Day 3. It was finally Day 3 of the Fall Formal Tournament at CHS. Everybody knew that today was the last chance to make an impression. This was the final opportunity that could either make or break someone from securing a spot in the finals. At this point, almost everybody had an idea on where they stand and were hoping to change that with a couple of victories. Principal Celestia and Vice-principal Luna had addressed the students and informed them that they had till the end of the school day to gain any last minute wins. After that the top 8 duelist who qualified would be announced and then the matchups would take place with the first round taking place later in the evening and would continue at the start of the school week. Because of that both ladies informed the students that they needn't to worry about schoolwork. The students were ecstatic to say the least but were also anxious as they really wanted to be on the big stage to showcase their skills. Once the final announcement had been made for the day, Luna then gave the signal and the last day of the event was underway.
Unfortunately, I still didn't have a chance to see any of the girls. This really bothered me because while we all had to do our part and try to secure a spot in the finals, a part of me felt sad that weren't enjoying this tournament to the fullest due to us not hanging out with each other. I know it was selfish on my part, but I'd expected my first major tournament to be filled with wonderful memories by hanging out with my friends. Nevertheless, I pushed those thoughts aside and began to find people who were looking for a duel. About an hour or two had passed and I managed to snag a couple of more wins.
"I'd barely managed to get the win in that last duel, talk about drawing the right card. I just wonder whoever is in the finals is really best of the best. That means I have to make sure that I don't make any mistakes because one false move and it could be over for me before I know it."
Isaac then began walking and was ready to turn the corner of the school's building when he noticed someone coming out of it and nearly bumped into them. He was surprised to say the least because the person who came around the was the last individual he expected to run into.
"Well, well what do we have here? What's the matter, boy toy? Did you lose your friends or have they abandoned you for being so pathetic?"
"Sunset." I said with a demeanor in my voice.
The air was dead cold when both duelist saw each other. You could barely hear the noise around them as they were too focused on one another. Both had a fixed gaze and neither was willing to look away. The tension in the air was the same as when they both had first meant which meant anything could set off this chain reaction. Eventually, Isaac was the first one to break the silence.
"It's been a while since we've seen each other Sunset. How's my favorite fiery bacon-haired girl been?"
"It's cute that you're trying to flirt with the enemy? I knew keeping you around would be fun." snickered Sunset. "So tell me how many wins have you acquired so far?"
"Why should I have to tell you a damn thing?" I replied back with a bit of remorse.
"Ahh, so you have been winning. If you want to get better with hiding your emotions then you really need to work on your facial expressions. Not that it matters, seeing as how I'll be the one securing victory you should probably give up. If you surrender now, I promise to have something special lined up for you. You see I've got a plan to rid this school once I win and I could use someone like you by my side. You proved you've got skills that even students here would gladly trade a limb for just to have a taste of what you've got. Join me and I can promise you everything you ever desired, all your dreams come true. And if you listen to what I say then you might be rewarded handsomely, if you know what I mean". Sunset then began to seductive stroke Isaac's arm as she said her statement.
The way Sunset was trying to blackmail me into joining her side really was starting to freak me out. I pulled my arm away from her tempest ways and got in her face.
"There's no way I would ever join you. I would never abandon my friends when they need me the most. So go ahead, make all the threats you want. No matter how many times you try to reason, flirt, or even seduce me into joining your cause know that I will never offer you my assistance. There's not a chance in hell!"
Sunset backed off of Isaac and had a look on her face that could tell she was pissed off. Isaac had rejected her and was still trying to be naive and play the role of the hero. She wanted to give Isaac a choice but it seems that he was forcing her hands. Ultimately, she decided enough was enough and made the choice that when she was crowned CHS champion, she would make Isaac regret he ever rejected her.
"Seems you've made your decision and unfortunately for you it was the wrong one. So you want to take me down, then come at me boy toy. I'm right here, what's stopping you from ending it all right here? You could make everybody's life so much easier if you took me down, so what's stopping you?" Sunset yelled at Isaac to fight her.
It was tough, I mean the obvious choice would be to battle Sunset and beat her to end all of this. But a part of me was holding me back saying that I should wait to battle her. I didn't know what to do as I started to reach for my duel disk. Just then we heard a couple of voices snickering at us.
"Well, would you looking here, Mayhem? Looks like we got a capable of prime duelists looking for a fight."
"You're right False Face, seems like their itching for a duel. Hey yo, kid who's your girlfriend?"
"Girlfriend? You're mistaken she's...."
"As if I was his girlfriend. Please, he wouldn't know what to do with a girl like me by his side?" Sunset said as she made her comment.
"Oh, looks like we got a bit of quarrel here. Well listen up, hot stuff? My man, False Face and I are looking to win this thing and seeing as how we've managed to trap 2 of CHS premium duelists I say it's fitting we take them out."
"You're right Mayhem, once we're done with your asses all that'll be left is the scorch marks we make once we burn the both of you to the ground. So what do you say, you up for a little tag team duel?"
When Mayhem had suggested a tag team duel, I was unenthusiastic. Not by the challenge they were throwing but rather who my teammate would be and whether or not she even wanted my help. I know a few moments ago I said I wouldn't help her, but I didn't think I would ever find myself having to team with Sunset Shimmer of all people. As far as I knew she could take them both on by herself. Sunset Shimmer merely just had an uninterested look on her face when the challenge was issued that to her it felt like a waste of time.
"Please, if I were to team with the likes of him it would be an insult. I'll take you both on myself and show that I don't need a useless partner." said Sunset.
"Now just hold on a minute, who you calling useless 'Sunny'?"
Sunset was surprised with what Isaac had called her just now. "What did you call me, boy toy?" She had a bit of disdain when Isaac mentioned that name to her.
"Oh, you heard what I said!"
Mayhem then had enough as he was getting a headache seeing both of them go back and forth arguing. "Yeash, you two really are boyfriend and girlfriend, leave that stuff for the bedroom and not on the dueling field."
"She's not my girlfriend!/He's not my boyfriend!" Both Isaac and Sunset shouted at the top of their lungs.
"Look you either accept our challenge or we could force you to compete, and trust us we have ways of making you cooperate. Such as taking your most prized cards." False Face let out an evil laugh.
"Nobody ever takes away my Dark Magician nor do they insult it. If you want a tag team battle then fine, we both accept." I yelled at False Face.
Sunset was baffled that Isaac had volunteered her to take part in this duel without asking her permission. She then got up in Isaac's face. "Who the hell do you think you are? Who said you could speak on my behalf? I can speak for myself thank you very much!"
"Very well then, it's been decided. Meet us both on the roof of CHS, where it will be your last duel you ever take part in. So tell your girlfriend goodbye because after this she won't look at you the same way again." With that Mayhem and False Face then left and headed for the roof while Isaac and Sunset were left behind.
"She's not my girlfriend!" I was so anger that kicked some dirt off the floor. Sunset was behind me giving me a glaring smile.
"Well, this is a fine mess you've got us into. All because you had to go and play the hero. You just can't let anybody insult your cards."
"My cards hold a special place in my heart. To me their my friends, they've helped me get through some tough times in life and I wouldn't be the duelist I am today without them to guide me."
"Oh, please. Cry me a river why don't cha. To me all cards are a means to get what you want, you want power you use powerful cards. You want to strike fear in someone, you make sure that they know what fear is. Duel Monsters is all about showing that you're the best there is and that everybody should learn to respect you and your power." Sunset had an evil look in her eyes when she said this.
While I could argue about how Sunset saw her cards, I didn't have time. I had a challenge waiting for me and I wasn't about to back down from it. "Look, we'll settle our differences later. Right now I've got a duel to win, so if you want to join me you're more than welcome to." With that I began to make my way the roof of the school.
Sunset was still displeased with having to team up with Isaac, but she knew that if she wanted to make Isaac suffer for not choosing her, then she wanted to have the pleasure of doing it herself and not let some random individual steal her thunder. So with a heavy heart she began to make her way towards the roof. She eventually caught up with Isaac where he was standing across from where Mayhem and False Face had taken their positions. She also noticed that the positions they each took resembled a box that they were standing in and when you looked at it from above it was one huge square.
I was preparing my deck and duel disk when I heard the door to the roof open and saw Sunset make her way towards my left and stand on the other box that was empty. I could see she still was a bit ticked off that she had to team with me. Eventually I turned towards both Mayhem and False Face who had looks of amusement.
"Okay, we're here now, so what are the rules for this tag team battle?" I asked.
"Seeing as me and Mayhem are a fans of doing things old school we decided that for this duel we'll each start with 4000 life points. In order for both pairs of duelists to lose both of their life points have to reach 0. In addition, if your partner doesn't have any monsters to defend themselves then you can be able to use yours to tank the hit. As for other cards, you need to gain permission from your teammates in order to use them. Also in accordance with the rulings of the CHS tournament, this duel will count as 2 victories for the winning pair while the losers will suffer 2 losses. Furthermore, you can't attack until all players have had a turn. Think you can handle that?"
I was surprised with what False Face had suggested. Not to say I wasn't familiar with the concept of playing with 4000 life points; in fact, I've had plenty of experience dealing with this rule when I was little. It just meant that I had less moves to make an error and it that I would have to play more strategically if I didn't want my life points to suddenly disappear. The biggest shocker was that according to rules of the tournament the winners of the duel would receive 2 victories while the losers suffered 2 losses. That could really determine whether or not someone could qualify for the finals. It was definitely high risk high reward. So I looked at Sunset who still had an unhappy face and told False Face that we understood.
"Opponent detected. Streaming data. Duel mode set. Initiating. Commencing duel." said the voices of all our duel disks.
"Lets duel!" we all said.
False Face's Life Points: 4000-
Isaac's Life Points: 4000-
Mayhem's Life Points: 4000-
Sunset's Life Points: 4000-
Turn 1: False Face
"I'll begin, I draw. I'll place 2 cards facedown and end my turn. Make your move if you dare!"
Turn 2: Isaac
"I summon Beta the Magnet Warrior in defense mode! I end my turn." No one can attack until each duelist has drawn at least once. Hopefully by then, I can pick up on their strategy.
Turn 3: Mayhem
"My draw! I summon Shining Abyss(1600/1800) in defense mode!"
False Face then gave a chilling laugh, "Now time to show you how we duel together! I activate Mask of Brutality!"
"Thanks, False Face. Your mask will fit quite nicely on my monster."
"The pleasure is all mine Mayhem, but not only that my mask will boost your monster's attack power by a 1000 points!"
Sunset had finally broke her silence. "Impressive, the duel has only just started and already our opponents have a monster on the field with 2600 attack points."
False Face then spoke, "Thanks for the praises, however in order for it to stay that way we each give up 1000 life points for every turn that passes."
Mayhem then chimed in, "However, that won't be the case with us. Observe! I activate a magic card called Masked Doll! Now my masked doll will absorb any and all negative effects caused by our magic card. So now our life points are safe. I end my turn. Behold the power of our tag-team strategy!"
"You're not the only ones; we can play off the strengths of each other's cards and work as a team as well as you can!"
Sunset wasn't interested by Isaac's offer so she basically ignored it. "Hmm. No thanks. Teamwork is for boy scouts and little babies, Isaac."
I looked at Sunset with a fierce look. "You're wrong, Sunset."
"Let's get one thing straight: I can win this duel all myself and I don't need your assistance. I'm Canterlot High's greatest duelist and when I win the Fall Formal Tournament, I'll prove it. So stand back!"
Turn 4: Sunset
"I draw, and place 2 cards facedown. And then I'll summon a brand new monster I've added to my deck, say hello to Vorse Raider(1900/1200) in attack mode! I end my turn." Sunset had a confident smile on her face as she stared down Mayhem and False Face.
I was confused on Sunset's play and a bit scared. What's she doing? Her monster's weaker than theirs! And if we don't have a team strategy, we'll never win!
After Sunset had played her monster, she looked at her hand and was very pleased with what she obtained. Excellent, I've got an extremely powerful monster ready to go. Next turn I'll sacrifice my Vorse Raider and summon it to the field.
"Now that we've each taken one turn each, it's now time to see whose strategy is superior. But believe me the answer is pretty obvious."
Turn 5: False Face
"My draw! I play my Mask of the Accursed magic card, now I'll play this face wear on your monster which will make it useless, Isaac. As long as the mask stays on, your monster can't attack or defend and that's not the only part, Isaac. Until the mask comes off, you will lose 500 life points for every turn you take. I'll also place 1 card facedown. Now it's back to your side."
Turn 6: Isaac
It's probably a trap card. So far False Face hasn't played a single monster yet. I think I just figured out their team strategy. The reason why Mayhem and False Face wanted a tag team duel is so they can implement their style of dueling. Mayhem is the one that holds all of their monsters, while False Face backs him up with spells and trap cards. Now I just need to get Sunset to be on the same page so that we can come up with a plan to take down these jokers.
False Face was getting impatient with how much Isaac was stalling. "Hurry up and take your move, don't forget you lose 500 thanks to my mask of the accursed. So take your turn."
Isaac's Life Points: 3500-
"Enough! My turn, draw!" When Isaac drew his card he started to hatch a plan.
The Beast of Gilfer. Now all I have to do is sacrifice my magnet warrior and then I can summon this powerful creature. I'll also destroy their mask of the accursed in the process.
Sunset then peered at Isaac who was looking at his card and his hand very carefully. If Isaac makes a foolish move, he'll take me down with him. So he'd better not screw this up, besides the only one who's going to give Isaac some serious pain is me.
"Now then, I'll sacrifice my magnet warrior."
"Not so fast, Isaac! Behold, I reveal the trap Mask of Restrict. Thanks to this card it has all but sealed the deal for us too win. As long as this card remains on the field, you two can't sacrifice your monsters. See we know all about your decks and know that you tend to rely on your most powerful monsters to bail you guys out. Now that we've taken that away, we've rendered you two useless because without being able to play a higher monster it will be that much easier to defeat you." False Face was proud of what he was able to catch both Isaac and Sunset by surprise.
Sunset was ticked off that Isaac had fallen for such a simple plan. If we lose this duel because of Isaac, he'll be sorry!
Isaac was a bit disappointed that he'd fallen for such an obvious plan that he had a bit of anger on his face. Given our current situation this is really bad. There's no way we can win with weak monsters. We've got to find a way to turn this duel into our favor!
Isaac then looked at his had and did the optimal thing.
"I'll place 1 card facedown, and then I'll summon Kuriboh(300/200) in defense mode. I'll end my turn." Out on Isaac's field came a tiny little fuzzball of a monster that had big eyes and was covered with fur from head to toe.
Sunset got a good look at what Isaac summoned to the field. While she was unimpressed with what monster he chose to summon, she did admit that Kuriboh creature was rather cute.
"Sunset, you know there's only one way we can win."
"Spare me the typically, party line Isaac. Let's get one thing straight: Never tell me how to duel! So you can forget the old teamwork speech. Got it? Teamwork, please, who needs it?"
"You do."
Turn 7: Mayhem
"If you two are done flirting with each other, then it's my turn. I draw." Mayhem then drew his card and began to think about what to do next. "I could attack your magnet warrior, Isaac. You would be take even more damage, but that mask of ours reduces your life points by 500 every turn. I'd be a fool to destroy it. Then there's you Sunset, you have monster but your facedown could be a trap. Oh well, time to find out. First off, I'll set 1 card facedown. Then I'll have my Shining Abyss, attack Sunset's Vorse Raider!" Mayhem's monster then began to attack Sunset's field.
Sunset just a had a smug look at what Mayhem was doing. "Hold on fool, you've activated my Ring of Destruction! Now my trap card will wipe out your Shining Abyss. Now both of us will lose almost half of life points, but in exchange you'll be down a monster!"
False Face then smirked, "Too bad we planned for something like that to happen. Sorry to disappoint you, Sunset but my card will cancel out your trap!"
"What!" screamed Sunset
"I activate my facedown Curse Transfer. Now this counter-trap card is triggered whenever you play a trap card. Now it will transfer your card's effect to your own monster. Talk about a misfire, now not only will you lose almost 2000 points but it will be you who loses a monster!"
Isaac saw what had just transpired. Mayhem and Sunset will both lose points equal to Vorse Raider's attack when it's destroyed, unless they have a magic card to protect them.
"Sunset, they may have something planned. Be careful!"
"Zip it, Isaac. Don't you think I'm aware of what's happening, furthermore I don't need your advice."
"Prepare to say goodbye to your monster and almost half your life points!" yelled False Face.
Just then an explosion went off that covered Sunset's entire field. When the smoke finally cleared, there stood Sunset perfectly unharmed with a smile on her face. "Foolish, just before my trap went off I activated my magic card, Ring of Defense. It will protect my life points from any damage. Nice try."
Mayhem was just smiling when Sunset activated her card. "I'm afraid you're sadly mistaken because you've helped us out Sunset. I activate my facedown my Spell Transfer magic card. Now like the name suggest it will transfer your card's effect to me, which means my life points will remain untouched while yours are almost cut in half."
Sunset then looked at her duel disk and sure enough the life counter started to drop until she was about half way.
Sunset's Life Points: 2100-
"Now time to wipe out the rest of your life points. Shining Abyss attack Sunset directly!"
Sunset had a look on her face that said she was done for. She had no cards facedown and nothing in her hand could save, she was about to lose. Just as the attack made contact, there was a monster that took the hit and when it ceased that same monster that stood before Sunset began to multiply. Everybody was shocked with what had happened; Sunset only looked at her partner as it was his own monster that had protected her.
"You! You saved my life points."
"Your attack has been blocked thanks to my magic card. It's simple I reveal my facedown Multiply. Now thanks to this card it multiplied my Kuriboh. Now your monster's attack won't affect my teammate."
Mayhem was unimpressed with how Isaac had ruined their plans. "Your fur balls won't be around for too long."
"I realize your magic card saved my life points, but next time I'll do it myself! You got that through your thick skull! I don't need your help!"
"Sunset if you want to win this, then we need to help each other! Remember the minute one of us loses the other will be vulnerable to their unified tag team assault."
"Are you questioning my skills as a duelist, Isaac? Did you forget who the hell I am? I'm Sunset freaking Shimmer, dammit!"
"I'm saying that we must combine our forces in order to defeat these guys. They duel as a team and build off of one another's moves and we have to do the same if we expect to win. I saved you, and if you don't protect me the same way, then I may not be around to save you again!"
Then good riddance, I didn't need you anyway.
Turn 8: Sunset
"Enough of this! My draw!" Sunset looked at the card she drew. My Red Emperor Archfiend. This monster can destroy their monster with ease. However, I can't play it without sacrificing 2 weaker monsters and I can't do that. As long as these chumps have Mask of Restrict in play, I can't sacrifice anything! But I'll find a way.
We can do this, Sunset. We just have to work as a team.
"First I'll place 1 card facedown, then I'll summon Archfiend Scout(1700/1000) in defense mode to protect my life points. I end my turn."
False Face and Mayhem were grinning from ear to ear as they kept cutting off Isaac and Sunset's attempt at making a move.
"You can't expect to win by hiding behind such weak monsters. Our Shining Abyss is the strongest monster on the field with 2600 attack points. I can easily obliterate your Archfiend Scout and tear down your wall of fur balls, leaving your life points wide open. Right, False Face?"
Turn 9: False Face
"Precisely, Mayhem. Allow me to demonstrate, I draw. But before I wipe out your life points, I have to get rid of your defensive wall Isaac. And I have just the magic card to do it. Say hello to my Mask of Dispel!" Just then a mask started to form on Isaac's Multiply card as it negated its effect. "This will cover your multiplying magic card and conceal its effect. Time to bid farewell to your Kuriboh army. Now you're just reduced back to one; it's only a matter of time before the both of you lose. Talk about a piece of cake! Don't forget the mask on your magnet warrior causes you to lose 500 points with every turn that passes." False Face let out a sinister laugh.
This is bad. With 2 of my cards covered by masks, I'll lose 1000 life points every turn! Which means I won't last much longer in this duel if this keeps up. We need to find a way to turn things around!
"Now I'll summon my Grand Tiki Elder(1500/800) and rid the field of your Kuriboh! Attack Now!" False Face's monster then let out an attack as it wiped out Isaac's monster off the field. "Now your life points are wide open for a direct attack, Isaac. Since your magnet warrior can't defend you. Face it, you two can't possibly win this battle. We've rendered it to where you guys can't sacrifice your monsters to summon stronger ones, but thanks to my masks you lose 1000 life points every turn."
Turn 10: Isaac
Isaac then looked at his life point counter and sure enough it started to go down as Isaac suddenly lost 1000 more points.
Isaac's Life Points: 2500
"We'll see about that." I looked at my hand found it to be useless at the moment. This doesn't look good. I need a card to turn this around! "I draw!"
This trap card allows me to destroy one card in my opponent's hand. But that's not enough to help us. I then looked at the card that was at the far left. Maybe that card can help. If I activate Card Destruction, each duelist would have to throw out all of their cards and redraw an entirely new hand. But wait... if Sunset has a plan to beat them and I force her to get rid of her entire hand, I could ruin her plan. But what choice do I have? As far as I'm concerned Sunset doesn't want to duel as a team, and I have no idea what her strategy is. I have to make a move, but it could cost us the duel.
"Well, what are you waiting for!?" Screamed Sunset. "You couldn't possibly make things any worse than you already have, Isaac. Thanks to you the cards we're holding in our hands are absolutely useless. In fact, I have a card in my hand that could win this game for us. But due to your poor performance, I can't summon it. It's better off in the graveyard."
It sounds like Sunset wants me to discard her hand. I think I know what needs to happen, I just hope it works.
"I place 1 card facedown and that will end my turn."
Turn 11: Mayhem
"Pathetic, seems like you failed to summon another monster to protect your life points. Not that it would have mattered because I'm about to summon an unstoppable creature. I draw. First I'll play the magic card Curse of the Masked Beast."
"What is that?" Both Sunset and Isaac were unfamiliar with the card Mayhem had played.
"Thanks to this I can now sacrifice both of our monsters to conduct a ritual summon. Behold the almighty power of the Masked Beast!(3200/1800). Time to say goodbye to your life points, Isaac. Now my Masked Beast attack Isaac directly."
Just as the monster about to make contact with Isaac, Sunset gave out an order.
"Archfiend Scout, defend!"
"What, Sunset's monster interrupted my attack?"
"Don't act surprise, remember this is a double duel and my partner was in danger. So I used my Archfiend Scout to defend his life points against your Masked Beast."
"Thank you, Sunset."
"Look Isaac understand this. I only helped you for one reason so that I can claim victory."
"You're a fool for doing that. Besides it cost you the only monster you had protecting your life points which means you're wide open to attack" said False Face.
"I don't think. Reveal my facedown card: Card Destruction! Now each duelist must deposit every card in their hand to the graveyard. Once they're buried, we each draw a completely new hand."
"Finally, now I'll send my hand to the graveyard. And then take my turn."
Turn 12: Sunset
Sunset drew her new hand and was ready to draw her card.
"Tell me did your partner screw this up for you?" yelled False Face.
Sunset merely had a smug look on her face when she addressed him. "Actually, what just happened is quite the opposite. See now that my teammate has finally made a decent move I can now put my plan into motion. See without the ability to sacrifice, I wasn't able to summon the monster in my hand. But now I can! Watch closely! I reveal my facedown Monster Reborn. Now I can bring back the powerful monster I just sent to the graveyard, appear my Red Emperor Archfiend(3000/3000)."
Both Mayhem and False Face had look of shock and fear. Meanwhile, Isaac had a smile on his face now that Sunset had managed to summon out one of her favorite monsters.
"This is only the beginning! Sunset and I make a powerful team, and you two are no match for the combined strength of our decks!"
"What my partner means is that thanks to my superior dueling skills, you're finished! Right?"
"Not quite."
"Don't tell me you're still stuck on this whole teamwork thing, Isaac. It's getting a little old. Listen up, I'll win this duel on my own, and if it's convenient for me I might help you. But don't get it twisted for teamwork or you'll be very disappointed. I'm dueling for me!"
"But, Sunset, you need my help, and I need yours! False Face and Mayhem still have the upperhand."
"You should listen to your boyfriend! Even though you managed to summon your Red Emperor Archfiend, Sunset, but it's useless against the ultimate power of our Masked Beast. Our monster has 200 extra points than your pathetic emperor. In a head to head battle your monster would lose!" snickered False Face.
"He's wrong, Sunset. You can destroy their monster!"
"I can!?"
"Look, if you want to win, you're going to have to trust me on this. Like it or not, we're a team. And if you attack them with your monster, I promise I'll back you up. Trust me!"
Why would Isaac tell me to attack a monster that's stronger than mine? Even I know that doesn't make sense. I smell a rat.
"Attack them, Sunset. Do it!"
"Alright, Isaac. It's not in your best interest to give me bad advice, especially when you would lose, too. Now my Emperor attack their Masked Beast." Sunset's monster then charged it's power and unleashed a ray of destruction. This better work! It then fired its attack as it decimated the monster that was on their opponent's side of the field.
"Your monster is no more!"
Both False Face and Mayhem were in disbelief. They were also certain that their monster would have bested Sunset's, still it managed to fall.
"That's not possible! Our Masked Beast was more powerful than your Emperor, so had did you manage to get rid of it. Tell me!" Screamed Mayhem.
Sunset didn't know what to answer as she was more surprised that her monster had managed to win the fight. She knew that she didn't have anything to do with, so it must have been Isaac. But how?
"I'll tell you how, your monster was beaten by Sunset's monster fair and square. Let me explain, when I sent my Beast of Gilfer to the graveyard last turn, I activated its special ability. It reduces the attack points of any monster I choose by 500, and I chose your Masked Beast. Which meant I lowered your monsters attack points to 2700, making it weaker than Sunset's monster. Now it seems you're the ones with no monsters on the field to protect your life points! So all Sunset has to do is attack you'll take some major damage. Sunset, you need my help more than you think."
"Well my turn is now over, but this duel has only just begun. Make your move False Face, so I can put you both out of your misery."
Mayhem's Life Points: 3700-
Turn 13: False Face
"We'll see about that! Draw. I'll place this monster in defense mode and then set 2 cards facedown. I'll end my turn."
"What is his plan?" Isaac wondered to himself.
Once my facedown cards are activated, Sunset's Emperor will be destroyed!
"And don't forget thanks to two magic mask cards that are still on the field, you lose another 1000 life points Isaac. So take your turn."
Turn 14: Isaac
I drew my card and looked through my hand to see what options I had. I'll take a chance and attack the monster he's placed in defense mode. I may defeat it, or I may force False Face to use up a trap.
"Alright, False Face. I'll place 1 card facedown, then I'll summon Alpha the Magnet Warrior(1400/1700). Alpha, attack now!" Isaac's monster then lunged with it's sword ready to pierce through False Face's defense.
False Face had a look of confliction. I can't waste my trap on this monster, I must save it for Sunset's Archfiend! We've got to regain control of this duel!
"Ok, Mayhem. Let's teach these two a lesson."
Turn 15: Mayhem
"With your pleasure, I'll play Rogue Doll(1600/1000)."
Sunset mocked the monster that Mayhem summoned. "Don't you think you're a little too old to play with dollies. Especially ones that have such low attack points!"
Isaac was being cautious with what Mayhem had played. That's weird why would they play such a weak monster? They must be up to something!
"Alright, Rogue Doll attack her Red Emperor Archfiend." Commanded Mayhem.
"I'll then activate my facedown Mask of Weakness! Now with this I can weaken your Emperor by 700 points. And then I'll place another Mask of Brutality which gives Rogue Doll an extra 1000 attack points."
"Not so fast! There's two of us! So, I'll activate my trap Mystical Refpanel! Looks like you forgot that you're dueling against a team, and that trap card just saved my teammate's monster! My Mystical Refpanel takes the power of your magic card and transfers it to Sunset's fiend which raises its attack points by 1000 (3300), making it stronger that your rogue doll!"
"Now time to counteract, Emperor take out his doll!" Sunset's monster then powered up as it repelled the attack and destroyed the monster on their opponent's side.
Isaac helped me again! What's with this kid? Does he actually want me to give him a compliment? There's nothing I hate more than depending on someone else for my victory, but it looks like I may need to use Isaac to defeat these two. But in the end, it will be my superior deck and dueling skills that will be the reason we prevail!
Mayhem's Life Points: 2000-
"Thanks for nothing False Face because of you I'm now down to just half life points!"
"Don't go blaming me as I recall it was your monster that attacked!"
Isaac just watched on as False Face and Mayhem were arguing with each other. Seems like they're losing their team spirit. In the end, that could be the reason they lose the duel! That's what I keep trying to tell Sunset. When you're fighting a double duel, the most important thing is teamwork.
"This duel is far from over because I have a card that will annihilate that Emperor of yours. I'll place 1 card facedown and end my turn."
Turn 16: Sunset
"It's time to finish this because now I'm in control, draw! Behold as my Archfiend unleashes its fury on you Mayhem, prepare to lose. Emperor take him out with a direct attack!"
Sunset's making a very hasty move, and a selfish one. She's so caught up in winning this duel on her own, that she didn't even think about Mayhem's facedown card! She could be walking right into a trap.
"I thought you might attack me that's why I had this ready. I activate Mask of Impregnability, now my life points are safe for the rest of the turn. Nice try Sunset."
"That may be but what about your partner. Think False Face if I had chosen to attack you instead of Mayhem would he have helped you or would he have let you taken the blow?"
False Face had a look of betrayal to think that his own partner was suggesting that he wasn't going to help him.
"See that's the danger in depending on someone else to help you when the reality is there's only one person you trust: yourself! And if anyone tells you otherwise, they're lying!" Sunset said that to False Face while also making sure to shoot a glance at Isaac.
"Don't listen to him, of course I would have used my magic card to protect even though I'm sure you wouldn't return the favor, False Face!"
Now I see what Sunset's doing, she noticed that both of them were beginning to doubt one another's loyalty. So she's taking advantage of that and trying to destroy their team trust.
Turn 17: False Face
"This duel is over, I draw! I'll play Pot of Greed, now I'll draw 2 more cards from my deck." Unfortunately when False Face drew his cards it was just as bad as it could be.
My hand isn't very promising and with no monsters on my field to defend myself I can't survivor an attack from Sunset's monster.
"I'll place 1 card facedown. Then I'll activate Card Exchange! Now this allows me to exchange my entire hand with that of any other duelist on the field. And the person I choose is you Mayhem."
"What? What are you doing False Face?"
"Since you refused to help, I'll simply take your cards so that I can get the job done myself. So now according to the rules we swap hands, so hand them over."
"Here! You selfish piece of trash!"
"Thanks, then I'll activate my facedown Chosen One! Allow me to explain, first I'll place 3 cards facedown on the field. In the center of these 3 cards there is the selector. This chooser will pick a card at random, if it choose one of my two magic cards, then all 3 cards go to the grave. However should it choose my third card then I can summon a powerful monster ignoring it's summoning conditions. Now choose make your selection!" With that the cards surrounding the chooser began to spin really fast. Soon after a couple of moments the device began to slow down.
The device landed on a card and False Face was ecstatic. "It's chosen my ultimate monster, now prepare for the end you two. I summon the Masked Beast Des Gardius(3300/2500)! It's all over!"
"That monster is even stronger than my Emperor" said Sunset.
"Now time to unleash it on your monster. Des Gardius attack Sunset's monster with your razor sharp claws." With that Sunset's emperor didn't stand a chance against False Face's monster. I'll end my turn. Remember, thanks to my masks that are still on your field you lose another 1000 life points."
Isaac's Life Points: 500-
Turn 18: Isaac
"Fine, this duel is almost over anyway! I draw, you'll regret not attacking me! Now I hold in my hand a card that will destroy your monster."
"But how, you can't sacrifice your monsters to summon high power monsters due to our trap."
"Your trap card only prevents us from sacrificing, but that's not the only way to summon powerful monsters, Mayhem! So I'll play Gamma the Magnet Warrior(1500/1800). Now that I have three magnet warriors on the field, I can activate their special ability. Now my monsters transform!" Isaac's magnet warriors then broke apart and started to assemble themselves into one giant creature, it even knocked off the mask that one of his monsters was wearing. "Say hello to Valkyrion, the Magna Warrior(3500/3850)! Now attack their monster!" Isaac's monster then raised it's sword up high and it came down with brutal slash that shook the very ground.
False Face's Life Points: 3800-
"My beast may be gone, but you've also activated its special ability, Isaac. When it's destroyed I equip 1 'Mask of Remnants' and it allows me to control one of your monsters, thanks for your donation. Now Mayhem finish Isaac off this round and I'll finish Sunset."
Turn 19: Mayhem
"With pleasure, draw. I activate Masquerade! Now I can control one of partner's monster as if it were my own. Now Valkyrion time to destroy your former master, attack Isaac!"
"Don't celebrate just yet. I reveal my facedown card: Erosion! Now if a monster was summoned I can be able to break it down to the same monsters that were used to summon it. So now it splits Valkyrion into its 3 separate parts and destroys your mask."
"NO! Our attack failed!"
Turn 20: Sunset
"It's my turn now, draw! Now time to summon one of top demons."
"You can't as long as my Mask of Restrict is in effect, you can't summon it!"
"Wrong your card prevents me from sacrificing my own monsters. But I plan to sacrifice your monsters instead, False Face, with this card! I activate the magic card Soul Exchange which lets me sacrifice your 3 magnet warriors! Now get ready to feel the wrath of my deck as I unleash its power. Arise my Ceasar, the almighty King of Fiends(4000/4000)." Once Sunset played her card, the field around us started to become dark and out of that darkness rose a creature like no other. It was massive and it had gruesome claws as it wore undead skeletons all over its body. Its eyes were blood red and let out a shrilling roar that sounded like thousands of souls calling out. "Now Ceasar unleash your wrath on Mayhem's life points!" With its commanded it raised its fist high up and then slammed it into Mayhem as he was knocked unconscious and out of the duel.
"No Mayhem!"
"Don't worry you're about to join him because I'm activating my Caesar's ability now since he scored a direct hit, he's now allowed to attack again and you know what that means" Sunset then gave a thumbs down to False Face. "Time to show you what happens when you mess with the greatest duelist at CHS. Now Ceasar put this punk out of his misery. Strike him down and end this duel" With that False Face was also knocked around as his life points hit zero.
False Face's Life Points: 0-
Mayhem's Life Points: 0-
Winner: Sunset and Isaac
Once the battle ended, I looked at Sunset and caught a glance at something. It wasn't much but there was a tiny bit of darkness that surrounded her as it silhouetted her figure. Eventually, it died down. Sunset then turned around and began to walk away.
"Wait, Sunset!"
"Before, you say anything Isaac. Know that it was me who defeated the both of them and it was all thanks to my dueling skills. Other than that doesn't waste my time unless you want to settle this now and I'd gladly drop you just like I did these clowns."
It seemed that Sunset still was only fighting for herself and that she was willing to do whatever it took to get what she wanted. All I could do now was wait until we settled our score in the finals.
"Now then I desire to get the hell out of here. Farewell, Isaac. Pray that you qualify for the finals so that I can destroy you myself. See ya around, boyfriend." Sunset let out a laugh as she descended down the stairs. After she left, Isaac was left with thoughts as he tried to figure out what to do next.
Soon the final bell had rang and everybody was gathering round the front of the school. Celestia and Luna were there and they had had huge titration that would reveal the duelist heading into the final rounds as well as the matchup. As more people were starting to arrive, Isaac was standing beside the school statue replaying the events of his tag duel with Sunset.
"Even after all that, Sunset still doesn't want to accept the help of others. Not to mention she's so blinded by rage and revenge that she's going to continue to hurt people until she's satisfied. I know that I promised Flash that I would do all I can to help her, but it's clear she doesn't want to be saved. It seems Sunset might be a lost cause. I guess the only way to free her mind and reach her is beat her and I intend to do that, not just for me but for everyone's sake."
"Will all the participants please report to the front of the building? We will announced the qualifiers for this Fall Formal!"
"Well better get going." Just as I about to join the massive crowd, I heard a voice from behind me.
"Yo, Isaac. How's it been?" said Rainbow Dash.
"Well, that's a tough question to answer. Considering you ditched us the minute the tournament started and haven't seen each other since then?"
"Ahh, don't be so sour. I'll admit it was selfish of me to run off without a proper goodbye, but come on can you blame?" Rainbow gave me the pleading eyes.
"I guess I can't, you're always looking for a challenge. That's one of the things I like about you Dash."
"Hey now, don't get all mushy with me, I don't like all that lovey dovey stuff that Rarity goes on about." Said Rainbow as she punched Isaac in the arm.
"Excuse me, I'll have you know darling, that talking about romance isn't mushy as you call it." Screamed Rarity who was flanked by both Pinkie and Fluttershy.
"Hey Rarity, Fluttershy, and Pinkie. Nice to see you girls are doing ok."
"It's good to see you're still holding up Isaac." said Rarity.
"You wouldn't believe it Isaac, for the first time I actually had fun competing in this tournament. Not to mention all the praises I received from everybody who saw my deck. Thank you for creating it." Fluttershy then gave Isaac a hug.
"I'm glad your happy, Fluttershy." Unfortunately. Pinkie decided to get in on the action and gave both of them a giant hug. To Fluttershy she didn't mind it, but Isaac on the other hand was trying to tell Pinkie that her hug was a little too tight and was crushing his lungs. Thankfully, someone spoke up.
"What in tarnations are you doing to Isaac, Pinkie? Poor city slicker is having trouble breathing. You ok. sugarcube?"
After Pinkie let go, I took a minute to catch my breath before addressing Applejack's question. "I'm alright Aj, thanks."
"Anytime, partner. So it seems we're all here. Any of y'all feeling like a chicken in foxes den?"
"I know we're all anxious to see the results Applejack, but don't forget we're here to take down Sunset. Remember the plan. Here comes the announcement!"
Celestia then made a fanfare noise that caught everybody's attention. "Ladies and gentlemen, it's my honor to say what a successful tournament this year has been. Luna and I can't express how grateful we all are of everybody participating, but as you know only 8 of you will advance and compete till there is one left standing and crowned CHS duel champion. Know that we're proud of all you have accomplished and that you should have nothing to be ashamed of. Now then time to see the results, so everybody pay attention to the screen."
With that the screen then started to light up as it piled the results of the tournament and began to select the top 8 duelist who had qualified for the finals. The first image to spit out was none other than Sunset Shimmer which displayed her record of winning every duel she competed in; she also got a bit of boos from the students. The next person to appear on the screen was Rainbow Dash who also had a solid wins under her belt though slightly behind Sunset in overall duels. The next to follow was Flash which was no surprise there seeing as he was a former champion. The next one really shocked the individual as he didn't expect he placed so highly, it was none other Isaac. To Isaac it felt like time was slowing down as he took a moment to register what had happened. While he was trying to sort his thoughts, his friends congratulated him on making it to the finals in his very first official tournament. The person to follow after Isaac was Applejack who also had a decent win-lose ratio. The next two people were acknowledged and their portraits were shown, now all that was left was the eighth and final duelist. Ultimately, about half of the group would be completing in the finals as they looked to take down Sunset. That was until the final portrait was shown as it was a surprise no one saw coming. The final duelist would be: Fluttershy. The crowd went bonkers and Fluttershy was left standing still as her friends congratulated her for making it. Out of everybody to place, Fluttershy had secured the last spot and was moving onto the next round of the event to take on Sunset.
Celestia then got back on the microphone and addressed the students competing in the finals. "Now that we've selected our competitors, it's time to see who they will be facing. Now I advise everybody to direct their attention back to the screen as it will randomly selected the matchups for the rest of the event."
After a while the screen showed the bracket and the profiles of both the duelist and who they would be facing. In the first duel of the quarterfinals, it was Sunset against Flash. The second and third consisted of Dash and Aj each taking on the students who placed 6th and 7th, respectively. Which meant the final duel of the quarterfinals round pitted Isaac vs Fluttershy. To say that both were heartbroken was an understatement. Despite them both reaching the end, it seems it couldn't be helped as they were slated to face each other. Both knew that they wanted to take down Sunset, but only one of them could win and advance. Overall, the sadness was starting to form because one person's dreams was about to end. Would Fluttershy's story continue to grow, or would it be Isaac to crush his friends dreams and end her hopes?