Yu-Gi-Oh: Crimson Glory (Currently at Episode 4: Calm Before the Storm)

[The Oncoming Storm]

Okay, so if any of you remember me, several years ago, I wrote two major fanfics: Yu-Gi-Oh! GX: The Final Light (which originally belonged to Phantom Roxas) and Yu-Gi-Oh! GX: The Next Generation.

 

Recently, I found older files from both on my computer, and decided to finish them both. I will have a separate thread for The Final Light, so obviously, this one will feature GXTNG.

 

Here's what I have planned: this will be a continuation of GXTNG, but with a twist: To avoid turning it into a GX rip-off, I've decided to fast forward four years into the future, after GXTNG's characters have graduated from Duel Academy. As you've already seen, the title of this new fanfic is called Yu-Gi-Oh: Crimson Glory (which is, obviously, a reference to the band Crimson Glory.)

 

Another thing: In the original GXTNG, I reused a lot of characters from GX and the original Yu-Gi-Oh as teachers at Duel Academy. Looking back, none of them really fit the bill as a teacher, so now I'm rendering the old story non-canon (with the exception of the four main characters meeting there and going there.) In accordance with this, Ryou Kaiba is now the "Zane Truesdale" character in the story. Also, since I’m shortening the span of time between the original GX and GXTNG (to TNG taking place a year after GX ended) Roger Cook will now instead be Jim Cook’s brother, instead of his son.

 

---------------------------------------------

CHARACTERS

 

Jason Rosenthal

Age: 18

Deck: Dragon

 

Damon Morrissey

Age: 18

Deck: Spellcaster

 

Matthew Burgess

Age: 17

Deck: Monarch / Chaos / D.D.

 

Roger Cook

Age: 19

Deck: Volcanic Burn / Pyro

 

 

Main setting: Crimson City, a fictional American metropolis located in the Kansas / Missouri / Nebraska area. Crimson City is basically the American equivalent of Domino City, being a huge Duel Monsters hotbed, as well as being the home of Argyle Enterprises, which is the American equivalent of KaibaCorp.

[The Oncoming Storm]

Episode 1: Welcome to Crimson City

Only a few weeks after he graduated from the illustrious Duel Academy, Jason Rosenthal and his friends Damon, Matthew, and Roger have set off to make their own way. The four friends, nicknamed "The Four-Man Band", have decided that they want a fresh start, so they've decided to go to Crimson City, an American metropolis known for being a Duel Monsters hotbed.

Our story begins with the four of them sitting on a plane that is about to land at the Crimson City International Airport.

Jason: So, just to verify, Matthew, your uncle owns a fourplex that he could let us live in for free?

Matthew: Yeah. He said he'd be meeting us at the airport as soon as we land.

Damon: Alright! I can't wait to get there! From what I've heard, Duel Monsters is even bigger in Crimson City than it is back home in Domino.

Jason: Sounds like my kind of city, then!

Matthew: Something else that I heard is that there's this big event happening in the city in a few days. The "World Peace Festival", I think? Apparently the World Championship will be up for grabs!

Jason: That sounds pretty cool. We should check it out!

Roger: I'm with Jason. We should find out when it is!

Man on PA: Attention, all passengers. We are now arriving at Crimson City International Airport.

Jason: Well, here we go!

The plane eventually lands, and the four of them get off. They soon run into Matthew's uncle, Paul.

Paul: Hey Matthew!

Matthew: Hey Uncle Paul! It's good to see you again! These are my friends from Duel Academy: Jason, Damon, and Roger!

Jason: Nice to meet you! [shakes Paul's hand] Let's head on out to our new place!

The four of them leave the airport and pile into Paul's car.

Matthew: Hey, Uncle Paul, do you by any chance know anything about this World Peace Festival event happening later in the week?

Paul: Of course I do, the entire city is talking about it! It's this big event being co-sponsored by Argyle Enterprises and KaibaCorp. All of the world's top champions will be meeting in a summit to duel against each other, including Ryou Kaiba putting his World Title on the line against a young up-and-comer named Agustin Allende. On top of that, the whole thing will be telecast all over the world as part of the launch for that new gaming TV channel, DuelTV.

Jason: That sounds awesome! I'm definitely down for checking it out.

Damon: Ditto!

After a long car ride, they finally arrive at their new fourplex.

Paul: Here you go, guys! Welcome to your new home! [gives each of them a key]

Jason: Right on!

The four of them exit the car, and Paul drives off.

Jason: So, how are we gonna decide who lives in which unit?

???: I think a better question would be, who's gonna duel first?

All four of them turn around. A guy about their age is standing there. He's about Jason's height and build, dressed in a black jacket, a white t-shirt that had a graphic of a winged shield on it, and blue jeans. He also had sandy-colored hair in a buzzcut.

Jason: Who are you?

???: My name is Sebastian “Action” Jackson, two-time Crimson City Intercity Champ! I'm one of the best duelists around here.

Damon: “Action” Jackson? What a lame nickname.

Sebastian: Nobody asked you, Damon Morrissey.

Damon: Wait – what?! How do you know my name?!

Sebastian: I know who all of you are: Jason Rosenthal, Damon Morrissey, Matthew Burgess, and Roger Cook: the infamous “Four-Man Band” of Duel Academy, and four of that school's best duelists!

Jason [to Damon, Matthew, and Roger]: Well, I see our reputation precedes us.

Sebastian: And, while I respect what you guys have accomplished at the famous Duel Academy, you're not in school anymore! You're in Crimson City, and this is the big leagues!

Jason: I'm pretty sure we already knew that, and I also know that we all belong here!

Sebastian: I'm sure you do! But, how about I give you a proper Crimson City welcome, by dueling you?

Sebastian activates his duel disk, which is a version of the original KaibaCorp duel disk, but is black with a gold trim.

Jason: That's one snazzy-looking duel disk!

Sebastian: Thanks! It was given to me as the prize for winning the Intercity Title last year.

Jason: Well, if it's a duel you want, then it's a duel you'll get, pal! [activates his duel disk]

Damon: Hey, Jason, you sure about this?

Jason: Why not? I'm all fired up anyway after hearing about the World Peace Festival! And anyway, is there no better way to christen our new place than with a duel?

Damon: I guess you have a point there. Good luck Jason!

Jason: I'll duel you, Mr. Action! Let's rock!

Sebastian: Well, alright then!

Jason's LP: 4000
Sebastian's LP: 4000

Sebastian: Since you're the newcomer, I'll be nice and let you go first.

Jason: Alright, I will. I'll start my turn by summoning Alexandrite Dragon (2000 / 100) in attack mode! Next, I'll set one card face-down and end my turn. Your move!

Sebastian: Okay. I'll summon Marauding Captain (1200 / 400) in attack mode. And his special ability lets me summon another Warrior-type monster from my hand, so I'll summon Field-Commander Rahz (1600 / 1200) in attack mode as well! And I'll activate his special ability: I can look for a Level 4 or lower Warrior monster and put it on top of my deck!

Sebastian looks through his deck, finds a card, then places it on top his deck.

Sebastian: I'm not done yet! I'll equip him with Sword of Dragon's Soul! Yeah, I know your deck has mostly Dragons, and this sword not only boosts my Field Commander's Attack by 700 (Field-Commander Rahz – 2300 ATK) but it automatically destroys any Dragon that battles with it!

 

Jason [annoyed]: I know what it does. 

 

Sebastian: Well, then you'll know what happens next! Field-Commander Rahz, attack Alexandrite Dragon with Soul Blade Strike!

 

Sebastian's warrior charges towards Jason's dragon, stabbing it and causing it to explode into holographic pixels. 

 

Jason's LP: 3700

Sebastian's LP: 4000

 

Sebastian: On that happy note, I'll end my turn.

 

Jason: *Already, one turn in, he's got the upper hand. But then again, if he really is a two-time Intercity Champion, he's not gonna be an easy opponent. I need to stay focused, and just have fun, as always!*  Alright, I draw!  [draws card] I'll summon Hunter Dragon (1700 / 100) in attack mode! Next, I'll equip him with Mist Body, so now he can no longer be destroyed in battle. Now, I'll go on the attack! Hunter Dragon, attack Marauding Captain with Ferocious Fang!

 

Sebastian: I don't think so! I activate my face-down: Draining Shield! 

 

A dome of energy materializes around Marauding Captain, and Hunter Dragon harmlessly bounces off it and returns to Jason's side of the field.

 

Sebastian: This trap card blocks your attack and increases my life points by the same number of attack points your Hunter Dragon has! So now, I get 1700 points! 

 

Jason's LP: 3700

Sebastian's LP: 5700

 

[On the sidelines]

 

Damon: I'm starting to see why this guy is a two-time Intercity Champion.

 

Roger: Well, let's not count Jason out yet! It's only the second turn, after all.

 

Matthew: Yeah, Damon, Jason's been in tougher situations than this before.

 

Damon: True. And I'm sure he can pull off a victory without a hitch!

 

[back to the duel]

 

Jason: Nice move, but it'll take more than that to beat me! I set one card face-down, then I might as well end my turn.

 

Sebastian: You're full of confidence. I admire that. [draws card] I summon Gearfried the Iron Knight (1800 / 1600) in attack mode! Now, Field-Commander Rahz, attack his Hunter Dragon with Soul Blade Strike!

 

Jason: I activate Negate Attack! 

 

Sebastian's Field-Commander vanishes into a swirling portal, then reappears on his own side of the field.

 

Jason: This stops your attack and ends the battle phase!

 

Sebastian: Lucky move. I'll go ahead and end my turn.

 

Jason: My move, and I'll start it off by playing Pot of Greed, which lets me draw 2 new cards!  [draws cards] Next, I'll summon Lord of D. (1200 / 1100) in attack mode! With him on the field, I can play The Flute of Summoning Dragon, which lets me summon two more Dragons from my hand, so I'll summon Eclipse Wyvern (1600 / 1000) and Divine Dragon Ragnarok (1500 / 1000)! Hold on, I'm not finished yet! I'll play Polymerization to fuse Ragnarok with Lord of D. to summon King Dragun! (2400 / 1100)

 

Sebastian: Wow, I'm impressed.

 

Jason: Well, if you like that, then you're gonna love this! Eclipse Wyvern, attack his Marauding Captain with Moonbeam Blast! 

 

Jason's dragon fires a blast of white energy at Marauding Captain, destroying it easily.

 

Jason's LP: 3700

Sebastian's LP: 5300

 

Jason: Now, King Dragun, attack Field-Commander Rahz with Fire Scourge Attack!

 

King Dragun fires a blast at Field-Commander Rahz, destroying it just as easily.

 

Jason's LP: 3700

Sebastian's LP: 5200

 

Jason: Now, I'll set a card face-down and end my turn.

 

Sebastian: I gotta admit, you're impressing me more and more. But don't think that means you're gonna win. [draws card] I activate the spell card Release Restraint! This lets me sacrifice my Iron Knight in order to summon Gearfried the Swordmaster! (2600 / 2200)

 

Beams of light appear all over the Iron Knight, and after a moment, he explodes. In his place is a new warrior who is muscular, has long black hair, and a loincloth.

 

Sebastian: And, to make him stronger, I'll equip him with Divine Sword - Phoenix Blade! Not only does this shiny new sword make my Swordmaster 300 points stronger (Gearfried the Swordmaster - 2900 ATK), but it also activates his special ability, allowing me to automatically destroy one of your monsters! I choose your King Dragun!

 

Gearfried raises his sword, and points it at King Dragun. It lights up with yellow energy, which erupts from the sword and rushes towards King Dragun, destroying it.

 

Jason: No! My King Dragun!

 

Sebastian: Now Gearfried, attack his Hunter Dragon with Phoenix Blade! I know he'll absorb the attack, thanks to your Mist Body card, but your life points will still take a hit!

 

Gearfried runs towards Hunter Dragon and brings his sword down onto it. It passes through the dragon, not harming it at all, but Jason's life points go down.

 

Jason's LP: 2500

Sebastian's LP: 5200

 

Sebastian: I think that's enough for one turn. Your move.

 

Jason: Alright! *Man, he has almost twice the life points I do. If I want any chance of winning, I need to find a way to fight back, and fast*.  I draw! [draws card] I'll start things off by playing Graceful Charity, which lets me draw three cards, as long as I discard two from my hand afterwards. [draws cards, then discards] That is, unless I activate this: Disgraceful Charity! This returns the cards I discarded to my hand! [takes cards from graveyard] Next, I'll sacrifice my Eclipse Wyvern to summon my Genesis Dragon! (2200 / 1800) 

 

The Eclipse Wyvern vanishes, and a larger, dark crimson dragon takes its place. It roars ferociously. 

 

Jason: And then, I'll activate his special effect! By discarding a Dragon from my hand, I can add one of the Dragons in my graveyard back to my hand. So I'll discard Gray Wing (1300 / 700) from my hand to add Alexandrite Dragon back to my hand! [takes card from graveyard] I'm not done yet! I'll equip Genesis Dragon with United We Stand! This boosts his Attack and Defense by 800 for every one of my monsters! So that's 1600 points! (Genesis Dragon -  3800 / 3400)

 

Sebastian: No way! That makes him stronger than my Swordmaster! 

 

Jason: You bet it does! Genesis Dragon, attack his Gearfried the Swordmaster with Genesis Flames! 

 

The red dragon fires a jet of flames at Sebastian's Swordmaster, enveloping it and destroying it. 

 

Jason's LP: 2500

Sebastian's LP: 4300

 

Sebastian: Gagh!

 

Jason: It's your turn, Hunter Dragon! Attack Sebastian directly with Ferocious Fang! 

 

The dragon flies towards Sebastian and "bites" him.

 

Jason's LP: 2500

Sebastian's LP: 2600

 

Sebastian (to himself): Good thing that's a hologram. 

 

Sebastian: Well, you've made the score just about even. 

 

Jason: I end my turn!

 

Sebastian: My draw! *I really underestimated this guy. Now he's brought out a monster with 3800 attack points and managed to turn this into a near-tie. He could prove worthy enough to be a Guardian, but the only way to know for sure is to finish this duel. C'mon deck, show me some love!* [draws card] Perfect! First, I'm gonna activate Monster Reborn to bring back my Marauding Captain from the graveyard. Next, I'll activate Cost Down, which, after discarding a card from my hand, downgrades all the monsters in my hand by 2 levels! So now, I'll sacrifice Marauding Captain to summon Gilford the Legend! (2600 / 2000) Say hello to the monster that won me the Intercity Championship this past year!

 

A muscular warrior in black armor, a flowing cape, and wielding a huge broadsword materializes on the field.

 

Jason: He looks awesome! But, unfortunately, he's weaker than my Genesis Dragon.

 

Sebastian: I am well aware of that. His special effect more than makes up for it, though. I am allowed to equip as many equip spell cards in my graveyard as possible to any Warrior on my side of the field, including Gilford himself! So watch as I give Gilford the power of the Phoenix Blade and the Sword of Dragon's Soul!

 

Semi-translucent images of the two swords appear on the field, surrounded by yellow energy. Gilford lifts his sword, and the images dissolve into energy and are absorbed by the sword. 

 

Sebastian: Combined, those two swords give Gilford the Legend 1000 extra attack points! (Gilford the Legend - 3600 ATK) But why stop there? From my hand, I'll play another equip spell: Axe of Despair!

 

A sinister-looking axe materializes in Gilford's hand.

 

Sebastian: This boosts Gilford's attack strength by another 1000 points! (Gilford the Legend - 4600 ATK) Now, he has a grand total of 4600 attack points!

 

Jason: Oh, no!

 

Sebastian: Oh yes! Gilford, attack Genesis Dragon with Axe of Despair!

 

Jason's LP: 1700

Sebastian's LP: 2600

 

Sebastian: I'll go ahead and end my turn.

 

Jason: My go. *There are only a few cards in my deck that have even a remote chance of going toe-to-toe with his juiced-up Gilford. If I draw one of them now, I might be able to come up with a plan.*  [draws card] *Yes! Now I just might pull this off.* I'll begin my turn by summoning Totem Dragon (400 / 200) in defense mode. Next, I'll switch Hunter Dragon into defense mode, and that'll do it for me this turn.

 

Sebastian: That wasn't much of a turn, but it's your funeral. *I know he could've done better than summoning that weak dragon. Either he's cracking up, or he's planning something.* I summon Mataza the Zapper (1300 / 800) in attack mode. Next, I'll play Mystical Space Typhoon to get rid of Mist Body!

 

A cyclone of wind surrounds the hologram of the card, destroying it.

 

Sebastian: Now, I can get rid of your Hunter Dragon! Gilford, attack his Hunter Dragon with Axe of Despair!

 

Gilford charges towards Jason's Hunter Dragon, bring his axe down onto it and destroying it.

 

Sebastian: Now, Mataza, attack his Totem Dragon with Ambush Slash!

 

Jason: I don't think so! Go, trap card: Sakuretsu Armor! This protects my dragon from your attack and destroys your Mataza the Zapper!

 

Mataza turns a sickly gray color, then explodes into pixels.

 

Sebastian: I'll set a card face-down and end my turn. *That's weird. He wasted his trap card on my Mataza the Zapper when he could've used it to destroy my Gilford. He's got to be planning something. My face-down should keep me safe for my next turn, just in case.*

 

Jason: My move, and -

 

Sebastian: Oh, and by the way, I activate my face-down: Thunder of Ruler! Now, thanks to this card, your battle phase has just been cancelled!

 

Jason: No big deal. I wasn't planning to attack this turn anyway.

 

Sebastian: *What is his plan? If I had even the slightest clue, I could probably counter it easily...but he's hiding his plan really well. This guy is something else.* Just make your move.

 

Jason: Don't mind if I do. I'll begin my turn by activating the special ability of my Totem Dragon: If I'm about to sacrifice for a higher-level monster, I can use Totem Dragon as more than one sacrifice! So I'll sacrifice my Totem Dragon to summon a personal favorite of mine: the mighty Felgrand Dragon! (2800 / 2800)

 

A large, pale gold dragon appears on the field and roars ferociously at Sebastian.

 

Jason: Now, since you activated Thunder of Ruler, I can't really do anything else this turn, so I'll set a card face-down and call it a turn.

 

Sebastian: Your dragon is quite impressive. But my Gilford is still much stronger than him. Gilford, attack his Felgrand Dragon with Axe of Despair!

 

Gilford attacks Felgrand Dragon and destroys him. Jason's life points stay the same, however.

 

Sebastian: Huh? Why didn't your life points decrease?

 

Jason: Right before your attack hit, I activated my Spirit Barrier trap! Now, as long as this card remains on the field, I'm safe from any and all battle damage, just so long as I control a monster. And since I activated my trap when my Felgrand Dragon was still on the field, my life points are safe!

 

Sebastian: Nice moves. But you better make your next turn count, or else you'll be at the mercy of my Gilford the Legend on my next turn!

 

Jason: Oh, you better believe that this turn will be worth it. [draws card] First, I'll bring back an old friend from the beginning of the duel: my Alexandrite Dragon! 

 

The rainbow gem-covered dragon appears on the field and roars. 

 

Jason: Next, I play Monster Reborn, and use it to bring my Felgrand Dragon back from the graveyard!

 

The pale gold dragon returns to the field, roaring as well and happy to be back.

 

Jason: And here's where it gets interesting! You see, Felgrand Dragon has a unique special ability that can only be activated when he's brought back from the graveyard, and only then if he was sent there from the field.

 

Sebastian: *So that's why he let me destroy it so easily.*

 

Jason: Now, I can choose one monster in my graveyard, and increase Felgrand Dragon's Attack by 200 times the number of Level stars it has! And I choose....my King Dragun! King Dragun is a Level 7 monster, so that's 1400 points! (Felgrand Dragon - 4200 ATK)

 

Sebastian: Impressive! But he's still 400 points weaker than my Gilford.

 

Jason: Not after I play this: Mystical Space Typhoon! I'll use it to destroy Axe of Despair, and take away 1000 points from Gilford's attack strength! (Gilford the Legend - 3600 ATK)

 

The axe vanishes from Gilford's hand.

 

Jason: And now to add an insurance policy to my victory! I play Dragon's Gunfire! This card can only be activated if I have a Dragon on my side of the field. I can choose one of two effects, and I think I'll go with the first one: dealing 800 points of damage to your life points!

 

Felgrand fires a blast of red fire at Sebastian. 

 

Jason's LP: 1700

Sebastian's LP: 1800

 

Jason: I think you know what happens now! Felgrand Dragon, attack Gilford the Legend with Luminous Blaze!

 

The dragon fires a blast of radiant energy at Gilford, which consumes and destroys him.

 

Jason's LP: 1700

Sebastian's LP: 1400

 

Jason: And now, Alexandrite Dragon, attack him directly with Gem Crusher! 

 

Alexandrite Dragon fires a stream of rainbow-colored gems at Sebastian, hitting him.

 

Jason's LP: 1700

Sebastian's LP: 0

 

Damon: Wow! Jason just defeated the Intercity Champ!

 

Roger: Good on ya, mate! Knew you could do it!

 

Matthew: You're the best, Jason!

 

[Back in the duel]

 

Sebastian: You beat me fair and square, Jason. You're an awesome duelist!

 

Jason: Hey, thanks! It was an awesome duel!

 

Roger, Damon, and Matthew walk up to Sebastian, standing behind Jason.

 

Sebastian: There was never any doubt in my mind that you guys belong here. Now, Jason proved it! Welcome to Crimson City!

 

Damon: Man, I can't wait to live here now, if all the duelists are as good as you!

 

Sebastian: Believe me, they are. [to Jason] So, look, I'm gonna give you something that might come in handy for you. 

 

Sebastian takes a folded up piece of notebook paper and hands it to Jason.

 

Sebastian: Written on there is my cellphone number. If you ever wanna duel again, if you need me to show you around the city, or if you just wanna hang out, gimme a call!

 

Jason: Thanks, Sebastian! You're alright.

 

Sebastian: You too! I should get going; it's getting late. 

 

Jason: Catch ya later!

 

Sebastian fist-bumps all four of them, then strolls off.

 

Damon: Well, how many people can say that they've dueled, defeated, and befriended the Intercity Champion all within their first hour of being in a city? Now, Jason can!

 

Jason: Yeah! But, I'm wondering...don't you guys think it's a bit random that the Intercity Champion would challenge me only after I've just barely been here?

 

Roger: He was probably just scouting the competition, mate. He's got a big bullseye on his back, what with him being the champion and all, and I bet everyone's gunning for him. Keeping an eye on the competition gives him an edge, if you ask me. 

 

Jason: Yeah, you're probably right, Roger. [turns to face the fourplex] Now, did we ever decide who's gonna live where?

 

Matthew: How about Roger and I live in the two bottom ones and you and Damon take the top ones?

 

Jason: Sounds like a plan to me!

 

The four of them head off towards their respective units. Jason takes the key from his pocket and unlocks the door. The unit looks like a basic apartment setup, but slightly larger. Jason sets his bags on the nearby sofa.

 

Jason: My own place...this is gonna be so cool!

 

Jason takes out the paper that Sebastian gave him. A phone number is indeed written on it, but under the number is a drawn image of a winged shield and the word "FREEDOMS".

 

Jason: *Hey, isn't that the same logo that was on his shirt? Why would he draw it on here? And what does 'FREEDOMS' mean?*

 

Jason unpacks his laptop computer and turns it on.

 

Jason: Maybe there's something on the internet about it.

 

He logs onto Google and searches "crimson city winged shield". The first result says "Welcome to the Freedoms Portal."

 

Jason: It does say Freedoms. Maybe this is it.

 

Jason clicks on the link. The website starts loading, but is suddenly redirected to an error message that says: "404 SERVER NOT FOUND", followed by a string of binary data.

 

Jason: Well...that didn't help. I bet it's one of those private blogs or something. I'll try it again later, maybe it'll be up then.

 

Jason walks away from his computer and heads to his bedroom, where he starts unpacking the rest of his bags.

 

[Elsewhere in Crimson City]

 

A man in a dark cloak is walking down a dark hallway in an unspecified building. He is wearing a strange pendant: it looks like the Deathly Hallows symbol from Harry Potter, except it is called the Eye of Providence. He reaches a door and knocks. 

 

??? [Middle Eastern accent]: Come in.

 

The cloaked man enters the room. It is a spacious office. Another man (the one with the Middle Eastern accent) is seen sitting at a desk in the shadows. He appears to be wearing a suit adorned with Middle Eastern ceremonial garb, and has the same Eye of Providence necklace as the cloaked man. 

 

??? [Middle Eastern accent]: Any good news?

 

???: Yes sir. I think we may have a lead. Sector Security cameras recorded a duel between Sebastian Jackson and someone named Jason Rosenthal in the Apartment District of the city. 

 

The cloaked man takes out a flash drive and plugs it into the computer on the desk. He opens a video file on it, and it plays footage from Jason and Sebastian's duel.

 

???: Notice the image on his shirt?

 

He pauses the video, and shows a close-up of Sebastian, focusing on the winged shield on his shirt.

 

???: It's the same symbol as those hackers, and I don't think it's a coincidence.

 

??? [Middle Eastern accent]: You've done well. We shall keep an eye on our Intercity Champion and keep looking out for that winged shield logo.

 

???: Yes, sir. Anything else?

 

??? [Middle Eastern accent]: The Rosenthal boy. Find out more about him. He has expert dueling skills if he can go toe-to-toe with the Intercity Champion. He might be useful to us. And, for good measure, find out more about his friends as well.

 

???: Yes, sir. 

 

The cloaked man leaves the office. 

 

??? [Middle Eastern accent]: The board is set...and the pieces are moving. And the Illuminati shall rise again.

 

[The Oncoming Storm]

Episode 2: A New Rival Appears

 

It is the day after Jason's duel with Sebastian and the day before the World Peace Festival. Jason wakes up at around 9 and finds an envelope slipped under his door. 

 

Jason: Hmmm...wonder what this is?

 

He picks up the envelope and opens it. It contains a handwritten note and two Duel Monsters cards. The cards are Lightpulsar Dragon and Darkflare Dragon. The note says:

 

These two cards are known as the Chaos Dragons. Think of them as a welcome to Crimson City gift. With your victory over Sebastian, you've caught our eye. Soon enough you will be able to join up with us. Until then, good luck in all your duels, and godspeed.

 

There is no signature on the note, but the winged shield logo is drawn at the bottom.

 

Jason: *There it is again! I keep seeing that winged shield logo. Maybe it's for some prestigious dueling club that's invite-only or something, and Sebastian is a member.*

 

But, in the back of his mind, Jason thinks that there is more going on than meets the eye. 

 

Jason: *Well, I guess I'll keep an eye out for that logo. Maybe I'll figure out some clue as to what it means.*

 

Jason puts the new cards into his pocket, then leaves his unit. Damon, Matthew, and Roger are all waiting for him.

 

Damon: Hey, you're finally awake! Matthew, Roger, and I are gonna head to the gaming shop; I need a new duel disk and they wanna upgrade their decks.

 

Matthew: Wanna come with us?

 

Jason: Not this time, I'm heading into town. I've heard that there's some Duel Monsters training gym or something downtown.

 

Damon: You planning on signing up?

 

Jason: Maybe some other time, but not today. I've heard that that area is a prominent hot spot for duels, and I wanna test these bad boys!

 

Jason shows them his new Lightpulsar Dragon and Darkflare Dragon cards.

 

Damon: Hey, wait a minute....I've never seen those cards in your deck before!

 

Jason: I found them in an envelope slipped under my door this morning! Cool thing to wake up to, huh?

 

Matthew: Someone really just gave you two powerful cards?

 

Jason: Well, I'm definitely not complaining! 

 

Damon: Well, good luck in finding a duel! [to Matthew and Roger] We should get going.

 

Damon, Matthew, and Roger all leave. Jason watches them go, then takes out his deck and shuffles the cards into it.

 

Jason: Well, let's see if I can give these new dragons a test drive! *And maybe find out more about this winged shield that keeps popping up everywhere.*

 

Jason walks to the nearby bus stop and waits for ten minutes before a bus stops. 

 

Bus Driver: Where ya headed?

 

Jason: Downtown please!

 

Jason hands the bus driver $1.50 and gets onboard. The bus drives for about 30 minutes before reaching downtown.

 

Jason gets off the bus and walks for another 30 minutes before reaching a building that looks like a training gym. On top it says "RUNNELS' SCHOOL OF DUEL". On the right side of the building there is a duel that has just ended.

 

Jason: Well, that seems to be the place. And whaddaya know, there's a duel going on!

 

A blonde-haired girl about Jason's age is talking to another guy, presumably her opponent. Standing behind the girl is an older man dressed in a gray hoodie, matching sweatpants, and a red baseball cap.

 

Girl: Looks like I won!

 

Boy: Yup, you won. [Walks away]

 

Man: Good job, Michelle! You've been on a roll ever since you finished your training!

 

Michelle: Yeah, I guess....but none of the good duelists want to challenge me anymore for some reason. Instead, I keep getting these kids who are only here for the World Peace Festival and really don’t know a thing about dueling. 

 

Jason walks up to them.

 

Jason: You want a tough opponent? How about you duel me?

 

Michelle: I've never seen you around here before. 

 

Jason: I just moved here yesterday. My name's Jason Rosenthal!

 

Man: Wait a minute....I've heard your name before. Are you the same kid that beat Sebastian Jackson the other day?

 

Jason: You heard about that?

 

Man: Word travels fast around Crimson City's dueling community. Especially when the guy in question who lost was one of my students.

 

Jason: Sebastian was one of your students?

 

Man: Yup! I'm Virgil Runnels! I founded the School of Duel, and I've trained more than half of the duelists in this city.

 

Jason: Nice! 

 

Michelle: And I'm one of them! My name's Michelle Wilson, and I was the runner-up in the Intercity Championship last year!

 

Jason: Awesome! 

 

Michelle: If you were able to beat Sebastian, then you've gotta be a skilled duelist.

 

Jason: So you'll duel me?

 

Michelle: Sure! From the sound of things, you'll be my first tough opponent in quite a while!

 

Jason: Then let’s rock! 

 

Jason's LP: 4000

Michelle's LP: 4000

 

Michelle: I'll go first! I summon Meltiel, Sage of the Sky (1600 / 1200) in attack mode! Then I'll set one card face-down and end my turn.

 

Jason: I'll summon Spirit Ryu (1000 / 1000) in attack mode. I'll also set two cards face-down and end my turn. Your move!

 

Michelle: [draws card] Awesome! I'll begin my turn by activating the field spell The Sanctuary in the Sky! 

 

The field changes to the inside of a majestic-looking temple. Large pillars and flaming torches surround them, and behind Michelle is a raised stone dais with a throne on top.

 

Michelle: Now, thanks to this card, whenever a Fairy-type monster battles, any battle damage I'd normally take is reduced to 0! 

 

Jason: Wow, impressive.

 

Michelle: Thanks! Now, I'm gonna attack! Meltiel, attack Spirit Ryu with Ring of Radiance!

 

Meltiel forms a ring of energy and throws it at Jason's Spirit Ryu. 

 

Jason: I don't think so! I activate Negate Attack! This protects me from your attack and ends the battle phase right here and now!

 

Michelle: Thanks. I was hoping you'd try to counter me.

 

Jason: Why?

 

Michelle: Because you've set off my Sage of the Sky's special ability! Both of them!

 

Jason's LP: 4000

Michelle's LP: 5000

 

Jason's Spirit Ryu is surrounded by an aura of radiant energy, then explodes into holographic pixels.

 

Jason: Wait, what just happened?!

 

Michelle: My Sage of the Sky's abilities just happened. Every time either of us activates a Counter Trap Card, I automatically regain 1000 life points! But that's not the best part. Since I have The Sanctuary in the Sky out, I can also automatically destroy one of your cards! So, I chose Spirit Ryu!

 

Jason: Whoa, those are some sweet special abilities.

 

Michelle: I agree. And, for now, that'll be enough. I'll end my turn.

 

Jason: My move. *That is one impressive combo she has. Her life points are protected from battle damage by her Sanctuary, and, thanks to her Sage of the Sky, every time either of us activates a Counter Trap, she gains 1000 more life points and can automatically destroy one of my cards. And there's that face-down card of hers. If I can take out either Meltiel or that Sanctuary, I can get to her life points.* I'll summon Spear Dragon (1900 / 0) in attack mode. And now, I'm going on the attack! Spear Dragon, attack Meltiel with Cyclone Blast!

 

Spear Dragon fires a blast of wind-like energy at Meltiel.

 

Michelle: I activate Light of Judgment! Now, I can discard Marshmallon (300 / 500) from my hand to destroy your Spear Dragon!

 

Jason: Not so fast! I activate The Dragon's Bead! By discarding a card from my hand, I can negate and destroy your Light of Judgment!

 

Michelle: *I totally walked into that. How could I miss his other face-down? And since that's not a Counter Trap, I won't get any extra life points.*

 

Jason: And don't forget, The Dragon's Bead is a Continuous Trap, which means that my dragons are safe from your trap cards!

 

Michelle: But now, since your Spear Dragon attacked this turn, you have to switch him into defense mode.

 

Jason: Yeah, I know. And now, to cap my turn, I'll set a card face-down.

 

Michelle: Alright, then. [draws card] I summon The Agent of Miracles - Jupiter (1800 / 1000) in attack mode! Now, I'll attack! Meltiel, attack Spear Dragon with Ring of Radiance!

 

Meltiel fires a ring of energy at Spear Dragon, destroying him. 

 

Jason: I activate Soul Rope! Since you destroyed one of my monsters, this card lets me immediately summon a new one straight from my deck! All I need to do is give up 1000 life points.

 

Jason's LP: 3000

Michelle's LP: 5000

 

Jason: I use the effect of Soul Rope to summon Alexandrite Dragon! (2000 / 100) 

 

Michelle: Nice move. I end my turn.

 

Jason: Alright, I draw! [draws card] I'll begin my turn by activating the spell card Premature Burial! At the cost of 800 life points, this card lets me bring back my Spear Dragon! 

 

Jason's LP: 2200

Michelle's LP: 5000

 

Spear Dragon returns to the field, appearing next to Alexandrite Dragon.

 

Jason: I'm not done! Next I play Mystical Space Typhoon! With this card, I'm gonna take out your Sanctuary in the Sky!

 

Michelle: Aggh! Not my Sanctuary!

 

Jason: Oh yea! Now you're no longer protected from battle damage! Alexandrite Dragon, attack The Agent of Miracles - Jupiter with Gem Shatterstorm!

 

Alexandrite Dragon fires a flurry rainbow-colored crystals at The Agent of Miracles, destroying him easily.

 

Jason's LP: 2200

Michelle's LP: 4800

 

Jason: It's your turn, Spear Dragon! Attack Meltiel, Sage of the Sky with Cyclone Blast!

 

Spear Dragon fires a blast of wind-like energy at Meltiel, Sage of the Sky, destroying it just as easily.

 

Jason's LP: 2200

Michelle's LP: 4500

 

Jason: Now, I'm gonna set one card face-down and call it a turn. How do ya like them apples?

 

Michelle: *This guy wasn't kidding when he said he'd be a tough opponent. I like him...even if he's kind of a dork.* You're good, Jason. But this duel isn't over yet! [draws card] I'll begin my turn by summoning Freya, Spirit of Victory (100 / 100) in defense mode!

 

What appeared to be a high school cheerleader materialized on the field in defense mode.

 

Michelle: Yeah, I know she looks weak, but what she lacks in Attack and Defense, she makes up for in her special ability: all Fairy-type monsters under my control gain 400 attack and defense points, including Freya herself! (Freya, Spirit of Victory - 500 / 500) But I'm not done! Next, I activate the spell card Court of Justice! 

 

A device that looked like a golden UFO materialized on the field.

 

Michelle: This is one of my personal favorite spell cards! You know why? Because it lets me special summon one Fairy-type monster from my hand once per turn, just so long as I have a Level 1 Fairy already on the field, such as Freya, Spirit of Victory! So, I think I'll use Court of Justice's effect to summon The Agent of Judgment - Saturn! (2400 / 0) And thanks to Freya's special ability, Saturn gains 400 attack and defense points! (The Agent of Judgment - Saturn - 2800 / 400) Oh, and now that I have another Fairy-type monster on the field, Freya can no longer be selected as an attack target!

 

Jason: That's quite a lot in just one turn. 

 

Michelle: And I'm not done yet! Saturn, attack Spear Dragon with Judgment Spell!

 

Saturn fires a stream of magic at Spear Dragon, destroying him.  

 

Jason's LP: 1300

Michelle's LP: 4500

 

Michelle: I think I'll go ahead and end my turn.

 

Jason: That's the best thing I've heard all day. [draws card] I play the spell card Cost Down! Here's how it works: I discard a card from my hand, and then all the monster cards in my hand have their levels reduced by 2, thus making it much easier to summon my stronger monsters! And that's exactly what I'm gonna do! I sacrifice Alexandrite Dragon to summon Red-Eyes Black Dragon! (2400 / 2000) Say hello to one of my most reliable monsters!

 

The black dragon appears on the field in a fiery blaze and roars ferociously, looking ready for battle.

 

Michelle: You have a Red-Eyes? Impressive. He's not strong enough to take out my Agent of Judgment, though, unfortunately for you.

 

Jason: He doesn't need to be! At least, not this round he doesn't. You see, I'm gunning right for your life points, using the spell card Inferno Fire Blast! This card takes all 2400 of my Red-Eyes' attack points and blasts them directly at your life points!

 

Michelle: Say what?!

 

Jason: That's right! Now, go, Inferno Fire Blast! 

 

Red-Eyes fires a blast of fire at Michelle.

 

Jason's LP: 1300

Michelle's LP: 2100

 

Jason: Luckily for you, Red-Eyes can’t attack on the turn that Inferno Fire Blast is used, so I’ll set a card face-down and call it a turn!

 

Michelle: *Ouch. He just took a big chunk out of my life points. Thankfully, I’ve still got a few cards that just might be able to get me out of this mess.* Alright, to start my turn off, I’ll use the effect of Court of Justice to special summon Airknight Parshath! (1900 / 1400). And, thanks to my Freya’s special ability, he gains a 400 point power boost! (Airknight Parshath – 2300 / 1800) But I’m not done yet. Next, I’ll activate my Light of Renewal spell card! This card allows me to recycle a spell or trap card from my graveyard by discarding a LIGHT monster from my hand. [discards a card, then takes one from the graveyard] And I think I’ll activate that card: The Sanctuary in the Sky!

 

The field once again becomes the inside of a majestic temple.

 

Jason: Not this card again. It gave me enough problems the first time around.

 

Michelle: And it’ll give you even more problems from here on out, but let’s save that for later. Right now, allow me to introduce your Red-Eyes to my Agent of Judgment! Attack his dragon with Judgment Spell!

 

Saturn fires her stream of magic at Red-Eyes. However, right before it hits, it disappears, then Saturn herself turns a sickly gray color and is destroyed.

 

Michelle: What?! What just happened?!

 

Jason: My Sakuretsu Armor trap just happened! This card lets me destroy any of your monsters that declares an attack on one of my monsters. Good thing too, because if your attack had gone through, you would’ve won the duel with your Airknight Parshath’s attack.

 

Michelle: Nice move. 

 

Jason: Thanks.

 

Michelle: I guess I'll end my turn by placing a card face-down.

 

Jason: And that makes it my turn once again. [draws card, and sees that he's drawn Darkflare Dragon] *Hey, it's one of those Chaos Dragons that was slipped under my door! I can't summon it now, but maybe I will here soon.* I'll summon Golem Dragon (200/2000) in defense mode. 

 

A large reptilian creature made of brown stones materialized on the field in front of Jason and crouched in defense mode.

 

Jason: Now, I think I'll attack! Red-Eyes Black Dragon, attack Airknight Parshath with Inferno Fire Blast!

 

Michelle: I activate my face-down: Mirror Force! This blasts your attack right back at you!

 

Jason: *Dammit! I should've known her face-down was something like Mirror Force. And since Mirror Force doesn't target any monster specifically, it doesn't get negated by my Dragon's Bead card.*

 

Jason watches as his dragon is consumed by its own attack and is destroyed. 

 

Michelle: You look startled. I take it you weren't expecting me to play Mirror Force? 

 

Jason: No, I wasn't. Nice move. *pause*  Since I can't do anything else at the moment, I'll go ahead and call it a turn.

 

Michelle: [draws card] I'll begin by equipping my Airknight Parshath with Cestus of Dagla! This increases his Attack by 500! (Airknight Parshath - 2800 ATK)

 

A bronze sword shaped like a giant shuriken materialized in the Airknight's hand. 

 

Jason: Whoa, your Airknight has gotten pretty powerful.

 

Michelle: You bet he has! Airknight Parshath, attack his Golem Dragon with Crusader's Strike!

 

Airknight Parshath flys towards Jason's Golem Dragon and stabs it with his sword, causing it to explode into pixels.

 

Michelle: Looks like I've reduced your Golem Dragon to a pile of rubble. And thanks to Parshath's special ability, you lose life points equal to the difference between his Attack and your Golem Dragon's Defense!

 

Jason's LP: 500

Michelle's LP: 2100

 

Michelle:  I'll go ahead and end my turn.

 

Jason: Alright! Let's do this! [draws card]  Well, whaddaya know? I drew Monster Reborn! And I think I'll use to bring back my old buddy Red-Eyes from the graveyard! 

 

The Red-Eyes returns to the field, roaring and happy to be back. 

 

Jason: And to make him even more awesome than he already is, I'll equip him with Dragon Nails, which raises his Attack by 600! (Red-Eyes Black Dragon - 3000 ATK)

 

A pair of shiny metal talons materialized on the dragon's claws.

 

Jason: Now, my Red-Eyes, attack Airknight Parshath with Inferno Fire Blast!

 

The blast of fire enveloped Parshath, causing him to scream in anguish as he was incinerated and destroyed. 

 

Jason's LP: 500

Michelle's LP: 1900

 

Jason: And with that, I'll set a card face-down, then I'll go ahead and end my turn. 

 

Michelle: [draws card] Would you look at that? I just drew Monster Reborn too! I think I'll use it to bring back Airknight Parshath! 

 

The Airknight returns to the field in a burst of light. 

 

Michelle: But he won't be sticking around. At least, not in this form.

 

Jason: What do you mean, "in this form?"

 

Michelle: What I mean is that Airknight Parshath has a much more powerful counterpart! And I'm gonna summon it right now. I sacrifice Airknight Parshath to summon Neo-Parshath, the Sky Paladin! (2300/2000)

 

Airknight Parshath was enveloped in light, and then, the light faded away to reveal a more "majestic" looking Airknight Parshath, surrounded by a radiant aura and larger wings.

 

Michelle: Thanks to my Freya, Neo-Parshath gains 400 Attack and Defense! (Neo-Parshath, the Sky Paladin - 2700 / 2400) But that's not all! Neo-Parshath has several awesome special abilities. One of them - my personal favorite - only works when I have Sanctuary in the Sky on the field. Neo-Parshath gains more Attack and Defense equal to the difference in yours and my life points! (Neo-Parshath, the Sky Paladin - 4000 / 3800) 

 

Jason: That's not good.

 

Michelle: Not good for you, no. Neo-Parshath, attack Red-Eyes Black Dragon with Seraphic Radiance!

 

Neo-Parshath throws a ball of light energy at Red-Eyes and destroys it. Jason's life points do not decrease, however. 

 

Michelle: What? Why didn't your points go down?

 

Jason: I played the trap card Spirit Barrier! Now, as long as this card is out, I don't take any battle damage, just so long as I control a monster. Thankfully, I activated this while my Red-Eyes was still on the field, so I saved myself just in the nick of time. 

 

Michelle: Damn. I would have wiped you out had you not activated that trap. I guess I'll end my turn. 

 

Jason: *Man, that Sky Paladin has gotten pretty powerful. I was able to buy myself a little bit of time with my Spirit Barrier, but it's highly unlikely that I'll be able to do the same thing again. Spirit Barrier only works when I have a monster on the field. Michelle will finish me off next turn if I don't fight back.* I draw! [draws card, sees that it's Lightpulsar Dragon.] *It's the other Chaos Dragon! Let me see what these cards are capable of.* I'll remove both my Alexandrite Dragon and my Red-Eyes from play to special summon Darkflare Dragon! (2400/1200)

 

The Darkflare Dragon materializes on the field in a burst of shadow energy, giving a roar and looking ready for battle.

 

Michelle: Wait a minute...that's one of the rare Chaos Dragons!  How did you get it? 

 

Jason: A good duelist never reveals his secrets.  Next, I'll play Monster Reincarnation, which lets me add a card from my graveyard back to my hand. All I need to do is discard a card from my hand. [discards a card, then takes one from the graveyard.] And since my summoning of Darkflare Dragon was a special summon, I still have a normal summon for this turn, so I'll play the card I recovered from the grave: my Golem Dragon!

 

The Golem Dragon rematerializes on Jason's side of the field and crouches in defense mode. 

 

Michelle: Why bring him back? I've already destroyed him once.

 

Jason: I have my reasons. But for now, I'll end my turn.

 

Michelle: [draws card] Well, I've destroyed him once, so I'll destroy him again, and this time around. he'll stay gone, and I'll win the match, because, you know, like Airknight Parshath, my Sky Paladin can also inflict piercing damage to your life points. Neo-Parshath, attack Golem Dragon with Seraphic Radiance!

 

The Sky Paladin throws a ball of light energy, which consumes and destroys Golem Dragon. Jason's life points stay the same, however. 

 

Michelle: Why didn't your life points go down?

 

Jason: Because of my Spirit Barrier trap! It protects me from all kinds of battle damage, including piercing damage! 

 

Michelle: I should've known. I'll end my turn.

 

Jason: Alright, it's my turn again. *Okay, this is it. Do or Die time. My bringing back Golem Dragon and using it in conjunction with Spirit Barrier was the the only thing I could do to buy myself more time. If I don't draw the cards I need to pull out a victory, I'll lose this duel next turn.* I draw! [draws card] And I play the spell card Pot of Greed! Now, I can draw two more cards. [draws cards] *Yes! These are exactly what I needed!* Next, I'll remove Divine Dragon Ragnarok and Red-Eyes Black Chick from play to special summon Lightpulsar Dragon! (2500/1500)

 

Lightpulsar Dragon materializes in a veil of radiant white light, taking place next to Darkflare Dragon.

 

Michelle: You have Lightpulsar Dragon too?!

 

Jason: You bet I do! But I'm not done yet, not by a long shot! Next, I'll play Stamping Destruction! If I have a Dragon on my side of the field, this card lets me destroy one spell or trap card on the field, and inflict 500 points of damage to it's owner! And I choose...your Sanctuary!

 

Darkflare Dragon appears above the hologram of the Sanctuary card and stomps on it, causing it to explode into pixels. 

 

Jason's LP: 500

Michelle's LP: 1400

 

Michelle: No!

 

Jason: Yes, and I'm still not done! Next, I'll play Dragon's Gunfire! This card only works if I have a Dragon on the field, and as you can see, I have two! Now, I can choose one of two effects, and this time, I'll choose the second one: I'm allowed to automatically destroy a monster on the field that has 800 or less Defense. Such as your Spirit of Victory!

 

A jet of fire erupts from the hologram of the card and engulfs Freya, destroying it.

 

Jason: And now that both Freya and your Sanctuary are gone, your Sky Paladin's Attack and Defense return to their original value!

 

Michelle: Which means....

 

Jason: Which means I'm about to take you down! Darkflare Dragon, attack Neo-Parshath, the Sky Paladin! Shadow Flare!

 

The Darkflare Dragon shoots a jet of what looks like dark flames infused with shadow energy at Neo-Parshath, which obliterates it.

 

Jason's LP: 500

Michelle's LP:  1300

 

Jason: And now to deal the killing blow! Lightpulsar Dragon, attack Michelle directly with Pulsar Wave!

 

Lightpulsar Dragon fires a blast of radiant energy at Michelle. 

 

Jason's LP: 500

Michelle's LP: 0

 

Jason: Looks like I won. 

 

Michelle and Virgil walk over to Jason. 

 

Michelle: Yeah, you did. That was an awesome duel! Jason, you have some pretty impressive dueling skills.

 

Jason: Hey, thanks! You're pretty good yourself; you almost beat me several times. 

 

Virgil: Michelle has the distinction of having one of the best LIGHT-type and Fairy-based decks in the entire city. 

 

Michelle: Well, I do my best. 

 

Jason: Hey, there's something I wanna ask you. You said I was your toughest opponent in a while. Why is that? I was told that Crimson City is chock full of awesome duelists.

 

Michelle: Well, we usually are. It's just none of them want to duel anymore. I have no clue why.

 

Jason: That's weird. 

 

Michelle: Yeah, it is. 

 

Someone is heard clapping nearby. All three turn around and see a middle-aged Hispanic man in a dark grey suit clapping with a big smile on his face.

 

???: What an excellent duel! I just managed to watch the last few minutes of it.

 

Virgil: Mayor Allende! What brings you to these parts?

 

Allende: Just passing through, Virgil.

 

Jason: So, your the city's mayor?

 

Allende: Yes, I am. Mayor Victor Allende, at your service. 

 

Jason: I'm Jason Rosenthal! Nice to meet you, Mr. Allende!

 

Victor: [laughs] Please, "Mr. Allende" is my father. Call me Victor. [shakes Jason's hand] And  I heard about you - your the boy that defeated Sebastian yesterday evening.

 

Jason [to Virgil]: Man, you weren't kidding when you said word travels fast. 

 

Victor: It is clear that both of you have tremendous passion for Duel Monsters. So, you two deserve these.

 

He takes two thin strips of paper out of his pocket and hands them to Jason and Michelle. 

 

Victor: Two free tickets for tomorrow's World Peace Festival. 

 

Jason: Whoa! Thanks! You got my vote for world's awesomest mayor.

 

Michelle: Thanks a lot!

 

Victor: You're very welcome. It's very rare to see such passion in today's world. It's good to see that it's not been completely forgotten. [looks at his watch] I need to get back to City Hall. Lots of planning to do for tomorrow. I hope I'll see you two there. 

 

Jason: You got it! See ya 'round!

 

Victor waves at them and leaves. 

 

Jason: [looks at his watch] Man, it is getting a bit late. Our duel took longer than I thought it would. *laughs* So, hey, wanna meet up some time at the festival tomorrow?

 

Michelle: Yeah! I'd like that!

 

Jason: Awesome! We'll, I guess I'll see ya then! [runs off, towards the bus stop]

 

As Jason runs off, Michelle and Virgil head back to the School of Duel. As they are seen entering the lobby, a security camera, with "SECTOR SECURITY" written on the side, is seen starting off in the opposite direction, following Jason.

[The Oncoming Storm]

Episode 3: The Eye of Providence

 

(Author's Note: I had to edit the effect of Ancient Gear Gadjiltron Dragon for story purposes. Now, all three Gadgets need to be sacrificed to summon him. I merged the effect options to where the spell/trap effect still works, the piercing damage effect still works, and 500 extra points of damage whenever a monster is destroyed. Please excuse that and enjoy the episode.)

 

It it not long after noon that same day. Damon, Matthew, and Roger are at the card shop. Roger and Matthew are seen in the card buying section of the shop, while Damon is in the equipment part of the shop. One of the shop's employees is talking to both of them.

 

Card Shop Employee: So, you two guys wanna upgrade your decks?

 

Matthew: Yeah. 

 

Card Shop Employee: What kind of decks do you have?

 

Matthew: Well, I run a Monarch / D.D. deck.

 

Roger: And I run a Fire deck.

 

Card Shop Employee: Hmmm....You know, a brand new structure deck was just recently released that supports Fire decks. It's called Onslaught of the Fire Kings. 

 

Roger: That's ace, mate!

 

The employee goes over behind the desk and pulls out the deck. 

 

Card Shop Employee: You add these to your deck and you'll have the best Fire deck in the city.

 

Roger: Thanks, mate!

 

The employee turns to face Matthew. 

 

Card Shop Employee: And you said you had a Monarch / D.D. deck, right?

 

Matthew: Yeah, that's right.

 

Card Shop Employee: Well, there have been some decks on the pro circuit that have combined those types of decks with elements of Chaos decks. 

 

Matthew: Really? Interesting.

 

The employee hands Matthew several booster packs containing Chaos cards. 

 

Card Shop Employee: Anything else I can help you guys with today?

 

Roger: Nah, I think we're good, mate. Let's go see if Damon found a duel disk.

 

They enter the other part of the shop where Damon is looking at a duel disk which looks like it was made from the armor of the Dark Magician.

 

Damon: This duel disk looks awesome, doesn't it?

 

Damon takes the duel disk.

 

Damon: Well, I'm all set. Are you guys ready to go?

 

Matthew: Yeah, I think we're good. 

 

The three of them head over to the counter and place their items on the counter.

 

Cashier: Okay, that'll be $85.00 total.

 

The three pool their money and hand it over. 

 

Cashier: Okay...that you very much!

 

Damon: You're welcome!

 

The three leave the shop. They walk several blocks when they are suddenly stopped by three men in dark cloaks. All three of them are wearing an Eye of Providence necklace. 

 

Damon: Uh, can we help you guys? And, uh...bit early for Halloween, isn't it?

 

???: You three are friends with a boy named Jason Rosental, are you not? 

 

Matthew: Yeah, what's it to ya?

 

???: Our master has taken an interest in him. His defeat of Sebastian Jackson has intrigued most of the city.

 

Damon [to Roger and Matthew]: I'm getting a bad vibe from these guys. Let's go. 

 

???: Is there a problem?

 

Damon: Yeah, I'm pretty sure Jason doesn't wanna join some hoodoo cult of hood-wearing weirdos. So, we'll be leaving now. 

 

???: You act like you have a choice. You don't.

 

The other two sweep around behind them and grab Matthew and Roger.

 

Matthew: Hey, what the - ?!

 

Roger: Leggo! 

 

Damon: You let my friends go!

 

???: Certainly. Bring us to your friend Jason and you all will leave here unharmed.

 

Damon: Sorry assclown, but that's not gonna happen. 

 

???: Then all three of you will be coming with me. 

 

Damon: I don't think so, pal. Because, you know what [he activates his duel disk] I'm gonna duel you. And once I kick your keister, you'll let them go and leave us alone. 

 

???: A duel? Okay. I could spare a few minutes. However, if you lose, not only will you three be coming with us, but you will be leading us to your friend Jason. 

 

Damon: Well, that's not gonna happen. Because nobody messes with my friends. So get out your deck and duel me. 

 

???: As you wish.

 

Both: LET'S DUEL!

 

Damon's LP: 4000

???'s LP: 4000

 

Damon: I'll begin. [draws card] I summon Neo the Magic Swordsman (1700 / 1000) in attack mode! I'll also set a card face-down, and end my turn.

 

???: What a pathetic move. 

 

Damon: You think my move is pathetic? Well, let's see you do better.

 

???: Be careful what you wish for, boy, because you just might get it. [draws card] I'll begin by activating the field spell Geartown! 

 

The field turns into what appears to be a city made out of gears and mechanical parts. 

 

Damon: What does this card do?

 

???: What it does it allow both of us to summon Ancient Gear monsters with one less sacrifice than normal. Though, I'm gonna go out on a limb and say that you don't have any Ancient Gear monsters in your deck, do you?

 

Damon: I don't. 

 

???: Look at you. You wouldn't be as confident as you are right now if you knew what was in store for you. Thanks to Geartown, I can normal summon Ancient Gear Engineer! (1500 / 1500) 

 

An Ancient Gear monster with a large drill on his left arm materialized on ???'s side of the field.

 

???: Next, I'll equip Ancient Gear Engineer with Ancient Gear Tank! This increases his Attack by 600! (Ancient Gear Engineer - 2100 ATK)

 

Something that looked like a swoop bike from Star Wars with a cannon mounted on the front made out of gears materialized around the Ancient Gear Engineer. 

 

???: Now, attack, Ancient Gear Engineer! Blow his magic swordman away!

 

A burst of energy erupted from the cannon mounted on the tank, rushing towards Damon's magic swordsman.

 

Damon: I don't think so! Go, trap card: Fiendish Chain! These chains completely immobalize your Engineer, rendering him unable to attack or use its special abilities!

 

The hologram of the card appears on the field, and several chains shoot out of it. ??? just laughs, as the chains go for Ancient Gear Engineer, but are suddenly destroyed just as they reach the Engineer. 

 

Damon: Wait, what? What happened to my Fiendish Chain? It should have immobalized your Engineer!

 

???: Oh, sorry, did I not mention? My Engineer's special effect means that I can negate and destroy any trap cards that target him. 

 

Damon: No!

 

The blast from the tank hits Damon.

 

Damon's LP: 3600

???'s LP: 4000

 

???: I shall set three cards face-down and conclude my turn. 

 

Damon: That means it's my turn once again. [draws card] I'll begin by summoning Gemini Elf (1900 / 900) in attack mode!

 

Two elven women, one with red hair and one with blonde hair, materialize on the field, looking ready for battle, staring down Ancient Gear Engineer. 

 

Damon: These lovely ladies won't be sticking around, though, unfortunately. Because I'm also activating a spell card: Magical Dimension! 

 

A device that looked similar to an iron maiden materialized on the field. 

 

Damon: This is quite a handy spell card. Because it lets me sacrifice one Spellcaster on my side of the field so I can special summon a brand new one from my hand! My elven ladies are gonna have to take one for the team, but it'll be worth it!

 

The iron maiden opens up, and radiant energy pulls Gemini Elf inside. 

 

Damon: Now, let's give a Crimson City welcome to Chaos Command Magician! (2400 / 1000)

 

A wizard looking similar to Dark Magician, but with bluish-green armor emerges from the iron maiden. 

 

Damon: But, wait, it gets better! Magical Dimension also lets me destroy any monster on the field! And I think I'll choose your Ancient Gear Engineer! 

 

A beam of energy shoots out of the iron maiden and hits Ancient Gear Engineer, shattering it into pixels. However, as the smoke is clearing, the Ancient Gear Tank remains on the field and fires a blast at Jason before shattering into pixels as well. 

 

Damon: Gagh!

 

Damon's LP: 3000

???'s LP: 4000

 

???: When Ancient Gear Tank is destroyed, it hits you for 600 points of damage!

 

Damon: Well, whoopity-freakin'-doo. I still have my Chaos Command Magician, and now that you don't have any monsters on your side of the field, you're wide open for a direct attack. Chaos Command Magician, attack him directly with Chaos Staff!

 

Chaos Command Magician raises his staff and shoots a blast of magical energy at ???.

 

???: I activate one of my face-down cards! Go, Stronghold the Moving Fortress! 

 

A large robot materializes on the field in the direct path of Damon's attack, which blocks the attack. Damon looks confused.

 

???: I can see you're confused. Allow me explain: you've heard of trap monsters, have you not?

 

Damon: Yeah, I have.

 

???: That's what Stronghold is. The moment I activate the card, it becomes a monster, but is still considered a trap card as well. I now have a monster that managed to stop your attack and protect my life points. 

 

Damon: Yeah, but your Stronghold's Defense is only 2000. My Chaos Command Magician's Attack is 2400. It should have destroyed him!

 

???: Normally, it would have, but I also activated my second face-down: Castle Walls, which gave Stronghold 500 extra defense points for the duration of this turn. (Stronghold the Moving Fortress - 2500 DEF) Meaning the 100 point difference between your magician's Attack and my Moving Fortress' Defense comes out of your life points!

 

Damon's LP: 2900

???'s LP: 4000

 

Damon: *Man, this guy's good. I'm already down 1100 life points and haven't even been able to touch his points. And something tells me there's more to that Stronghold card that I've already seen. I've just gotta stay focused, especially because, if I lose, these guys will kidnap us and try to get to Jason for whatever reason.* I'll end my turn. 

 

???: I hope you realize that challenging me to a duel was a grave mistake. If you surrender now, you can just tell us where to find your friend and you three can go free.

 

Damon: That's not gonna happen! I play to win!

 

???: Well, so do I, but I actually can play to win. [draws card] Especially if I keep drawing cards like this: I summon Red Gadget (1300 / 1500) in attack mode! 

 

A small red robot with a gadget for a body materializes on the field. 

 

???: Red Gadget's special ability means that I can add Yellow Gadget (1200 / 1200) to my hand. Now, I'll activate the spell card Double Summon, which grants me another normal summon for this turn. I'll use it to bring out Yellow Gadget! 

 

A second gadget-shaped robot, yellow this time, materializes on the field next to Red Gadget. 

 

???: I'm still not finished. I activate my third face-down card: Ultimate Offering! This trap card also grants me an extra summon, at the cost of 500 of my life points. 

 

Damon's LP: 2900

???'s LP: 3500

 

???: Now, I summon Green Gadget (1400 / 600) in attack mode! 

 

Damon: Congratulations. You just summoned three monsters that are all weaker than my Chaos Command Magician. Plus, since your Castle Walls wore off at the end of your last turn, your Stronghold is now vulnerable once again!

 

???: That's where you're wrong.

 

Damon: Really? My math is never wrong, and last I checked - 

 

???: But surely you must know, it's not always necessarily the monster, or the card...it's what you do with them that matters. I will now switch Stronghold the Moving Fortress into attack mode!

 

As Stronghold switches into attack mode, the three Gadgets fly into the air and fit themselves into the three circular holes in his chest. As they do, Stronghold is surrounded by an aura of yellow energy.

 

???: My Stronghold's special ability means that, now that I have all three Gadgets on the field, his Attack instantly becomes 3000! 

 

Damon: Oh, no!

 

???: Stronghold, attack Chaos Command Magician with Mechanical Smash!

 

Stronghold charges towards Chaos Command Macigian and smashes it, shattering it into pixels.

 

Damon's LP: 2300

???'s LP: 3500

 

???: I'll set a card face-down and end my turn. 

 

Damon: Alright, that means it's my go once again! *And I'm gonna need a miracle if I'm gonna take down that 3000 point beatstick of his.* [draws card] I'll begin my turn by setting a monster face-down. [looks through his hand] *Okay, I have this card, and if I can get another card in my deck, I could possibly have a combo to not only take down his Moving Fortress, but also put a pretty big dent in his life points. I'll need to stall for a few turns, but hopefully it'll be worth it.* I'll set one card face-down and end my turn. 

 

???: [draws card] I'll summon my Ancient Gear Cannon! (500 / 500) Next, I'll play the spell card Machine Duplication! This lets me summon two more Ancient Gear Cannons from my deck!

 

Two more Ancient Gear Cannons materialize on the field.

 

???: To borrow a line from you, none of them will be staying here long. I'll activate all three of their special abilities, meaning that I can send them to the graveyard to inflict 500 points of damage directly to you! And since I'm sending three, that means you lose 1500 points! 

 

All three cannons blast Damon before leaving the field. 

 

Damon's LP: 800

???'s LP: 3500

 

[On the sidelines]

 

???: Looks like your buddy is gonna lose after all. You better make yourselves comfortable, because it looks like you'll be staying with us. 

 

Roger: Not on your life! Damon's got the best bloomin' Spellcaster deck I've ever seen! It's your buddy that's gonna lose! He hasn't got a Buckley's chance of winnin' this duel!

 

???: Whatever that means.

 

Matthew: It means he's got no chance!

 

[Back to the duel]

 

???: And now, my Stronghold will attack your defense monster, with Mechanical Smash!

 

Stronghold smashes the card, briefly revealing it to be Magician of Faith, before it shatters into pixels.

 

Damon: You just destroyed my Magician of Faith! Which means you've also set off her special effect, so I can get a spell card back from my graveyard! [takes a card from his graveyard] 

 

???: Recover all the spell cards you want, you still won't win this duel. I'll activate the effect of Ultimate Offering, paying 500 life points so I can summon Ancient Gear Soldier (1300 / 1300)

 

Damon's LP: 800

???'s LP: 3000

 

A gear soldier wielding a machine gun materializes on the field.

 

???: I think I'll go ahead and end my turn. 

 

Damon: [draws card] *Yes! The card I need to pull off my combo.* I'll begin my turn by summoning Magical Exemplar (1700 / 1400) in attack mode. However, like my Gemini Elf, she's gonna have to take one for the team, because I'm activating the spell card I recovered from the graveyard: Magical Dimension! 

 

The iron maiden returns to the field, opens, and pulls Magical Exemplar inside of it.

 

Damon: And now, come on out, Dark Magician! (2500 / 2100) 

 

The familiar form of the Dark Magician emerges from the iron maiden. 

 

Damon: And you know what happens next! You'll lose a monster. So say goodbye to your Ancient Gear Soldier!

 

???'s soldier is surrounded by an aura of yellow energy before it shatters into pixels. 

 

Damon: And it's back to the scrap heap for your Ancient Gear Soldier! I'll set two cards face-down and end my turn!

 

???: You fool! You should have used your Magical Dimension's effect to destroy my Stronghold! Well, it's too late now! Stronghold, attack Dark Magician with Mechanical Smash! 

 

Stronghold the Moving Fortress smashes Dark Magician into pixels. Damon's life points remain the same, however.

 

???: Why didn't your life points go down?

 

Damon: Because, right before your attack hit, I activated my Hallowed Life Barrier trap! All I need to do is discard a card from my hand, any and all damage to me becomes 0 for this entire turn!

 

???: Lucky shot. I'll set one card face-down, then I suppose I'll end my turn.

 

Damon: Alright, and now it's time I get back in this duel! I activate one of my face-downs: Rope of Life! Now, I have to send my entire hand to the graveyard, so I can get a monster back from my graveyard! 

 

The hologram of the card appeared face-down, and a rope appeared from it and descended into a swirling vortex into the ground. The rope then pulled up, revealing Dark Magician hanging on it. 

 

Damon: So welcome back Dark Magician! But, Rope of Life doesn't just bring my monster back. It also makes him 800 points stronger! (Dark Magician - 3300 ATK)

 

???: What? No!

 

Damon: But I'm not done yet! I activate my other face-down: Magical Explosion! This card only works when I have no cards in my hand, and, thanks to my Rope of Life, I don't! Now, I'm allowed to inflict 200 points of damage to your life points for every spell card in my graveyard! 

 

???: Well, good luck. Last I checked, you've only used one spell card in this entire duel, and that's Magical Dimension!

 

Damon: That's where you're wrong. The card I discarded to activate my Hallowed Life Barrier during your last turn was my Spellbook Star Hall! And, when I dumped my entire hand into the graveyard to activate Rope of Life, I had six cards in my hand, and four of them happened to be spell cards! That's a total of six spell cards, so that means you lose 1200 life points!

 

A blast of green energy shoots forth from the card and hits ???.

 

Damon's LP: 800

???'s LP: 1800

 

Damon: And that's not even the best part! Now that my Dark Magician is stronger than your Moving Fortress, I can finally get rid of that big hunk of junk! Dark Magician, attack Stronghold the Moving Fortress with Dark Magic Attack!

 

Dark Magician blasts Stronghold, shattering him into pixels as well as the three Gadgets. 

 

Damon's LP: 800

???'s LP: 1500

 

Damon: I think I'll end my turn with a face-down card. 

 

[On the sidelines]

 

Roger: Alright! He's back in this! That's our cobber right there! 

 

Matthew: Yeah, you take it to that hooded freak!

 

[Back to the duel]

 

???:  I will admit, you are a better duelist than I originally thought you were. But if you still have delusions of winning this contest, you are sadly mistaken. [draws card] I activate a spell card: Gadget Resynchronization! This card requires that I give up half my life points, and then, I'm allowed to resurrect all three of my Gadget monsters from my graveyard.

 

Damon's LP: 800

???'s LP: 750

 

All three Gadget monsters reappear on the field. 

 

???: Now, I shall sacrifice all three of my Gadgets to summon my ultimate beast! Now, behold - Ancient Gear Gadjiltron Dragon! (3000 / 2000)

 

The three Gadgets vanished, and in their place materialized a large mechanical dragon made out of gears and scrap metal. It looked like a mechanical version of the Red-Eyes Black Dragon. It gave a mechanical sounding roar. 

 

Damon: What the hell is that?!

 

???:  This is the final instrument of your defeat! Not only is this creature the strongest monster in my deck where Attack and Defense is concerned, but whenever he attacks, you can't use spell or trap cards to protect yourself, and, as if that wasn't enough, whenever he inflicts battle damage to you, you lose an additional 500 life points! Also, he has the ability to inflict piercing damage to you if you have a monster in defense mode. 

 

Damon: *Oh my god. How the hell am I supposed to destroy that thing?! At least my Dark Magician is still stronger.*

 

???: But I'm not done yet! I activate the spell card Limiter Removal! This card doubles my Gadjiltron Dragon's Attack! (Ancient Gear Gadjiltron Dragon - 6000 ATK)

 

Damon: *Well, so much for that......*

 

???: If you ask me, this duel has gone on long enough. It's time I end it. Gadjiltron Dragon, attack Dark Magician with Ancient Energy Blast! 

 

Gadjiltron fires a blast of white energy infused with black electricity at Dark Magician. At first it appears to have worked, but when the smoke clears, Dark Magician is gone, but Damon's life points are the same.

 

???: What - ? How are you still standing?

 

Damon: Because, right before your attack hit, I discarded my Illusionary Sorcerer (1600 / 1200) from my hand. Illusionary Sorcerer's effect means that, if I discard him from my hand, any battle damage I would normally take is reduced to 0! That dragon of yours may prevent me from using spells or traps during my battle phase, but it never said anything about monster effects! Good thing too, because now you lose your dragon thanks to Limiter Removal's side effect!

 

???'s Gadjiltron Dragon suddenly shatters into pixels.

 

???: So you've bought yourself one turn. It matters not. I prepared for the off chance that I'd lose my Gadjiltron Dragon. So, I'll activate my face-down: Call of the Haunted, to bring him back! 

 

The Gadjiltron Dragon rematerializes on the field. 

 

???: I end my turn. This next turn will be your last, so it best be worth it.

 

Damon: You know, I've been playing Duel Monsters for a long time, and in that time, I've learned that sometimes, one turn is all you need. [draws card] And let me prove it to you: I activate the spell card Monster Reborn, to bring back my Dark Magician! 

 

Dark Magician returns to the field.

 

???: How many times to I have to destroy that Dark Magician of yours?!

 

Damon: Don't worry, you won't need to worry about him for long. Because I have another spell card to play: Dedication through Light and Darkness! This card requires me to sacrifice my Dark Magician in order to summon an even greater Spellcaster! 

 

Dark Magician is enveloped in light and dark energy.

 

Damon: Now, please welcome: Dark Magician of Chaos! (2800 / 2600)

 

The light and shadow energy vanishes, and Dark Magician of Chaos is now standing where Dark Magician was minutes before. 

 

Damon: My Dark Magician of Chaos' special ability means that I can add a spell card in my graveyard to my hand! [takes card from graveyard] And you know what? I think I'll go ahead and use it! Remember when I used Rope of Life? Well, one of the cards I sent to the graveyard happened to be this card: my Spellbook of Power! This card boosts the attack strength of one of my Spellcasters by 1000 points! And since the only Spellcaster I have out is Dark Magician of Chaos, you can guess who will get the power boost! (Dark Magician of Chaos - 3800 ATK)

 

???: Wait a minute! That means - !

 

Damon: Hell yes! It means this duel is over! Dark Magician of Chaos, attack Ancient Gear Gadjiltron Dragon with Chaos Sceptre Blast! 

 

Dark Magician of Chaos spins his staff over his head, and when he slams it into the ground, a ball of dark energy comes from it and hurtles towards the Gadjiltron Dragon, shattering into pixels.

 

Damon's LP: 800

???'s LP: 0

 

???: I lost?! How could I lose to someone like you?!

 

Damon: Alright, buddy. Now let my friends go!

 

???: I'm afraid I have to refuse. 

 

The other two cloaked guys begin dragging Matthew and Roger towards a parked on the other side of the street.

 

Roger: Hey, uh, steady on - !

 

Matthew: Damon won, you lost! Let us go!

 

Roger manages to get free and hits the guy who was holding him with a chop to the chest. 

 

Roger: I'm not gonna be captured by a no-hopper like you!

 

Roger manages to free Matthew, and Damon manages to fight off his opponent. All three cloaked men are down.

 

Damon: Okay, guys, all three of them are down. Let's get the hell outta here.

 

All three of them run down the sidewalk, eventually out of sight of the three cloaked men. Back where Damon dueled, his opponent is steadily getting to his feet. He pulls out a cell phone and calls someone. 

 

???: Master...I'm sorry....Jason's friends managed to escape. 

 

[Elsewhere in Crimson City - unidentified office]

 

??? [Middle Eastern accent]: Damn....well, so much for us having the element of surprise. We will begin advancing the plan tomorrow, when the World Peace Festival begins. We'll have a much better chance once the city is engulfed in chaos.

 

???: So....you're not mad?

 

??? [Middle Eastern accent]: I do not have much tolerance for failure, but due to the circumstances, I think I can let it slide just this once. Return to HQ. We'll figure out our next move from there. 

 

???: Thank you, Master. [hangs up phone]

 

All three cloaked men enter the parked car on the other side of the street and drive off. On the other side of the street, someone is seen staring after the car from behind an alley wall. The person leaves the alley is revealed to be Sebastian.

 

Sebastian: *I was afraid this would happen. They've set Jason and his pals in their sights. I guess they've somehow heard about his and my duel. They'll be considering Jason a threat now that his friends have refused them. I gotta warn them.*

 

Sebastian hopped onto a motorcycle parked in the alley, then drove off in the opposite direction of the car. As he did, we see that on the motorcycle's gas tank was the winged shield graphic. 

[The Oncoming Storm]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vFR277AFYxA&feature=youtu.be

 

An intro video I made for Season 1 of Crimson Glory.

[The Oncoming Storm]

Episode 4: Calm Before the Storm

 

It is late evening. Jason is in his fourplex unit looking through his deck and working on strategies. He is looking at Lightpulsar Dragon and Darkflare Dragon. His laptop is next to him, with a search on the Chaos Dragons open on Google. 

 

He shuffles his deck, and pulls out Red-Eyes Darkness Metal Dragon. 

 

Jason: So from the look of things, the Chaos Dragons work well with this card.  *I haven't gotten the chance to use the Darkness Metal Dragon in a duel yet. I only got it before we left to come out here. Hopefully I will soon, though,*

 

[Outside of the fourplex]

 

Damon, Matthew and Roger return to the fourplex. It is immediately after the duel in front of the card shop.

 

Damon: What just happened back there?!

 

Matthew: Well....three goons in cloaks attempted to kidnap us, you beat one of them in a duel, and Roger used martial arts to take two of them down. 

 

Roger: What he said, mate. 

 

Damon: Yeah....it's like something out of a bad fan-fic, if you ask me. 

 

Matthew: So what, do we tell Jason that there are some goons in cloaks running around that wanna come after him?

 

Damon: I think we can tell them we ran into them, but not that they were after him. 

 

Roger: That sounds good. 

 

Roger and Matthew go to their units, whereas Damon goes to Jason's and knocks on his door. Jason answers the door. 

 

Jason: You guys were gone a long time. 

 

Damon: Yeah, man, you wouldn't believe what happened to us. We ran into some weird guys in cloaks that challenged me to a duel for no reason. 

 

Jason: Really?

 

Damon: Yeah. Even though I never say no to a duel, I got a bad vibe from these guys. But, it was a good opportunity to break in my new duel disk.

 

Damon shows Jason his new duel disk.

 

Jason: Dude...that's one badass lookin' disk! It looks like it was made from the armor of the Dark Magician!

 

Damon: Yeah. That's why I got it. 

 

Jason: Hey....how about you and I have a duel? That way, I can battle against your new duel disk, and you can see my new Chaos Dragons in action!

 

Jason holds up the dragon cards to Damon. 

 

Damon: Oh yeah, the cards that were slipped under your door this morning, right?

 

Jason: Yeah! I was able to use them in a duel earlier, but didn't get to use them for very long. I wanna see what these cards are truly capable of. 

 

Damon: Well, I'd love to see them in action too! Not only are you my best friend, but you're also my favorite opponent. 

 

Jason: I can say the same for you, bro.

 

The two of them go into the fenced backyard area for the fourplex and set up an area to duel in. 

 

Damon: *Hopefully this duel will help me keep my mind off of what happened earlier today.*

 

Jason: Alright, Damon...let's rock!

 

Damon: You got it, Jason. Bring it on!

 

Jason's LP: 4000

Damon's LP: 4000

 

Jason: Alright, I'll kick things off by summoning Masked Dragon (1400 / 1100) in attack mode!

 

A red and white dragon materializes on the field in a burst of fire. It gives a ferocious roar. 

 

Jason: I set two cards face-down, and that'll do it for me this turn. Your move, man!

 

Damon: Alright! [draws card] I summon Skilled White Magician (1700 / 1900) in attack mode! I'll also set a card face-down, then I'll go ahead and end my turn too. 

 

Jason: *Wait a minute....this looks familiar. Yeah...he's played this before; he's trying to set up a combo to bring out his Buster Blader....because that thing will clobber me because of its special effect. Every time he activates a spell card, that Skilled White Magician gets a Spell Counter. He can tribute it when it has 3 Counters to bring out Buster Blader.....but he's sped it up before by playing Spell Power Grasp. His face down must be Spell Power Grasp. Well, thankfully, I'm prepared for it!*

 

Damon: Dude, why are you taking so long? Did you fall asleep or something? [laughs] *Yeah, that's it, take the bait....*

 

Jason: Nope. Just thinking hard about what my next move will be. [draws card] I know what you're trying to pull, Damon, and it's not gonna work this time! I activate Dust Tornado to - 

 

Damon: Oh, no you don't! I activate Trap Jammer! This negates and destroys Dust Tornado! 

 

Jason looks surprised as the hologram of his Dust Tornado shatters into pixels.

 

Damon: I had a feeling you were expecting me to play my White Magician / Spell Power Grasp combo to bring my Buster Blader out a bit earlier. So I decided to switch things up a bit. 

 

Jason: That was pretty clever, man. 

 

Damon: Thank you, I do my best.  

 

Jason: We've dueled each other so many times, that the only person who knows your deck as well as you do is me - and vice versa.

 

Damon: Exactly. In a way, that kinda gives both of us an edge - but it can also be a detriment, as I just proved. 

 

Jason: Heh. I'll set a card face-down, and that'll do it for me. *At least I still have Divine Wrath. I could use that to negate his effect when he has enough Spell Counters.* 

 

Damon: [draws card] I think I'll summon Breaker the Magical Warrior! (1600 / 1000) 

 

A warrior in red armor similar to Dark Magician's armor materializes on the field in a battle stance, both his sword and shield raised and ready. 

 

Damon: When he's summoned, he gets a Spell Counter!

 

A red orb with a symbol that looks similar to the Ritual symbol materializes above Breaker's head. 

 

Damon: This Counter boosts Breaker's attack strength by 300! (Breaker the Magical Warrior - 1900 ATK) Now, Breaker, attack Jason's Masked Dragon with Mana Strike! 

 

Breaker's sword lights up with bluish energy as he runs towards Jason's side of the field, 

 

Jason: I activate Rainbow Life! 

 

A barrier of rainbow-colored energy surroundes Jason as Breaker's attack still goes through, destroying Jason's Masked Dragon. 

 

Jason's LP: 4500

Damon's LP: 4000

 

Damon: Wait...your life points went up instead of down? 

 

Jason: Allow me to explain: for the duration of this turn, my Rainbow Life trap caused me to gain all the life points I would have lost from your attack.

 

Damon: That's a pretty good effect.

 

Jason: I agree! And now, since you destroyed my Masked Dragon, his special ability activates, allowing me to special summon a Dragon from my deck with 1500 attack points or less! [looks through his deck] I think I'll choose my Golem Dragon! (200 / 2000)

 

The dragon made of brown stones materializes on the field and crouches in front of Jason in defense mode. 

 

Jason: With him on guard, my life points are safe for the time being, so I'll go ahead and call it a turn. 

 

Damon: *He's not kidding. With 2000 defense points, neither of my monsters are strong enough to take Golem Dragon out, and because of his special ability, he's the only one I'm allowed to attack if there are any other Dragons on the field. I might need to stall for a few turns...* I draw! [draws card] *And this is the perfect card to stall with!* I activate the spell card Swords of Revealing Light!

 

Half a dozen swords made of light rain down around Jason's side of the field. 

 

Damon: I gather you know what this does?

 

Jason: Yeah. I can't attack you for three whole turns. 

 

Damon: Correct! And, since I played a spell card, my Skilled White Magician gains a Spell Counter!

 

Rather than an orb appearing above him, like Breaker the Magical Warrior, one of the crystal-like orbs on the magician's robe light up, glowing a periwinkle blue, rather than the dull blue they were seconds before. 

 

Jason: Another nice move, bro. But this gives me three turns to think of a new way to defeat you.

 

Damon: Good luck with that. I'll set one card face-down, then call it a turn. 

 

Jason: *He's stalling, but at the same time, he can bring out Buster Blader. Now, I'm gonna have to stall too, to figure out how to bring down that guy if he manages to bring him out, because he'll pulverize me if he's on the field for too long.* [draws card] *Hey, this card could come in handy.* I might not be able to attack, but there are other things I can do. Such as beefing up my defenses! I equip my Golem Dragon with Dragon Shield! 

 

Light formations appear all over Jason's Golem Dragon. They appear to be slabs of some alabaster material, covered in spikes. 

 

Jason: Dragon Shield makes my Golem Dragon practically invincible! Now he can't be destroyed in battle or by card effects, and neither of us takes any damage from battles involving him. 

 

Damon: So now, you basically have an invincible wall, since your Golem Dragon is the only monster I can attack if you have any other Dragons out. 

 

Jason: Correct-a-mundo! But I'm not done with my turn yet. Next, I'll bringin' out Divine Dragon Ragnarok! (1500 / 1000)

 

The purplish-white dragon emerges from a swirling portal of clouds and lightning on the ground.

 

Jason: Because of your Swords of Revealing Light, I can't really do anything else this turn, so I'll end my turn with a face-down. 

 

Damon: *I'll bet anything that he's setting up to bring out his King Dragun. That card is probably one of his most reliable monsters, other than his Red-Eyes. I should keep an eye on his moves.* I summon Alchemist of Black Spells (1200 / 1800) in attack mode! But he's not gonna stay that way, because I'll activate his special ability: once per turn, I can switch him into defense mode, and I'm allowed to put a Spell Counter on any monster that I can a Spell Counter on, and I have a feeling that you know where that Spell Counter is gonna go: on my Skilled White Magician! 

 

The second crystal-like orb lights up on the magician's robe.

 

Damon: I'm not done yet. Because I have a spell card that will let me complete my combo!

 

Jason: Oh, no. Don't tell me - ?

 

Damon: You got it: Spell Power Grasp! I can give Skilled White Magician his third Spell Counter! 

 

The third orb lights up on the robe.

 

Damon: And you know what that means! Skilled White Magician, you're outta here! 

 

Jason: Yeah, he is outta here! Because I activate Divine Wrath, to negate his special effect and destroy him!

 

Damon: Sorry, but that's not gonna work this time! I activate Trap Stun! This card negates all other trap effects on the field this turn. 

 

Jason: *Damn. Damon's really on his game today. Not that he's usually off his game, but he's definitely been one step ahead of me this entire duel. He's seems agitated about something. I wonder what...*

 

Damon: Now, where was I? Oh, yeah - I was activating my Skilled White Magician's special ability! So long, Skilled White Magician! 

 

The white magician dissolves. 

 

Damon: And now, please welcome Buster Blader! (2600/2300) 

 

The towering warrior clad in blue and gold armor materializes on the field in a shower of light. He is seen brandishing a huge broadsword.

 

Damon: And you know his special effect: his Attack goes up by 500 for all Dragons you control and in your graveyard! Which means his Attack is now 4100! 

 

Buster Blader raises his sword, and energy starts coming into the sword, coming from Jason's graveyard and from the two Dragons on his side of the field. 

 

[Roger's Fourplex Unit] 

 

Roger is in his bedroom, a frustrated look on his face, looking at the overhead light, which is flickering on and off. There's an open toolbox on the floor next to him.

 

Roger: Well, this is annoying. 

 

Suddenly, Matthew comes in from another room.

 

Roger: Any luck with the fuse box?

 

Matthew: Nah, man. It's rusted shut.

 

Roger: Well, damn.

 

Suddenly there's a knock at the door. Roger goes to answer it. A man in a repairman's uniform is standing there.

 

Repairman: You called Maintenance, right? Somethin' about the lighting? 

 

Roger: Yeah, name's Roger Cook. I got a faulty light. The fuse box is rusted shut. You think you can get it open? 

 

Repairman: Yeah, I think so. *pause* By the way, two of your buddies are having a pretty kick-ass duel in the backyard. 

 

Roger: Really? Bit late for a duel, isn't it...but knowing those guys, those guys would throw down any time.

 

Matthew: Yeah, no kidding. 

 

Roger and Matthew leave through the open door, while the repairman stares after him with a strange smirk on his face before starting on his work.

 

[Backyard - Jason and Damon's duel]

 

Jason: I know your Buster Blader is normally your secret weapon against me and my Dragons. Not this time, though; thanks to my Golem Dragon / Dragon Shield combo, my entire field is safe from that swordsman. 

 

Damon: That's why I have Breaker the Magical Warrior's secondary special effect! You know that Spell Counter I placed on him several turns ago? Well, now I can remove it to destroy any spell card or trap card you have out! And I'll choose your Dragon Shield!

 

The orb above Breaker's head vanishes, then he points his sword at the Golem Dragon. He fires a stream of blue energy at Golem Dragon, shattering his shield into pixels. 

 

Damon: Now your Dragon is no longer invincible! Buster Blader, attack Golem Dragon with Dragonic Blade!

 

Buster Blader charges towards Jason's side of the field and brings his sword down onto Golem Dragon, shattering it into pixels. 

 

Damon: And now, Magical Warrior, attack Divine Dragon Ragnarok with Mana Strike!

 

Breaker's blade lights up with blue mana energy as he charges towards Ragnarok. He brings his blade down onto Ragnarok, destroying it. 

 

Jason's LP: 4400

Damon's LP: 4000

 

Damon: And now, I'll set two cards face-down and end my turn. 

 

Roger and Matthew run around from the front to watch the duel.

 

Roger: Hey, mates, why didn't you tell us you guys were gonna duel tonight?

 

Damon: It's Jason, ya know?

 

Matthew: True.

 

Jason: Stay and watch, guys! You know how much I love my adoring public.

 

Jason is obviously joking with this last line. Roger and Matthew both laugh and stay and watch. 

 

Jason: My move! [draws card] *This card may come in handy.* I'll summon Lord of D. (1200 / 1100) in defense mode. Next, I'll play the spell card Dragon's Mirror! I gather you know what this card does?

 

Damon: Yeah. It's like Polymerization, but it works only for Dragons. You can fuse monsters both on your side of the field and in your graveyard, but instead of sending them to the graveyard, you have to remove them from play.

 

A mirror appears on Jason's side of the field. 

 

Jason: Correct! So I'll banish the Divine Dragon Ragnarok in my graveyard, and the Lord of D. on my field....

 

Divine Dragon Ragnarok reappears on the field next to Lord of D. as two ribbons of yellow energy pull them both into the mirror.

 

Jason:....to bring out King Dragun! (2400 / 1100)

 

Damon: I knew it. That King Dragun has always been one of your most reliable monsters. But, because my Swords of Revealing Light are still active for one more turn, you can't attack.

 

Jason: True, but I still have King Dragun's special ability, which, as you know, lets me special summon a Dragon from my hand once per turn. And I think I'll summon this one: Seiyaryu! (2500 / 2300)

 

The large pink dragon appears on the field in a burst of white flame and gives a roar. 

 

Damon: Bro, you're just hurting yourself by putting another Dragon on the field, because now, my Buster Blader is 500 points stronger! (Buster Blader - 4600 ATK)

 

Jason: If you say so. I'll set three cards face-down, and end my turn. And since that was my third turn after you activated your Swords of Revealing Light, they're gone now!

 

The swords of light fade away from Jason's side of the field.

 

Damon: [draws card] First, I'll switch my Alchemist of Black Spells into attack mode. Next, I'll attack! I hate doin' this to you, man, but...Buster Blader, attack King Dragun with Dragonic Blade!

 

Buster Blader rushes towards Jason's King Dragun, but just as he reaches him and raises his sword to destroy him, he turns a sickly gray color and explodes into pixels.

 

Damon: Wait - what? What happened to my Buster Blader?

 

Jason: You walked into a trap, Damon, and one of my favorites: Sakuretsu Armor! I was able to use this card to destroy your Buster Blader before his attack went through.

 

Damon: Nice move. But that's not the last time you've seen Buster Blader in this duel. So now, I'll set one card face down, then I guess I'll end my turn.

 

Jason: [draws card] First, I'll activate the special ability of my King Dragun and special summon Prime Material Dragon! (2400 / 2000) Next, I'll equip Dragun with United We Stand! 

 

Damon: *Oh, man, he's about to get a huge power boost....*

 

Jason: As I know you're well aware of, United We Stand boosts King Dragun's Attack and Defense by 800 for every monster I have out! So, essentially, I just doubled King Dragun's attack strength! (King Dragun - 4800 / 3500) And now, King Dragun, attack Breaker the Magical Warrior with Fire Scourge Attack!

 

Damon: It's my turn to activate a trap! Go, Magic Cylinder!

 

A hologram of the two cylinders appears on the field, and one of them catches King Dragun's attack. 

 

Damon: Now, I'm gonna blast this attack right back at you! 

 

King Dragun's attack is fired right back at Jason. The blast hits him, and Damon is seemingly the winner. 

 

Damon: Looks like I win. Not the way I planned to win, but it still works.

 

However, when the smoke clears, Jason is still standing. 

 

Jason's LP: 600

Damon's LP: 4000

 

Jason: Surprised I'm still here? Well, at the last second, I activated Emergency Provisions! By getting rid of my Damage Polarizer, I was able to regain 1000 life points!

 

Damon: Another good move.

 

Jason: And the best part? It's still my turn! Seiyaryu, attack Breaker the Magical Warrior with Holy Fire!

 

Seiyaryu fires a stream of fire infused with light energy at Breaker. 

 

Damon: Hold on, I still have another trap: Magician's Selection! This card lets me cancel out your attack, and destroy one of your monsters whose Attack is the lowest!

 

Jason: Wrong! King Dragun's other special ability prevents you from targeting any of my Dragons with Spell, Trap, or Monster effects, so it looks like you just wasted your card. 

 

Damon: Yeah, you're right; I forgot - King Dragun takes on Lord of D.'s effect after it's fused. However, your attack is still cancelled out, since that doesn't count as specifically targeting one of your cards. 

 

Jason: I do still have one more attack, and you know the old saying - third time's the charm! Prime Material Dragon, attack Breaker the Magical Warrior with Golden Light!

 

Jason's Prime Material Dragon fires a blast of radiant light energy at Breaker, finally destroying him. 

 

Jason's LP: 600

Damon's LP: 3200

 

Jason: Now, I'll set a card face-down and end my turn. 

 

Damon: [draws card] I activate Monster Reborn! This card lets me bring my Buster Blader back from the graveyard!

 

Buster Blader re-materielizes on the field. 

 

Damon: But, I'm not done! I have two more spell cards to play next: Dark Magic Curtain and Spell Economics!

 

A sinister-looking curtain containing a swirling vortex of dark energy materializes on the field.

 

Damon: Now, normally, as I'm sure you know, I'd have to give up half my life points to activate Dark Magic Curtain, but thanks to Spell Economics, I don't need to give up any life points! Now, my Dark Magic Curtain lets me special summon the Dark Magician! 

 

Dark Magician emerges from the curtain and takes place next to Buster Blader. 

 

Damon: But hold on! I still have one more card to play: Polymerization! 

 

Jason: Oh, man. Are you doing what I think you're doing?

 

Damon: I am! I fuse Dark Magician and Buster Blader together to create the Ultimate Magical Swordsman himself: Dark Paladin! (2900 / 2400)

 

The new sorcerer emerged onto the field, a large broadsword with a serrated blade in his hand. 

 

Jason: So, I guess this has become a Battle of Fusions!

 

Damon: You got that right! As you know, Dark Paladin has inherited Buster Blader's special ability to have its Attack go up by 500 for every Dragon on either side of the field and in either graveyard. (Dark Paladin - 5900 ATK)

 

Roger: By crickey! That Dark Paladin has over 5000 attack points!

 

Matthew: Now it doesn't matter which of Jason's monsters  Damon attacks, because he'll win no matter what.

 

Damon: Looks like I'll win this one, Jason! Dark Paladin, attack King Dragun with Arcane Sword Slash! 

 

Dark Paladin's sword lights up with blue energy as he charges towards Jason's King Dragun. 

 

Jason: I activate my trap card! Go, Castle of Dragon Souls! This card allows me to banish a Dragon in my graveyard, and increase the Attack of a monster on my side of the field by 700! (King Dragun - 5500 ATK) And now, since there's one less Dragon in my graveyard, your Paladin loses 500 attack points! (Dark Paladin - 5400 ATK)

 

The ghostly spirit of Jason's Masked Dragon emerges from the hologram of the card and is absorbed by King Dragun. Dragun then fires a blast of energy at Paladin, destroying him. 

 

Jason's LP: 600

Damon's LP: 3100

 

Jason: And keep in mind, my Castle of Dragon Souls is a Continuous Trap, so I can keep removing Dragons in my graveyard from play to power my Dragons on the field!

 

Damon: I gotta admit, that's a pretty awesome ability. 

 

Jason: Thank you! I agree. 

 

Damon: I'll go ahead and end my turn. 

 

Jason: [draws card] Well, it looks like it'll be me who wins this one, Damon. First, I'll activate King Dragun's special ability to special summon Genesis Dragon! (2200 / 1800) And now, I use the effect of my Castle of Dragon Souls to remove my Golem Dragon from play to give Genesis Dragon 700 more attack points! (Genesis Dragon - 2900 ATK)

 

The spirit of Golem Dragon comes out from the card and is absorbed by Genesis Dragon. 

 

Jason: Now, King Dragun, attack the Alchemist of Black Spells! Fire Scourge Attack!

 

Damon: I activate my trap card: Hallowed Incantation! When you declare an attack on me, this card lets me draw a card from my deck, and if it happens to be a spell card, then I can use it instantly! 

 

Damon draws the card, and smiles. 

 

Damon: Would you look what I just drew! 

 

He shows Jason the card, revealing it to be Dark Hole. 

 

Jason: Dude, that's got to be the luckiest draw ever. 

 

Damon: Now, Dark Hole, activate!

 

A large black hole materializes in the middle of the field, pulling Damon's Alchemist and all four of Jason's dragons inside. 

 

Damon: Something that I think this duel could use: a complete reset. We're back where we started, and it's a whole new ball game from here on out.

 

Jason: If you say so. There are no other cards I can play at the moment, so I'll call it a turn. 

 

Roger: Swell moves, mates! Both of ya!

 

Matthew: I dunno about you, Rog', but I'm getting pretty fired up seeing Jason and Damon duel. No pun intended of course. 

 

Roger: I second that. I may just need to duel myself when theirs is over. 

 

Damon: [draws card] I'll set a monster face-down, then play the field spell Magical Citadel of Endymion!

 

The field immediately changed to that of some kind of city square. They were surrounded by elegant buildings on all sides that looked similar to what small churches might look like, and behind Damon was a tall tower. All in all, the entire area bore a striking resemblence to the Kremlin in Russia. 

 

Jason: What does this do?

 

Damon: It's kinda like a magnet for Spell Counters, but more on that later. I'll end my turn. 

 

Jason: That was a relatively short turn.

 

Damon: And your point is?

 

Jason: [laughs] Nothing. Just an observation. [draws card] I'll play a spell card of my own: Burial from a Different Dimension! This card allows me to choose up to three monsters that either of us have played that have been banished, and return them to their owners' graveyards! I'll just choose two, though: the Lord of D. and Divine Dragon Ragnarok I banished to use Dragon's Mirror! However, I'll banish both of them again to special summon Lightpulsar Dragon! (2500 / 1500)

 

The bluish white dragon materializes on the field in a burst of radiant white light and gives a roar, looking ready for battle. 

 

Damon: So, that's one of your new dragons, huh? He looks awesome!

 

Jason: Thanks for the compliment, bro. I'll activate my Castle of Dragon Souls to give him a power boost! (Lightpulsar Dragon - 3200 ATK) 

 

The spirit of another fallen dragon, Seiyaryu this time, emerges from the card and is absorbed by Lightpulsar Dragon.

 

Jason: Now, see him in action! Lightpulsar Dragon, attack Damon's face-down monster with Pulsar Wave! 

 

The dragon fires a blast of radiant energy at the set monster, flipping it up and revealing it to be Crystal Seer (100 / 100), before getting destroyed.

 

Damon: When my Crystal Seer is flipped face-up, her special ability activates, allowing me to look at the top two cards on my deck. One of them goes into my hand, while the other goes to the bottom of my deck. 

 

Damon picks up two cards, adds one to his hand, then puts the other at the bottom of his deck. 

 

Jason: I'll set a card face-down, then that'll do it for me.

 

Damon: First, since you activated a Spell Card last turn, my Magical Citadel gains a counter.

 

A deep blue orb with a ritual symbol materializes in front of the tower

 

Damon: Next, I'll summon Blast Magician (1400 / 1700) in defense mode. 

 

A wizard dressed in bright red armor that appeared to be a cross between armor and robes, holding a staff that looked more like a scythe, materialized on the field crouching in defense mode in front of Damon. 

 

Damon: Now, I'll activate another spell card - Secret Sanctuary of the Spellcasters! Now, as long as this card remains face-up on the field, whenever you summon a monster, it can't attack or use its effects on the turn it's summoned! This card can only work while I have both a Spellcaster and another face-up spell card, and while you don't have a face-up spell card, and all those requirements are fulfilled. Plus, since I activated a spell card, both my Blast Magician and my Magical Citadel get Spell Counters!

 

A second deep blue orb materializes in front of the tower, while another orb, the same shade of red as Blast Magician's armor, materializes above Blast Magician's head. 

 

Jason: And what was the point of giving them Spell Counters? Nothing happened.

 

Damon: Hey, you'll find out soon, Jason. But for now, I'll play a card face-down, then I'll hand it over to you. 

 

Jason: [draws card, sees he drawn Darkflare Dragon] *Alright, time for Chaos Dragon Number Two to come out.* I activate the spell card The Cheerful Coffin! 

 

A man in a suit and top hat with a maniacal grin on his face and clutching a casket materialized on the field.

 

Jason: This card lets me discard up to three monster cards in my hand to my graveyard. 

 

Holograms of the three cards (Eclipse Wyvern (1600 / 1000), Axe Dragonute (2000 / 1200), and Mirage Dragon (1600 / 600) ) deposit themselves into the casket. 

 

Damon: What was the point of that? 

 

Jason: Because now, I can banish Eclipse Wyvern and Axe Dragonute to special summon Darkflare Dragon! (2400 / 1200)

 

Darkflare Dragon materializes on the field in a burst of shadow energy.

 

Damon: Your second Chaos Dragon too? Impressive. But, unfortunately for you, he can't attack, because of my Secret Sanctuary. Plus, since you used a spell card, now both my Blast Magician and my Magical Citadel get Spell Counters! 

 

A third deep blue orb materializes in front of the tower, while a second deep red orb materializes above Blast Magician's head. 

 

Jason: *He still hasn't done anything with those Counters. Something tells me he may be saving them for something. Whatever it is, it certainly can't be good.* I can still attack with my Lightpulsar Dragon, so I think that's what I'll do! Lightpulsar Dragon, attack Blast Magician with Pulsar Wave!

 

The dragon fires a blast of radiant energy at Blast Magician. 

 

Damon: I don't think so! I activate Waboku! 

 

Three women in blue robes materialized in front of Damon's side of the field, with the one in the front holding a cross-like symbol. As the blast from Jason's dragon rushed towards them, the women in the front held up her symbol, absorbing the entire blast into the cross. 

 

Damon: Now, my Blast Magician is immune to damage for the remainder of the turn. Too bad, so sad. 

 

Jason: I suppose I'll set a card face-down, and I guess I'll call it a turn then. 

 

Damon: [draws card] First, I'll summon Defender, the Magical Knight (1600 / 2000) in defense mode. 

 

A mage warrior looking similar to Breaker the Magical Warrior, except with blue armor and a huge tower shield, materializes on the field, crouching behind the shield. 

 

Damon: When he's summoned, he gains a Spell Counter. 

 

The large red jewel in the middle of his shield lights up.

 

Jason: Again with the Spell Counters?

 

Damon: Hey, its a Spellcaster deck, bro; what're you gonna do?

 

Jason: Good point. [laughs]

 

Damon: Anyway, next, I'll switch my Blast Magician into attack mode and equip him with One-Shot Wand! This increases Blast Magician's Attack by 800! (Blast Magician - 2200 ATK)

 

Blast Magician's scythe-like staff is replaced with a new staff with a crescent-like shape; an aura of yellow energy surrounds him as he powers up. 

 

Damon: And again, since I played a spell card, both my Citadel and Blast Magician gain Spell Counters!

 

A fourth deep blue orb materializes in front of the tower, while a third deep red orb materializes above Blast Magician's head. 

 

Damon: I think I'll power my Blast Magician up even more, with Book of Secret Arts! 

 

A book materializes in front of Blast Magician; another glow of yellow energy surrounds him as he powers up even more. 

 

Damon: This gives my Blast Magician another 300 attack and defense points! (Blast Magician - 2500 / 2000) Plus, both he and my Citadel gain yet another Spell Counter! 

 

A fifth deep blue orb materializes in front of the tower, while a fourth red one materializes above Blast Magician. 

 

Damon: And now, I think I'll activate Blast Magician's special ability! Now, I can remove any number of Spell Counters I have on him to destroy any monster on the field whose Attack is equal to or less than the amount of Spell Counters removed times 700! 

 

Jason: That's 2800! Which means.....

 

Damon: Which means one of your Dragons is about to bite the dust! And I choose your Lightpulsar Dragon!

 

An aura of red energy surrounds Lightpulsar Dragon before he explodes into pixels. 

 

Damon: Now, Blast Magician, attack his Darkflare Dragon with Blood Magic Stream!

 

The magician fires a stream of red magic-like energy at the dragon. The dragon lets out a cry of pain before being destroyed. 

 

Jason's LP: 500

Damon's LP: 3100

 

Jason: *Oh, man. I totally forgot about my trap. That could've gotten me out of this mess. Well....maybe I can save it for later.*

 

Damon: Well, I guess I'll end my turn.

 

Jason: [draws card] I activate the spell card Monster Reincarnation to regain a monster from my graveyard, all at the cost of discarding one card from my hand. [discards card] Next, I'll play Foolish Burial, which lets me send a monster in my deck to the graveyard! [looks through deck, finds a card, sends it to his graveyard] Now, I'm sure you're wondering why I just sent a monster from my deck to the graveyard. I did it because the card I send was my Hunter Dragon (1700 / 100) so now I can banish Hunter Dragon and the Mirage Dragon I also have in my graveyard to special summon the card I recovered from the graveyard: Lightpulsar Dragon! 

 

The dragon returns to the field, giving a roar. 

 

Damon: Impressive move, but your dragon and my Blast Magician have equal attack strengths, so if you were to attack him, they'd just end up destroying each other.

 

Jason: I am well aware of that. That's why I have another spell card to play! Go, Mystical Space Typhoon! I use this card to destroy the One-Shot Wand equipped to your Blast Magician! 

 

A cyclone of winds surrounds the hologram of the card on the field, shattering it into pixels. (Blast Magician - 1700 ATK) 

 

Jason: Now, my dragon is stronger than your Blast Magician! Attack him with Pulsar Wave!

 

Damon: I don't think so! I still have my Defender, the Magical Knight's special ability! I can remove the Spell Counter I placed on him to prevent my Blast Magician from being destroyed!

 

Jason: I'm very well aware of your Defender's special ability. But he can't use that effect if he doesn't have any counters to remove!

 

Damon: What do you mean?

 

Jason: Because I have yet another spell card to play: Counter Cleaner! 

 

Damon: Dude, you realized you've just shot yourself in the foot, right? Counter Cleaner requires you to give up 500 life points, and you only have 500 left!

 

Jason: That's where you're wrong! Because I activate one of my face-downs: Dragon's Death Wish! If I play a card that requires me to pay life points, I can discard a Dragon from my hand, and now I'll only have to give up half the life points I'd normally have to give up. [discards card] 

 

Jason's LP: 250

Damon's LP: 3100

 

The red jewel in the center of Defender's shield fades. Lightpulsar Dragon fires a blast of light energy at Damon's Blast Magician, which gives a cry of pain before being obliterated by Lightpulsar Dragon's attack. 

 

Jason's LP: 250

Damon's LP: 2300

 

Damon: Well, you've gotten rid of my Blast Magician, but you still only have 250 life points left. Was using Counter Cleaner worth it?

 

Jason: Hopefully it will be when I win this duel.

 

Damon: If you win this duel, you mean. [draws card] Which is now much less likely now that I've drawn this card: the spell card Reversal of Magic! This card allows me to undo the action of any spell card you played on your previous turn...such as your Counter Cleaner!

 

Jason: So, you're restoring all your Spell Counters?

 

Damon: That would be correct! When last I checked, my Magical Citadel had five Counters and my Magical Knight had one.

 

All the Counters return to the field. 

 

Damon: But now, since I played a spell card, my Magical Citadel gains its sixth Counter! Which is what I've been waiting for this entire duel! 

 

A sixth orb materialized in front of the tower. 

 

Damon: Now, I remove all counters from my Magical Citadel to summon my newest wizard!

 

All six orbs vanish and condense into one large mass of yellow energy. 

 

Damon: Now, come forth: Endymion, the Master Magician! (2700 / 1700)

 

The mass of yellow energy solidifies into a tall magician dressed in black robes with a bronze trim, and a long purple cape. On his back is a white ring with various symbols around the edge. In his hand is a staff looking very similar to Magician's Valkyria's staff. 

 

Matthew: Whoa! I don't think I've seen that card in your deck before, Damon! 

 

Damon: While we were at the card shop, I saw this card was in a structure deck made of Spellcaster-support cards. I couldn't resist, so I went ahead and got it. 

 

Jason: I gotta admit, he looks pretty badass. 

 

Damon: And it gets better! When he's summoned, I can add a spell card in my graveyard to my hand! And I think I'll choose my One-Shot Wand! Next, I'll equip it to my Master Magician! (Endymion, the Master Magician - 3500 ATK)

 

The crescent staff materializes in in Endymion's hand. 

 

Damon: And he has another special ability too: once per turn, I can discard a spell card from my hand to destroy one card on the field! [discards card] And I choose your Castle of Dragon Souls!

 

A glow of yellow energy surrounds the hologram of the cards before it explodes into pixels. 

 

Damon: Now, I think it's time to end this duel! Endymion, attack Lightpulsar Dragon with Arcane Lightning! 

 

The magician raises his staff, which lights up with blue lightning energy, which he then fires at Lightpulsar Dragon. The attack does seemingly strike the dragon, which roars before his hologram goes all distorted before vanishing.

 

Damon: And that's all she wrote, folks!

 

Jason: You might wanna take another look, bro. 

 

Damon looks back, confused. Jason's field is completely clear, but his life points are still at 250.

 

Jason: I had one last face-down card to play, my Interdimensional Matter Transporter! It banished my dragon for the remainder of this turn!

 

Damon: Man, I totally forgot about your other face-down. But no big deal, because your dragon will return to the field at the end of the turn, which means I'll just take him out next turn instead!

 

Jason: You of all people should know is that one turn can often be the turn that makes a difference in a duel.

 

Damon: Very true. And you of all people knows that from experience. 

 

Lightpulsar Dragon returns to the field.

 

Jason: [draws card] Well, Damon, I think it's me who's gonna win this duel this time around. Because I activate Monster Reborn to resurrect my Lord of D. from the graveyard! 

 

Lord of D. materializes on the field. 

 

Jason: Now, I play The Flute of Summoning Dragon, which allows me to special summon two new Dragons! 

 

The flute materializes in front of Lord of D., who grabs it and blows on it. 

 

Jason: So, please welcome: Red-Eyes Darkness Metal Dragon (2800 / 2400) and Red-Eyes Black Dragon! (2400 / 2000) 

 

The two dragons materialize on the field. 

 

Jason: Red-Eyes Darkness Metal Dragon's special ability allows me to special summon a Dragon from either my hand or my graveyard once per turn! So, allow me to welcome back Lightpulsar Dragon! 

 

The dragon materializes on the field in a burst of light energy. 

 

Damon: Well, it's a good thing none of them can attack, thanks to my Secret Sanctuary! 

 

Jason: Well, then it's a good thing I have another spell card to play: Heavy Storm! This destroys all spells and traps on the field! I have no spells or traps on the field, so only you take the hit! So say arrivederci to your Magical Citadel, your Secret Sanctuary, and your One-Shot Wand! (Endymion, the Master Magician - 2700 ATK)

 

A raging cyclone appears around the entire field and destroys all three cards. The hologram of the Magical Citadel vanishes. 

 

Damon: Whoa! I totally didn't see that coming.....

 

Jason: Well, you certainly will see this coming! Red-Eyes Darkness Metal Dragon, attack Endymion, the Master Magician with Darkness Metal Flare!

 

The large metallic-looking dragon fires a blast of energy, looking similar to Red-Eyes Black Metal Dragon's Flash Flare Blast attack, at Endymion. Endymion gives a cry of pain as he is obliderated by the attack.

 

Jason's LP: 250

Damon's LP: 2200

 

Jason: Now for my regular Red-Eyes! Attack Defender, the Magical Knight with Inferno Fire Blast!

 

The regular Red-Eyes fires a blast of fire-like energy at Defender, causing it to explode into pixels. 

 

Jason: Now, Lightpulsar Dragon, make me proud and attack Damon directly! Pulsar Wave!

 

Lightpulsar Dragon fires a blast of light energy directly at Damon.

 

Jason's LP: 250

Damon's LP: 0

 

As the holograms fade, Jason walks over to Damon.

 

Jason: Dude, you were really on your game today!

 

Damon: Thanks, Jason. That was one intense duel we just had. I had fun! Those Chaos Dragons of yours are pretty awesome!

 

Both Roger and Matthew wander over to Jason and Damon. 

 

Matthew: Seeing you guys go at it made me wanna duel too!

 

Roger: Me too!

 

Matthew activates his duel disk.

 

Matthew: Keep in mind I beefed up my deck earlier today too! So, which one of you wants to take me on first?

 

Jason steps forward.

 

Jason: I will, Matt! Let's rock!

 

Jason and Matthew begin their duel. As they duel, the repairman who came earlier is seen watching. He wanders away and pulls out a cellphone. 

 

Repairman: I got their names, sir. Damon Morrissey, Matthew Burgess, and Roger Cook. All four of them look like good duelists. Put them on watch?

 

??? [on other end of the phone, in a disguised voice]: Sure. Hopefully now we can make up for our failure earlier. Tomorrow, the plan begins. And the Illuminati shall rise again!