Fireworks filled the air above Freeze Stadium, as the audience all sat waiting for the Double X's final round to finally start.
It had been a long road to this point, with many twists and turns. But now, only two teams remained to battle it out for the title of Double X champion. But which team would be the winners?
In one of the corridors, Spike and Sunburst were waiting for Flash. They had arrived together, but Cold had shown up wanting to talk to Flash about something. So the two went ahead and were now waiting for him.
"I wonder what Cold wanted to talk to Flash about?" Spike asked.
"Who knows," Sunburst replied. It was at that moment Flash came into view. "Hey. What was all that about?"
Flash just smiled, "Cold wanted to give me luck. He also gave me something he thought might come in handy."
"What is it?" Spike asked, only for Flash to tap his nose. "Whatever," he turned to look down the corridor. "It's our big moment."
"Yeah," Flash nodded as they began to head down the hallway.
"We're in the final," Sunburst repeated for what was probably the twelfth time. "Can you believe we've made it this far?"
Spike smiled at them, "we're gonna win. No matter what, we're gonna be the ones on that winners podium."
Flash smiled back, "you bet we're gonna. We're the next Double X Champions." With that, the three arrived at the end of the corridor. Flash stopped before turning to the other two, holding out a fist. "Let's do it." Spike and Sunburst both smiled before doing the same, the three fist-bumping and stepping out...into a glass box. The three looked at it in confusion but then looked over and saw another one on the other side of the field.
Seems they placed them here for the teams to watch the action.
In the other room, team Dominator was staring out at their opponent.
Tempest was the most focused of all of them. 'This is the last battle. Now they've made it this far, it's just a matter of whether or not they're capable. Project Omega Zenith can soon head into phase three.' Her glare intensified, "will they be the vessel for our lord?"
In that moment, smoke burst onto the stage before the Celestic Sister stepped out onto it.
Both: HELLO CANTERLOT!
Celestia: The gateway for young Duellists, the Double X Tournament.
Luna: We couldn't have a more exciting final ahead of us. Who will be crowned victorious?
Celestia: Out of all the teams that took part, only two have earned the right to Duel in the final. Team Dominator and team V-Fighters!
The crowd cheered as the team's images came up onto the megascreen. After that, the screen changed as the Celestic Sisters explained how the final round would work.
Luna: Each team have already selected their Duellist order and it's that order they will playoff in. This will be a continuous Duel where, after one Duellist loses, the winning Duellist will remain on the field to Duel the next member of their opposing team.
Celestia: What's more, the winning Duellist's Life Points and cards will remain as they were during the end of their last Duel. It's a three on three knockout format. Which of these teams will take control of the final and earn their place as champions?
"Go team V-Fighters!" Sweetie cried from the VIP box. "Go, guys!"
"Do your best!" Applebloom cheered.
Scootaloo nodded. "You're not just there to fight for your team. You're there to represent all of us!" The rest of the box all nodded, in total agreement with her. "So you better not lose."
Luna: Now let's find out where our finalists will be battling it out!
She held up a remote and pressed the button.
Suddenly the floor of the Duel Field began to shine as it projected the Duel Field, as a robotic female voice said. "AUGMENTED REALITY COMBAT SYSTEM ENERGISED."
In the blink of an eye, everyone in the stadium found themselves staring out at a large meadow. And covering that meadow were statues of many famous Duel Monsters. Dark Magician, Neos, the Eyes Dragons, all of them. It was a field with all the games all-stars, the perfect place for the final round.
Celestia: It's the Legendary Field! I can't wait to see how our competitors fair here.
Luna: We now ask each team's starting Duellists to make their way out onto the field.
Heath stepped up to the door of the box and saw Spike do the same.
"So, I'm facing that guy."
"Don't underestimate him," Tempest told him. "I want to see just how strong he is, so make sure you throw everything you've got at him. Then, if he wins, we'll know he's worthy."
Heath shot her a glare, "you dare insult me by saying I might lose to such a weak creature like that." He turned back to the field, "I'll show you." With that, he stepped out onto the field.
Starlight sighed, "I can't believe he actually wants that hot head to join us."
"We need all the help we can get," Tempest told her whilst watching Heath walk across the field. "And given what he's been through, it won't be too hard to show him the light. But for now, let's see just how strong his opponent is."
Starlight nodded. "I admit, he was pretty good during our Duel. But I'm not convinced he's vessel material."
"We're about to find out."
Up in the box, Twilight and Soarin both looked uneasy.
They both knew how powerful Heath was, especially with his Searing Flame and Blazing Arms Dragons. If Spike wanted to win, he had to be careful. But of course, he already knew that. "You can do this Spike," Twilight told her brother. "That's what all that training was for."
Everyone else gave him their own silent prayer of good luck, as the two arrived in the centre of the field.
Cold stepped into the room and stared down at the field. Hopefully, these Duels would let something slip that gave them an advantage over the Dominators.
The two locked eyes with one another, Spike being serious while Heath appeared bored.
"Man," he sighed, "what a waste of time." This made Spike glare at him. "I was hoping to face off against a strong opponent here, well...as strong as a human can be. But instead, I get the runt of the rat pack."
"Who you calling a runt!"
Heath smirked. "Don't think you're so high and mighty. You may wield a giant dragon, but everyone in this stadium knows how puny you really are. After all, not only did you lose on the first day of the second round, but you also lost to that wimpy girl Fluttershy."
Spike growled. "You can mock me all you want, but don't bad mouth my friends!" With that, he activated his Duel Disk.
"Or what?" Heath activated his, "you gonna make me pay?"
"That's exactly what I'll do."
Celestial: Looks like our competitors are ready to face off.
Luna: Then I think it's time we get the Double X's final match underway. In THREE!
Celestia: TWO!"
All: ONE"
"DUEL!"
Spike: 4000
Heath: 4000
"ACTION CARDS DISPERSED!"
"I'll take the first move!" Heath reached for his deck and drew his card, "I'll start by summoning Solar Flare Dragon in ATK mode!" The fire snake exploded onto the field, as Heath then threw down three face downs. "I end my turn. And in doing so, Solar Flare's effect activates!" The dragon opened its mouth before spitting a fireball at Spike, hitting him in the chest.
"Gah!" He cried whilst staggering back.
Spike: 3500
Heath: 4000
Celestia: Heath isn't wasting any time.
Luna: And you've gotta know those three face downs are Traps.
Spike also knew that, but he also knew he didn't care. He was ready for this. "It's my turn," he reached for his deck. "I draw and set the Pendulum Scale, with scale one Flame Viper Dragon and scale seven Flame Banner Dracokid!" The pillars of light appeared on either side of him before the two dragons flew up into them. "Cut through space time and carve the arc of victory!" The portal began to form above him, "I PENDULUM SUMMON!"
The portal opened before three fireballs shot out, hitting the ground and exploding to reveal Spike's monsters. "Burning Salamander!" (A1600/D1400/L4)
"Flame Tracker Dragon!" (A1300/D300/L3)
"And Underling Dragon!" (A500/D500/L2) "Now watch," Flame Tracker exploded into three fireballs, which carved a trio of blazing ring. "As I tune Flame Tracker Dragon with Underling Dragon." The little dragon flew into the fire ring. "Burning spirit, erupt into a wildfire of power!" The ring exploded and created a blazing sphere. "I SYNCHRO SUMMON!"
The flames receded, revealing his monster "Flame Hunter Dragon!" (A2300/D1300/L5/P8) "And since Flame Tracker and Underling were both used in a Synchro Summon, their effects activate. I get to add a Fire monster to my hand and Flame Hunter gets five hundred ATK points." Spike's deck slotted out a card, which he took while his dragon powered up. (A2800/D1300/L5/P8) "And there's more. Flame Banner's Pendulum Ability grants all my Fire monsters another five hundred ATK points." A flaming aura appeared around Flame Hunter and Burning Salamander, increasing their power. (A3300/D1300/L5/P8) (A2100/D1400/L4)
"Alright, Spike!" Flash cheered for his teammate.
"No holding back!" Sunburst cried out.
Spike glanced back at them and smiled. "Alright, Flame Hunter Dragon, take out his Solar Flare Dragon!"
"I don't think so!" Heath yelled as his face down flipped up, "I play Raigeki Break!" He discarded a card before the Trap unleashed a bolt of lightning, which shot over to Flame Hunter and caused the beast to roar in pain before exploding.
Celestia: Ooh, talk about heartbreaking.
Luna: I hope Spike wasn't counting on that monster being on the field.
Spike growled before pointing at Solar Flare Dragon, "Burning Salamander!" The flaming lizard bit onto the end of its own tail before beginning to spin, rolling forwards as the flames on its back morphed it into a wheel of fire that flew towards Solar Flare.
While this was going on, Heath began to run through the field in search of an Action Card. He finally spotted one in the claws of a Kuriboh and grabbed it, only to find it was a Trap.
The next thing he knew, the Kuriboh statue exploded and he was hit in the stomach by it. "Gyah!"
Spike: 3500
Heath: 3700
Seconds later, Burning Salamander struck Solar Flare and destroyed it.
Spike: 3500
Heath: 3100
"I place one card face down and end my turn." Spike had a feeling he knew what was coming. 'I'm not scared. I've trained for this.' It was true, he had been training for this like mad. Duel after Duel he had worked to refine his deck, whilst also doing extensive research on all three members of team Dominator. Talking to every one of his friends that had faced off against them and taken extensive notes on how their Duels turned out. 'I know what's coming, and I know how to stop it.'
Heath meanwhile, glared at Spike as he drew his card. "Silly human, thinking you're better than me." He discarded a card before a tornado of fire exploded infront of him, with Blazing Emperor Hellfire appearing as the flames faded. (A2600/D2200/L7) "I'll burn you to ashes!" His two remaining face downs flipped up before flames shot out, then took the forms of the robotic demons. (A1600/D1100/L4)X2
"Three Fire monsters," Spike realised. "Here it comes."
"Now," Heath raised the last card in his hand up, "I tribute Flaming Emperor Hellfire and my two Flaming Soldiers of Hellfire!" The three monsters exploded into a pillar of fire, incinerating the grass around it. "Now, witness the birth of the beast whose rage burns hotter than the sun!" The pillar exploded, revealing Heath's monster. "Searing Flame Dragon, AFTERBURNER!" (A?/D?/L9)
Celestia: There it is. One of Heath's ultimate monsters.
Luna: And with four Traps in the graveyard, it's power goes up to thirty-two hundred points."
The dragon roared as flames began to coat its body, increasing its power. (A3200/D3200/L9) Heath smirked at this, while turning to Spike. "Annoying human." This made Spike begin to grow uneasy, but he quickly shook it off. "I attack with Searing Flame Dragon!" The dragon began to build fire in its mouth, while Heath reached for his deck. "Afterburner's skill." He drew five cards, smiled, then discarded three of them. Doing so increased his dragon's power even more, as more flames wrapped around it. (A5600/D5600/L9) "GO!"
Celestia: This is gonna deal Spike huge damage if he can't stop it.
Spike rushed through the field in search of an Action Card, managing to spot on the tip of Dark Magician's staff. He grabbed it an, seeing what it was, smiled before turning back to Heath. "I activate my face down!" His card flipped up, "Shrink!"
Luna: WOW. That card will cut Afterburner's ATK power in half."
Heath growled as he watched his dragon shrink to half its normal size, its ATK power shrinking along with it. (A2800/D5600/L9) "That won't be enough to save your monster." Afterburner unleashed a burst of fire, which struck Spike's monster and destroyed it while scorching Spike.
The preteen cried out as he felt the heat of the flames.
Spike: 2800
Heath: 3100
"I end my turn." In doing so, Heath's monster returned to its regular size while its ATK power increased. (A5600/D5600/L9)
"Oh man," Soarin worried. "How's Spike suppose to stop that thing."
"Relax," Gilda told him, "you managed it. Spike's just gotta be creative." She turned back to the field. "Although, he probably should have saved that Shrink card."
Twilight nodded, thinking the same thing. Spike made a bit of a blunder there. Sure, he would have taken a ton of damage, but now it was gonna be even harder for him to take Afterburner down. "Unless," the others turned to her.
"What is it?" Scootaloo asked her.
"That Action Card." The others turned back to the field, as Spike began his turn.
"I draw!" He did so, as the portal of light began to form above him. "I PENDULUM SUMMON!"
The portal opened before a trio of fireballs shot out and exploded, revealing Spike's monsters. "Flame Hunter Dragon!" (A2300/D1300/L5/P8)
"Flame Sabre Dragon!" (A1500/D1200/L4/P5)
"And Scorcher Dragon!" (A1200/D700/L3) "And now!" Scorcher Dragon and Flame Hunter leapt into the air, "I tune my monsters together to form an even mightier beast!" Scorcher Dragon burst into a trio of fireballs, that carved the fire rings around his Synchro Pendulum. "Cast your flames across this battlefield, and burn everything that is weak to ashes!" Spike chanted as his monsters were consumed by an explosion of fire. "I SYNCHRO SUMMON!"
The flames erupted, as Spike's ace burst free and revealed itself. "Dragonic Blazemaster!" (A3000/D2000/L8)
"That won't save you," Heath told him.
"Wait for it," Spike said before activating the Action Card he'd gotten. "I play Spell Recycle. This lets me activate the effect of a Spell in my graveyard." Heath's eyes went wide as he looked up and saw his monster shrink in both size and power. (A2800/D5600/L9) "And with Flame Banner's Pendulum Ability still active, my Fire monsters gain even more power. (A3500/D2000/L8) (A2000/D1200/L4/P5) "ATTACK!" Blazemaster raised its sword as the blade ignited, then flew up towards Afterburner.
While that was happening, Heath found an Action Card in the mouth of a Red-Eyes and grabbed it. He frowned when he saw what it was, but activated it anyway. "I play Level Blast! This Action Card lets me draw cards whenever a monster on my field is destroyed. One card for every three Levels they have." Seconds later, Blazemaster reached Afterburner and sliced its head off. "Gyah!"
Spike: 2800
Heath: 2400
Heath grunted, but stood his ground. "since Afterburner was Level nine, I draw three cards." He did so.
"Well, Flame Sabre's still got an attack!" Spike's dragon flew forwards, flaming swords ready.
"I discard Ambush Blazer from my hand to activate the effect of a Trap in my graveyard. And I chose Negate Attack!" A force field appeared around Heath, Flame Sabre's attack bouncing off it and leaving him completely fine.
Spike frowned, "I end my turn."
Celestia: Spike managed to destroy Heath's Searing Flame Dragon, but he still has a long way to go before he can claim victory.
Luna: But will Heath be able to pull out a win like he did in the semi-final?
'Of course I can,' Heath drew his card. 'He's just a worthless human. He can't beat me.'
In their box, Flash and Sunburst both frowned. "Something's different about Heath today."
"Yeah," Flash nodded, "he's not as...emotional as he was before."
"He's more focused, which is bad news for Spike."
"I discard one Trap from my hand in order to revive Hellfire from my graveyard!" The flame tornado appeared beside him before disappearing to reveal Heath's ace monster, while Heath held up a card. "And now that I have eight Traps in my grave, I can summon this!" A pillar of flame exploded onto the field. "Dragon of flames, augmented by the power of technology, now let your fire burn across this battlefield!" The pillar exploded, revealing the cyborg dragon monster that beat Soarin "Blazing Arms Dragon...INFERNITY!" (A3000/D3000/L8)
"Not good," Spike gulped before running off. He needed an Action card and fast.
Heath smirked as he jumped up onto his dragon's shoulder "Time for Hellfire's skill!" Heath's monster created a fireball, which it tossed at Blazemaster and burnt away eight hundred of its ATK points. (A2700/D2000/L8) "And now for Infernity's skill!" He pulled out three cards from his graveyard, "banish three Traps in my graveyard and destroy one card on the field." The dragon's cannons folded up before unleashing a laser blast that struck Flame Banner Dragon and destroyed it.
"NO!" Spike cried as he turned to his monster. Without Flame Banner, their power went back to its original amount. (A2200/D2000/L8) (A1500/D1200/L4/P5) "ATTACK!" Infernity's body ignited before the flames flew off to form a sphere between its hands, that it then tossed towards Blazemaster.
Spike spotted an Action Card on the blade of a Flame Swordsmen and ran towards it, but couldn't get to it before Infernity's attack struck his ace. "YAH!" He cried as the explosion consumed his monster, creating shockwaves that sent him flying.
Spike: 2000
Heath: 2400
"SPIKE!" Everyone cried as they watched him slam into a statue of Odd-Eyes.
Heath smirked, "Blazing Arm's skill. Sacrifice Hellfire to allow it to attack once more." The Flaming Emperor exploded, the fire spiralling between Infernity's hands. "GO!" The dragon tossed the micro-sun towards Spike's Pendulum Monster, but Spike was ready.
"I activate the Action Spell, Brittle Defence. Now all my monster switch to DEF mode, though I lose three hundred life points whenever one's destroyed." Flame Sabre knelt down, right before the sun struck it. "YAAH!" Spike cried as the flames singed him
Spike: 1700
Heath: 2400
"I place one card face down and end my turn." Heath smirked as he watched Spike stagger from side to side, "so weak. To think such weak beings have the power to destroy us." He shot him a glare, "I won't let that happen."
Spike finally stopped swaying and instead, shot Heath a glare. "You don't know...anything."
"I know enough."
"No...you don't." Spike reached for his deck, "it's my turn. I draw!" Spike saw what he got and nodded, "I play Deck Tuning. Now I can draw one card for each Tuner monster in my graveyard. And last I checked, I had three." He drew his three cards. "Now, I reset the Pendulum Scale with scale eight Flame Core Dragon!" The orb holding dragon flew into the pillar of light, as the portal began to form. "I PENDULUM SUMMON!"
The portal opened before four fireballs shot out and struck the ground, exploding to reveal his monsters. "Flame Hunter Dragon!" (A2300/D1300/L5/P8)
"Flame Sabre Dragon!" (A1500/D1200/L4/P5)
"Magna Drago!" (A1400/D600/L2)
"And Fireheart Dracokid!" (A1000/D800/L2) "Flame Hunter's skill!" The dragon unleashed a burst of fire, which struck Heath's face down and destroyed it. But strangely enough, Heath actually smiled when he saw this. "What's so funny?"
"What's funny is you ran right into my trap!" In that moment, chains broke out of the ground and wrapped around Fireheart Dracokid. "The Trap Hellfire Chains to be exact. It activates whenever you destroy it. Now, it'll destroy your dragon and deal you half its ATK points as damage." Fireheart exploded, causing the chains to flail around as they caught on fire.
Spike could only watch as they flew in his direction, hitting him in the chest. "YAH!" Spike cried
Spike: 1200
Heath: 2400
"There's more. As long as it remains in the graveyard, Hellfire Chains makes it so you can't revive that card. It's locked in eternal damnation." Spike growled at this. "I know what you were trying to do. You were trying to summon your Double Tuned Synchro Monster, but now that's not gonna happen."
"Maybe," Spike said, "but that doesn't mean I'm out." He looked down at his deck, knowing he'd need to summon...it. "Here goes. First, I activate the Spell card Monster Reborn!" In a burst of fire, Dragonic Blazemaster reappeared on the field. "Then I'll use the Pendulum Ability of Flame Viper Dragon!" Said dragon transformed into a card alongside Flame Sabre, The two cards flying into Spike's hand. "By sending him to the bottom of my deck and returning a monster on my field to my hand, I can now summon a Dragon-Type Monster from my graveyard." A fireball appeared before exploding to reveal Underling Dragon. (A500/D500/L2)
"So what?" Heath asked, "those cards can't scratch my dragon."
"Don't be so sure," Spike told him. "I now tune Level two Magna Drago with Level two Underling Dragon!" The dragons leapt into the air, as Magna Drago burst into a pair of rings that Underling flew into. "Ignite the flame of potential and shower the world in the fire of hope!" His two monsters were consumed in an explosion of fire. "I SYNCHRO SUMMON!"
The flames receded and showed what looked like a red version of Mystic Dracokid with wings. "Mystic Flame Dracokid!" (A1500/D1300/L4) "And since he was Synchro Summoned, his skill lets me add a Level four or below Dragon monster from my deck to my hand." He did so, as Heath wondered why he summoned such a weak monster.
"Wait?" He looked down at his Duel Disk and saw what it was, "a Tuner Monster."
"That's right," Spike said as Mystic Flame shot into the air. He then burst into a quartet of fireballs, which carved four fire rings. Dragonic Blazemaster then flew into them, as Spike started chanting. "Blaze the path to victory and burn away all who stand before you." The flaming rings exploded, wrapping Blazemaster into a ball of fire. "GO ACCEL SYNCHRO!"
The flaming sun began to extinguish, reveal Spike's new monster. It looked like Inferno Legend, only its had a black streak running down its chest all the way to its tail. Its armour was crimson red with purple on its shoulders and hips. Its wings were bright red with blue on the ends and it was carrying a large red sword with a bat-wing shaped crossguard. "Dragonic Blazemaster...VICTORY ACE!" (A3300/D3200/L12)
Celestia: Incredible. Spike's showing true resolve by busting out a never before seen monster.
Luna: What powers does it hold.
"Let me show you!" Spike summoned Flame Sabre Dragon back to the field, "Victory Ace's skill!" The giant dragon then held up its sword before slamming the blade into the ground, causing a pair of blue flame trails to shoot out along the ground before hitting both Flame Hunter and Flame Sabre. "By tributing every other Dragon Monster on my field, I can destroy every monster on your field whose Level is less than their combined Level."
"What?" Heath asked as he watched the two dragons explode into blue flames, which were sucked into Victory Ace's blade and caused it to ignite. The giant dragon then swung the blade around, unleashing a wave of fire which struck Infernity and destroyed it. "No!" He rushed off in search of an Action Card, as Victory Ace readied his sword.
"Finally," Spike went on as his monster glowed red, "Victory Ace gains five hundred ATK points for every monster destroyed by this effect. (A3800/D3200/L12) "ATTACK!" The giant dragon took to the skies before flying forwards.
Celestia: If this attack hits, it's all over for Heath.
Luna: Is team V-Fighter gonna be the ones to take the first win.
But as Victory Ace got near, Heath grabbed an Action Card out of a Junk Warrior's hand. "I activate the Action Spell Miracle Card. Now I declare either a Spell or Trap Card, then draw a card. If the card I draw is the type I called out, I can activate it. And I choose Trap." This put everyone on edge.
"What are the chances he'll draw a Trap?" Sunburst asked.
"Considering how many he seems to have, high." They watched as Heath reached for his deck, then drew the card and held it up.
Everyone turned to the megascreen, as it zoomed in on the card. And when it came into focus, their eyes went wide.
Celestia: Its Call of the Haunted!
Luna: That means he can revive a monster form his graveyard!
And so, a pillar of flame exploded before Hellfire shot out and intercepted the attack. The demon pushed back against the attack, Heath glaring at Spike while watching his true form be overwhelmed. "You miserable human. What an eyesore!"
Spike growled back, "I'll blast through!" Victory Ace cleaved through Hellfire, the blue flames of the attack slamming into the Heath.
"AAAHHH!" He cried as the flames of his destroyed monster hit him.
Spike: 1200
Heath: 1200
"I place one card face down and end my turn." Victory Ace's ATK points returned to normal. (A3300/D3200/L12)
Celestia: Despite an incredible Accel Synchro Summon, Spike couldn't pull off a win.
Luna: Now Heath has a chance to turn things around. But can he.
Spike frowned hearing that, "darn it. That was supposed to be my ending attack."
"But it was still a great attack," he heard Flash tell him.
"Just keep your cool," Sunburst told him. "If you can make it through this next round, you'll beat him for sure." Spike nodded and turned back to Heath, who was simply glaring at him.
"Like I told you before, this is a waste of time."
Spike shot a glare back at him, "I'm not giving up."
Heath drew his card, "then prepare to die." With that, a pillar of flames shot up behind him before exploding to reveal Blazing Arms Dragon.
"How?" Spike asked.
"By banishing two Traps from my graveyard and paying half my life points, I can revive him to the field."
Spike: 1200
Heath: 600
"Blazing Arm's skill!" He banished another three cards before his dragon aimed its cannons at Spike's face down, then fired a laser that destroyed it. "Now I summon Fire Imp!" A small red demon appeared on the field, its tail on fire. (A1000/D1000/L3) "And with his skill, I can transfer his ATK points onto another monster on my field." The demon's body ignited before the flames flew over to Infernity. (A0/D1000/L3) (A4000/D3000/L8) Heath smirked, "puny human. I'll burn you to ashes." With that, Infernity began to form a sun in its hands.
Meanwhile, Spike rushed across the field in search of an Action card. "Prepare to perish," he heard Heath cry.
"Never!" Spike spotted an action card in a Dark Magician Girl's hand and grabbed it, only to find it was the same Trap Heath had gotten earlier. "Gyah!" He cried as the statue exploded, the pieces slamming into his body.
Spike: 900
Heath: 600
Seconds later, Infernity tossed the sun at Victory Ace. The giant dragon was consumed by flames, which flew out and blasted Spike. "AAARRRHHH!" He cried as he was thrown into the statue of a Cyber-End Dragon.
Spike: 200
Heath: 600
Heath began to pant heavily, as Fire Imp burst into flames that then spiralled into an orb between Infernity's hands. "This...ends...NOW!" The dragon tossed the orb towards Spike, ready to take out the last of his Life Points.
"SPIKE!" Everyone cried, most not daring to look.
However, as Spike picked himself up, he spotted something on the ground. An Action Card, which must have been knocked off the statue when Spike hit it. He quickly grabbed the card, turning it over and seeing that it was. "Go, Miracle Card!" Heath growled as Spike reached for his deck, "I choose Trap!" With that, he drew a card and held it up.
Everyone looked up at the megascreen and saw it...a Trap.
But not just any Trap. "TRAP SUMMON!" In a burst of fire, a large red bulky dragon appeared before curling itself up. "Mega-Hide Dragon, Shieldranoid!" The sun struck the dragon and caused it to cry out as it tried to withstand the attack. "Shieldranoid's skill! When he's attacked, my Life Points increase by the Level of the monster attacking him times one hundred."
Spike: 1000
Heath: 600
Seconds later, Mega-Hide Dragon was destroyed but Spike remained standing. This caused the crowd to erupt into applause, while Heath's eyes went wide. "No," he said, "this can't be. A human...a weak human can't beat me."
Spike smirked, "who said there's such a thing as a weak human." He reached for his deck, "I assume you're done." Heath didn't reply, "I draw! And now it's time to activate Victory Ace's skill from the graveyard." A column of blue fire erupted behind him before the Accel Synchro monster appeared behind him. "By banishing a Tuner monster from the graveyard, I can bring him back." (A3300/D3200/L12)
Celestia: Incredible! Things looked bleak for Spike, but now he's managed to turn things around.
Luna: This might be the end for Heath.
"No," Heath slowly shook his head, "please."
"Now I set scale three Flame Spear Dragon into the Pendulum Scale!" The dragon flew up into the pillar of light, as the portal began to form. "I PENDULUM SUMMON!"
The portal opened before a pair of fireballs shot out, exploding to reveal Flame Hunter and Flame Sabre Dragon. Heath was still in shock, "this...isn't possible."
"All things are possible if you just keep trying!" Spike told him. "Victory Ace's skill!" The dragon slammed its sword into the ground and unleashed the streams of blue fire, which engulfed both Flame Hunter and Flame Sabre, then swung the now blazing sword in the direction of Heath.
The Soulinked Duellist's eyes went wide as he watched Infernity be destroyed, while Victory Ace's ATK power rose up. (A3800/D3200/L12) "This can't happen. How can I be defeated by a mere human?" He watched as Spike called an attack, with him frozen in place as the dragon raised its sword. "Can humans really have the potential to do this much?" He watched as Victory Ace swung its sword, unleashing another wave of blue fire that flew straight at him.
And as this happened, Heath felt himself fall into the recesses of his mind.
Within it, Flaming Emperor Hellfire stood in the black void.
"No way!" He held his head while shaking, "I don't wanna die. Not like this. Not to a guy like him." He closed his eyes, "I...I..." He then opened them again, only to find he wasn't in the void. Now he was out on a familiar battlefield, with a familiar castle behind him. "I...I'm home." He then looked down at the ground, his eyes going wide when he saw hundreds of dead bodies littering the canyon. "No," he then spotted one particular body...his. It was laying completely still, showing no signs of life. "Wha...what? No...is this...my future?" Was this the future that humans would bring upon him, if they kept playing this silly game?
It was in that moment a light made him turn to see a wave of blue fire flying towards him. It was Victory Ace's attack.
"No," he took a step back but it kept coming, "no. This can't be me. This can't be my future." He raised his arms and unleashed his own fire, trying to push the blue flames back. But no matter how hard he pushed, he couldn't stop the flames from getting closer. "Please...don't do this." The flames finally reached him, surrounding him as his body began to burn. "Please no. I don't wanna...I don't wanna DIE!"
The crowd watched as Heath was sent flying, his Life Points being burnt away by the blue flames.
Spike: 1000 (Winner)
Heath: 0
Celestia: HE'S DONE IT! Spike of team V-Fighters has defeated Heath Burns of team Dominator.
Luna: As a result, his next opponent will be Starlight Glimmer.
"HE DID IT!" Almost everyone in the VIP box cheered.
Twilight and Shining both smiled at their little brother's victory, Twilight even shedding a tear. "Great works Spike. You should be proud of that victory."
Shining nodded. "It was touch and go, but he pulled it off."
"But he's not done yet," Cold told them. "He now has to face Starlight and with only a thousand Life Points, it won't be easy." The others nodded in agreement, but knew Spike could do it.
Back on the field, Spike couldn't believe he'd actually won against a Soulinked Duellist.
He then heard a loud cry of pain and turned to Heath, seeing he was holding his gloved hand in pain. The possessed teen turned to Spike and glared at him, showing he wasn't free yet, as he began to stand himself up. "I...I'll get you for this!" With that, he turned away and ran towards his team's box.
As he did, he watched as Starlight came out and they passed one another before he stepped into the box.
He then turned to Tempest, glaring at her. "You did well," she told him.
"Forget the compensation," he said angrily. "I'm out." With that, he headed towards the exit.
"Before you go," he turned back to Tempest as she tossed something towards him. He managed to grab it and saw that it was a business card. "Some friends of mine were very impressed by your skills. They wanna meet with you." Heath said nothing, simply staring at the card before he stepped into the corridor and out of the stadium.
With him gone, he watched as Starlight now stood against Spike.
Celestia: Heath may have lost but that doesn't mean the Duel is over. Starlight Glimmer now takes the stage.
Luna: As per the rules, she'll have the maximum four thousand life points while Spike will only have whatever he had during the last Duel. All the cards he used in his last Duel will also remain where they are.
Spike and Starlight stared each other down, Spike looking serious while Starlight smiled. "It's been a while," she activated her Duel Disk.
"Yeah," Spike agreed, "and I intend to avenge my loss against you from last time."
Starlight smirked, "that'll be tough with only one thousand Life Points." Spike knew that, but he also knew someone else was ready to beat Starlight.
Spike turned back to his team's box, his eyes meeting with Sunburst's. The two nodded at one another before Spike looked back towards her. "Even if it's only a little, I have to weaken Starlight enough to give Sunburst the edge." He got into a battle-ready position.
Celestia: Looks like our Duellists a ready to get things underway.
Luna: Then let's not waste any time. In THREE!
Celestia: TWO!"
All: ONE"
"DUEL!"
Spike: 1000
Starlight: 4000
"I'll take the first move," Starlight drew her card and smiled. "And I summon Celestia Spirit Aquarius in ATK mode!" The constellation appeared before exploding to reveal the armoured mermaid. (A1500/D1200/L4) "Then I place two cards face down before activating the Spell card, Shooting Star Blast!"
"NO!" Twilight and Misty both cried, remembering that Spell from when Starlight and Twilight had Duelled. All they could do was watch as Aquarius exploded, transforming into four stars that each split into three more. "SPIKE!"
Back on the field, Spike's eyes went wide as the stars shot towards him. "GYAAAHHH!" He cried as they slammed into him, exploding as they did so and wiping out all of Spike's Life Points.
Spike: 0
Starlight: 4000 (Winner)
The crowd was completely silent, as the stared out at the field. They couldn't believe what they'd just seen.
Luna: The...the winner is...Starlight Glimmer.
Back in the team box, Flash and Sunburst both shock as they watched Spike laying on the ground. They had hoped Spike's win against Heath would give them the edge, but now they were back to square one. "Starlight," Sunburst whispered. He knew he was gonna have to face off against her now. And honestly, he was glad.
Because now, he was gonna save his friend. No maybe about it. He was gonna save her.
The Double X's final round had had an incredible start. With everything tied up, this was anyone's game.