the air, and entered the galaxy-style Overlay Network. Out emerged a new sealed form. It resembled a gold and grey ring hovering on top of a long gold spike. It unfolded to reveal the monster within.

Number 102: Star Seraph Sentry looked like a gold and silver mechanical angel-like being with glowing gold energy, large diamond-shaped wings attached to its head, glowing mask-like face, and was holding a bow. The number “102” was written on its right wing and three yellow orbs were orbiting it. It was a Rank Four monster with stats of 2500/2000.

Django mused, “Another Number over 100. I guess you Psykinox Lords each wield one of them. That means there is a total of 107 Numbers.”

Avalon nodded, “That is correct. As I and the other Psykinox Lords have observed, there is a total of 107 Numbers, born from the Numeron Dragon’s essence. Each Number also has an evolved form called Chaos Numbers. But I assume you already know this, as you’re aware of the Numbers’ existence.”

Django replied, “While your statement is mostly true about the Numbers, some Numbers are different. I know a particular Number that has multiple evolutions as well as a devolution. The Number in question is my ace Number known as Number 39: Utopia. And Chaos Numbers aren’t the only evolved form for a Number. I should know, I created the process which Chaos Numbers, and later Shining Numbers, are formed.”

Avalon’s eyes widened, “So you mean you’re the one who gave birth to Chaos Numbers!? Lucifer claims he did it!”

The inventor replied, “As always, he’s lying. He did, however, improve on the idea, with Rank-Up cards, but I created the first Chaos Number called Chaos Number 39: Utopia Ray. But with the Rank-Up cards, Lucifer did improve on the idea, but it was my power that gave birth to Chaos Xyz Evolution, not his. But enough of this, it’s still your turn.”

Avalon, though slightly stunned, managed to say, “Yes, right, of course. We are Dueling, after all. Anyway, I activate Star Seraph Sentry’s ability! By using an Overlay Unit, I can negate your monster’s ability and slash its Attack in half. So I’ll do that to your Chimera!”

Star Seraph Sentry absorbed an Overlay Unit into its head, summoned an arrow made of light energy, propped it on its bow, and fired it at Chimera. The arrow struck the Beast monster, causing it to roar out as it turned dark, its power cut in half down to 1050.

“Now, Star Seraph Sentry, attack Chimera the Flying Mythical Beast!”

Star Seraph Sentry primed another energy arrow, took aim, and fired it. It pierced right through Chimera, causing it to roar out in pain as it shattered. Django flinched as the shockwaves of the attack struck him, his Life Points dropping by 1450 to 3550. He then started to grin.

“You’ve just triggered Chimera’s special ability! When it’s destroyed and sent to the Graveyard, I can summon one of the two monsters used to create it. But that’s not all. I activate the Trap: Soul Rope! When a monster I control is destroyed, I can pay 1000 Life Points in order to replace that monster with a Level Four monster from my deck. So I choose to summon my Gagaga Magician in Defense Mode! Also, I summon Berfomet from the Graveyard in Defense Mode due to Chimera’s ability.”

His Life Points dropped by another 1000 to 2550, but this caused his Infinity Disk to eject a card, which he played, summoning Gagaga Magician (1500/1000) in a sitting, defensive position. The Graveyard Portal then opened up, allowing Berfomet (1400/1800) to emerge, also taking a defensive stance.

Avalon said, “So, it didn’t matter that I negated Chimera’s ability on the field, as its ability activates in the Graveyard anyway. And you now have two monsters on the field to replace the one you lost. Very impressive, as what I would expect from a Spirit. But I still intend on seeing just how powerful you are, so you’ll have to do more than that. So I activate the Spell: Poison of the Old Man. This Spell can either boost my Life Points by 1200 or deal you 800 points of damage. I think I’ll go with the first option and raise my Life Points by 1200. That way I can see if you can take out a foe that has a large amount of Life Points, as Lucifer does boast about his immortality strategy.”

He played his Spell, which caused several sparkles to rain down upon him, increasing his Life Points by 1200 to 5200.

“I’ll end my turn with that. Your move, Django. Show me more of your power.”

Django nodded, “I’ll do just that. It’s my turn, I Draw! Now I activate Gagaga Magician’s ability! Once a turn, I can change his Level anywhere between one and eight. So I think I’ll raise his Level by one to Level Five.”

The lights on Gagaga Magician’s buckle changed from four to five, the stars representing his Level reflecting that.

“Now I Overlay my Level Five Gagaga Magician and Berfomet! With these two monsters I build the Overlay Network. Arise Number 61: Volcasaurus in Attack Mode!”

Both Gagaga Magician and Berfomet became purple orbs of light, shot up into the air, and entered the galaxy-style Overlay Network. Out emerge a sealed form with unfolded into Number 61: Volcasaurus (2500/1000).

Avalon observed, “So, you have multiple Numbers at your disposal. How many do you have?”

“I have roughly over 50 Numbers, more if you count the ones my friends hold. I spent a long time hunting them down to keep them out of trouble. While Utopia is my go-to Number, being my first Number, I prefer to keep him as a backup plan or if I’m against certain foes, like Lucifer or my rival Kain. His evolutionary abilities allow him to change and adapt to any situation, so I try to reserve that power for when I need it. But enough of that, as I’m not done yet. I activate the Spell: Xyz Unit! This Equip Spell boosts the power of an Xyz Monster by 200 points times its Rank. It can also double as an Overlay Unit if needed. So I’ll equip it to my Volcasaurus, raising its Attack Power by 1000!”

The Equip Spell infused Volcasaurus with more power, raising its Attack by 1000 to 3500.

“Now I activate Volcasaurus’ ability! By using an Overlay Unit, I can destroy one of your monsters and hit you with damage equal to its Original Attack! The catch is Volcasaurus cannot attack directly this turn. But it won’t matter as I’ll be dealing you 2500 points of damage, as well as the fact I have a plan to get around Volcasaurus’ restriction. So do it, Volcasaurus! Magma-Max attack!”

Volcasaurus ate one of its Overlay Units, opened up its chest spikes, revealing volcanic-like cannons, and fired powerful streams of magma at Star Seraph Sentry.

Avalon stated, “That won’t happen! I activate Star Seraph Sentry’s other ability! When it would be destroyed, I can instead use all of its Overlay Units to protect it. Furthermore, all Battle Damage I take this turn is halved! So your Magma-Max is about to be smothered out!”

Star Seraph Sentry absorbed all of its remaining Overlay Units before creating a shield around itself. When the Magma-Max struck the shield, it fizzled out, leaving it unscathed.

Django, although a bit surprised, chuckled, “Not too shabby there, Avalon. While I don’t know what the Psykinox Lords are, I can see how you’re one of them. But I see a flaw in Star Seraph Sentry’s ability. That effect only works while it has Overlay Units. Now that you’ve used them all up, I can destroy your Number without it protecting itself again. But first, I summon Junk Blader to the field in Attack Mode!”

A new monster appeared. Junk Blader was an impressive-looking warrior donning purple and black full-body armor, along with a matching cape, a jewel-studded helmet with blade-like fins, a fierce face, and glowing red eyes. In its hand was a large sword, mostly red with a black section, shaped like a triangular spear. It was a Level Four monster with stats of 1800/1000.

“Now, Volcasaurus, attack Star Seraph Sentry!”

Volcasaurus summoned up an orb of fire in its mouth and launched it as a long tongue of flames. The flames struck Star Seraph Sentry, causing it to be incinerated. A barrier formed around Avalon as the flames licked his body, his Life Points dropping by 500 to 4700.

“Now, Junk Blader, attack Avalon directly!”

Junk Blader raised up its sword and charged in. Another barrier formed around Avalon just before the sword could strike him. It released several sparks upon impact, but Avalon endured, his Life Points dropping by 900 to 3800.

Tempest cheered, “Way to go, Django! Now that his Number is gone, he can’t take out your monsters!”

Avalon simply said, “I wouldn’t be so sure about that, young Elemental.” He turned to Django, a smile forming on his face, “Django, I must say I’m impressed so far. You have the fighting spirit that your family possesses. You also know how to make the most of any situation that you’re faced with. We Psykinoxes take pride in our ability to adapt and survive. We are the oldest race of humanoids in the world, after all. But it appears your ability to adapt is far stronger than normal. To a Luminz like me, that is a very pleasing sight. To us, a good leader knows how to adapt and survive to any situation, and you’ve demonstrated that so far. But don’t think I’m out of this Duel now that my Number has been destroyed. No, that’s not the case at all. For we Seven Psykinox Lords have a way to draw out our Numbers’ evolutionary powers no matter where they are on the field. And I can show you what I mean. But it is still your turn, so what else will you do?”

Django looked surprised, “You mean you can still use your Number’s power even if it’s in the Graveyard? That I’d like to see, since I bet Lucifer will have that power now as well. In any case, I place one card face-down on the field and activate the Spell: Supply Squad. With this Spell, once a turn, when a monster I control is destroyed, I can draw one card from my deck. I’ll end my turn with that. Now, show me what you mean, Avalon.”

Avalon smiled, “I’ll gladly show you, Django Spirit, as you should know what kind of power the Seven Psykinox Lords are capable of.” His hand started to glow, “Go, Cosmic Energy Draw!”

He drew a glowing card from the top of his deck, surprising the duo.

Tempest said in shock, “You mean you can perform a move like Destiny Draw!? I almost worry what card he just drew.”

The Psykinox said, “Yes, I can. All Psykinoxes are capable of such a feat, but only the Spirit family can maximize its potential. Destiny Draw is exclusive to the Spirit family, and is far more powerful. The rest of us general rely on Cosmic Energy Draw or a similar, weaker power, for such things. But enough of that. I reveal the card that I just drew: Rank-Up-Magic – The Seventh One! Now I activate it! This allows me to Rank-Up a Number 10X into a Chaos Number! Furthermore, it doesn’t matter if that Number is on the field, in the Graveyard, or even still in the Extra Deck, as I can evolve it either way! So I bring back my Star Seraph Sentry in order to evolve it into its Chaos Number form! Go Chaos Xyz Evolution!”

The Graveyard Portal opened up, allowing Star Seraph Sentry (2500/2000) to emerge from it. It then transformed into a bolt of energy and entered the Overlay Network, which erupted with new power shortly afterward.

“Arise Number C102: Archfiend Seraph in Attack Mode!”

Out emerged a new monster. Number C102: Archfiend Seraph looked near identical to its original form, only was now a darker blue in color with the pinkish-red chaos energy flowing through it, and was wielding a spear instead of a bow. In front of it was one Chaos Overlay Unit. It was a Rank Five monster with stats of 2900/2400.

Django looked stunned, “So there is another Rank-Up card in existence!? And that one can Rank-Up its target even when it’s in the Graveyard or Extra Deck!? That’s one powerful card!”

Avalon nodded, “Indeed it is. Fortunately, unlike the Barian’s Force cards, this one is not the product of Lucifer, but seems to have formed recently through an unknown means. All I know is that some time ago, perhaps only a few months ago, some sort of shining energy surged through myself and the other Psykinox Lords, creating this card in our decks. Since then, we have come to prefer it over the Barian’s Force cards, due to the fact it does not give off the stench of Lucifer. It was also around that time that Lucifer returned to our underground city injured, muttering something about Shining Numbers or something.”

Tempest turned to Django, “Django, I think you accidentally created that new Rank-Up card when you created Shining Xyz Evolution! You created that new power around that time, so I think that Shining Xyz Evolution ended up creating those new Rank-Up cards in the process!”

This intrigued Avalon, “So you mean to say that Django not only created Chaos Xyz Evolution, but also something called Shining Xyz Evolution? And it may be responsible for the unintentional creation of this new Rank-Up card? Interesting, very interesting indeed. It would appear that you have the ability to give birth to brand new powers almost on a whim.”

Django blushed, “I wouldn’t go as far as on a whim. Usually it’s because I was in a desperate situation. Utopia Ray came to be when I was backed into a corner by a powerful Number and needed to turn things around quickly. Shining Number 39: Utopia Prime was created when I returned to my senses after going into a berserk rage. And, most recently, I created the Pendulum Summon mechanic and Pendulum Monsters when my rival Kain backed me into a corner during an exhibition Duel. But it sounds like Tempest is right, as it was that time when I created Shining Xyz Evolution and defeated Lucifer. So your new card may be a byproduct of that new energy.”

Avalon mused, “So… it would appear you’ve crossed paths with Lucifer before. Now I know he’s been up to something foul. But enough of that, we’ll discuss it more after the Duel. It’s still my turn. I activate the Spell: Overlay Capture! Despite its name, it doesn’t steal Overlay Units. Instead, it causes one of you Xyz Monsters to lose all of its Overlay Units while this Spell becomes a new one for one of mine. So I’ll rid Volcasaurus of its remaining Overlay Unit and give my Archfiend Seraph a new Chaos Overlay Unit.”

The Spell fired a beam at Volcasaurus, causing it to roar as its last Overlay Unit shot down into the newly opened Graveyard Portal, which closed up afterward. The Spell then transformed into a Chaos Overlay Unit and positioned itself in front of Archfiend Seraph.

“Now I activate Archfiend Seraph’s ability! By using one Chaos Overlay Unit, I can reduce one of your monster’s Attack to zero and negate all its special abilities. So I choose your Volcasaurus!”

A Chaos Overlay Unit was absorbed by Archfiend Seraph, but this allowed it to hurl its spear at Volcasaurus. Two fiendish-looking angel spirits appeared by the spear and fused with it. The spear struck the Dinosaur Number, causing it to roar as its power dropped all the way down to zero and turned dark.

Tempest said in a worried tone, “This is bad. One attack is all it’ll take for Avalon to win the Duel. I hope Django has a plan.”

Avalon said, “I agree with your Elemental friend. I don’t want to attack, as I want to see what power you possess, but I have to in order to fully determine your strength so our race can thrive once again. Archfiend Seraph, attack Volcasaurus now!”

Archfiend Seraph summoned its spear again, took aim, and hurled it at Volcasaurus. The same two fiend-like angel spirits appeared and merged with the spear. It struck Volcasaurus in the chest, causing it to roar as it was engulfed in flames, which blanketed Django’s side of the field. However, much to Avalon’s surprise, when the smoke cleared, Django was unharmed, his Life Points still standing at 2550.

“How did you survive?”

Django smiled, “Easy. I activate my Trap: Defense Draw. The negated all the damage I would’ve taken from your attack and allows me to draw one more card from my deck. Furthermore, since a monster I control was destroyed, my Supply Squad activates as well, allowing me to draw yet another card from my deck. You see, Avalon, my deck is loaded with Traps, so it’s rare for me to not have at least one on the field, which means I’m usually more than prepared for any attack. I didn’t survive this long without always having a backup plan. Even having a backup plan for the backup plan. Now, thanks to my two cards, I can draw two more cards.”

He drew two cards, one from each of his card effects, looked at them, his eyes widening as he did.

Avalon gave a small chuckle, “I must admit I’m impressed. You are a very resourceful Psykinox, always having some sort of plan to keep yourself safe. That’s something our race can admire. So I’ll end my turn with one card face-down. Let’s see what else you have up your sleeves, Django.”

Django replied, “Oh, you’ll see soon enough. I have two cards in my hand that will shock you. But rather than just tell you, I’ll show you. But first, I Draw!” He looked at his new card before activating it, “I activate the Spell: Pot of Greed, to draw two more cards from my deck.” He drew two cards, looked at them, and smiled, “Perfect. Now, since I added it from my deck to my hand using a Spell Card, I can instantly summon Watapon to the field. So I’ll summon it in Defense Mode.”

Watapon (200/300) appeared on the field.

“Don’t blink, as you may just miss it, because I Tribute it in order to summon an old friend of mine: Dark Magician Girl, in Attack Mode!”

Watapon vanished from the field, but was replaced by Dark Magician Girl (2000/1700), who cheerfully appeared, blowing a kiss as she did.

Avalon quirked an eyebrow, “What do you have planned for her? She doesn’t stand a chance against my Archfiend Seraph.”

Django chuckled, “That’s true, she doesn’t possess the power to destroy your Chaos Number, but this little Spell may change that. For I activate the Spell: The Eye of Timaeus! This allows me to Fusion Summon using any Dark Magician monster on my field! So I choose my Dark Magician Girl!”

The Psykinox stumbled back in shock, “Did you just say Timaeus!? You mean he’s been reborn as a card!?”

Django replied with a smile, “Yes, thanks to Maxwell Archway. He also mentioned to me recently that Timaeus’ allies, Critias and Hermos, will also be reborn, but he hasn’t been able to do so just yet. But, for now, Timaeus will show you what I mean.”

The dragon form of Timaeus appeared on the field. He and Dark Magician Girl were then swallowed up in a blinding light, making Django grin.

“I summon Dark Magician Girl the Dragon Knight in Attack Mode!”

The light slowly subsided, and before long Dark Magician Girl the Dragon Knight (2600/1700) appeared.

Avalon’s eyes were wide in awe, “I don’t believe it! The legendary Timaeus has been reborn!” He then said solemnly, “I hate to do this to the legendary Timaeus, but I activate the Trap: Fiendish Chain. This ensnares one opposing monster, rendering it unable to attack, change battle modes, or use its special abilities. I feel regret doing this, but I need to see just what you are capable of, Django.”

Several dark chains shackled Dark Magician Girl the Dragon Knight, surprising her and causing Timaeus to roar in frustration as their powers were zapped.

Django said, “Don’t think that’ll stop me. I still have one last card to play. This’ll give you yet another surprise, Avalon, and it’ll put an end to your Fiendish Chain Trap. I activate the Spell: Legend of Heart! All I have to do is pay 2000 Life Points, Tribute a Warrior monster on my field, and banish The Eye of Timaeus from my Graveyard in order to summon his true form! So I pay 2000 Life Points and Tribute my Junk Blader in order to summon Legendary Knight Timaeus from my deck in Attack Mode!”

Avalon’s eyes were wide with shock as Django’s Life Points dropped by 2000 to 550, Junk Blader vanished, and Timaeus’ dragon form emerged from the Graveyard and flew up into newly formed clouds. A large beam of light followed, slamming into the ground, and a figure started to appear from it. At the same time, Django Infinity Disk ejected a card, which he played, causing the beam of light to vanish, and before long, Legendary Knight Timaeus (2800/1800) had appeared.

The utterly shocked Psykinox barely managed to say, “Y-You mean you’ve also revived Timaeus’ true form!? Only the Spirit family could ever achieve such a thing! I-I am unworthy to be in the legendary Timaeus’ presence.”

Django replied, “Don’t say that, Avalon. The only one unworthy of that is Lucifer. But moving on, I activate Legendary Knight Timaeus’ ability! When he’s Special Summoned, I can target one Spell or Trap on the field and banish it. So I choose to banish your Fiendish Chain, freeing my Dark Magician Girl the Dragon Knight in the process!”

Timaeus slammed his blade into the ground, causing a massive shockwave to erupt from it, making a beeline for Avalon’s Trap. It struck the Trap with a mighty force, causing Avalon to shield himself as the Trap vanished, taking the chains that shackled Dark Magician Girl the Dragon Knight with it, freeing her, much to her joy.

“Now I activate Dark Magician Girl the Dragon Knight’s ability! I discard one card from my hand in order to destroy one card on the field. So I choose to destroy your Archfiend Seraph! Do it now!”

He discarded a card from his hand, but this infused Dark Magician Girl the Dragon Knight with more power. She pointed her blade at Archfiend Seraph, charged up massive energy, and fired it.

Avalon sputtered, “I can’t use Archfiend Seraph’s ability to protect itself because I don’t have enough Chaos Overlay Units! My Number is doomed!”

The beam struck Archfiend Seraph, causing it to erupt in flames before vanishing from the field. Avalon’s eyes were wide as Django’s two monsters looked prepared for battle.

Django instructed, “Now, Dark Magician Girl the Dragon Knight, attack Avalon directly with Dark Energy Burst!”

Both Dark Magician Girl and Timaeus charged up more energy, took aim, and fired it at Avalon. He shielded himself from the blast, but it hit him hard regardless, causing him to skid back as his Life Points dropped by 2600 to 1200.

“It’s over. Now, Legendary Knight Timaeus, attack Avalon directly! End this Duel now!”

Legendary Knight Timaeus replied, “Yes, sir!”

He then held out his blade and ran up to Avalon. The Psykinox could only shield himself with his arms as Timaeus slammed his blade down upon him. The impact was enough to knock Avalon off his feet, sending him flying back, landing with a thud, his Life Points dropping down to zero. A “Win” screen, showing Django, appeared, before the Augmented Reality vanished. Tempest cheered happily while Django took a calming breath. He then walked over to Avalon and held out his hand.

He smiled, “Need a hand up, Avalon?”

Avalon graciously took the offer, allowing Django to help hoist him up onto his feet.

He said with a smile, “Thank you, Django Spirit, for I have seen the power you possess with my own two eyes. Not only do you have exceptional skills with Numbers, but you also have the power to bring forth Timaeus himself in both of his forms. You are our true leader, not that miserable Bloodlust. But I want to know is how he got in control when there is a Spirit still alive? For that matter, what happened to the other Spirits?”

Django replied solemnly, “Simple. Lucifer murdered them all. He somehow has the power to draw out his ancestor’s strength, which he used to surprise and topple my family. Only four members of my family survive his onslaught; my grandfather Noble, two of my cousins, Zephyr and Melody, and myself. Since he thought he had killed all of us, and knowing the tension between our race and the humans, he blamed it on the humans in hopes of gaining ultimate power. But since I survived, he’s been trying to get rid of me so I don’t hamper his plans, but obviously he hasn’t succeeded. So I’ve been fighting an uphill battle against him to avenge the lives he’s destroyed and remove him from power.”

Avalon looked both horrified and infuriated, “Lucifer managed to do all THAT?! That… that horrendous, insane, murderous, backstabbing demon! He’s willing to turn on his own kind in order to get what he wants! I knew a Bloodlust wasn’t trustworthy, but this is far worse than I could’ve ever imagined! And he successfully kept that secret from the rest of the Psykinoxes all these years!? How could we have been tricked so easily!? That… that creature must be destroyed as soon as possible! He shouldn’t be allowed to even stay alive after such terrible acts of treason! He must be stopped before he destroys any more lives!”

Django gripped Avalon’s shoulder, “Avalon! Calm down, please! Don’t get so worked up. While, yes, I wholeheartedly agree with you that Lucifer should be destroyed as soon as possible, it’s suicide to challenge him directly. Even if the other Psykinox Lords were to combine their power, it wouldn’t be enough. If he has the power to draw out his ancestor’s power and topple almost my entire family, then he must be dealt with using caution and strategy, not aggression and recklessness. No, we have to think of a plan in order to uproot him from power, then I can finish the job for good. I have the ability to defeat him, so we still stand a good chance, but we cannot rush into this haphazardly. Believe me, when he ended up triggering my berserker state that one time, I nearly destroyed myself and everyone in an insane attempt to enact revenge. No, we have to think this out carefully or he’ll murder even more lives. So try to calm down, Avalon.”

Avalon took a few calming breaths before replying, “Yes, you’re absolutely right. We must approach this situation with caution and intelligence, not wild emotions and recklessness. If Lucifer has that kind of power, then we have to be smart about what we do to stop him so we don’t end up the same way your great and noble family is now. We need to find a way to remove him from power so you can deal the final blow, since you are the one the prophecy speaks of. At least you survived his murderous rampage unscathed.”

Django said in a weak voice, “Well… not exactly. I did receive a memento from that day, which I still bear on my worn and battered body.”

Avalon’s eyes widened even more, “What!? You mean you bear a mark from Lucifer’s rampage!? Show me, please, so I know the full extent of what he did to your great family.”

Django gained a bad blush, “D-Do I have to? It’s not something I like showing off.”

“Please, Django, I must see all the damage that demon has done in order to find a solution in stopping him. Please.”

Django’s blush got bigger, “O-Okay… but don’t say I didn’t warn you.”

He backed up, removed his cyber pack, then took off his vest and removed his shirt. His well-toned exposed torso revealed several venomous green marks on his body, causing Tempest to purr slightly at how handsome he was. He then turned around, causing Tempest to gasp and Avalon’s eyes to show horror. Taking up most of his back was a large scar, leaving very little room for undamaged skin. His face was bright red as he revealed this scar, gaining a very embarrassed look in his eyes. Avalon gingerly touched the scar, his already wide eyes growing even wider, but also filling them with anger.

Tempest managed to say, “You’ve… had this scar on you this whole time, Django? That… that wound must’ve been intense. How did you survive such a wound? To anyone else, that would be fatal, even with mass regeneration like you Psykinoxes.”

Django replied solemnly, “To this day doctors are surprised I survived that wound. They said I wasn’t going to make it at first, but were utterly baffled when I woke up after the incident and the wound had closed, but it became this horrible eyesore that it is today. I’ve had this scar ever since I was just four. My back was pretty much ripped open, but somehow I survived. I guess my mass regeneration ability is just more powerful than normal. But many have dubbed me a miracle for having survived a normally fatal wound like this. Now… can I please put my shirt back on? I don’t like presenting my torso like this.”

Avalon, who was almost frozen with shock, managed to reply, “Huh? Oh, yes, of course, my King. Now that I know how much damage has been done, you can put your shirt back on.”

As Django quickly put his shirt and vest back on, Tempest asked, “What are all those green marks on your body, Django? Are they also remnants of Lucifer’s attack?”

Avalon explained, “No, those are natural marks that Psykinoxes have. Well, full-blooded ones, anyway, as half-blooded ones generally lack them. They are one of the few physical traits that allow ourselves to be identified from humans, since the two races share a lot in common in terms of physical builds. Those marks are natural to our race, but they vary in terms of color and appearance. Django’s are very similar to his father’s, who also had green marks like that, only he also had two under his eyes, which Django lacks. Although there is that yellow mark under your right eye, but I don’t recall your father or mother having yellow markings.”

Django winced as he replied, “This isn’t a mark I’ve had. It’s called a criminal marker, a special tattoo-like mark that humans developed in order to better track and mark those who have committed crimes. Now, I know what you’re thinking and you’re wrong, I didn’t commit any crimes. I was framed by someone who was jealous of my inventing and business skills. He committed a crime and bribed the police force, causing me to be arrested. It was found out later that day that I was innocent, but the mark was already put into place. I was allow to remove the tracking feature of it due to my innocence, but due to my level of fame because of my work and my Dueling skills, I figured it was pointless to try to cover it up with makeup, so it sits on my face. While a clever way of keeping track of those who break laws, it’s also instant discrimination, and has been a bane of my existence since then, but I’m stuck with it, as it’s permanently engraved in my face. I haven’t forgiven the police force for it, either, leaving me bitter toward them. So that’s how this mark came to be, yet another memento of my long, hard, and painful life.”

Avalon choked, “So you’ve been violated by more people than just Lucifer!? How can you stand all that!?”

Django said bitterly, “I just have to. Everything that has happened to me I just had to weather, no matter what. It was the only way to ensure my survival, so I just grin and bear it, whether I like it or not. I knew there is good in people, however, but it took Tempest and all my wonderful friends to truly see that. I’m better off now due to them, as they’re like a new family to me, so I’m willing and able to tolerate everything that is thrown at me, even if I don’t like it. That’s just how I’ve survived all these years, but at least Tempest and the others have significantly lessened my pain and helped fill the gaps in my heart that Lucifer ripped out when he murdered my family.” He took a deep breath then said, “Avalon, I suggest you go visit my grandfather, Noble, to discuss plans on how to stop Lucifer for good. He’s living here in an apartment with my cousins Zephyr and Melody. Since he was a former leader of our race, he’ll be able to give you insight on things that I lack the knowledge on. It would be the best course of action for now.”

Avalon nodded, “Yes, that sounds like a good plan. Tell me where he lives and I’ll pay him a visit to discuss a plan of action. And Django, know that you have my complete support now. I had a feeling at least you were still alive, and I’m glad I was right. Now that I know the full extent of Lucifer’s evil and the damage he’s caused, I can find a way to make our race rebel against him. Also, the other five Psykinox Lords are roaming around this city in order to find you, so if you run into them, let them know what we discussed. Oh, and one last thing. Take this Number I’ve been holding on to for a while. I didn’t want Lucifer knowing about it, so I’ve kept it hidden from him. This Number represents what my family is to yours.”

He held out a card which Django took. He and Tempest looked at it.

Django said, “Number 44: Sky Pegasus? This card represents your family in the eyes of mine? How?”

“My family has been loyal to the Spirit family for many, many centuries. My family was originally a weaker Psykinox name, but one of your ancestors had bonded with one of mine so well than he placed my family as second-in-command, significantly boosting our powers. My family has since been very close to yours, acting as their right-hand assistants and advisors. What that Number means is that my family is like a loyal stallion to a noble name such as the Spirit family, always there to help whenever we can. That Number embodies my family’s loyalty to yours. So please take it, as that’ll be one more piece of power away from Lucifer’s grubby mitts.”

The inventor smiled, “Thank you, Avalon, I appreciate that. Despite all that has happened, it seems that your family has continued to serve the Psykinoxes, and the Spirit family, well. Your family is a proud example of our race, so you should be very proud of your family name. We will win this fight. It won’t be easy, but with a fine example like your family helping guide the way, we stand a good chance at destroying that Bloodlust once and for all.”

Avalon’s eyes widened as he blushed, “That’s… that’s very kind of you to say. I wish I could’ve done more to help the race by keeping Lucifer out of power, but I’m glad to see you feel that way, Django Spirit. I thank you for those kind and inspiring words. I will continue to do my part anyway I can. Note that you will always have my family’s loyalty and support. But, for now, I must discuss things with Noble and hope to find a solution for our Bloodlust problem. But thank you for saying such kind words about my family. I won’t let you down, my King.”

Django held out his hand, “Just be careful, Avalon, as Lucifer isn’t one to mess with haphazardly. But we will find a solution and remove him from existence for good.”

The two Psykinoxes shook hands, solidifying their resolve, making Tempest smile. After getting the necessary instructions from Django, Avalon departed from the duo with newfound determination and hope. Django and Tempest moved on, keeping an eye out for the other Psykinox Lords.

Next Chapter: Hand of Hearts

And that's a wrap! Django now has a new powerful ally. Plus a new Number to add to his collection. And who would've guessed that Avalon would have such a connection to Django's family. What does this mean for future battles? Tune in next time to find out.
 
Re: Psychic Duelist Django (Season 3: Hidden Forces) Chapter 23 up!

The next chapter is on the air! Django and Tempest encounter yet another Psykinox Lord. But he seems more interested in winning Tempest's heart than listening to reason. And as we all know, she doesn't take kindly to be flirted with or being considered a prize to be won. Will our wind-based woman blow him down and knock some sense into him? Read and find out.

Hand of Hearts

Django and Tempest were continuing down the street, discussing about Avalon and the remaining Psykinox Lords. They were approaching a section of the city where several food vendors had set up shop in hopes of attracting customers during the tournament.

Tempest turned to Django, “I still can’t believe what just happened. So it turns out the leader of the Psykinoxes is called a king. And, according to Avalon, the other five Psykinox Lords are roaming around the city, looking for you. I wonder if they’ll show as much respect and authority to you as Avalon did.”

Django replied, “I’m still amazed at that. And who would’ve guessed the Luminz family is such a close companion to the Spirit family that Avalon would easily recognize me as a Spirit without any convincing. And that sudden display of respect was surprising, though it was a nice change of pace compared to the usual disrespect I get from a number of sources. So we better be on the lookout for the other five Psykinox Lords. We might have to warn Cody and the others just to make sure they don’t cause a misunderstanding and get into trouble with them.”

Suddenly, Tempest’s stomach started to growl, making her blush and chuckle nervously.

She said, “I guess after all that has happened and all those Duels, I’m hungry. Since there are a fair few vendors around, let’s stop for a bite to eat. We may need the energy if we end up Dueling the other Psykinox Lords. Now what looks good?” She took a quick look and set her eyes on a certain vendor, “Mmm, that looks like a good one. And I see that menu has foot-long chili cheese dogs. Count me in!”

She quickly dashed over to get in line, much to Django’s surprise.

He called out, “Tempest! Slow down, will ya!? Sheesh, when it comes to food, especially her favorites, she won’t stay in one place for long. Better get in line before I lose her.”

Django quickly chased after her. Tempest was already in line and by the time Django caught up to her, there were four other people behind her. Sighing in defeat, he simply waited his turn. It wasn’t long before she received her order, which was four foot-long chili cheese dogs with onions, cheese fries, and a large soda.

She said to him, “I saw a few picnic tables over by the trees. I’ll meet you there, Django.”

As she walked over to the spot she mentioned, Django sighed, “When it comes to her stomach, nothing stops her. I guess this is a normal thing for Elementals, as she claims it’s a species trait. But still, she could’ve waited a few seconds for me to catch up. Oh, well, not much I can do except go with it.”

At that time, Claymore was roaming around the same area. He had ditched his cloak some time ago, revealing his true self. He was a massively burly man, easily towering over everyone, with muscles on top of muscles, slightly tan skin, pale maroon eyes, and short light purple hair that was stylized in a Mohawk. He was wearing a black tunic with a large ring in the center and three leather straps attached to it, olive cargo pants with torn cuffs, high laced boots, fingerless gloves, and leather straps on his large arms. In one hand was what looked like a triple cheeseburger and the other held a soda. Despite the fact he was eating, he was obviously looking around.

He said to himself, “I haven’t found a trace of this Django that Avalon mentioned. But this city is also huge. How am I ever gonna find this Django Spirit in such a large place? Well, at least the food is good, and Avalon managed to get us some human money in case we needed it.”

He stuffed the last of his burger into his wide mouth. But just as he was about to drain the rest of his soda, he laid eyes on Tempest. She was happily eating the second of her four foot-long chili cheese dogs, taking a moment here and there to eat a cheese fry, a small blush of joy on her face. Claymore’s eyes widened, a blush forming on his face, his heart beating harder as he gazed upon her beauty, nearly dropping his soda.

He said, eyes wide, “She’s beautiful. What a woman! And she loves to eat whatever she wants without a care? My kind of gal. Wait… she has pointed ears. Does that mean she’s an Elemental? If so, she’s got to be one of the most beautiful Elementals out there. She’s absolutely gorgeous! I gotta find a way to impress her.”

As Tempest started to work on her third hot dog, Claymore approached her, presenting a rose to her, stopping her in mid bite. He gave her a suave look, leaning on the table which groaned slightly under his massive weight, giving her a wink, which she responded with a quirked eyebrow.

He said smoothly, “Hello, my lady. Lovely day today, but not as lovely as you. Mind if I take some of your time and treat you to something nice?”

Tempest’s eyes started to narrow as she replied, “I’d tread carefully around me if I were you. I’m not easy to impress, especially when I’m taken. So I suggest you back down or else. My boyfriend isn’t one to trifle with, and for that matter, neither am I.”

Before Claymore could respond, Django walked up, “Tempest, is everything okay? Who’s this?”

She smiled, “Hi, love. Glad you finally got your food.”

The burly Psykinox turned to face Django, saying, “He’s your boyfriend? You can do better than that, babe.” He then growled at Django, “She deserves better than you. I’ll show you what a REAL man can do. Duel me and I’ll prove my skill are superior over yours and win her over! So take out your cards and Duel me!”

Tempest snapped, “Hey, wait a minute! Don’t you dare talk to him like that! He doesn’t have to prove anything to you! And for that matter, I’m not a prize to be won, you muscle meathead! If you want to impress me, then defeat me in a Duel! And just so you know, I’m no slouch when it comes to cards. So put your deck where your mouth is and Duel me!”

Claymore was taken aback by Tempest’s fiery outburst, along with her fierce glare.

He said, “Why doesn’t he fight his own battles? You don’t have to bother defending him. He should prove what kind of a Duelist he is, not have you do it.”

Tempest replied slyly, “My man can Duel circles around you. But if you’re afraid of losing to a chick, then I can understand why you won’t Duel me. After all, my skills are frightening, more than most mortal men can handle. Guess that means you’re not much of a man, as only my handsome hunk of a boyfriend can handle this hot girl. If you can defeat me, then I’ll let you take me on a date. But lose and you’ll have to back down right away.”

The burly Psykinox took the bait, “Beat you and get a date!? All right, I accept!”

Django sighed mentally, “I can’t leave her alone for five minutes without some guy hitting on her. Well, considering how adamant she is, this should be an interesting Duel. I just hope she’s not getting in over her head, as this guy may not take defeat well.”

Tempest armed herself with her Infinity Disk and Duel Gazer, grinning, “I’ll show you that this girl is more than a pretty face. It’s go-time, muscle head!”

Claymore materialized his supernatural Dueling equipment on his left arm, shaped like a broad sword, which caught the duo’s attention, his left eye becoming more luminous.

Django said silently, “He materialized his equipment. Could he… is he one of the Seven Psykinox Lords!? Then that means he may have another Number over 100. Tempest better be careful with him, or she may get stuck on a date with him.”

“Augmented Reality Visual link established.”

Both drew their starting hands, Life Points set to 4000.

“Let’s Duel!”

Tempest touched her deck, “Ladies first. I Draw!” She activated a different card, “I activate the Spell: Painful Choice! This allows me to reveal five monsters in my deck. You choose one of them. That monster is added to my hand, the rest go to the Graveyard. So I reveal three Harpie Girls and two Thunder Kids.”

Five cards were projected in front of her, revealing five Level Two Normal Monsters, much to Claymore’s confusion.

He said to himself, “Why would she use a card that powerful on such weak monsters? What’s she up to?” He stated, “I’ll let you keep one of the Harpie Girls.”

Tempest selected one of the Harpie Girls and added it to her hand, then sent the remaining four cards to the Graveyard.

She then said, “I place a monster in face-down Defense Mode and two cards face-down to end my turn. Let’s see what you’ve got.”

Claymore grinned, “I’ll show you my skill, baby, and win your heart while I’m at it. I Draw! First I summon Ice Hand to the field in Attack Mode!”

A new monster appeared. Ice Hand was a metallic arm and five-fingered claw with icy energy flowing through it, giving it a frightening appearance. Attached to the base of the arm was a smaller mechanical arm with a small claw, acting as a brace and support. It was a Level Four monster with stats of 1400/1600.

“Now, since I have Ice Hand on my field, I can summon Prominence Hand to the field. So I place it in Defense Mode for good measure.”

Another new monster appeared. Prominence Hand was a more robotic arm and five-fingered claw made of gold metal, with several orbs on its “palm”, giving off heat, and a smaller arm and hand attached at the base. It was a Level Four monster with stats of 600/2000.

“Now, Ice Hand, attack her hidden monster!”

Ice Hand reached over to Tempest’s side of the field, revealing her hidden monster as Harpie Girl (500/500). The icy claw grabbed the harpie chick, the icy energy inside it freezing her solid, before crushing her into chunks, the chunks vanishing shortly afterward.

Claymore huffed, “That was the Harpie Girl I let you keep. Why? What would you gain from all three of them in the Graveyard?”

Tempest smirked, “Oh, you’ll see soon enough. So are you quite done yet?”

“I place one card face-down to end my turn. Your move, so let’s see what you have planned.”

The Wind Mistress replied, “Oh, I’ll show you! It’s my turn, I Draw! First I activate my face-down Spell: Tri-Wight! This allows me to summon any Level Two or lower Normal Monsters from my Graveyard. So I choose my three Harpie Girls, and I’ll place them all in Defense Mode!”

The Graveyard Portal opened, allowing all three Harpie Girls (500/500) to emerge, taking a defensive position on the field.

“Next up, I summon Mecha Phantom Beast O-Lion to the field in Attack Mode!”

A new monster appeared. Mecha Phantom Beast O-Lion was a cross between an Orion spacecraft and a lion, having a lion-like face, several panels surrounding it in a “mane” shape, a bulky body, and a long wire “tail” with a dish at the end. It was a Level Two monster with stats of 600/1000.

The Wind Mistress smirked, “Now you’re in for it. I Tune my Mecha Phantom Beast O-Lion and my three Harpie Girls! I Synchro Summon Stardust Dragon in Attack Mode!”

O-Lion became two green rings of light, which the three Harpie Girls flew into, transforming into outlines of themselves. Their bodies vanished, replaced by six orbs of light, followed by a brief flash of light. After that, Stardust Dragon (2500/2000) appeared on the field, giving a roar as it did.

“Now, since my Mecha Phantom Beast O-Lion was sent to the Graveyard, it allows me to Special Summon one Mecha Phantom Beast Token to my side of the field. So I’ll summon it in Defense Mode for good measure.”

A Mecha Phantom Beast Token (0/0) that resembled O-Lion appeared on the field, taking a defensive stance.

“Now, Stardust Dragon, attack Ice Hand!”

Stardust Dragon summoned up energy in its mouth, took aim, and fired it at Ice Hand. The attack mercilessly destroyed Ice Hand, forcing Claymore to shield himself as his Life Points dropped by 1100 to 2900. However, he started to smile.

He said, “By destroying Ice Hand, you’ve activated its special ability. I can now destroy one Spell or Trap on your field, then summon a Fire Hand from my deck to replace it. So I’ll destroy your face-down card and summon a Fire Hand to the field in Attack Mode!”

Tempest watched as her face-down card was frozen over before shattering. After that, Claymore’s deck ejected a card, which he played. Fire Hand looked near identical to Ice Hand, only composed of fire energy and designed as the opposite hand. It was a Level Four monster with stats of 1600/1000.

The Wind Mistress said, “So much for my Spiritual Wind Art – Miyabi. I place two cards face-down on the field then activate my Mirage of Nightmare. That’s all for now.”

Claymore smirked, “Too bad. Now it’s my turn, I Draw!” but was cut off.

Tempest stated, “My Mirage of Nightmare activates! I can draw until I’m holding four cards.”

She drew four cards, looked at them, then returned her attention to the Duel.

The burly Psykinox shrugged, “Whatever. I activate Pot of Greed. This allows me to draw two more cards from my deck.” He drew two cards, looked at them, then played one of them, “I summon another Prominence Hand by its effect to the field in Defense Mode!”

A second Prominence Hand (600/2000) appeared on the field, making Tempest worried.

Django observed, “Now he’s got three Level Four monsters on the field. He may Xyz Summon with at least two of them. I don’t know much about the Hand archetype, as you rarely see it, but I know that Fire Hand and Ice Hand will cause Tempest a lot of headaches.”

Claymore stated, “I Overlay my two Level Four Prominence Hands! With these two monsters I build the Overlay Network! I Xyz Summon Number 106: Giant Hand in Attack Mode!”

Both Prominence Hands became red orbs of light, shot up into the air, and entered the galaxy-style Overlay Network. Out emerged a sealed form. It looked like a stone pillar with a larger section near the middle and a mechanical scope-like structure on top. It then unfolded into its true form.

Number 106: Giant Hand was a giant stone hand with each finger having a mechanical scope-like eye with a sixth eye in the middle of the palm, each with a mechanical piston-like structure attached to the back of each finger. Orbiting it were two brown orbs of light, and the number “106” was written on the wrist. It was a Rank Four monster with stats of 2000/2000.

“Now, Fire Hand, attack Stardust Dragon!”

Fire Hand charged in, ready to take down the dragon. Stardust Dragon, however, opened its mouth and fired a counterattack, destroying Fire Hand, causing Claymore’s Life Points to drop by 900 to 2000.

“Now that Fire Hand was destroyed, I can activate its ability! When it’s destroyed, I can target one monster on your field and destroy it. Then I can summon another Ice Hand to the field! So say goodbye to Stardust Dragon!”

Tempest countered, “I won’t let it be destroyed that easily! I activate Stardust Dragon’s ability! When a card effect that would destroy one or more cards on the field is activated, I can Tribute Stardust Dragon to negate and destroy that card. Then I can Special Summon it to the field at the End Phase of this turn. So I Tribute…” but was cut off.

Claymore stated, “Not so fast! I activate Giant Hand’s ability! When you activate a monster effect, I can use two Overlay Units to negate one of your monster’s ability as long as Giant Hand is on the field! Furthermore, it can no longer change battle modes! So do it, Giant Hand! Negate Stardust Dragon’s power!”

Giant Hand absorbed both Overlay Units into its center eye. A drill then formed on the pointer finger of Giant Hand. It drilled into Stardust Dragon, causing it to roar in despair as its powers were removed. This allowed the fiery energy left by Fire Hand to incinerate the dragon, forcing Tempest to watch in horror as it vanished from the field. Claymore’s deck ejected another card, which he played, summoning another Ice Hand (1400/1600).

“Now I activate the Spell: Enemy Controller! This can either change the battle mode of one monster on your field or by Tributing another monster I control, I can take control of a monster you own. I’ll activate the first effect and change your Mecha Phantom Beast Token from Defense Mode to Attack Mode!”

The giant game controller appeared, pressed a few buttons, and forced the Mecha Phantom Beast Token to shift positions.

“Now, I activate another Spell: Rush Recklessly! This Spell boosts the power of one monster on the field by 700 for the duration of the turn! So I choose my Giant Hand!”

Giant Hand started to glow as its power rose by 700 to 2700.

“Now, Giant Hand, attack her Mecha Phantom Beast Token!”

Giant Hand fired several beams from its eyes, easily piercing and destroying Tempest’s Token Monster, causing her to be knocked off her feet, her Life Points dropping by 2700 to 1300.

Claymore looked elated, “I’m gonna score a hot date! Ice Hand, attack her directly! End this Duel and win me that date!”

Ice Hand started to charge in, ready to strike, but Tempest was far from done.

She stated angrily, “Don’t count on it just yet! I activate the Trap: Stardust Re-Spark! If I’m targeted for a direct attack by a monster that has Attack Points equal or greater than my Life Points, I can negate the attack, draw one card, and Special Summon a Stardust Dragon from my Extra Deck or Graveyard! So I’m not out of this Duel just yet!”

The Trap blocked Ice Hand, forcing it back, followed by Tempest drawing a card. The Graveyard Portal then opened up, allowing Stardust Dragon (2500/2000) to re-emerge, giving a roar as it did.

Claymore looked upset, “I almost had this Duel won! Fine. I place one card face-down to end my…” but was cut off.

Tempest stated, “Your turn ends when I say it does! I activate the Trap: Gravelstorm! This Trap allows me to return two Spells or Traps, one on each side of the field, to their owner’s hands. So I return my Mirage of Nightmare to my hand and the card you just played back to yours!”

A mighty storm full of gravel appeared on the field, causing both Mirage of Nightmare and Claymore’s newly played card to return to their respective owners’ hands.

Claymore sighed, “Fine, I end my turn. And that means my Rush Recklessly expires now.”

Giant Hand’s power returned to its original 2000 as he said that.

Tempest stated, “Okay then, it’s my turn, I Draw! First I set one card face-down on the field. Now, Stardust Dragon, attack Ice Hand!”

Stardust Dragon summoned up another mouthful of energy, took aim, and fired it, destroying Ice Hand. Claymore braced himself as his Life Points dropped by 1100 to 900.

He stated, “Since you destroyed my Ice Hand, I can destroy one Spell or Trap on your field then summon another Fire Hand to my field. So say goodbye to your face-down card!”

Tempest’s face-down card froze over before shattering, but she seemed unfazed by it. Claymore’s deck then ejected a card, which he played, summoning another Fire Hand (1600/1000) to the field.

She stated, “That’s fine with me. I wanted that to happen. You destroyed a decoy card, which means I’m free to play this card now. The Equip Spell known as Silver Wing. This Spell can only be equipped to a Level Eight or higher Dragon-type Synchro Monster. It protects it from destruction up to twice per turn in battle. If my dragon would be destroyed by a card effect, like your Fire Hand, I can destroy Silver Wing instead. To wrap up my turn, I place two cards face-down. That’s all for now.”

Django thought, “Clever move. And this also leaves this guy’s Life Points vulnerable. By allowing him to summon another Fire Hand, it’s put him in a difficult position. If he suicides his Fire Hand in order to activate its ability, he’ll lose the Duel, as the difference between it and Stardust Dragon is 900, which is exactly how many Life Points he has left. This’ll put him on the defensive until Tempest can figure out a way to shut down his Number for good.”

Claymore grimaced, thinking, “She’s good, that’s for sure. She allowed me to play another Fire Hand, knowing that the difference between its strength and Stardust Dragon’s is the same as the amount of Life Points I have left. And even if that wasn’t the case, her Silver Wing protects her dragon from my Fire Hand’s ability.” He then said aloud, “It’s my turn, I Draw! I activate the Spell: Hinotama, which deals you 500 points of damage!”

Fireballs rained down upon Tempest, forcing her to shield herself from the blasts, her Life Points dropping by 500 to 800.

“Next, I switch my Fire Hand and Giant Hand to Defense Mode. Then I place one card face-down on the field to end my turn…” but was cut off again.

Tempest grinned, “Not so fast! I activate the Trap: Dust Tornado! This Trap blows away one Spell or Trap on your field. So I choose that newly played card of yours! So say goodbye to it!”

A mighty tornado formed on the field, striking Claymore’s card, revealing it to be Fiendish Chain before destroying it.

The Wind Mistress smirked, “Fiendish Chain, huh? That would’ve helped you out by paralyzing my Stardust Dragon and rendering its ability useless. But not this time. Now what will you do?”

Claymore grunted, “I end my turn.”

Tempest grinned, “I thought you’d might. Now, it’s my turn, I Draw! Now I activate the Trap: Phoenix Wing Wind Blast! By discarding a card from my hand, I can return one card on the field back to the top of your deck. So I’ll discard one card to return your Giant Hand back to your Extra Deck!”

She discarded a card from her hand, but this summoned a massive wind storm that started to push at Giant Hand. It tried to resist, but the storm was too powerful, causing it to vanish from the field, leaving Claymore worried.

“Now, Stardust Dragon, attack Fire Hand!”

Stardust Dragon summoned up more energy in its mouth, took aim, and fired it at Fire Hand, destroying it.

Claymore stated, “By destroying Fire Hand you’ve activated its ability!”

The Wind Mistress stated, “I know that. Fire Hand will now try to destroy my Stardust Dragon, but thanks to my Spell: Silver Wing, my dragon will be spared in exchange for Silver Wing being destroyed instead. Nice try, but not nice enough. And since Fire Hand’s ability didn’t activate and resolve properly, you can’t summon another Ice Hand to the field, either!”

The fiery energy that was leftover tried to destroy Stardust Dragon, but the Silver Wing Spell shielded the dragon from it, being destroyed instead. This left Claymore worried.

Tempest said, “I place two cards face-down to end my turn. Your move.”

Claymore growled, “I will NOT lose this Duel! I want that date! I’ll win this Duel yet and win you over!” His hand started to glow, “Go, Cosmic Energy Draw!” drawing a glowing card from his deck.

Django called out, “Tempest! Be careful! I think you know what he just drew!”

Tempest nodded, thinking “He must’ve drawn The Seventh One, just like in Django’s Duel with Avalon. Which means we’re about to see a Chaos Number.”

Claymore grinned as he revealed the card, “I just drew Rank-Up-Magic – The Seventh One! This allows me to Rank-Up my Number into a Chaos Number, no matter where it is! So I rebuild the Overlay Network with my Rank Four Giant Hand! Go, Chaos Xyz Evolution! I Xyz Summon Number C106: Giant Red Hand in Attack Mode!”

Giant Hand (2000/2000) re-emerged onto the field before transforming into a bolt of energy and entering the Overlay Network, which erupted with power. Out emerged a new sealed form. It resembled an egg-shaped orb made from molten rock. It then unfolded into its true form.

Number C106: Giant Red Hand looked like a massive arm and hand made from molten rock with the pinkish chaos energy flowing through it. The hand itself was oddly shaped, having two pointer fingers and two thumbs, making it symmetric, along with having two large, curved blades near each thumb. The number “106” was written on the left blade, and in front of it was one Chaos Overlay Unit. It was a Rank Five monster with stats of 2600/2000.

“Now, Giant Red Hand, attack Stardust Dragon!”

Tempest countered, “Not so fast, I activate the Trap: Zero Gravity! This Trap changes the battle modes of all face-up monsters on the field. So your…” but was cut off.

Claymore laughed, “Nice try, but not nice enough! I activate Giant Red Hand’s ability! When a card or effect is activated, by using a Chaos Overlay Unit, I can negate all other face-up cards on the field! So your Zero Gravity, along with Stardust Dragon’s ability, is about to be negated!”

Giant Red Hand absorbed a Chaos Overlay Unit and released several pulses from its body. This caused Stardust Dragon’s body to turn dark, as well as cause Zero Gravity to crackle and stop working.

“Now, Giant Red Hand, attack Stardust Dragon!”

Giant Red Hand started to rotate, becoming a flaming twister that slammed into Stardust Dragon, causing it to roar out as it was destroyed. Tempest flinched as her Life Points dropped by 100 to 700.

“I end my turn with one card face-down.” He then started to do a victory pose, “I’m gonna score a hot date! Yeah!”

Tempest touched her deck, “Don’t count me out just yet! This Duel is still on, and I have every intention of winning!” She said mentally, “Please, Soul of the Deck, I need some help.” She then said aloud, “I Draw!” She looked at her new card, thinking, “Harpie Channeler? Perfect!” She then said aloud, “I activate my Trap: Descending Lost Star! This allows me to revive a Synchro Monster from my Graveyard in Defense Mode. The catch is that is loses all of its abilities, its Level is decreased by one, and its Defense is zero. But that won’t matter in a moment. So I bring back my Stardust Dragon!”

Stardust Dragon (2500/2000) reappeared from the newly opened Graveyard Portal, taking a defensive stance as its Defense dropped all the way down to zero and its Level dropped by one to Seven.

“Now I summon Harpie Channeler to the field in Attack Mode!”

Harpie Channeler (1400/1300) appeared on the field, giving a rippling cry as she did.

“Now, because I have a Dragon monster on my field, Harpie Channeler’s Level changes to Level Seven!”

The stars representing Harpie Channeler’s Level changed from four to seven.

Tempest stated, “You’re not the only one who has mastered a Number! I Overlay my Level Seven Stardust Dragon and Harpie Channeler! With these two monsters I build the Overlay Network! Come on out Number 42: Galaxy Tomahawk in Attack Mode!”

Both Stardust Dragon and Harpie Channeler turned into green orbs of light, shot up into the air, and entered the galaxy-style Overlay Network. Out emerged a sealed form that quickly unfolded into Number 42: Galaxy Tomahawk (0/3000), much to Claymore’s surprise.

He sputtered, “Y-You mean that you have a Number as well!? How is that possible!? But nevertheless, it has zero Attack Points, meaning it’s no threat to my Giant Red Hand!”

Tempest grinned, holding out a card, “Are you sure about that, big guy? As this card will change that. I activate the Spell: Shield and Sword! This swaps the Attack and Defense of all face-up monsters on the field! So go, Offensive-Defensive Flip!”

Claymore could only watch in horror as Tempest’s Spell switched the Attack and Defense of all monsters on the field. After the Spell was done, Galaxy Tomahawk’s stats were now 3000/0 while Giant Red Hand’s were 2000/2600.

She stated, “It’s over! Galaxy Tomahawk, attack Giant Red Hand with Galaxy Ray Rays! End this Duel now!”

Galaxy Tomahawk summoned out several cannons that took aim and fired at Giant Red Hand. It was pummeled with superior firepower, easily dismantling the massive Number. Claymore could only watch as his Number was destroyed, the shockwaves throwing him back, his Life Points down to zero. A “Win” screen, showing Tempest, appeared before the Augmented Reality vanished. Django and Tempest exchanged a high-five, smiling.

Claymore quickly stood up, begging, “Please! Give me another chance! I’ll prove my skill and win your heart! Please!”

Tempest stated, “All right, that’s enough out of you. I’m quite happily taken, so don’t be trying to win me over. After all, my boyfriend is Django Spirit, who is your leader.”

This confused the burly Psykinox, “Django Spirit?” He then looked at Django and noticed the Spirit Crest around his neck, making his eyes wide, “D-Django Spirit!? You’re the Psykinox Avalon sent me to find!” He quickly started bowing, “I’m sorry, my King, I’m sorry! I didn’t realize who you were or notice the Spirit Crest right away! I’m sorry, I’m sorry, I’m sorry! Please forgive me for flirting with your girlfriend!”

Django chuckled, “It’s okay, really, I understand. Tempest is quite the babe, and you’re not the first guy who has tried to make a few moves on her. But as you can see, she’s fiercely loyal to me. But enough of that, what’s your name?”

“M-My name is Claymore Quake. I’m one of the Seven Psykinox Lords. But if you’re a Spirit, then you should be in charge, not Lucifer. How is he in charge when you’re alive? And, for that matter, what happened to the other Spirit family members?”

Django replied sadly, “They were all murdered. Well, almost all of them, as me, Grandpa Noble, and my cousins Zephyr and Melody, survived. Lucifer murdered them. He somehow has the ability to draw out his ancestor’s power, enabling him to surprise and topple my family, leaving it in shambles, while taking control of the race and blaming it on the humans. He knew that Psykinoxes and humans have a strained relationship, so he took advantage of that, as well as the fact that my grandpa went into hiding and I was left to wander the streets. So I’m the one who should be in charge, not Lucifer, but it’s hard to prove I’m a Spirit without the Spirit Crest, usually I need to resort to Destiny Draw and Divine Soul Mode in order to prove my bloodline. So, you see, I’m currently fighting an uphill battle against Lucifer to remove him from control and complete the Spirit family mission that my ancestor Astral put into play long ago. And we could really use your help, Claymore.”

Claymore roared, “That Lucifer! I knew he couldn’t be trusted, but this is worse than I could’ve ever imagined! I’m gonna ring his neck and break every bone in his body!”

Tempest stated, “Claymore, calm down! Doing something that idiotic is suicide! If Lucifer can draw out his ancestor’s power and topple nearly the entire Spirit name, then charging in without a plan will result in your death. Luckily, we’ve already met Avalon and he’s currently discussing a plan with Noble, a former leader of your race, so Lucifer can be removed from power and Django can finish him off. But we need to approach this carefully, not rashly, so settle down already.”

Claymore looked surprised, “You’ve already met Avalon? And he’s discussing a plan with Noble? Why didn’t you say so before?”

Django replied sourly, “Because you were too busy flirting with Tempest and challenging me for her affections for me to say anything about that.”

The burly Psykinox got sheepish, “Eheheh, sorry, my King.”

The inventor brushed it off, “That doesn’t matter right now. All that matters is that we’re devising a plan in order to remove Lucifer from his current position so that I can deal the final blow. I do have the power to defeat him, having done so twice already, but I’m fighting an uphill battle, as Lucifer is far more aware of his powers and abilities, while I’m still learning mine, as I only learned about a year ago that I was even a Psykinox, let alone the true leader of the race. But we’re working on a plan to shut down that murderous demon once and for all, but we need to approach this carefully. Lucifer is cocky and arrogant, but he does have skill and intelligence to back him up, so even if you and the rest of the Psykinox Lords challenged him, it would result in your defeat, even death. And I don’t want any more bloodshed on my behalf. So, for now, I suggest you return to wherever the old Psykinox city is and wait for Avalon to return with a plan. That’s the best course of action we can take right now until we can finally overpower and destroy that creature once and for all.”

Claymore nodded, “Yes, you’re right. Running in headlong would be crazy. But we cannot let Lucifer sit on the throne for much longer, either. I hope Avalon and Noble come up with a good plan, as I can’t stand that Bloodlust. Especially now that I know what he’s done. So, for now, I’ll do as you say and return to the underground Psykinox city and wait for Avalon to return. But know that I’m in this fight now to crush that miserable Bloodlust once and for all! Django, just be careful, as we cannot afford to lose our real leader again.”

The inventor nodded, “Don’t worry, I will. I’ve survived this long, so I think I can keep going long enough to shut down Lucifer for good. You just be careful, Claymore, as I don’t want any more blood spilled by his murderous hands.”

With a nod and a final handshake, Claymore opened up a Warp Gate and left the area. Django and Tempest then returned to their food, which, to their surprise, was still warm.

Tempest sighed, “Well, that’s another man who has made a move on me. Is this gonna be a regular thing?”

Django replied, “Pretty much, as you are gorgeous. But it doesn’t matter right now. All that matters is that we have another ally in our fight against Lucifer. I just hope Claymore’s headstrong personality doesn’t get him into trouble. But at least we have one more ally on our side. We better alert Cody and the others to be on watch for the other Psykinox Lords. If Chronos is still with them, he can fill them in on the details and probably help identify the other four Psykinox Lords. Let’s finish our lunch and then call the gang to alert them of what’s been going on. But, once again, your skills are getting sharper by the day, Tempest.”

She smiled, “Thanks, Django. I just hope that your satellite doesn’t alert Kain of my Number being played.”

Django replied, “I don’t think that’ll happen. Since Claymore’s equipment isn’t connected to Spirit Tech’s satellite, I know it won’t register that Duel, as, in truth, it won’t register Duels that aren’t connected to Spirit Tech’s system. So Kain won’t know about your Number, as I don’t need him harping to me about why I allowed you and the others to wield a Number before him. But enough of that. Let’s finish eating and then contact the others.”

With a nod, the duo returned to their food, happy to know that they had one more ally on their side.

Next Chapter: Fiery and Ice

And that's all for now folks. Another ally in the fight ahead. But will it be enough? And what does the next chapter suggest? If you don't know, then you'll just have to wait until next time to find out. Later!
 
Re: Psychic Duelist Django (Season 3: Hidden Forces) Chapter 24 up!

Time for the next installment of Django's quest against Lucifer. Cody and the others encounter one of the Seven Psykinox Lords, the icy Zweite Shard. In order to woo her, Cody accepts her challenge for a Duel, which she also seems to express interest in him. Can his fiery nature melt the coldest of the Psykinox Lords and win her over? Or will her freezing tactics put him on ice?

Fiery and Ice

Cody and the others were busy eating some lunch. They had just finished talking to Django regarding the Seven Psykinox Lords roaming around the city.

Leo asked, “So, what are these Seven Psykinox Lords anyway, Chronos?”

Chronos replied, “The Seven Psykinox Lords are the seven most powerful Psykinoxes in the race. Their power is not only determined by their individual strength, but the strength of their family names. However, I haven’t heard much about the Seven Psykinox Lords individually. The only two I know off the bat are Avalon Luminz and, of course, Lucifer himself. Django also mentioned Claymore Quake, so that leaves the other four. However, I don’t think I know the rest of them by name, or if I do, I don’t remember at this time. Maybe if I hear one of their names it may help, but I’m not sure. But we should be able to identify them regardless, especially by wardrobe, since they don’t wear the same kind of clothes that the rest of us wear on the surface.”

Fiona asked, “I wonder, why these seven particular Psykinoxes are so powerful that they’re dubbed as lords?”

“Again, usually due to their family names. Remember, the rank a particular Psykinox family has is usually determined by the amount of special energies they have. However, as the Luminz family proves, even if they were lower ranked initially, they can gain more power when put into a different position in the social structure. The Luminz family was lower ranked initially, but when one of Django’s ancestors, who was the leader at the time, befriended a member of the Luminz family, the friendship he had with that Luminz was so strong that he put the Luminz family as second-in-command, boosting that family’s power significantly. It worked well in the race’s favor, too, as the Luminz family is a very noble and reliable family, so it helped the race’s energy flow as well.”

Jack stated, “Sound like Django should be a Psykinox Lord instead of Lucifer, but according to Django, Lucifer capitalized on an ancient rule to gain command of the race instead of Avalon. That dirty double-crossing snake always seems to have the edge. I can’t wait to see him destroyed.”

Cody nodded, “You got that right, Jack. I guess Lucifer really is quite bright, which is unfortunate for us as it puts us at a disadvantage. But at least we know that D-Man can take him head-on. I just hope we can recruit the other Psykinox Lords onto our side.”

Leo mused, “Given the fact that they seem to hate Lucifer, and for good reasons, we stand a good chance at recruiting them to the cause. I just hope they’re not bitter toward humans due to Lucifer’s lies, as it may complicate things a bit. But seeing how Django managed to get Avalon and Claymore onto our side, the other four should be reasonable enough to get them on our side. But it would also appear that they wield Numbers that are over 100, like Tachyon Dragon, so we may have to fight fire with fire to prove our points and get them to join us.”

Fiona looked worried, “I just hope we can match wits with the strongest Psykinoxes in the race, otherwise it may backfire on us.”

Cody stated after finishing his food, “Relax, Fiona, we’ll be fine. Thanks to D-Man’s trainin’, we should be able to go card-for-card with them. We’re a lot stronger now than we were before we learned any of this Psykinox stuff, so we stand a good chance at winnin’ their trust. So let’s get movin’ and see if we can find one of them Psykinox Lords.”

Not far off from their position, another Psykinox Lord was roaming around. Zweite was looking around for any trace of Django. She had discarded her cloak a while ago, revealing herself. She had supple skin with dark green markings on her body, orange eyes, and long ice blue hair that reached her knees with a somewhat trident shaped fringe. She was dressed in what appeared to be an armored corset, dusty gold in color, that revealed a lot of her ample chest and midriff, a choker with a snowflake-shaped gem, a headband with a small teardrop jewel dangling between her eyes, sapphire blue earrings, pale bluish purple pants that stopped mid calf, and dark violet high-heeled boots with open toes. Despite looking for Django, she was also eating, as she was holding a kabob stick in one hand, still full of food, with four more in her other hand, all of which were bare.

She said to herself, “Still no trace of this Django Spirit Avalon sent us to find. I hope he’s having better luck than I am. I want Lucifer gone as much as the next Psykinox, but trying to find our true leader on the surface world is like trying to find a snowflake in the arid desert. Still, I guess it’s worth it, as I want that Bloodlust gone so we can stop living in the dark and return to the surface.”

Suddenly, a young adult male, about 20, approached her, saying, “Hey, baby, wanna come check out the sights with me, your new hunk?”

She gave him a piercing, icy glare, freezing him in his tracks, while using the four empty kabob sticks like improvised weapons, pointing them at his face.

She hissed, “Back off if you know what’s good for you. Otherwise you’ll learn why they call me the Ice Queen. I’m not interested, so don’t bother me, or you’ll learn the hard way that messing with me is hazardous to one’s health. So back off. And learn some new pick-up lines while you’re at it, as you couldn’t pick up a female chicken with that sad excuse for flirting.”

The young adult backed away from her, obviously surprised by her icy response. She kept glaring at him until he had fully walked away. She huffed, finished her kabob, and resumed looking. However, it wasn’t long before she noticed Cody and the others approaching her from the opposite direction. At first she didn’t seem to care, but the moment she took a good look at Cody, her cold expression change into a seductive look.

She purred, “Hmm… hello hot stuff. Not too shabby for a human. Something about that redhead seems different than other men. Perhaps I should take a closer look.”

The gang was unaware of Zweite approaching them until Leo looked ahead and saw her.

He said, “Hey, guys, I think we have company.”

They all turned to face Zweite, who had stopped short of them. Instantly, Cody’s eyes lit up, drinking in her seductive appearance.

She purred, slowly circling Cody, “Well, hello there. What do we have here? Not too shabby. Pretty good, in fact. What’s your name, hot stuff?”

Cody, who seemed almost elated, replied eagerly, “Woah! Hello hot stuff yourself! Don’t think I’ve seen you ‘round here before. The name’s Cody Lionheart. And you?”

“My name is Zweite Shard, also known as the Ice Queen. Hmm… Lionheart, huh? Sounds pretty noble. But do you have enough spark in your soul to melt the Ice Queen? After all, I like a man who has plenty of spark in their soul. And you seem to have plenty of that. But… do you have the Dueling skill to keep that spark going?”

Cody replied proudly, “Oh, yeah, baby, this redhead packs plenty of fire in his soul. And plenty of Duelin’ skill to go with it. After all, they don’t get fierier than me. And what about you?”

Zweite purred, “Me? I take pride in freezing my foes solid. I am called the Ice Queen, after all, which means I can turn those who can’t impress me into blocks of ice. But you may have the fire to counter my ice. I want to see what you’re capable off. Show me your Dueling prowess. Beat me, and you may be the one who melts my icy heart.”

Leo said, unsure what to think, “Well, this should be an interesting Duel, to say the least.”

Jack sighed, “I think Cody is in over his head. We don’t even know who this Zweite is, so who knows how strong she is.”

Fiona chuckled nervously, “Well you can’t blame him for wanting to impress her. I just hope he doesn’t freeze over.”

Chronos, however, was thinking, “Zweite Shard? I know I’ve heard that name before. But where?”

Zweite stepped a bit back, smiling, “You better prove it to me, as I want to test your mettle. Don’t disappoint me, as I feel you may be the one. So show me how much fire you have in your soul, and if it’s enough to melt my icy heart and soul.”

Cody grinned, “Oh, I’ll show ya just how much fire this Lionheart has!”

He armed himself with his Infinity Disk and Duel Gazer. Zweite’s left eye became more luminous, her supernatural Dueling equipment on her right arm, which looked like a fan or wing made of ice crystals, indicating that she was left-handed. This caught Chronos’ attention more than the others.

The teen Psykinox thought, “She materialized her Dueling equipment, just like how Lucifer does. Could she… is she one of the Psykinox Lords?” He then called out, “Cody, be careful! This woman may actually be a Psykinox Lord!”

Cody turned to him, “What!? A Psykinox Lord!?” He turned to Zweite, “Is that true?”

She replied, “While I am surprised you know of us Psykinoxes, your friend is right. I am Zweite Shard of the Seven Psykinox Lords, as well as the only female Psykinox Lord. But tell me… how do you know about us Psykinoxes?”

Leo replied, “Not only is Chronos half-Psykinox, but our friend and the leader of our group is a Psykinox. So we’re well aware of the Psykinox race, as well as what happened between the Spirit and Bloodlust families.”

Zweite quirked an eyebrow, “So, you’re friends with a Psykinox? But how could you know what happened to the Spirit family… Unless the Psykinox you’re referring to is a Spirit!”

Fiona nodded, “That’s right. Our friend is none other than Django Spirit, and we’re helping him in his quest to eliminate Lucifer for his treachery and murderous acts.”

The Ice Queen said, surprised, “You mean you know Django Spirit!? Avalon sent me to try to locate him!” She then shook her head before returning her attention to Cody, “We’ll discuss this later. After all, we’re in a Duel, and if you know a Spirit, then I want to see if he has trained you well enough for any future battles. As well as see what kind of a man you are, Lionheart.”

Cody grinned, “I’ll show ya the fruits of my labor under D-Man’s tutoring. So let’s do this!”

“Augmented Reality Visual link established.”

Both drew their starting hands, Life Points set to 4000.

“Let’s Duel!”

Zweite touched her deck with her left hand, “Ladies first. I Draw! I summon Mother Grizzly to the field in Attack Mode!”

Mother Grizzly (1400/1000) appeared on the field, giving a roar as it did.

“I place two cards face-down to end my turn. Your move, Cody Lionheart. Show me your skill as well as your flaming soul.”

Cody grinned, “Oh, I’ll show ya! I Draw! First I summon Gearfried the Iron Knight in Attack Mode!”

Gearfried the Iron Knight (1800/1600) appeared on the field, giving his bladed arm a swing.

“Now, Gearfried, attack Mother Grizzly now with Metal Forearm Thrust!”

Gearfried charged in, into Mother Grizzly’s face, and gave his bladed arm a fierce slash, cleaving Mother Grizzly in half before it shattered. Zweite flinched as her Life Points dropped by 400 to 3600.

She stated, “By destroying my Mother Grizzly in battle and sending it to the Graveyard, you’ve activated its power! I can summon any WATER monster from my deck with 1500 or less Attack in Attack Mode. So I choose my Blizzard Falcon!”

Her deck ejected a card, which she played right away. Blizzard Falcon’s body seemed to be composed of both metal and ice, with bladed feet, ice wings, ice armor on its breast, a fanned-out metal tail, a long neck with a somewhat robotic falcon face with glowing eyes and a yellow beak. It was a Level Four monster with stats of 1500/1500.

Cody replied, “Not too shabby. But I’m far from done. I place one card face-down on the field to end my turn.”

Zweite said mentally, “So far so good. Now that he knows I’m a Psykinox Lord, it appears that he is still giving me all he’s got. It’s as if he’s not afraid of me. The usual reaction of someone facing a Psykinox Lord would make them hesitate and back down, knowing how powerful we are. But he is unfazed by that. Hmm… good, I like that. I like a man who can fight even against a foe with a power advantage. Let’s see how long he lasts.” She said aloud, “It’s my turn. I Draw! I summon Aurora Wing to the field in Attack Mode!”

A new monster appeared. Aurora Wing was a majestic-looking creature. It had the body of a crane with large, graceful wings that looked like a solidified aurora, a matching, massive tail, thin legs, a long neck and a small head with a crest made of the same solidified energy that its wings and tail were composed of. It was a Level Four monster with stats of 1200/1600.

“Now, I Overlay my Level Four Aurora Wing and Blizzard Falcon! With these two monsters I build the Overlay Network. I Xyz Summon Ice Beast Zerofyne in Attack Mode!”

Both Aurora Wing and Blizzard Falcon turned into blue orbs of light, shot up into the air, and entered the red spiral Overlay Network. Out emerged a new monster. Ice Beast Zerofyne looked like a cross between an ice skater, a metallic bird, and an ice creature. The main body was that of a woman covered in bluish-white ice crystals that covered her entire body except from the neck up, which was contained in dark blue armor and a helmet that revealed her eyes and a large crest. She had matching armor at her elbows and around her hips in a skirt-like structure, with additional ice crystals imbedded in it. Her wings were made from the same type of armor consisting of jagged plates, dark blue in color, jutting upward. Orbiting her were two blue orbs of light. She was a Rank Four monster with stats of 2000/2200.

Zweite stated, “Now to activate my Zerofyne’s special ability. By using an Overlay Unit, I can negate all other card effects on the field. Plus, my Zerofyne will gain 300 extra Attack Points for every monster on the field until my next Standby Phase. So do it, Zerofyne! Perfect Freeze!”

Ice Beast Zerofyne absorbed an Overlay Unit before releasing a large gust of wind and snow. This caused Gearfried to ice over, turning dark, while Zerofyne’s power increased by 300 to 2300.

“But I’m not done yet. I activate the Trap: Call of the Haunted, to revive my Blizzard Falcon!”

The Graveyard Portal opened up, allowing Blizzard Falcon (1500/1500) to reappear on the field.

“Now I activate my Mystical Space Typhoon to blow away your face-down card!”

A mighty typhoon formed on the field, charging toward Cody’s hidden card, which was revealed to be Nitwit Outwit, before it was destroyed.

Leo stated, “This is bad. Cody is in some trouble now.”

Zweite stated, “Zerofyne, attack Gearfried the Iron Knight with Icicle Storm!”

Zerofyne summoned up another gust of wind, this time loaded with icicles, and fired them at Gearfried. The attack mercilessly shredded Gearfried before it vanished. Cody shielded himself from the chilling winds as his Life Points dropped by 500 to 3500.

“Now, Blizzard Falcon, attack him directly!”

Blizzard Falcon summoned up more icy wind, which slammed into the redhead, knocking him off his feet, his Life Points dropping by 1500 to 2000.

Fiona called out, “Cody, are you okay?”

He grunted, “I’ll be fine, Fiona. This Duel isn’t over just yet, so I still have a chance to turn things around.”

Zweite mused, “I must admit I’m impressed. Most men would’ve given up, or at least been discouraged, after being blasted by my icy skills. You do have plenty of fire in you, but let’s see how long it’ll last. I end my turn there.”

The redhead stated, “Then it’s my move. I Draw! I activate Pot of Greed to draw two more cards from my deck.” He drew two cards, looked at them, gaining a grin, “This’ll help. I activate the Spell: Polymerization. I fuse my Alligator’s Sword and Baby Dragon to summon Alligator’s Sword Dragon in Attack Mode!”

Alligator’s Sword appeared on the field alongside a new monster. Baby Dragon looked like a young yellow dragon with large claws, moderately small wings, large eyes and a cute expression. It was a Level Three monster with stats of 1200/700. Both it and Alligator’s Sword started to overlap, swallowed up by a spiral vortex, and before long a new monster appeared on the field.

Alligator’s Sword Dragon was simply Alligator’s Sword riding on Baby Dragon’s back. Alligator’s Sword gave its sword a mighty swing while Baby Dragon gave a roar that was cuter than fierce. It was a Level Five monster with stats of 1700/1500.

The Ice Queen looked confused, “Why summon that creature? Its power is nowhere near my Zerofyne’s.”

Cody grinned, “True, this little combo creature doesn’t pack a big punch, but its ability does. You see, if my opponent only controls monsters that are of the FIRE, EARTH, or WATER Attributes, this monster can attack you directly! So do it, Alligator’s Sword Dragon! Bypass her monsters and attack her directly!”

Alligator’s Sword Dragon flew high into the sky, flying right over Zweite’s two monsters, before barreling down toward her. It gave a swipe from its sword, the shockwave striking the Ice Queen. She skidded back slightly as her Life Points dropped by 1700 to 1900. Alligator’s Sword Dragon then returned to its original position.

Cody grinned, “Not too shabby, huh? I may not have the most powerful cards in the game, but I know how to make the most of the cards I own. While D-Man allows me great access to his card collection, I know my deck will never be as powerful or strategic as his, but that doesn’t bother me one bit. I’ve gotten this far with this deck, and I intend to go the whole distance. So, for now, I place two cards face-down on the field to end my turn.”

Zweite said inwardly, “This Django Spirit sounds like he’s got all the traits needed to be our leader and complete the family mission. The question is… why is Lucifer in control?” She said aloud, “I must admit, I’m impressed so far. You are quite capable, and you can make the most out of your cards. But if you want to fully impress this Ice Queen, then defeat me and show me your strength. So it’s my turn, I Draw! Now my Zerofyne’s effect expires, returning her to normal.”

Zerofyne’s power dropped down to her original 2000.

“Next I summon Blizzard Thunderbird to the field in Attack Mode!”

A new monster appeared. Blizzard Thunderbird looked more like a humanoid than an avian creature. Its body was designed similar to a warrior equipped with dark blue armor made from overlapping plates, human hands, one of which holding a sword-like weapon, a long armored neck and a head that looked like an mechanical vulture. The wings were composed of several lightning bolt-shaped plates of metal, metallic yellow in color, stretching from its shoulders to its hips. It was a Level Four monster with stats of 1600/1400.

Zweite said, “I hate to do this, but I want to see what you’re capable of. I Overlay my Blizzard Thunderbird and Blizzard Falcon. With these two monsters I build the Overlay Network! I Xyz Summon Number 103: Ragnazero in Attack Mode!”

Jack exclaimed, “Oh no! She’s summoning a Number! This isn’t good!”

Blizzard Thunderbird and Blizzard Falcon became blue orbs of light, shot up into the air, and entered the galaxy-style Overlay Network. Out emerged a new monster.

Number 103: Ragnazero was an elegant-looking female wearing a white armored dress with a red front and gold triangular jewels. Her visible skin was a pale purple, with each hand holding a double-ended blade. Attached to her back was a ring with several long, thin spikes fused with icy energy, with matching shoulder plates and headdress. Her face was covered by a black mask, only revealing her eyes, which were a luminous purple and long black hair. Orbiting her were two blue orbs of light and the number “103” was written on the left side of her headdress. She was a Rank Four monster with stats of 2400/1200.

Leo said, “That Number looks both elegant and deadly. I hope Cody will survive this.”

Cody stated, “I’m way ahead of ya, little buddy! I activate the Trap: Rocket Hand! This Trap also doubles as an Equip card, boostin’ a monster’s Attack by 800 if its Attack is 800 or higher! Plus this card’s second effect will help me turn the tide in this Duel! So I equip it to my Alligator’s Sword Dragon!”

A mechanical hand formed on Alligator’s Sword Dragon’s free hand, raising its power by 800 to 2500.

Zweite said, “Not bad, but not good enough. I activate Ragnazero’s ability! By using one Overlay Unit, I can target a monster on the field who’s current Attack is different than its Original Attack. That monster is destroyed and I get to draw one card from my deck. Sorry to do this, handsome, but your dragon-riding gator is about to become a purse!”

Ragnazero absorbed an Overlay Unit before firing a beam at Alligator’s Sword Dragon. The beam pierced Cody’s monster, causing it to roar out in pain as it was destroyed, much to Cody’s horror. She then drew one card from her deck.

“Now, Ragnazero, attack him directly!”

Cody stated, “I’m not done yet! I activate the Spell: Scapegoat! This allows me to summon four Sheep Tokens to protect me! So you won’t get to my Life Points that easily!”

Four Sheep Tokens (0/0) appeared on the field, shielding the redhead.

Zweite looked a bit disappointed, “Not the kind of tactic I’d expect from a man like you. But whatever. Ragnazero, attack one of those Sheep Tokens!”

Ragnazero gave a swipe from one of her blades, slicing a Sheep Token in half before it vanished.

“Now, Zerofyne, attack another Sheep Token!”

Zerofyne summoned up another wind gust full of icicles which impaled another Sheep Token, destroying it.

She said, “I hope you can do better than those Scapegoats. I end my turn there. What else can you do?”

Cody stated, “I’m far from done. My options may be limited, but I never give up until the last card is drawn! I Draw!” He looked at his card before playing it, “All I can do for now is place this monster in face-down Defense Mode to end my turn. But watch out, babe, as when you least expect it, this flamin’ spirit, Duelin’ dynamo will turn the tables! So it’s your turn.”

Zweite thought, “I must admit, while those Scapegoats don’t impress me, despite the fact he’s backed into a corner, he won’t quit. Most Duelists would lose hope at this point, but his fire still burns brightly even against my icy wind. Maybe if I push him even further he’ll show me the power he may possess.” Her hand started to glow, stating, “I want to see what power you have, so I’m gonna pull out a hidden power of my own. I hope you’re ready for it. Go, Cosmic Energy Draw!”

She drew a glowing card, much to the shock of the others.

Fiona sputtered, “Cosmic Energy Draw?! Is that a power similar to Destiny Draw? This may present a major problem for Cody.”

Zweite seemed curious, “Did you say Destiny Draw? That’s an ability only the Spirit family has. So, this Django has access to his family's great power?”

Chronos nodded, “Yes. Not only that, but he also has Divine Soul Mode. He's the Psykinox race’s true leader, and one of the survivors of Lucifer’s murderous rampage.”

Rage started to fill Zweite’s normally cold eyes, “Did you say Lucifer’s murderous rampage!? He MURDERED the Spirit family!? That… that… I have no words that can justify what he is! He lied to all of us! Now I’m really mad!” She turned to Cody, “I hate doing this, but I need a way to vent my anger! I activate the Spell: Rank-Up-Magic – The Seventh One! This allows me to Rank-Up my Number into a Chaos Number! So I rebuild the Overlay Network with Rank Four Ragnazero! Go, Chaos Xyz Evolution! Arise Number C103: Ragnafinity!”

Ragnazero transformed into a bolt of energy and entered the Overlay Network, which erupted with power. Out emerged a new monster.

Number C103: Ragnafinity looked very similar to her normal counterpart, only was wearing a black and purple dress resembling a gown, two large black wings, a trident-shaped headdress, the pinkish chaos energy flowing through her, and was wielding a double-ended blood red scythe with a smaller double-ended one at the bottom. In front of her were two Chaos Overlay Units and the number “103” was written on her right hip. She was a Rank Five monster with stats of 2800/2400.

Zweite snarled, “I don’t want to take out my anger on you, since you are an enemy to Lucifer, but if I don’t I’ll get REALLY ugly! So you better survive this! First off, I summon another Blizzard Falcon in Attack Mode!”

A second Blizzard Falcon (1500/1500) appeared on the field.

“Blizzard Falcon, attack a Scapegoat!”

Blizzard Falcon attacked another one of the Scapegoats, destroying it with its icy winds.

“Now, Zerofyne, attack the last Scapegoat!”

Zerofyne summoned another icicle loaded storm, hurling it at the last Scapegoat, mercilessly destroying it.

“Now, Ragnafinity, attack his hidden monster!”

Ragnafinity gave her scythe a swing before hurling it at Cody’s hidden monster. It was revealed shortly beforehand, revealing it to be a female monster red hair, slightly tan skin, with claw-like gloves and feet, a long thin tail with a blade at the end, small insect-like wings, and was wearing a halter top, shorts, and a helmet with small antenna on it. She was a Level Three monster with stats of 1100/900. She was easily destroyed by the attack.

Cody grimaced, “There goes my Nekogal #1, and my last line of defense. But I can’t give up, or I’ll be at this Psykinox Lord’s mercy. I gotta find a way to calm her down or I’ll end up with more knots than a pretzel.”

Zweite, obviously still ticked off, “I end my turn there. You better show me how well Django trained you, as we need strong fighters, and I want a strong man! So show me your fiery power now!”

Cody touched his deck, thinking, “The only monster I have in my hand is Garoozis, but I can’t summon it. Please, deck, show me some love.” He said aloud, “I Draw!” He drew a card, looked at it, and cheered, “Aw, yeah, baby! This’ll do the job nicely! I activate the Spell: One for One! By sendin’ a monster from my hand to the Graveyard, I can summon a Level One monster from my hand or deck! So I send my Garoozis to the Graveyard in order to summon Block Spider to the field in Attack Mode!”

He sent his last card to the Graveyard, but this allowed his Infinity Disk to eject a card, which he played right away. Block Spider looked like a cartoony spider made from construction blocks, with large hands, red shoes at the end of each remaining foot, and what looked like sunglasses on its face. It was a Level One monster with stats of 0/100.

“Since my Block Spider was Special Summoned, I can Special Summon another one from my deck! So I place it in Attack Mode!”

His Infinity Disk ejected another card, which he played, summoning another Block Spider (0/100) to the field.

“Now, since THIS Block Spider was Special Summoned, I can Special Summon my last Block Spider from my deck! So I’ll summon it in Attack Mode!”

His Infinity Disk ejected another card, which he played, summoning his third and final Block Spider (0/100) to the field.

Chronos observed, “He’s got three Level One monsters on the field. Is he going to Xyz Summon?”

Leo nodded, “Yes, and we know exactly what monster he’s gonna summon. Normally, having more than one Block Spider on the field would create an attack lock, but Cody is using their swarming ability for a different purpose! Do it, Cody!”

Cody stated, “I Overlay my three Level One Block Spiders! With these three monsters I build the Overlay Network! I Xyz Summon Number 54: Lion Heart in Attack Mode! Come forth my mighty Number!”

Zweite’s eyes were wide, “You mean to say you own a Number!? I thought regular humans couldn’t handle the Numbers’ overwhelming energies!”

Cody grinned, “Normally that’s true, but this great gang proved that we can harness their immense power and use it to help defend the world from Lucifer! But enough chit-chat, I’ll show you the power of a Number born from good emotions!”

All three Block Spiders became brown orbs of light, shot up into the air, and entered the galaxy-style Overlay Network. Out emerged a sealed form which quickly unfolded into Number 54: Lion Heart (100/100), who gave a mighty roar as he did.

Chronos looked surprised, “I knew you guys had a lot of firepower behind you, but I didn’t realize you wield Numbers of your own. I guess I didn’t put that together in our earlier conversation right away. I just hope this Number can quell Zweite’s anger, as what I do know of her is that when her temper erupts, it takes a lot to tame that anger.”

Cody stated, “Time to show off the power of a Lionheart! Lion Heart, attack Ragnafinity with Pouncin’ Punch!”

Zweite looked surprised, “Are you TRYING to lose this Duel!? Lion Heart will be creamed by my Ragnafinity!”

The redhead grinned, “Not quite. For starters, Lion Heart cannot be destroyed while in Attack Mode! Now to activate another one of Lion Heart’s powers! By usin’ an Overlay Unit, I can have you take all the damage that I would’ve taken! So all that damage is comin’ back right at ya! So hopefully this’ll knock some sense into ya, baby!”

Lion Heart absorbed an Overlay Unit into his fist, reared back, and launched a punch. Ragnafinity retaliated by hurling her scythe, but when the two attacks collided, it created a large explosion that released massive shockwaves. Zweite only stood there, eyes wide, as the shockwaves struck her, sending her flying, crashing on the ground in a heap, but, at the same time, smiled. Her Life Points dropped down to zero. A “Win” screen appeared, showing Cody, before the Augmented Reality vanished, taking all the monsters with it. Cody sighed in relief before giving the gang a thumbs-up. Zweite was still laying flat on her back, eyes closed, motionless, but her breathing was calm. When she opened her eyes, Cody was near her, holding out his hand.

He said, “Zweite, need a hand up? Are you calmer now?”

Zweite, for the first time in a long time, had a warm smile on her face as she graciously took Cody’s hand. He gently got her back on her feet, giving her a moment to stand. She then turned to him, her normally cold eyes showing warmth.

She said warmly, “Congratulations, hotshot, you not only proved your hidden power, fiery passion, and never-give-up attitude, but you also won my allegiance in the fight against Lucifer, and… well…” she trailed off.

Cody gently held her hand, “Yeah? And what?”

She seemed to struggle to say what she wanted to, so she, instead, grabbed his head and pulled him into a quick, yet passionate, kiss, much to Cody’s, and everyone else’s, surprise. She quickly pulled back, a blush on her face, looking surprisingly embarrassed, her normally fierce eyes showed coyness and insecurity. Cody, however, was stunned by the surprising display of affection, his brain taking a few moments to unfreeze.

She said shyly, “You… also won my affections. I’ve never felt this way before, especially to a human, but from the moment I laid eyes on you, I knew something was different. You proved that during our Duel, and you even had the power, and guts, to quell my rage and anger with your heroic charge. You proved to me what a man driven by fiery passion and a never-give-up spirit can do. And you managed to shatter my icy defenses and melt my heart. I… I’ve never felt this way before. While I’m still angry at Lucifer, my mind is clear thanks to you. You said your name is Cody Lionheart, right?”

Cody nodded, “That’s right. And these are just some of our great gang: Jack Roller, the twins Leo and Fiona Cloud, and this is Chronos Goldwing, who is an ally and gives us insight on the subject of the Psykinox race, as he’s half-Psykinox.”

Zweite pondered, “Goldwing, huh? That would be Vylon’s family. Now I know why Lucifer has labeled your family as traitors, because you’re fighting on the right side, the side that is lead by a Spirit. While my rage and anger toward Lucifer has never burned so brightly, I have to stay calm and cool. I need a plan on how to address the situation and stop him from destroying any more lives.”

Fiona said, “Django and Avalon are already working on that. According to Django, Avalon is currently meeting with Noble, another Spirit who survived the attacks. They’re devising a plan to remove Lucifer from power so Django can deal the final blow. Django also gave us instructions if we were to run into a Psykinox Lord. He wanted us to tell you about Avalon’s and Noble’s meeting, and to mention that you should return to the underground Psykinox city until Avalon returns with the plans he’s discussed with Django’s grandpa. He did warn us that the only way to get you to listen may be to Duel you Psykinox Lords. That about covers it.”

Zweite, who regained her cold expression, hissed, “That demon Lucifer. He is the worst of the worst. The Devil himself would call him scum for his acts of pure evil. Count me in. I want to help take him down for good. If destroying him means our race can live in peace and back on the surface once again, then I’ll go with whatever plan Avalon and Noble comes up with.” She turned to Cody with a softer expression, “You better stay alive, hotshot, as I don’t want to lose another valuable ally to that murderous Bloodlust. And besides…” she gained a seductive grin, “I want to experience more of your fire, more of your passion, more of your hidden power. You successfully melted my icy heart, and won me over as both an ally and your woman. I want you to use that fire to burn Lucifer to cinders and help rid the world of the last Bloodlust, and the name itself, forever. And when that day comes, hotshot, I expect you to still be waiting for me, as I want you by my side… forever.”

She gave him another kiss, this time a bit more tender, still stunning Cody. She pulled away, a small blush on her face, but a look of both love and determination in her eyes.

As she turned away, she said, “You have my support. Tell this to Django. He has won over another Psykinox Lord, and tell him that I’ll proudly fight alongside our true leader, and will do everything I can to freeze Lucifer solid. And you, Cody Lionheart… I hope to see you soon, handsome. Be the fire to my ice, as you’re the only one who has ever melted the Ice Queen. Stay alive and I’ll join you in both the fight ahead, and the future that will follow. Farewell for now.”

She opened up a Warp Gate, but not before giving Cody one last wink, and entered the Warp Gate, it closing up behind her. Cody stood there, almost frozen, but then suddenly did a victory pose and victory cry.

Leo chuckled, “Well, it looks like Cody’s in love. And she feels the exact same way about him. This should be interesting. Mixing fire and ice will create quite the combination.”

Jack sighed, “Still, he’d better calm down before someone has to knock him out in order to calm him down.”

Chronos chuckled, “Aw, don’t worry about it, Jack. What I do know of Zweite is that she’s not easy to impress or woo. But the fact that Cody not only successfully defeated her impressed her, and she is now expressing romantic feelings to him. That’s quite the accomplishment. Remember, she’s called the Ice Queen for a reason, as, according to Cosmoz, she’s very difficult to woo, giving the cold shoulder to anyone she deems unworthy of her time. But Cody managed to win her loyalty in the fight as well as to him. So that’s a big deal. So let him have his little celebration, as winning over Zweite isn’t easy in any situation.”

After Cody calmed down, he stated, “All right, team! Let’s find those other Psykinox Lords and get even more allies! We’ve gained Avalon, Claymore, and now Zweite. Just three more to go! So let’s do this and win the fight against Lucifer!”

Nodding, the group of five continued their way down the street, hoping that they may find the last three Psykinox Lords before Lucifer becomes aware of it. But no spirits were higher than Cody as he thought about Zweite.

Next Chapter: Flaming Knuckle

And that's all for now folks. Looks like fire beat ice today, and won a new allegiance in more ways than one. Will this help our heroes turn the tide against Lucifer? Tune in next time to find out.
 
Re: Psychic Duelist Django (Season 3: Hidden Forces) Next chapter in the works

Just a bump to let anyone who is interested know that this series isn't dead yet. After a terrible writer's block episode, I'm halfway through the next chapter, but I haven't had much free time to finish it. Hopefully with the summer ending I'll be able to get some more downtime and finally finish this overdue chapter. So this is just an FYI for anyone who is interested in this little series. Thank you for your patience.
 
Re: Psychic Duelist Django (Season 3: Hidden Forces) Chapter 25 up!

I'm back! Or at least I hope I am... Anyway, the story continues! Django and Tempest are still searching for the remaining Psykinox Lords. They literally bump into Infernox, the fiery, hotheaded, and passionate member of the Psykinox Lords. He may be the youngest of the batch, but he's no pushover. Will Django win over yet another ally? Read and find out.

Flaming Knuckle

Django and Tempest were roaming around Cyber City, still looking for any other Psykinox Lords. Scattered about here and there were various Duelists engaged in Duels, but no sign of the remaining Psykinox Lords.

Tempest asked, “Django, I know we’re looking for other Psykinox Lords, but how would we recognize them? I mean, since Psykinoxes and humans look very much alike, how will we be able to tell them apart?”

Django pondered before replying, “Well, judging from how Avalon and Claymore dressed, we may be able to identify them that way, since their clothes are not what would be considered normal outfits for the modern realm. Psykinoxes also seem to have more unique hair styles and colors, so that might help as well. We’ll just have to do our best, but I’m sure we’ll find them in due time.”

Nodding, the duo continued their search. However, little did they know that one of their targets was nearby.

Infernox was roaming the streets in the nearby vicinity. He had just finished eating a foot-long hot dog and was polishing off his drink. He was fairly short, about the same size as Zweite and Tempest, though very athletic in build, with olive skin, dark purple hair that was stylized in a windblown look with an additional lock of hair sweeping across his face, vibrant cerulean eyes, and sharp facial features. His outfit consisted of a torn, sleeveless black vest with shoulder pads over a dark red tunic with blue flame decals and bits of metal on it, bands on his arms, a fingerless glove on his right hand, three rings on his left hand, desert gold cargo-like pants with a thick belt and armored kneecaps, silver earrings shaped like flames, and brown boots.

He said to himself, “Man, how am I ever going to find this Spirit Avalon sent me to find? I feel so turned around here. At least back in the Psykinox city I knew where everything was. Well, at least the food is good. I really wish I could flex my Dueling muscles, but human opponents seem rather boring. I need something to excite me, something that’ll set my spirit alight. That’ll make all this worthwhile.”

As he approached a street corner, not paying attention, he ended up colliding with Django and Tempest. He and Django tumbled, though only he fell to the ground as Tempest caught Django just in time. He rubbed his backside in pain before glaring up at the duo.

He snapped, “Hey! Watch where you’re going!”

Django replied, “Sorry, but you should also be careful.”

“Yeah!? Well I was… huh?” He paused for a moment, noticing the Spirit Crest, “What’s that pendant? Is that the Spirit Crest?” A longer pause followed before Infernox’s eyes widened in shock, “T-T-The Spirit Crest! If you’re wearing that, t-t-then that means you’re a Spirit!”

The inventor quickly pieced together everything, “And that means you’re one of the Psykinox Lords, right? Which means Avalon sent you to find me, just like with Claymore.”

Infernox sputtered, “Y-You’ve already met Avalon and Claymore!? Then that means…!” he quickly started to bow, “M-My apologies! I-I didn’t realize that you were a Spirit. Forgive me for my rudeness.”

Django chuckled nervously, “It’s okay, really, it’s no big deal. It was just an accident, nothing worth begging for forgiveness over. At least you figured it out faster than Claymore did, so it’s fine.” He held out his hand, “My name is Django Spirit. This is my girlfriend, Tempest. And you are?”

Infernox shook hands, “I’m Infernox Knuckle, one of the Seven Psykinox Lords, though I’m the youngest of the group, but none can match my fiery fighting spirit.”

Tempest giggled, “With a name like Infernox, it would make sense that you’d have a fiery spirit. Well, at least we managed to locate you, as that means we can discuss important matters with you regarding what’s been going on.”

Infernox then realized something, “Hold on, I almost forgot. Avalon instructed me to Duel you if I found you, to test your strength and see if you’d be worthy as a leader. So put up your cards and give me everything you’ve got, but be warned, as I’ll be delivering a flaming KO punch right at ya!”

Django couldn’t help but chuckle, “I rather like your fiery passion and soul. Reminds me of Cody’s flaming spirit. It’ll make this Duel very interesting. So if you want a Duel, then you’ve got one. Let’s not waste another minute.” He armed himself with his Infinity Disk, “Infinity Disk, power up!” He then took off his glasses and put on his Duel Gazer, “Duel Gazer, ready for battle!”

Infernox materialized his supernatural Dueling equipment on his left arm, which was shaped like an elongated fireball, his left eye becoming more luminous.

“Augmented Realty Visual link established.”

They both drew their starting hands, Life Points set at 4000.

“Let’s Duel!”

Tempest cheered, “Go, Django! Show him what a never-give-up spirit from a Spirit can do!”

Infernox grinned, “I’m liking this more by the minute, and we just started. So I’ll start things off. I Draw!” He took a different card from his hand, “First I’m activating the Spell: Foolish Burial! This Spell lets me send a monster directly from my deck to the Graveyard! So I’ll send my Battlin’ Boxer Veil from my deck to the Graveyard!”

His deck fired a card directly into the newly-opened Graveyard Portal, which closed up shortly afterward. He then took a different card from his hand.

“Next up, I summon Battlin’ Boxer Headgeared to the field in Attack Mode!”

A new monster appeared. Battlin’ Boxer Headgeared looked like a fairly robotic boxer with grey skin, black and white pants, red knee-high metal boots with matching boxing gloves, and a robotic face with glowing yellow eyes inside a red headgear. It was a Level Four monster with stats of 1000/1800.

“Now, since my Battlin’ Boxer Headgeared was Normal Summoned successfully, I can activate his ability. I can send a Battlin’ Boxer from my deck to the Graveyard. So I’ll send my Battlin’ Boxer Glassjaw from my deck to the Graveyard.”

His deck ejected another card into the newly opened Graveyard Portal, which closed up again afterward.

Infernox smiled, “Now I can activate Glassjaw’s ability. When it’s sent to the Graveyard via an effect, I can add one Battlin’ Boxer monster from my Graveyard to my hand. So I choose my Battlin’ Boxer Veil.”

He took a card from his Graveyard, revealed it, and added it to his hand.

“Next I’ll place one card face-down to end my turn. Your move.”

Django nodded, stating, “Okay then. It’s my turn, I Draw!” He looked at his hand, thinking, “Okay, with Infernox having Battlin’ Boxer Veil in his hand, if I were to inflict damage, that monster would turn the damage into Life Point gain and then be able to summon it. So I have to get rid of it before he can do that. Luckily, I have just the thing.” He said aloud, “I activate the Spell: Card Destruction! This forces both of us to discard our hands and draw the same number of…” but was cut off.

Infernox grinned, “Nice try, but not nice enough! I activate the Trap: Dark Bribe! I bribe you by allowing you to draw a card and in exchange I get to negate and destroy the last Spell or Trap you played. You were trying to get rid of my Battlin’ Boxer Veil, but not this time. So draw your card and say bye-bye to your Spell.”

Django drew one card, watching his Spell shatter in the process. But he started to smile.

He chuckled, “Not too shabby, Infernox. You stopped that assault, but I’m far from done. And I’ll show you with this! I summon Goblindbergh in Attack Mode!”

The trio of goblins riding monoplanes (1400/0) appeared, carrying a large metal crate with them.

“When Goblindbergh is summoned I can summon another monster with them. So I summon my Gazelle the King of Mythical Beasts in Attack Mode! Goblindbergh will have to shift to Defense Mode as an end result, but that’s no big deal.”

The crate was dropped, opening up in the process, allowing Gazelle (1500/1200) to appear on the field. Goblindbergh then shifted to a defensive position.

“Now I Overlay my Goblindbergh and Gazelle! With these two monsters I build the Overlay Network! I Xyz Summon Gagaga Samurai in Attack Mode!”

Both Gazelle and Goblindbergh became brown orbs of light, shot up into the air, and entered the red spiral Overlay Network. Out emerged a new monster. Gagaga Samurai was a powerful-looking samurai with peach skin, black hair bound in a brushy, upright ponytail, and wearing a dark red gi over a blue one, dark grey pants, metal boots, a long orange scarf around his neck and lower face, an eye patch over his right eye, and was wielding two swords. Orbiting him were two brownish orbs of light. He was a Rank Four monster with stats of 1900/1600.

Infernox simply said, “Not bad, but he’s not that big of a deal. Once he attacks, I can just use my Battlin’ Boxer Veil to negate the damage and gain Life Points instead.”

Django chuckled, “Not quite. When my Gagaga Samurai is done attacking, your Life Points will be back at the default 4000, as my Samurai has a potent special ability. By using an Overlay Unit, I can target one Gagaga monster I control and it can attack twice this turn. So I’ll use an Overlay Unit to have my Samurai attack you twice!”

Gagaga Samurai absorbed an Overlay Unit, drew both swords, and started to glow. This surprised Infernox.

“Now, Gagaga Samurai, attack Battlin’ Boxer Headgeared!”

Gagaga Samurai charged in, both swords ready to strike down his foe.

Infernox stated, “Not only can my Battlin’ Boxer Headgeared not be destroyed in battle once per turn while in Attack Mode, but I activate Battlin’ Boxer Veil’s ability from my hand! If I were to take damage, I can turn that damage into Life Point gain and summon it to the field in Defense Mode!”

Battlin’ Boxer Headgeared was protected by a barrier as Gagaga Samurai struck him. Infernox’s Life Points increased by 900 to 4900, but he also summoned a new monster. Battlin’ Boxer Veil was a heavily padded monster wearing red pads on its chest, legs, and feet, a mask covering its entire face, and was wielding two halves of a circular shield on each arm. It was a Level Four monster with stats of 0/1800.

Django stated, “Saw that coming, but I can still attack! Gagaga Samurai, attack Headgeared again!”

Gagaga Samurai charged in again, blades held high. This time, he managed to cut Headgeared in several places before Headgeared vanished from the field. Infernox flinched as his Life Points dropped by 900 back to his original 4000.

“I place two cards face-down to end my turn. You’re up at bat, Infernox.”

Infernox stated, “Then let me show you how it’s done! I Draw!” He took a card from his hand, “I summon Battlin’ Boxer Switchitter to the field in Attack Mode!”

A new monster appeared. Battlin’ Boxer, just like the rest of the archetype, was very robotic in appearance, with glowing eyes, more exposed robotic parts such as its left leg and chest, and was donning grey shorts, a brown shirt, red boxing gloves, and a tan hood. It was a Level Four monster with stats of 1500/1400.

“Now, when Switchitter is Normal Summoned, I can Special Summon another Battlin’ Boxer from my Graveyard. But I cannot Special Summon any other monsters except Battlin’ Boxers for the rest of the turn. So I Special Summon Battlin’ Boxer Glassjaw to the field in Attack Mode!”

The Graveyard Portal opened up, allowing a new monster to emerge from it. Battlin’ Boxer Glassjaw was a hulking robotic-like monster, mostly green in color, with white shorts, black boots with matching boxing gloves, a fairly can-shaped head with a flat top, glowing red eyes, and a face mask. It was a Level Four monster with stats of 2000/0.

“Now for the really fun part. I Overlay my Battlin’ Boxer Veil and Switchitter! With these two monsters I build the Overlay Network! I Xyz Summon Battlin’ Boxer Lead Yoke in Attack Mode!”

Both Switchitter and Veil became red orbs of light, shot up into the air, and entered the red spiral Overlay Network. Out emerged a new monster. Battlin’ Boxer Lead Yoke was a titanic and powerful-looking monster with blackish-purple skin, lavender hair, and glowing eyes. It was garbed in what looked like a cross between Roman armor and boxing gear, maroon in color, with a helmet, a face mask. It appeared to be bound in several pieces of equipment that appeared to be restraining it, as its neck and arms were shackled by chains, wood, and metal pipes. Orbiting it were two red orbs of light. It was a Rank Four monster with stats of 2200/2000.

Tempest looked worried, “That’s one menacing-looking monster. Django, be careful, as that thing has muscles on top of muscles.”

Django nodded before returning his attention to the Duel, saying, “Your boxing behemoth may be powerful, but he’s not invincible. But I must say, Infernox, your fiery spirit burns brightly. You seem to be enjoying this Duel quite a bit.”

Infernox grinned, “You got that right! I haven’t been this pumped up in a while. Dueling all the same opponents back home gets rather boring, but something about you just sends my spirit into hyper drive. I can sense your never-give-up spirit within you, and it’s getting me excited. So let’s move on. Battlin’ Boxer Glassjaw, attack Gagaga Samurai now! Knock it out of the ring!”

Glassjaw made a few quick air punches before charging in toward Gagaga Samurai. Django, however, started to smile, much to Infernox’s surprise.

Django stated, “I activate the Spell: Rush Recklessly! This Spell boosts the Attack of one monster on the field by 700 for the duration of the turn! So I choose my Gagaga Samurai! Time to shatter Glassjaw, my faithful friend!”

The Spell was revealed, infusing Gagaga Samurai with more power, his Attack climbing up by 700 to 2600.

Infernox stated, “I won’t go down that easily! I activate Lead Yoke’s ability! By using an Overlay Unit, I can protect a Battlin’ Boxer monster I control from being destroyed! So my Glassjaw is safe. And, on top of that, my Lead Yoke will gain 800 Attack Points for each Overlay Unit it loses! So my bruiser is about to become even more so!”

Lead Yoke absorbed an Overlay Unit, which created a shield around Glassjaw. Glassjaw still attacked, but Gagaga Samurai deflected the attack and retaliated with two sword slashes. While the shield protected Glassjaw, Infernox flinched as his Life Points dropped by 600 to 3400. But, at the same time, Lead Yoke started to fight its shackles. Before long, its right arm was freed, destroying part of the equipment binding it, its power rising up by 800 to 3000.

“Now, Lead Yoke, attack Gagaga Samurai! Give him a flaming K.O.!”

Lead Yoke charged in, its free arm held high, before slamming it into Gagaga Samurai! Gagaga Samurai was thrown back before crashing to the ground, vanishing afterward, while Django flinched as his Life Points dropped by 400 to 3600.

Infernox stated, “I place one card face-down to end my…” but was cut off.

Django said strongly, “My Samurai won’t go down that easily! I activate my Trap: Miracle’s Wake! This Trap allows me to revive a monster that was destroyed this turn! So I bring back my Gagaga Samurai to the field in Attack Mode!”

The Graveyard Portal opened up, allowing Gagaga Samurai (1900/1600) to reappear, ready for battle.

Infernox grinned, “Good, I like an opponent who won’t go down without a fight. As I was saying, I place this card face-down to end my turn. I’m loving this Duel more by the minute! I haven’t had a Duel this much fun in so long! Keep it coming, Django!”

Tempest said mentally, “Infernox is quite the spirited individual, to say the least. He does remind me of Cody, so I can see why Django sees him that way as well. I just wonder what his Number is? Since all the Psykinox Lords use Numbers, and they’ve all been the 10X Numbers, I wonder what Infernox’s Number will be like. Guess we’ll find out soon enough.”

Django touched his deck, “It’s my turn, I Draw!” He looked at his new card before activating it, “I activate the Spell: Pot of Greed. I can draw two cards from my deck.” He drew two cards, looked at them, then selected one of them, “I place this monster in face-down Defense Mode and place two cards face-down on the field to end my turn. It may not be a very exciting move, I admit, but every piece is necessary for my plan. And I know you’ll like what I have planned. So your move, Infernox.”

Infernox smirked, “A plan, huh? Thinking of some sort of awesome comeback move? Now you’ve got me really curious. But enough small-talk, it’s my turn, I Draw!” He looked at his new card, smiling, “This’ll spice things up. But first, I activate Battlin’ Boxer Shadow’s ability from my hand. By removing an Overlay Unit from one of my Battlin’ Boxer Xyz Monsters, I can summon this card to the field with no questions asked. So I choose to remove my Lead Yoke’s last Overlay Unit. And you know what that means, right? Since my Lead Yoke lost an Overlay Unit, he gains an additional 800 Attack Points!”

Lead Yoke lost its last Overlay Unit, but this allowed a new monster to appear on the field. Battlin’ Boxer Shadow was a primarily black colored boxer with light blue highlights, glowing blue eyes, a long scarf around its neck, and a fairly robotic head. It was a Level Four monster with stats of 1800/1400. At the same time, Lead Yoke started to surge with power, trying to break its last restraint. It eventually did, shattering the last of the wood, chains, and pipes, releasing it completely, its power rising by 800 to 3800.

Tempest looked worried, “That thing has muscles on top of muscles! One punch from that bruiser and it could be all over!”

Infernox grinned, “I’m far from done. Next up, I summon another Battlin’ Boxer Glassjaw to the field in Attack Mode!”

Another Battlin’ Boxer Glassjaw (2000/0) appeared on the field.

“Now it’s time to reveal that hidden monster of yours, thanks to this Spell: Stop Defense! This switches a monster in Defense Mode to Attack Mode! So let’s see what you’ve got hidden there.”

The Spell fired a beam at Django’s hidden monster, revealing it to be Obnoxious Celtic Guardian (1400/1200), who didn’t look too happy at what was in front of him.

“Hmm… the Obnoxious Celtic Guardian, huh? A very useful defense monster, thanks to his ability. But that won’t matter shortly, as I have another little surprise for you. Time to go all-out! I Overlay my two Battlin’ Boxer Glassjaws and Shadow! With these three monsters I build the Overlay Network! I Xyz Summon Number 105: Battlin' Boxer Star Cestus in Attack Mode!”

Django said, “Here it comes! His Number!”

Both Battlin’ Boxer Glassjaws and Shadow became red orbs of light, shot up into the air, and entered the galaxy-style Overlay Network. Out emerged a sealed form. It appeared to be a more box-like version of an infinity symbol, mostly dull brown in color with yellow tips and centers. It quickly unfolded into its true form.

Number 105: Battlin' Boxer Star Cestus was a heavily armored and powerful-looking warrior. Its armor was mostly blue in color with gold sections, completely covering a lean yet muscular body. On each shoulder were large sled-like shields colored the same way as the rest of its body, a large crest on top of its head and glowing eyes. Orbiting it were three red orbs of light and the number “105” was written on its right shoulder. It was a Rank Four monster with stats of 2500/1600.

Infernox grinned, “Not too shabby, right? My Number is quite impressive. Can your monsters withstand his might? Let’s find out. Star Cestus, attack the Obnoxious Celtic Guardian! And to make things interesting, I activate Star Cestus’ ability! When it battles against another monster, by using an Overlay Unit, I can negate that monster’s abilities, and my Star Cestus cannot be destroyed in battle, and any damage I would’ve taken is dealt to you instead. But your Obnoxious Celtic Guardian is done for!”

Star Cestus absorbed an Overlay Unit before releasing a blinding light. That light caused the Obnoxious Celtic Guardian’s body to turn dark, his powers drained. Star Cestus charged in, fist held high, ready to pummel Django’s monster. However, Django wasn’t done yet.

He stated, “Don’t think so! I activate Gagaga Samurai’s ability! If a monster I control is targeted for an attack, I can change Gagaga Samurai to Defense Mode and make him the attack target! So do it, my blade-wielding warrior! Protect my Obnoxious Celtic Guardian!”

Gagaga Samurai took a more defensive position before switching places with the Obnoxious Celtic Guardian. Star Cestus continued its attack, slamming its fist into Gagaga Samurai, sending him flying back before he vanished.

Infernox smiled, “Nice, your Gagaga Samurai took the hit for your monster. But that doesn’t mean I’m done yet. Battlin’ Boxer Lead Yoke, attack the Obnoxious Celtic Guardian!”

Lead Yoke raised up its fist and launched a flaming fist-shaped aura attack.

Django stated, “I’m still not done! I activate the Trap: Half Unbreak! This protects one monster from being destroyed and all the damage I take this turn is cut in half! So I’m still in this!”

Several rainbow-hued bubbles suddenly appeared, forming around the Obnoxious Celtic Guardian. The flaming fist-shaped aura attack slammed into the bubble, dispersing around it, but the attack still reached Django, who shielded himself from the attack. He skidded back slightly as his Life Points dropped by 1200 to 2400.

Tempest sighed in relief, “Whew, that was a close one. Leave it to Django to always have a Trap ready when needed.”

Infernox grinned, “Not too shabby. I like that. I end my turn there. Let’s see what else you’ve got up your sleeves, Django.”

Django touched his deck, “You want it, you’ve got it. It’s my turn, I Draw!” He looked at his new card before stating, “It’ll be a quick move. I place a monster in face-down Defense Mode, switch my Obnoxious Celtic Guardian to Defense Mode, and activate the Spell: Supply Squad. That’s all for now.” He, however, said silently, “I’ve almost got everything I need. I just need a few more cards and I can win this Duel. So bring it on, Infernox, as you’re not the only one with an impressive Number.”

Infernox stated, “You’re up to something, I can tell from your eyes. So that means I have to make a major splash in order to K.O. you before you can pull it off. So it’s time to draw out the power I possess!” His hand started to glow as he touched his deck, “Go, Cosmic Energy Draw!”

Tempest said, “Here it comes!”

The fiery Psykinox revealed the card he drew, “I drew my Rank-Up-Magic – The Seventh One, which I now activate! This allows me to rebuild the Overlay Network with my Number and evolve it into a Chaos Number! So do it, my mighty Number! Go, Chaos Xyz Evolution! I Xyz Summon Number C105: Battlin’ Boxer Comet Cestus in Attack Mode!”

Star Cestus transformed into a bolt of energy and entered the Overlay Network. It erupted with new power. Out emerged a new monster. Number C105: Battlin’ Boxer Comet Cestus was built the same way as its previous form, only purple in color with sharper designed armor. Attached to its back were four shield-like structures with claw-like ends, purple in color, with the same pinkish chaos energy flowing through various places. It had bulky armor on its lower arms and lower legs, with cross-shaped brass knuckles, and a trident-like helmet with a sliver face mask and glowing eyes. Sitting in front of it were three Chaos Overlay Units and the number “105” was written on the right side of its chest armor. It was a Rank Five monster with stats of 2800/2000.

Infernox grinned, “Like my powerhouse of a Number? This Number packs a big punch in multiple ways. And I’ll show you right now! I activate Comet Cestus’ ability! By using a Chaos Overlay Unit, I can target a monster you control and destroy it, then hit you with damage equal to its Attack! So I’ll take out your Obnoxious Celtic Guardian with my Comet Cestus’ ability!”

Comet Cestus absorbed a Chaos Overlay Unit, summoning great power, before firing at the Obnoxious Celtic Guardian. The Obnoxious Celtic Guardian cried out in despair as he vanished from the field, which was followed by a powerful bolt striking Django. He endured the hit, shaking it off, as his Life Points dropped by 1400 to 1000. However, he started to smile.

The inventor stated, “You certainly pack a big punch, Infernox. I would expect nothing less from both a fiery person like you and a Psykinox Lord. But don’t think I’m done yet. I’m still in this, so do your worst. But before you do, my Supply Squad activates. Because a monster I control was destroyed, I can draw a new card.”

He drew a card, looked at it, gained a grin before adding it to his hand.

Infernox punched the air, “Aw, yeah! I love an opponent who never gives up! This is the best Duel I’ve had in such a long time! But too bad I’m about to win this Duel! Comet Cestus, attack Django’s hidden monster!”

Comet Cestus reared back and launched a flaming punch. The hidden monster was revealed to be Fortress Warrior (600/1200), which managed to endure the attack, much to Infernox’s shock.

Django chuckled, “Obnoxious Celtic Guardian isn’t my only defense monster. Fortress Warrior can endure one attack per turn and I take no damage involving it. So if you want to clear my field, you have to attack again, but my Life Points won’t go any lower.”

Infernox grinned, “Fine with me. Lead Yoke, turn his Fortress Warrior into rubble!”

Lead Yoke charged in, fist held high, before slamming it into Fortress Warrior, which wasn’t able to endure this attack. It crumbled before vanishing from the field.

Infernox said, “I end my turn there. You better make this next turn count, as I want to see what you’re truly capable of. After all, if you’re going to be our leader, you need to prove you can handle it.”

Django nodded, touching his deck, thinking, “I know exactly what I need. Please, Soul of the Deck, help me.” He stated aloud, “I Draw!” He looked at his new card before activating a different one, “I activate the Spell: Pot of Avarice. This allows me to shuffle any five monsters from my Graveyard back into my deck or Extra Deck. Then I can draw two more cards from my deck. So I’ll shuffle four monsters back into my deck and one into my Extra Deck to draw two more cards.”

Tempest thought, “He’s banking on his deck to give him what he needs. I hope this works, but knowing Django, it will.”

Django shuffled four monsters into his deck and one into the Extra Deck. This caused his deck to glow, allowing him to draw two more cards from it. He looked at the two new cards and gained a smile.

He stated, “I’m about to end this Duel, Infernox. So get ready, as you’re not the only one with an impressive Number. First, I summon Gamma the Magnet Warrior to the field in Attack Mode!

Gamma the Magnet Warrior (1500/1800) appeared on the field, ready for battle.

“Also, because I Normal Summoned a Level Four monster, I can Special Summon Kagetokage from my hand to join it!”

Kagetokage (1100/1500) crawled out onto the field, its headlight-like eyes glowing brightly.

Django raised his hand up, “Prepare yourself because it’s Overlay time! I Overlay my Gamma and Kagetokage! With these two monsters I build the Overlay Network! I Xyz Summon Number 39: Utopia in Attack Mode!”

Gamma became a brown orb of light while Kagetokage became a purple orb of light, both shot up into the air, and entered the galaxy-style Overlay Network. Out emerged a sealed form that quickly unfolded into Number 39: Utopia (2500/2000).

Tempest cheered, “Lookin’ good, Utopia! Give this guy a K.O. punch of his own!”

Infernox was stunned, “T-That Number! It’s amazing! It’s one of the most spectacular Numbers I’ve ever seen! But nevertheless, my two monsters are still more powerful.”

Django held out his final card, “I still have this little bad boy right here. One that’ll show off the Power of Numeron right here. I activate the Spell: Rank-Up-Magic Numeron Force! This allows me to rebuild the Overlay Network with Utopia, evolving him into one of his many evolved forms. Go, Chaos Xyz Evolution! Appear Number C39: Utopia Ray Victory!”

Utopia turned into a bolt of energy and entered the Overlay Network, which erupted with immense power. Soon, Number C39: Utopia Ray Victory (2800/2500) appeared on the field, ready for battle.

Infernox’s eyes were as wide as saucers, “A Rank-Up card that embodies the Power of Numeron AND a magnificent Chaos Number to go along with it!? I’ve never seen anything like it! But still, my monsters are more powerful!”

Django grinned, “Not quite, Infernox. Now Numeron Force’s other effect activates! I can negate all other face-up cards on the field except Utopia Ray Victory. So your Battlin’ Boxers are about to be blasted out of the ring!”

A powerful pulse erupted from the Numeron Force card, causing all other face-up cards to turn dark, which also caused Lead Yoke’s power to return to its original 2200. This stunned Infernox.

“Now, Utopia Ray Victory, attack Comet Cestus! And I activate your special ability! By using an Overlay Unit, I can have Utopia Ray Victory gain your monster’s Attack Points for the duration of the turn! Plus, whenever Utopia Ray Victory attacks, you cannon activate any Spells or Traps in response! So go, Victory Charge!”

Utopia Ray Victory absorbed an Overlay Unit, summoned two more hands and arms, grabbed all four of his swords, and took a dynamic pose, his power increasing by 2800 to 5600.

Infernox looked surprised, “That means I cannot use my Last Counter Trap Card! My Comet Cestus is a sitting duck!”

Django grinned, “That’s right. But that’s not the only surprise I have for you! Do it, Utopia Ray Victory! Attack with Rising Sun Double Victory Slash!”

Utopia Ray Victory gave four swipes of his swords, creating two “V”-shaped slashes. He effortlessly cleaved Comet Cestus in pieces, destroying it in a fiery explosion. Infernox skidded back quite a bit as his Life Points dropped by 2800 to 600.

He said, “Even with Utopia Ray Victory’s great power, I’m still standing. So once your turn ends, I can mount a comeback attack.”

Django shook his head, “Not quite. You seem to be forgetting about my face-down card, which I activate now! I activate the Trap: Hi-Five the Sky! When an Xyz Monster I control attacks, I can target it and it can attack again! Plus, you cannot activate any card effects in response! So Utopia Ray Victory is about to do an encore performance!”

Infernox’s eyes were wide, “T-Then that means…!”

The inventor nodded, “It’s over. Utopia Ray Victory! Attack Lead Yoke with Rising Sun Double Victory Slash! End this Duel now, my friend!”

Utopia Ray Victory charged in, swords held high, before slashing four times, creating the same “V”-shaped air slashes. These slashes effortlessly cleaved Lead Yoke, causing it to erupt in a fiery explosion. The blast caused Infernox to be thrown back, but he had a smile on his face, landing with a thud as his Life Points dropped down to zero. A “Win” screen appeared, showing Django, before the Augmented Reality vanished. Tempest cheered happily as Django approached the downed Infernox. Much to his surprise, Infernox started to laugh.

The fiery Psykinox laughed, still flat on his back, “That was the most epic Duel I’ve ever had, as well as the best Duel I’ve had in such a long time! I’ve never had so much fun! You really are something, Django.”

Django held out his hand, “You’re quite the hotshot yourself, Infernox. It’s pretty obvious your skill level is quite high. Need a hand up?”

Infernox graciously accepted Django’s offer, who helped hoist him up. He then gave a slight bow.

The fiery Psykinox said, “Thank you for such a great Duel. I can truly see that you should be our king, not that miserable Bloodlust. But why aren’t you on the throne instead of him? And what really happened to the other Spirit family members?”

Django’s eyes grew dull, “Lucifer betrayed the race by murdering my family. He somehow has the ability to draw out his ancestor’s power and used it to take my family by surprise and slaughter them. Only three others Spirits outside of myself survived, though it’s been a hard road since then. My grandpa and two of my younger cousins went into hiding while I was left to wander the streets. Once I became aware of the situation, I’ve been fighting an uphill battle against Lucifer, trying to stop him from destroying any more lives. It’s been a tough fight and I’ve been forced to draw out a lot of my hidden abilities, which I’ve been largely unaware of for quite some time. Heck, I didn’t even know I was a Psykinox until roughly a year ago, so I’ve been pretty much winging it this whole time. Lucifer and I have squared off twice now, both times I’ve won, but it’s still an uphill fight, as I’m scrambling to gain enough power to stop him for good. So… that’s the story.”

Infernox looked enraged, roaring, “I KNEW a Bloodlust wasn’t to be trusted! I can’t BELIEVE he tricked all of us so easily! That Lucifer! Why I oughta break every bone in his treacherous body! How could he do that!? That’s IT! He’s dead meat! I’m gonna knock him out so badly that the original Lucifer will feel it! Let me at ‘em!”

Django grabbed Infernox’s shoulders, “Infernox! Calm down, please! I know how you feel and I totally understand what you’re saying, but challenging Lucifer without a plan is suicide. If he could topple most of my family, then he’s not one to mess around with haphazardly. No, we need to approach this situation cautiously and rationally. I know how you feel, as he robbed me of my beloved family, but even my inner thirst for revenge won’t cloud my judgment again. Believe me, I nearly learned that the hard way. So calm down, Infernox, please. Avalon and grandpa Noble are currently discussing a plan to uproot Lucifer from the inside, allowing me to deal the final blow. So please, settle down, we’ll find a way to stop that Bloodlust, but we have to do it carefully, as I don’t want any more bloodshed on my behalf.”

It took a couple of minutes but Infernox managed to settle down. After a few calming breaths, he turned to Django.

He said, “Sorry about that. But that Bloodlust makes my blood boil, killing off our most noble family and having the gall to lie in all of our faces about it. As much as I would love to rearrange his ugly face, you… are right. I cannot allow my emotions to get in the way. If Avalon and Noble are currently discussing a plan, then I’ll have to go by it. I probably won’t like it, but it is for the best. Noble was one of our best leaders, so he would know what needs to be done. But you can count on my loyalty and support, Django. Just don’t get killed, as we’ve lost enough Spirits already. Besides, I want to Duel you again someday. Does that sound good to you?”

Django nodded, smiling, “It does, Infernox, and I would be more than happy to Duel you again. You just be careful yourself, as Lucifer isn’t one to mess with without a plan, and even then he’s dangerous. For now, return to your home and wait for Avalon to return. He’ll discuss things with you and the other Psykinox Lords then. Just stay sharp and keep safe, as I don’t want any more blood spilt because of me.”

Infernox nodded, “Will do, Django, and you do the same.”

They exchanged a fist bump before Infernox opened up a Warp Gate and entered it, but not before giving Django and Tempest a thumbs-up. After the gate closed, the duo continued their way through Cyber City, glad to have another ally.

Next Chapter: Fangs of the Deep

And that's all for now folks. And what does the next chapter suggest? Possibly a showdown with WATER monsters? Maybe, maybe not. You'll just have to wait and see.
 
Re: Psychic Duelist Django (Season 3: Hidden Forces) Chapter 26 up!

Well, this took forever. But to my defense, things have been pretty bad here, thanks to canceled therapy sessions, migraines, stomach bugs, and an unexpected vet visit. But it doesn't matter, as I finally got the next chapter done. Now it's time for Leo to shine. Will he be able to make a splash against fellow WATER Duelist and Psykinox Lord Shadark? Read and find out.

Fangs of the Deep

Cody and the others were still roaming around Cyber City, looking for the remaining Psykinox Lords. Cody’s spirits were still quite high, thinking about Zweite, envisioning her in various ways, making him blush and grin gleefully.

Jack said, annoyed, “Is Cody ever gonna stop thinking about that Zweite chick? I mean, sure, she’s hot as can be, and she’s now a powerful ally to us, but can he focus on something else for a little bit? Like maybe help us find the last two Psykinox Lords?”

Chronos chuckled, “Cut him a little slack, Jack. Like I said before, Zweite isn’t easy to impress, so the fact that Cody could impress her, let alone win her affections, is an accomplishment on its own. At least we know that Django managed to win over Infernox. Now we just need to gain the last two Psykinox Lords, but seeing how much progress we’ve made so far gives me hope that we’ll succeed. So let him fantasize about Zweite, as she is a hot number herself, so it’s only natural.”

Leo shrugged, “I think Chronos is right, so let Cody have his daydreams. But given what has happened so far, I have a feeling that Fiona and I are the next ones to win over the last two Psykinox Lords. Django Dueled against Avalon and Infernox, Tempest against Claymore, and Cody against Zweite, so that pretty much leaves Fiona and me to Duel the last two. We’ll probably have to prove our ability to wield and control our Numbers, like how everyone else did, but I know we’ll manage. Right, sis?”

Fiona looked unsure, “I don’t really know, Leo. The Psykinox Lords are the most powerful Psykinoxes in the race. Even after all of Django’s training, I’m a bit unsure if the two of us can prove our skill to them in order to win them over. I mean, sure, we’ve gotten a lot stronger over the time we’ve been hanging out together, but these Psykinox Lords are in another league. I just hope we can keep up with them, otherwise they may not be impressed with us and it’ll jeopardize the mission.”

Cody turned around, “Relax, Fiona, it’ll be okay. We just gotta keep our spirits up and Duel like we always do. We’ll win them over. After all, they seem to hate Lucifer, and fer good reasons, so knowing that we’re allied with D-Man and have the skills needed to win will prove that we’re worthy allies to ‘em. Keep yer chin up, girl, we’ll succeed, as we’re the Team Supreme. So there’s nothin’ to worry ‘bout. We have what it takes to achieve our goal with no problem. So have a little faith, Fiona, as you have to realize how strong you are. Right, Leo?”

Leo nodded, “Yeah, you’ve got that right, Cody.” He wrapped an arm around his sister, “We’ll be okay, Fiona. Just do what we normally do and we’ll come out of this with new allies. Okay?”

Fiona looked at her brother before gaining a small smile, “Yeah, you’re right. I just have to be brave. This is for all of our futures. I guess I’m just a bit scared to challenge the strongest Psykinoxes in the race, as their power is unfathomable. But you’re right. I just have to be brave and confident and we’ll succeed. Thanks for the pep talk guys; that really helped.”

Meanwhile, not far away, one of the remaining Psykinox Lords was roaming around. Shadark had just finished eating what looked like a pepper and sausage sandwich with a large soda. He was tall and lean, with gold eyes that had almost slit-like pupils, spiny silver hair with black tips that swept across the right side of his face with additional locks shaped like fins behind his ears, tan skin, and a sharp canine tooth on his upper jaw that extended over his lips. He was garbed in a dark red short-sleeved tunic with aqua green gems around the collar and bottom, a leather strap studded with thin chains going across his chest from his left shoulder down to his right waist, silver bands on his upper arms with matching bracelets, dark blue pants with torn cuffs, a thick belt, brown boots, and pierced ears with red gem studs.

He muttered to himself, “I hope Avalon and the others are having better luck than I am. How will I know who this Spirit is, anyway? But Avalon seems pretty sure that this Spirit lives in this city. Even though I’m used to a city, I feel a bit turned around here. Probably because I haven’t been on the surface-world in more than 16 years, since I was a kid. Well, guess I just have to keep looking and hope I run into this Spirit.”

He finished off his soda and resumed looking. At that time, approaching from another street, Cody and the others were still looking, with the redhead still daydreaming about Zweite. When both Cody and Shadark turned the corner, they ran into each other, both tumbling down to the ground.

Fiona asked, concerned, “Are you okay, Cody?”

Cody snapped at Shadark, “Hey! Watch where ya goin’! This isn’t football ya know!”

Shadark countered, “You should watch where YOU’RE going, punk! I’m not to blame! So pay attention next time!”

Jack sighed, “He’s got a point, Cody, since you were daydreaming about Zweite.”

Cody snapped, “Whose side are ya on, Jack!? And can I help it if I think ‘bout that hot Zweite, especially after that kiss she gave me!?”

This caught Shadark’s attention, “Wait, you know Zweite? And she actually KISSED you!? Who the hell are you? Why would Zweite even consider kissing someone like you? She’s got high standards, you know.”

Chronos quickly put the pieces together, “If you know Zweite, then that means you must be one of the Seven Psykinox Lords. If so, we’ve been trying to find you.”

Shadark quirked an eyebrow, “How do you know I’m a Psykinox, let alone one of the Seven Psykinox Lords? Wait a minute…” he took a good look at Chronos before saying, “I sense Psykinox energy in you, but it’s not very strong. Are you a Psykinox?”

The teen nodded, “That’s right. I’m Chronos Goldwing, the youngest member of the Goldwing family. My father is Vylon Goldwing.”

“Goldwing, huh? You’re the family that has been labeled as traitors. But why? Why would Vylon be considered a traitor?”

Leo explained, “It’s all because of Lucifer’s lies. Chronos is helping us uproot Lucifer from power, as the true leader is our friend. His name is Django Spirit, the son of the late Astral and Elna Spirit. Vylon’s family has been trying to help us defeat and destroy Lucifer, so Lucifer labeled the Goldwing family as traitors in order to keep his agenda under wraps.”

Shadark gave Leo an odd look, “So you’re saying that you know the son of Astral and Elna Spirit? And you’re trying to get rid of Lucifer alongside him? You don’t look like you’d be much help. You and that young girl are just kids, after all, so you’d just be extra baggage.”

Cody snarled, “Watch it, pal! Leo and Fiona are quite tough. They’ve been a huge asset to the fight against Lucifer, so watch what you say to them! They may be young, but they’ve got spunk, courage and skill! They can fight on an equal footing with some of the best! And if that wasn’t enough, D-Man trained them, makin’ ‘em even more skilled! So don’t you dare insult them!”

Shadark merely dusted himself off, replying, “I’d like to see that. A human kid actually playing a vital role in such a feat seems like a farfetched story.”

Leo stated strongly, “Then why don’t we Duel? I’ll show you my skill! Unless you’re afraid of losing to a kid and his awesome WATER deck.”

“YOU run a WATER deck? I bet it’s inferior to my WATER deck. Fine, you’re on, kid. Might be amusing. And just so you know, I’m Shadark, one of the Seven Psykinox Lords. Let’s see how a kid fares against a pro like me.”

Leo growled, “Then it’s time for a feeding frenzy! Infinity Disk locked on target!” he then donned his Duel Gazer, “Duel Gazer, target acquired!”

Shadark’s Dueling equipment formed on his left arm, shaped like a large grey dorsal fin with a jaw-shaped front, while his left eye became more luminous. The others donned their Duel Gazers as well.

“Augmented Reality Visual link established.”

Both Duelists drew their starting hands, Life Points set at 4000.

“Let’s Duel!”

Jack cheered, “Sink his battleship, Leo!”

Cody added, “Show him the terrors of deep that lurk in your deck!”

Fiona called out, “Show him how tough you are, big bro!”

Leo stated, “Age before beauty! I Draw! I summon Needle Sunfish to the field in Attack Mode!”

Needle Sunfish (1500/100) appeared on the field.

“Next, since I summoned a Fish monster, I can summon Shark Stickers to join it in Attack Mode!”

Shark Stickers (200/1000) splashed onto the field.

“Now I Overlay my Shark Stickers and Needle Sunfish! With these two monsters I build the Overlay Network! I Xyz Summon Black Ray Lancer in Attack Mode!”

Both Shark Stickers and Needle Sunfish became blue orbs of light, shot up into the air, and entered the red spiral Overlay Network. Out emerged Black Ray Lancer (2100/600), giving its spear a spin before taking a battle pose.

“To wrap up my turn, I place one card face-down on the field. That’ll do for now.”

Shadark grinned, “Then let me show you how a grownup Duels, kid! I Draw!” He took a different card from his hand, “I activate the Spell: Foolish Burial! This card let’s me send one monster from my deck straight to the Graveyard! So I choose to send my Saber Shark from my deck to the Graveyard!”

The Graveyard Portal opened up, allowing a glowing card to eject from Shadark’s deck and shoot straight down into it.

“But wait, there’s more. I summon Double Fin Shark to the field in Attack Mode!”

A new monster appeared. Double Fin Shark was a purple, somewhat mechanical shark with a blue underbelly that looked like two sharks fused together side-to-side, with two dorsal fins, two tails, and several pectoral fins. It was a Level Four monster with stats of 1000/1200.

“But there’s more. When Double Fin Shark is Normal Summoned, I can Special Summon a Level Four or below WATER Attribute Fish monster from my Graveyard. While it may mean I cannot Special Summon any other monsters except WATER monsters this turn, that’s no big deal. So I revive the Saber Shark I sent to the Graveyard in Defense Mode!”

The Graveyard Portal opened up, allowing another shark monster to emerge. Saber Shark was a dark blue shark with sharp, crescent-shaped fins, a tail with long, sharp top and short bottom, glowing eyes, and a large, broad sword-like structure attached to its face. It was a Level Four monster with stats of 1600/1200.

Fiona observed, “He’s got two Level Four monsters on the field. He’s gonna Xyz Summon, and I bet it’ll be his Number.”

Shadark grinned, “For a kid, you’re right, though I’m surprised you even know what a Number is. I Overlay my Level Four Saber Shark and Double Fin Shark! With these two monsters I build the Overlay Network! I Xyz Summon Number 101: Silent Honor ARK in Attack Mode!”

Both Saber Shark and Double Fin Shark became blue orbs of light, shot up into the air, and entered the galaxy style Overlay Network. Out emerged a new monster.

Number 101: Silent Honor ARK was a massive monster, appearing very similar to a spaceship mixed with a submarine. Its body was mostly white with purple accents, shaped with two large, sharp jutting sections in front with bulky semicircle sections, a curved protrusion underneath what looked like the central cockpit, spikes littering its body, and long protrusions jutting out the back. Written on its right side was the number “101” and orbiting it were two blue orbs of light. It was a Rank Four monster with stats of 2100/1000.

Cody sputtered, “That’s one huge Number! But luckily, it has the same Attack Points as Black Ray Lancer, so even though it’ll win the confrontation between the two, Leo won’t take any damage.”

Shadark grinned, “Don’t be so sure about that. I’ll be ridding the field of Black Ray Lancer without even attacking. I activate Silent Honor ARK’s ability! By using two Overlay Units, I can turn a monster my opponent controls into an Overlay Unit for ARK! So say goodbye to Black Ray Lancer!”

Silent Honor ARK absorbed both Overlay Units before firing electrical tendrils at Black Ray Lancer. It ensnared the spear-wielding monster, transforming it into an Overlay Unit, which then started to orbit Silent Honor ARK.

Leo growled, “You may have captured my Black Ray Lancer, but I still have a few tricks up my sleeves. Like this one! I activate Needle Sunfish’s ability from the Graveyard! Since it was sent to the Graveyard, I can lower the Attack Points of one monster on the field by 500! So I’m about to cut your Number down to size!”

Inside the Graveyard, Needle Sunfish appeared, opened up its body, revealing several spikes, which it then fired. The Graveyard Portal opened up, allowing those spikes to launch out of it, striking Silent Honor ARK. The massive ship-like monster seemed to shift slightly from the impact, but then returned upright, its power dropping by 500 to 1600.

Shadark gritted his teeth, “Not too shabby, but not good enough! Because now you have no monsters to protect you! Silent Honor ARK, attack the kid directly! Phantom Flood! And just to make this attack more potent, I activate the Spell: Ego Boost! When a monster declares an attack, I can have one monster gain 1000 Attack until the end of battle. So even though you weakened my monster, you’re still gonna take a heavy hit!”

Silent Honor ARK’s power jumped up by 1000 to 2600 before revealing several cannons hidden within the massive frontal spikes. It then fired several beam attacks that rained down upon Leo, blanketing him in smoke.

Fiona called out, “Big brother! Are you okay!?”

Chronos grimaced, “Shadark certainly isn’t pulling any punches, even against a young teenager. I hope Leo is okay.”

Shadark laughed, “See what happens when you play with the big kids?”

However, to his horror, when the smoke cleared, Leo was still standing, his Life Points still at 4000. The teen had a grin on his face.

“W-What!? How come your Life Points are still at 4000!? That attack should’ve wiped out more than half of them! How?”

Leo grinned, gesturing to his glowing card, “You didn’t take into account my face-down card, Shadark. It was a Trap, in this case Defense Draw. I can reduce the damage from one attack down to zero and draw an extra card in the process. So even though you juiced-up your Number, I came out unscathed regardless. So not only was your attack wasted, but I get to draw a card. Not the smartest move, considering that Psykinoxes are supposed to be the most intelligent race of all. Not to mention your Ego Boost Spell now wears off, returning Silent Honor ARK back down to 1600.”

The older twin smugly drew one card, looked at it, then added it to his hand. A nerve in Shadark’s temple twitched as Silent Honor ARK’s power dropped back down to 1600.

Shadark growled, “I’ll give you props on that maneuver, but it won’t save you forever. I place one card face-down to end my turn. Let’s see if you can back up your confidence with skill, kid.”

“Fine with me! It’s my turn, I Draw!” He looked at his new card before stating, “I place this monster in face-down Defense Mode and three cards face-down to end my turn. Not the most exciting move, but it’ll pay off big time shortly. Your move.”

The confident Psykinox grinned, “Considering you talk such a big game, I’m surprised by such a weak move. But so be it. I’m gonna make things really interesting now. Let’s see you get out of this!” His hand started to glow as he touched his deck, “Go, Cosmic Energy Draw!”

Chronos choked, “Uh-oh, that’s not good. Looks like Shadark is really trying to stack the odds in his favor. Leo better be careful.”

Shadark revealed the card he drew, “I just drew the Spell known as Rank-Up-Magic – The Seventh One, which I activate right now! I can target a 10X Number on my field, Graveyard, or Extra Deck, and evolve into a Chaos Number! So I target my Rank Four Silent Honor ARK and rebuild the Overlay Network! Go, Chaos Xyz Evolution! I Xyz Summon Number C101: Silent Honor DARK, in Attack Mode!”

Silent Honor ARK became a bolt of energy and entered the newly opened Overlay Network, which erupted with power. Out emerged a new monster.

Number C101: Silent Honor DARK looked very much like Black Ray Lancer. Its body was more humanoid than Black Ray Lancer, composed of black armor plates with the telltale pinkish chaos energy flowing through various parts of it. Its armor was bulky and constructed in a somewhat misshapen way, with a glowing face, with two large pillar-like structures jutting out from its shoulder blades, sharp spikes on its shoulders, sharp sleeve-shaped plates over its upper arms, broad legs and feet, and two large fan-shaped plates attached to its legs. In one hand it was holding a spear with a somewhat regal-looking top. Written on the right fin-shaped plate was the number “101” and sitting in front of it were two Chaos Overlay Units. It was a Rank Five monster with stats of 2800/1500.

Shadark grinned, “My Number is pretty impressive, don’t you think? But that’s not all, kid. Here’s something else to worry about. I summon Double Shark in Attack Mode!”

Double Shark (1200/1600) splashed onto the field, looking as mean as always.

“Now, Silent Honor DARK, attack the kid’s face-down monster! Rid the field of it!”

Silent Honor DARK spun its spear and charged in. The monster was revealed to be Jar Turtle (200/2100), but Leo wasn’t done.

The older twin stated, “You revealed my Jar Turtle, so before you can destroy it, I activate my Trap. Actually, I activate all three of them! And all three of them are Jars of Greed! Normally this would mean I can draw one card for each, totaling three, but since Jar Turtle is face-up on the field, I can draw a total of six cards! So thanks for the draw power, Shadark!”

Leo quickly drew six cards just moments before Silent Honor DARK destroyed Jar Turtle.

Shadark looked unfazed, “Big whoop, kid, because now you’re wide open to an attack. Double Shark, attack him directly! And in case you don’t know, Double Shark can attack twice during each of my turns. So you’re gonna get a double pounding!”

Double Shark charged in, biting down on Leo’s arm, his Life Points dropping by 1200 to 2800. It then swam back, turned around, and charged in again, this time biting Leo’s leg, his Life Points dropping by another 1200 to 1600.

Fiona called out in distress, “Leo! Are you okay!?”

Leo nodded, “Yeah, I’m okay, sis. None the worse for wear.”

Shadark huffed, “Considering you just lost more than half of your Life Points, I’m surprised you say you’re ‘okay’. But we’ll see just how long you’ll last, kid. I end my turn. Your move.

The older twin stated, “Fine with me! It’s my turn, I Draw!” He took a different card from his hand, “I summon Wind-Up Shark in Attack Mode!”

A new monster appeared. Wind-Up Shark simply looked like a large blue and white wind-up toy shark with a gold wind-up key on its back. It was a Level Four monster with stats of 1500/1300.

“Now I activate the Spell: Surface! This allows me to revive a Level Three or lower Fish, Aqua, or Sea Serpent monster from my Graveyard in Defense Mode. So I bring back my Needle Sunfish!”

Needle Sunfish (1500/100) emerged from the Graveyard Portal.

“Now I activate Wind-Up Shark’s ability! Once a turn, I can either raise its Level by one, or lower it by one. I think I’ll lower its Level by one, turning it into a Level Three monster!”

The wind-up key started to twist counterclockwise, causing the stars that represented Wind-Up Shark’s Level to change from four to three.

Leo grinned, “Now for the really fun part. I Overlay my Level Three Wind-Up Shark and Needle Sunfish! With these two monsters I build the Overlay Network! I Xyz Summon Number 47: Nightmare Shark in Attack Mode!”

Shadark sputtered, “YOU have a Number?! You’re just a kid! A human kid for that matter! How can you even control a Number!?”

Leo stated, “You’re about to find out! So come on out my good friend!”

Both Wind-Up Shark and Needle Sunfish became blue orbs of light, shot up into the air, and entered the galaxy-style Overlay Network. Out emerged a sealed form, which quickly unfolded into Number 47: Nightmare Shark (2000/2000).

“But I’m far from done, Shadark! Next I activate the Equip Spell: Xyz Unit! This card grants my Xyz Monster 200 extra Attack Points times its Rank. Plus it can double as an Overlay Unit if needed. So I equip it to my Nightmare Shark, giving it an extra 600 Attack Points!”

The Spell infused Nightmare Shark with more power, making it roar as its strength increased by 600 to 2600.

“Now I activate Nightmare Shark’s ability! By using an Overlay Unit, I can target one WATER monster on my field and have it attack you directly this turn, though no other monsters I control can attack. However, as Nightmare Shark is my only monster, that point is rendered moot. So I target my Nightmare Shark itself!”

Nightmare Shark ate one of its Overlay Units, causing it to glow, making it roar.

Shadark growled, “Even if I take damage, my Silent Honor DARK is still more powerful.”

Leo grinned, “Oh, don’t worry, I have plans for it. But for now you have to deal with my Nightmare Shark! Nightmare Shark, attack Shadark directly with Fin Cutter!”

Nightmare Shark quickly slipped past Shadark’s other monsters, raised up one of its sharp pectoral fins, and gave the Psykinox a powerful slash. Shadark skidded back a bit as his Life Points dropped by 2600 to 1400.

Cody cheered, “Way to play, little buddy! That’ll show him that Psykinoxes aren’t the only ones who can use Numbers!”

The older twin grinned, “And I’m not done yet. I said I had plans for your Number, and I’m about to deliver! I activate the Spell: Enemy Controller! I can either change the Battle Mode of one of your monsters, or I can Tribute a monster to seize control of a monster you have. I’ll go with the first option and switch your Silent Honor DARK to Defense Mode!”

The large game controller appeared, and after a few button presses, it forced Silent Honor DARK to a defensive position.

Shadark huffed, “That won’t do you any good, kid, as on my next turn I can shift it back into Attack Mode.”

Leo grinned, “It won’t be around that long. I activate the Spell: Shield Crush! This Spell automatically destroys one monster on the field that’s in Defense Mode! So say goodbye to Silent Honor DARK!”

A beam was fired from Leo’s Spell, piercing through Silent Honor DARK, making it erupt in a fiery explosion. When the smoke cleared, Silent Honor DARK was gone.

Jack punched the air, “Way to go, Leo! That got rid of his Number! That’ll show him!”

However, Shadark started to chuckle, surprising everyone.

The confident Psykinox stated, “You honestly think that destroying my Number would be the end of it? Think again! My Number has quite the special ability, which I activate right now! When it’s sent to the Graveyard while it had a Chaos Overlay Unit, I can bring it back to the field! Furthermore, my Life Points are increased by its Original Attack! Also, Silent Honor ARK must be in my Graveyard in order to use this ability. So not only will my Life Points be higher than before, but my monster will return! So come back out, Silent Honor DARK! Return from Oblivion!”

The Graveyard Portal opened up, allowing Silent Honor DARK (2800/1500) to reemerge from it. Several sparkles then rained down upon Shadark, causing his Life Points to increase by 2800 to 4200.

Fiona looked worried, “That Number is quite the tricky one. I hope Leo can find a way to stop it.”

Cody replied, “Don’t worry, Fiona. Remember, Silent Honor DARK can only use its ability if it has a Chaos Overlay Unit. Now that it’s back on the field, it has no Chaos Overlay Units. So if Leo destroys it again, it can’t come back a second time.”

Chronos said grimly, “I have a hunch that Silent Honor DARK has a way around that, Cody. After all, if it can revive itself like that, and it’s the evolved form of Silent Honor ARK, then it must have inherited some of its properties.”

Leo grimaced before saying, “Don’t count me out just yet, Shadark. I place two cards face-down to end my turn.”

Shadark grinned, “Then it’s my turn, I Draw! Your Goldwing friend was right, since my Silent Honor DARK is the evolved form of Silent Honor ARK, it has the same ability! I can target one Specially Summoned monster on your field and attach it to my Silent Honor DARK as a Chaos Overlay Unit! So I choose your Number! Say goodbye to Nightmare Shark, kid! I knew a kid like you couldn’t maximize the potential of a Number.”

Silent Honor DARK launched several electrical tendrils from its body, ensnaring Nightmare Shark. The Number tried to resist, but was overpowered and transformed into a Chaos Overlay Unit, which was positioned in front of Silent Honor DARK.

Leo grimaced, but stated, “You may have captured my Number, but I’ll still find a way to win! And I’ll start with this! Since Needle Sunfish was sent to the Graveyard, I can reduce the power of one of your monsters by 500 points! So I target YOUR Number! Now your so-called mighty Number is weaker!”

The Graveyard Portal opened up, allowing several more spikes to be launched out of it. They struck Silent Honor DARK, causing it to stumble, its power dropping by 500 to 2300. This annoyed Shadark.

He growled, “You’ll pay for messing with my Number. But even weakened it still has enough Attack Points to wipe out your Life Points! So do it, Silent Honor DARK! Attack the kid directly! End this Duel now!”

Silent Honor DARK gave its spear a spin, raised it up, and charged in, ready to strike down the young teen.

Cody sputtered, “If this attack lands, then it’s all over!”

Leo stated, “Then this is a good time to activate my Trap! Go, Negate Attack! And like its name states, it negates your attack and ends the Battle Phase! So I’m still in this!”

A spinning vortex formed in front of Leo, blocking Silent Honor DARK’s attack, forcing it to return to its original position.

Shadark huffed, “So you got luck this time. Your luck won’t hold out forever. So I end my turn there. Let’s see if you have any bite in your bark, kid.”

Leo said silently, “Okay, think Leo, you have to find a weakness in that Chaos Number. Silent Honor DARK can constantly revive itself if it has a Chaos Overlay Unit and if Silent Honor ARK is in the Graveyard. Plus Shadark will gain 2800 Life Points each time. There has to be a way to stop that ability cold.” He said aloud, “I Draw!” He looked at his new card before activating it, “I activate Pot of Greed. This allows me to draw two more cards.” He drew two cards then activated one of them, “I’ll keep the draw power going by activating Pot of Avarice. By shuffling any five monsters back into my deck and/or Extra Deck, I can draw two more cards. So I’ll shuffle four monsters into my deck and my Black Ray Lancer back into my Extra Deck to draw two cards.” He shuffled the five cards back into their respective places, drew two cards, and noticed one of them, “Hmm… Soul Taker. Destroys one monster on the opponent’s field then the opponent gains 1000 Life Points.” It then dawned on him, making him chuckle, “Oh, man, I just got a killer idea. Shadark, prepare to say goodbye to your Silent Honor DARK, as I just found the chink in its armor!”

Shadark huffed, “Yeah, sure you did, kid. Like I’m gonna believe that. But go ahead; show me your ‘killer idea’, kid.”

The older twin grinned, “Oh, I will, but first things first. I have to take care of that face-down card. You haven’t activated it yet, but it may hamper my idea. So I’ll use the Spell: Night Beam to shatter it! And since you can’t activate the card in response to Night Beam, then I can get rid of it without a counterattack! So say goodbye to your face-down card!”

The Spell made a click like a camera shutter, causing the card to shatter, but not before it was revealed to be Forbidden Lance.

“Hmm… Forbidden Lance, huh? That would’ve been helpful in countering my next move. But with it gone, I’m free to wipe out you Number! So I activate the Spell: Soul Taker! This card destroys one monster on your field, then you gain 1000 Life Points in compensation. However, this means that you can’t revive Silent Honor DARK, as it’ll miss the timing, as the last thing that has to happen is Silent Honor DARK’s destruction. But in this case, the last thing that’ll happen is you gaining Life Points! So say goodbye to your Number!”

Shadark looked horrified, “No way! You really DID figure out the chink in Silent Honor DARK’s ability! How could a kid like you figure that out!? It’s not possible!”

Leo grinned, “Oh, it’s possible. I’m pretty sharp, if I do say so myself, and quite observant. But thanks to Django, I’m also calmer and can think more rationally even in a desperate situation. That allowed me to figure out the weakness of your Number! But enough of that, time to say goodbye to Silent Honor DARK!”

The Spell fired a beam at Silent Honor DARK, piercing right through it, causing it to explode and vanish. Shortly afterwards, Shadark’s Life Points increased by 1000 to 5200.

Leo grinned, “But don’t think I’m done yet, Shadark! I summon Deep Sea Diva to the field in Attack Mode!”

A new monster appeared. Deep Sea Diva was a mermaid-like monster. Her upper body was slim yet curvy, garbed in a bodysuit-like armor, a smooth face, large sweeping fins attached to the sides of her head, a long column of “hair” made from the same material as her head fins, and an angler fish-like bobble on her forehead. Her lower body was fish-like, long and somewhat thick, mostly pink, with several fins and a broad tail. She was a Level Two monster with stats of 200/400.

“Now to activate my Diva’s ability. When she’s Normal Summoned, I can Special Summon one Level Three or lower Sea Serpent monster from my deck. So I summon my Atlantean Heavy Infantry to the field in Attack Mode!”

His Infinity Disk ejected a card, which he played right away, allowing a new monster to appear. Atlantean Heavy Infantry was a humanoid fish creature with glowing eyes and green skin, wearing heavy-duty armor and holding half a fish-like shield in each hand. It was a Level Two monster with stats of 0/1600.

Chronos observed, “Leo’s got a Tuner Monster on his field. Is he going to Synchro Summon?”

Fiona shook her head, “No, Leo doesn’t use Synchro Monsters. However, I do believe I know what he’s up to. Both monsters are Level Two, so he’s gonna use them for an Xyz Summon.”

Leo nodded, “That’s right, sis. I Overlay my Level Two Atlantean Heavy Infantry and Deep Sea Diva! With these two monsters I build the Overlay Network! I Xyz Summon Cat Shark in Attack Mode!”

Both Deep Sea Diva and Atlantean Heavy Infantry became blue orbs of light, shot up into the air, and entered the red spiral Overlay Network. Out emerged a new monster.

Cat Shark was a small monster. It had the body, head, and hind legs of a cat, but the fins and tail of a shark. Orbiting it were two blue orbs of light. It was a Rank Two monster with stats of 500/500.

Jack asked, confused, “Why go through all that to summon this monster? Cat Shark looks harmless, almost cute, so why summon it, especially since it doesn’t have enough Attack Points to defeat Double Shark.”

Leo grinned, “You’ll see soon enough. Now for the second part of my plan. I activate the Trap: Xyz Reborn! This allows me to revive an Xyz Monster from my Graveyard. Plus the Trap becomes an Overlay Unit for it! So I revive my Nightmare Shark! Come on back out, my friend!”

The Graveyard Portal opened up, allowing Nightmare Shark (2000/2000) to emerge. The Trap then transformed into a blue Overlay Unit, which started to orbit Nightmare Shark.

“Now I activate Cat Shark’s ability! Once a turn, I can use one Overlay Unit to target one Rank Four or below Xyz Monster I control. Its Original Attack and Defense Points double until the end of the turn. So I choose Nightmare Shark!”

Cat Shark absorbed an Overlay Unit, which then caused its body to release a large amount of energy, which was infused into Nightmare Shark. Nightmare Shark roared triumphantly as its power doubled to 4000/4000.

Shadark, although a bit nervous, stated strongly, “Even if you attack me directly with Nightmare Shark’s ability, I’ll still have plenty of Life Points left. And you still have to get through my Double Shark.”

Leo grinned, “Are you sure about that? Check the field.”

Much to Shadark’s shock, Double Shark suddenly exploded, vanishing from the field.

He sputtered, “W-What just happened?! Where did my Double Shark go?!”

The older twin grinned, “I activated Atlantean Heavy Infantry’s ability. When it’s sent to the Graveyard due to a WATER monster’s ability, I can target one card on the field and destroy it. So your Double Shark is fish food. That leaves you wide open to an attack. And I intend to deliver big time. And it’s all thanks to this next card. I activate the Spell: Oni-Gami Combo! I target one Xyz Monster I control. I send all of its Overlay Units to the Graveyard, but that monster can attack twice this turn. So I send Nightmare Shark’s Overlay Unit to the Graveyard to allow it to attack twice! So it’s game over for you, Shadark!”

Nightmare Shark’s Overlay Unit shot down into the newly-opened Graveyard Portal, but it started to glow, giving a ferocious roar. Shadark looked horrified at this.

The once-confident Psykinox choked, “This can’t be! I’m about to lose to a kid!? How can a kid outsmart a Psykinox Lord like me!?”

Leo grinned, “Because I didn’t get overconfident by underestimating my opponent, unlike you. So do it, Nightmare Shark! Attack Shadark directly with Fin Cutter! Then sweep around and strike him again to end this Duel!”

Nightmare Shark roared as it charged in, bladed fins held high. Shadark could only watch in horror as the shark Number gave him two powerful slashes with its fins, sending him flying. He landed on the ground with a thud, his Life Points first dropping down by 4000 to 1200, then down another 4000 to zero. A “Win” screen appeared, showing Leo, before the Augmented Reality vanished. The gang cheered happily as Leo took a calming breath, but gave them a victory symbol with both of his hands.

Shadark sat up, completely stunned, “I lost to a kid. That’s a new one.” As Leo walked up to him, the Psykinox Lord said, “You… did surprisingly well, kid. Even in the bleakest of situations you managed to keep your head cool and level and managed to figure out the weakness of my monsters, overcoming them. I guess I was wrong about you. I can see now that you are contributing to the cause you have dedicated yourself to without weighing anyone down. And the fact you can control a Number without any ill effects is commendable, as Numbers have minds of their own, so earning one of their trust and loyalty isn’t easy. Now tell me, kid, why are you fighting Lucifer? I get that you’re helping this Django Spirit, but if a Spirit is still around, why is Lucifer in control of the race?”

Leo said, “It’s quite simple. Lucifer betrayed the race. He managed to murder most of the Spirit family behind everyone’s backs. Only four Spirits, including the race’s true leader, survived. Django is the son of Astral and Elna, who were the original leaders before Lucifer got into the mix. Django is also the Spirit that the prophecy speaks of, having been born on January 1st. Lucifer has been trying to kill Django in order to prove that the Spirit family is gone, lying through his teeth about everything that has transpired. We’re fighting alongside Django in order to remove Lucifer from power, and from existence, for good, in order to restore peace to everyone. It’s an uphill battle, but we’ve been managing so far. We could really use your help, however, as most Psykinoxes aren’t even aware that a Spirit is still alive or that Lucifer lied to all of you.”

Shadark looked enraged, “That bottom-feeding cretin! He killed off our most noble family AND had the guts to lie in our faces about the whole ordeal!? I’m gonna drag him down to a watery grave for his lies and treachery!”

Cody stated, “Shadark, keep your shirt on! We’re workin’ on a solution. Avalon is currently discussin’ a plan with Noble Spirit, a former leader of the race, to find a way to uproot Lucifer from the inside, allowin’ Django to finish the job once and for all. So we were instructed to tell ya to return to the underground city and wait for Avalon’s return. He’ll then discuss what he and Noble talked about in dealin’ with Lucifer. So, fer now, return to where you came from and lay low for a bit. Got that? No recklessness, as Lucifer isn’t one to mess with without a plan.”

Jack said slyly, “No recklessness, huh? That’s ironic coming from you, Cody.”

The redhead snapped, “What’d you say, Jack!? I’m not reckless!”

“Then explain your Number’s battling style, huh. Not to mention you always leap before you look.”

The two males locked eyes with each other, looking ready to brawl, until Fiona pushed them apart.

She stated, “Both of you, calm down. No fighting. It doesn’t matter. All that matters is that we find a way to defeat Lucifer before more lives are hurt by him.”

Shadark said, “While I don’t like playing the waiting game for any reason, if Avalon and Noble are coming up with a plan, then I’ll abide by it. Very well, I shall return home and await further instructions. But know that you have my support. Lucifer must be stopped, so count me in.” He turned to Leo, “Hey, kid, you did good, guess I was wrong about you. You know how dangerous this situation is, and yet it doesn’t stop you from wanting to help. That takes guts. And it’s not every day that a human kid outwits an adult Psykinox. You can definitely hold your own against some tough opponents; I’ll give you plenty of props there. And taming a Number isn’t a small feat, either. Just watch your back, kid, as there is plenty of danger still out there, and Bloodlusts reek of it.”

He then opened up a Warp Gate, gave the gang a nod, and entered it, the Warp Gate closing up behind him.

Chronos said, “And that makes five Psykinox Lords on our side. One more and we’ll have gathered some powerful allies. So let’s find the last one and recruit him to our cause.”

Nodding, the gang moved forward, but Fiona was worried.

She said silently, “Everyone is playing their part well. I’m next to prove my skill and ability to this cause. But can I really hold my own against one of the most powerful Psykinoxes in the race? I sure hope so, as these guys don’t pull any punches, even against kids. I just have to be brave and strong, for everyone’s sake, as our futures depend on it.”

Next Chapter: Cloak and Dagger

And that's all for now. And what will happen in Fiona's Duel? Tune in next time to find out. Until then, same thread, same Duel Time.
 
Re: Psychic Duelist Django (Season 3: Hidden Forces) Chapter 27 up!

Okay, the next chapter is on the air. It's time for Fiona to shine. Will she succeed in recruiting the last Psykinox Lord, Dagger, to the cause? Or will she get plucked like a petal by his Umbral Horror monsters? Read and find out.

Cloak and Dagger

Cody and the others were still roaming around the streets of Cyber City, looking for the last of the Psykinox Lords. At various places here and there, several Duels were taking place, but they ignored them for now, keeping their mind on the mission. As they wandered, Fiona seemed to be deep in thought.

She said silently, “Everyone is playing their part, so I have to play mine. I just hope I can do this. The Psykinox Lords are the most powerful Psykinoxes in the race, so I hope I can prove that I’m a worthy ally to them. But like Leo and Cody said, I have to dig deep inside of me and allow my inner strength to shine. It’s for our futures, so failure is not an option.”

Meanwhile, not far from them, the last Psykinox Lord was sitting on a bench. Dagger had just polished off his lunch, which was a chicken sandwich, with his drink soon following. He was tall and lean, nearly as tall as Claymore, with olive skin, gold eyes, shoulder-length dark orange hair that was shaped like the monster Berfomet’s horns, sharp facial features, and a “X” shaped scar on his right cheek that also extended to the bridge of his nose. His clothes consisted of a black tunic with shoulder plates, a thick belt, blood red pants with hip and knee guards, brown boots, and various wrist chains.

He said with a sigh, his low voice almost like a whisper, “I feel like I’m completely lost in this city. This is like trying to find a needle in a hundred haystacks. I sure hope Avalon or the others have had better luck than I’m having. Besides, I don’t even know what this Spirit we’re looking for looks like. Avalon hinted that he may resemble our departed leader Astral, but that doesn’t really help too much, as when I last saw Astral I was just a kid. Fortunately, Avalon has an almost photographic memory, so I guess I shouldn’t be surprised he remembers meeting Astral and his family. Guess I just have to keep looking. I just hope I can find some clue to this Spirit.”

At that exact moment, Cody and the others were about to walk past when they picked up on the words “Astral” and “Spirit”, getting their attention. They turned to see a disgruntled Dagger, who still seemed to be muttering to himself. Chronos decided to approach the Psykinox.

He asked, “Excuse me, but are you looking for a Spirit family member?”

Dagger quirked an eyebrow as he looked at Chronos, but replied, “Yeah, that’s right. I was sent to find this Spirit that a comrade asked me to do. But I’ve had no luck whatsoever. Why?”

The teen Psykinox smiled, “If that’s the case, then we know who you’re looking for. I take it you’re one of the Psykinox Lords, correct? If so, we’ve been asked to find you. We know about the Spirit you seek, and we have to discuss a rather urgent matter with you.”

Dagger looked Chronos over, then turned to the others, before redirecting his attention to Chronos again, “You seem to know a lot about the Psykinoxes. But who are you?”

“I am Chronos Goldwing, the youngest member of the Goldwing family. My father is Vylon Goldwing. We have been labeled as traitors to the race by Lucifer because we’ve sided with our true leader, the Spirit you seek. His name is Django Spirit, son of Astral and Elna, our departed leaders, and we’ve been asked to find you.”

Dagger pondered, “So, your father is Vylon? Looks like Avalon was right. I am Dagger, and as you’ve already figured out, I am one of the Seven Psykinox Lords. But who are the rest of you? You’re all just humans, right? Although I do know that you, Chronos, are half-Psykinox, due to your father marrying a human. But why would four humans and a half-Psykinox be looking for me?”

Cody stated proudly, “Because not only are we buddies with Django, but we’re active players in the battle against that scum Lucifer. We’re tryin’ to shut down that lunatic before he does any more damage, though it’s been an uphill battle. We’re willin’ to fight alongside our friend in order to restore peace and make our futures bright.”

Dagger quirked another eyebrow, “You? Active players? Challenging Lucifer?” He eyeballed Leo and Fiona, “Two of you are just kids. I find this a bit hard to believe. Sure, I can get that you’re friends with Django Spirit, but what can a batch of misfit humans do to contribute to a cause of that magnitude? While I don’t see humans as inferior, unlike Lucifer, I have my doubts that humans, especially kids, would be willing to challenge a being as powerful as a Bloodlust. Unless you’re braver than you are intelligent. Even other Psykinoxes are very reluctant to face that kind of power head-on, so what makes you think that I would believe you, a bunch of humans, have the guts and spine to tackle such a power?”

Jack growled, “Hey, watch it, Dagger. We may be just humans, but we’re willing to take up the cause in order to restore everything to the way it’s supposed to be. Lucifer is a vile demon who seeks nothing more than destruction. We’re willing to fight him if it means our future will be a good one. While only Django truly has the power to fight him head-on, we do whatever we can to contribute to the cause. So don’t be so quick to dismissing us, as we’ve proved to be a major thorn in Lucifer’s side.”

Dagger started to chuckle, still in disbelief, which prompted Fiona to take a deep breath and step up to him.

She stated, “If you want proof of our strength and resolve, then I challenge you to a Duel. We’ll show you that even kids like Leo and myself can stand up to a force of such magnitude.” She, however, said mentally, “I can’t believe I just did that. I just challenged one of the most powerful Psykinoxes in the race to a Duel. I hope I don’t screw this up, or we’ll never convince Dagger of our power and resolve.”

Dagger chuckled, “This should be amusing. Very well, I accept your challenge little girl. Let’s see if you have any bite to your bark. If you win, then I’ll believe what you and your friends are saying. I will give you this, however, as challenging a Psykinox Lord isn’t something that most would be willing to do, so you have guts. But let’s see if you have skill to back it up. Come at me, little girl, show me your power.”

“Okay then, let’s Duel! Infinity Disk, take root!” the young teen armed herself with her Infinity Disk, following it up with her Duel Gazer. “Duel Gazer, in full bloom!”
Dagger materialized his Dueling equipment, shaped like a black flame, on his left arm, his left eye becoming more luminous. Cody and the others did the same with their Duel Gazers.

“Augmented Reality Visual link established.”

Both drew their starting hands, Life Points set to 4000.

“Let’s Duel!” they said in unison.

Leo cheered, “Come on, sis, show him our power! You can do it!”

Cody added, “Stay strong and you’ll do fine, Fiona!”

Jack called out, “Show Dagger that we humans can do great things, no matter what challenges we face!”

Fiona, although nervous, nodded, before turning her attention to the Duel, “I think I’ll open this up. I Draw!” She took a different card from her hand, “First I’ll place this monster in Defense Mode and two cards face-down. That’ll do for a start.”

Dagger looked unimpressed, “That’s your opening move? For someone who was willing to challenge me, you seem to be backing down already. But enough of that. I’ll take things from here, I Draw!” He looked at his new card, grinning, “I summon Umbral Horror Ghoul in Attack Mode!”

A swirling black portal of energy appeared, allowing a new creature to claw out of it. Umbral Horror Ghoul was certainly that; a ghoul made from solidified purple energy with sharp claws, armor on its arms and legs, glowing eyes behind a mask, an armored head with spikes in an asymmetrical pattern, mandible-like structures on its face, and was wearing a dark blue cloak. It was a Level Four monster with stats of 1800/0.

“Now to activate Umbral Horror Ghoul’s ability. By reducing its Attack Points to zero, I can summon another Umbral Horror monster from my hand. And I know just the monster to use. I summon Umbral Horror Will o’ the Wisp in Attack Mode!”

Umbral Horror Ghoul’s Attack Power dropped down to zero, but it allowed another monster to appear. Umbral Horror Will o’ the Wisp was simply a black creature with a red face lurking in a hole with a giant blue will o’ wisp floating above it. It was a Level One monster with stats of 0/0.

Jack grimaced, “Man, those Umbral Horror monsters are quite creepy. They’d fit right in on Halloween. I hope Fiona will be okay.”

Cody grinned, “Relax, Jack, Fiona will be fine. Both Will o’ the Wisp and Ghoul have zero Attack Points, which means they’re no threat to her.”

Leo shook his head, “No, Cody, that’s not true. While the Umbral Horror monsters tend to be low on Attack, they have powerful abilities that can be a problem. Plus their low stats work well in their favor, although their drawback is that a lot of them need to be destroyed in battle in order to use their effects, so the Life Point damage can be quite high in exchange for such abilities.”

Dagger grinned, “I’m must say, you have quite a bit of knowledge on my monsters, kid. But let’s see if your sister can survive this. I activate Umbral Horror Will o’ the Wisp’s ability! When it is Normal Summoned or Special Summoned, I can target one monster on my field or in my Graveyard, Will o’ the Wisp’s Level becomes that card’s Level. So I choose my Ghoul, raising my Will o’ the Wisp’s Level to Level Four.”

The stars representing Will o’ the Wisp’s Level changed from one to four.

“Next I activate the Spell: Double Summon. This Spell allows me to Normal Summon again this turn. So I’ll use that to summon my Umbral Horror Unform to the field in Attack Mode!”

A new monster emerged onto the field. Umbral Horror Unform was simply a black blob of energy with a red mask and a blue glowing sphere on its head. It was a Level Four monster with stats of 0/0.

Chronos observed, “He’s got three Level Four monsters on his field now. I think we all know what’s coming up next.”

Dagger grinned, “Prepare yourself, kid, as you’re in trouble. I Overlay my Level Four Umbral Horrors! With these three monsters I build the Overlay Network! I Xyz Summon Number 104: Masquerade, in Attack Mode!”

All three Umbral Horror monsters became purple orbs of light, shot up into the air, and entered the galaxy-style Overlay Network. Out emerged a new sealed form. It looked like a Fabergé egg with a long arm reaching out on top. It then unfolded into its true form.

Number 104: Masquerade looked similar to a stage magician. Its body designed like a coat and matching pants, mostly off white in color with gold trim, with gold knee-high boots ending in somewhat avian talon feet, large, somewhat cobbled together wings on its back, with matching spikes on the back of its neck. Its face looked like a silver mask with a gold “V”-shaped crest on its forehead, glowing red eyes, and a pointed chin. It was holding what looked like three large Chinese link rings, the number “104” was written on the right side of its crest, above its right eye, and three orbs of light were orbiting it. It was a Rank Four monster with stats of 2700/1200.

“Man, that was quick. He summoned a Number on his first turn. These Psykinox Lords sure don’t mess around…” Jack said, surprised.

Leo stated, undeterred, “Fiona will still win. I know it. She’s stronger than she realizes, so even when facing down a powerful foe, I know she’ll come through.”

Fiona blushed as she heard Leo say that, thinking, “Leo… you have no idea how much that means to me. You’ve never lost faith in me, so I have to do the same and keep myself going.” She turned to Dagger, “While you may have a powerful Number on your field, Numbers aren’t invincible, so I plan to take it down.”

Dagger quirked an eyebrow again, “Considering you’re just a human kid, I’m surprised you know about Numbers. But that doesn’t matter, as this Number will defeat you. And I’ll start like this! Masquerade, attack her hidden monster!”

Masquerade detached one of its rings, charged it up with energy, and hurled it at Fiona’s face-down monster. It was revealed to be Sylvan Komushroomo (100/2000), which Fiona seemed happy about.

She stated quickly, “You flipped up my Sylvan Komushroomo, which allows me to activate its special ability…” but was cut off.

Dagger grinned, “Not gonna happen, little girl. I activate Masquerade’s ability! During either player’s Battle Phase, by using an Overlay Unit, I can negate the activation of a monster’s ability! Furthermore, you take 800 points of damage! So your flaming mushroom won’t be able to excavate any cards for you!”

Masquerade slammed one of its rings into one of its Overlay Units, hurled the ring at Komushroomo, blocking its ability, allowing the first ring to destroy it. The second ring then flew toward Fiona, striking her, sending her flying, her Life Points dropping by 800 to 3200.

Cody called out, “Fiona! You okay, girl?”

She gave her head a shake as she replied, “I’m okay, don’t worry, it wasn’t as bad as it looked.” She stood back up, dusted herself off, and got into her original position, stating, “It’ll take more than that to defeat me, Dagger.”

Leo smiled approvingly, thinking, “Fiona has come a long way since we first started hanging out with Django and the others. While she still retains her insecurities, she’s gotten much stronger and braver. I remember when she was willing to directly insult Lucifer when he attacked our school, and that freak show has enough power to cause immense damage almost on a whim, so that takes guts. Fiona, you really know how to make us, and me, proud, so keep it up.”

Dagger merely said, “We’ll see about that, little girl. I place one card face-down to end my turn. Your move, so let’s see how well you fare against my Number.”

Fiona touched her deck, “Okay then, I Draw!” She looked at her card before playing it, “I summon Sylvan Marshalleaf in Attack Mode!”

A new monster appeared. Sylvan Marshalleaf looked like a small creature with a large leaf for a head, a stubby body, a necklace that had two purple bell-shaped flowers and one leaf, and little arms that were holding clubs made of petals. It was a Level Three monster with stats of 1500/1200.

“Now I activate Marshalleaf’s ability! Whenever it’s Normal Summoned, I can declare either the numbers one or two. I can excavate that many cards from the top of my deck, and any Plant monsters excavated that way will be sent to the Graveyard, while any other cards will be placed at the bottom of my deck. I declare two, so I get to excavate two cards from my deck.” She excavated the top two cards from her deck, looked at them, smiling, “I just excavated both Sylvan Bladefender and Peaskeeper, so they both got to my Graveyard, which also activates their effects. Since Bladefender was excavated from my deck to the Graveyard via a card effect, I can add it to my hand. Meanwhile, since Sylvan Peaskeeper was excavated from my deck to the Graveyard via a card effect, I can Special Summon a Level Four or lower Plant monster from my Graveyard. So to start things off, I get to add my Sylvan Bladefender from my Graveyard to my hand because it was excavated from my deck.”

She took a card from her Graveyard, revealed it, and added it to her hand.

“Now I’ll summon my Sylvan Peaskeeper to the field in Defense Mode!”

The Graveyard Portal opened up, allowing a new monster to emerge. Sylvan Peaskeeper looked like a large peapod with three peas in it, each one having a different expression. One was holding a pair of binoculars, one was holding a megaphone made from a flower, and the last one wasn’t holding anything. It was a Level One monster with stats of 400/100.

She grinned, “Now Peaskeeper’s other effect activates. When it is Normal Summoned or Special Summoned, I can excavate the top card of my deck. Like before, if it’s a Plant monster, I can send it to the Graveyard, while any other card will be placed at the bottom of my deck. So here goes nothing.”

She excavated the top card of her deck, looked at it, and revealed it, smiling.

“Sweet! I excavated Sylvan Hermitree, so I’ll send it to the Graveyard, which activates its ability in the process! Since it was excavated and sent to the Graveyard, I can look at the top three cards of my deck and rearrange them in any order I choose.”

She took the top three cards of her deck, looked at them, and rearranged them, placing them back on top of her deck.

Dagger huffed, “You sure do seem to know how to stack your deck, little girl. But let’s see if it does you any good. After all, you have two weak monsters on the field, which are no threat to my Number.”

Fiona nodded, “That’s true, which is why I activate the Spell: Double Summon! And just like you, this card allows me to Normal Summon twice this turn. So I’ll Tribute both Sylvan Peaskeeper and Marshalleaf in order to summon Sylvan Sagequoia in Attack Mode!”

Both Peaskeeper and Marshalleaf vanished from the field, but were replaced by a massive monster. Sylvan Sagequoia was a tall sequoia tree with a large, somewhat grumpy face, small glasses perched on its “nose”, three long braids attached to its “chin”, and roots that seemed to act like tendrils. It was a Level Seven monster with stats of 2600/2100.

Cody looked surprised, “Wow! That monster is huge! I’ve never seen Fiona summon this monster before! But it’s still weaker than Masquerade.”

Fiona replied, “I know, Cody, so I have a plan, but I’m not done yet. I activate Sagequoia’s ability! Once a turn, I can excavate the top card of my deck, and like all my Sylvan monsters, if it’s a Plant monster, I can send it to the Graveyard. If not, it goes to the bottom of my deck. Thanks to my Hermitree earlier, I know exactly what card I’ll excavate, so here it goes.”

She excavated the top card of her deck and revealed it.

“I excavated my Chirubimé, Princess of Maples, so she goes to the Graveyard. Now, to wrap up my turn, I place one card face-down. That’s enough for now...” but was cut off.

Dagger stated, “Not so fast, I activate my Trap: Corrupted Keys! This Trap allows me to target an Xyz Monster I control. That permits me to summon three Umbral Horror Mirage Tokens with the same Attack as the Xyz Monster I choose! I cannot Tribute them, however, except for a Tribute Summon. But that doesn’t bother me at all. So now I have four monsters on my field!”

His Trap was revealed, summoning three strange jewels with somewhat Egyptian heads. They were Level One monsters with unknown Attack and zero Defense, but then they transformed into copies of Masquerade, gaining 2700 Attack each.

Fiona said, “I guess that ends my turn.”

“Now, it’s my turn, I Draw!” Dagger started to say, but was suddenly cut off.

The teen girl stated, “I activate a Trap: Battle Mania! This Trap forces all your monsters into Attack Mode for the turn and you must attack me with all your monsters this turn!”

Jack asked, confused, “Why would Fiona force Dagger’s monsters to attack her? Her only monster is weaker than all of his, so why’d she do that? She’ll just hurt herself.”

Leo thought for a moment before replying, “I think I know why, and I think I know what one of those face-down cards is. So she’s actually going to hurt Dagger more.”

Dagger said, “I don’t know what you have cooked up in that little head of yours, but if you want to play that way, so be it. But first, I activate the Spell: Pot of Greed. I get to draw two cards from my deck.” He drew two cards, looked at them, then decided what to do, “Umbral Horror Mirage Token #1, attack her overgrown tree! It’s time to say TIMBER!”

The Masquerade clone charged in, ready to take down Sagequoia, but Fiona was ready.

She stated, “I activate the Trap: Plant Food Chain! This Trap becomes an Equip card that boosts my monster’s Attack by 500 points! Plus it has another useful ability, but that comes later. So all of your attacks are about to be stomped out! That’s why I forced you to attack, so I could deal some damage and clear most of your field!”

As she said that, her Trap raised Sagequoia’s Attack by 500 to 3100.

Dagger sputtered, “What!? This can’t be! All my monsters are now weaker than your overgrown stump! This won’t end well…”

The Mirage Token tried to attack Sagequoia, but Sagequoia instead lashed out one of its roots at it, destroying the Token. Dagger flinched as his Life Points dropped by 400 to 3600. The second and third Mirage Tokens then attempted to attack, only to be deflected by Sagequoia’s roots, making Dagger’s Life Points drop by another 400 to 3200, then again to 2800.

Fiona stated, “Now all that’s left is your Number! While it can’t be destroyed in battle except by another Number, I can still deal you damage! So come at me!”

Masquerade charged in, ready to strike, but Sagequoia swatted it away, causing it to crash in a heap on the ground, Dagger’s Life Points dropping by another 400 to 2400.

Dagger huffed, “I’ll admit, that was clever, and you dealt some impressive damage in the process. But don’t think I’m done yet. For starters, I activate another one of Masquerade’s abilities! I can send the top card from your deck to the Graveyard. So I’ll do just that!”

Masquerade fired another ring at Fiona, striking her deck, which caused the top card to be sent from her deck to the Graveyard.

“Finally, I place this card face-down to end my turn. You move, if you dare, little girl.”

Fiona nodded, stating, “Okay, it’s my turn, I Draw! I activate Pot of Greed! This allows me to draw two cards from my deck.” She drew two cards, look at them, then decided what to do, “I place this monster in face-down Defense Mode and have my Sagequoia attack you Masquerade! I know I can’t destroy it, but I can still deal you damage!”

Sagequoia lashed out more of its roots at Masquerade, but Dagger was grinning.

He smirked, “I knew you’d try to attack, so take this! I activate the Trap: Mirror Force! This Trap destroys all your Attack Mode monsters when you declare an attack! So say goodbye to Sagequoia!”

A rainbow hued reflective wall appeared, blocking the attack before firing several streams of energy. They mercilessly shredded Sagequoia, destroying it, but Fiona was far from done.

She stated, “I activate Plant Food Chain’s other effect! When the equipped monster is destroyed via card effect, I can Special Summon one Plant monster from my Graveyard! So I choose my Chirubimé, Princess of Autumn Leaves, and I’m putting her in Defense Mode!”

The Graveyard Portal opened up, allowing Chirubimé, Princess of Autumn Leaves (1800/2800) to emerge, taking a defensive stance.

“I place one card face-down to end my turn.”

Dagger stated, “I must admit, little girl, you’ve held out longer than expected. So maybe you’re ready for my advanced lesson. But let’s see if you can pass the final!” His right hand started to glow as he touched his deck, “Go, Cosmic Energy Draw!”

Chronos sputtered, “Oh no! He’s about to use The Seventh One! Fiona, look out!”

The Psykinox Lord revealed the card in his hand, “As your friend said, I just drew Rank-Up-Magic – The Seventh One! With this, I can Rank-Up my Number into a Chaos Number! So I rebuild the Overlay Network with Rank Four Masquerade! Go, Chaos Xyz Evolution! Appear Number C104: Umbral Horror Masquerade!”

Masquerade became a bolt of energy and entered the newly opened Overlay Network. It erupted with new power. Out emerged a new sealed form, which looked like two large red wings attached to a small orb with short spikes on it. It quickly unfolded into its true form
.
Number C104: Umbral Horror Masquerade was a vicious-looking monster. It resembled a stage magician, like its base form. Its body was garbed in a long red coat with long coattails, grey pants, metal knee-high boots, and armored gloves that reached its shoulders. Flowing behind it was a long cape that was sectioned into two parts, giving it an impression of wings, and it was holding a long staff with red orbs on it. Its face was the most hideous part of it, looking like a white mask and black mask with a curved spike going through the back of its head and coming out its left eye, its other eye was narrow and slit-like, bright red in color, two small devil horns, and a pointed chin. On its forehead was the number “104” and sitting in front of it was three Chaos Overlay Units. It was a Rank Five monster with stats of 3000/1500.

“Now it’s time to see if you can defeat my Chaos Number! But first I activate its special ability! When it is summoned, I can destroy one Spell or Trap on the field! I think I’ll destroy your newly placed Spell or Trap, as you haven’t activated the other one yet, so I deem it no threat. So say goodbye to the card on the left!”

Umbral Horror Masquerade fired a zigzagging red beam at Fiona’s hidden card, revealing it to be Call of the Haunted before destroying it.

Cody sputtered, “That’s not good! Call of the Haunted could’ve really come in handy for Fiona! I hope she has a back-up plan.”

Dagger grinned, “Now then, with that card gone, I can begin my attack! Umbral Horror Masquerade, attack Chirubimé now! Pluck that pretty flower!”

Umbral Horror Masquerade charged up more energy and fired it from its staff. The attack pierced through Chirubimé, causing her to cry out as she was engulfed in an explosion.

Fiona stated, “I activate Chirubimé’s ability! When she’s sent from the field to the Graveyard, I can…” but was cut off.

“Not so fast, girl! I activate Umbral Horror Masquerade’s ability! Once a turn, when you activate a monster effect, I can use one Chaos Overlay Unit to negate that ability, then send one random card from your hand to the Graveyard, and finally halve your Life Points! So say goodbye to the last card in your hand and half your Life Points!”

Fiona could only watch in horror as Umbral Horror Masquerade absorbed a Chaos Overlay Unit and fired another bolt of energy at her. She was blown off her feet, landing with a thud on the ground, her Life Points slashed in half to 1600, and the last card in her hand was sent to the Graveyard.

Leo called out, “Fiona! Are you okay!? Speak to me, sis!”

Cody grimaced, “Man, that Masquerade is a nasty monster. With just one Chaos Overlay Unit it can cut down the cards in Fiona’s hand and halve her Life Points whenever she uses a monster effect. I just hope she can turn this Duel around before Dagger pulls off another one of Masquerade’s abilities on her.”

Fiona gingerly got up, saying, “I’m not done for yet. If Django taught me anything, it’s that I should never give up. So I’m not quitting just yet, Dagger.”

Dagger shrugged, “Whatever. Now I activate the Spell: Offerings to the Doomed! This Spell destroys one monster on the field, but I cannot conduct my Draw Phase next turn. So say goodbye to your face-down monster!”

The Spell fired a beam at Fiona’s hidden monster. It was revealed shortly before it struck. It looked like a younger, smaller version of Black Rose Dragon, only its rose petals were blue, and it had a more beak-like head. It was a Level Four monster with stats of 1600/1200. However, Fiona was smiling when it was destroyed.

She stated, “You destroyed my Blue Rose Dragon, which activates its special ability! When it is destroyed, I can target either a Black Rose Dragon or another Plant monster in my Graveyard and Special Summon it. Since you’ve used up Umbral Horror Masquerade’s ability for the turn, I can safely use Blue Rose Dragon without fear of being countered. So I revive my Sylvan Hermitree in Attack Mode!”

The Graveyard Portal opened up, allowing a new monster to emerge from it. Sylvan Hermitree was a large tree with green and red leaves, a wide face on its trunk, a red orb on its “forehead”, and a long band around its trunk with dangling vines. It was a Level Eight monster with stats of 2700/1800.

Dagger shrugged, “Whatever, not like that overgrown plant can do much of anything. I end my turn.”

Fiona touched her deck, thinking, “Please, my friends, I need some help. Please, lend me your strength.” She then said aloud, “I Draw!” She looked at her new card before activating it, “I activate the Spell: Cup of Ace! I can flip a coin. If it lands heads, then I can draw two cards, but if lands tails, then you get to draw two cards. So let’s see if my luck is good.”

A large coin appeared in her hand. She threw it up into the air, everyone watching tensely as it descended to the ground. It landed with a clink, landing on heads, making Fiona cheer.

“Yes! I get to draw two cards from my deck!” She drew two cards, looked at them, and smiled, “Sweet! I have everything I need to turn this Duel around! First, I activate the Spell: Monster Reborn, to revive my Chirubimé, Princess of Autumn Leaves in Attack Mode!”

The Graveyard Portal opened up, allowing Chirubimé (1800/2800) to emerge from it.

“Next up, I activate the Spell: Premature Burial! By paying 800 Life Points, I can bring back a monster from my Graveyard in Attack Mode! So I pay 800 Life Points to revive the Talaya, Princess of Cherry Blossoms that you sent to my Graveyard due to Masquerade’s ability! So come on out, Talaya!”

Fiona’s Life Points dropped by half to 800, but this allowed the Graveyard Portal opened up again, allowing Talaya (2800/1200) to emerge from it.

Dagger merely said, “You may have some powerful flowers on your field, but they’re no match for my Umbral Horror Masquerade.” It was then he realized something, “Hold on, they’re all Level Eight!”

The young teen nodded, “That’s right. So now I Overlay my Level Eight Talaya, Chirubimé, and Hermitree! With these three monsters I build the Overlay Network! I Xyz Summon Number 87: Queen of the Night, in Attack Mode!”

“W-What!? A little twerp like you has a Number!? How can that be possible!?”

Hermitree became a red orb of light, Chirubimé became a brown one, and Talaya became a blue orb of light. All three shot up into the air and entered the galaxy-style Overlay Network. Out emerged a sealed form that unfolded into Number 87: Queen of the Night (3200/2800).

Fiona stated strongly, “Meet my most powerful monster! Now, Queen of the Night, attack Masquerade with all your might! Moonlight Petal Dance!”

Queen of the Night whipped up a whirlwind of flower petals before hurling her weapon into the center of it. The attack charged toward Umbral Horror Masquerade, slamming into it, the petals slashing every inch of it. The bladed weapon then sawed its way through Umbral Horror Masquerade’s middle before coming out the other end, engulfing the menacing monster in an explosion. Dagger shielded himself as the wind from the attack caused his Life Points to drop by 200 to 2200.

He stated, “So you managed to destroy my Number with a Number of your own. But don’t think I’m done. On my next turn…” but was cut off.

Fiona stated, “There is no next turn for you! I activate my final Trap! The card you deemed no threat is about to end you! I activate the Trap: Hi-Five the Sky! If an Xyz Monster I control attacked this turn, it can attack again, and you can’t activate any card effects in response to this attack!”

Dagger sputtered, “But that means when this attack lands it’ll be all over! I’m about to lose to a human kid!”

Fiona grinned, “That’s right. Maybe now you’ll see the power we posses! Queen of the Night, attack Dagger directly with Moonlight Petal Dance! End this Duel now!”

Queen of the Night summoned up another whirlwind of flower petals, throwing her weapon into the middle of it. Dagger could only watch in horror as the attack slammed into him, sending him flying, his Life Points dropping down to zero. A “Win” screen appeared, showing Fiona, before the Augmented Reality vanished. The gang cheered and exchanged high-fives, while Fiona sighed in relief. Suddenly her legs gave out, but Leo caught her before she could hit the ground.

He asked, “You okay, sis?”

She replied wearily, “Yeah, though my legs feel like jelly. I guess now that the adrenalin rush is over, the shock of actually challenging a Psykinox Lord to a Duel caught up to me. That’s gotta be the gutsiest thing I’ve ever done. I’m still surprised I won. But was it just good luck that helped me?”

Dagger got up, saying, “No, young one, it wasn’t luck. You were determined to relay your thoughts and feelings in that Duel to me, and you succeeded. It wasn’t luck that you prevailed, but determination and courage. I must admit that what you did was very impressive for someone so young. You have managed to convince me that you are willing to take up a task as dangerous and challenging as facing Lucifer. But why are you facing Lucifer? Because of our earlier conversation, I understand that a Spirit still exists, but why is Lucifer in control and not this Django?”

Chronos stepped up, “You see, Dagger, Lucifer murdered the Spirit family. He somehow has the ability to draw out his ancestor’s power, which he used to gain an advantage and take the Spirit family by surprise. Django, the son of Astral and Elna, is our true leader, but Lucifer is trying to kill him in order to stop the prophecy from being fulfilled and conquer the world. We need your help, Dagger. Avalon is currently discussing a plan with Noble, another survivor of Lucifer’s bloody attacks, as well as a former leader of our race, in order to uproot Lucifer from the inside. But we could really use your help. We’ve manage to recruit the other Psykinox Lords to our cause, but we need every able Psykinox to help us completely destroy Lucifer. Will you help us restore our race back to its former glory, put our true leader in command, and rid the world of the Bloodlust family once and for all?”

Dagger nodded, “Yes, after hearing all this, I must take up the fight. If Lucifer has done such terrible deeds and had the gall to lie to the entire race in order to gain absolute power, then he must be stopped. Please inform this Django that he has my support. I will return to my dwelling place and await Avalon’s return. But you can count on my loyalty. After all, if a child like her can be brave enough to take a stand against him, then so should our noble Psykinox race. I will return home and await Avalon. But I will help restore things back to where they should be. Farewell for now, and be safe.”

He opened up a Warp Gate, gave the others one final nod, and entered it, the gate closing up behind him.

Cody grinned, “All right! We got all six of the Psykinox Lords on our side! Lucifer’s days are numbered! We better tell D-Man that we’ve succeeded!”

A voice chuckled, “I already know.”

They all turned to see Django and Tempest walk up to them.

Jack asked, “Django? Tempest? How long have you two been here?”

Tempest smiled, “Just a couple of minutes, but enough to know that we have succeeded in recruiting six of the Psykinox Lords. That will finally grant us an advantage, as we’re still struggling to gain footholds against Lucifer. But with Avalon and the other Psykinox Lords helping us, we should be okay.”

Django smiled, “Indeed. We may finally be gaining the upperhand against Lucifer. But we better not get too cocky, as it’s still a long fight ahead of us. But kudos to all of you on a job well done. Thanks to all our efforts, we have some valuable allies now on our side, and hopefully more to follow. We just have to keep fighting and we’ll eventually succeed. Today was a major victory for us, so let’s keep the momentum going.”

Chronos looked up at the sky, “It’s starting to get late. I suggest we all head home and rest, as taking on the Seven Psykinox Lords isn’t an easy feat. But we achieved a great thing today. We managed to recruit six of the most powerful Psykinoxes in the race to our cause. Let’s just hope that more will follow, and hopefully this is the start of our victory lap.”

Cody yawned, “Yeah, you’ve got a point, Chronos. Let’s all call it a day. We’ve had enough excitement for one day. We’ll jump back into the tournament tomorrow, when we’re rested and ready to rumble.”

Django chuckled, “Don’t forget I have that job interview with Seymour tomorrow at 10, so I may be a bit late. But I agree that we’ve done enough Dueling for today, so let’s call it a day and enjoy our new victory.”

Nodding, the gang went their separate ways, satisfied to having gained six powerful allies to their cause. Django in particular felt a sense of relief and pride, knowing that change was on the way.

Next Chapter: Dark Magician Master

And that's all for now folks. But what does the next chapter suggest? If you know, then don't spoil it, but if not, then you'll just have to wait until next time. So tune in next time to find out what twists and turns await our heroes!
 
Re: Psychic Duelist Django (Season 3: Hidden Forces) Chapter 28 up!

Man, I got this done faster than I thought, even with a migraine getting into the mix. I must admit I'm surprised. But anyway, moving on. It's time for some magical mayhem. Django is forced to square off against fellow Dark Magician user and Shadow Stalker, Pandora. Will he succeed and prove he's the true master of the Dark Magician? Read and find out.

Dark Magician Master

It was around 10:45 on Saturday morning. Cody, Jack, Leo, Fiona, and Draco were all standing by the center square. Draco was tapping his foot rather impatiently.

He stated, “Django’s late. He should’ve been here a while ago. I’ve got Duels to win.”

Leo chuckled, “Relax, Draco, Django will be here. He had a job interview with someone today, so he mentioned he’d be late. But he’ll be here soon enough.

As if on cue, a Warp Gate opened up, startling Draco, and out emerged Django, Tempest, and Chronos.

Cody held up his hand, exchanging a high-five with Django, “Hey, you’re here, D-Man! How’d that interview go with Seymour?”

The inventor replied, “Good. He showed me a few of his ideas and inventions. Some were good, like the mini-duster bot, others… eh, not so much, such as the automatic nose hair clipper... But I hired him, as the ideas that did pass would be good additions to Spirit Tech’s lineup. Gave him the basic Inventor’s Package to start off and he’ll be starting work on Monday. It means he had to leave the tournament, but it didn’t bother him, as he did say he landed his dream job, so it works out in the end. Speaking of the tournament, how are you guys doing so far?”

Cody grinned, “Leo, Fiona, Chronos, and I already have two Star Pieces. We’d probably have more if we didn’t have to hunt down the Psykinox Lords, but it was for the cause. What about you, Draco?”

Draco replied, “I’ve got two so far as well. I didn’t run into as much action as I would’ve liked yesterday, so I’m hoping I can fix that today. And you, Django and Tempest?”

Django presented his star, “Both Tempest and I have three Star Pieces each right now. Sadly, I’ve only dealt with Shadow Stalkers so far, which is a real letdown. And it’s not like Lucifer is nice to his newest pawns whenever they fail, so it’s been a pretty grim tournament for me so far.”

Draco mused, “So, Lucifer has new puppets, huh? I can only wonder why they would even team up with Lucifer. I mean, what will they gain?”

Tempest shrugged, “My guess, power. Shadow Stalkers seem to want power, at least as far as we can tell. There may be other motives, but so far they seem to want power. Lucifer is one of the most powerful beings in the world, so they’re probably hoping that, along with valuable cards and glory, they can gain some of his power as rewards for doing his dirty work. But in any case, let’s move on from this subject. We have to keep going and gather more Star Pieces. I can only imagine how many Star Pieces Kain’s already gotten, considering his skill level, even though he’s managing the tournament as well. So we better get a move on and gather more Star Pieces.”

Fiona nodded, “Tempest is right. Besides, if we can gain entry into the finals, we may be able to find a way to stop Lucifer and Number 96, who are our biggest enemies right now. So let’s get going.”

Draco tipped his fedora down, grinning confidently, “Watch out, you guys, because I’ll be winning this thing. Now that we’ve wasted enough time here, it’s time to get into gear and win. Later.”

Draco walked away, leaving the gang alone.

Django chuckled, “Confident as always.” He turned back to the group, “Okay, gang, let’s split up and start looking for some more Duelists. We still need to complete our Star Pieces, so let’s get going. Keep in touch, however, as the threat of Shadow Stalkers and Number 96 is in the air, so be careful.”

The gang stated in unison, “Right!”

A short time later, Django and Tempest were walking side-by-side down part of the canal that ran through the city. They were both keeping their eyes open for any possible Duelists, as well as threats.

Tempest pondered, “I wonder what other surprises are in store for us in this tournament? We’ve done well so far, but we still have a ways to go. I just hope we’ll be ready for whatever that scum Lucifer will throw at us.”

Django replied, “We’ve gotten pretty good at learning and countering Lucifer’s attacks. We’re still at a disadvantage, but at least now we have Avalon and the other Psykinox Lords helping us. I just hope we don’t run into any more traps set by that psycho Psykinox.”

As if on cue, a Warp Gate suddenly opened up underneath Django, swallowing him up, much to Tempest’s shock and horror. Before she could do anything, he was gone and the gate was closed.

She cried out in despair, “Django!? Django!? Where are you!? Oh, no, I hope Lucifer didn’t get him!”

Meanwhile, elsewhere, Kain and Nicholas were walking down the street. Kain was looking at his Star Pieces, now holding three of them, grinning.

Just then, Nicholas stated in alarm, “Kain! We’ve got trouble! The Spirit Tech satellite just lost track of Django’s Infinity Disk! He’s disappeared!”

Kain looked surprised, “Disappeared?! Impossible! Check the satellite link on the double.”

The younger Kannon brother nodded, tested the link, but still looked upset, “No, nothing at all. The link is working perfectly fine, but Django just vanished from it. Oh, no, you don’t think Lucifer got him, do you?”

Kain snarled, “No, I doubt that, as that cowardly rattlesnake will only show his face if he can take advantage of a situation. Besides, Django is powerful and intelligent enough that Lucifer won’t challenge him directly without having a massive advantage. But I do smell his stench. He’s involved, but I don’t think it’s him personally. Let’s head back to Kannon Corp and see if we can find Django. Since his Infinity Disk gives off a constant signal, I suspect it’s being blocked. I’ve heard of some of Lucifer’s newest minions are lurking around, so I suspect it might be one of them doing this on Lucifer’s behalf. But let’s head back to Kannon Corp and work from there.”

Deeper in the city, in an abandoned building, everything seemed quiet. Suddenly, a Warp Gate opened up, and Django crashed in a heap on the floor, the gate closing up behind him. He rubbed his backside in pain as he looked around, confused.

He said to himself, “Where am I? Did Lucifer send me here? I don’t sense him or Number 96 nearby. But then… how did I get here?”

Suddenly, a computer’s holo-screen in front of him lit up, catching his attention. He stood up and looked at it.

The computer stated, “Hacking into Kannon Corp Duelist Profile for Cyber Clash Battle City Tournament. Duelist: Django Spirit. Rank: Ten Stars. Rarest cards: Legendary Knight Timaeus, Odd-Eyes Pendulum Dragon, and Dark Magician.”

As the computer stated “Dark Magician”, the image of the Dark Magician changed, becoming a different Dark Magician. The whole screen then transformed into a different Dark Magician projected in front of him. This one had red and silver armor, white hair, tan skin, markings under his eyes and on his chin, and sharper eyes. He grinned almost sinisterly at Django.

This Dark Magician stated, “Heheheh, I’ve been waiting for you. You are not worthy to have me your deck, so be prepared to lose me forever. You’re not the only Duelist with my power and you’re certainly not the best. There is only one true Dark Magician Master, and it’s not you. Not even close. It’s time you met my TRUE Master.”

Django, although obviously annoyed, looked to his left, “All right, enough of this. I know someone is there. Reveal yourself to me.”

A person emerged from the shadows, holding a Dark Magician card that matched the projected Dark Magician facing Django. He was tall and slender, with dark green hair bound in brushy ponytail, narrow green eyes, and sharp facial features. He was dressed in what looked like a standard stage magician outfit consisting of a red coat over a white button-down shirt, dark red pants, stylish shoes, a dark red top hat with a checkered pattern around the middle, and was wearing a broad blue and white mask that concealed his face from the nose up. He had a sinister grin on his face.

He said, “Welcome, Django Spirit. I am known as Pandora, master magician, illusionist extraordinaire, and the one true master of the Dark Magician. Only a master of magic can truly comprehend the power of a Dark Magician. You will never understand its real power and capabilities. So I will be relieving you of your Dark Magician… after I beat you in a Duel, of course. Do you accept? The winner will take the loser’s Dark Magician.”

Django gained a snarl, “You dare mock my connection with my Dark Magician? You have some nerve. But I accept your challenge, even though I know this whole situation reeks of Lucifer. You should know that when a Duelist builds his deck, he or she chooses their favorites from many types of cards. But sometimes a card can choose a Duelist. They share a bond stronger than most can comprehend. My Dark Magician and I are an example of that.” He drew a card from his Infinity Disk, revealing it to be the Dark Magician, “My old friend has never let me down. He is like a guardian to me, so we share not only a strong bond, but the utmost respect for one another.”

As he said that, the spirit of Django’s Dark Magician appeared behind him, giving Pandora and his Dark Magician a cold look, but nodding approvingly at Django’s speech. This seemed to vex Pandora. Both Dark Magicians then vanished, leaving Django and Pandora alone.

The stage magician stated, “So it’s true. Django Spirit never backs down from a challenge. Very interesting. So let’s settle this like gentleman with a Duel. But this room is a bit cramped, don’t you think? Fortunately, I have prepared a special Dueling arena just for us. Follow me, if you please.”

He gestured Django to follow him toward a staircase. Despite suspicion, Django followed him down the staircase, but kept his senses and wits about him.

He then asked, “By the way, how did you send me here? Warp Gates are exclusive to Psykinoxes, and I doubt you’re one.”

Pandora chuckled, “Very perceptive, Django. Yes, I am but human, but I was given a gift by Lucifer.” He took a reddish crystal out of his pocket, “See this crystal? It’s called a Warp Gate Crystal. It has the power to produce a Psykinox Warp Gate, which can be used by anyone. However, its power is often limited, and the smaller the crystal, the shorter the range has. Plus it has to have a preset coordinate in order to work properly, such as this building. However, it still has plenty of uses. This size crystal can only produce enough energy to summon two short-ranged Warp Gates, but it’s enough to get the job done. Now, enough of that, follow me.”

Django said silently, “Great, more I have to learn about Psykinoxes, even after all the homework I’ve been doing over the past month. If Lucifer has access to those crystals, then I can only wonder, and worry, what he may do with them. But, unfortunately, I have Pandora to deal with right now. I just hope Tempest and the others are okay.”

The two came to the bottom of the stairs where a steel plated door was. Pandora opened it up, revealing what looked like a magician’s stage, full of common props such as Chinese link rings, top hats, wands, mirrors, and more, littered all over the walls of the room. Pandora gestured Django to follow him to the stage, which the inventor did with caution.

The masked magician stated, “I had this room designed specifically for this match. You see that there are no fans and no cameras, perfect for a private performance. We’ll Duel according to Cyber Clash rules, but thanks to a little special energy coating, not even your fancy satellite or another Psykinox can find us here. And you cannot use your own Warp Gates to escape thanks to the same energy coating. So are you ready, Django Spirit, for the final Duel of your career?”

Django growled, “What makes you think I’ll lose? Besides, I take it there is more to this than meets the eye?”

Just as he said that, the floor shifted, separating the two of them even more. Then, strange energy shackles appeared, locking both of them in place at their respective sides of the stage. After that, what looked like two strange objects appeared, and they suddenly produced a glowing energy blade, alarming Django.

“What is that!? And what are these shackles!?”

Pandora laughed, “To answer your questions in order, that blade is called a Psy-Blade, a specially made Psykinox weapon. If it cuts you, then your mind and soul will shatter. Designed by the original Lucifer as a way to help bolster his powers against Astral. As for the cuffs, they’re called Psycho Cuffs, essentially psychic energy shackles that lock someone in place. They cannot be broken by psychic energy, as they are exactly that, they can only be removed through outside means, such as a key, or are preprogrammed to do so after something happens. Now, speaking of keys, look between your feet.”

Django looked down to see a small box emerge. On it was the number “4000” and an arrow pointing toward Pandora.

“That is a key box, which contains a key that’ll unlock your Psycho Cuffs. Your box displays your opponent’s Life Points, and will only open if you win the Duel. Only then can you save yourself. Think of it as Pandora’s Box, because your only hope is trapped inside. Also, notice the numbers along the floor in the path of the Psy-Blade? Those are your Life Points. The lower the number gets the closer the blade gets to you. When they reach zero, well, you can pretty much figure out what happens then.”

Django growled, “You’re sick if you think this is a good idea! What kind of person would gamble his and his opponent’s mind and soul? But seeing how I have no choice, it’s time to Duel! And I will say this, you’ll be sorry for working alongside Lucifer!”

Django armed himself with his Infinity Disk and Duel Gazer, while Pandora equipped himself with his standard D-Pad and Duel Gazer, the latter of which could be integrated with his mask. Both drew their starting hands, Life Points set at 4000.

Meanwhile, at that time, Cody and the others had rejoined Tempest, who was still distressed at Django’s sudden disappearance. She had explained everything she knew to them. The group was wondering around the city, hoping to find any clues to where Django might be.

Leo turned to Chronos, “Sense anything, Chronos? Can you detect Django’s energies?”

Chronos shook his head, “No, sadly I can’t. If he’s still here in Cyber City, then something is blocking his energy signature. This stinks of Lucifer, but I don’t think it’s him personally. Otherwise he’d be fairly easy to track. We’re just gonna have to comb through all of Cyber City until we find him.”

Fiona clasped her hands together and concentrated, as if trying to sense Django herself.

Cody asked, “Fiona, what are you doin’?”

It dawned on Tempest, “Wait, Fiona has an acute sense of empathy, remember? She can sense the energies of someone, or at least the cards in their deck, when she concentrates enough. Kinda like a lesser version of a Psykinox’s detection abilities. Maybe she’s trying to sense Django’s deck. If Lucifer is blocking Django’s energy from another Psykinox, maybe she can track him better because she’s human and it’s an unusual ability.”

Fiona concentrated hard, focusing her energies, while the others watched tensely. Finally, after a few moments, she opened her eyes and looked at her friends.

She said, “I have good news. I was able to detect Django’s Duel Spirits from his deck. He’s still here in Cyber City, but I can’t pinpoint the exact location right now, as the signal is very faint. But we may be able to track him that way. The only direction I could get from it is that we have to go to the northwestern part of the city, but that’s about as far as I got. Maybe if we get closer I can detect his Duel Spirits better.”

Leo cheered, “Way to go, Fiona!”

Jack ruffled her hair affectionately, “That was pretty slick thinking, Fiona, using your own special ability to possibly bypass a precaution Lucifer set up. Now we have a lead.”

She blushed, “Well… I do want to play my part. I’m just glad it worked, as I was worried that if even another Psykinox like Chronos couldn’t sense him, I wasn’t sure if I could even come close. But thank you. So let’s get going.”

The gang charged ahead, Tempest thinking, “Hang on, Django, we’re on our way, so please stay strong.”

Meanwhile, back at the Duel, Django and Pandora were staring each other down, intensely focused on the Duel at hand.

Django touched his deck, “Since you brought me here, I’ll start this Duel off. I Draw!” He took a card from his hand, “First off, I’ll place this monster into face-down Defense Mode. Then I’ll place one card face-down to end my turn.”

Pandora grinned, drawing a card, “Then it’s my turn, I Draw!” He looked at his hand, thinking smugly, “There it is, as expected. My Dark Magician. Won’t Django be surprised at how easily I drew it. While card tricks are strictly for amateur magicians, knowing how to draw any card any time is a very useful ability for a Duelist. It’s so simple how I manipulated my deck. Or in this case, my D-Pad. The auto-shuffler is so easy to rig and tamper with, so while it did shuffle my deck; it ensured that I would always have a Dark Magician on my opening hand. I’ve tested that many times, and like now, it hasn’t failed me. So now I need to focus on Django, then once I get enough monsters on my field, my Dark Magician will wipe him out.” He then said aloud, “I summon Giant Germ to the field in Attack Mode!”

Giant Germ (1000/100) appeared on the field, just as gross as ever.

“And with that I end my turn.” But he said inwardly, “All I need to do is summon another monster, and my Dark Magician will be all set to crush this lowly creature once and for all.”

Django touched his deck, “You won’t be smiling for much longer. I Draw.” He looked at his hand, thinking, “To defeat a trickster, I have to think like a trickster. So let’s see… do I have any cards in my hand that can ruffle his feathers…? I have Rainbow Kuriboh, Swift Gaia the Fierce Knight, Interceptomato, Dodododraw, and Card Destruction. Hmm…” He gained a grin, picking a card, stating, “Since I don’t trust your hand, I’ll play this Spell.”

Pandora looked surprised, “Don’t trust my hand?”

“Eat this! I activate the Spell: Card Destruction!”

The stage magician looked horrified, “Not that! My precious hand! How dare you!”

Django grinned, “This card forces us to discard our entire hands and start over with a clean slate. I had a feeling you fixed your first hand, so rather than fall into another trick and trap, I forced us both to scrap our old hands and start all over again. So say goodbye to the cards in your hand, Pandora.”

Django smugly discarded his hand, drawing four cards, while Pandora, with great reluctance and fury, discarded five cards, drawing five more.

He snarled, “You’ll pay for that! Once I crush you, destroy your mind and soul, and obtain your precious Dark Magician!”

Django looked at his new cards before replying smugly, “Oh? I wouldn’t bet on that right now. Now I activate my face-down Spell: Brain Control! This card allows me to snag one of your monsters for the turn for the cost of 800 Life Points! While I know that increases my risk of the Psy-Blade reaching me, it’s a small price to pay to uproot you and Lucifer! So I seize control of your Giant Germ!”

Django’s Life Points dropped by 800 to 3200, but this called forth a dark brain with ghostly claws. Pandora could only watch in horror as the ghostly claws snagged Giant Germ, dragging it over to Django’s side of the field.

“Next I reveal my face-down monster: Witch of the Black Forest!”

Django’s hidden monster was revealed, summoning Witch of the Black Forest (1100/1200).

“Now for the really fun part. I Tribute your Giant Germ and my Witch in order to summon a great friend and my most trusted warrior: Dark Magician!”

Pandora could only watch in pure terror as both Giant Germ and Witch of the Black Forest vanished; both were replaced with Django’s Dark Magician (2500/2100), who looked down at Pandora with fierce eyes.

Django stated strongly, “When you believe in your cards then you don’t need to cheat or use tricks to win! But first, now that my Witch of the Black Forest was sent from the field to the Graveyard, I can add a monster with 1500 or less Defense from my deck to my hand. So I think I’ll add my Gogogo Golem to my hand.”

His Infinity Disk ejected a card, which he took, revealed, and added to his hand.

“And with your field wide open, this is gonna hurt you quite a bit! Dark Magician, give him a REAL magic show with a direct Dark Magic Attack!”

Dark Magician gave his staff a quick spin before firing his attack, which struck Pandora with a vengeance, his Life Points dropping harshly by 2500 to 1500. This caused the Psy-Blade to move closer toward Pandora, making him very tense. It stopped at a certain point, allowing the masked magician to return his attention to Django.

“So, how did you like a taste of your own medicine, Pandora?” the Psykinox said coolly.

Pandora snapped, “Don’t get cocky, I’ll still prevail. So if you’re quite done, it’s my turn, I Draw!” He said silently, “I have to protect myself from another direct attack from Django’s Dark Magician, or the curtain will fall on me. Hmm… this combo should do nicely.” He said aloud, “I summon Dark Elf to the field in Attack Mode!”

A new monster appeared. Dark Elf looked like a dark version of Mystical Elf, with dark skin, violet hair, a teal dress, and a gold headdress. She was a Level Four monster with stats of 2000/800.

“And to wrap up my turn, I place one card face-down.”

Django said mentally, “Dark Elf is a decent defense, but not enough. All I need to do is summon another monster, destroy her with my Dark Magician, and have the second monster mount a direct attack to win the Duel. However, that face-down card worries me, but I cannot back down.”

Pandora said inwardly, “Take the bait, Django. I know you want to summon another monster to mount a joint attack on me. And when you do, I have a little surprise for you.”

The inventor touched his deck, “It’s my turn, I Draw!” He looked at his cards before deciding what to do, “First I activate Pot of Greed to draw two cards from my deck.” He drew two cards, looked at them, then picked another card, “I summon Gogogo Ghost to the field in Attack Mode!”

A black mist formed from Django’s newly played card, which then took the form of Gogogo Ghost (1900/0), ready to strike. However, Pandora was grinning broadly.

He sneered, “I knew you couldn’t resist summoning another monster, so I have a little surprise for you. Activate Trap: Dark Renewal! Whenever you summon one or more monsters while I control a Spellcaster, I can send my Spellcaster and one of those newly summoned monsters straight to the Graveyard. But in return, I can summon a DARK Spellcaster from my Graveyard or deck. So I send my Dark Elf and your Gogogo Ghost to the Graveyard! And I think you know exactly what card I’m going to recover.”

Django’s eyes widened, “You want your Dark Magician back!”

“Ding, ding, ding! You win the prize! So say goodbye to your Gogogo Ghost and my Dark Elf! And say hello to my Dark Magician!”

A red and gold coffin appeared. It opened up on four separate hinges, then released red energy tendrils at both Dark Elf and Gogogo Ghost. It dragged them both into the coffin, which sealed up shortly afterward, then gained a glowing aura. Then the coffin started to open again, and out emerged Pandora’s Dark Magician (2500/2100), who took his place on the battlefield, staring down at his purple counterpart.

Django merely said, “You have your wish. It’s a showdown between two Dark Magicians. Let’s see who the real master is.”

Pandora countered smugly, “Our monsters’ stats are identical, so merely attacking won’t do much. You have to think strategically, and only a master magician and illusionist can fully harness the power of a Dark Magician. So be prepared to lose your precious monster forever.”

Django took two cards from his hand, “Think again. I place these two cards face-down to end my turn. Let’s see what you’ve got.”

The masked magician thought, “This Duel will have more twists and turns than Django expects. I’ll match him move for move.” He drew a card before stating, “Two can play that game. It’s time for the mirror move act. I also place two cards face-down to end my turn. What’s next?”

Django drew a card, “So, you want to play copycat? Fine. I place one more card face-down.”

Pandora said sarcastically as he drew a card, “Brilliant move, Django. So I place another card face-down as well.”

Django drew another card before playing it, “I place one more card face-down on the field.”

Pandora drew another card, “And so will I.” He looked at the field, sneering, “We’ve each got four cards face-down and one Dark Magician. So let’s see who picked the better Dueling strategy. I’ll activate one of my other face-down cards. I activate the Spell: Soul Taker! This destroys one monster on your field, but in exchange you gain 1000 Life Points! So say goodbye to your Dark Magician!”

Django countered, “You’ll have to find him first! I activate the Trap: Magical Hats! Conceal and protect my Dark Magician! This little Trap hides any monster or monsters on my field in one of four Hat Tokens that are placed in Defense Mode. Now you’ll have to guess which hat he’s under. So go ahead and take a guess.”

A large silk top hat appeared, swallowing up the Dark Magician, before spawning into three more, totaling four hats. They then shuffled around and finally sat still on the field.

Pandora growled, “Your little hat trick won’t stop me. Soul Taker, destroy the first hat on the left!”

The Spell fired a beam at one of the Hat Tokens, destroying it, but there was no trace of the Dark Magician under it. Django’s Life Points increased by 1000 to 4200, but he seemed rather satisfied.

He chuckled, “Not only did you miss, but you just gave me some free Life Points. Not quite the performance I was expecting from someone who claims to be such a great magician. So why don’t you try again, if you can.”

Pandora snarled, “Don’t get cocky. I still have a few tricks up my sleeves. Like this face-down Spell, for example. The Spell known as Thousand Knives! This Spell can only be activated when I control a Dark Magician. It destroys one monster on the field, so I’ll aim for another Hat Token. And this time I have a feeling I’ll hit the right one! Attack the rightmost hat!”

A thousand glowing magic daggers appeared around Pandora’s Dark Magician. With a wave of his staff, he fired the daggers, which all struck the rightmost hat, destroying it, but once again there was no sign of the Dark Magician under it, prompting Pandora to curse.

Django grinned, “Nice try, but not nice enough. You still missed. As you can see, destroying my Dark Magician won’t be a walk in the park, Pandora.”

Pandora, who was losing his patience, snapped, “Well we’ll just see! Dark Magician, attack the hat on the right!”

Dark Magician charged in, staff held out. This time, however, Django gave a snarl.

He said, annoyed, “You actually succeeded this time. But I will counter with my own Dark Magician!”

Django’s Dark Magician leapt out of the safety of the hat, staff held out, and both magicians struck each other with magical blasts, destroying one another in a Double KO. This caused the last Hat Token to vanish. But Django wasn’t done.

He stated, “I activate my Trap: Soul Rope! Since a monster I controlled was destroyed, for the cost of 1000 Life Points, I can summon a Level Four monster from my deck! So I choose my Giant Rat in Defense Mode!”

Django’s Life Points dropped by 1000 to 3200, but this allowed his deck to eject a card, which he played, summoning Giant Rat (1400/1450) to the field.

Django and Pandora stated in unison, “Now my Dark Magician will return! I activate the Trap: Miracle’s Wake! This revives a monster that was destroyed this turn!”

Both Pandora’s Dark Magician (2500/2100) and Django’s Dark Magician (2500/2100) jumped out of the newly opened Graveyard Portal, returning to their original positions.

Pandora observed, “Looks like we’re back to where we started, although there is a new addition to the mix. But we’re basically in the same situation.”

Django nodded, “Yes, still a stalemate. Why don’t you unlock us from the Psycho Cuffs and finish this Duel with honor instead of cheap tricks and illusions.”

“With honor!? And ruin all the fun? It’s still my turn, so I activate my own Pot of Greed to draw two cards.” The magician drew two cards, looked at them, then played one of them, “I place this card face-down to end my turn. I have no intention of ending this Duel, nor do I intend to play with honor, as it’s too much fun to do it this way.”

Django drew a card, saying, “Have it your way. But answer me this. Why did you bring me here? Why did you agree to help Lucifer get rid of me? Why do all this? What’s in it for you?”

Pandora took off his mask, “Look at my face…”

Django recoiled in shock at what he saw.

“I was the greatest illusionist and magician since the great Harry Houdini himself. Born in the elegant parlors of Vienna, I traveled the globe, my magic act was the envy of the magical world, and I loved every second of it. I had everything: money, fame, movie-star looks, but there was one piece of my life that made everything perfect. My partner, assistant, and fiancée: Jodi. She was always by my side, always supporting me, always willing to help, and we were madly in love. We were going to be married until that horrid, fateful day. I was performing a routine escape trick. I must’ve done it a million times. But as Jodi looked on, something when horribly wrong! The box exploded prematurely before I could have a chance, destroying my career and exquisite looks. This icing on that miserable cake was what happened next. I was a broken man, wallowing in my own misery, unintentionally driving her away. I didn’t want her to see me ruined, but that was a critical mistake, causing her to leave me. She stood by me and I hurt her. By the time I realized that, it was way too late… she was gone forever. My life was a downhill ride from there. But then, one day, I met him… Lucifer. He made me an offer: if I could eliminate Django Spirit for good and obtain his Dark Magician and Numbers, he would help me win back Jodi by using his Psykinox powers.”

Django huffed, “Working for Lucifer is just going to send you to your doom. Lucifer cares about no one but himself. He’ll say and do anything to get what he wants, even betraying his own race, despite his racial pride. I should know, as he murdered my family in order to gain what he wanted. He’s cruel, merciless, and evil. You’re just another puppet for him to do his bidding, and you foolishly fell for his lies. Do you really think he’ll reunite you and Jodi if you defeat me? If so, then you’re in for a rude awakening.”

Pandora retorted, “It’s a cruel world, Django, you’ll find out soon enough. There are few things you can count on, and even fewer people. But I know that Lucifer has already fulfilled his end of the bargain. Take a gander at that room behind me.”

As he gestured to a room behind him, a light turned on inside it, revealing a silhouette of a woman.

“There she is, my precious Jodi! Just as Lucifer promised. Looks like you’re wrong, Django Spirit.”

Django snorted, “You actually believe that’s your long-lost love? It’s just another one of Lucifer’s tricks, and you’re swallowing his bait, and lies, whole. If anyone knows what lengths Lucifer will go to get what he wants, it’s me. Falling for that trick is just pathetic and sad. Sorry to disappoint you, but that’s not Jodi, and you’ll find out the hard way that I’m right.”

“We’ll see about that, Django Spirit. We’ll see.”

Next Chapter: Dark Burning Attack

And that's all for now, folks. What does the next chapter suggest? It should be pretty obvious, but if you can't figure it out, wait until next time. Same thread, same Duel Time. Later.
 
Last edited:
Re: Psychic Duelist Django (Season 3: Hidden Forces) Chapter 29 up!

Boy, I'm on a roll. Got three chapters done in about four days. Though I have a nagging feeling this won't last. But enough of that, moving onto the main event. The Duel between Django and Pandora comes to a close. Who will be crowned as the true Dark Magician Master? Read and find out.

Dark Burning Attack

Kain and Nicholas entered a large room in Kannon Corp. It had several large screens, multiple women with special visors working at various monitors, and various smaller screens flashing about. The two Kannon brothers stepped up to the central command post, Kain showing grim determination.

He said, “Django hasn’t reappeared on our Duelist Tracking Screen. His Infinity Disk won’t operate unless it has a connection to Spirit Tech Dueling System or another compatible system. So, if Django is Dueling someone who doesn’t want me or Spirit Tech watching, they must be battling in a hidden location with its own internal Dueling system.” He then stated to the women, “Search every system that is compatible with Spirit Tech’s Dueling System, and make it quick.”

The women said in unison, “Right!”

Several small flashing lights appeared on the largest screen. They were scattered all over the map of the city.

The arrogant man stated, “12 different compatible systems, huh? Isolate any system that refuses to identify itself to Spirit Tech’s network.”

Slowly, one by one, the blinking lights started to vanish from the screen.

Nicholas turned to Kain, “I’ll hit the streets. Just call me on my Duel Gazer when you find him.”

The young teen ran out the door, while Kain watched attentively at the screen.

Meanwhile, Tempest and the others had reached the northwestern part of the city. They were taking a break from all the running, catching their breath.

Jack turned to Fiona, “Hey, Fiona, try to sense Django’s Duel Spirits now. Since we’re in the northwestern part of the city, you should get a clearer signal now.”

Fiona nodded, clasped her hands together, closed her eyes, and concentrated. The gang watched tensely as the young teen focused, trying her hardest. After a couple of moments, she opened her eyes and look at them.

She said, “I’ve got a better lock on Django’s Duel Spirits, but I still can’t pinpoint his exact location yet. We’re getting closer, though. What I could get is that he’s somewhere in the business district sector of the city, and he’s underground. My guess he’s in the basement of a building. But we’re close, very close, but I think whatever energies that are blocking Django’s energy signature are also hampering my ability a bit.”

Leo said, “Even so, it’s because of you that we even have an idea where Django is. So great work, sis. Now let’s get going, as who knows what Lucifer or those Shadow Stalkers have Django trapped in.”

As the gang charged ahead, Tempest said mentally, “Please hang on, Django. You’re too precious to lose, so please keep it together long enough for us to find and rescue you.”

Back at the Duel, Django and Pandora were staring each other down. Django had his Dark Magician (2500/2100) in Attack Mode, Giant Rat (1400/1450) in Defense Mode, one face-down card, and 3200 Life Points left. Pandora had his Dark Magician (2500/2100), two face-down cards, and 1500 Life Points left.

Django stated, “Pandora, why don’t you set us free and save yourself before Lucifer destroys you.”

Pandora huffed, “Not until I win.”

"Fine, then make a move."
“With great pleasure. I Draw!” The magician took a different card from his hand, “I summon Mystic Clown to the field in Attack Mode!”

A new monster appeared. Mystic Clown was a demented-looking creature with purple skin, multiple eyes littering its body, a somewhat Egyptian-shaped head with a single eye, two shoulder plates that had sinisterly smiling faces, and a lanky body. It was a Level Four monster with stats of 1500/1000.

“Now, Mystic Clown, attack Giant Rat! Exterminate it from the field!”

Mystic Clown started doing weird motions with its hands, releasing strange pulsing waves. They caused Giant Rat to become distorted, its body twisting and turning, before it finally shattered.

Django stated, “I activate Giant Rat’s ability! When it’s destroyed in battle and sent to the Graveyard, I can Special Summon an EARTH monster with 1500 or less Attack from my deck in Attack Mode! So I choose my Obnoxious Celtic Guardian!”

His deck ejected a card, which he played right away, summoning the Obnoxious Celtic Guardian (1400/1200) in the process.

Pandora laughed, “Fine with me, because now I can destroy it and take a bite out of your Life Points! Dark Magician, attack Obnoxious Celtic Guardian with Dark Magic Attack!”

Pandora’s Dark Magician charged in and fired a dark energy bolt from his staff, striking the Obnoxious Celtic Guardian, who weathered the attack, remaining unscathed.

Django stated, “I activate my Trap: Defense Draw! I take no damage from an attack and I get to draw an extra card! So sorry, but you just wasted your attack.”

He drew a card, looked at it, and added it to his hand, annoying Pandora.

The magician stated, “So be it. I end my turn. Not like you can do much.”

The inventor replied, “We’ll see. I Draw.” He thought, “Okay, let’s see… I could mount a joint attack against Pandora’s monsters, but I might be walking into a trap, so I think I’ll play defensively for a bit, but that doesn’t mean I won’t attack. He summoned that Mystic Clown for a reason, as he knows perfectly well that my Dark Magician can roast it easily, so I’ll just have to find out what his strategy is.” He said aloud, “I place this monster face-down in Defense Mode, shift my Obnoxious Celtic Guardian to Defense Mode, and have my Dark Magician attack your Mystic Clown!”

Django’s Dark Magician jumped into the air, took aim, and prepared to fire. But Pandora gained a sinister grin.

The stage magician stated, “Not so fast, Django! I activate the Trap: Spellbinding Circle! This Trap snares one of your monsters, preventing from attacking or changing Battle Modes! So I’m afraid your Dark Magician is now paralyzed!”

A magical circle appeared, surrounding Django’s Dark Magician, locking him into place. He struggled to get free, but to no avail, making Django grimace.

The inventor said, “You may have paralyzed my Dark Magician, but he’s still in this. I place one card face-down to end my turn. Your move.”

Pandora grinned, “We shall see about that, Django. I Draw.” He looked at his new card, grinning, “This’ll put a dent in your plans, Django. I activate the Spell: Blustering Winds! This Spell boosts the Attack and Defense Points of a monster by 1000 until the start of my next turn! Now, I know what you’re thinking, and you’re wrong. I’m not gonna boost the power of my Dark Magician to topple yours. No, I have bigger plans in mind. So I use this on my Mystic Clown!”

A massive wind surrounded Mystic Clown, boosting its power by 1000 to 2500/2000.

“Now I activate my face-down Spell: Cross Attack! When I have two monsters on my field with the same Attack, I can use this card. One of those monsters cannot attack this turn, but the other one can attack you directly! So now you see why I didn’t boost my Dark Magician’s power? Because I can deal far more damage this way than using Blustering Winds on its own. So I choose to not allow my Mystic Clown to attack and I’ll have my Dark Magician attack you directly! Let’s see how YOU like being at the other end of a Dark Magic Attack! It’s showtime! Dark Magician, attack Django’s Life Points directly!”

Django’s eyes widened as Pandora’s Dark Magician started to glow, jumped into the air, took aim, and fired a bolt of energy from his staff. It struck Django hard, reducing his Life Points sharply by 2500 to just 700. When the attack ended, Django gave his head a shake but noticed that the Psy-Blade was moving closer, making him tense. It stopped at the “700” point marker, which wasn’t far from his shackled legs.

Pandora sneered, “You’re very close to annihilation, Django Spirit. Just a few more points of damage and you’re done. So I’ll end my turn there, but it’s not like you can do much. You have a paralyzed Dark Magician, and elf swordsman, and a hidden monster, and I doubt you can get any of them to save you. So take your turn.”

Django touched his deck, “I always have faith in my cards, Pandora, so I’ll find a way to overcome you! I Draw!” He looked at his new card before playing it, “I place this card face-down to end my turn.”

The masked magician sneered, “Not much of a move. Now, I Draw. And my Blustering Winds Spell expires, but it did what I needed it to do.”

As he said that, Mystic Clown’s power dropped down to its original 1500/1000.

“Now, I activate the Spell: Pot of Dichotomy. In exchange for not being able to conduct my Battle Phase, I can shuffle three monsters with different types into my deck to draw two cards. So let’s see what’s in the cards for me.”

He selected three different monsters from his Graveyard, shuffled them into his deck, and drew two more cards. He looked at them, gaining a gleeful grin.

“Time for you to make a choice, Django. I activate the Spell: Share the Pain! We both must Tribute a monster we control with no reward in it for either of us. So I Tribute my Mystic Clown, as it has outlived its usefulness to me. So what monster will you be saying bye-bye to, Django?”

Django grimaced, thinking carefully. His thoughts were interrupted by Dark Magician.

The dark mage stated, “Django, please Tribute me. It’s the only way. With me paralyzed by this Spellbinding Circle, I’m all but useless to you. So please, Tribute me.”

Django shook his head, “No way! I can’t do that to you! Spellbinding Circle or not, I can’t just toss you away like that! You’re like a surrogate father to me, so I won’t sacrifice you so I can gain an advantage. So I choose… my face-down Gogogo Golem! I’m sorry, Gogogo Golem, but I need to do this. Please forgive me.”

Pandora sneered, finding it highly amusing as Django reluctantly sacrificed his Gogogo Golem, which vanished from the field at the same time Mystic Clown did. Django’s paralyzed Dark Magician looked surprised, but inside felt proud.

Pandora sneered, “You actually beg for forgiveness from your monsters? Ha! What a softie you are! And here Lucifer said you’re a major threat to him. The way you treasure your cards is both pathetic and sad. That will be your ultimate downfall in this Duel, Django.”

Django snapped angrily, “How DARE you! My cards are my friends! They have helped me through thick and thin! For the longest time they were my only friends, and I have great respect for each and every one of them! But I guess a lowly, easily fooled idiot like you could never understand that. My heart and soul was put into this deck, which allows me to draw out their true power. That’s something you’ll never understand, as to you, they’re just cards. But to me, they are like family! So finish your turn already!”

The masked magician gave Django a smirk, “Oh, I’ll finish up my turn, all right, and it’ll be the end of you. You see, I have another way of destroying you. While I may not be able to conduct my Battle Phase this turn, I can still wipe out the last of your Life Points! I activate Mischief of the Gnomes’ effect from my Graveyard! By banishing it I can lower the Levels of all monsters in our hand by one for this turn! So that means I can summon a Level Five monster without a Tribute! So I summon my Catapult Turtle in Attack Mode!”

A new monster appeared on the field. Catapult Turtle looked like a giant, somewhat robotic turtle with a green shell, stubby legs with ball-like feet, a narrow head with a beak-like front, glowing eyes, and a large catapult on its back. It was a Level Five monster with stats of 1000/2000.

Django looked horrified, “You’re not going to do what I think you’re gonna do!?”

Pandora laughed, “You should be scared, Django, as once a turn, my Turtle can fire one of my monsters at you directly, dealing you damage equal to half its Attack! So once I fire a monster at you, it’ll be all over! And I’ll start with my Dark Magician!”

Pandora’s Dark Magician, who was initially looking confident and smug, suddenly gained a terrified expression, realizing what Pandora said. He turned back to Pandora, fear in his eyes, almost as if begging him to reconsider. Django, on the other hand, was disgusted.

He snarled, “You’re willing to sacrifice your own monster like that just so you can win!? You’re sick! Can’t you see the fear in your Dark Magician’s eyes right now? He doesn’t want to be sacrificed like that!”

The masked magician sneered, “My Dark Magician knows I am his master. He’s nothing but a pawn to me. Unlike you, who thinks befriending his monsters will help you succeed, it’s better to strike fear into your monsters. That way they’ll obey and never turn against you. After all, look at the situation where your kindness and trust got your favorite and most famous card in. Your Dark Magician is trapped in my Spellbinding Circle, unable to do anything. Now he’ll have a front row seat to watch his soon-to-be former master being destroyed. So say goodbye, Django! I’m about to blast your Life Points by blasting one of my monsters directly at you! Dark Magician, get on the catapult now!”

Pandora’s Dark Magician turned around, shaking his head, desperately begging him to reconsider. This made both Django and his Dark Magician look disgusted and upset.

Pandora snapped, “Do it now! You will do as I say, or else!”

With great reluctance and sorrow, the red Dark Magician set himself on Catapult Turtle’s catapult. The catapult was then adjusted so that it pointed directly at Django, locked itself in place, and prepared to fire. The red Dark Magician closed his eyes tightly, preparing for what was about to happen, before the catapult fired him.

Django stated angrily, “I won’t allow that to happen! I activate Interceptomato’s ability from my Graveyard! I banish it to protect myself from all Effect Damage this turn! So I’m still alive and in this Duel! And you’ll pay dearly for the way you abuse your monsters!”

The Graveyard Portal opened up, allowing a bunch of tomatoes wearing football helmets appear, gathering in front of Django. The red Dark Magician, who had been converted into an energy form, slammed into Interceptomato, causing him and the tomatoes to explode, but Django remained unscathed. This visibly angered Pandora.

He snarled, “You may have gotten out of that one, but you’re only one attack away from annihilation! So I place this card face-down to end my turn. Let’s see what you’ve got.”

Django snarled, “I’ll teach you a lesson you won’t forget, Pandora! I Draw!” He looked at his new card, grinning, “I just drew a card that’ll prevent you from selfishly sacrificing your monsters like you just did a few moments ago. I activate my own Thousand Knives! Like you did, since I have a Dark Magician on my field, I can destroy one monster on yours! So say goodbye to Catapult Turtle!”

A thousand knives appeared around Dark Magician. Despite being bound, he made a sharp gesture, firing the magic daggers, which pierced Catapult Turtle, causing it to shatter.

“Now, to wipe out your Life Points! I Tribute my Obnoxious Celtic Guardian in order to summon my Dododo Warrior to the field in Attack Mode!”

Obnoxious Celtic Guardian vanished from the field, but was replaced by a new monster. Dododo Warrior was a very Viking-like monster. He had a massively muscular body with dark skin, semicircle eyes, and a large head. He was garbed in traditional Viking armor consisting of armored brown boots, a red armored kilt, an open dirty yellow vest over a tight black long sleeved shirt, fingerless gloves, a black face mask, and a helmet with curved horns. He was holding a large axe and a round shield. He was a Level Six monster with stats of 2300/900.

Pandora, however, laughed, “You fell right into my Trap! I knew you wouldn’t be able to resist summoning a strong monster to take out my Life Points! So I was prepared for that! I activate the Trap: Bottomless Trap Hole! This Trap destroys and banishes a monster that was just summoned if it has 1500 or more Attack! By my math, 2300 is greater than 1500, so your Dododo Warrior is done-done-done!”

Django watched in shock as Dododo Warrior was suddenly sucked up by a black hole underneath it, vanishing from the field. He gained a nasty look.

“I should’ve figured you’d weasel your way out of that, Pandora. So I end my turn.”

Pandora laughed, “How unfortunate, truly! I Draw! I place these three cards face-down to end my turn.”

Django thought, “Pandora’s got no monsters on his field and three cards face-down. What is he up to? Unfortunately, thanks to the banishing of Dododo Warrior, I no longer have any monsters in my hand, either. I just have to free my Dark Magician and wipe him out.” He said aloud, “I Draw!”

Pandora stated, “Not so fast, Django! I activate all three of my face-down cards! I activate two Reckless Greed Traps and one Offerings to the Doomed Spell! Offerings to the Doomed allows me to destroy one monster you control, but I cannot conduct my next Draw Phase. But that doesn’t matter, as I can get rid of your Dark Magician once and for all! Meanwhile, my Reckless Greed Traps allow me to draw two cards each, but I cannot conduct my next two Draw Phases. Since the effects don’t stack, I only have to wait two of my turns before I can do my Draw Phase again, but that’s a small price to pay for wiping out your last line of defense!”

Django could only watch in horror as the Spell fired a beam at Dark Magician, striking him. He cried out as he was destroyed, leaving Django shocked and upset. Pandora then drew four cards from his deck, looked at them, and gained a sinister, gleeful grin.

Django said in a disgruntled tone, “I place one card face-down to end my turn.”

The masked magician sneered, “Did I make you that upset, Django? Aw, poor baby. Don’t worry, you won’t have to see that happen ever again, as after this turn you’ll be finished. Since I cannot conduct my Draw Phase, I’ll just move right along. Say farewell to your face-down cards, as I activate the Spell: Heavy Storm! This mighty storm blows away all Spell and Trap cards on the field! So say goodbye to your last hope!”

A massive wind storm struck the field. Django braced himself as his face-down cards: Half Unbreak, Draining Shield, and Magician’s Circle, where blown away, shattered into nothingness. He looked at his now empty field before redirecting his attention to Pandora.

Pandora snickered, “Your field is completely empty, which means you have no way of blocking my next move. You see, the Dark Magician I sacrificed earlier wasn’t my only Dark Magician. I know perfectly well that you only have one Dark Magician in your deck, but I have a total of THREE Dark Magicians! That further proves that I’m the true master of the Dark Magician! After all, what kind of a master only uses one copy of a certain card? So now it’s time to drop the curtain on you Django by activating the Spell: Dark Magic Curtain! This Spell allows me to summon a Dark Magician from my deck in exchange for half of my total Life Points! The catch is I can’t summon anything else this turn. But that’s no biggie because that’s all I need to win! So you’re on, Dark Magician!”

A red curtain over a gold base with a skeleton and a double star crest appeared on the field. Pandora’s Life Points dropped by half to 750, but this caused the curtain to start glowing, as well as a card ejecting from Pandora’s D-Pad. The curtain then opened up, and out emerged a second red Dark Magician (2500/2100).

“You played well, I’ll give you that, Django. But do you know why you lost today? You’re too soft. You care too much about your cards, and that was your downfall today. But don’t worry, after this next attack, you won’t have to live with the loss because you won’t exist anymore! So go, Dark Magician! Attack Django directly with Dark Magic Attack!”

Pandora’s Dark Magician raised up his staff, took aim, and prepared to strike.

Django stated, “I’m not done yet, Pandora! I still have one last trick up my sleeve! I activate Rainbow Kuriboh’s ability from my Graveyard! When I’m targeted for a direct attack, I can Special Summon this little guy from my Graveyard to intercept the attack! But he’ll be banished if summoned this way! Say hello to the last gift my father gave me! And I’ll summon him in Defense Mode!”

The Graveyard Portal opened up, allowing Rainbow Kuriboh to pop out. He was a Level One monster with stats of 100/100.

Pandora was visibly vexed, snapping, “Fine! I’ll just destroy your little creampuff! Dark Magician, take out Rainbow Kuriboh!”

The red Dark Magician fired his attack at Rainbow Kuriboh. Rainbow Kuriboh tried to weather the attack, but was eventually overwhelmed and destroyed, but it allowed Django to sigh in relief.

He said mentally, “Thank you, dad. You saved me today. Even among the stars, you and mom are always helping me. Thank you.”

Pandora snarled, “You were lucky that time, Django, but come next turn you’ll be finished! So take your final turn.”

At that time, Tempest and the others were in the business district of the northwestern part of the city. Fiona was, once again, concentrating, trying to detect Django’s monsters.

She said, “I think I’ve got a lock on Django now. We’re not far from him. So let’s go!”

Just then a voice called out, “Hey! Tempest!”

Everyone turned to see Nicholas run up to them. He was a bit out of breath.

Tempest asked, “Nicholas? What are you doing here?”

He replied, “Kain and I learned that Django vanished into thin air. We suspected it was Lucifer’s doing. I take it you guys are looking for him, too. Kain just contacted me a few minutes ago, telling me he managed to lock in on Django’s Infinity Disk. I’m on my way there.”

Cody stated, “Perfect timin’, Nicholas! Fiona was just about to pinpoint D-Man’s location, too, that’s how we ended up here.”

Leo nodded, “Yeah, but now you can lead the way, Nicholas, as you have Django’s exact location. We’ll follow you, but we have to hurry.”

Nicholas nodded and charged ahead, the rest of the gang following him.

Back at the Duel, Django looked at his hand, thinking, “Rainbow Kuriboh bought me another turn, but I have to pull out a monster on my next draw. But it has to have at least 1800 Attack, otherwise Pandora’s Dark Magician will just wipe it out and the rest of my Life Points.” He said aloud, “It’s my turn, I Draw!” He looked at his new card, thinking, “Neo the Magic Swordsman? His power is too low…” he then noticed two other cards in his hand, “Wait a minute, this three-card combo might work. Yeah, if I can force Pandora to summon another monster, then I can turn the tables on him big time. Here comes my counterattack, but I doubt you’re ready for it.” He said aloud, “I summon Neo the Magic Swordsman to the field in Attack Mode!”

A new monster appeared. Neo the Magic Swordsman was a handsome male swordsman with long blonde hair, fair skin, and yellowish green eyes. He was outfitted with noble-looking silver armor and clothes consisting of a large breast plate, curved blue and red shoulder pads, brown undershirt with matching pants, boots, maroon gloves, and a blue cape. He was holding a regal sword and had a magical light illuminating off his fingers. He was a Level Four monster with stats of 1700/1000.

Pandora retorted, “Is that the best you’ve got? He’s no threat to me at all. One attack from my Dark Magician both you and him are through.”

Django grinned, “Perhaps, but I’m not done yet. I activate the Equip Spell: Wonder Wand! This can only be equipped to a Spellcaster, granting it 500 extra Attack Points. But I can also send both this wand and the equipped Spellcaster to the Graveyard to draw two cards. But I don’t need to do that, as I have other plans. So if you want to wipe me out, you’ll need to summon another monster! That is, if you can.”

Wonder Wand appeared on the field. Neo then grabbed the wand with his free hand, its power infusing him, increasing his strength by 500 to 2200.

“To wrap up my turn, I place this card face-down. Your move, if you dare.” He said mentally, “Come on, Pandora, take my bait. I know you want to summon another monster in order to wipe me out, and when you do, I’ll give you a taste of your own medicine.”

Pandora thought, “Grr… clever move. By increasing his swordsman’s power with Wonder Wand, I can’t wipe him out in one turn with just my Dark Magician, which would give him a chance to counterattack. But, fortunately, I happen to have another monster in my hand. All I need to do is summon it, then destroy his swordsman with my Dark Magician, leaving him wide open for a direct attack. I can’t lose.” He stated aloud, “Your plan is far from foolproof, Django! So take this! I still cannot draw any more cards from my deck, but that doesn’t mean I can’t wipe you out! I summon Vorse Raider to the field in Attack Mode!”

Vorse Raider (1900/1200) appeared on the field, giving his bladed weapon a swing, ready to fight.

Django grinned, “That’s exactly what I wanted you to do, Pandora. You just walked right into my Trap! And it’s a Trap you should be familiar with, as you played it earlier! Go, Dark Renewal! Like you, because I have a Spellcaster on my field and you summoned one or more monsters this turn, I can use this Trap to send both my Spellcaster and your monster to the Graveyard! But in exchange, I can summon a DARK Spellcaster from my deck or Graveyard!”

Pandora sputtered, “What?! You have a Dark Renewal card, too!?” But he regained his composure, “I see, you’re trying to resurrect your Dark Magician. That’ll just put this Duel into another stalemate, you know.”

Django smiled, “Oh, I plan to summon a Dark Magician, but not the Dark Magician you destroyed earlier. No, I have a different Dark Magician in mind. A different type of Dark Magician to be exact, one that’s even more powerful than yours! You seem to be forgetting that Dark Renewal can also retrieve a monster from the deck, so that’s where my second variety of Dark Magician lies in wait. So go, Dark Renewal! Send my Neo and Pandora’s Vorse Raider to the Graveyard in order to summon a different Dark Magician from my deck!”

The same red and gold coffin appeared, opened up, and drew in both Neo and Vorse Raider, closing up behind them. It gained a glowing aura.

Pandora sputtered, “But wait! I was informed you had only ONE Dark Magician in your deck! And even so, there isn’t another type of Dark Magician, as I would’ve heard about it!”

Django huffed, “You’re partly right, as I only have one Dark Magician in my deck. But you’re wrong, as there is another variety of Dark Magician, and it can trounce yours with ease. So I summon from my deck… Dark Magician Girl in Attack Mode!”

The coffin opened up, releasing a lot of energy. Out jumped Dark Magician Girl (2000/1700), who looked eager to battle, shocking Pandora.

He said in awe, “It’s true, a female Dark Magician! I never knew she existed. But you’re wrong about one thing, Django. Your magical chick is weaker than my Dark Magician. In a head-to-head battle, my Dark Magician will wipe her out! Take this! Dark Magician, attack Dark Magician Girl!”

The red Dark Magician charged in, staff held high, but Dark Magician Girl gave him an angry look. She held out her staff, summoning immense energies. Much to Pandora’s shock, when the two magicians clashed, Dark Magician Girl’s attack prevailed, obliterating Dark Magician, leaving her quite proud of herself. His Life Points dropped by 100 to 650.

The masked magician sputtered, “I-It can’t be! How could my Dark Magician lose to your girlfriend!? It’s not possible! He had 500 more Attack Points than she did! So how could he have lost!?”

Django huffed, “You’re no Dark Magician master. Not only did you not know about Dark Magician Girl’s existence, but you don’t know about her ability, either. She gains 300 extra Attack Points for every Dark Magician in the Graveyard, making her stronger than yours.”

“It still doesn’t add up. That math is completely wrong. There is only one Dark Magician in your Graveyard. Even with the 300 point boost, her power is only 2300, which means my Dark Magician still outranks her by 200 points.”

Django replied, “Take a closer look, Pandora, and you’ll see the answer right in front of you. You might see someone familiar.”

Pandora took a closer look before looking alarmed. Standing behind Dark Magician Girl was not only the ghostly image of Django’s Dark Magician, but also a red Dark Magician, who was looking at Pandora coldly. He then noticed Dark Magician Girl’s Attack was sitting at 2600.

“Wait a minute! My first Dark Magician is there, too! But why would the power of my Dark Magician be helping YOUR monster!?”

The inventor replied acidly, “Let me repeat myself, Pandora, so listen up. Dark Magician Girl gains 300 Attack Points for every Dark Magician in the Graveyard, no matter which Graveyard he’s in. So when you selfishly sacrificed your first Dark Magician, you helped set the stage for my Dark Magician Girl to gain his power for herself. Now he’s empowering my monster, and it looks like he’ll be getting a bit of revenge on you, Pandora, for how you treated him.”

As he said that, the red Dark Magician gave his “master” an icy glare, seemingly savoring the fact he was empowering Django’s Dark Magician Girl. Moments later, the ghostly image of his second red Dark Magician appeared behind Dark Magician Girl, horrifying Pandora even more as Dark Magician Girl’s power rose by another 300 to 2900.

Django drew a card, stating acidly, “Now, Pandora, time for the curtain to fall… right on you. Dark Magician Girl, attack him directly with Dark Burning Attack! End this Duel, my friend! Show him what happens when one mistreats their cards!”

Pandora was panicking and flailing about, trying to break free of the Psycho Cuffs as Dark Magician Girl charged in. She got in his face, raised up her staff, and fired pink magical energy at him, striking him hard, his Life Points dropping down to zero.

“When you abuse and treat your cards like trash, you pay a very high price. You lose!”

At that time, the Legendary Number Hunters, Nicholas, and Chronos, arrived at the building. They managed to open the locked front door and quickly ran down the stairs, where they found the locked steel-plated door.

Nicholas stated, “This is it.” He tried to open the door, “It’s shut tight!”

Cody asked, “Chronos, can you use a Warp Gate to get in?”

Chronos held out his hand, concentrated, but lowered it shortly, “No, I can’t. There is an energy coating on and inside that room. My powers are useless. We’ll have to get in the old fashioned way, by breaking the door down.”

Meanwhile, as the Duel ended, Django noticed the key box between his feet open up, revealing a key and a Star Piece.

He said, “The key! And a Star Piece! Time to get out of here.”

At that time, Pandora was flailing and screaming, trying to break free from the Psycho Cuffs, but was smiling inwardly. While Django was distracted, he grinned.

He said mentally, “Heheheh, a REAL magician always has one last trick up his sleeve. Like a spare key.” He pulled out a spare key from inside his sleeve, “Now I can make a great escape!” Just then his hand froze, “M-My hand! It’s frozen! I can’t use my hand! I can’t use my hand!”

A voice bellowed in his head, “Pandora!”

“M-Master Lucifer!”

Lucifer’s voice snarled, “You didn’t hold up your end of the deal, so prepare to lose it all.”

The stage magician sputtered, “No, please spare me, give me another chance!”

“No! You will pay for failing me!”

Just then, in Pandora’s eyes, the key in his hand vanished, “The key! It’s gone! Where is it!? I just had the key and now it’s gone!”

In reality, he was still holding the key, but it had been erased from his mind. He was panicking even more.

Lucifer sneered, “Is your pathetic human brain playing tricks on you? Or did you just lose control of your feeble little cockroach mind? That key in your hand doesn’t exist!”

This caused Pandora to drop the key, flailing in a panic. Django had just unlocked himself from the Psycho Cuffs and saw the Psy-Blade edging closer and closer to Pandora. He took a deep breath and charged forward, sliding to the ground, grabbing the key, and unlocked Pandora’s Psycho Cuffs. He then grabbed Pandora and pulled him away, just moments before the Psy-Blade reached its destination, saving the masked man.

He said, “As much as I detest what you did and how you treated your cards, even a creepy cheat like you doesn’t deserve to have his mind and soul shattered.”

Pandora staggered to his feet, whimpering, “What have I done? Why did I do that?” he then turned sharply around, “Jodi! I’m coming!”

He crashed through the screen that separated the stage from the back room, unintentionally covering up the female in a cloth. He then started to hug the female through the cloth.

He whimpered, “Jodi, please stay and let me make it all up to you. Please?”

However, to his horror and Django’s disgust, when the cloth and screen fell off, it reveal the “woman” to be nothing more than a Solid Wave dummy, which flickered and vanished, revealing a small gizmo in its place. Pandora was devastated.

“J-Jodi? No… I have been tricked! Lucifer was never going to bring her back to me! He did lie to me! Oh, Jodi, I need you back. Please, come back to me and help get my life back on track. Please…”

Just then a voice boomed, “I’ve seen ENOUGH!”

A ghostly claw emerged from a Warp Gate, striking Pandora in the chest. He cried out in pain, but then slumped over, his body lay lifeless, a glowing sphere sitting in the palm of the ghostly claw. The claw then shattered the glowing sphere, followed by a pair of heterochromatic eyes appearing, making Django’s blood boil.

Django snarled, “Lucifer. Haven’t you destroyed enough lives yet!? Why must you treat the lives of everyone like trash!?”

Lucifer’s voice replied from the Warp Gate, “Because all other lives that exist except mine ARE trash, Django Spirit. Humans are such a worthless species, and yet they think they’re top of the food chain. The same goes for your precious Spirit family. You have become a major thorn in my side, Django, one that I will soon remove. You will pay dearly for meddling in my affairs. Once I rid the world of you, I’ll rebuild this planet in my image, creating a world that I will rule with an iron fist! No one will dare oppose me, not even the entire Psykinox race! You may have gotten the ancient legend on your side, but I’ll make sure that you don’t obtain the Numeron Dragon’s power, killing you before it can arrive to this world. Don’t think my Shadow Stalkers are the only threats you have to worry about. My most trusted ally, Number 96, is also here, and he’s having a blast pulverizing such weak Duelists. Your days are numbered, Django, so enjoy it while you can.”

The Warp Gate closed up, the dual colored eyes vanishing, leaving Django enraged. He shook his head, calming himself down, before he turned sharply at a sudden BANG. He saw Cody and Jack barreling through the steel door, almost landing in a heap, but they managed to keep themselves standing. Tempest and the rest of the gang ran in.

Tempest cried out, “Django! You’re okay! We were so worried about you! Thank heavens!”

Django replied, giving a sad smile, “Yeah, I’m okay. But…” he looked down at Pandora’s lifeless body, “This guy isn’t so lucky. Lucifer destroyed his soul for failing to destroy me. He’s just an empty shell now.”

Nicholas looked alarmed, “Say what!? His soul was destroyed!? How is that possible!?”

Chronos explained sadly, “It’s a forbidden Psykinox art that Lucifer recently revived. His Shadow Stalkers are his new pawns, but when they fail, he destroys their souls as punishment. It’s forbidden because how harsh it is, but since Lucifer can draw out his ancestor’s power, he must’ve found a way around the seal.”

“I… I didn’t know that was even possible. That’s horrible. Lucifer is just… he’s just horrible, treating even his own minions like disposable trash. I better let Kain know about this, so he’ll be alert to any sneak attacks. This tournament was partly designed to lure Lucifer out, but it’s already taken a turn for the worst.”

Django sighed, “It’s been a pretty grim tournament so far. Pandora here is the third Shadow Stalker I’ve Dueled who has lost his soul as punishment. But I’ve learned about some of the other Shadow Stalkers’ motivation to working for that demon, but that doesn’t mean they’ll get what they want if they win.”

He walked up to Pandora’s lifeless body and reluctantly rummaged around his D-Pad. He picked up a card, revealing it to be one of the red Dark Magicians. He could sense the spirit within the card, which seemed to be satisfied at changing hands. He placed it in his deck holder, where his Numbers and other won cards were placed. He then put the new Star Piece into his current frame, giving him four pieces. He reluctantly walked away from Pandora and back down to his friends. Tempest, who had a mixture of relief and sorrow on her face, embraced Django, giving him a kiss, nuzzling into him. The Psykinox gently stroked her back, while the others nodded approvingly. The gang then walked out of the room and out of the building, ready to continue the tournament. Django, however, felt a fire of hatred burning inside of him.

He said silently, “Lucifer… you will pay dearly for all you have done. All the lives you’ve ruined in your quest for power. I will make sure of it.”

Next Chapter: Clear Wing Whiplash

Wow, what a harsh way to end the Duel. And it looks like Django's hatred for Lucifer is starting to get closer and closer to the surface. What will that mean later down the road? And what does the next chapter title suggest? If you can't tell, then you'll just have to wait until next time. Same thread, same Duel Time. Later.
 
Last edited:
Re: Psychic Duelist Django (Season 3: Hidden Forces) Chapter 30 up!

Wow, I'm really on a roll. Four chapters in five days? I haven't done that since the earlier stages of Chaos Control, and that was a long time ago. Anyway, enough patting myself on the back, let's move on. Tempest is back up at bat, ready to blow down any opponent she faces. Her opponent is a fellow WIND Duelist, who is also quite respectful and honorable one, Ivan Nimbus (yeah, haven't done an opponent who's isn't a real jerk in a while, have I?). Will she prevail? Read and find out.

Clear Wing Whiplash

Django and Tempest were walking down the street together. The gang had split up again after the incident with Pandora, but promised to keep in touch frequently for security. Django was looking at his Star Pieces, the fourth one sitting comfortably in his frame, but felt a bit depressed at all that had happened so far.

He said mentally, a fire burning inside of him, “Lucifer… why do you take such delight in ruining everyone’s lives? Why must your cruelty go so far in your quest for power and glory? I will make you pay for your crimes. Count on that. And your little buddy Number 96 will fall as well.”

Tempest noticed the solemn look on her boyfriend’s face, knowing exactly what he was thinking. She gently placed a hand on his shoulder, causing him to turn to her, a warm smile on her face.

She said, “Don’t let it bother you, Django. I know how you feel. Lucifer’s evil needs to end as soon as possible, but we cannot allow it to drag us down, either. I know you’ve suffered the most at his hands, and I can tell that, despite your efforts, a fire of hatred is burning inside of you. That became clear during your last Duel with Lucifer. But please, try to enjoy your life. We’ll get that Lucifer once and for all, and all the wrongs and crimes he committed will be corrected. So try to lighten up, okay?”

Django nodded, “I’ll try, Tempest, but his recent actions are gnawing away at my ability to tame the hatred in me. I never knew I could hate someone with such a passion as I do with Lucifer. I’ve always been a relatively soft-spoken individual, but I never knew I was capable of such hatred until that two-on-one Duel in the Sargasso pocket dimension. I still feel ashamed at my actions during that Duel, going completely berserk, not caring if I destroyed myself along with Lucifer so long as I destroyed him. That’s… that’s not me at all. But I’ll try to lighten up, Tempest, as I know you’re right.”

She gave him a kiss on the cheek, “That’s more like it. Now let’s focus on the tournament and deal with Lucifer later. I’m itching to get in on some more action. So let’s go find a Duelist so I can have some fun!”

Suddenly, they heard cheers. Looking ahead, they saw a large cluster of people, indicating that a Duel was going on. Nodding, the duo ran up to the crowd, wove their way through it, and donned their Duel Gazers. However, just as they did, the Augmented Reality vanished, indicating the Duel had ended. Tempest snapped her fingers in frustration.

The winner of the Duel was a young man, possible a late teen, with light blue hair stylized in a sweeping motion, green eyes, and fair skin. He was dressed in a white long-sleeved jacket over a blue shirt, grey pants, and brown knee-high boots. He seemed to be enjoying the cheers, bowing and waving at the applause. His opponent, another late teen, walked over to him, holding out a card.

He said, “You win, so you get my Star Piece and Superheavy Samurai Big Benkei. That was one crazy awesome Duel. But please take care of my card.”

The winning Duelist smiled, “Of course I will, and thank you for a great Duel. I’ll treat your card well, so no need to worry.” He turned to the crowd, “I would love another Duel, so who wants to challenge me, Ivan Nimbus, to an awesome Duel?”

Django said, “Well, this is a nice change of pace, a respectful Duelist who praises his opponents and treats cards well. Definitely the reverse of how Pandora was in my Duel.”

Tempest was fired up, stating, “I’m so stoked! I want a piece of the action!” She stepped up, “I’ll take you on, Ivan!”

Ivan turned to Tempest, feeling a blush form on his face as he looked her over, “A lady Duelist, huh? And quite the looker at that. Very well, I accept your challenge. What is the wager, my fine female friend?”

She replied, “If you defeat me, then I’ll hand over a Star Piece and my Stardust Dragon. And you?”

“If you defeat me, I will give you a Star Piece and my pride and joy: Clear Wing Synchro Dragon. How does that sound?”

Tempest grinned, “Sounds like a good deal to me. By the way, I’m Tempest Force. So are you ready to Duel, Ivan? I hope you can endure my gale force winds.”

Ivan chuckled, “Confident, aren’t we? But I can tell that your confidence is backed up by ample skill. This’ll be a good Duel. So let’s get this party started!”

Tempest armed herself with her Infinity Disk, “I’m about to blow you down!”

She then donned her Duel Gazer. Ivan equipped himself with his standard D-Pad, green in color, along with his standard Duel Gazer. Django and the rest of the crowd put on their Duel Gazers.

“Augmented Reality Visual link established.”

Both drew their starting hands, Life Points set at 4000.

“Let’s Duel!”

Ivan touched his deck, “If you don’t mind, I’ll open things up. I Draw!” He took a different card from his hand, “As I control no monsters, I can Special Summon Speedroid Terrortop from my hand in Attack Mode!”

A new monster appeared. Speedroid Terrortop was a collection of red disk-like tops in a serpentine structure with blade-like mandibles in front, giving it the impression of a centipede. It was a Level Three monster with stats of 1200/600.

“When Speedroid Terrortop is summoned to the field, I can add any Speedroid monster, except Terrortop itself, from my deck to my hand. So I think I’ll add my Speedroid Red-Eyed Dice to my hand.”

His D-Pad ejected a card, which he took, revealed, and added to his hand.

“But it won’t be staying in my hand, for I summon it to the field in Attack Mode!”

A new monster appeared. Speedroid Red-Eyed Dice was a large gold die which had eye patterns instead of the usual dots on its body and orbiting it were six red spheres with eyes. It was a Level One monster with stats of 100/100.

Ivan grinned, “Now to activate my Red-Eyed Dice’s ability. When it is summoned, I can target any Speedroid monster, except Red-Eyed Dice itself, and declare a number between one and six. That monster’s Level becomes the declared number. So I choose my Terrortop and declare the number five! Which means my Terrortop is now a Level Five monster!”

The stars representing Terrortop’s Level changed from three to five.

“Now for the really fun part. I tune my Red-Eyed Dice to my Terrortop! I Synchro Summon Hi-Speedroid Kendama in Attack Mode!”

Red-Eyed Dice became a green ring which Terrortop entered, becoming an outline of itself, before transforming into five orbs of light. A burst of light followed and a new monster emerged onto the field.

Hi-Speedroid Kendama looked like a cross between a three dimensional dagger glyph and a spaceship. Its body was mostly grayish blue with bright blue gems. The front of the body was shaped like an elongated diamond, studded with blue gems and a light blue point. Behind it were two somewhat barbell-shaped structures built in a cross shape, the ones facing the sides were more rounded while the ones that faced up and down were more hourglass shaped. Nestled behind them was what looked like a small open cockpit. It was a Level Six monster with stats of 2200/1600.

Django mused, impressed, “He Synchro Summoned on the first turn. Impressive. But given the nature of the Speedroid monsters, despite being a fairly recently released archetype, that’s a pretty easy feat. But still, quite impressive regardless.”

Ivan smiled, “I’m not done yet, my lady. I activate the Spell: Double Summon! This allows me to Normal Summon twice this turn. And I know just which monster to call out this time. I summon Speedroid Double Yoyo to the field in Attack Mode!”

A new monster appeared. Speedroid Double Yoyo looked somewhat like a knight’s helmet with two energy lines attached to a pair of green bladed yoyos. It was a Level Four monster with stats of 1400/1400.

“Now to activate my Double Yoyo’s ability. When it is Normal Summoned, I can Special Summon a Level Three or lower Speedroid monster from my Graveyard. So I choose my Speedroid Red-Eyed Dice again, and I’ll put it in Attack Mode!”

The Graveyard Portal opened up, allowing Speedroid Red-Eyed Dice (100/100) to emerge from it.

Tempest looked worried, “Oh no, he’s not gonna Synchro Summon again, is he?”

Ivan smiled, “That I am. I tune my Red-Eyed Dice to my Double Yoyo! I Synchro Summon Hi-Speedroid Chanbara in Attack Mode!”

Red-Eyed Dice became a green ring again, allowing Double Yoyo to enter, becoming an outline of itself, before transforming into four orbs of light. A burst of light followed and out emerged a new monster.

Hi-Speedroid Chanbara looked like a large curved blade mixed with a spaceship. The front was a dual-colored red and silver blade that curved upward, with the hilt hosting an open cockpit, and where the grip of the sword would be was replaced with rocket boosters. It was a Level Five monster with stats of 2000/1000.

Tempest was shocked, “TWO Synchro Summons on the first turn!? Most people can only perform ONE Synchro Summon a turn. Those Speedroid monsters sure do know how to stack the field in their favor in a short period of time.”

Ivan smiled, “I’m glad you’re impressed with my Speedroids. They may be a fairly new archetype, but they can perform multiple Synchro Summons with ease. But enough of that, because I activate Hi-Speedroid Kendama’s ability! Once a turn, I can banish a Machine monster from my Graveyard to deal you 500 points of damage. So I’ll banish my Double Yoyo to strike 500 Life Points off your total!”

In his Graveyard, Double Yoyo vanished, but this caused the tip of Kendama to glow. It then fired a bolt of blue electrical energy at Tempest, who barely managed to stay on her feet upon impact, her Life Points dropping by 500 to 3500.

“I’ll end my turn with three cards face-down. Your move, Miss Tempest.”

Tempest touched her deck, “Then it’s my turn, I Draw!” She took a different card from her hand, “To kick off my turn, I activate the Spell: Night Beam! This Spell targets one of your face-down Spells or Traps and destroys it. The best part is that you cannot activate the targeted card in response! So I think I’ll target the rightmost card!”

Several orbs of light emerged from Tempest’s Spell, flipping over one of Ivan’s face-down cards, revealing it to be Synchro Strike. The orbs struck the card, followed by a flash and click like a camera shutter, causing the card to be destroyed. That made Tempest smile.

She said, “Looks like I nailed a good card. That Synchro Strike would’ve boosted a Synchro Monster’s power by 500 points for each card that was used for its summoning. That would’ve made your two Hi-Speedroids a bigger threat. So with that card out of the way, I summon Mecha Phantom Beast Blackfalcon to the field in Attack Mode!”

Mecha Phantom Beast Blackfalcon (1200/1700) swooped down onto the field, ready for battle.

“But if you think my Blackfalcon is fierce now, just wait until you see the little bit of Spell action I’m about to pull. I activate the Spell: Blustering Winds! This card boosts the Attack and Defense Points of one monster on the field by 1000! So I choose my Blackfalcon!”

A massive wind swirled around Blackfalcon, boosting its power by 1000 to 2200/2700.

“Now, Blackfalcon, attack Kendama!”

Ivan looked surprised, “But both monsters have the same Attack Points. They’ll just destroy each other.”

Tempest purred, “Not quite, for my Blackfalcon’s ability activates! When I declare an attack with it, I can summon one Mecha Phantom Beast Token to the field. And as long as there is at least one of them on the field, my Mecha Phantom Beasts cannot be destroyed in battle or by card effects! So I summon my Mecha Phantom Beast Token in Defense Mode!”

A translucent copy of Blackfalcon appeared on the field. It was a Level Three monster with stats of 0/0.

“Now, because I have a Mecha Phantom Beast Token, only your Kendama will be destroyed in this confrontation! Do it, Blackfalcon!”

Ivan stated, “I’ve got a little Trap action for you! I activate not one but two Supercharge Traps! When you declare an attack while I control two or more roid monsters, such as my Speedroids, then I can draw two cards. Since I used two Traps, I can draw four cards instead!”

He drew four cards, looked at them; then turned his attention back to the Duel. Blackfalcon charged in, prompting Kendama to do the same. Both monsters collided in midair, engulfed in a fiery explosion, but when the smoke cleared, only Blackfalcon remained standing.

Tempest grinned, “Not bad, right, but I’m not done yet. Now, for my Blackfalcon’s other ability. Whenever there is a Mecha Phantom Beast Token on my field, my Blackfalcon’s Level increases by the total Levels of all my Mecha Phantom Beast Tokens. Since there is one Token on my field, and it’s a Level Three monster, my Blackfalcon becomes a Level Seven monster.”

The stars representing Blackfalcon’s Level changed from four to seven.

“Now, to wrap up my turn, I place two cards face-down and activate the Spell: Mirage of Nightmare. That’ll do for now.”

Ivan smiled, “Impressive. You not only managed to destroy my Kendama, but your monster came out of it without a scratch AND you got a second monster on your field in the process. That way you can prevent me from dealing you any more damage by Kendama’s ability. Not too shabby, girl.” He touched his deck, “Now, let’s move on. It’s my turn, I Draw!” but was cut off.

“My Mirage of Nightmare activates! I can draw until I’m holding four cards in my hand!”

Tempest drew four cards, looked at them, then returned her attention to the Duel.

Ivan smiled, “You’ll need all the help you can get. But in any case, I activate Speedroid Taketomborg’s ability from my hand. If I control a WIND monster, I can Special Summon this monster to the field! So I’ll put it in Attack Mode!”

A new monster appeared. Speedroid Taketomborg looked like a cross between a robot and an insect. Its body was hourglass-shaped, mostly silver with blue armor, with somewhat wing-shaped legs and arms that were segmented, five-fingered hands, big blue bug eyes, and zigzag antenna. It was a Level Three monster with stats of 600/1200.

“Now I summon another Speedroid Double Yoyo in Attack Mode!”

Another Speedroid Double Yoyo (1400/1400) appeared on the field.

“And like before, when Double Yoyo is Normal Summoned, I can Special Summon a Level Three or lower Speedroid from my Graveyard. So I choose my Red-Eyed Dice again! And I’ll put it in Attack Mode!”

The Graveyard Portal opened up, allowing Speedroid Red-Eyed Dice (100/100) to emerge from it.

Tempest looked worried, “Are you going to Synchro Summon AGAIN!?”

Ivan smiled, “Yes, I am, but I need to set things up a bit more. So now I activate Red-Eyed Dice’s ability. When it is summoned, I can target any other Speedroid I control and declare a number from one to six. That monster’s Level becomes the declared number. So I choose my Double Yoyo and declare three! So my Double Yoyo is now Level Three!”

The stars representing Double Yoyo’s Level changed from four to three.

“Now I tune my Red-Eyed Dice to my Double Yoyo and Taketomborg! I Synchro Summon my ace monster, my pride and joy, my awesome Clear Wing Synchro Dragon in Attack Mode!”

Red-Eyed Dice became a green ring, allowing both Double Yoyo and Taketomborg to enter it. They became outlines of themselves, then transformed into six glowing orbs. A flash of light followed, and a new monster emerged, roaring as it took the field.

Clear Wing Synchro Dragon was a massive, somewhat mechanical dragon. Its powerful body was mostly white with grey and blue sections, with a long, thick striped tail, somewhat stubby armored legs, long armored arms ending in sharp five-fingered claws, a somewhat short, thick neck with a square-like head, sharp teeth, glowing yellow eyes, and a blue crest with matching structures on its cheeks. Its wings were the most unusual part of it, being luminescent, narrow, and elongated wings, bright green in color, with two sets of diamond-shaped butterfly-like wings on its hips, above its legs, and all of them had a faint circuit board pattern weaving through them. It was a Level Seven monster with stats of 2500/2000.

Ivan smiled, “Are you impressed with my Clear Wing Synchro Dragon? It is an impressive monster, isn’t it? This monster is my pride and joy, and it has never let me down. And I’ll demonstrate its power to you right now! But first, I’ll have my Hi-Speedroid Chanbara attack your Mecha Phantom Beast Token! And just so you know, whenever my Chanbara engages in battle, it gains 200 extra Attack Points! So my monster will be…” but was cut off.

Tempest countered, “I won’t allow you to attack! I activate the Trap: Zero Gravity! This card switches the Battle Modes of all face-up monsters on the field! So all your monsters will be sitting in Defense Mode until your next turn, which means you won’t be attacking me anytime soon!”

Tempest’s Trap was sprung, causing the field to generate a lot of energy. This forced Clear Wing Synchro Dragon, Hi-Speed Chanbara, and Blackfalcon into defensive positions, while the Mecha Phantom Beast Token shifted into an offensive position.

Ivan smiled, “Pretty clever move, Miss. That stops my attacks AND keeps my Chanbara from gaining any extra Attack Points. So I end my turn with one card face-down…” but was cut off again.

“Not quite! I activate my other Trap: Gravelstorm! This Trap sends one Spell or Trap on both sides of the field back to our hands! So I’ll send my Mirage of Nightmare back into my hand, and the newly played card back to your hand. So you’ll have to wait until next turn to use that card.”

A might storm filled with gravel swirled over the field, forcing Tempest’s Mirage of Nightmare and Ivan’s face-down card, back to their respective hands.

Ivan chuckled, “Clever. And here I thought that other face-down card was Emergency Provisions. You were waiting for me to place a card on my field so you can turn around and send it back to my hand, as well as dodge Mirage of Nightmare’s negative effect. You’ve certainly got plenty of skill, Miss Tempest. So I’ll end my turn there.”

Tempest grinned, “Thank you. You’re almost the polar opposite of Ryan Regal, who I faced earlier in this tournament. He thought that a chick like me would be an easy win. I made sure to blow him out of the water for such remarks, and I got a nice Mega Monarch as my prize. But I appreciate the compliments, as I work hard on my Dueling tactics and deck. But enough of that, as it’s my turn, I Draw! First off, my Blustering Winds Spell expires now.”

As she said that, the windstorm around Blackfalcon vanished, returning it to its original 1200/1700.

She looked at her hand before deciding what to do, “Next, I summon an old friend of mine to the field. My good old Sky Scout in Attack Mode!”

A glimmering light appeared in the sky before Sky Scout (1800/600) dove down, taking his place on the battlefield.

“Next, I shift my Blackfalcon back into Attack Mode and my Mecha Phantom Beast Token into Defense Mode.”

Blackfalcon changed from a slightly lower position to a more upright and forward-facing one, while the Mecha Phantom Beast Token did the opposite, shifting downward.

“Now, Blackfalcon, attack Hi-Speedroid Chanbara! And while your Chanbara will gain 200 extra Attack Points, the fact is that it’s in Defense Mode, so those bonus points won’t be helping it. And the icing on the cake is that because I declared an attack with Blackfalcon, I can summon another Mecha Phantom Beast Token to the field! I’ll put this one in Defense Mode as well.”

As Blackfalcon charged in, a second translucent version of it appeared, sitting next to its fellow token. It was a Level Three monster with stats of 0/0. Blackfalcon then started to fire from its machineguns. As the attack closed in, Chanbara’s Attack increased by 200 to 2200, but was blasted off the field regardless, leaving Clear Wing Synchro Dragon alone on Ivan’s field.

“Now, since I have another Mecha Phantom Beast Token on my field, my Blackfalcon’s Level increases again. Now it’s a Level Ten monster. Finally, I place one card face-down to end my turn. Your move, Ivan.”

As she said that, the stars representing Blackfalcon’s Level changed from seven to ten.

Django said mentally, “This Duel is sort of a stalemate right now. Even though Clear Wing has the most Attack Points, the most damage that anyone has dealt so far was Kendama’s ability, dealing Tempest 500 points of damage. Tempest’s Traps and Tokens have been keeping her safe for the most part, but this Duel isn’t over yet. And if I know Clear Wing’s ability as well as I think I do, then she needs to be careful with it.”

Ivan stated, “It’s my turn, I Draw! First I’m switching my Clear Wing back into Attack Mode!”

Clear Wing Synchro Dragon shifted from a defensive pose to a more battle-ready pose, claws and teeth bared.

“Next up, I activate the Equip Spell: Big Bang Shot! This Spell not only boosts my Clear Wing’s Attack by 400 points, but now I can deal piercing damage to you! Which means when I attack one of your Tokens, I can hit you with some heavy damage! And I’ll do just that! Clear Wing Synchro Dragon, attack one of the Mecha Phantom Beast Tokens! And for an added boost, I activate the Spell: Ego Boost! When a monster declares an attack, this Spell raises a monster’s Attack by 1000 for the battle! So once this attack lands, it’ll be game over!”

Clear Wing Synchro Dragon started to generate a lot of power. First its Attack increased by 400 to 2900 from the Equip Spell, but then rose up another 1000 to 3900. It roared, opened its mouth, and started to build up energy for its attack.

Tempest stated, “I won’t let that happen! I activate Mecha Phantom Beast Blackfalcon’s other ability! I can Tribute a Mecha Phantom Beast Token in order to shift a monster you control into Defense Mode! So I’ll Tribute a Token in order to shift your Clear Wing into Defense Mode! That’ll stop your…” but was cut off.

Django called out, “Tempest! Bad move! Clear Wing’s ability is about to activate now!”

Ivan smirked, “He’s right. My Clear Wing Synchro Dragon’s ability now activates! Whenever you target a Level Five or higher monster with exactly one monster’s ability, I can have Clear Wing negate that ability and destroy your monster. Furthermore, if it destroys a monster this way, it gains that monster’s Attack Points for the duration of the turn! So I negate your Blackfalcon’s ability! However, since I can’t destroy your Blackfalcon by any means as long as you have a Mecha Phantom Beast Token, I won’t be able to gain any extra Attack Points. But I still have more than enough to wipe you out either way! So do it, Clear Wing Synchro Dragon! Negate Blackfalcon’s ability and shoot down one of the Tokens!”

The circuit board patterns inside Clear Wing Synchro Dragon’s wings started to light up. It then released a lot of energy from its wings, seemingly blinding Blackfalcon, negating its ability in the process. This allowed Clear Wing Synchro Dragon to continue its attack unopposed. It fired a massive beam from its mouth which barreled down toward one of the Mecha Phantom Beast Tokens. Tempest, however, wasn’t done.

She stated, “I’m far from done! I activate the Trap: Nitwit Outwit! By sending a monster from my hand to the Graveyard, I can reduce the damage I would take from an attack by that monster’s Attack Points. So I’ll send my Lady Ninja Yae to the Graveyard to reduce the damage I’ll take by 1100, which will keep me in this Duel!”

She discarded a card from her hand, which opened up the Graveyard Portal, allowing a new monster to emerge. Lady Ninja Yae was a beautiful female ninja with long green hair, fair skin, bright eyes, and a slender yet curvy body. She was garbed in a purple form-fitting bodysuit, white tabbies, light armor, a red scarf, and was holding a short sword. She was a Level Three monster with stats of 1100/200. She jumped in front of the Mecha Phantom Beast Token, crossed her arms, and prepared for the attack. The energy beam slammed into her, eventually overwhelming her and destroying her, before it struck the Mecha Phantom Beast Token, destroying it as well. The attack slammed into Tempest, who was thrown off her feet, landing on the ground with a thud, her Life Points dropping harshly by 2800 to just 700.

Ivan smiled, “Impressive, you managed to survive that attack. You’re quite a scrappy lady. Now that the battle is over, my Clear Wing Synchro Dragon looses the boost it gained from Ego Boost. Plus, with one less Mecha Phantom Beast Token on your field, your Blackfalcon’s Level drops by three, making it a Level Seven monster.”

As he said that, Clear Wing Synchro Dragon’s Attack dropped back down to 2900, while at the same time, Blackfalcon’s Level changed from ten to seven. The Wind Mistress shook her head, got up, dusted herself off, and returned to her original position.

“I’ll end my turn with one card face-down. That’ll do for now.”

Tempest touched her deck, thinking, “That Nitwit Outwit bought me another turn. But I have to figure out a way to destroy his Clear Wing Synchro Dragon. The only card I have left in my hand is Mirage of Nightmare, so unless I can draw a monster this turn, or find a way to destroy his Clear Wing and mount a direct attack, I’m through. Come on, Soul of the Deck, if you can hear me, help me.” She stated aloud, “I Draw!” She looked at her new card, thinking, “Chachaka Archer? It’s Attack is too low… wait a minute.” She pondered for a moment before gaining a grin, stating, “I just got a killer idea. I’m about to clip your Clear Wing Synchro Dragon’s wings, Ivan! So I’ll start by Tributing my last Mecha Phantom Beast Token to summon my Chachaka Archer in Attack Mode!”

The last Mecha Phantom Beast Token vanished and was replaced by Chachaka Archer (1200/1800). At the same time, Blackfalcon’s Level dropped back down to its original Level Four status.

Ivan quirked an eyebrow, “Chachaka Archer? It doesn’t have enough Attack Points to defeat my dragon.” It then dawned on him, “Wait! You’re not about to do what I think you’re going to do!?”

Tempest grinned, “Bingo. I found the weakness in your strategy. You see, while Big Bang Shot does grant your monster great power and abilities, in has a drawback. When it is destroyed, the monster equipped with it is banished! So I use my Chachaka Archer’s ability! Once a turn, he can shoot down any Spell or Trap you have on the field! So say goodbye to both your Big Bang Shot AND Clear Wing Synchro Dragon!”

Ivan grimaced, “If you destroy Big Bang Shot, then my dragon is done for. And I can’t use my second face-down Synchro Strike to boost its power, as it would be pointless. That’ll leave me wide open for an attack!”

“That’s right! So do it, Chachaka Archer! Strike down Big Bang Shot, which will take down Clear Wing Synchro Dragon with it!”

Chachaka Archer held out both crossbows, took aim, and fired two shots. The arrows slammed into Big Bang Shot, shattering it, which also caused Clear Wing Synchro Dragon to vanish from the field.

Ivan sputtered, “I’m wide open now!”

Tempest grinned, “You got that right. Now, Sky Scout, attack Ivan directly!”

Sky Scout swooped in, holding its claw-like weapon high, and slashed it down upon Ivan. He skidded back a bit as his Life Points dropped by 1800 to 2200.

“Now, Mecha Phantom Beast Blackfalcon, attack him directly! And once again I gain a Mecha Phantom Beast Token, but that won’t matter in a moment.”

As she said that, another translucent copy of Blackfalcon appeared on the field. It was a Level Three monster with stats of 0/0. Blackfalcon, meanwhile, charged in and started to fire from its machineguns, pelting Ivan with firepower, his Life Points dropping by 1200 to 1000.

“Now, Chachaka Archer, finish him off! Attack him directly and end this Duel!”

Chachaka Archer pointed his crossbows at Ivan, took aim, and fired two more arrows. They slammed into Ivan, knocking him off his feet, his Life Points dropping down to zero. A “Win” screen appeared, showing Tempest, before the Augmented Reality vanished. Tempest gave a sigh of relief, but gave Django a thumbs-up, which he returned.

Ivan stood up, smiling, “Nice Duel, Miss Tempest, that was some come-from-behind victory you just pulled. I lost, but with how awesome that Duel was, it makes it all worth it. I’m very impressed with your skills, and I take it you haven’t been playing for too long.”

Tempest replied, “No, I’ve only been playing for about a year now. But my friends, and of course my boyfriend Django, have helped hone my skills in such a short period of time. I’m still learning, however, but no Duelist is perfect.”

Ivan smiled, “Indeed. Here you go; my Star Piece and my Clear Wing Synchro Dragon. You deserve them.”

Tempest graciously took the Star Piece and card, smiling, “Thank you. It’s nice running into an honorable Duelist who obviously respects his opponent, unlike some of the Duelists I’ve encountered. Thank you for a great Duel.”

Ivan blushed, but then reached behind him, “You know what, Miss Tempest, I rather like you, so here, take this card as well. I think it’ll go well with your deck.”

Surprised, the Wind Mistress took and looked at the card. It was revealed to be Hi-Speedroid Kendama, much to her shock.

She sputtered, “Are you sure I can have this? What about you? Don’t you need it for the tournament?”

The teen smiled, “I’ve got two more where that came from, and three Hi-Speedroid Chanbaras as well, so they’ll keep me going until the tournament ends. But I feel that card will work well with you, so take it as thanks for a great Duel.”

Tempest smiled, “Thank you, that’s very sweet of you. I’ll take good care of both of these cards. Good luck in the tournament.”

“Right back at you, Miss Tempest. I expect you to make it to the finals. Farewell for now.”

The two exchanged a handshake before Tempest walked away with Django. She slotted in her newest Star Piece, giving her a total of four, while still looking at both of her new cards.

Django smiled, “That Ivan was a very good sport, and he gave you a nice little bonus along with your prizes. That’s something you don’t see too often, especially in a high-stakes tournament like this. And he showed you the utmost respect, something that both Ryan and Rex failed to do when you Dueled them. But kudos on a job well done, Tempest, as your only two Star Pieces away from the finals.”

She purred, “Thanks, Django. I must admit I was really surprised at not only the level of respect I got from Ivan, but he even gave me a bonus card because he was impressed with me. But it’s a nice change of pace to run into a Duelist who has such honor and respect for his opponent. Now let’s keep going and get to the finals!”

Nodding, the duo continued their way down the street, eager for more Duels to win.

Next Chapter: Infestation

And that's all for now folks! Another day, another Duel. And what does the next chapter suggest? You'll just have to wait and see. Until next time.
 
Last edited:
Super Cody is here to save the day! Hopefully. Anyway, a pest from the past strikes again. Ted is up to his usual dirty stunts, so Cody wants a piece of him (yeah, I'm back to jerk opponents again). Cody is willing to face an army of Insects in order to put Ted in his place. Will he prevail? Read and find out.

Infestation

Cody, Jack, Leo, and Fiona were wandering down one of the many streets of Cyber City. They were surprised at the lack of action going on around them, but were also relieved at the lack of Shadow Stalkers. Chronos, however, was not part of the group this time.

Fiona asked, concerned, “Do you think it’s okay to let Chronos go off on his own? I mean, yeah, he’s a Psykinox, so he has better defenses and capabilities than us, but with the looming threat of Shadow Stalkers, Number 96, and crystals that can open up Warp Gates out of nowhere, I worry that he will be okay on his own.”

Jack nodded, “It’ll be okay, Fiona. Chronos is much more alert to those situations than we are, so if he senses a problem, he can just use a Warp Gate and get out of there. So he’ll be okay. He’s not exactly easy to push around, and with two Numbers in his arsenal, he should be fine.”

Cody replied, “Jack’s right, Fiona, Chronos will be fine. He’s tougher than he looks, and if he can use Numbers as powerful as Machu Mech and Atlandis, he’ll be okay. We, on the other hand, have to be alert, as we are considered prime targets in Lucifer’s eyes. So we need to be at our best.”

Leo smiled, “But I know we’ll succeed. We managed to defeat the Psykinox Lords, and they’re the strongest, smartest members of the race. So we stand a good chance of dodging and defeating Lucifer’s newest cronies. And if that wasn’t enough, our Numbers can alert us to any threats ahead of time. So we’ll be okay. Let’s just focus on the tournament for now, we’ll plan as we go on how to stop Lucifer for good. So let’s focus on making it to the Top 16 matches and build our plans on the fly. It’s worked well enough already, as we’re always scrambling to build a defense, but we always pull through in the end. We just have to keep our spirits high and we’ll succeed. So try to unwind a bit, Fiona, as no matter how hastily our defenses are built, we always weather the storm.”

Fiona looked up at her friends, smiling, “Yeah, you guys are right. I just have to keep my spirits high, stay focused, and believe in myself. It’s gotten us this far, so we have a good chance at overcoming this danger and restoring this world to how it should be. So let’s move out!”

With a final cheer, the group of four continued their way down the street. It wasn’t long, however, before they ran into some trouble. They heard crying. Looking around, they spotted a young boy and a young girl, both no older than 11, and they seemed to be siblings. The boy was comforting the girl, who was crying. The gang looked at each other, nodded, and approached them.

Jack asked, “Hey? Is everything okay you two? Did something happen?”

The boy looked up, obviously holding back his own tears, “Yeah, something happened to us. You see, me and my sister are just amateur Duelists, so we practice by Dueling against each other. You know, just to get the basics down and such. This bully then suddenly appeared, challenged us to a two-on-one Duel, and completely wiped us out without taking any damage. He then stole our decks, saying that we didn’t deserve to own decks if we were so weak, and walked away, laughing. Those cards were gifts from our grandparents for our 11th birthdays, and mom and dad bought us D-Pads along with them. But now all we have are our D-Pads, as that big bully stole all our cards.”

Leo growled, “Figures a jerk would pick on some kids for easy cards. That’s low.”

Cody asked, obviously angry, “So who’s the jerk who ripped off your decks?”

The boy replied, “I don’t really know. All I do know is that he had at least two criminal markers on his face and used Insect monsters.”

The gang thought for a moment before it dawned on them.

They said in unison, “It had to be Ted Nightly!”

Jack snarled, “So Ted is up to his usual dirty crimes. Bullying kids and stealing their cards, just like what he tried to pull back at the orphanage he and Django were in. We have to get them back.”

Cody nodded, “I’m with ya, Jack! And I’ll stomp out that dirty dung beetle! He causes too much trouble, so now he’s gonna pay! Kid, do you have any ideas where he might be now?”

The boy replied, “I’m not sure, but he seemed to have gone in the direction of the park that has all those fountains. You know, the fountains that light up at night and do water dance shows. He said he was heading back to his ‘favorite hunting ground’. I’m just really guessing, but that was the direction he was going.”

Cody’s eyes had fire in them, “I’ll crush that termite so badly that his ancestors will feel it! Let’s go! Time to put him in his place!”

The redhead charged ahead, Jack following, with Leo, Fiona, and the two kids taking up the rear.

The upset little girl asked, “Can your friend really get our cards back? That guy doesn’t play nice.”

Fiona said soothingly, “Cody will prevail. He’s a strong Duelist. Ted is just an arrogant punk of a bully who likes to prey on someone’s weak points. And we’re pretty aware of the cards in his deck, as Django has faced them many times in the past, and we saw many of his cards last time we met him. Just have a little faith and Cody will get back your stolen decks.”

Meanwhile, back at Cyber City Central Hospital, Jade was resting in an upright position. She seemed healthier, as her body, while obviously still frail, looked stronger, and she was breathing in a more relaxed way. Suddenly, she heard a noise. She opened her eyes, looked toward the now open door to her room, and what sounded like breathing. Then a nurse’s voice could be heard.

She called, “Benny, you can’t hide from me!” She opened Jade’s door more, “Jade, did you see a boy come in here?”

Jade replied, “No, why?”

“There’s a little boy running around the ward trying to avoid getting his CAT scan taken.”

Jade replied, “He must be scared.”

The nurse nodded, “Yes, he won’t go near the machine even though I told him it was painless. It’s a bit loud, yes, but painless. Well, call me if you happen to find him.”

The door closed and the nurse walked away. After waiting a few moments, Jade smiled.

She said warmly, “It’s okay, you can come out now.”

A boy suddenly popped out from under her bed. He looked about ten, with messy chestnut brown hair, pale red eyes, and fair skin. He was dressed in blue hospital pajamas and was barefoot.

He asked, surprised, “You knew I was here?”

She giggled, “I could hear you breathing under the bed. Your name is Benny, right?”

Benny nodded, “Yeah, but why didn’t you turn me in?”

Jade smiled, “I was scared of some of the tests here, too. But you know what; they’re not really all that bad. Plus this hospital staff is nice, so they would never let you get hurt. But I can understand your fear, as I recently went through a massive heart surgery, and that was a really scary event, but I pulled through.”

Benny replied with a smile, “There must be something I can do to repay you for covering for me. Any ideas?”

The redhead woman pondered for a second before replying, “Yeah, I got it. You can logon to the Cyber Clash website for me. I have an Infinity Disk here, but I can’t quite use it properly yet, so maybe you’d have better luck.”

“Wow, an Infinity Disk!? No way! They’re not even on the market yet. How did you get one?”

“It was a gift from a friend who knows Django Spirit. In fact, it was Django who paid for my operation, as I’m the sister of his best friend, Cody. But do you think you can do that? My brother is in the tournament, and I’d like to try to keep watch of his progress. Do you think you can do that for me?”

Benny nodded, “I’ll sure give it a try. If it’s anything like a D-Pad, I think I can get it working. But, oh, man, your brother is in the tournament AND you know the famous Django Spirit. Totally awesome.”

Meanwhile, Cody and the others had arrived at another small park. It was littered with several fountains, a few benches, trimmed hedges, and a few trees. Cody was looking around, eyes flaring dangerously.

He roared, “Ted! I know you’re here! Show your face, you bug lovin’ freak!”

A voice sneered, “Well, well, well, what do we have here? If it isn’t the loser patrol. Did that loser Django send you dweebs to find me?”

They all looked ahead to see Ted emerge from behind a tree, grinning darkly.

Cody snarled, “Ted Nightly, so we meet again. You stole cards from those two kids behind me, and I’m here to collect your dues! So cough up the cards and I may let you go without a scratch.”

Ted sneered, “Cards? What cards? Oh, you mean the cards that once belonged to those two little kids? Weak Duelists don’t deserve to hold a deck, so I’m just doing the world a favor.”

Jack growled, “Yeah, right, you greedy bully! You just get such a thrill out of picking on everyone! It’s no wonder you have criminal markers on your ugly mug! Now hand over the decks or else!”

Ted merely smirked, “We’ll see about that… if you can beat me. You see, I’m in the Cyber Clash tournament, so I’m pretty elite stuff. I doubt you losers are even in the tournament.”

Leo smirked, “Guess again, Ted. We’re all in the tournament, and I think it’s about time to knock you out of this game.”

Cody nodded, “Leo’s right. We’re all in the tournament, so don’t be gettin’ all high-and-mighty, you bug-faced creep, and I plan to stomp you out! So let’s do this!”

The punk shrugged, “Whatever you say. Should be amusing to crush you with my wonderful bugs. But we’ll make this interesting. We’ll Duel for not only one of our rarest cards, but TWO Star Pieces.”

Fiona looked concerned, “Two Star Pieces. That means if Cody loses, he’ll lose all his Star Pieces in one go.”

Jack whispered, “It’s way too risky, Cody. Change the conditions before you do something you’ll regret.”

Cody shook his head, “No, I’ll do it. If it gets this bully out of the tournament, then I’m all for it. So we have a deal, Ted? If you win, then you get two Star Pieces and my Red-Eyes Black Dragon. But if I win, I get one of your rarest cards and two Star Pieces. Got that?”

Ted grinned, “Sure, whatever. Once I win your pieces, I’ll have a total of four, which means I’ll only need two more to make it to the Top 16 matches. So let’s get this infestation going.”

The redhead grinned, “We’ll see about that! Time to squash you like a bug under a brick!”

He armed himself with his Infinity Disk and Duel Gazer, while Ted armed himself with his D-Pad and Duel Gazer. Jack, Leo, Fiona, and the two kids donned their Duel Gazers as well.

“Augmented Reality Visual link established.”

Both drew their starting hands, Life Points set a 4000.

“Let’s Duel!”

At that time, back at the hospital, Benny had just figured out how to use Jade’s Infinity Disk and was searching the Cyber Clash tournament website.

He asked, “Jade, you said your brother’s name is Cody Lionheart, right?”

Jade nodded, “That’s right.”

The young boy managed to pull up Cody, eyes widening, “Wow, we logged on just in time. Cody just started a Duel with this Ted Nightly guy. Our timing is perfect. Looks like we won’t miss any action. But according to the ranks both Duelists have, Ted has a rank of six stars while Cody only has four.”

Jade said, undeterred, “Don’t worry. My brother was trained by Django Spirit himself, so I’m not taking those ranks too seriously. Plus my brother is a fighter; he never backs down and never gives up. So I’m not too worried. That’s why we’re called Lionhearts.”

Back at the Duel, Cody was fired up and ready to rumble.

He stated, “I’ll go first! I Draw!” He took a different card from his hand, “First off, I summon Assault Dog to the field in Attack Mode! This power-packed pooch will turn you into a chew toy, Ted!”

Assault Dog (1200/800) appeared on the field, giving a howl as it did.

“And I’ll place two cards face-down to end my turn. Your move, bug breath.”

Ted smirked, “If that’s the best you’ve got, then this’ll be easy. I Draw! I summon Flying Kamakiri #1 to the field in Attack Mode!”

Flying Kamakiri #1 (1400/900) flew onto the field.

“Next, you might remember this Field Spell from last we met. It’s the Field Spell: Forest! This dense forest boosts the power of all Insect, Beast, Plant, and Beast Warrior monsters by 200 Attack and Defense Points. So my bugs will be more powerful!”

A dense, lush forest replaced the surrounding area. At the same time, Flying Kamakiri #1 and Assault Dog started to glow, their power going up by 200 to 1600/1100 and 1400/1000, respectively.

“Now, Flying Kamakiri #1, attack his meddlesome mutt!”

Flying Kamakiri #1 flew in, claws bared, and slashed Assault Dog, causing it to howl in pain as it vanished from the field. Cody’s Life Points dropped by 200 to 3800. However, he was grinning.

He said, “You grub, I was hopin’ you’d do that. For now you activate Assault Dog’s ability! When it’s destroyed in battle and sent to the Graveyard, I can summon any number of Assault Dogs I want from my deck! So I’ll bring in more of the pack and summon two Assault Dogs from my deck in Attack Mode!”

His Infinity Disk ejected two cards, which he played right away, summoning two Assault Dogs (1200/800), which then gained power from the Forest Spell, raising them both to 1400/1000.

Ted shrugged, “So what? Those miserable mutts can’t do you much good. I end my turn. Let’s see if you have any bite to your bark.”

Cody touched his deck, “I’d be glad to. It’s my turn, I Draw!” He took a different card from his hand, “I summon Drill Synchron to the field in Attack Mode!”

A new monster emerged. Drill Synchron resembled a metal orb with a somewhat hockey mask design, with big eyes, a pair of tractor treads for legs, two blue drills for arms and a final gold drill on its forehead. It was a Level Three monster with stats of 800/300.

“Now I activate my face-down Spell! Go, Star Changer! This Spell can change the Level of any monster on the field by one. So I target my Assault Dog and turn it into a Level Three monster!”

The stars representing Assault Dog’s Level changed from four to three.

“Now for the really fun part. I tune my Drill Synchro with the Assault Dog I just altered! I Synchro Summon Drill Warrior in Attack Mode!”

Drill Synchron became three green rings, which Assault Dog entered, becoming an outline of itself, before becoming three orbs of light. A burst of light followed and out emerged a new monster.

Drill Warrior looked more like a machine than a warrior, similar to Junk Warrior. Its body was equipped with dusty brown armor, with two upward-facing drills acting as feet, a booster-shaped torso, strong arms, one ending with a hand while the other had a drill, shoulder plates with drills on them, a yellow scarf, and an armored robotic head with glowing red eyes. It was a Level Six monster with stats of 2400/2000.

“Now, Drill Warrior, attack Flyin’ Kamakiri #1! Take it to the dentist!”

Drill Warrior charged in, drill arm held out, before stopping in front of Flying Kamakiri #1. It pulled its arm back, started to spin the drill, and slammed it into the large insect’s chest, causing it to shatter, with the shockwaves striking Ted, his Life Points dropping by 800 to 3200. The punk, however, was smiling.

He grinned, “You fool! Do you even know what my Flying Kamakiri #1 is? It’s one of the Elemental Searchers, so I can now activate its ability! When it’s destroyed in battle and sent to the Graveyard, I can Special Summon any WIND monster with 1500 or less Attack from my deck in Attack Mode!”

Cody snapped, “I know exactly what an Elemental Searcher is, and I know about Flyin’ Kamakiri, as Tempest uses it, too! So just pick a monster and summon it already!”

Ted gained an annoyed look, “Fine, and it won’t be a monster you’ll like. I summon Flying Kamakiri #2 to the field in Attack Mode!”

His D-Pad ejected a card, which he played, summoning a new monster. Flying Kamakiri #2 was simply a giant pale green praying mantis with large sharp claws, wings, and sharp mandibles. It was a Level Four monster with stats of 1500/800, but then the Forest Spell boosted its power by 200 to 1700/1000.

Cody shrugged, “Whatever, bug breath, I end my turn.” He, however, said mentally, “Go ahead, bug brain, summon another monster, I know you want to. And when you do, I’ll have a nasty little surprise for ya.”

Ted drew a card, “It’s my turn, I Draw!” He grinned at his new card, “This’ll cut your chances of winning this Duel down to nothing! I summon Chainsaw Insect to the field in Attack Mode!”

Chainsaw Insect (2400/0) appeared on the field, giving its mandibles a buzz. The Forest Spell then infused it with more power, raising its stats to 2600/200.

Cody grinned inwardly, “That’s right, summon that big bug. I’m gonna cut it down to size when you attack.”

Ted stated, “Chainsaw Insect, attack Drill Warrior!”

Chainsaw Insect revved up its mandibles and charged in. Cody then gained a large grin, much to Ted’s shock.

He stated, “You grub, I was hopin’ you’d do that. For now I activate the Trap: Punch-in-the-Box! Whenever a monster you control attacks, I can target it and another monster you have. I can negate the attackin’ monster’s attack, then I can send the second one to the Graveyard, and your first monster loses Attack Points equal to the other monster’s Original Attack or Defense, whichever is higher. So I’ll negate Chainsaw Insect’s attack, then send your Flyin’ Kamakiri #2 to the Graveyard, and finally I’ll lower your Chainsaw Insect’s Attack by your Kamakiri’s Original Attack! So say buh-bye to your bugs, as I’m about to cut them down to size. Or, rather, PUNCH them down to size!”

A jack-in-the-box appeared on the field. It then suddenly launched a red clown glove in a fist shape, which slammed into Chainsaw Insect, stopping it cold. Then the glove grabbed Flying Kamakiri #2, returned inside the box, the fired again, this time hurling Flying Kamakiri #2 at Chainsaw Insect. The two monsters collided, with Flying Kamakiri #2 shattering, and Chainsaw Insect’s power dropped by 1500 to 1100.

Cody grinned, “Now your Chainsaw Insect can’t scratch any of my monsters! And just so you know, this power reduction is permanent, so unless you return it to your hand or somethin’, then your bug will be squashed!”

Ted growled, “I’m far from done. I place one card face-down on the field and activate the Spell: Supply Squad. Once a turn, no matter what turn it is, if a monster I control is destroyed, then I can draw a card from my deck. So I’ll end my turn there, but you won’t be so smug when I pull out some heavy-hitters!”

Cody grinned, “We’ll see, Ted. I Draw!” He took a different card from his hand, “I summon Zubaba Knight in Attack Mode!”

A new monster appeared. Zubaba Knight was an impressive-looking knight wearing gold armor over teal and blue clothes, a red cape, a gold helmet that only revealed his eyes with a zigzagging feather crest, and was holding two curved, jagged blades. He was a Level Three monster with stats of 1600/900.

“Okay, now let’s do this! Drill Warrior, attack his Chainsaw Insect! And when Chainsaw Insect engages in battle, I get to draw a card. So not only will I squash your bug, but get a bonus card out of it!”

Drill Warrior charged in, drill arm held out high, at the same time, Cody drew a new card. It slammed its drill right into Chainsaw Insect’s head, shattering the large bug. Ted growled as his Life Points dropped by 1300 to 1900.

The bully stated, “Since you destroyed my monster, Supply Squad activates! I get to draw one new card from my deck.”

He drew a card, looked at it, and added it to his hand.

The redhead smirked, “It won’t help ya! Now, Assault Dog, attack him directly!”

“Not so fast! I activate the Trap: Call of the Haunted! This allows me to revive any monster in my Graveyard in Attack Mode! So welcome back Chainsaw Insect! And unlike before, my bug is back to full power!”

The Graveyard Portal opened up, allowing Chainsaw Insect (2400/0) to emerge from it. It then got a boost from Forest, raising its power to 2600/200.

Cody growled, “Grr… Assault Dog, cancel your attack! This isn’t over, Ted. I place one card face-down to end my turn.”

Back at the hospital, Jade and Benny were still watching the Duel.

Jade asked, “How’s the Duel going?”

Benny replied, “Well, your brother has the lead, as he has more Life Points that this Ted guy, but Ted just revived that nasty Chainsaw Insect, which is now the strongest monster on the field thanks to his Forest Field Spell. Don’t get me wrong, Cody’s been doing great so far, but this Ted guy certainly isn’t an easy opponent. I never knew a Level Four monster could have as much power as Chainsaw Insect does, which makes it quite the threat. Hopefully that face-down card can help protect Cody from it, since his previous Punch-in-the-Box really did a number to it last time.”

Jade said, “I’m not too worried. Cody is a fighter, he never gives up, as that’s just how he rolls. I know he’ll find a way to defeat this Ted guy.”

The young boy turned to her, “I hope you’re right, as according to this data, they both wagered two Star Pieces. Both Cody and Ted only have two Star Pieces according to their profile data, so whoever loses is out of the tournament. So Cody better find a way to stop Ted’s Insects or he’s out of the tournament.”

Meanwhile, back at the Duel, Ted touched his deck, “It’s my turn, I Draw!” He looked at his new card, grinning, “I’ll keep you guessing by placing this monster in face-down Defense Mode. Now I’ll have my Chainsaw Insect attack your Assault Dog! Say goodbye to your overgrown puppy and a sizable chunk of your Life Points! You may get to draw a card, but it won’t save you!”

Chainsaw Insect charged in, mandibles buzzing loudly, while at the same time Cody drew a card.

The redhead stated, “I’m far from done, you little termite! I activate the Trap: Skull Dice! The higher the number I roll, the weaker your Insect gets, by 100 points times the number rolled, that is. So that’ll minimize the damage I’ll take!”

The little fiend holding the red die appeared. It hurled it into the air, landing on the ground, gave a few clunks as it bounced around, and stopped. It landed on a six, making Cody grin.

“Heh, I rolled a six, which means your Chainsaw Insect loses 600 Attack and Defense Points! So that means I’ll only take 600 points of damage from your attack!”

As he said that, Chainsaw Insect’s power dropped by 600 to 2000/0, but it didn’t stop the attack. It crushed Assault Dog in between its chainsaw mandibles, making Cody flinch slightly as his Life Points dropped by 600 to 3200.

Ted shrugged, “Whatever, it makes little difference. You still lost a monster and took damage, so that was a wasted Trap. I’ll end my turn there, and your Skull Dice wears off now.”

As he said that, Chainsaw Insect's power returned to its original 2600/200.

The redhead stated, “Then I’ll take from here! I Draw! First I’m summonin’ Ganbara Knight to the field in Attack Mode!”

A flash of light from above could be seen, and suddenly Ganbara Knight (0/1800) came crashing down on the field.

Jack asked, “Why did Cody play a monster with zero Attack Points!? It’ll be a sitting duck!”

Leo turned to him, “It’s not as bad of a move as you think. Remember, Ganbara Knight’s ability will help it. When it’s attacked while in Attack Mode, it’ll automatically shift to Defense Mode. So Cody won’t take any damage from battles involving it, as it’ll be defending instead of attacking. Cody does need to maintain field presence, so by summoning his Ganbara Knight, he can at least try to keep the pressure on Ted by having a lot of monsters for Ted to have to go through in order to get to Cody himself. So it’s actually a pretty good move, especially with Ganbara Knight’s ability to shift to Defense Mode automatically.”

Cody stated, “All right! Next up, I'm switchin' Zubaba Knight to Defense Mode. Now, Drill Warrior, attack Ted’s face-down monster! Send it for a spin!”

Zubaba Knight shifted to a defensive position as Drill Warrior charged in, raised up its drill, and slammed it into Ted face-down monster. It was revealed shortly beforehand. It looked like a long pink worm with one large eye, two pairs of wings near the top of its head, and a hand-shaped tail. It was a Level Two monster with stats of 300/800. However, much to Cody’s shock, it wasn’t destroyed by the attack. Instead, it launched itself onto Drill Warrior, coiled its body around it, and inserted its hand-like tail tip into Drill Warrior’s body.

Jack looked disgusted, “That thing is nasty. And what is it doing latching onto Drill Warrior like that?”

Leo grimaced, “That’s Kiseitai, a real nasty monster. While it isn’t an actual Insect monster, instead it’s a Fiend monster, I’m not surprised Ted’s using it. Whatever monster attacks it while it’s face-down in Defense Mode it’ll latch itself onto. No damage is dealt, either, but that’s not the worst part of it. Every time Cody’s Standby Phase rolls around, Ted will gain Life Points equal to half of Drill Warrior’s Attack Points.”

Fiona looked worried, “So that means unless Cody can get rid of it, Ted will gain more and more Life Points each turn. He has to find a way to detach that leech before Ted’s Life Points become too high to scratch.”

Ted laughed, “Your dimwit friend walked into that one. While, yes, Kiseitai isn’t a genuine Insect monster, it is still a leech. And this leech will feed me Life Point each time Cody’s Standby Phase rolls in by feeding off of your monster’s Attack Points! So that means as long as Kiseitai continues to feed, my Life Points will continue to rise.”

Cody snarled, “Drill Warrior may have a leech on him now, but I’ll find a way to burn it off. So don’t get too comfortable with the Life Point gain, as I plan to shut it down. So, for now, I place two cards face-down to end my turn.”

Ted smirked, “I sincerely doubt that. But we all have our dreams, no matter how farfetched they may be. So it’s my turn, I Draw!” He looked at his new card, grinning, “I’ll keep you guessing and place this card face-down in Defense Mode. Now, onto my attack. Chainsaw Insect, attack Zubaba Knight! Show him who has the REAL cutting edge around here! You may draw a card, but it won’t help you.”

Chainsaw Insect gave its mandibles a buzz, reared up, and charged in. As it did, Cody drew a card, but was left helpless to watch Zubaba Knight carved in two by Chainsaw Insect, vanishing from the field.

“That should be destruction enough for now.”

Cody touched his deck, “Then it’s my turn, I Draw!” but was cut off.

Ted smirked, “Don’t forget about Kiseitai. Its ability now activates, giving my Life Points a boost! A 1200 point boost, to be exact!”

Kiseitai started to glow, which caused Ted’s D-Pad to glow, his Life Points increasing by 1200 to 3100.

Cody thought, “I have to get rid of that leech or his Life Points will grow to the point he’ll be untouchable. What do I do?” It then dawned upon him, gaining a grin, “I almost forgot. Drill Warrior can burn off that leech on his own! Watch out, bug breath, Cody has a plan.” He said aloud, “First, I summon Panther Warrior to the field in Attack Mode!”

Panther Warrior (2000/1600) emerged on the field, giving a fierce roar as it did. The Forest Spell then infused it with more power, increasing its strength by 200 to 2200/1800.

“Now, Drill Warrior, attack his face-down monster! Drill a few holes in it!”

Drill Warrior charged in, drill held high, and prepared to strike. The hidden monster was revealed to be Pinch Hopper (1000/1200), which gained a boost from Forest briefly, giving it 1200/1400, but it was still destroyed by Drill Warrior.

Ted sneered, “You walked into another trap, Cody! First off, since a monster I control was destroyed, I get to draw one new card.” He drew a card, looked at it, then added it to his hand before continuing, “Now, if your memory is as feeble as your monsters, I’ll remind you of Pinch Hopper’s ability. When it’s destroyed and sent to the Graveyard, I can summon ANY Insect monster from my hand. So I choose one of my strongest and rarest of all Insects! The mighty and regal ruler of all Insects: Insect Queen in Attack Mode!”

He played a new card, which summoned a massive monster. Insect Queen was a huge, female insect with an armored body being supported by six strong, thick legs ending in sharp feet, a massive thorax that seemed to drag behind her, and large wings hidden on her back. Her neck was moderate length and thick, ending in an upside-down teardrop shaped head with large antenna, narrow white eyes, and a mouth full of razor-sharp teeth. She was a Level Seven monster with stats of 2200/2400, but the Forest Spell boosted her power by another 200 to 2400/2600.

Jack sputtered, “That thing is huge! It’s as big as that Perfectly Ultimate Great Moth Django squashed last time we tangled with Ted!”

Leo grimaced, “It only gets worse. Unlike that Perfect Great Moth, Insect Queen can gain even more power on her own. For every Insect on the field, she gains an additional 200 Attack Points. That includes herself, so she’ll always gain 200 extra Attack Points just by sitting on the field. Fortunately, she has a drawback: she cannot attack unless Ted Tributes another monster. But the way that behemoth bug Tributes her ‘followers’ is not pleasant.”

As he said that, Insect Queen’s power rose by another 400 to 2800.

Ted laughed, “Face-it, Cody, this monster will be your downfall! Plus you still haven’t gotten rid of my Kiseitai yet.”

Cody grinned, “Don’t be so sure, Ted. I’ve already figured out a way to eradicate your leech by using Drill Warrior himself! Once a turn, I can discard a card, which will allow me to banish Drill Warrior until my next Standby Phase! Not only that, I get to add a monster from my Graveyard to my hand! So I’ll discard this card to banish my Drill Warrior, thereby burnin’ off your leech! So say buh-bye to Kiseitai!”

He discarded a card, which caused Drill Warrior to vanish from the field. This, in turn, caused Kiseitai to vanish as well, as it no longer had a target. Ted cursed under his breath while Jack, Leo, and Fiona cheered.

Fiona smiled, “That’s the way, Cody! Now Ted can’t gain any more Life Points! That’ll slow him down!”

Ted muttered to himself, “I can’t believe a dim bulb like him actually found a way to get rid of my Kiseitai. But he won’t win. That I promise.”

Cody grinned, “Don’t think I’m done yet, Ted. Your Insect Queen doesn’t scare me at all. So I’ll place one card face-down to end my turn. But mark my words, Ted, I’ll make you pay for stealin’ cards from a pair of kids. Just you wait and see.”

Next Chapter: Webs of Danger

That's all for now, folks. What does the next chapter suggest? Tune in next time to find out.
 
Last edited:
Okay, here we go. Chapter 32 is now live. I would've posted it sooner if I didn't have trouble with my password (that and I only just today realized that the forums were up and running again, eheheh). Anyway, moving on, the conclusion of the showdown between Cody and Ted is on the air. Who will be the victor? You know the drill, read and find out.

Webs of Danger


Back at CyberCityHospital, Jade and Benny were still watching the Duel from the Infinity Disk. Benny looked a bit worried.

Jade asked, “How’s the Duel going? Did Cody get rid of that leech monster yet?”

Benny nodded, “Yeah, he did. He used Drill Warrior’s ability to banish itself, which caused Kiseitai to be destroyed, as Drill Warrior isn’t on the field anymore. So Ted can’t gain any more Life Points. But that means he’s banished his best monster until next turn, and it’s not like his Panther Warrior or Ganbara Knight can survive against Chainsaw Insect and this nasty Insect Queen.”

“What is this Insect Queen, anyway? Sounds powerful.”

Benny turned to her, “It’s a monster that gains more power for every Insect monster on the field, including itself. So just by sitting on the field, Insect Queen gains more power. So the more Insects are on the field, the more power that overgrown royal bug gets. Which means if Cody can’t find a way to destroy it, his monsters will be devoured by it no problem.”

Jade said, “I know Cody will pull through. We Lionhearts are fighters, and if there ever was a Lionheart with a strong fighting spirit, it’s Cody. I just wish I knew more about Duel Monsters, but I don’t, as I’ve never played before, so I can’t be much help. All I can do is hope for the best.”

Back at the Duel, things weren’t looking too good for Cody. On his field were Ganbara Knight (0/1800) and Panther Warrior (2200/1600), both in Attack Mode, three face-down cards, and 3200 Life Points left. On Ted’s field were Chainsaw Insect (2600/200) and Insect Queen (2800/2600), Forest and Supply Squad active, and 3100 Life Points left. It was Ted’s turn.

Ted laughed, “Give it up, Cody, as your tournament days are through! Once my Chainsaw Insect and Insect Queen stomp you flat, you can say goodbye to any chances you had at entering the Top 16 matches. And then I can get my revenge on Django.”

Cody snarled, “Not if I can help it, bug breath. So take your turn already, and we’ll see who gets stomped flat!”

“Have it your way. It’s my turn, I Draw!” He looked at his new card, grinning, “Too bad Django isn’t here, as this next card is something I know he’d hate. Which is why it’s the perfect card to defeat you! I summon Cockroach Knight to the field in Attack Mode!”

Cockroach Knight (800/900) emerged on the field. The Forest Spell then boosted its power by 200 to 1000/1100. At the same time, Insect Queen’s power rose by another 200 to 3000.

Jack growled, “Not that monster again. Not only are cockroaches nasty, but a real bother to get rid of.”

Leo nodded, “And that’s essentially Cockroach Knight’s ability. Every time it’s sent to the Graveyard it returns to the top of the deck. Which means Insect Queen will have the perfect Tribute fodder. But, the downside of Cockroach Knight is that since it always returns to the top of the deck, it’ll always be the next card drawn, so it can slow down Ted’s drawing ability. However, Supply Squad can mitigate that, which is probably one reason why Ted played it.”

Ted stated, “Not bad, for a twerp. And I’ll show you just that! I Tribute my Cockroach Knight in order to let my Insect Queen attack this turn! Eat and grow strong, my queen!”

Insect Queen picked up Cockroach Knight and started to eat it, much to the disgust of everyone else present.

Fiona looked sick, “That’s just gross. You weren’t kidding about how Insect Queen functions, Leo, she’s a nasty one.”

“Shut it, twerp! Now, Insect Queen, attack Ganbara Knight! Turn it into goop!”

Insect Queen, whose power dropped by 200 back to 2800, opened up her mouth, and fired a green energy-like flame. It barreled toward Ganbara Knight, who seemed to be bracing for the worst.

Cody stated, “Not so fast, bug brain! I activate Ganbara Knight’s ability! When he’s attacked while in Attack Mode, he shifts to Defense Mode! So I won’t take any damage at all!”

As he said that, Ganbara Knight flipped his shields out, placing them in front of him, switching to Defense Mode. The greenish flame struck the shields, engulfing him in blinding steam. A few moments later, his now empty helmet and part of his armor clanged to the ground before vanishing completely.

Ted smirked, “So what? Your pathetic knight may have kept you from taking any damage, but your Panther won’t be so lucky! Chainsaw Insect, attack Panther Warrior! Turn it into a rug for me! You may get to draw a card, but that won’t save you!”

Chainsaw Insect revved up its mandibles and scuttled toward Panther Warrior. Cody drew a card as the massive bug approached him, but to Ted’s surprise, he was smiling.

He stated, “You little termite, I was hopin’ you’d attack. So now I can activate my Trap! Go, Kunai with Chain! This little Trap is quite useful. My monster gains 500 Attack Points by equipping itself with this card, but it can also ensnare one of your monsters and force it into Defense Mode! I don’t have to do that, however, as the 500 point boost is all my Panther needs to squash your Chainsaw Insect! So do it, Panther Warrior!”

The Trap was sprung, allowing Panther Warrior to gain a three- pronged curved weapon with a chain attached to it, its power rising by 500 to 2700. Panther Warrior then blocked Chainsaw Insect’s attack before raising its own sword and slashing the Insect monster in half, destroying it. Ted’s eyes were wide in shock as his Life Points dropped by 100 to 3000. At the same time Insect Queen’s power dropped by 200 to 2600.

Back at the hospital, Benny was stunned.

He said, “Jade, Cody just squashed Chainsaw Insect using another Trap. That leaves only Insect Queen, and she lost power because Chainsaw Insect is gone.”

Jade smiled, saying silently, “I knew you’d bounce back, Cody, just like always.”

Back at the Duel, Ted roared, “You flattened my Chainsaw Insect like a common fly! You’ll pay for that! You may have destroyed my Chainsaw Insect, as well as weakened my Insect Queen, but I’m far from done. Since you destroyed one of my monsters, my Supply Squad activates, allow me to draw one new card.” He drew a card, looked at it, then decided what to do, “You’re starting to annoy me, Lionheart, so I think I’ll activate the Spell: Insect Barrier, and place this card face-down. As you may remember, Insect Barrier blocks all Insect monsters on your field from attacking. Now, since my turn is over, my Insect Queen’s other ability activates. When she destroys a monster in battle, she lays an egg, also known as an Insect Monster Token, which I can use however I want. So go ahead, take your turn, I’m ready for you.”

As he said that, Insect Queen laid an egg. It was a Level One monster with stats of 100/100.

Cody thought, “Insect Barrier? He played that against Django. Which means, if I remember correctly, then his other card must be DNA Surgery, which will allow him to change the Types of all monsters on the field. Most likely he’ll call Insect, so his Insect Barrier will block all my attacks, just like what he did to Django. I have to get rid of that barrier before he gets too many cheap shots at me.” He then said aloud, “I’m far from done, and I think I know what you’re plannin’. But here I go, I Draw! First, my Drill Warrior’s ability activates! It returns to the field, and I get to add a monster from my Graveyard to my hand. So not only is my Drill Warrior returnin’ for an encore, but I’ll add my Ganbara Knight from my Graveyard to my hand to go along with it!”

Drill Warrior (2400/2000) appeared on the field, ready for battle. At the same time, Cody’s Graveyard Zone ejected a card, which he revealed to be Ganbara Knight, before adding it to his hand.

Ted huffed, “So what, it won’t stop me. Especially with what I have planned for you.”

The redhead replied, “I’m aware of what you have planned. You pulled the same stunt when you Dueled D-Man last time we crossed paths, so I know your face-down card is DNA Surgery. So you might as well use it, as I know you’re gonna combo it with Insect Barrier. But before you do, I summon Rocket Warrior to the field in Attack Mode!”

Rocket Warrior (1500/1300) appeared on the field.

“And next, since I summoned a Warrior monster, I can activate my Trap: Copy Knight! This Trap becomes a near perfect duplicate of my Rocket Warrior in terms of name and Level. So now I have two Rocket Warriors.”

The Trap was sprung, allowing a semi-translucent copy of Rocket Warrior to appear. It was a Level Four monster with stats of 0/0.

“Next I Overlay Rocket Warrior and Copy Knight! With these two monsters I build the Overlay Network! I Xyz Summon Blade Armor Ninja in Attack Mode!”

Both Rocket Warrior and the Copy Knight became yellow orbs of light, shot up into the air, and entered the red spiral Overlay Network. Out emerged Blade Armor Ninja (2200/1000), ready to battle.

“Now, since we all know your hidden card is DNA Surgery, just play it. We know what’s gonna happen, so might as well get it over with.”

Ted huffed, “Fine, have it your way. I activate the Trap: DNA Surgery. As long as this Trap remains on the field, I can change the Types of all monsters to whatever I want. So I declare… Insect! So now you can’t attack due to Insect Barrier.”

Leo said sarcastically, “Gee, how original. No one could’ve ever seen that coming.”

The bully snarled, “Zit it, you little shrimp. As you don’t seem to realize that now because all monsters on the field are considered Insects, my Insect Queen gains even more power!”

As he said that, Insect Queen’s power rose by 600 to 3200. At the same time, Drill Warrior’s power rose by 200 to 2600/2200 while Blade Armor Ninja’s power increased to 2400/1200.

Cody shrugged, “Whatever, I end my turn.”

“Fine with me. I Draw! First I activate Pot of Greed to draw two more cards from my deck.” He drew two cards, looked at them, and grinned, “You may remember this monster from last time. It’s my Leghul, and I summon it in Attack Mode!”

Leghul (300/350) appeared on the field. The Forest Spell then increased its power to 500/550, and at the same time Insect Queen’s power rose by another 200 to 3400.

Fiona looked worried, “Not that monster again. It can bypass all of Cody’s monsters and attack him directly. And with the Forest Spell in play, that’s 500 points of damage each turn. Plus thanks to Insect Barrier and DNA Surgery, Cody can’t destroy it.”

The bully grinned, “That’s right, so now let me properly introduce you to Leghul! Attack Cody directly, my pet!”

Leghul zipped out of sight, appeared before Cody, bit him on the leg, then retreated back to safer territory.

“Now I Tribute my Insect Monster Token in order to allow my Insect Queen to attack! Destroy his ninny ninja!”

Insect Queen ate her egg, much to everyone’s disgust, her power dropping by 200 to 3200, before rearing up, opening her mouth, and firing the same greenish flames. Cody, however, was smiling.

He stated, “You walked into another Trap, worms for brains. I activate Nitwit Outwit! By sendin’ a monster from my hand to the Graveyard, I can lower your monster’s Attack by that monster’s Attack. So I send my Axe Raider to the Graveyard in order to lower your Insect Queen’s power by 1700, making my ninja a cut above your bug! So say buh-bye to your queen!”

His Trap was sprung, followed by him discarding a card, allowing Axe Raider to emerge from the Graveyard Portal. His body was stuck down by the attack, but this caused Insect Queen’s power to drop by 1700 to 1500. This allowed Blade Armor Ninja to dodge the attack, swoop in, and slash Insect Queen in retaliation, cleaving her to pieces, much to Ted’s horror. As Insect Queen vanished, Ted roared in frustration as his Life Points dropped by 900 to 2100, making the gang and two little kids cheer happily.

Back at the hospital, Benny was in a state of shock.

He said, “Jade, you won’t believe it. Cody managed to crush Insect Queen with his Blade Armor Ninja, despite the combo of DNA Surgery and Insect Barrier. That’s was a clever use of the Nitwit Outwit Trap, as it lowered Insect Queen’s power enough for Blade Armor Ninja to slice and dice her to pieces in a counterattack.”

Jade smiled, “I knew Cody would destroy that nasty queen. Now all that’s left on Ted’s field is that Leghul, right?”

“Yeah, but thanks to DNA Surgery and Insect Barrier, he can’t destroy it. So it’s free to keep attacking his Life Points directly every turn. That’s 500 points of damage each turn. Which means if left unchecked, Leghul can keep lowering his Life Points to the point that any monster Ted summons can finish the job in one swoop. Cody has to find a way to stop that before it can happen or he’s out of the tournament.”

Back at the Duel, Ted snarled, “I can’t believe you destroyed my Insect Queen! You will pay dearly for that! But it’s not like you can do much else. As long as my combination of DNA Surgery and Insect Barrier is in play, you can’t attack! Plus, my Leghul can attack you directly each turn. So even without my queen, I’ll still defeat you and knock you out of the tournament!”

Cody stated, “I’m still in this, bug boy, and I never quit. So if you don’t mind, I’ll take it from here! It’s my turn, I Draw!” He looked at his new card, thinking, “Ego Boost. This might come in handy. But, like he said, as long as that DNA Surgery and Insect Barrier are in play, I can’t attack. So I’ll just build up my defenses until then.” He said aloud, “First I’ll place this card face-down on the field. Then I’ll summon Ganbara Knight again in Attack Mode! And that’ll do it for now.”

Ganbara Knight (0/1800) came crashing down from above, ready to fight. The Forest Spell then boosted his power by 200 to 200/2000.

Ted smirked, “Not much of a move, Lionheart. But I’ll be sure to put you out of your misery soon enough. I Draw!” He looked at his new card, grinning, “I just drew a card that you won’t like at all. But before I do, I have a new monster to summon. I summon Infernity Beetle to the field in Attack Mode!”

A new monster appeared. Infernity Beetle looked like a fairly small but still formidable black rhinoceros beetle with green eyes and veined wings. It was a Level Two monster with stats of 1200/0, but the Forest Spell raised its power to 1400/200.

Leo stated, “That’s a Tuner Monster! He may try to Synchro Summon soon, so be careful, Cody!”

The boy with them said, “He will. He used that card against my sister and me, so we know exactly what monster he’s gonna summon with it.”

The girl added, “The monster that’s coming up next is the very same monster that defeated both of us. It’s a nasty one. I’m not sure if your friend can survive a battle against it.”

Ted smirked, “Well don’t spoil the surprise for this pathetic Duelist. I want him to squirm. But before I summon my mega monster, I have to set things up a bit more. So I activate Monster Reborn to revive my Chainsaw Insect in Attack Mode!”

The Graveyard Portal opened up, allowing Chainsaw Insect (2400/0) to emerge from it. The Forest Spell increased its power to 2600/200.

“Now for the fun part. I tune my Infernity Beetle with my Chainsaw Insect! Time to summon my most trusted monster! I Synchro Summon Underground Arachnid in Attack Mode!”

Infernity Beetle became two green rings, which Chainsaw Insect entered, becoming an outline of itself before transforming into four orbs of light. A burst of light followed and out emerged a new monster.

Underground Arachnid was a large spider, mostly dark blue in color with some purple and dark red sections, eight spindly legs ending in sharp points, six pinkish orbs on its thorax, three on each side, with matching orbs on a small head. Attached to the top of the body, near the front and just above the small head was a female-shaped being from the hips up with grey skin, long arms with slender fingers, reddish armor on its torso, armored shoulders, a human-like head with long elven ears, glowing eyes, and short red hair. It was a Level Six monster with stats of 2400/1200, then the Forest Spell boosted its power by another 200 to 2600/1400.

Leo looked grim, “This isn’t good. Underground Arachnid is a very cunning and dangerous monster. While it may not look threatening, especially with only 2400 base Attack Points, it’s still a nasty customer. Cody has to be prepared for anything or that arachnid will catch him in its webs.”

Ted laughed, “Meet my rarest and most devastating creature of all! Underground Arachnid is a very devious monster, able to perform some pretty cunning tactics. And I’ll show you right now! I activate its special ability! Once a turn, I can target one monster you control and equip it onto my Underground Arachnid! And it gets better. As long as there is another monster equipped to my Arachnid, it can survive being destroyed by destroying the equipped monster instead! While it can only have one monster equipped to it at a time, that’s still more than enough to keep you from destroying it. So I think I’ll snag your Panther Warrior! Go, my masterful spider! Attach Panther Warrior to yourself and become stronger!”

Underground Arachnid lashed out several strands of silk that ensnared Panther Warrior. It tried to resist, but was eventually reeled in before vanishing from the field. It reappeared a moment later behind Underground Arachnid, attached to it via several strands of silk.

Cody growled, “This isn’t good. My Panther was the toughest monster on the field, but now it’s just extra padding for that overgrown spider. I have to find a way to destroy it in one turn otherwise it’ll just keep snaggin’ a monster I have and turn it into a livin’ shield.”

Ted took another card from his hand, “I’m afraid it gets worse. I activate the Equip Spell: Insect Armor with Laser Cannon! You might remember this from when I Dueled Django. It boosts an Insect monster’s power by 700 points! So my Arachnid will be far stronger than any monster you have!”

Underground Arachnid was equipped with bulky armor with a laser cannon attached to it, causing it to roar triumphantly as its power rose by 700 to 3300.

“Now Underground Arachnid, attack his Blade Armor Ninja!”

Cody stated hastily, “I activate the Spell…” but was cut off.

“Sorry, but you can’t activate any Spells or Traps whenever my Arachnid attacks! So your Spell will just have to wait!”

Jack looked worried, “That’s bad, which means Cody’s Blade Armor Ninja is a sitting duck!”

Underground Arachnid took aim and fired from its newly equipped cannon. It struck Blade Armor Ninja, causing it to vanish from the field in a fiery explosion. Cody was thrown back as his Life Points dropped by 900 to 2300.

Ted sneered, “I’m not done yet. I still have Leghul left. So attack Cody directly!”

Leghul zipped away, appeared before Cody, bit him on the arm, and retreated back to its side of the field. Cody gave a growl as his Life Points dropped by 500 to 1800.

“That’s enough damage for now. I end my turn. Face it, Lionheart, your tournament days are through.”

Cody stated, “I’m far from done, bug breath. As long as I have Life Points, I can still do this. So if you’re done gloating, it’s my turn I Draw!” He looked at his new card, thinking, “This monster might help. I could ram it into his Arachnid, but as long as that Insect Barrier is in play, I can’t do that. Plus I’d lose some serious Life Points. Even with my face-down Ego Boost it wouldn’t be enough to take out that overgrown spider. So I’ll just have to play defensively until I can think of a better solution.” He said aloud, “I place this monster in face-down Defense Mode, switch my Drill Warrior and Ganbara Knight to Defense Mode, and end my turn.”

Ted smirked, “How sad. That’s the best you can do, and it still won’t be enough. I’ll have you out of this tournament very soon, Cody, so don’t worry, your troubles will be over soon.”

Back at the hospital, Benny and Jade were still watching. Benny looked discouraged at what was happening.

He said sadly, “It doesn’t look like Cody’s going to win this Duel. That Underground Arachnid is just too tough. Maybe we should log off now?”

Jade shook her head, “No way, Benny, we can’t give up on Cody now. He will find a way.”

The boy looked at her, “How can you be so sure? As long as Insect Barrier is in play, he can’t fight back. And with Leghul and Underground Arachnid chipping away at his Life Points, it’s only a matter of time before he’s done for. Maybe the best solution is to run and hide…”

“Kinda like what you did?”

Benny looked depressed, “I guess… There are things that are really scary, especially when you have to face them alone.”

Jade replied, “Cody isn’t alone. He’s always been there for me, and I’m there for him. When I was scared before my heart operation, Cody helped me find the strength to go through with it. Even though I’m not next to him right now, he knows I’m with him in spirit. And he’s not alone on the battlefield, as I know that at least some of the gang he’s part of is by his side right now. So Cody just needs to believe in himself, and we need to believe in him. He’ll pull through. It may not be easy, but he always finds the strength to emerge victorious.”

Back at the Duel, Ted touched his deck, “It’s almost over for you, Lionheart, so get ready to lose it all! I Draw!” He looked at his new card, grinning, “You’re in for it now. I activate the Spell: Stop Defense! This card forces one of your defending monsters into Attack Mode! So I choose your Drill Warrior, as I deem your face-down monster and Ganbara Knight no threat. So now your Life Points are vulnerable!”

The Spell forced Drill Warrior into Attack Mode, much to Cody’s worry.

“Now Underground Arachnid, attack Drill Warrior! Send it to the scrap heap!”

Underground Arachnid charged up more power in its equipped cannon, took aim, and fired. The attack slammed into Drill Warrior, causing it to explode in a fiery blast, knocking Cody off his feet, his Life Points dropping by 700 to 1100.

“Now to weaken you even further! Leghul, attack him directly!”

Leghul vanished from sight, appeared before Cody, bit him on the leg, and then retreated back to its original place. Cody's Life Points dropped by 500 to 600.

Cody thought grimly, “What am I to do? With Drill Warrior gone, I’m almost a sitting duck. I have to find a way to destroy Underground Arachnid, but as long as Insect Barrier is in play, I can’t get near it or Leghul. But I can’t give up now, or I’m out of the tournament.”

Jack stated strongly, “Cody, you can’t give up! You have to stomp this bully flat to make him pay for what he’s done! And don’t forget, Jade looks to you for strength, so you have to squash him for your sister! She’ll never give up on you, so you have to keep fighting!”

Ted laughed, “It’s pointless you overgrown ape, Cody has lost this Duel, so you might as well give the cheerleading speech a rest.”

Cody, his eyes full of energy, stated, “It’s not over yet, bug brains. I’ll stomp you flat, along with your precious Arachnid! Here goes nothin’, I Draw!” He looked at his new card, grinning, “This’ll do nicely. I activate Pot of Greed to draw two cards from my deck.” He drew two cards, looked at them, and gained a large grin, “You’re in for it now, Ted. Time to shatter your defenses, crush your bugs, and take you down!”

Fiona cheered, “I smell a comeback in the works!”

Leo added, “Take him to the cleaners, Cody!”

The redhead grinned, “With pleasure, little buddy.” He turned back to the Duel, “First off, it’s time I got rid of that Insect Barrier. So I activate the Spell: Mystical Space Typhoon! So say adios to your defensive shield!”

A massive typhoon formed on the field, barreling down toward the Insect Barrier card. It slammed into it, shattering it, which caused the defensive grid of light beams to vanish, much to Ted’s horror.

“Next up, I reveal my hidden monster: Fencin’ Fire Ferret! This sly monster is about to burn your Underground Arachnid to cinders!”

The hidden monster was flipped face-up, allowing Fencing Fire Ferret (1700/600) to emerge, followed by the Forest Spell raising its power to 1900/800.

“Next up, I activate the Spell: Monster Reborn, to revive my Drill Warrior in Attack Mode!”

The Graveyard Portal opened up, allowing Drill Warrior (2400/2000) to emerge, followed by the Forest Spell boosting its power to 2600/2200.

Ted looked a bit worried, “What do you plan to do with those monsters?”

Cody grinned, “You seem to be a bit nervous, Ted. I would be too if I was about to be blasted out of this Duel. But rather than tell you about it, I’ll just show you. Fencin’ Fire Ferret, attack Underground Arachnid! To further boost your power, I activate my face-down Spell: Ego Boost! Whenever a monster declares an attack, this Spell can raise the Attack of one monster by 1000. So my Ferret is one smokin’ flamin’ furball!”

The Spell raised Fencing Fire Ferret’s power by 1000 to 2900.

“Now, to keep the power goin’, I activate the Spell: Graceful Dice! This Spell raises the Attack and Defense of all my monsters by 100 times the number rolled on the die. For my plan to work without me takin’ a scratch, I need a four or higher. So go, Graceful Dice!”

The little angel-like casino creature appeared, holding a blue die. It hurled it into the air, the die clunked to the ground, with everyone watching tensely. It landed on a four, much to Cody’s joy and Ted’s horror.

The redhead grinned, “I got a four, so that means all my monsters gain 400 Attack and Defense Points!”

Fencing Fire Ferret’s power rose to 3300/1200, Drill Warrior’s power increased to 3000/2600, and Ganbara Knight’s strength increased to 600/2400. Fencing Fire Ferret then charged in, its flaming bladed tail held high, twisted its body, and lashed it out at Underground Arachnid.

Ted grimaced, “In order to protect my Arachnid, I’m force to destroy the equipped Panther Warrior. But that means your Ferret is done for, as my Arachnid will be spared while your furball is sent packing!”

Panther Warrior vanished from behind Underground Arachnid, which then attempted to block the attack. As Fencing Fire Ferret stuck Underground Arachnid, the two were engulfed in a fiery blast, but when the smoke cleared, only Underground Arachnid was still standing. However, Cody was still smiling.

He said, “You don’t seem to know how my Ferret works, do you? Whenever it’s destroyed, it can destroy one monster you control and then deal you 500 points of damage! So your spider is about to go splat!”

Ted watched in horror as Fencing Fire Ferret appeared from the newly opened Graveyard Portal. It lashed out its tail again, this time piercing right through Underground Arachnid, causing it to erupt in a fiery blast. When the smoke cleared, it was gone. Fencing Fire Ferret then gave its tail one last sweep, sending a fire shockwave at Ted, which struck the bully hard, causing his Life Points to drop by 500 to 1600. Fencing Fire Ferret then jumped back into the Graveyard Portal, which closed up behind it.

Cody grinned, “Now all that’s left is your Leghul, which is defenseless against my Drill Warrior. So do it, Drill Warrior! Attack Leghul and end this Duel!”

Ted could only watch in horror as Drill Warrior charged in, drill held high, took aim, and slammed it into Leghul. The worm-like monster was destroyed in an instant, sending a massive shockwave toward Ted, who was knocked off his feet, his Life Points dropping down to zero. A “Win” screen appeared, showing Cody, before the Augmented Reality vanished. The gang cheered happily at Cody’s victory, doing various high-fives and victory dances. As they did, Ted tried to sneak away, but was grabbed from behind by Cody, who gave him an ugly look.

“All right, Ted, pay up. You owe me two Star Pieces, your Underground Arachnid, AND the cards you stole from those two kids! So cough up the goods now!”

Ted replied nervously, “C-Can I take a rain check?”

Jack approached him, cracking his knuckles, “Not a chance, Ted. Pay up now or else.”

Ted tried to escape, but was pinned down by Cody and Jack. They rummaged through is clothes, extracting two decks, two Star Pieces, and Underground Arachnid. The two kids took the decks and looked through them.

The boy said, “Thank you! You got back all our cards! Each and every one is here, safe and sound. Thank you so much.”

The girl looked close to tears, “You recovered our cards and beat this bully for us. Thank you, we owe you big time.”

Jack grinned, “No problem, kids, glad to help.”

Cody turned to the pinned Ted, eyes flaring, “Well, Ted, looks like you’re through. You’re outta the tournament, so you won’t be gettin’ any revenge on my pal, you termite. And if we catch you pickin’ on any other kids, we’ll rearrange your ugly face! You got that, you pest!? If you pull a stunt like this again, you’re dead meat. Now get lost!”

At that time, Benny and Jade had watched the end of the Duel. Benny was amazed while Jade seemed satisfied.

Benny said, “I can’t believe it! He won! Cody beat Ted’s buggy backside! He almost lost a hundred times, but he never gave up. You were right, Jade, as Cody managed to turn things around and defeat Ted. Now he’s just two Star Pieces away from the finals! That’s so cool!”

Jade smiled, “You see, Benny? When you never give up, then anything can become a reality. That’s what my brother taught me.”

Benny nodded, “Yeah, I can see that now. And I’m no longer scared anymore, Jade. Because of what you said and watching Cody turn the tables big time on Ted inspired me. I won’t run away anymore. I’m braver now because of you and Cody. And maybe one day I can become a top Duelist and my friends can cheer me on.”

Jade giggled, “I’ll be sure to cheer as well.”

“So, do you think you can get me Cody’s autograph?”

Meanwhile, elsewhere in the city, on one of the jumbo holo-screens, it showed the results of Cody’s Duel. Several Duelists were impressed at the sudden turnaround, while two in the crowd looked rather pleased. Django and Tempest looked up at the screen, smiling.

Tempest said happily, “Cody managed to squash Ted and knocked him out of the tournament. That’s one less problem to deal with. And that’ll show Ted whose boss. Right, Django?”

Django nodded, “Yep, he sure did. And he did it without his Excalibur, too. But this is just the start. Next stop is the Cyber Clash finals.” He said silently, “Watch yourself, Lucifer, as we’re coming to get you. And your little buddy Number 96 as well. So don’t get too comfortable as the Psykinox King, because we’re gonna dethrone you.”

Next Chapter: Chilling Night

And that's all for now folks. Tune in next time to see what's in store for the gang. Later!
 
Last edited:
Okay, after a two month hiatus, the next chapter is live. I would've posted it sooner, but I had some questions first, which the awesome people on these forums clarified for me. So let's get on with the show (finally).

Chilling Night


Cody, Jack, Leo, and Fiona were walking down the street. Cody was admiring his Star Piece frame, which now had four pieces sitting in it. In his other hand was Underground Arachnid.

He smiled, “Yeah, what a win! I totally squashed that termite Ted. He totally got what was comin’ to him.”

Fiona nodded, “Totally. You not only knocked him out of the tournament, but you made him pay for stealing cards from a couple of kids. Now he can’t do any more damage to anyone else in the tournament. Plus, you ended up doubling your progress in one shot. Now you’re just two pieces away from gaining entry into the Top 16 matches.”

Jack added, “Not to mention you got his rarest card: Underground Arachnid. That’ll give Ted a taste of his own medicine. Since he’s so fond of stealing and bullying, it was only natural that karma would come back and give him a solid strike. Now he’s out of the tournament and if he tries to steal any more cards, he’s toast.”

The redhead nodded, “Yeah, but I wonder why I seem to attract these guys?”

Leo chuckled, “It’s good practice, Cody. Think of it that way. The more opponents you face with unusual tactics and mentalities, the better prepared you become for almost every situation.”

“Hey, yeah, good point, Leo. Watch out, Cyber Clash, as Cody is gonna rock your world!”

At that moment, they heard cheering. They looked ahead to see a crowd of people in a circle. Realizing it’s a Duel, the group of four quickly dashed ahead, donning their Duel Gazers. However, just as they did, the Augmented Reality vanished, meaning the Duel was over. Regardless, the group wove their way through the crowd to see the end results. Two Duelists were in the center of the ring of people, one was a teen girl, and the other was an older teen boy. The teen girl appeared to be the winner. She was about the same age as Leo and Fiona, with long blonde hair with two braided sections, royal blue eyes, and fair skin. Her body structure was about the same as Fiona’s, though a bit curvier. She was wearing a long-sleeved blue shirt, a red skirt, black knee-high socks, tan winter boots, and a winter hat with earflaps.

The older teen boy approached her, saying, “Man, you’re good, girl. You really pegged me. But a loss is a loss, so take my Star Piece and Thousand Dragon. You deserve them for such an awesome win.”

The teen girl replied with a somewhat heavy Nordic accent, “Zank you. Your Dueling was veri gud, but tri not being dependent on Time Vizard’s roulette so much, as it is riski. But zank you for a gud Duel.”

Leo asked, “Hey, Fiona, don’t we know her?”

Fiona nodded, “Yeah, that’s Olga from our class. She just transferred here from Norway over the winter. I didn’t realize she was in the tournament. Why don’t we go and say hi?”

The older twin nodded and the gang approached her. She turned toward them and her eyes widened.

She asked, “Is zat you, Leo and Fiona? I did not realize you vere participating in ze tournament.”

Leo nodded, “Yeah, Fiona and I are in it. We’re just as surprised to see you here, Olga. We didn’t know you were such a high-level player.”

Olga replied, “According to my rank, I am, to mi surprise, a six star Duelist. I did not realize zat mi win rate vas so high. But vho are the tvo behind you?”

Fiona said, “This is Cody and Jack, two of our friends outside of school. We’re also friends with Django Spirit and his girlfriend Tempest, who are not here right now. We decided to split up to cover more ground and gather Star Pieces faster, though we remain in contact.”

The Norwegian teen nodded, “Nice to meet you. But I never realized you knev ze Django Spirit, ze VorldChampion Duelist. Your ranks must be quite high zen.”

Leo stated, “Both Fiona and I are six star Duelists, too. We were a bit surprised, given the fact that we suspect Kain has some influence on the scores. He gave poor Cody a bad rank, yet still good enough to enter.”

Olga tilted her head in a confused manner, “Vhy would Kain do something like zat? I don’t think that Cody would be a bad Duelist, so vhy?”

Jack merely said, “He doesn’t like us. Even though we’re allies to him, he doesn’t like us much. He looks down upon us. Only Django gets any sort of respect from him, and that’s only because he’s the World Champion, plus the only Duelist who has ever defeated Kain. He looks down upon Cody the most, so that low rank was probably just to spite him, though he does just barely qualify for the tournament regardless.”

“I see. I did not tink Kain vould be zat way. I guess his status in ze Dueling vorld inflates his ego enough to look dovn upon most other Duelists. But anyvay, Leo, Fiona, vow mani Star Pieces do you have?”

Fiona replied, “Both Leo and I have two so far. We got off to a slow start yesterday because we had to take care of something pretty important for Django. We won’t go into details, but let’s just say that it may be the difference between a good future and a really bad one. How about you?”

Olga smiled, “Vatever it vas, it does sound pretti important. Anyvay, I yust von mi zird Star Piece, but I still vant to Duel some more.”

Leo stated, “I’ll take you on, Olga. How about it?”

“Sounds gud. As zey say in ze business, let’s Duel!”

Leo grinned, “Then it’s time for a feeding frenzy! Infinity Disk, locked and loaded! Duel Gazer, locked on target!”

Olga equipped herself with her standard blue D-Pad and standard Duel Gazer, while the rest of the gang donned their Duel Gazers.

“Augmented Reality Visual link established.”

Both drew their starting hands, Life Points at 4000.

“Let’s Duel!”

Olga touched her deck, “If you don’t mind, I zink I’ll open zis Duel up! I Draw!” She took a card from her hand, “I’ll make it quick. I place zis monster in face-dovn Defense Mode and one card face-dovn to end mi turn. Let’s zee vat you’ve got, Leo.”

Leo grinned, “Gladly, Olga. It’s my turn, I Draw!” He took a card from his hand, “First I’ll summon the vicious Hammer Shark to the field in Attack Mode!”

A new monster appeared. Hammer Shark was a hammerhead shark with a literal hammer for a head. It had a blue body with a yellow underbelly, red beady eyes attached to the sides of the hammer, and a mouth full of sharp teeth above the blunt part of the hammer. It was a Level Four monster with stats of 1700/1500.

“But I’m not done yet. I activate Silent Angler’s ability from my hand. If I control a WATER monster, I can Special Summon this denizen of the deep from my hand to the field. The catch is I cannot Special Summon any other monsters from my hand this turn. But that’s no biggie. So I summon my Silent Angler to the field in Attack Mode!”

A new monster appeared. Silent Angler was an ugly angler fish with a dark brown body, small eyes, a large mouth, spiny fins, and a lighted lure dangling over its face. It was a Level Four monster with stats of 800/1400.

“Now for the really fun part. I Overlay my Silent Angler and Hammer Shark! With these two monsters I build the Overlay Network! I Xyz Summon Bahamut Shark in Attack Mode!”

Both Silent Angler and Hammer Shark became blue orbs of light, shot up into the air, and entered the red spiral Overlay Network. Out emerged a new monster.

Bahamut Shark looked more like an anthropomorphic sea dragon than a shark. It had a strong-looking blue body with a white underbelly, sharp claws on its arms and legs, a long tail ending in a single somewhat blade-like fin, two pairs of wings, a moderate length neck, a sharp head with several spikes on top, glowing yellow eyes and a mouth full of needle-like teeth. Orbiting it were two blue orbs of light. It was a Rank Four monster with stats of 2600/2100.

Olga looked surprised, “Oh, mi, such a vicious monster. I did not knov you had such a beast in your deck, Leo.”

Leo grinned, “Bahamut Shark is one of my more powerful beasts, but it’s his special ability that you should be worried about. For the cost of one Overlay Unit I can Special Summon any Rank Three or lower WATER monster from my Extra Deck. While it means Bahamut Shark cannot attack this turn, it does mean I can bolster my forces in one shot. So I’ll use one Overlay Unit to Special Summon an old favorite of mine: Submersible Carrier Aero-Shark in Attack Mode!”

Bahamut Shark ate one of its Overlay Units, but this caused an Overlay Network to open up, allowing Submersible Carrier Aero-Shark (1900/1000) to emerge, giving a fierce roar as it did.

“Now I’m REALLY gonna kick things up a notch. I Overlay my Rank Three Aero-Shark! With this one monster I rebuild the Overlay Network! I Xyz Summon Full Armored Black RayLancer in Attack Mode!”

Aero-Shark became a blue orb of light, shot up into the air, and entered the red spiral Overlay Network. Out emerged a new monster.

Full Armored Black Ray Lancer looked like its normal counterpart, only it was equipped with heavy-duty armor components that looked like pieces of Aero-Shark repainted gold and black. Orbiting it was one blue orb of light. It was a Rank Four monster with stats of 2100/600.

Cody looked surprised, “Hold on! How did Leo do that!? That was like Chaos Xyz Evolution, but with a normal Xyz Monster! So how’d he do it?”

Fiona explained, “Some Xyz Monsters have this little ability. It’s very similar to Chaos Xyz Evolution, only a bit different. For starters, there is no Chaos energy involved, unlike with the Rank-Up cards. Secondly, only certain Xyz Monsters can do this, such as Gaia Dragon, the Thunder Charger. So, overall, there are sometimes two ways to Xyz Summon a non-Chaos Number Xyz Monster through this method. Full Armored Black Ray Lancer is an example of one. While it can also be summoned using three Level Four WATER monsters, it can be summoned by Overlaying a Rank Three WATER monster that has no Overlay Units. Hence why Leo summoned Aero-Shark: to set the stage for this new monster.”

Olga smiled, “Pretti impressive, Leo. I did not knov that some Xyz Monsters could do zat. But vat is a Chaos Number? I have heard of Numbers because of vat I knov of Django’s Duels, but vat is a Chaos Number?”

Leo explained, “Simply put, it’s an evolved Number through the process known as Chaos Xyz Evolution. Every Number can evolve further, mostly using the Power of Chaos, but we’ve only seen a few examples so far. Django’s ace Number, Number 39: Utopia, has three Chaos forms, plus several other evolutions, while most other Numbers only have one. It’s because Utopia can evolve himself to adapt to any kind of situation, therefore can change according to Django’s needs, making Utopia unique even for the Numbers. But enough of that, we have a Duel to play, so I’ll start with Full Armored Black Ray Lancer’s ability. For every Overlay Unit it has, it gains 200 Attack Points.”

As he said that, Full Armored Black Ray Lancer’s power increased by 200 to 2300.

“Now, Full Armored Black Ray Lancer, attack Olga’s hidden monster! Full Armor Shimmering Spear Strike!”

Full Armored Black Ray Lancer summoned a spear made of black energy, gave it a spin in its hands, and hurled it at Olga’s hidden monster. The monster was revealed shortly beforehand, revealing itself to be a pair of strange creatures, one was pink, the other was green, with wide blue eyes and a ring circling their bodies. They were a Level Four monster with stats of 1700/0. The energy spear struck them, but when the dust cleared, the monster was still standing.

Jack asked, “Hold on, that monster’s Defense Points are zero, so how did it survive a direct strike from Leo’s Full Armored Black Ray Lancer?”

Olga smiled, “It’s because zis monster is called Gellenduo. As long as I don’t zake damage, zis monster vill remain on ze field. Furthermore, it cannot be destroyed in battle. Plus it has one more ability available to it. So are you done, Leo?”

Leo gave a crooked smile, “A very good defense monster, that’s for sure. So that was a wise choice to play in Defense Mode, as it can survive almost everything. I place two cards face-down to end my turn. You’re up, Olga.”

Olga smiled, “Zen it’s mi turn, I Draw!” She looked at her new card, grinning, “Nice, yust vat I needed. I Tribute mi Gellenduo, vich counts as tvo Tributes for a Fairy monster, in order to summon mi Vite Night Queen to ze field in Attack Mode!”

Jack asked, “Her what now? That accent is throwing me off.”

Fiona explained, “The monster is called White Night Queen, Jack. It’s a Fairy-type monster, and it can be pretty powerful when used with the right combos. You’ll see soon enough.”

Gellenduo vanished from the field and was replaced with a new monster. White Night Queen was a regal-looking monster almost totally encased in ice with white-blue skin, long dark blue hair, glowing yellow eyes, and a long white cape with a blue broach. She was a Level Seven monster with stats of 2100/800.

Cody looked confused, “That White Night Queen is no threat to Leo. Both of his monsters are stronger that that frozen royal, so what’s so threatening about her?”

Olga took a card from her hand, “You shall see right nov. I activate ze Spell: Book of Moon. Zis Spell forces one monster on ze field into face-dovn Defense Mode. So I choose Bahamut Shark!”

The Spell fired a beam at Bahamut Shark, striking it in the chest, causing it to roar. It vanished in a flurry of sparkles and was replaced with a face-down Defense Mode monster.

“Now I activate Vite Night Queen’s ability. I can destroy one set card on ze field. So say bye-bye to Bahamut Shark! Vite Night Queen, put ze deep freeze on zat finned monster!”

White Night Queen summoned several icicle spears, took aim, and hurled them at the defenseless monster. The icicle spears pierced the card, freezing it over before it shattered. However, Leo was grinning.

He smirked, “You may have destroyed one of my best monsters, but I’m about to sink your White Night Queen. I activate the Trap: Icy Crevasse! Whenever a single monster I control is destroyed by a card effect, I can target one monster you control. It goes to the Graveyard and you take damage equal to that’s monster’s Attack! So your Queen is about to be dethroned!”

A large crevasse started to form in the ground as it wove its way toward White Night Queen. The crevasse opened up underneath her, causing her to plummet into the large crevasse. As she fell, a massive icy wind blustered from the large hole, knocking Olga off her feet. She hit the ground as her Life Points dropped by 2100 to 1900.

She dusted herself off, “Zat… was pretti impressive. Even vith your strongest monster gone, you still managed to destroy mi Queen. I’m impressed. And I zought we Psykinoxes vere crafty.”

A pause followed before the gang exclaimed, “WHAT!? You’re a Psykinox!?”

Olga nodded, “Yes, I am half-Psykinox. Mi mother is a Psykinox. Vhy does zat shock you? Have you heard of us before?”

Leo sputtered, “Django’s a Psykinox. He’s the son of Astral and Elna Spirit, the previous leaders of the race. Django’s in a fight to stop Lucifer from gaining ultimate power, and we’re helping him. The reason for our slow start to the tournament was to recruit the other six Psykinox Lords to our cause.”

Olga pondered, “So Django’s a true Spirit zen, as vell as ze son of Astral? Mi mother vas getting suspicious of Django’s last name, vondering if he vas a true Spirit or if his last name vas yust coincidence. And you managed to recruit ze ozer Psykinox Lords as vell? Zat is pretti impressive. I admit I do not knov a vole lot about vat’s going on or about ze Psykinox Lords, but mother has been getting edgy vith Lucifer in command. She’ll be pleased to knov zat our true leader is still alive. But ve vill discuss zis later. Ve are Dueling, after all. So I shall place one card face-dovn to end mi turn. Your move, Leo.”

Leo shook his head, recovering from the sudden shock, “Right then. It’s my turn, I Draw!” He looked at his new card, thinking, “Okay, she’s got no monsters on her field but two face-down cards. I wouldn’t be surprised if at least one of them was a Trap. Fortunately, as long as Full Armored Black Ray Lancer has an Overlay Unit, it can protect itself from destruction effects like Mirror Force. Might be wise to build up a defense, just in case.” He said aloud, “I place this monster in face-down Defense Mode and I’ll have my Full Armored Black Ray Lancer attack you directly!”

Full Armored Black Ray Lancer summoned up another dark energy spear, gave it a spin, and hurled it at Olga. She, however, started to smile, much to Leo’s worry.

She stated, “Nice tri, but not nice enough! I activate ze Trap: Dimension Vall! Zis Trap redirects your attack right back at you! So say gudbye to 2300 Life Points!”

A dimensional wormhole appeared, swallowed up the attack, and opened up another one right in front of Leo. The dark energy spear flew out of it and struck the teen hard, causing him to go flying. He crashed to the ground in a heap, his Life Points dropping by 2300 to 1700.

Fiona called out, “Big bro, are you okay!?”

Leo shook his head and stood up, “Yeah, I’m fine, don’t worry, sis. I knew one of those cards was a Trap, and I figured I’d trigger it, but I had to be sure. Better to get rid of it now than later when it could be a bigger threat.”

Olga grinned, “Not too shabbi , Leo. You sure can take ze hits and bounce right back, can’t you. So are you done for now?”

Leo nodded, “I’ll end my turn there. Your move.”

The Norwegian teen nodded, “Zen it’s mi turn, I Draw! I activate ze Spell: Pot of Greed. Zis allovs me to draw tvo nev cards from mi deck.” She drew two cards, looked at them, then smiled, “Next I activate ze Trap: Ze First Monarch! I can Special Summon zis Trap as a monster, zen by discarding a card I can declare an Attribute. Not only does zis Trap Monster become zat Attribute, but it counts as tvo Tributes for a monster vith ze same Attribute. So first I summon it to ze field.”

A shadowy creature emerged from the field. It was a Level Six monster with stats of 1000/2400.

“Next, I discard zis card and declare VATER! So nov zis Trap Monster counts as tvo Tributes for a VATER monster! Vich means I can nov summon mi best monster: Vite Night Dragon in Attack Mode!”

The shadowy creature vanished but was replaced with a more powerful-looking creature. White Night Dragon was a massive dragon completely composed of ice. It had sharp claws and talons, jagged wings, a long tail with a spiked club at the end, a long neck with a sharp bullet-shaped head. It looked a lot like the Blue-Eyes White Dragon. It was a Level Eight monster with stats of 3000/2500.

Jack sputtered, “That thing is powerful! It looks a lot like Blue-Eyes, too.”

Fiona explained, “White Night Dragon is considered part of the same family as Blue-Eyes. Basically, it’s a more common, WATER Attribute counterpart to Blue-Eyes. Leo’s in for a rough ride.”

Leo grimaced, “And thanks to that dragon’s ability, I can’t activate my face-down card.”

Cody asked, “Whattya mean, Leo?”

He explained, “White Night Dragon’s ability is that when it’s targeted by the effects of a Spell or Trap, it can negate and destroy it. So my face-down card, Compulsory Evacuation Device, is useless against it. But even if I take damage, my Full Armored Black Ray Lancer can protect itself as long as it has an Overlay Unit.”

Olga smirked, “Zat von’t be the case for much longer, Leo. For I activate ze Spell: Space Cyclone! Zis Spell removes one Overlay Unit from any Xyz Monster on ze field! So your Lancer is about to lose its last hope!”

A massive cyclone formed on the field. This caused the single Overlay Unit on Full Armored Black Ray Lancer to stop dead in its tracks and was swallowed up by the cyclone, vanishing. This also caused Full Armored Black Ray Lancer’s power to drop down to 2100.

“Nov, Vite Night Dragon, destroy Full Armored Black Ray Lancer vith Frozen Stream of Destruction!”

White Night Dragon summoned up freezing energy in its mouth, took aim, and fired it at Leo’s monster. It was destroyed instantly, causing Leo to be thrown back, his Life Points dropping by 900 to 800.

Olga smiled, “Had enough, Leo?”

Leo got back up, “I may be low on Life Points, but that’s never stopped me before. All it takes is one turn to flip things around, and I intend to make good on that.”

Olga smiled, “Gud, I vas hoping you’d say zat. You don’t look like the quitter type. So come at mi. I end mi turn.”

Leo touched his deck, thinking, “Please, deck, I need a winner here.” He stated aloud, “I Draw! Sweet! I activate my own Pot of Greed! This allows me to draw two more cards from my deck.” He drew two cards, looked at them, and smiled, “This’ll melt your icy dragon to a puddle! But first I flip my face-down Shocktopus into face-up Attack Mode!”

Leo’s hidden monster was revealed. Shocktopus was a shark with a saw-like snout and where its tail would be was instead eight long orange tentacles. It was a Level Four monster with stats of 1600/800.

“Next I activate the Spell: Monster Slots! I target one monster on my field with a Level and one in my Graveyard with the same Level. I banish the one in my Graveyard and draw one card. If it’s a monster with the same Level, I can summon it directly to the field. If not, it gets added to my hand. So I target my Shocktopus on the field and Silent Angler in my Graveyard. I banish Silent Angler and I get to draw one card.”

A massive gargoyle-like slot machine appeared. It pulled down its level, causing the three slots to start rolling. The first one stopped on Shocktopus, the second one landed on Silent Angler. Leo then touched his deck, prayed, and drew a card. The final slot stopped on another monster, much to Leo’s joy.

“Sweet! I drew Level Four Piercing Moray! So I can now summon it to the field in Attack Mode!”

A new monster appeared. Piercing Moray was simply a green moray eel with a large spear-like spike on its forehead. It was a Level Four monster with stats of 1500/500.

Leo grinned, “Now for some more fun. I Overlay my Level Four Shocktopus and Piercing Moray! With these two monsters I build the Overlay Network! I Xyz Summon Evigishki Merrowgeist in Attack Mode!”

Both Shocktopus and Piercing Moray became blue orbs of light, shot up into the air, and entered the red spiral Overlay Network. Out emerged a new monster.

Evigishki Merrowgeist was a fierce-looking mermaid with long red hair, matching colored scales on her tail, pale skin, dark red eyes, and wing-like fins on her back and waist. She was garbed in a green feathered mage’s tunic composed of aqua blue and cream colored armor, long sleeves with green feather-like cuffs, a jewel-encrusted breastplate, a green helmet with a fish fin crest and two wing-like structures, and was wielding a large staff with a mirror-like structure on top. Orbiting her were two blue orbs of light. She was a Rank Four monster with stats of 2100/1600.

Olga merely said, “She’s not bad, but not gud enough to defeat mi Vite Night Dragon.”

Leo grinned, “True, she’s not powerful enough to take down your dragon… at the moment. But this next Spell will change that. I activate the Spell: Aqua Jet! I target one Fish, Aqua, or Sea Serpent monster I control, it gains 1000 Attack Points! So my mermaid is a cut above your dragon now!”

A pair of turbine jets formed on Evigishki Merrowgeist’s back, allowing her to zip around the field at high speeds before stopping in front of Leo, her power increasing by 1000 to 3100.

Olga now looked worried, “Even if you destroy my dragon, I’ll still have plenti of Life Points left.”

Leo grinned, “Trust me, I’ve done the math. That’s why I activate this next Spell: Oni-Gami Combo! By sending all the Overlay Units equipped to one of my Xyz Monster to the Graveyard, that monster can attack twice this turn. So I’m about to end this Duel here and now! So do it, my Evigishki Merrowgeist! Take out White Night Dragon!”

All of Evigishki Merrowgeist’s Overlay Units shot down into the newly opened Graveyard Portal, but this empowered her. She charged in, boosted by the Aqua Jet, got in front of White Night Dragon, and released a large amount of energy from her staff. This caused the dragon to roar as its body was contorted until it shattered. Olga flinched as her Life Points dropped by 100 to 1800.

“Now my Merrowgeist, finish the job! Attack her directly!”

Evigishki Merrowgeist charged right up in front of Olga, raised her staff, and released a large amount of energy at her. She was thrown back, utterly stunned, before crashing in a heap on the ground, her Life Points dropping down to zero. A “Win” screen appeared, showing Leo, before the Augmented Reality vanished. Fiona, Cody, and Jack did a victory dance while Leo sighed in relief. He then walked up to Olga and held out his hand.

“Need a hand up, Olga?”

She looked at him, then his hand, then back to him, a blush forming on her face. She smiled and graciously took it, allow Leo to help her up. The blush on her face got darker as she looked at Leo.

She said in a somewhat sheepish tone, “I’m… quite impressed, Leo. You sure knov hov to make a comeback. Ve Psykinoxes take great pride in our Dueling skill, but if you could recruit ze most powerful Psykinoxes in ze race to support Django, zen zat shovs even greater skill zan I knev vas possible. I accept zis loss, so take mi Star Piece and Vite Night Dragon. You deserve zem for such a gud Duel.”

She handed over a Star Piece and her White Night Dragon which Leo took graciously.

He replied with a smile, “Thanks for a great Duel, Olga. You’ve got plenty of skill backing you up. I’m quite impressed myself. You could go really far with that skill.”

Olga blushed even more, replying, “Zat is sveet of you to say, Leo. It means a lot.” She then gave him a flirtatious smile, “I expect you to make it to at least ze Top 16 matches, handsome, so mi loss vill feel vorthvile.”

The older twin sputtered, “H-Handsome!?”

Olga gave him a playful, yet flirtatious smirk, “Yes, I called you handsome, and you are. So be sure to go to ze finals. If you do, I’ll give you a victory date.” She winked at him, causing him to blush bright red before she started to walk away, “Gud luck, Leo. And I’ll see you at school. I’ll be vaiting for you. So vin it all.”

Leo stood there, dumbfounded, a large blush on his face. Fiona, Cody, and Jack then burst into fits of laughter, making his blush even deeper.

Fiona teased, “Well, Leo, looks like you’ve got yourself a fan. You better live up to her expectations. After all, she wants her boyfriend to be strong. So you better make it to the finals or she’ll give you grief.”

Leo sputtered, “G-Girlfriend!? I-I’m not…! She’s not…!” but he couldn’t come up with anything and merely turned away, eyes wide and the blush getting darker.

Cody grinned, “Looks like I’m not the only one nettin’ a date with a hot chick because of this tournament. You better do your best, little buddy, for her sake.”

As the others laughed, Leo said mentally, “Well, it’s actually not a bad idea. She is quite good-looking, she’s got good Dueling skills, and she likes me. Maybe it’s worth pursuing. But for now I have to focus on the tournament. Though that date does sound pretty nice.” He turned to the others, “Well… we should get going. We still have a lot more Duels to win. So let’s roll out.”

Nodding, the group of four continued down the street, ready for more challenges. Leo, however, was still thinking about Olga, making him smile internally.

Next Chapter: Clustering Conundrums

And that's all for now, folks. Looks like things are getting interesting. And to anyone reading this who is Norwegian, don't be insulted or mad at me. I really tried to get the accent right, believe me, but I know it might not be perfect, so don't feel offended if it's not completely accurate. I tried, I really did. Anyway, later all.
 
Time for the next installment of this little series. Fiona, still feeling uncertain about her true strength, takes up her second Cyber Clash tournament Duel against the Ojama user Kenny Cluster, who also seems to suffer from a lack of self-confidence. Will Fiona's garden of Plant monsters prevail? Or will the Ojamas make her the butt of their jokes? Read and find out.

Clustering Conundrums


Cody, Jack, Leo, and Fiona were still making their way down the street, looking for other Duelists. Leo was still thinking about Olga, a small blush on his face, but was also satisfied with his recent victory. Fiona, on the other hand, was deep in thought.

She said silently, “Everyone’s doing really well so far. I have to keep up, or I’ll get left in the dust. I also wonder how Django and Tempest are doing. They’re probably ahead of us, seeing how the two of them are like magnets, able to attract opponents with ease. While I’m still pleased with myself for defeating Dagger, one of the Seven Psykinox Lords, proving my skill level has increased significantly since our group formed, I still have a long way to go.”

Cody touched her shoulder, startling her, “Sorry, didn’t mean to spook ya, Fiona. You seem worried. Is everythin’ okay?”

She replied, “I guess I’m just worried about making it through the tournament with everything intact. It’s not just the high-level players that have me concerned, but also the lingering threat of Shadow Stalkers and Number 96. I still feel I’m the weakest link in the group, even though I’ve improved so much, so I’m worried I’m going to drag us down.”

Leo stated, “Fiona, you’ve got to stop thinking like that. I know you’re worried about being a liability, but you have to realize you’re a lot stronger than you think. Remember, you managed to defeat a Psykinox Lord, and if there is one thing that Psykinoxes are extremely good at, it’s Dueling. It’s like second nature to them, if not more, and you managed to defeat one of the most powerful Psykinoxes in the race. Heck, you even willingly challenged Dagger to prove our point, which is not something most people, including other Psykinoxes, would be willing to do. So stop thinking you’re the weakest link. Remember what Django said when the school year began? About our group being like a web more than a chain? We’re all supporting each other, so not one of us is considered the weakest link. So try to keep your spirits up, sis, as you are stronger than you realize. Okay?”

Jack nodded, “Leo’s right, Fiona. Remember when Django got kidnapped by that Pandora guy? It was you who managed to track him down first before Kain finally pinpointed Django’s exact location. But it was your bright idea and special ability that really pulled through for us, possibly saving Django’s life. So you’re not a liability, not at all, and you never will be. We all have our strengths and weaknesses, but that’s what makes us a good team, as we support our strengths and cover our weaknesses by working as one. Try to remember that, okay?”

Fiona nodded, “Yeah, you’re right. I guess I still need a bit more work in the self-confidence department, but you all have very valid points that I cannot deny. If you guys taught me anything it’s to believe in yourself, trust your instincts, and have faith in your abilities. And maybe this tournament will help me see that more clearly. Thanks, guys, I needed that.”

Cody affectionately ruffled her hair, “Hey, no sweat, Fiona. That’s what this dream team is all about. Now, let’s find ourselves some Duelists and make it to the finals!”

Just then a voice said, “Um… excuse me? Are you Duelists participating in the tournament?”

They turned to see a teenage boy, who was a bit older than the twins, approach them. He had dirty blonde hair, pale green eyes, and fair skin. He was dressed in a simple red tee-shirt, black shorts, socks and sneakers. He had a look of uncertainty on his face.

Leo said, “Oh, hello. Yeah, we’re participants in the Cyber Clash tournament? Are you? And what’s your name?”

The boy replied sheepishly, “My name is KennyCluster, and I’m a participant in the tournament. But to be honest, I’m a bit nervous. I don’t feel confident enough to be here, despite the fact I have a six star rank. I may have won two Duels so far, but I think it was just luck. But do you think that maybe one of you would Duel me?”

Fiona thought, “He’s just like me. He’s unsure of his true strength and can’t see that he has any sort of skill. Maybe this’ll be a good chance for both of us to grow.” She said aloud, “If you’d like, I could be your opponent. I’m also a six star Duelist, so it’ll be a pretty even fight. Is that okay with you?”

Kenny nodded, “Sure, yeah, that’ll be good. Thank you. Um, what’s your name?”

“My name is FionaCloud. This is my older brother Leo, and two of my friends Cody and Jack. We’re also friends with Django Spirit and his girlfriend Tempest, but they’re not here right now. But in any case, let’s give it our all.”

Kenny nodded, seemingly gaining a bit more confidence, donning his standard grey D-Pad and Duel Gazer, while Fiona equipped herself with her Infinity Disk and Duel Gazer, much to Kenny’s surprise. Cody, Jack, and Leo donned their Duel Gazers, eager to see who would win.

“Augmented Reality Visual link established.”

Both drew their starting hands, Life Points set at 4000.

“Let’s Duel!”

Kenny touched his deck, “Um… if you don’t mind, I would like to open up this Duel. I Draw.” He took a moment before deciding what to do, “Um, I’ll place this monster in face-down Defense Mode, and I’ll play this other card face-down to end my turn. Your move, Fiona.”

Fiona nodded, touching her deck, “Okay, it’s my turn, I Draw!” She looked at her new card before activating it, “I activate the Spell: Night Beam! This Spell can destroy one set Spell or Trap on the field. Plus you cannot activate that card in response to this Spell. So say goodbye to that card!”

The Spell fired several glowing orbs at Kenny’s face-down card, flipping it face-up briefly, revealing it to be a Trap, before the orbs struck it, followed by a sound of a camera shutter, destroying it. Kenny looked worried.

He said, “Oh, man, that was my Ojama Trio. That was quite the move.”

Cody looked confused, “Ojama Trio? What’s that?”

Leo turned to him, “Ojama Trio is a Trap that summons three Ojama Tokens to Fiona’s side of the field. If they are destroyed, she takes 300 points of damage for each one. Plus, even though they become hers, they cannot be used for a Tribute Summon, as they’re designed to take up space on her field. If I had to guess, Kenny uses Ojama monsters, which might be a problem for Fiona, as, true to their name’s translation, they tend to butt in and take up space.”

Fiona said silently, “Leo’s got a point. Ojama monsters may not pack a heck of a punch, but they can be disabling enough to limit my options. So I better make the big plays before he can call them out.” She then said aloud, “Now, since you control more monsters that I do, I can summon my Evilswarm Mandragora to the field in Attack Mode!”

A new monster appeared. Evilswarm Mandragora was a stubby plant creature with arms that turned into spiny leaves, a round head with large eyes, white “hair”, and an opened Venus flytrap on top of its head. It was a Level Four monster with stats of 1550/1450.

“But it won’t be around for much longer, for I Tribute it in order to summon my Gigaplant to the field in Attack Mode!”

Evilswarm Mandragora vanished from the field, but was replaced by a much larger and more dangerous creature. Gigaplant looked like a cross between a massive plant and insect. Its main body was a thick trunk armed with several powerful-looking arms that ended in scythe-like blades, a large hood made from leaves like a willow tree, a red clamp-like head with six blue eyes and a mouth full of three rows of razor sharp teeth. It was a Level Six monster with stats of 2400/1200.

Kenny looked surprised, “Woah, that plant is gigantic! It looks like it can crunch and munch anything that opposes it!”

Fiona replied, “And I’m going to do just that! Gigaplant, attack Kenny’s hidden monster!”

Gigaplant reared up one of its blade-like arms and slashed down. The hidden monster was revealed shortly before hand, revealing itself to be a large purple hamster with a lighter underbelly, round eyes, five ribbon-like structures on its back, and a lightning bolt shaped symbol on its stomach. It was a Level Four monster with stats of 1100/1800. It cried out as the claw slashed it in half, but Fiona looked worried.

Kenny said, “You attacked my Super-Nimble Mega Hamster, which means its ability activates. When it’s flipped face-up, I can summon a Level Three or lower Beast monster from my deck in face-down Defense Mode. So, um, which monster should I summon?”

He took a moment before deciding, followed by his D-Pad ejecting a card, which he placed face-down on the field.

The older twin said, “If this Kenny guy is running an Ojama deck, then if I had to guess, that face-down monster is probably Ojama Blue. It is the linchpin of the archetype, so it’s vital to get it on the field as fast as possible so the player can capitalize on setting up the big plays right away. Fiona better be careful, as Ojama monsters can be a real pain to deal with.”

Fiona said, “Well, whatever that monster is, it’s still my turn. So I place this card face-down to end my turn. Your move, Kenny.”

Kenny said to himself, “That Leo is quite observant. My face-down monster is in fact Ojama Blue. He must know almost all the monster archetypes and series like the back of his hand. It’ll be hard to pull a surprise against his sister, but maybe my luck will hold.” He said aloud, “It’s my turn, I Draw!” He looked at his new card before deciding what to do, “First, I place this card face-down on the field. Then I activate the Double Cyclone Spell. This Spell destroys one Spell or Trap on both sides of the field. So I’ll destroy both of our face-down cards!”

Two cyclones, one red and one yellow, appeared on the field. They quickly slammed into both face-down cards, revealing them beforehand, destroying both. Fiona looked both happy and concerned.

She said, “You destroyed my Ivy Shackles. When it’s destroyed I can draw one new card from my deck. Though that’ll pale in comparison to what you’re about to do.”

She drew one card, looked at it, and added it to her hand.

Jack asked, “Why is Fiona saying that? The card Kenny just destroyed wasn’t serious, was it? It looked like a Spell, but since he didn’t activate it, it can’t do any harm. Right?”

Leo shook his head, “No, it was very serious. That was Ojamagic. It’s an interesting Spell Card with a potent effect. When it’s sent to the Graveyard by any means, Kenny can now add one of each of the three main Ojamas: Yellow, Black, and Green, from his deck to his hand. So not only is he gaining a massive hand advantage, but with all three of the main Ojamas, he can perform some pretty heavy-duty combos.”

Kenny nodded, “Yeah, you’re right. That was my Ojamagic Spell. Like you said, when it’s sent to the Graveyard by any means, I can add one copy each of Ojama Yellow, OjamaBlack, and OjamaGreen from my deck to my hand. So I’ll do just that.”

His D-Pad ejected three cards, which he took, revealed, and added to his hand. He then took another card from his hand.

“I now activate the Spell: Polymerization. I fuse together my Ojama Yellow, Black, and Green in order to summon their ruler: Ojama King, in Attack Mode!”

The three Ojamas appeared on the field briefly.

Ojama Yellow was a somewhat odd-looking, human-like monster with yellow skin, small eyes on eyestalks, a large mouth with fat lips, and was wearing a Speedo. It was a Level Two monster with stats of 0/1000.

OjamaBlack was very similar. It was a similarly designed black skinned monster with a “manly” face, small eyes, a large nose, and was also wearing a Speedo. It was a Level Two monster with stats of 0/1000.

OjamaGreen was very much like its fellow Ojamas. It was a green skinned monster with a single large eye, a large mouth with a long tongue, and was also wearing a Speedo. It was a Level Two monster with stats of 0/1000.

The three monsters began to overlap as they were swallowed up by a swirling vortex. Shortly afterward a new monster appeared.

Ojama King was more grotesque compared to its fellow Ojamas. It had a paste grey, egg-shaped body with a large mouth full of big teeth that made up most of its face, eyes on squiggly eyestalks, fat legs, a green cape, a turban-like crown, and was wearing a Speedo. It was a Level Six monster with stats of 0/3000.

Jack looked surprised, “Those Ojama monsters sure are strange. But it only has zero Attack Points, so why’d he play it in Attack Mode? With 3000 Defense Points, it would’ve been better in Defense Mode. Right?”

Leo replied, “Partly true. While, yes, with zero Attack, it doesn’t seem like much of a threat. But considering the surprises and support the Ojama monsters have, that won’t matter. For starters, Ojama King lives up to its name, as it’ll cut Fiona’s options down to size royally.”

Kenny chuckled nervously, “You don’t seem to miss a beat, do you? Yes, that’s correct. Ojama King has a very powerful ability. I can choose three Monster Zones on your field and completely cut them off, making them completely useless to you. So now you only have two usable Monster Zones on your field.”

Three Monster Zones on Fiona’s Infinity Disk sudden gained shackles, locking them off from use, making the young teen look worried.

Cody sputtered, “No way! You mean to tell me that Ojama King can lock out any three Monster Zones on Fiona’s field just by sittin’ on the field!? That leaves her with only two usable zones! And since one is already occupied by her Gigaplant, that means she only has one spot left! Who knew a monster with zero Attack Points could create such a roadblock!”

Leo nodded, “Yeah, that about sums it up. While the Ojamas are often the butt of many jokes in Duel Monsters, they do have plenty of tricks to make them an actually difficult archetype.”

Fiona said nervously, “The Ojamas sure do know how to take up space. But that’s not the only power they possess. Which means I have to play my cards right or that Ojama King is gonna make me the butt of its joke.”

Kenny grinned sheepishly, “Yeah, the Ojamas do have their kinks and quirks, but when played correctly they can be a real handful. But in any case, I’m not done yet. First I reveal my face-down monster, which, as you predicted, is Ojama Blue.”

His hidden monster was flipped into face-up Attack Mode, revealing it. Ojama Blue was similar to its fellow Ojamas, having a human-like blue body, a large somewhat square head, half-shut eyes, puffy lips, and was wearing a Speedo. It was a Level Two monster with stats of 0/1000.

“Now, Ojama Blue, attack Gigaplant!”

Ojama Blue charged in, ready to fight, but Gigaplant merely opened its mouth and chomped down, devouring Ojama Blue. Kenny felt his Life Points drop by 2400 to 1600.

“Why’d he do that?” Jack asked. “He just severely damaged his own Life Points in a suicide attack. So why did he do that?”

Leo replied, “Because Ojama Blue’s ability activates when it’s destroyed in battle. You’ll see in a moment.”

Kenny nodded, “That’s right. Ojama Blue’s ability will now activate. When destroyed in battle and sent to the Graveyard, I can add any two Ojama cards from my deck to my hand. So I choose Ojama Country and Ojamuscle.”

His D-Pad ejected two cards, which he revealed, before adding them to his hand. He then took a card from his hand.

“Now I shall activate my Ojama Country Field Spell! This Field Spell is quite the quirky one, but it’ll help me big time. For starters, if I control at least one Ojama monster, I can flip the Original Attack and Defense of all monsters on the field. So my Ojama King is about to become quite the tyrant!”

The Augmented Reality changed, transforming the area into a strange village. Each of the houses were oddly built, most of which had what looked like eyestalks similar to Ojama Yellow. At that time, the monsters on the field began to crackle. Before long, their Attack and Defense had switched, with Ojama King now sitting at 3000/0 while Gigaplant was 1200/2400.

“Next up, I summon another OjamaGreen to the field in Attack Mode!”

Another OjamaGreen (0/1000) appeared, but Ojama Country caused its stats to flip, becoming 1000/0.

“Now I activate Ojamuscle! This Spell let’s me target one Ojama King I control. I destroy all other Ojama monsters I control, allowing Ojama King to gain 1000 Attack for each one. So I destroy OjamaGreen to give my King another 1000 points!”

Ojama Green suddenly vanished from the field, but this empowered Ojama King, raising its power by 1000 to 4000.

Kenny smiled, “Finally I place one card face-down to end my turn. Your move, Fiona.”

Fiona touched her deck, “Okay then, it’s my turn, I Draw!” She took a card from her hand, “I’ll place this monster in face-down Defense Mode, switch my Gigaplant to Defense Mode, and place this card face-down. That’s all for now.”

Kenny touched his deck, “Okay then, it’s my turn, I Draw!” He looked at his new card before activating it, “I activate the Spell: Pot of Greed. I get to draw two more cards from my deck.” He drew two cards, looked at them, then activated one of them, “I’ll keep the draw power going by using Pot of Avarice. This lets me shuffle five monsters back into my deck and Extra Deck to draw two more cards.” He selected five monsters, shuffled them into his deck, then draw two cards, activating one of them, “I activate the Spell: Mystical Space Typhoon. This destroys one Spell or Trap on the field. So I’ll destroy my face-down card, which is another Ojamagic!”

A mighty typhoon formed on the field, striking his own card, revealing it to be another Ojamagic, before it shattered.

“Now I can add…” but was cut off.

Fiona stated, “Not so fast! I activate my Trap: Mistake! This Trap prevents both players from adding any cards to their hands except by drawing them! So Ojamagic has just been canceled out!”

Kenny looked stunned, “No way. I was planning to add more Ojama monsters to my hand so I can use another Ojamuscle to power up my Ojama King even more. My entire combo is blown.” He looked depressed, “Maybe I should just forfeit now…”

Fiona stated strongly, “You can’t quit now! I can see that you don’t have a lot of confidence in yourself. I know that feeling, as I feel the same way. I worry that I’ll drag my friends down, especially when we have to face certain challenges. But if there’s anything that Django and everyone here taught me is that you have to have faith in yourself. Don’t give up, no matter what. So what if one of your combos was just defeated by my Mistake Trap, that doesn’t mean you should give up. Ojama King is still the strongest monster on the field by a long-shot, so you still stand a chance at winning this Duel. Just trust in yourself and you can pull through. Don’t give up until the last card is played. Surely you must have at least one attack or technique you can use now. So examine all your options first, and you may find something of use.”

Kenny looked up at her, “Examine all my options? And I should never give up, no matter how hopeless the situation may be? Maybe you’re right, Fiona.” He took a look at his cards, noticed one of them, and played it, “I activate the Spell: Stop Defense! This Spell forces one of your monsters into Attack Mode! So I choose your hidden monster!”

The hidden monster was revealed. It was a beautiful woman with supple skin, long honey blonde hair, blue, eyes, and wearing a large red and pink gown studded with roses, and a gold crown-like headpiece. She was a Level One monster with stats of 800/800.

Fiona said, “You revealed my RoseLover!”

Kenny replied, “She won’t be around for long. Now, Ojama King, take out RoseLover!”

Ojama King reared back one of its arms, gave it a spin, and slammed it into the female monster. She cried out as she was destroyed, the impact causing Fiona to be thrown off her feet, crashing on the ground, her Life Points dropping by 3200 to 800. She shook her head, got up, and dusted herself off.

Kenny said, “Okay then, I end my turn. You better make this next move count, Fiona.”

Fiona smiled, “You see what happens when you step back and examine the situation? You seem more confident now, and that’s good. But I’m far from done. It’s my turn, I Draw!” She looked at her new card, smiling, “I summon Naturia Cherries to the field in Attack Mode!”

Naturia Cherries (200/200) appeared on the field.

“Now I tune my Naturia Cherries to my Gigaplant! I Synchro Summon Black RoseDragon in Attack Mode!”

Naturia Cherries became a green ring, which Gigaplant entered, before becoming six glowing lights. A burst of light followed, and before long Black RoseDragon (2400/1800) appeared on the field. Ojama Country then activated, causing Black Rose Dragon’s stats to flip, becoming 1800/2400.

Fiona stated, “Now I activate Black RoseDragon’s ability! When it’s Synchro Summoned, I can destroy all cards on the field! So say goodbye to all the cards on the field!”

Kenny watched in shock as Black Rose Dragon lashed out several thorny vines at each and every card on the field, ensnaring them. It then started to glow, followed by a massive explosion, wiping out each and every card on the field, which also returned the Augmented Reality back to normal.

Kenny sputtered, “That ability completely wiped the entire field clean. But I’m still in this, and you don’t have much left to work with.”

Fiona smiled, “Not quite. I activate RoseLover’s ability from my Graveyard! I can banish it in order to summon any Plant monster from my hand. And if that monster is summoned this way, then for the rest of the turn it is unaffected by your Traps. So I banish my RoseLover in order to summon my RosePaladin in Attack Mode!”

Rose Lover vanished from the Graveyard, but this allowed Fiona to summon a new monster. RosePaladin was a mighty-looking female warrior wearing a silver breastplate that revealed her midriff, silver and red petal-shaped armor skirt, a long red and green cape, silver knee-high boots, a hood, and was holding a large lance. She was a Level Four monster with stats of 1800/200.

Kenny sputtered, “This can’t be! I’m wide open!”

The young teen smiled, “Yep. Now, RosePaladin, attack him directly! End this Duel!”

Rose Paladin gave a battle cry and charged in, lance held out in front of her. She slammed it into Kenny, knocking him back, causing him to crash in a heap on the ground, his Life Points down to zero. A “Win” screen appeared, showing Fiona, before the Augmented Reality vanished, allowing the teen girl to breathe a sigh of relief. She walked over to Kenny, who was getting back on his feet.

He smiled, “Great Dueling, Fiona, you really earned that win. I must thank you, though, for opening my eyes, allowing me to see that those previous wins weren’t just luck, as well as showing me that I can achieve anything if I believe in myself. I guess that means we both grew from this Duel, seeing what we’re both able to do when we believe in ourselves. So please, take my Star Piece and Ojama King. You deserve them.”

Fiona graciously took the Star Piece and card, replying, “Thank you, Kenny. And thank you as well, as I must admit I wasn’t so sure of myself when we first started off. But if there’s one thing that my brother and friends have taught me is that when one doesn’t give up, then anything can happen. I still need some work in those departments myself, but I’m glad I could inspire you. Good luck in the rest of the tournament.”

Kenny smiled, “Same goes to you, Fiona. And thanks again for everything.”

As Kenny walked away, Leo wrapped an arm around Fiona.

He smiled, “You see, sis? You really pulled through. You were backed into a corner but you never gave up. You managed to pull out an impressive win just now, which shows just how much you’ve grown since our group came to be. So maybe now you’ll stop thinking that you’ll be a liability to us and instead see yourself as a vital member of the gang.”

She nodded, smiling, “I’ll try, Leo. I’m still a bit unsure of myself, but I do feel more confident right now. You are right, as we all support one another and strengthen each other, just like that web analogy Django mentioned. So maybe this tournament will help me fully see that.”

Cody affectionately ruffled her hair, “You’ll be fine, Fiona. But now you’re just three Star Pieces away from the Top 16 matches. And I know that this dream team will make it to the top. So let’s keep this momentum goin’ and win the whole thin’! Right, team?”

Fiona smiled more broadly, “Thanks guys, for everything. So let’s go and win it all!”

With a final cheer the four friends continued their way down the street, ready to face anything.

Next Chapter: Regal Red-Eyes

And that's all for now folks. Looks like both Duelists gained something from this Duel. Anyway, tune in next time to find out what happens next. Same thread, same Duel time!
 
Okay, chapter 35 is on the air! Now it's time for Draco to take center stage and duke it out in his second tournament Duel. His opponent is the ever-cocky and arrogant Ryan Regal, the Monarch Duelist. How will Draco's trusted Red-Eyes fare? Read and find out.

Regal Red-Eyes


Django and Tempest were sitting at a bench, having a little lunch. Both of them were eating chili cheese dogs with onions, cheese fries, and a drink, though Tempest was eating five while Django was eating only three. The Mistress of Winds had an almost dreamy expression on her face as she ate her chili cheese dogs, amusing Django, who was eating his food more passively than her.

The green-haired woman pondered between bites, “I wonder who our next opponents will be. Hopefully no more Shadow Stalkers. And I’m surprised we haven’t run into any Number Holders yet. What do you think, Django?”

He replied, “I know that there are Number Holders in this tournament, as my Number Tracker has been keeping an eye out, so I know there are at least two or three Number Holders outside of the usual culprits, such as Draco and Onyx. We just have yet to run into them. But I’m sure we’ll find at least one before they fall into the hands of someone like Number 96, who I’m surprised we haven’t run into yet. Not that I’m complaining…” he added hastily, seeing the odd look on Tempest’s face, “But with him lurking about, it makes me worried about the poor people he’s probably trashing in this tournament. I almost wish he’d show himself to us so we can finish him off for good and be rid of him. But I have a feeling we’ll be seeing him sooner or later, it’s just the sooner or later part that worries me.”

Tempest nodded, “You know, as much as I hate to say it, I would rather him show up sooner so we can finally get rid of that malevolent creature and destroy Lucifer’s most trusted ally. But he’s always been a handful, so that desire is a double-edged sword at best, so we’ll just have to wait and see.”

As they resumed eating, a noise got their attention. They turned to see a bunch of teenagers opening up several booster packs, a booster box sitting in between them.

Django chuckled, “Looks like the newest set finally came out. We get it early due to my business deal with Maxwell, but it looks like they just got the booster box. Hopefully they find cards in there that they like.”

The duo watched from the corners of their eyes as they resumed eating, the teenagers boasting about getting certain cards. However, when one of the teens, a young male, looked at a certain card, he huffed and tossed it aside, allowing it to flutter in the wind. This caught Django’s attention, feeling a slight twinge of annoyance. He got up, walked over to the downed card, picked it up, and looked at it.

He called to them, “I believe you dropped this.”

The teen boy replied, “That card? I didn’t drop it, I’m tossing it out. It’s useless. What good is a card if it doesn’t have any power or useful abilities? It’s trash.”

This caused a nerve to twitch in Django’s temple, replying, “No card is worthless. I built my whole career using lost and discarded cards, and I’m the World Champion. I didn’t get this far just by using the strongest and rarest cards in existence. So you should be careful of what card you call worthless, as it could be quite valuable.”

The teens got up and walked away, saying, “Whatever. If you want it you can have it. Hard to believe that the World Champion thinks a card that worthless is good for anything. But whatever, you can have it.”

Tempest scowled, “The nerve of them. I built my first deck from cobbled together cards that were either lost or discarded, and I’ve done well with that. And you know the true value of any card, Django, as your time in the orphanage taught you that any card has a purpose. So what card is it?”

He replied, “The monster in question is Tuning Magician. If those kids don’t want it, then I’ll gladly take it.”

A voice said, “I commend you for that, Django, as every card does have its reason for being.”

The duo turned to see Draco walk up to them.

Tempest smiled, “Draco, good to see you. Got any more wins under your belt?”

He shook his head, “Not yet, haven’t found much action again. But I’m sure that’ll change soon enough. Anyway, I applaud you for sticking up for that card, Django, as a card’s true value isn’t just its power. So what was the card again?”

Django replied, “Tuning Magician.”

Draco pulled out his Black Bestiary, looking up the card, “Tuning Magician, huh? Says here that it’s a Level One DARK Attribute Spellcaster-type Tuner Monster with stats of 0/0. Her ability is when she’s Normal or Special Summoned, the controller take 400 points of damage while the opponent gains 400 Life Points. Not the best ability, but I know its true purpose will be revealed sooner or later. So you plan on using her?”

The inventor nodded, “Yes. If those kids won’t, then I will, and I’ll prove to them that no card is worthless. Besides, as a Spellcaster, she fits in well with the rest of my deck. So she’ll be the newest addition to my deck, no questions asked.”

Draco nodded, “I had a feeling you might say that. I do hope she serves you well. In any case, I’m still looking for any opponent. Know where I might find one?”

Django closed his eyes and concentrated. After a few moments he opened his eyes and turned to Draco.

He pointed, “I sense that there is a Duel going on around that corner and down the block. You might be able to catch some action there. Good luck, Draco.”

Draco smirked, “Please, with skill like mine, I don’t need luck. Thanks for the tip. Time for this dragon master to net another victory. Later, you two.”

As Draco walked away, Django took out his Infinity Disk, opened it up, and slot Tuning Magician into his deck. The Infinity Disk gave his deck a shuffle before closing back up and returning to inactive mode. Django then rejoined Tempest to finish their lunch, but what neither of them realized was that Tuning Magician within the deck started to resonate with the Spirit Crest.

Draco was just making the turn around the block when he saw the crowd of people, indicating that a Duel was taking place. He quickly donned his Duel Gazer and wove his way through the crowd, but just as he got to where he wanted to, the Augmented Reality vanished, meaning the Duel was over. Standing in the middle was RyanRegal, seemingly savoring another victory.

Ryan stated, “Oh, yeah, I win yet again! Your monster didn’t stand a chance against my mighty Monarchs! So fork over your Red Dragon Archfiend and a Star Piece, and make it snappy.”

The teenage boy, his opponent, reluctantly handed over the card and Star Piece, making Ryan smirk.

“Who else wants to try their luck against me, Ryan Regal? My loyal Monarchs will crush anyone who gets in our way! So who wants to be my next victim?”

Draco pondered, “Monarchs, huh? Haven’t seen too many examples of them. Might be a good idea to take up his ‘offer’ and Duel him, as I could gain some valuable info on the Monarchs.” He said aloud, “I’ll be your opponent. But don’t think this’ll be a walk in the park, Ryan, as I’m not one who falls in defeat easily.”

Ryan smirked, “Well, well, well, we have our next victim. Fine, we’ll see just how tough you are. What’s the wager? I’ll wager one of my Mega Monarchs and a Star Piece, not that I’ll lose. And you?”

The dragon master stated, “I wager my Red-Eyes Darkness Metal Dragon and a Star Piece. So let’s get this Duel underway!”

Both armed themselves with their respective D-Pads and Duel Gazers, while the crowd of people donned their Duel Gazers.

“Augmented Reality Visual link established.”

Both drew their starting hands, Life Points set to 4000.

“Let’s Duel!”

Draco touched his deck, “I’ll open up this Duel! I Draw!” He took a different card from his hand, “I summon The Black Stone of Legend to the field in Attack Mode!”

A new monster appeared. The Black Stone of Legend looked simply like a black dragon egg. It was a Level One monster with stats of 0/0.

Draco smiled, “But it won’t be around for long, as I activate its special ability! I can Tribute it in order to summon any Level Seven or below Red-Eyes monster from my deck, except Red-Eyes Black Chick. So I Tribute my Stone in order to summon my old reliable Red-Eyes Black Dragon in Attack Mode!”

The Black Stone of Legend vanished, but this allowed Draco’s D-Pad to eject a card, which he played, summoning Red-Eyes Black Dragon (2400/2000) to the field. It gave its trademark roar as it appeared on the field, ready for battle.

“To wrap up my turn, I place two cards face-down on the field. Your turn, Ryan. Let’s see just how regal your Monarchs really are.”

Ryan smirked, “Oh, I’ll show you just how regal my Monarchs are. It’s my turn, I Draw!” He took a different card from his hand, “I activate Mithra the Thunder Vassal’s ability from my hand. I can Special Summon this monster by summoning a Vassal Token on to your side of the field in Defense Mode. The catch is I cannot summon from my Extra Deck the turn I activate this ability. But that doesn’t matter, as I don’t use an Extra Deck. So consider that Token a farewell gift, because you’ll be losing this Duel no matter what. So I’ll summon a Vassal Token to your side of the field in order to summon my Mithra the Thunder Vassal in Attack Mode!”

A new monster appeared. Mithra the Thunder Vassal was a regal-looking female monster in full-body cobalt blue armor with frilled shoulder plates studded with spikes, a long tiger-skin colored skirt, high heeled boots, a fan-like headdress, a fully armored head with large glowing red eyes, and a short red crest. She was a Level Two monster with stats of 800/1000. At the same time a translucent copy of her appeared on Draco’s field, taking a more defensive position. It was a Level Two monster with stats of 800/1000.

Ryan smirked, “However, my Vassal won’t be around for long, for I Tribute her in order to summon Zaborg the Thunder Monarch to the field in Attack Mode!”

Mithra vanished from the field, but this allowed a new monster to appear. Zaborg the Thunder Monarch was just like its fellow Monarchs: a regal-looking being decked out in full-body armor. Its armor was silver with several overlapping plates, large shoulder plates with four curved rims, a tiger-skin colored cloth around its middle, a large spiked ring on its back, a fully armored head with glowing red eyes and a green dome-like top to its helmet. It was a Level Five monster with stats of 2400/1000.

“Now I activate Zaborg’s ability! Whenever he’s Tribute Summoned I can destroy one monster on the field! So say goodbye to your Red-Eyes! Zap that dragon!”

Zaborg generated a large amount of electrical energy in between his claw-like hands, released it into the air, which caused a massive thunderbolt to strike Red-Eyes. It screeched in agony as it shattered, vanishing from the field, but Draco was far from done.

The Red-Eyes user countered, “You may have blasted my dragon, but he’s not going to stay down for very long! I activate the Spell: Silver’s Cry! Once a turn I can target one Dragon-type Normal Monster in my Graveyard and Special Summon it to the field! So my Red-Eyes will be making a grand return!”

The Graveyard Portal opened up, allowing Red-Eyes Black Dragon (2400/2000) to reappear on the field, giving its trademark cry as it did.

Ryan looked a bit annoyed, but stated, “You may have gotten back your dragon, but he won’t be around any longer. I activate Mithra’s ability! Whenever she’s used for a Tribute Summon, I can make an additional Tribute Summon this turn! So I’ll Tribute my Zaborg in order to summon another Monarch: Caius the Shadow Monarch in Attack Mode!”

Zaborg vanished from the field, but this allowed Caius the Shadow Monarch (2400/1000) to appear.

Ryan smirked, “You saved your dragon once, but it won’t happen again. For I activate Caius the Shadow Monarch’s ability! Whenever he’s Tribute Summoned I can target one monster on the field and banish it! And it gets better; if it was a DARK monster you take 1000 points of damage. So time to say goodbye to Red-Eyes once and for all!”

Caius summoned a black sphere in between his hands, took aim, and fired it at Red-Eyes. The sphere struck Red-Eyes, causing it to be swallowed up in a spiraling vortex before vanishing from the field. The energy from the attack lashed out at Draco, making him flinch as his Life Points dropped by 1000 to 3000.

Draco stated, “My Red-Eyes is a lot tougher than you think, Ryan! I activate my Trap: Escape from the Dark Dimension! I target one of my banished DARK monsters and Special Summon it to the field. So my Red-Eyes won’t go down without a fight! So come on back my old friend!”

A portal opened up, allowing Red-Eyes Black Dragon (2400/2000) to reappear from it, taking its original battle position. This thoroughly annoyed Ryan.

The Monarch Duelist snarled, “That Red-Eyes just keeps coming back, no matter how many times I swat it down. I have to find a way to get rid of it. But before I do that, I’ll have my Caius destroy your Vassal Token!”

Caius summoned up another dark sphere of energy and hurled it at the Vassal Token. It slammed into the Token, destroying it instantly, but Draco was unfazed by this.

The Red-Eyes user huffed, “Are you done blowing a gasket? It’s very unprofessional.”

Ryan snapped, “Don’t get cocky, fedora boy. I place one card face-down to end my turn. Your move, if you dare.”

Draco touched his deck, “Oh, I dare, all right! It’s my turn, I Draw!” He looked at his new card, grinning, “This’ll put a dent in your plans, as well as your Life Points. I activate the Spell: Inferno Fire Blast! I target a Red-Eyes Black Dragon I control. While that dragon cannot attack this turn, I can blast away Life Points equal to my dragon’s Original Attack. That’s 2400 points of damage coming your way! So do it Red-Eyes! Blast him into next week!”

Red-Eyes Black Dragon generated a large fireball in its mouth, took aim, and fired it directly at Ryan. The attack knocked the obnoxious Duelist off his feet, causing him to crash in a heap, his Life Points dropping by 2400 to 1600.

“Next up, I activate the Spell: Dragon Shrine. Here’s how it works. I send one Dragon from my deck to the Graveyard, then if it was a Normal Monster, I can send another Dragon from my deck to the Graveyard. So I think I’ll send another Red-Eyes Black Dragon from my deck to the Graveyard. And since Red-Eyes is a Normal Monster, I’ll also send my Red-Eyes Wyvern to the Graveyard.”

Two cards shot out of Draco’s deck, one at a time, into the newly opened Graveyard Portal, which closed up afterward.

“Next up, I place two cards face-down on the field. And finally I activate Red-Eyes Wyvern’s ability! If I didn’t Normal Summon or Set this turn, I can banish Red-Eyes Wyvern from my Graveyard in order to summon yet another Red-Eyes monster, except Red-Eyes Black Chick, from my Graveyard. So I banish Red-Eyes Wyvern in order to summon another Red-Eyes Black Dragon in Attack Mode!”

Red-Eyes Wyvern vanished from the Graveyard, but this allowed the Graveyard Portal to open up, followed by another Red-Eyes Black Dragon (2400/2000) to emerge from it, the portal closing up behind it. It stood next to its fellow Red-Eyes, both glaring down at Ryan.

Draco smiled, “That should do for now.”

Ryan growled, “I will NOT lose to some weird guy and his pathetic dragons! It’s my turn, I Draw!” He looked at his new card, grinning, “This’ll put a crimp in your plans. But first, I activate the Trap: Limit Reverse! This Trap allows me to revive a monster with 1000 or less Attack from my Graveyard in Attack Mode! So I bring back my Mithra the Thunder Vassal in Attack Mode!”

The Graveyard Portal opened up, allowing Mithra the Thunder Vassal (800/1000) to reappear, taking an offensive stance on the field.

“Now I Tribute both my Mithra and Caius in order to summon a much more powerful creature: Caius the Mega Monarch in Attack Mode!”

Both monsters vanished from the field, but this allowed Caius the Mega Monarch (2800/1000) to appear on the field, just as menacing as always.

“Now I activate Caius the Mega Monarch’s ability! When it’s Tribute Summoned, I can target one monster on the field and banish it! Furthermore, if it was a DARK monster, you take 1000 points of damage! To make things worse, all copies of that card are then banished from your hand, deck, and Graveyard! So I’m about to clip your dragon’s wings! But it gets even better! Because I Tribute Summoned Caius using a DARK monster, I can banish two monsters instead. So I think I’ll banish both of your Red-Eyes Black Dragons! So say goodbye to your dragons once and for all!”

Caius the Mega Monarch summoned up two spheres of dark energy, took aim, and fired them at both Red-Eyes Black Dragons. The spheres struck the dragons, causing them to be swallowed up in spiraling vortexes before vanishing from the field. Draco then saw a card from his deck vanish, followed by several dark energy shocks striking him, causing his Life Points to drop by 1000 to 2000. He, however, wasn’t finished.

Draco stated, “I’m about to throw a wrench in your plans! I activate the Spell: Burial from a Different Dimension! I target up to three banished monster and return them to their respective Graveyards! So all three of my Red-Eyes Black Dragons will be making an encore performance! Sorry, but you just wasted Caius’ ability big time!”

The three Red-Eyes Black Dragons reappeared in Draco’s Graveyard, making him grin while Ryan started to fume.

He spat, “Those blasted dragons just don’t quit! But it won’t matter in a moment, as you’re one attack away from losing this Duel! Caius, attack him directly!”

Draco stated, “Not if I can help it! Reveal my Trap: Call of the Haunted! This allows me to revive one monster from my Graveyard! So I bring back my ever-trustworthy Red-Eyes Black Dragon in Attack Mode!”

The Graveyard Portal opened up, allowing Red-Eyes Black Dragon (2400/2000) to reappear on the field, giving its trademark cry as the Graveyard Portal closed up behind it. This thoroughly angered Ryan.

He spat, “Fine! I’ll just trash your dragon! Caius, destroy his Red-Eyes Black Dragon!”

Caius summoned up another black sphere of energy, took aim, and hurled it at Red-Eyes. The attack struck the dragon, causing it to screech as it shattered, Draco flinching as his Life Points dropped by 400 to 1600.

Ryan huffed, “I’ll end my turn there, but you’re finished as well. So make your move.”

Draco grinned, “I’ll do it with pleasure. It’s my turn, I Draw! First I activate The Black Stone of Legend’s ability from the Graveyard! I can return one Red-Eyes monster, except Red-Eyes Black Chick, from my Graveyard to my deck, then I can add The Black Stone of Legend to my hand. So I return one of my Red-Eyes Black Dragons to my deck in order to regain The Black Stone of Legend.”

He returned one card to his deck before adding The Black Stone of Legend back to his hand. He then took another card from his hand.

“Now I activate the Spell: Red-Eyes Fusion! I can Fusion Summon a monster that uses a Red-Eyes monster as its materials! Furthermore, I can use any Red-Eyes monster from my hand, deck, or field to summon this new creature. So I’ll fuse the Red-Eyes Archfiend of Lightning in my hand with a Red-Eyes Black Dragon in my deck to Fusion Summon Archfiend Black Skull Dragon in Attack Mode!”

A new monster appeared briefly on the field. Red-Eyes Archfiend of Lightning looked like a darkened, more advanced version of Summoned Skull. It had black bone-like armor, dark purple skin, extra horns on its head, and glowing red eyes. It was a Level Six monster with stats of 2500/1200. At the same time, a Red-Eyes Black Dragon (2400/2000) emerged from Draco’s deck onto the field.

Both creatures started to overlap in a spiraling vortex and before long a new creature was standing before them.

Archfiend Black Skull Dragon was a fierce, powerful, and menacing dragon. It had a bulky body with bone-like armor, large wing that had flames erupting from the base and frames, massive three-nailed claws, a long, spike-studded tail, a somewhat short neck, and a box-like, dragon skull-shaped head with a square jaw, spikes, and glowing red eyes. It was a Level Nine monster with stats of 3200/2500.

Ryan looked worried, “T-That dragon has enough power to wipe out all of my Monarchs without breaking a sweat! This can’t be! I can’t lose again!”

Draco smiled, “Oh, it’s possible, Ryan! Archfiend Black Skull Dragon, take out his Mega Monarch with Blazing Molten Fireball!”

Archfiend Black Skull Dragon summoned up flames in its mouth, which took a more solid form, and fired several shots at Caius. These blasts slammed into the Mega Monarch, causing it to roar out as it was incinerated by the powerful fireballs, Ryan shielding himself from the flames as his Life Points dropped by 400 to 1200.

Draco smiled, “Oh, and there’s one thing you should know. After Archfiend Black Skull Dragon attacks or is attacked, I can activate its special ability. At the end of the Battle Phase, I can target one Red-Eyes Normal Monster in my Graveyard. I return that creature to my deck, and you then take damage equal to that monster’s Original Attack. So I choose my Red-Eyes Black Dragon, so that means you lose 2400 Life Points, which is double the amount you have left. It’s over.”

Draco returned a card from his Graveyard to his deck, causing a silhouette of Red-Eyes Black Dragon to appeared, fuse with Archfiend Black Skull Dragon, and summon up another fireball. It launched the attack at the now terrified Ryan, which blasted him off his feet, screaming, his Life Points dropping down to zero as he crashed to the ground. A “Win” screen appeared, showing Draco, before the Augmented Reality vanished. Draco took off his Duel Gazer in a swift motion, smiling, before walking up to Ryan, who was just getting to his feet.

“Okay, a deal’s a deal. You owe me a Star Piece and I’ll be taking Caius the Mega Monarch.”

Ryan grumbled as he handed over a Star Piece and Caius, muttering as he walked away, “First I get beat by a freaky green-haired chick with pointed ears, and now THIS!? At this rate my reputation will be ruined!”

This caught Draco’s attention, asking, “Hold on, you were defeated by a green-haired woman? Was her name Tempest?”

Ryan turned around, “Yeah, that’s her. Why? Do you know her? Anyway, after she won, she struck me down with some strange wind attack twice, saying I should watch what I say about a chick Duelist, and that women can be just as strong as male Duelists. And that I should be more ‘respectful’ to my opponents and ‘not underestimate’ them. Hmph, I feel sorry for the guy who has to date her.”

Draco’s eyes were wide, thinking, “Tempest does have quite the fiery temper. Even Django won’t mess with it, though he’s probably immune to it regardless. But she actually used her wind powers to teach this guy a lesson after he insulted her? I got off easy whenever I got her angry, as the most I got was a shoe to the face. Wow, she can be as vicious as a tornado when she wants to. Better make a mental note to not get her really angry or I’ll be hurled into the stratosphere next time.” He then slotted his newest Star Piece into his current frame, giving him three, “But anyway, this is more like it. Three pieces down, and three more to go. Then it’s off to the finals, where I’ll win it all!”

Feeling satisfied, Draco started to make his way down the street, ready for his next challenge.

Next Chapter: Right on Track

And that's all for now folks. Tune in next time to find out what happens to our heroes. And you've probably noticed that I used Tuning Magician's anime effect instead of her real effect. That's because the Magician Pendulum Monsters are exclusive to Django, so her real effect cannot be used... yet. What do I mean by that? You'll just have to keep checking in to see.
 
Last edited:
All aboard! Onyx is back in the spotlight. His battle lust and desire for more Numbers has led him to Randy Cannonries, a Railway Duelist. Randy holds something that the razor mouthed Duelist wants, and he intends to take it from him. Will Onyx's Crystal Beasts rule the day? Or will Randy's Railway Deck derail Onyx's Dueling career?

Right on Track


Onyx was combing the streets in his search for more Duelists to defeat. He could feel his Duel Spirits growing impatient, feeling their desire to fight getting stronger, with which he agreed.

Onyx said, “It won’t be much longer, my friends. I smell plenty of fresh prey, but I want our next Duel to have meaning. After all, I’m the CrystalCrocodile; I have a reputation to uphold, so my next chew toy needs to be a good one.”

The spirit of Heartlandraco communed with him, “I sense a Duelist not far from here. He gives off the smell of a Number. I think we found our next toy.”

Onyx grinned, “Good, very good. That’ll be one more treasure in my hands, and not in the hands of Django and his lame-brain friends. Lead the way, my friend. Soon our battle lust will be quenched… for a little bit, and then we’ll move on to the next plaything. But show me where this Number Holder is, so I can add another trophy to my collection.”

Heartlandraco gestured toward a back alley, making Onyx’s eyes glimmer in anticipation. He started to make his way down the alley, keeping his eyes open for the Duelist in question. It wasn’t long before he’d find what he was looking for.

A teenage boy about Tempest’s age was causally lounging on a small stairway, looking at his Star Pieces. He had short, bright blonde hair, pale grey eyes, and peach skin. He was dressed in what could be described as a train conductor’s outfit, though more casual, consisting of a blue jacket over a white shirt, blue pants, black shoes, and a blue cap with a darker rim.

Onyx stated as he approached, “So, you’re a Duelist in the tournament, eh? What would a Duelist be lurking about in a back alley like this?”

The teen turned to Onyx, “Oh, just taking a break, that’s all. After all, I’ve won three Star Pieces, so I don’t have much to worry about. Nothing can stand in the way of my Railway Deck. Why?”

The Earth Elemental gave a toothy sneer, “Then I challenge you to a Duel! You have something I want and I intend to take it from you. So what will it be?”

The teen replied, “You’re quite confident. Fine, I accept your challenge. The name is Randy Cannonries. And you are?”

“I’m surprised you don’t know who I am. I’m Onyx Hunter, also known as the CrystalCrocodile. This tournament will just be another win under my belt. So let’s see what you’ve got, Randy. Let’s see if you can wrestle this croc down.”

Both got into a battle pose, donning their respective Dueling equipment.

“Augmented Reality Visual link established.”

Both drew their starting hands, Life Points set at 4000.

“Let’s Duel!”

Onyx touched his deck, “I think I’ll open up this funfest! I Draw!” He took a different card from his hand, “Here’s one of my favorite opening moves. I summon CrystalBeast Sapphire Pegasus to the field in Attack Mode!”

CrystalBeast Sapphire Pegasus (1800/1200) appeared on the field, doing a quick circle of Onyx before standing still on the field.

“Now my Sapphire Pegasus’ ability activates. Whenever it’s summoned to the field, I can place one CrystalBeast from my deck onto the field in my Spell and Trap Zones. So I think I’ll choose my Crystal Best AmberMammoth.”

His D-Pad ejected a card, which he revealed and played, summoning CrystalBeastAmberMammoth briefly before it transformed into a chunk of amber.

“I place one card face-down to end my turn. Let’s see what you’ve got.”

Randy smiled, “I’ll show you exactly what I’ve got. It’s my turn, I Draw!” He took a different card from his hand, “I activate the Field Spell: Revolving Switchyard! I’m gonna get this Duel right on track!”

The Augmented Reality changed, transforming into a giant train switchyard, with Onyx and Randy standing at opposite sides of the turntable.

“Now I summon Night Express Knight to the field in Attack Mode! And just so you know, I can summon this monster without Tributing by lowering its Attack Power to zero. But my trains are gonna derail your chances of victory!”

A rippling portal appeared, followed by some train tracks forming, and out of the portal charged out a new monster. Night Express Knight was a long express train with a large fully armored knight attached to the top, equipped with a lance and a shield. It was a Level Ten monster with stats of 3000/3000, but its power dropped all the way down to zero.

“Now my Revolving Switchyard activates! Whenever I summon a Level Ten monster, I can Special Summon a Level Four monster with 1800 or more Attack Points from my deck. And when I do, it becomes a Level Ten monster. But you don’t take any Battle Damage this turn. But that doesn’t bother me. So I think I’ll summon my Ruffian Railcar to the field in Attack Mode!”

The turntable started to move, positioning itself in a different place. At the same time a card was ejected from Randy’s D-Pad, which he played right away, summoning another rippling portal in the same direction as the turntable was positioned, allowing a new monster to appear.

Ruffian Railcar was a red, somewhat brutish diesel railcar with large yellow bumpers, cannon-like headlights, barrel-shaped containers strapped to its rear, and a mean-looking “face” with glowing yellow eyes, a visor, and an open “mouth” with sharp, silver teeth. It was a Level Four monster with stats of 1800/1000, but then the stars representing its Level changed from four to ten.

Randy smirked, “I’m about to unleash this loco locomotive on you by activating its special ability! Once a turn I can deal you 500 points of damage, but I cannot conduct my Battle Phase the turn I activate this ability. So go, Train Rain!”

The cannon-like headlights started to glow before firing two streams of energy. These energy streams then broke up and became several smaller energy streams, looking a lot like rain. These streams slammed into Onyx, causing him to shield himself as his Life Points dropped by 500 to 3500.

Randy smirked, “Now for the really fun part. I Overlay my Level Ten Ruffian Railcar and Night Express Knight! With these two monsters I build the Overlay Network! I Xyz Summon Superdreadnought Rail Cannon GustavMax in Attack Mode!”

Both Night Express Knight and Ruffian Railcar became brown orbs of light, shot up into the air, and entered the red spiral Overlay Network. Out emerged a new monster from a massive rippling portal.

Superdreadnought Rail Cannon GustavMax was a massive machine monster riding on three separate train tracks. It had a large, green square body made of smaller squares, a red “face”, and was sitting on three sets of smaller trains. It was a Rank Ten monster with stats of 3000/3000.

“Now I activate GustavMax’s ability! Once a turn, I can use one Overlay Unit to blast away 2000 Life Points. So while I may not be able to attack, I can still deal you plenty of damage!”

One Overlay Unit was absorbed into the main body of GustavMax, causing it to transform. The green squares that made up its body started to unfold and open up, revealing a more hollow interior, followed by a huge cannon appearing, which extended the barrel three times, while the red “face’ was now propped up on a thin metal bar. The cannon started to generate a large amount of energy.

“Go Cataclysmic Cannon Kablooe!”

The cannon fired a massive beam at Onyx, who was easily thrown off his feet, causing him to crash in a heap on the ground, his Life Points dropping by 2000 to 1500.

He snarled at Heartlandraco’s spirit, “I thought you said he had a Number. Why didn’t he summon it?”

The spirit of Diamond Crab King replied, “He has one, I can sense it, too. He just hasn’t summoned it yet. But if we can push his buttons enough he’ll call it out. So just be patient, he’ll summon it; all we have to do is just poke at him a bit more.”

“Fine…” Onyx muttered, getting up, dusting himself off, and returning to his original battle position. “I’m far from done, train boy. So end your turn already so I can win this Duel.”

Randy smirked, “You’re pretty confident for someone who lost more than half of his Life Points. But so be it. I place one card face-down on the field, and finally I activate Ruffian Railcar’s ability from the Graveyard. If it was sent there this turn, I can add one Level Ten Machine monster from my deck to my hand. So I think I’ll add my Heavy Freight Train Derricrane from my deck to my hand to end my turn.”

His D-Pad ejected a card, which he revealed, and added it to his hand.

“About time. It’s my turn, I Draw!” He looked at his card before playing it, “I summon CrystalBeast Cobalt Eagle to the field in Attack Mode!”

CrystalBeast Cobalt Eagle (1400/800) appeared on the field. It first landed on Onyx’s arm, asking for a head scratch, which he did, before it took off and took a battle position.

“Now I Overlay my Level Four Cobalt Eagle and Sapphire Pegasus! With these two monsters I build the Overlay Network! I Xyz Summon Dark Rebellion Xyz Dragon in Attack Mode!”

Both Sapphire Pegasus and Cobalt Eagle became green orbs of light, shot up into the air, and entered the red spiral Overlay Network. Out emerged Dark Rebellion Xyz Dragon (2500/2000), which gave a roar as it did, ready for battle.

Onyx grinned, “I’m about to cut your little toy blaster down to size. I activate Dark Rebellion Xyz Dragon’s ability! I can use two Overlay Units to slice the Attack Points of one monster on your field in half, and then have my dragon gain that same amount in Attack Points! So say goodbye to half of GustavMax’s Attack, making it as harmless as a water gun!”

Dark Rebellion absorbed both Overlay Units before it gave a powerful roar, its body releasing a large amount of electrical energy from its wings. This caused GustavMax’s power to be cut in half to 1500 while Dark Rebellion gained 1500 Attack, now sitting at 4000.

“Now, to keep things interesting, I activate the Spell: CrystalBlessing! If I have at least two Crystal Beasts in my Graveyard, then I can place them into my Spell and Trap Zones. So I choose my Cobalt Eagle and Sapphire Pegasus!”

He retrieved two cards from his Graveyard slot and placed them on the field. This allowed Cobalt Eagle and Sapphire Pegasus to appear briefly before becoming chunks of cobalt and sapphire, hovering near the chunk of amber.

“Now, Dark Rebellion Xyz Dragon! Attack GustavMax! Dismantle that toy blaster!”

Dark Rebellion gave a mighty roar, its mandible-like structure on its jaw glowing, before it charged in. It slammed its mandible into GustavMax, causing the massive Machine monster to erupt in flames. The shockwaves from the explosion knocked Randy off his feet, making him crash in a heap on the ground, his Life Points dropping by 2500 to 1500. Afterwards, the dragon turned around to Onyx, who gently scratched its chin approvingly before both redirected their attention back to the Duel.

Onyx grinned, “Didn’t see that one coming did you? I place one card face-down to end my turn.”

Randy got up, saying “I must admit; I can see why they call you the CrystalCrocodile. But if you think that scares me, you’re wrong! I Draw! First I activate the Trap: Call of the Haunted, to revive my Night Express Knight in Attack Mode!”

The Graveyard Portal opened up, allowing Night Express Knight (3000/3000) to reappear on the field.

“Now, because I summoned a Level Ten Machine monster, my Revolving Switchyard activates! I can now Special Summon a Level Four Machine monster with 1800 or more Attack Points from my deck. And when I do, it becomes a Level Ten monster as well! So I choose to summon Lionhearted Locomotive in Attack Mode!”

The turntable shifted again, pointing in a different direction. At the same time, Randy’s D-Pad ejected a card, which he played, summoning another rippling portal followed by a new monster appearing.

Lionhearted Locomotive was a powerful-looking, green steam locomotive with large wheels, a square, silver bumper in front, thick pistons, a bar on top of its front, and a large smokestack on top. It was a Level Four monster with stats of 2400/2100, but the stars representing its Level changed from four to ten.

“Now, to keep my trains company, I think I’ll summon another bruiser to the field. In this case I summon my Heavy Freight Train Derricrane to the field in Attack Mode! And just so you know, I can Special Summon this monster if I Normal Summon or Special Summon an EARTH Attribute Machine monster, but I have to cut its Attack and Defense in half. But that doesn’t bother me one bit, as I have big plans. So come on out my massive machine!”

The turntable shifted again, followed by another rippling portal opening up, allowing a new monster to appear. Heavy Freight Train Derricrane was a large yellow and silver diesel train that had a long front, a cabin sitting near the middle of its body, two tall smokestacks, and was hauling a large flatbed car with a massive yellow crane. It was a Level Ten monster with stats of 2800/2000, but its stats changed upon its arrival, being reduced to 1400/1000.

Randy grinned, “Now, because I summoned another Level Ten Machine monster, my Revolving Switchyard activates again! I can summon another Level Four Machine monster with 1800 or more Attack from my deck and convert it into a Level Ten monster. So I think I’ll summon my Express Train Trolley Olley to the field in Attack Mode!”

The turntable shifted again, positioning itself in front of another rippling portal. At the same time Randy’s D-Pad ejected a card, which he played, summoning a new monster.

Express Train Trolley Olley looked like a Pennsylvania Railroad EMD SW1 yard switcher locomotive, mostly maroon in color, with a box-like cabin, a broad base over several wheels, and a large bumper. It was a Level Four monster with stats of 1800/1000, but the stars representing its Level changed from four to ten.

Onyx grumbled, “Great, four overgrown toy trains at once. I feel like I’m tied to the tracks in one of those dumb old cowboy movies or something. But maybe this means he’ll summon his Number soon.”

Randy stated, “I don’t feel I needed to summon so many monsters, but it doesn’t hurt to have backup. So I now Overlay my Night Express Knight and Heavy Freight Train Derricrane! With these two monsters I build the Overlay Network! I Xyz Summon another Superdreadnought Rail Cannon GustavMax in Attack Mode!”

Both Derricrane and Night Express Knight became brown orbs of light, shot up into the air, and entered the red spiral Overlay Network. Out emerged another Superdreadnought Rail Cannon GustavMax (3000/3000), ready for battle. However, this time, Onyx started to grin.

He stated, “Not this time! I know what you’re planning, hoping to take out my Life Points by using GustavMax’s ability! But I won’t fall for that twice! I activate the Trap: CrystalRaigeki! I send one CrystalBeast from my Spell and Trap Zone to the Graveyard to destroy one card on your field! So I’ll send my CrystalBeast Sapphire Pegasus to the Graveyard so you can say goodbye to your second scrap heap of a monster!”

The chunk of sapphire shattered, but this allowed Onyx’s Trap to release a large bolt of energy, striking GustavMax. This caused the massive monster to explode, vanishing from the field, much to Randy’s shock.

Randy gained a dark aura, his eyes started to glow, a Number symbol forming on his neck, and he gained a more sinister expression on his face, “You may have destroyed my monster, but now I’ll destroy you! I Overlay my Level Ten Trolley Olley and Lionhearted Locomotive! With these two monsters I build the Overlay Network! I Xyz Summon Number 81: Superdreadnought Rail Cannon SuperiorDora in Attack Mode! This’ll be the last monster you’ll ever see!”

Both Trolley Olley and Lionhearted Locomotive became brown orbs of light, shot up into the air, and entered the galaxy-style Overlay Network. Out emerged a new monster.

Number 81: Superdreadnought Rail Cannon SuperiorDora was a massive machine monster. So large that it didn’t need a sealed form. It was a more robotic creature, mostly cobalt blue in color with red streaks and highlights, a somewhat hourglass-shaped body, thick silver armor plating on its shoulders and sides, an enormous blue and red cannon perched where its head would be, and was propped up by four armored trains, the outer two both armed with smaller cannons. On its left shoulder plate was the number “81” and orbiting it were two brown orbs of light. It was a Rank Ten monster with stats of 3200/4000.

At that time, the Spirit Tech satellite detected the Number being played, streaming the info to Kannon Corp, allowing the people at the monitors to record it before they started to make the necessary call.

Back at the Duel, Onyx huffed, “Well it’s about time he summoned it. Time to add this Number to my collection.”

Randy stated, “Not if I can help it! Now I activate Express Train Trolley Olley’s ability! If it’s used for an Xyz Summon, the Xyz Monster in question gains 800 extra Attack Points! That makes my Number 4000 points strong!”

As he said this, SuperiorDora started to glow, its power jumping up by 800 to 4000.

Randy took another card from his hand, “I’m far from done! Next I activate the Equip Spell: Train Connection! This card can only be equipped to a Machine monster after I banish two Level Ten or higher Machine monsters from my Graveyard. It allows me double the equipped monster’s Original Attack! Plus I can now deal piercing damage! So I banish my Night Express Knight and Derricrane to double my monster’s power! I’m about to derail any chance you had at winning this Duel!”

Derricrane and Night Express Knight vanished from the Graveyard, but this infused Superior Dora with new power, raising its strength by 3200 to 7200.

“While I can’t deal you any Battle Damage this turn thanks to my Revolving Switchyard, I can still topple that stupid dragon of yours! Superior Dora, take out Dark Rebellion Xyz Dragon! Calamity Cannon Crusher!”

Superior Dora charged up massive amounts of energy in its cannons before firing them, the beams heading toward Dark Rebellion. Onyx, however, was grinning.

He stated, “That’s not going to happen, for I activate the Trap: Rainbow Path! When I’m targeted by an attack, I can send one CrystalBeast from my Spell and Trap Zone to the Graveyard to negate your attack! Also, I can then add a Rainbow Dragon or Rainbow Dark Dragon from my deck to my hand. So by sending my Crystal Beast AmberMammoth to the Graveyard, I can smother out your attack AND add a Rainbow Dragon from my deck to my hand!”

The chunk of amber shattered, but this generated a shield that formed in front of Dark Rebellion Xyz Dragon, blocking the massive beam attack, causing it to fizzle out. At the same time, a card was ejected from Onyx’s D-Pad, which he revealed before adding it to his hand.

Randy roared, “You may have blocked that attack, but come next turn I’ll crush you! So take your final turn!”

Onyx grinned, “I’ll do so with pleasure. You are right, as this will be the last turn I take in this Duel, but it won’t end my defeat. No, not at all. It’ll end in my victory. And I’ll prove it right now! I Draw!” He took a different card from his hand, “First I call upon another CrystalBeast Sapphire Pegasus to the field in Attack Mode!”

Another CrystalBeast Sapphire Pegasus (1800/1200) appeared on the field, trotting around Onyx quickly before standing in a battle pose.

“Just like last time, when my Sapphire Pegasus is summoned, I can place one CrystalBeast from my deck into my Spell and Trap Zone. So I choose my CrystalBeast Topaz Tiger!”

His D-Pad ejected a card, which he played, summoning CrystalBeast Topaz Tiger briefly before it transformed into a chunk of topaz.

He took a different card from his hand, “This’ll be fun. I activate the Spell: CrystalPromise! This allows me to target one CrystalBeast in my Spell and Trap Zones and summon it to the field! So I think I’ll summon my Topaz Tiger that I just put in there to the field in Attack Mode!”

The chunk of topaz shattered, but it re-formed on the field, becoming Crystal Beast Topaz Tiger (1600/1000). It asked Onyx for a head scratch, which he did, before it directed its attention back to the Duel.

Onyx grinned, picking up another card, “That Spell was so nice I think I’ll use it twice! I activate another CrystalPromise Spell! Just like last time, I can summon a CrystalBeast from my Spell and Trap Zone to the field. So I choose my Cobalt Eagle, and I’ll put him in Attack Mode!”

The chunk of cobalt shattered, but re-formed on the field, taking the form of Crystal Beast Cobalt Eagle (1400/800). It gave a screech, circled around Onyx briefly before taking its position on the field.

“Now for the really fun part. I Overlay my Level Four Cobalt Eagle, Sapphire Pegasus, and Topaz Tiger! With these three monsters I build the Overlay Network! I Xyz Summon Number 57: Tri-Headed Dust Dragon in Attack Mode!”

Both Cobalt Eagle and Sapphire Pegasus became green orbs of light while Topaz Tiger became a brown one. All three shot up into the air and entered the galaxy-style Overlay Network. Out emerged a new sealed form. It looked like a large sphere with glowing energy lines webbing all around it before it burst, releasing a large amount of small energy particles that started to take shape into its true form.

Number 57: Tri-Headed Dust Dragon was a three-headed dragon entirely made up of cosmic dust. Its bluish-white dust body was densely packed together, yet still loose enough to give it an out-of-this-world appearance. It had a blue nebula-like structure surrounding its body, red flame-like energy spheres connected to the nebula-like structure, and empty eyes. In the center of its body was a red sphere with the number “57” and orbiting it were three red orbs of light. It was a Rank Four monster with stats of 100/2600. As it was summoned, the Spirit Tech satellite detected it, beamed the status to Kannon Corp, who recorded it and made another call.

Randy, although stunned, replied, “You have a Number as well!? But nevertheless, your monster is considerably weaker than mine! So you went through a whole lot of trouble for nothing!”

Onyx grinned, “Oh, is that so? You better think twice, as my dragon packs a bigger punch than you think. I activate Tri-Headed Dust Dragon’s ability! When it’s summoned I can target one monster on your field. My Dust Dragon gains Attack Power equal to that monster’s Attack. The only monster you have is SuperiorDora sitting at 7200 Attack. So that means my Dust Dragon will be gaining that same amount in Attack Points, making it 100 points stronger than your model train!”

As he said that Tri-Headed Dust Dragon began to inhale. This caused a large amount of energy from SuperiorDora to be released in the form of cosmic dust and entered Dust Dragon’s three mouths. As it devoured the energies, its body started to grow to gigantic proportions. By the time it was done absorbing all the energy, its body had grown to nearly twice the size of SuperiorDora, its power jumping up by 7200 to 7300.

“Now, to end this Duel! Tri-Headed Dust Dragon, attack his SuperiorDora! Send it to the scrap heap! Cosmic Dust Rampage!”

Tri-Headed Dust Dragon summoned up energy in its three mouths, took aim, and fired bluish energy beams with flame-like energy encircling them. It struck SuperiorDora, piercing it, before the massive cannon monster erupted in a fiery explosion. Randy skidded back slightly, his Life Points dropping by 100 to 1400.

“It’s over. Dark Rebellion Xyz Dragon, attack him directly! End this Duel now!”

Dark Rebellion’s mandibles started to glow, while at the same time it opened up its wings, generating a large amount of electrical energy. It then took flight, charged in, and slammed its jaw into Randy. The teen was thrown back, screaming, crashing in a heap as his Life Points dropped down to zero. A “Win” screen, showing Onyx, appeared before the Augmented Reality vanished, taking everything with it. Onyx then held out his hand, his eyes glowing slightly behind his sunglasses, and a crystal-coated energy was released from his fingertips. They entered Randy’s body, extracted the glowing Number card, severing its connection to him, causing the Number symbol to vanish, and the card was snapped up by Onyx’s fingers. He looked it over, grinning, before adding it to his Extra Deck. He then approached a dazed Randy.

Randy asked, obviously unsure of what happened, “What’s going on? Where am I? Was I Dueling?”

Onyx grinned, “Yeah, you were, against the great CrystalCrocodile. And I won, so you owe me a Star Piece, and make it snappy.”

Still confused, Randy complied, handing over a Star Piece, which Onyx took, and placed in his current frame, giving him three.

The teen asked, “Don’t I owe you a card, too?”

Onyx pushed his sunglasses up on his face more, “No, as I’ve already claimed my prize. Now, I’m out of here. Bye-bye, train boy.”

Onyx stomped his foot on the ground, causing pillars of earth to encase him, before they retreated back, him vanishing, utterly confusing the already bewildered Randy. At that exact moment, a Warp Gate opened up, with Django and Tempest emerging from it, making Randy even more perplexed. Tempest looked around frantically before moaning in frustration.

“Dammit! We’re too late! Onyx got away with the Number! That’s another piece of power in his grubby mitts!”

Django sighed, “If only Kain wasn’t Dueling when he got the call about the Numbers being played, as that delayed us from knowing where they were located. I knew leaving him in charge of this search was a bad idea, but we’re stuck with it, as my satellite is currently redirecting its reports to Kannon Corp, so my system doesn’t get the info until much later. We only learned about the Numbers through my personal Number Tracker, as Kain was far more interested in clobbering his ‘prey’ than giving us any help. Well, on the bright side, it’s not in Number 96’s or Lucifer’s hands. Doesn’t mean that it’s in safe hands right now, but at least we stand a better chance of retrieving it later than if it was with Number 96 or Lucifer. This hunt is a bust, Tempest, so let’s get out of here and resume our search for more opponents and Numbers.”

Tempest nodded sadly, “You’re right, let’s beat it. Onyx already claimed his ‘prize’, so to speak, but we’ll cross paths soon enough. Hopefully this time we’ll get those Numbers away from him. But let’s go, Django, and hope we get a lead on another Number, as well as get to it first next time.”

Nodding, Django opened up another Warp Gate, allowing both of them to enter it, the gate closing up behind them.

Randy, who was utterly confused, mused, “What the heck just happened? What was that all about? Did I miss something?”

Next Chapter: Double Trouble

And that's all for now. What does the next chapter suggest? Perhaps a double Duel? Or maybe TRio is involved? Just kidding. Tune in next time to find out.
 
Prepare for trouble. And make it double.

Sorry, couldn't resist. Anyway, the dimwit duo, the two halves of a whole idiot, whatever you want to call them, are back: Roger and Vanessa. Still desiring revenge for past humiliation, they challenge Django and Tempest to a Tag Duel, which they accept. How will our Psykinox and Elemental heroes fare against Roger's and Vanessa's Chaos Xyz Monsters? Read and find out.

Double Trouble


Django and Tempest were discussing the recent events that had happened so far, trying to figure out their next move. Tempest still seemed a bit sore at the most recent event.

She sighed, “I can’t believe we failed to retrieve another Number before Onyx. If only we could track the other Numbers quicker, then we can keep them out of the hands of those who would abuse their power. Especially with threats like Number 96 lurking about. We have to find a way to up our game and remove Lucifer from power for good. But the only thing we know is that we have to collect the Numbers before he does. What should we do? Should we go after Onyx?”

Django looked to the sky, “Let him go for now. We’ll deal with that problem later, once we better understand our situation with Lucifer. I’m sure we’ll cross paths with him sooner or later, and we’ll decide what to do then. For now, let’s focus on getting to the Top 16 matches, where we’ll most likely run into Onyx and Number 96. We’ll deal with it then, as it’s hard to plan ahead without knowing what we’re up against. So let’s focus on the present and work our way to that point.”

The Wind Mistress nodded, “Yeah, you’re right. We’ll cross that bridge when we get there. For now we should focus on gathering the remaining Star Pieces that we need to get to the Top 16 matches. I wonder who our next opponents will be.”

A familiar voice smirked, “You two plan to go to the Top 16 matches? Not on our watch you won’t. Time to settle things.”

The duo turned to see Roger and Vanessa approach them, both having very smug expressions on their faces. This caused Tempest to gain a sour look.

She grumbled, “Not you two dimwits again. Can’t you two just leave us alone? You’ve caused enough trouble already, especially since you borrowed power from Lucifer. Can’t you give up on your childish desire for revenge?”

Vanessa smirked, “You’re just saying that because you don’t want to lose to us. You’re afraid of us, aren’t you? I can understand why, green girl, as we’ve bolstered our arsenal since our last playdate, so you have every right to be afraid.”

Roger added, “To say the least, Vanessa. It’s time we settled things once and for all! So we challenge you to a Tag Duel! We’ll see who the real losers are around here!”

Tempest was about to counter, but Django stated, “Fine, we accept your challenge. Not like your tactics are new to us, but we’ll see if you’ve actually have any bite to your bark.”

Tempest turned to him, “We’re really gonna take on these clowns?”

He replied, “Their Star Pieces are as good as anyone else’s, and this way we can remove them from the tournament.”

Vanessa laughed, “We’ll see who gets removed from the tournament! Roger and I will crush you two!”

The two started laughing in a triumphant and rather dumb way, making the two Number Hunters sigh.

Django shrugged, “Well, as least this’ll be my first tournament Duel against someone who isn’t a Shadow Stalker…” he looked at the two Duelists, who were still laughing rather dumbly. “Too bad it has to be against these two revenge-driven nitwits. But let’s get this over with. What’s the wager?”

Vanessa stated, “If you win, which you won’t, you’ll get a Star Piece from each of us. I’ll even wager my Chaos Xyz Monster in this Duel. How about you, Roger?”

Roger smirked, “I’m with you, Vanessa. I wager my Chaos Xyz Monster as well. That oughta motivate them. And if we win, we get your Stardust Dragon and Odd-Eyes Pendulum Dragon, along with a Star Piece from each of you. Sound good?”

Tempest stood up, “Fine with us. It’ll allow us to finally remove you from our threat lists once and for all when we obtain your Chaos Xyz Monsters! Let’s rock their world, Django, show them what a powerful combo we make.”

Django grinned, “Sure, I’m game. Might as well, seeing how they won’t quit until they either win—or lose their Chaos Xyz Monsters. So let’s get this started.”

Django and Tempest armed themselves with their Infinity Disks and Duel Gazers, while Roger and Vanessa donned their D-Pads and Duel Gazers. Both sides were ready for battle.

“Augmented Reality Virtual link established.”

All four drew their starting hands, Life Points set at 4000.

“Let’s Duel!”

Vanessa touched her deck, “Since I’m gorgeous and brilliant, I’ll take the opening move! I Draw!” She picked a card from her hand, “You might remember this monster. It’s my all-mighty Noble Knight Artorigus in Attack Mode!”

Noble Knight Artorigus (1800/1800) appeared on the field, giving his weapon a mighty swing.

“But I’m gonna spice things up a bit this time. I activate Ignoble Knight of Black Laundsallyn’s ability! I can send a LIGHT Attribute Warrior-type Normal Monster to the Graveyard to Special Summon this monster! So I send my Noble Knight Artorigus to the Graveyard in order to summon my Ignoble Knight of Black Laundsallyn to the field in Attack Mode!”

Noble Knight Artorigus vanished from the field, but was replaced by a new monster. Ignoble Knight of Black Laundsallyn was a dark knight wearing black and silver armor, slightly tan skin, glowing red eyes, long black hair, and was holding a large sword with a wide hilt. He was a Level Five monster with stats of 2000/800.

Vanessa grinned, “But wait, there’s more. I activate the Spell: The Warrior Returning Alive! This allows me to recover a Warrior monster from my Graveyard and add it to my hand. So I think I’ll add my Noble Knight Artorigus back to my hand for later.”

She recovered a card from her Graveyard, which she revealed before adding it to her hand. She then debated what to do next.

“To wrap up my turn, I place this card face-down on the field. That’s all for now. Pretty impressive, don’t you think?”

Django shrugged, “Yeah, for you, anyway. But in any case, it’s my turn, I Draw!” He took a different card from his hand, “Since I control no monsters I can summon Junk Forward to the field in Attack Mode!”

A new monster appeared. Junk Forward was a lean, robotic warrior composed of ivory colored full-body armor with ruby red gems on its waist, hips, and forehead, a head shaped like a biker’s helmet with glowing green eyes, and a large piston-like structure attached to its back. It was a Level Three monster with stats of 900/1500.

“Now, to keep my Junk Forward company, I summon Tour Guide From the Underworld to the field in Attack Mode!”

Tour Guide From the Underworld (1000/600) appeared on the field.

“Whenever my Tour Guide is Normal Summoned, I can Special Summon a Level Three Fiend monster from my deck. So to complement her, I summon Tour Bus From the Underworld to the field in Attack Mode!”

Tour Guide started talking into her microphone, which caused Django’s Infinity Disk to eject a card, which he played, summoning a new monster.

Tour Bus From the Underworld was a sinister-looking black tour bus with glowing orange “eyes” for headlights, several orange lights littering its body, and large glass windows. It was a Level Three monster with stats of 1000/1000.

Roger observed, “He’s got three Level Three monsters on his field. Is he gonna Xyz Summon?”

Django smirked, “Not too shabby, Roger. There may be hope for you yet. Yes, I now Overlay my Level Three Tour Guide, Tour Bus, and Junk Forward! With these three monsters I build the Overlay Network! I Xyz Summon Number 34: Terror-Byte in Defense Mode!”

Tour Guide and Tour Bus became purple orbs of light while Junk Forward became a brown one. All three shot up into the air and entered the galaxy-style Overlay Network. Out emerged a sealed form that quickly unfolded into Number 34: Terror-Byte (0/2900), giving a static-laced roar as it did.

Vanessa looked surprised, “No way! You summoned a Number on your first turn! But it looks totally weak, so I deem it no threat.”

Django waged a finger, “Tisk, tisk, tisk, you should know by now that any Number can be a powerful force. I summoned Terror-Byte for a reason, after all, so don’t be so quick to dismiss it. But for now I place three cards face-down on the field and activate the Spell: Mirage of Nightmare. That’s enough for now.”

Roger touched his deck, “Then it’s my turn, I Draw!” But he was cut off.

Django stated, “My Mirage of Nightmare activates! I draw until I’m holding four cards in my hand.”

He drew four cards, looked at them, before returning his attention to the Duel.

Roger huffed, “Big deal, it won’t help you. Anyway, I summon the ferocious Gene-Warped Warwolf to the field in Attack Mode!”

Gene-Warped Warwolf (2000/100) appeared on the field, giving a howl as it did.

“I wrap up my turn with two cards face-down. That’s all for now.”

Tempest touched her deck, “It’s about time you got to me! I was getting bored. It’s my turn, I Draw!” She looked at her new card before deciding what to do, “I summon Cyber Harpie Lady to the field in Attack Mode!”

Cyber Harpie Lady (1800/1300) appeared on the field, giving a rippling cry as she did.

“But I’m gonna keep her company by activating the Spell: Elegant Egotist! This Spell allows me to target one Harpie Lady I control and summon either another Harpie Lady or Harpie Lady Sisters from my deck to the field. Since Cyber Harpie Lady is always considered a Harpie Lady, I can target her and summon Harpie Lady Sisters from my deck to the field in Defense Mode!”

Her Infinity Disk ejected a card, which she played right away, summoning a trio of monsters. Harpie Lady Sisters were triplet Harpie Ladies with different hairstyles: one with long pink hair, one with short orange hair, and one with spiky blue hair, with different colored wings, each wearing golden breastplates over bodysuits, large sharp talons, pointed ears, and narrow yet seductive eyes. They were a Level Six monster with stats of 1950/2100.

“I end my turn with one card face-down. That should do for now.”

Vanessa touched her deck, “Then it’s my turn, I Draw! I summon…” but was cut off.

Django stated, “I activate my Trap: Gravelstorm! This mighty storm blows away one Spell or Trap Card on my field and one of yours back to our hands! So I return my Mirage of Nightmare to my hand and your face-down card to yours, Vanessa!”

A mighty storm laced with gravel swirled on the field, causing Mirage of Nightmare and Vanessa’s face-down card to vanish off the field, returning them to their respective owners’ hands.

Vanessa grumbled, “Great, you returned my Copy Knight Trap to my hand. I was planning on using it when I summon another monster, but now I can’t activate it this turn. So I’ll just continue with my strategy. I summon Noble Knight Artorigus to the field in Attack Mode!”

Noble Knight Artorigus (1800/1800) appeared on the field again.

“Now I activate Noble Knight Gawayn’s ability from my hand. I can Special Summon him to the field in Defense Mode if I control a LIGHT Attribute Normal Monster, which my Artorigus is. So welcome another Noble Knight to the field!”

Noble Knight Gawayn (1900/500) appeared on the field, taking a defensive stance.

“But why should I settle for just one when I can summon a second Noble Knight Gawayn to the field in Defense Mode!”

A second Noble Knight Gawayn (1900/500) appeared on the field, mimicking the pose of the first one.

Vanessa grinned, “It’s time to pull out the big guns! I Overlay both of my Level Four Noble Knight Gawayns! With these two monsters I build the Overlay Network! I Xyz Summon Comics Hero King Arthur to the field in Attack Mode!”

Both Gawayns became yellow orbs of light, shot up into the air, and entered the red spiral Overlay Network. Out emerged Comics Hero King Arthur (2400/1200), who gave his sword a mighty swing, ready for battle.

“Gee, no one could’ve ever seen that one coming…” the Wind Mistress stated sarcastically.

The obnoxious girl countered, “Zip it, green girl! My tactics are as solid as stone and sharper than any blade! So don’t you be mocking my most trusted monster! And I’ll start by clipping your Cyber Harpie Lady’s wings! King Arthur, attack that overgrown lady pigeon!”

King Arthur rose up his sword and charged in. However, much to Vanessa’s shock, Tempest was grinning.

The Wind Mistress stated, “You’ve just triggered my Trap! Go, Negate Attack! And like its name states, this card negates your attack and ends your Battle Phase. So King Arthur will have to wait until your next turn to do any sort of damage, if it’s around that long.”

A spiraling vortex appeared in front of Cyber Harpie Lady, blocking King Arthur, forcing him back to his original position. This made Vanessa mad.

She snarled, “You got lucky this time, but I’ll still clip your wings! I place one card face-down to end my turn.”

Django touched his deck, “Then I hope you don’t mind if I take things from here. I Draw! First I activate my face-down Spell: Onomatopaira! I send one card from my hand to the Graveyard, then I can add up to two monsters from the Gagaga, Gogogo, Dododo, and Zubaba families to my hand, but only one from each group. So I’ll send this card from my hand to the Graveyard in order to add Gagaga Magician and Gogogo Golem to my hand.”

He sent one card from his hand to the Graveyard, but this caused his Infinity Disk to eject two cards, which he revealed before adding them to his hand. He then started to grin.

“Now I’ll show you the reason I summoned Terror-Byte. I activate his special ability! Once a turn, I can use one Overlay Unit to snag a Level Four or below monster from your side of the field and place it on mine. So I think I’ll take Noble Knight Artorigus!”

Vanessa could only watch in shock as Terror-Byte absorbed an Overlay Unit, arched up its tail, revealed the hidden plug-like structures on it, and release electrical energy from them. The electrical energy struck Noble Knight Artorigus in the chest, dragging him over to Django’s side of the field, positioning him in front of Terror-Byte.

“Now, to really make things interesting, I summon Gogogo Golem to the field in Attack Mode!”

Gogogo Golem (1800/1500) appeared on the field, looking as tough as always.

Django smirked, “Time to take this Duel to the next level! I Overlay my Level Four Gogogo Golem and your Noble Knight Artorigus! With these two monsters I build the Overlay Network! I Xyz Summon Number 55: Gogogo Goliath in Attack Mode!”

Roger sputtered, “What!? You’re summoning another Number!?”

Gogogo Golem became a brown orb of light while Artorigus became a yellow one. Both shot up into the air and entered the galaxy-style Overlay Network. Out emerged a new sealed form. It resembled a stone castle tower with two large metal barrels attached to the side before it unfolded into its true form.

Number 55: Gogogo Goliath was a massive monster. Its body resembled a stone fortress or castle tower armed with several small cannons, a ring of cannons around its neck, and a dome-shaped head with a single glowing red eye. It had huge bronze metal arms and legs with dark blue armor plating, ending it large five-fingered hands and block-like feet, and attached to its back were tall bronze metal cylinders that extended from its lower body to above its head. On its stomach was the number “55” and orbiting it were two brown orbs of light. It was a Rank Four monster with stats of 2400/1200.

Vanessa sputtered, “That Number is gigantic! But it only has 2400 Attack Points, making it equal to my King Arthur.”

Roger pointed out, “But don’t forget that only a Number can destroy a Number in battle. So unless you evolve King Arthur into Legend Arthur, Gogogo Goliath will KO your monster without taking a scratch.”

She replied, “I still have King Arthur’s ability, which can protect him from destruction AND boost his power. So that Number won’t topple us.”

Django replied rather casually, “True, King Arthur can use an Overlay Unit to protect himself, but he’s not my target this turn. But before I go there, Gogogo Goliath’s ability activates. It boosts the Defense Points of all monsters on our side of the field by 800 points. So our defenses will be fortified greatly, leaving your side vulnerable.”

As he said that, all the monsters on his and Tempest’s side of the field started to glow as their Defense Points grew by 800. Before long, Gogogo Goliath had 2000 Defense Points, Terror-Byte had 3700, Cyber Harpie Lady had 2100, and Harpie Lady Sisters had 2900.

“Now, Gogogo Goliath, attack Black Laundsallyn with Gogogo Knuckle Crunch!”

Gogogo Goliath reared up one of its arms, which started to glow with white energy, and launched a massive punch attack.

Roger stated, “I won’t let that happen! I activate my face-down Spell: Rush Recklessly! This boosts a monster’s Attack by 700 points for the duration of the turn! So I boost Vanessa’s Black Laundsallyn, making him a cut above your rock monster!”

As he revealed his face-down Spell, it infused Black Laundsallyn with power, going up by 700 to 2700. He prepared to counterattack, but Django was far from done.

The inventor stated, “Don’t count me out just yet. I activate my own Rush Recklessly Spell! This will boost my Gogogo Goliath’s power by 700 as well, putting Black Laundsallyn back on the endangered species list!”

Django’s Spell infused Gogogo Goliath with more power, raising its strength by 700 to 3100, causing its glowing fist to become even brighter. It overpowered Black Laundsallyn’s blade, causing it to shatter, before slugging him with its fist, sending him flying before he vanished in a flurry of sparkles. Vanessa flinched as her Life Points dropped by 400 to 3600.

“Now, I activate Gogogo Goliath’s ability! Once a turn, I can use one Overlay Unit to target a Level Four EARTH Attribute Rock monster in my Graveyard and add it to my hand.”

Gogogo Goliath absorbed an Overlay Unit into its eye, which caused Django’s Graveyard slot to start glowing.

Vanessa protested, “There’s just one problem… you don’t have ANY Rock monsters in your Graveyard!”

Django wagged a finger, “Not quite. You see, the Overlay Unit I used was Gogogo Golem, so I can simply add it back to my hand, effectively recycling it without losing any card advantage. So I’ll add my Gogogo Golem from my Graveyard to my hand.”

His Graveyard slot ejected a card, which he took, revealed, and added to his hand. He then decided what to do next.

“I place two cards face-down on the field to end my turn. And now that my turn is over, Rush Recklessly expires.”

As he said that, Gogogo Goliath’s power dropped down back to its original 2400.

Roger touched his deck, “I’m gonna get this Duel back in our favor! I Draw!” He looked at his new card, grinning, “I know you’re a big fan of Traps, Django, so this monster should put a crimp in your day. I Tribute my Gene-Warped Warwolf in order to summon Jinzo in Attack Mode!”

Gene-Warped Warwolf vanished from the field, but was instead replaced by Jinzo (2400/1500).

“Now, because Jinzo is on the field, all Trap cards on the field cannot be activated, and any face-up Traps are negated. So if you had any Traps, they’re now useless!”

Jinzo’s eyes gleamed, causing several face-down cards on the field to be shackled, including ones on Roger’s and Vanessa’s field.

Vanessa gave him a thumbs-up, “Nice work, Roger. Even though Jinzo paralyzes our Traps as well, Django is notoriously known for using Trap Cards, so Jinzo was the perfect monster to use against him.”

Roger grinned, “Thanks, Vanessa. But this is just the start of our victory lap.” He turned back to the Duel, “Jinzo, attack Cyber Harpie Lady with Cyber Energy Shock! Zap that chick into fried chicken!”

Jinzo summoned up a black sphere of energy in his hands, took aim, and hurled it at Cyber Harpie Lady. It struck her squarely in the stomach, causing her to screech out as her body shattered. Tempest flinched as her Life Points dropped by 600 to 3400.

She stated, “It’ll take more than that to defeat us, Roger. So don’t be counting your Star Pieces just yet, as this Duel is far from done.”

Roger took a card from his hand, “Whatever you say, girl. I place this card face-down and activate my Shard of Greed Spell. That should do for now. Come at us if you dare.”

Tempest touched her deck, “Oh, I dare all right! It’s my turn, I Draw!” She took a different card from her hand, “I’m about to blow away your Jinzo, Roger! I Tribute my Harpie Lady Sisters in order to summon my Raiza the Storm Monarch in Attack Mode!”

Harpie Lady Sisters vanished from the field, but was replaced by Raiza the Storm Monarch (2400/1000), and upon appearing on the field, his Defense Power rose by 800 to 1800. This worried Roger.

Tempest gave her fingers a confident snap, “Time to blow away that Jinzo, for I activate Raiza the Storm Monarch’s ability! Whenever he’s Tribute Summoned, I can target one card on the field and return it to the top of your deck. So Jinzo is now gone-zo!”

Raiza released a massive wind gust that struck Jinzo, who tried to resist but eventually was blown off the field, vanishing. Roger reluctantly took the card and placed in on top of his deck. As Jinzo left the field, all the shackled cards were released from their bindings.

The Wind Mistress grinned, “Didn’t know I had a monster like that, did you? It’ll cost you dearly. Raiza, attack Roger directly!”

Raiza summoned up a massive sphere of wind, took aim, and hurled it at Roger. However, the punk was far from done.

He stated, “I activate my Trap: Negate Attack! Just like when you played it, this card negates your attack and ends your Battle Phase! So Raiza’s attack is about to be smothered out!”

Another spiraling vortex appeared which swallowed up Raiza’s attack, protecting Roger from it.

Tempest merely said, “Doesn’t bother me, as that means I forced you to use up a powerful Trap. So it can’t hurt us later. So to wrap up my turn I place one card face-down on the field and activate my own Shard of Greed Spell. That’s enough for now.”

Vanessa touched her deck, “Fine with me, wind girl! It’s my turn, I Draw!” She looked at her new card and started to laugh, “I’ve done it! I’ve drawn just what I needed! I activate the Spell: Rank-Up-Magic Barian’s Force! This allows me to Rank-Up my Xyz Monster into a Chaos Xyz Monster! So I rebuild the Overlay Network with my Rank Four Comics Hero King Arthur! Go Chaos Xyz Evolution!”

King Arthur turned into a bolt of energy, entered the newly opened Overlay Network, which erupted with power. Deep within, the chained Barian Gate burst open, releasing a flood of energy, which bathed King Arthur, encasing it in the same green sphere as usual.

“I Xyz Summon CXyz Comics Hero Legend Arthur in Attack Mode!”

Out of the green orb emerged CXyz Comics Hero Legend Arthur (3000/2400), who gave his massive sword a swing, ready for battle.

Django growled, “I was afraid that was going to happen. But we’ve defeated Legend Arthur a number of times already, so we can do it again!”

Vanessa laughed, “Not this time you won’t! I activate Rank-Up-Magic Barian’s Force’s other effect! I can steal one Overlay Unit from one of your Xyz Monsters and add it to my own! So I think I’ll steal Gogogo Goliath’s last Overlay Unit, which I know is my Artorigus that you swiped earlier, and add it to my Legend Arthur!”

The Chaos Overlay Units released several electrical whips that struck Gogogo Goliath before snagging its last Overlay Unit. It then transformed the Overlay Unit into a Chaos Overlay Unit, which soon came to rest with the other ones, giving Legend Arthur a total of four.

Django stated, “I know what you’re planning and I’ll make sure it doesn’t happen! I activate the Trap: Number Wall! This Trap protects all Numbers from destruction! So even your Chaos Xyz Monster can’t take out my Numbers!”

As the Trap was sprung, Roger stated, “I knew you’d pull something like that, so I have a Trap of my own to activate! Go, Trap Stun! This Trap negates all other Traps on the field for the turn! So your Number Wall is now useless for the turn! Which means your Numbers are now vulnerable!”

Roger’s Trap released a powerful shockwave that struck Django’s newly revealed Number Wall, causing it to go dark. This worried both Django and Tempest.

The punk turned to his partner, “You’re free to go on the rampage, Vanessa. Show them our power.”

Vanessa gave him a thumbs-up, “No problem, just what I was hoping to hear.” She turned back to the Duel, “This time your precious Numbers won’t save you. Go, Comics Hero Legend Arthur! Attack Gogogo Goliath! Crush that overgrown bolder with your mighty sword!”

Legend Arthur raised up his sword, gave it a swing, and slammed it down upon Gogogo Goliath, bisecting the massive monster in two. Gogogo Goliath then erupted in a fiery explosion which engulfed Django’s side of the field. He shielded himself from the blast as his Life Points dropped by 600 to 3400. At that time all the monsters on his and Tempest's side of the field lost 800 Defense Points, bringing Terror-Byte down to 2900 and Raiza to 1000.

“Now I activate Legend Arthur’s ability! Whenever he destroys a monster in battle and sends it to the Graveyard, I can use one Chaos Overlay Unit to target that monster. It’s banished and then you take damage equal to its Original Attack. So that’s 2400 points of damage coming your way, Django!”

Legend Arthur slammed his sword into a Chaos Overlay Unit before firing a beam at the center of the field. This caused Gogogo Goliath to emerge and barrel into Django kamikaze-style, erupting in another fiery blast. Django used his powers to anchor himself from the impact and blast, shielding himself the best he could as his Life Points dropped by 2400 to 1000.

Vanessa laughed, “You’re just one attack away from losing this Duel, Django! And when you’re out of the way, we’ll focus on Tempest and remove her as well. Ah, the sweet smell of revenge is in the air.”

Django, although frazzled, replied, “Don’t make your victory speech just yet, as we’re still in this. We won’t lose, no matter what happens.”

Next Chapter: Chaos Xyz Chaos

And that's all for now, folks. What will happen next? Tune in next time to find out. Same thread, same Duel Time.
 
The Tag Duel between Django/Tempest and Roger/Vanessa continues to rage on. Both sides fight for supremacy, and Django even debuts a new Number. Will our Psykinox and Elemental duo prevail? Read and find out.

Chaos Xyz Chaos


The four-way Duel was getting intense. On Django’s field was Number 34: Terror-Byte (0/2900), a temporarily neutralized Number Wall, two face-down cards, and 1000 Life Points left. On Tempest’s field was Raiza the Storm Monarch (2400/1000), one face-down card, and 3400 Life Points. On Vanessa’s field was CXyz Comics Hero Legend Arthur (3000/2400), one face-down card, and 3600 Life Points. Roger’s field had no monsters, an active Shard of Greed, and 4000 Life Points.

Vanessa laughed, “Face it; we’ve got you pinned now! So you might as well give up!”

Django huffed, “You guys still don’t get our style. We never give up, no matter how bleak the situation may be. All it takes is one turn and one draw to turn the tide of a Duel. So are you quite done?”

The obnoxious girl replied, “I suppose that’s enough damage for now. So I end my turn. Let’s see what you’ve got, Django.”

“Oh, I’ll show you what I’ve got. It’s my turn, I Draw! And since my turn has begun, my Number Wall is restored to its former glory, now in full effect!”

The darkened Number Wall became brighter again as he said that.

“Next, I summon Gogogo Golem to the field in Attack Mode!”

Gogogo Golem (1800/1500) emerged on the field, ready for battle.

“Since I Normal Summoned a Level Four monster, I can summon Kagetokage as well. So I’ll put him in Attack Mode!”

Kagetokage (1100/1500) crawled out onto the field, its red headlight-like eyes levitating off its shadowy body.

He said silently, “Avalon, I’m going to put your gift to the test. Show me why your family is one of my family’s most trusted allies.” He said aloud, “I Overlay my Level Four Gogogo Golem and Kagetokage! With these two monsters I build the Overlay Network! I Xyz Summon one of my newest creatures! Come forth Number 44: Sky Pegasus in Attack Mode!”

Roger sputtered, “ANOTHER Number?! Just how many of them do you have!?”

Gogogo Golem became a brown orb of light while Kagetokage became a purple one. Both shot up into the air and entered the galaxy-style Overlay Network. Out emerged a new sealed form. It resembled a whitish gold hollow cocoon with a ribbed middle and shield-like plating in the front before it unfolded into its true form.

Number 44: Sky Pegasus was a mechanical Pegasus in silver armor with large blue metal feathered wings with white bases, a long blue tail, a matching mane, and a noble-looking head with glowing blue eyes. On its right shoulder was the number “44” and orbiting it were two yellow orbs of light. It was a Rank Four monster with stats of 1800/1600.

Tempest said in awe, “That’s the Number Avalon gave Django! It’s quite a majestic monster, to say the least. I bet it’s powerful, just like how the Luminz family is a powerful name in the race.”

Vanessa huffed, “You just went through a whole lot of trouble for nothing. My Legend Arthur is still more powerful, and this Number is weaker than Gogogo Goliath. So what good will it do?”

The inventor smirked, “You’re about to find out. I activate Sky Pegasus’ ability! By using one Overlay Unit I can destroy one monster on your field. You can, however, prevent your monster’s destruction by paying 1000 Life Points. It’s your call, but either way my Sky Pegasus is going to stampede all over you! So I’m gonna destroy Legend Arthur!”

Sky Pegasus absorbed an Overlay Unit into its forehead, followed by its wings releasing a large amount of white energy.

The Wind Mistress smiled, “Brilliant! Legend Arthur can protect himself from destruction by battle, but not by a card effect, which makes Sky Pegasus able to destroy that Chaos Xyz Monster! Either that or Vanessa will take 1000 points of damage, but it puts her in a tight situation regardless.”

Vanessa quickly debated her options before sputtering, “I-I choose to pay 1000 Life Points to prevent Legend Arthur’s destruction!”

As she said that, the white energy vanished from Sky Pegasus’ wings. However, instead it charged toward her. It then started to spin its body around like a drill, becoming coated in blue flames, and rammed into Vanessa. She was sent flying, screaming, before crashing to the ground, her Life Points dropping by 1000 to 2600.

Django smirked, “You managed to save your monster, but you got run over in the process. Not a bad move. But I can still go on the offensive! Sky Pegasus, attack Roger directly!”

Sky Pegasus directed its attention to Roger, who now looked very worried. It charged toward him, started to spin again, coated in the same blue fire, before slamming into the punk Duelist. Roger was sent flying before crashing to the ground, his Life Points dropping by 1800 to 2200.

“I place two cards face-down on the field and activate my Mirage of Nightmare again. That’ll do it for now.” The inventor then said silently, “Thank you, Avalon. This Number truly represents what your family is to mine: a noble, loyal ally who can be counted on in times of need. This Number is helping turn the tide in a Duel against one of Lucifer’s dangerous weapons, so thank you my friend.”

Roger staggered briefly as he stood up, “We’re still in this. But man, I never knew a weak Number like that could pack such a heavy punch. We’d better be careful, Vanessa, as that Number could be a problem.”

Vanessa stumbled briefly as she stood up, “Yeah, no joke. That Number just trampled both of us. But we can still win this, so show them what you’ve got, Roger.”

The punk nodded, “Right. It’s my turn, I Draw!” but was cut off.

Django stated, “My Mirage of Nightmare now activates! I can draw until I’m holding four cards.” He drew three cards, looked at them, then continued, “Now I activate the Spell: Emergency Provisions! I send my Mirage of Nightmare to the Graveyard and gain 1000 Life Points. So my resources have just been given a boost.”

Mirage of Nightmare vanished, but this allowed several sparkles to rain down upon Django, restoring his Life Points by 1000 to 2000.

Roger huffed, “It’ll take more than a few extra points to stop us. Anyway, since I drew a card during my Draw Phase, my Shard of Greed gains one Greed Counter.”

Shard of Greed started to glow as it gained a counter, going from zero to one He then took a different card from his hand.

“I summon Axe Dragonute to the field in Attack Mode!”

Axe Dragonute (2000/1200) appeared on the field, giving its axe a swing.

“That’ll have to do for now.”

Tempest huffed, “For someone who talks a big game, that wasn’t much of a move. But in any case, it’s my turn, I Draw! And like you, since I drew a card during my Draw Phase, my Shard of Greed gains one Greed Counter.”

The counter above Shard of Greed increased from zero to one.

She then looked at her new card before playing it, “I activate Pot of Greed to draw two more cards from my deck.”

She drew two cards, looked at them, then picked one of them.

“I summon Turbo Synchron to the field in Attack Mode!”

Turbo Synchron (100/500) appeared on the field.

“Now I tune my Turbo Synchron to my Raiza the Storm Monarch! I Synchro Summon one of my newest monsters: Clear Wing Synchro Dragon, in Attack Mode!”

Turbo Synchron became a green ring which Raiza entered, becoming an outline of itself in the process. It then transformed into six orbs of light, followed by a burst of light, and out emerged Clear Wing Synchro Dragon (2500/2000), which gave a mighty roar as it appeared.

Vanessa choked, “Since when do you have that card! Clear Wing Synchro Dragon is just as rare as Stardust Dragon!? Where did you get it!?”

“I got it from one of my previous opponents in this tournament. A very respectable person, too, who was quite impressed with me that he even gave me a bonus card. Ivan Nimbus was a great opponent and Duelist, that’s for sure. But enough of that, it’s time to go on the offensive! Clear Wing Synchro Dragon, attack Axe Dragonute with Spinstorm Sky Strike!”

Clear Wing Synchro Dragon roared, the circuit pattern in its wings lighting up, before taking to the sky. It then started to spin like a drill, its body coated in green energy streams, as it barreled down toward Axe Dragonute. The axe-wielding dragon braced itself, but Clear Wing effortlessly charged through it, destroying it. The whipping energy struck Roger as his Life Points dropped by 500 to 1700.

“I place two cards face-down and activate my Mirage of Nightmare Spell. That’s enough for now.”

Vanessa touched her deck, “Then it’s my turn, I Draw!” but was cut off.

“My Mirage of Nightmare activates! I can draw until I’m holding four cards in my hand!” the Wind Mistress stated.

She drew four cards, looked at them, then returned her attention to the Duel.

Vanessa huffed, “Whatever. I activate the Spell: Pot of Greed. Now I can draw two cards from my deck.” She drew two cards, looked at them, and selected one of them, “I summon Noble Knight Peredur to the field in Attack Mode!”

Noble Knight Peredur (1900/300) appeared on the field, ready for battle.

“Now I activate the Trap…” but was cut off again.

Tempest stated, “Not on my watch you don’t! I activate the Trap: Gravelstorm! And just like when Django used it, I can return one Spell or Trap on both sides of the field to their respective players’ hands. So I return my Mirage of Nightmare and your Trap, which I know is Copy Knight. So this’ll prevent you from activating it.”

Another storm laced with gravel formed on the field, causing Tempest’s Mirage of Nightmare and Vanessa’s Trap to be returned to their hands.

Vanessa spat, “You guys won’t let my Copy Knight activate! That’s the second time it’s been blown off the field! You’ll pay for that! So I activate the Equip Spell: Noble Arms – Gallatin! This Spell can only be equipped to a Warrior, boosting its Attack Points by 1000, but it’ll lose 200 Attack during each of my Standby Phases. So my Peredur is now 1000 points stronger than normal!”

Noble Knight Peredur grabbed the new sword, giving it a swing, his power increasing by 1000 to 2900.

“But wait, there’s more. Because Peredur is now equipped with a Noble Arms card, his ability activates! His Attribute changes from LIGHT to DARK, and his Level increases by one.”

As she said that, the stars representing Peredur’s Level changed from four to five, and his Attribute changed from LIGHT to DARK.

She then debated silently, “Who should I go after now? Both of my monsters can take down Clear Wing Synchro Dragon, possibly defeating that green haired bag of wind, but she’s got three face-down cards on the field. At least one of them has to be a Trap, and I would be walking right into it. Then there’s Sky Pegasus to worry about. If I don’t find a way to remove it soon, its ability will trample us again, either destroying our monsters or dealing 1000 points of damage, neither option is acceptable. Maybe I should go after both?” She then decided what to do, “CXyz Comics Hero Legend Arthur, attack Sky Pegasus! While your Number Wall may protect it, that won’t protect you from damage!”

Legend Arthur held out his sword and gave it a mighty swing. The blade struck Sky Pegasus, engulfing it in an explosion, though when the smoke cleared it was unharmed. But to Vanessa’s shock Django’s Life Points remained at 2000.

She sputtered, “How did you survive that attack without a scratch!?”

Django smirked, “Easy, I activated the Trap: Defense Draw. This card reduces the damage I would’ve taken from an attack to zero AND allows me to draw one card from my deck. So thanks for going after my monster, Vanessa.”

He drew a card, looked at it, and returned his attention to the Duel.

Vanessa growled, “I KNEW I should’ve gone after Clear Wing Synchro Dragon! So I’ll do that right now! Peredur, attack Clear Wing Synchro Dragon!”

Peredur held his sword with both hands, looked at Clear Wing, and charged in.

Django stated, “I’ll protect my partner with another Trap! Go, Shift! This Trap redirects your attack to another monster. In this case, I’m redirecting Peredur’s attack to my Terror-Byte!”

Terror-Byte suddenly appeared in front of Clear Wing Synchro Dragon. It lowered its head, bracing for the impact, as the sword-wielding monster slammed his blade onto it. The attack struck hard, but Peredur was forced to retreat back to his original position, leaving both Terror-Byte and Clear Wing unscathed.

Tempest gave Django a thumbs-up, “Thanks, sweetheart. I did have a plan in case she attacked me, but I appreciate the help regardless, as it saves me some trouble and keeps my cards safe. I’ll be sure to return the favor shortly, Django.”

Vanessa seethed, “No matter what I try, you two always weasel your way out of trouble! I’ll end my turn with one card face-down. Make your move, if you dare.”

The inventor touched his deck, “Oh, we dare, all right. It’s my turn, I Draw! Now I activate Sky Pegasus’ ability! I use its last Overlay Unit to destroy one monster on your field. Or you can pay the 1000 Life Points to protect your monster. So what will it be?”

Sky Pegasus absorbed its last Overlay Unit, its wings releasing the same white energy from before.

The obnoxious girl replied sourly, “I guess I’ll pay the 1000 points to keep my Legend Arthur safe. So do your worst.”

The white energy vanished from Sky Pegasus’ wings, but it instead charged toward Vanessa. It then started to spin, cloaked in blue flames, before slamming into her. She was sent flying, screaming in frustration, before crashing to the ground, her Life Points dropping by 1000 to 1600.

Django stated, “I can still go on the offensive! Sky Pegasus, attack Roger directly! Knock him out of this Duel!”

Sky Pegasus reared up and prepared to strike. But Vanessa gave a snarl.

“I’m not gonna let you do that, Django! I activate the Spell: Enemy Controller! This Spell can either let my change the Battle Mode of one of your monsters or I can Tribute a monster to take control of it for the turn! I think I’ll do the first option and switch your Sky Pegasus to Defense Mode, thus stopping its attack!”

The large game controller appeared, followed by several button presses, which caused Sky Pegasus to shift to a more defensive position. Roger gave a sigh of relief.

He said, “Thanks for the save, Vanessa.”

Django shrugged, “Not too shabby. So to wrap up my turn I place two cards face-down on the field. That’s all for now.”

Roger touched his deck, “Okay then, it’s my turn, I Draw! First of all, since I drew a card during my Draw Phase, my Shard of Greed gains one more Greed Counter, giving it two.”

The counter above Shard of Greed changed from one to two.

“Now I can send my Shard of Greed to the Graveyard in order to draw two more cards from my deck.”

Shard of Greed vanished, but this caused Roger’s deck to glow, allowing him to draw two more cards. He looked at them before activating one of them.

“I’ll keep the draw power going by activating the Spell: Graceful Charity! This allows me to draw three cards then I have to discard two.” He drew three cards, looked at them, then selected two of them, “I discard these two cards. Now I activate Night Express Knight’s ability from my hand! I can Normal Summon it without Tributing by lowering its Attack Points to zero.”

A rippling portal opened up, allowing Night Express Knight (3000/3000) to emerge from it, afterward its power dropped all the way down to zero.

Roger grinned, “Since I sent my Makyura the Destructor to the Graveyard due to Graceful Charity, I can now activate Traps from my hand for the turn. So I think I’ll activate one Trap you should be familiar with: my Metal Reflect Slime, summoning it in Defense Mode!”

A Metal Reflect Slime (0/3000) appeared on the field.

“Now I Overlay my Level Ten Metal Reflect Slime and Night Express Knight! With these two monsters I build the Overlay Network! I Xyz Summon Skypalace Gangaridai in Attack Mode!”

Metal Reflect Slime became a blue orb of light while Night Express Knight became a brown one. Both shot up into the air and entered the red spiral Overlay Network. Out emerged Skypalace Gangaridai (3400/3000), just as powerful and menacing as always.

He started to grin, “Now to really kick things into high gear. I activate the Spell: Rank-Up-Magic Barian’s Force! I can Rank-Up my Xyz Monster into a Chaos Xyz Monster! So I rebuild the Overlay Network with Rank Ten Skypalace Gangaridai! Go Chaos Xyz Evolution!”

Skypalace Gangaridai became a bolt of energy, entered the newly opened Overlay Network, which erupted with power. Deep within, the chained Barian Gate burst opened, allowing a flood of energy to bathe Gangaridai, encasing it in the same green sphere.

“I Xyz Summon CXyz Skypalace Babylon in Attack Mode!”

Out of the green sphere emerged CXyz Skypalace Babylon (3800/4000), armed and ready for battle.

“Now Barian’s Force’s other effect activates! I can steal one Overlay Unit from one of your Xyz Monsters and add it to my Babylon. So I’ll steal one of Terror-Byte’s Overlay Units to further strengthen my Babylon!”

The Chaos Overlay Units released electrical energy whips that struck Terror-Byte, then snagged one of its Overlay Units, transforming it into a Chaos Overlay Unit, before placing it next to the other ones, giving Babylon a total of four.

Vanessa grinned, “Nice work, Roger. Now it’s time to blast these guys into next week!”

The punk nodded, “That’s what I plan to do. Babylon, attack Clear Wing Synchro Dragon! Destiny Demolisher!”

Babylon started to charge up energy in its main cannon, positioned itself in the proper angle, and fired a massive beam. Tempest braced herself for the worst.

Django stated, “I won’t let you wipe her out! I activate the Trap: Damage Diet! This Trap reduces all damage we take this turn in half! So Tempest is not finished yet!”

Damage Diet fired a beam at Babylon’s attack, causing it to diminish, but it struck Clear Wing Synchro Dragon regardless, causing it to erupt in a fiery blast. Tempest skidded back a fair distance, shielding herself, her Life Points dropping by 650 to 2750.

Roger stated, “Now Babylon’s other ability activates! It deals you damage equal to half of your monster’s Original Attack! So say goodbye to 1250 Life Points! Secondary Disaster!”

The Graveyard Portal opened up, showing Clear Wing’s card, which then fired a beam at Tempest.

Django stated, “Your math is off, as thanks to my Damage Diet Trap, Tempest will only take half of that damage, reducing it to 625!”

A barrier formed around Tempest as the beam struck her, shielding her, though she skidded back a bit more, her Life Points dropping by 625 to 2125.

Roger growled, “Even so, I can still attack her directly! So I activate another one of Babylon’s abilities! I use one Chaos Overlay Unit to allow Babylon to attack again! This time, take aim at her directly! Go, Double Disaster!”

Babylon absorbed a Chaos Overlay Unit, causing it to glow. It prepared to fire again.

Tempest stated, “I’m not totally helpless, you know! I activate the Trap: Descending Lost Star! This card revives my Clear Wing Synchro Dragon in Defense Mode, but it loses all its special abilities, its Defense drops to zero, and its Level decreases by one! Now you have to strike it instead of me.”

The Graveyard Portal opened up, allowing Clear Wing Synchro Dragon (2500/2000) to emerge from it. Taking a defensive stance, its body released several sparkles indicating it lost its powers, the stars representing its Level dropping by one to six, and its Defense Points dropping down to zero.

The punk huffed, “Fine, I’ll just attack it again! Skypalace Babylon, take out Clear Wing Synchro Dragon again! Destiny Demolisher!”

Babylon charged up more energy, took aim, and fired it at Clear Wing Synchro Dragon, destroying it once again.

Roger growled, “I activate Babylon’s ability! Since it destroyed a monster in battle, you take damage equal to half of that monster’s Original Attack! While that would normally mean Tempest would take 1250 damage, thanks to that blasted Damage Diet, it’s reduced to just 625. But that’ll still hurt! So go, Secondary Disaster!”

The Graveyard Portal opened up again, showing Clear Wing Synchro Dragon, before a beam fired at Tempest. She shielded herself, along with another shield forming around her, protecting her from the attack, her Life Points dropping by 625 to 1500.

Tempest turned to Django, “Thanks for the save, Django. I’m still in this Duel thanks to you, so I owe you big time for that.”

He gave her a thumbs-up, “That’s what partners, and lovers, do, Tempest. We’re always watching each other’s backs, so it’s only natural. Besides, I know you still have plenty of bite left in you, so I couldn’t let you be knocked out of this Duel before you can show off your skill some more. All for one and one for all, right?”

She smiled, blushing, “Yeah, you bet. Thank you for the kind words. So let’s show these two what we’re made of.”

Vanessa huffed, “Are you two done getting all gushy on us? Besides, you’re invading on MY turf, green girl, so don’t get all mushy on MY Django! Got that?”

The Wind Mistress snapped, “Then how come he and I are in a loving relationship while you’re left out, hmm? How come Django and I are dating and going steady instead of you and him, huh? Because you’re not worthy of a man like him! He’s made his decision and chose little old me, so we can get all lovey-dovey if we feel like it, so butt out! Besides, just because you’re ahead in terms of power doesn’t mean you’ll win. Like Django always says, all it takes is a single draw to turn the tide of a Duel. We’re not done yet, so don’t get your victory celebration ready just yet. Give us your best shot, we’ll weather it and come out on top.”

Django nodded, “Once again, Tempest, you hit it right on the head. We won’t quit, no matter how bad things look. One turn is all it takes to win, and we intend to make good on that. That we promise.”

Next Chapter: A Duel in Rune

And that's all for now. Looks like there's a bit more chemistry going on between Django and Tempest. And what does the next chapter suggest? Tune in next time to find out.
 
Last edited:
Please note: The thread is from 7 years ago.
Please take the age of this thread into consideration in writing your reply. Depending on what exactly you wanted to say, you may want to consider if it would be better to post a new thread instead.
Back
Top Bottom