//------------------------------//
// Chapter 4 - Gimmicky Plays 
// Story: Ranking Up to Infinity 
// by Mona_Chromatic 
//------------------------------//

"Brother?" Trixie's eyes widened at the word. "Mona, you never told me you had a sister!"

Hitch's eyes were wide in shock as well, though not for the same reason. He tilted his head, staring at the girl until he was sure, then stammered:

"H-hey, wait a moment!" He pointed at the newcomer. "Y-You're Tempest Shadow!"

There was a collective murmur among the people huddled up in the bleachers. The noise was cut short when Tempest gave a harsh glare at the onlookers, who were silent almost immediately.

Trixie was a bit slower to catch on. "Tempest Shadow.... hmmm..." she thought out loud. She snapped her fingers in realization. "Oh yeah! I remember hearing about you! You won 4 World Cups before the one in 2016, when you lost to some guy in the first rou-"

It was at this point she noticed Mona shaking his head and motioning for her to stop talking. She awkwardly rubbed the back of her neck and chuckled nervously. "......Welcome aboard?"

The sound of a palm hitting the owner's forehead echoed throughout the gym.

Tempest changed her attention towards her brother. "You know, I was going to let you off the hook for sneaking out like this, but the fact you went out of your way to join these losers is what angers me to no end."

"Hey!" Trixie interjected, but Tempest had already grabbed her brother's wrist.

"Not only that, but you also weren't even maximizing your deck's potential. You don't deserve to be playing around with so many amateurish mistakes."

Mona was dead silent throughout all of this. He made no sign of resistance while being pulled away, and looked back at the crowd, almost in shame. The two were stopped, when a figure was suddenly standing in the way of the door.

Maud crossed her arms, blocking the exit. Her expression was as plain as always, but there was no hint her budging. Tempest growled, staring her down.

"You got a problem, buddy?"

".... Let him go," Maud stated simply. Again, there was no hint of emotion in the tone, but the intent was perfectly clear. Tempest almost threw her brother's hand away in anger and walked right up to her face. Maud unflinchingly stood still.

"Listen here, miss," Tempest fumed. "I don't know who you think you are, but I know you don't get what makes a good duelist. I do. And I'm not going to let my brother here turn into some third-rate duelist with a second-rate deck. So back off, and we won't have any problems."

"... You think you're a duelist?" Maud asked, half-sarcastically. There was a rising "ooooohh" sound from the bleachers, before Tempest's glare silenced them again.

"... Prove it," Maud reached for her own grey-and-violet tinted duel disk, strapped around her belt. She slipped it on, with her deck already set, and raised it in ready position.

Tempest's frown slowly grew to a smile, though Hitch and Trixie thought it looked almost like a sneer, and rolled up her sleeve. A black arm brace was wrapped around her arm, with a small black screen attached on the outside. It hummed to life and glowed brightly, and under the screen, several deck slot components slid out, transforming the brace into a sleek duel disk with a shape resembling that of a blade. She pulled out her own deck, and slid it into the compartment.

"Fine. But let's make this interesting," said Tempest slyly. Trixie, Mona, and Hitch had made their way to the bleachers, and the others once again took their seats, in preparation for duel.

Walking up to the end of the duel field, Tempest pointed at Maud. "If I lose this, Mona can stay. Heck, I'll even join you if you can show me that you're worth my time. BUT," and here, there was no doubt that her smile was a sneer. "If I win, not only will I make sure Mona doesn't get wrapped up in your antics, I'm also taking your best card!"

The uproar among the bleachers was tremendous. There were students and adults alike, booing at the idea. Trixie gasped and covered her mouth. A bead of cold sweat rolled down Hitch's forehead. Mona spoke up.

"Maud, you don't have to do this! I'll go, Tempest, if you will just -" He was cut off when Maud raised her hand, silencing the crowd while keeping her vision on Tempest.

".....I accept your conditions," Maud said, unhesitatingly. Mona sat down on the bleachers, almost unable to look away from the battle about to ensue.

"Why  ..." muttered Mona. Hitch picked up on this, and answered.

"Its cause that's who she is. It doesn't matter how long she's known someone, Maud's gonna stick up for them if she thinks their good, and stand against anyone she knows isn't. And trust me," Hitch chuckled ", her judgement of character is pretty spot on all the time."

"She's so cool..." Trixie sighed dreamily, staring at her friend. Her attitude had changed from fear to complete infatuation in a heartbeat. Mona and Hitch turned to look at her, confused and appalled.

"That's creepy, Trixie," Hitch shook his head.

The duel field hummed to life again, the duel disks were glowing, and the two girls drew from their decks.

"DUEL!"

Maud's LP -----> 8000
Tempest's LP -----> 8000

"I'll take the first move." Maud set her fingers on one  card, and placed it on her field.

"I'll normal summon Chronomaly Nebra Disk!" (LEVEL 4, 1800/1500)

A large green stone rose up from ground. It was round, almost a perfect oval, but was flat like a river stone. Embedded within and around it was a series of shimmering green lights. It made no sound outside of a continuous hum that droned in the air.

"When he's summoned, I can add one 'Chronomally' card from my deck to the hand." A card jutted our from Maud's deck, and she slipped it our and placed it on her duel disk. "I'll activate that card now: Chronomaly Temple - Trilithon!"

A set of Greek-style stone arches rose behind Maud, and her feet rose from the ground as she was elevated by the rising white marble platform beneath her feet.

"With this continuous spell, once per turn, at the cost of 500 Life points, I can normal summon another Chronomaly card from my hand this turn. The card I'll summon is Chronomaly Gordian Knot!"(LEVEL 3, 300/900)

Maud's LP: 8000 -----> 7500
A brown cluster of stone rose from the ground, forming into a balled up clump wrapped in coarse rope, with fibers sticking out through the gaps.

"When its summoned, I can special summon another Chronomaly from my hand, and Gordian Knot's level becomes the same as that monster's. I'll summon Chronomaly Golden Jet."(LEVEL 4, 1300/1400)
Chronomaly Gordian Knot (LEVEL 3 -> LEVEL 4)

A small floating apparition with the shape and look of a model plane descended onto the field, creating a mechanical hum, similar to the stone. It gleamed with the layer of shining gold surrounding it, almost to a blinding degree. Mona found himself squinting as he thought to himself, "Level modulation, multiple monsters on field...... oh no...."

"Next," continued Maud "since I activated a Chronomaly spell card this turn, I can special summon Chronomaly Aztec Mask Golem from my hand." (LEVEL 4, 1500/1000)

A red, stone hand shot out of the ground, and a full suit of red rock and stone climbed out of the marble floor, revealing the mechanical systems underneath the earthly armor.

"Here's where the fun begins!" Trixie pumped her fist in excitement.

"I'll overlay my Level 4 Chronomaly Gordian Knot and Chronomaly Nebra Disk. I'll XYZ summon!"

A shimmering black swirling of stars expanded beneath Maud's feet, growing to cover her entire field. The round stone and the roped cluster shrank into dense, bright orbs, before being sucked into the swirling pool. The two exploded in a bright light. On the back of her hand, in bright blue, the number "36" appeared like a glow-in -the-dark tattoo, as Maud chanted:

"Flying dome of the past, now in present, lend me your aid! Number 36: Chronomaly Chateau Huyuk!"(RANK 4, 2000/2500)

A giant, blue ball descended from the ceiling, overshadowing the bleachers. The onlookers raised their eyes, and could not see through the harsh glow of blue. Maud was unaffected by it, and Tempest looked at the floating structure with unwavering eyes. Hidden behind the blue shell, was a rock, conical in shape and pointed downwards. Looking closely, she could make out what seemed to be the ancient ruins of time period long ago. The grey buildings were collapsed and tumbled, and the ones that stood were missing walls, roofs, or both.

Trixie cheered on her friend, while Hitch turned to look at Mona, expecting to see a look of amazement or awe. Instead, Mona's face was laden with shock and fear so thick, Hitch almost lept back in fright.

"What's wrong?"

"You didn't tell me she was a Number user..." Mona spoke quietly, his eyes still transfixed on the mass. "No, no, no..."
Hitch was ready to ask for and explanation, when Maud's voice cut him off.

"I'll now activate the effect of Golden Jet. I can raise the level of all Chronomaly monsters on my field by one, including itself."

A soft glow came from the plane, showering the golem that remained on the ground.
Chronomaly Golden Jet (LEVEL 4 -> LEVEL 5)
Chronomaly Aztec Mask Golem (LEVEL 4 -> LEVEL 5)

"I'll overlay my two level 5 Chronomalies, and I'll XYZ summon again!"

The swirling stars shone once more, the two machines collapsed into orbs, and the blinding light exploded again.

"The flying city overlooking the world, help me now! Come forth, Chronomaly Vimana!"(RANK 5, 2300/2600)

The ground shook at arrival of an even larger cone of rock, descending from the ceiling. The radius was larger, and it was taller too. There was no shell around it, and instead of a housing the ruins of a city, set upon it's top was a giant, escalating tower, narrower on the top and layered with levels of thick, eroded walls. The shadow was covering the rest of the field, shrouding the whole stadium, and only illuminated by the bright blue light of Chateau Huyuk.

"I'll end my turn with that. It's your turn," declared Maud. The onlookers cheered, with Trixie leading the chats with "Go, Maud!" Hitch was ready to join in when Mona slumped down despairingly.

"She never stood a chance...."
"See, Mona?" said Hitch. "Maud's a fantastic duelist. It'll take more than empty threats to take her down. There was nothing to worry about!"
".... That's not who I was talking about." 

The cheers were cut short by the laugher of Tempest Shadow, who clutched her stomach and head as she cackled. The echoing sound resonated with the hearts of every other person there. A dark fear began to settle in. Even Maud took a small step back from the sound.

"A Number Monster?" Tempest laughed, drawing a card from her deck. "Oh, I'm gonna enjoy destroying you more than I thought! MY TURN!"

She glanced at the card she drew, and smiled with a gleam in her eye. "One-turn-kill..." she whispered.

"What?" Hitch's eyes were wide open at the words. Tempest twirled the card in her fingers, eyeing Maud like how a cat stares at an unsuspecting mouse.

"You're counting on Vimana's negation effect to stop me, right?" Tempest asked slyly.

"She read my card?"

"Then I'll deal with that first! From my hand, I activate a trap! Infinite Impertinence!"

The twirling stopped, and the card appeared on the field. Emerging from it was a sleek, mechanical dragon-like device that launched into the air, towards Vimana. It burrowed it's way through the crust, disappearing into the rock. Vimana's color began to fade away, and Maud watched as the tower began to crumble slightly.

"HANG ON!" Trixie yelled. "You can't activate a trap directly from your hand! That's illegal!"

"She can with that card," explained Mona. "Infinite Impertinence allows the user to activate it from their hand if the owner has no cards on their field. It can negate all the effects of one monster the opponent controls, until the end of the turn."

"I think she already knows that, brother," called Tempest. Maud winced as Tempest played her next card.

"I'll now discard one card from my hand to special summon this little thing! Gimmick Puppet Bisque Doll!" (LEVEL 8, 1000/1000)

A pale marionette doll descended slowly on a set of strings that hung in the air, clicking as it did. It was covered head to toe in a black veil, and a dark sludge seemed to be leaking out of its left eye.

Hitch gave a scream, much to Mona's surprise, and ducked behind the grey boy. Mona stared at Hitch, then at Trixie, then back at Hitch in confusion. "Umm....do you mind?"

"Oh, he'll be fine," said Trixie, shrugging him off. "Hitch here is scared of dolls."

"I MEAN LOOK AT IT!" screamed Hitch, much to Mona's chagrin. "NO CHILD SHOULD EVER HAVE TO TOUCH SOMETHING THAT HORRIFIC!"

"Hey, don't say that," said Tempest, eyeing Hitch from the field. "She's sensitive about her looks."

The doll's head creaked and hung low, as if it were sad and sulking.

"For my next play," Tempest continued. "Since I control a Gimmick Puppet and you control a monster, I can special summon Gimmick Puppet Magnet Doll from my hand!" (LEVEL 8, 1000/1000)

A metal mannequin clattered onto the field, laying limp. A series of bar magnets were sticking out of it's "bones", and the puppet suddenly became stiff, and stood straight with great speed. Hitch gave a small whimper as he stared on.

"Two level eights? She uses XYZ summoning, too?" Trixie though out loud.

"I overlay my level 8 Bisque Doll and Level 8 Magnet Doll! I XYZ SUMMON!" declared Tempest. Now the swirl of stars appeared beneath her feet, and the dolls shot into the air and back into the hole like beams of energy. The bright red number "15" shone on the back of Tempest's hand, as she cackled.

Trixie couldn't believe her eyes. "No way...."

"Let rise, puppet master of the dark world! Pull and control the strings of life and death, and sever your foes from the hope of seeing the light of day! NUMBER 15, GIMMICK PUPPET GIANT GRINDER!"(Rank 8, 1500/2500)

A colossal metal puppet rose from the black pit. The visage was that of a man, though there was nothing human about it. It sat upright, arms outstretched and held by a set of strings that raised them through a series of pulleys, reaching all the way around the back. The entire thing appeared to be covered in a black metal layer, except for it's piercing yellow eyes, and red metal cap on the dome of it's head.

Maud gulped as the machine hummed to life.
"Giant Grinder's effect," declared Tempest, "allows me to, twice per turn, destroy one specially summoned monster my opponent controls, at the cost of one overlay unit!"

One of the floating balls of energy that was encircling the monster was suddenly absorbed through the chest of the titan. It opened up, revealing a hole surrounded with grinding sharp gears and screws, ready to grind anything foolish enough to mincemeat.

"I'll start with Chateau Huyuk!" declared Tempest. Two long sets of thick, coarse wire shot from the chest cavity and latched themselves around the blue sphere. The machine roared to life, and began pulling the entire structure towards the approaching doll.

"I've got no choice.... I activate Chateau Huyuk's effect!" declared Maud. The giant structure began to glow, and a blue aura began to descend upon the puppet. "By detaching one overlay unit, I reduce your monster's attack points down to zero!"

(Gimmick Puppet Giant Grinder: 1500 ---> 0)

"It won't change a thing! Turn her monster to powder, Giant Grinder!" exclaimed Tempest.

The sound of stone being crushed by metal was deafening. Trixie and the others covered their ears, and in a horrific display, the unwavering eyes of the puppet stared down the ruins it was annihilating with utter indifference. When the dust cleared, the city was gone, and only a small pebble feel from the chest cavity on the ground.

"No way..." someone from the bleachers muttered.
"Just like that?" said another voice.
"I don't like where this is going," said Hitch.

"Oh you thought that was it? Here's the real meat of things!" Tempest laughed pointing up at the puppet. From the cavity, a series of metal plates moved about, and with a swift motion, a large cannon was revealed behind the gears. It extended forwards like a telescope, pointing directly at Maud.

"Since the monster destroyed by Giant Grinder's effect was an XYZs monster," Tempest declared, "you'll take damage equal to that monster's attack points!"

"WHAT?" came the unanimous reply. With a deafening boom and a flash of the muzzle, the cannon fired a beam of light directly at the girl, sending her careening through the air. When the dust cleared, Maud had dropped her card in hand, and was leaning against the wall of the gym.

Maud's LP: 7500-----> 5500

"MAUD!" cried Trixie desparingly.

"OH, WE'RE NOT DONE!" declared Tempest. "I said I was gonna enjoy this, and enjoy this I shall! I activate Giant Grinder's effect a second time! This time, you can say bye-bye to Vimana!"

And the process began again. The onlooking crowd could only stare in horror as the puppet turned the towering structure to rubble, load the the cannon, and with a thundering boom, blast poor Maud across the floor. She was now lying face-flat on the ground. Her skirt and dress were dirty, and she coughed as she rose from the ground shakily.

"STOP! PLEASE!" There were now tears rolling down Trixie's cheek, as she watched her friend unsteadily make her way back to her side of the field.

Maud's LP: 5500-----> 3200

Tempest was laughing like there was no tomorrow. It was almost a howling sort of laugh, and it sickened Mona to his core.

"LEAVE HER ALONE, TEMPEST!" He yelled.

Tempest's laugher slowly died down, and she played her next card. "I think it's time to end this...." 

"I activate Dreary Doll's effect in my graveyard! Once per turn, I can banish another Gimmick puppet in my graveyard to summon her!" (Level 8, 0/0)

A black box with an untied red ribbon arose from the ground. Its lid burst open as the well-dressed, tidy doll sat upright, its skin gleaming in the air like porcelain.

"And for my normal summon, I'll summon Gimmick Puppet Gear Changer from my hand!" (Level 1, 0/0)

A long pole rose from the ground, cluttered with gears on its axis and floating around it. A single lever was set at the top of the system, operated by a mechanical arm that came from the middle of the pole itself.

"Gear Changer's effect allows me to change its level to that of another Gimmick Puppet on the field. And guess who that is?" Tempest taunted in a sing-song voice.

Gimmick Puppet Gear Changer (LEVEL 1 -> LEVEL 8)

"Another XYZ summon?" Hitch was bewildered as the swirling stars appeared again.

"I BUILD THE OVERLAY NETWORK! XYZ SUMMON!" Tempest called. A bright red number "40" appeared on the palm of her other hand.

"Oh puppet who controls the strings of fate! Lead these fools into their doom, and shatter their heats with your blade that brings despair! COME, NUMBER 40, GIMMICK PUPPET OF STRINGS!"(Rank 8, 3000/2500)

A giant figure rose above the sitting puppet, towering over Maud and the onlookers. This puppet had the face of a man, like the other, but it that metal plates angled and shaped to have the appearance of hair that covered it's right eye. It was all black like the first, but stood upright, with a shoulder that exploded into a metal frame with string tied in between. The strings gave the appearance that the shoulder was like a harp, but no harp could be played with the giant cleaver it held in its right hand.

"I activate Gimmick Puppet of String's effect! With one overlay unit, I can place a string counter on every other monster on the field!" declared Tempest. The giant figure began to strum the strings on its shoulder, sending our coarse notes through the air. A string shot out and latched itself onto the giant grinder.

"And now - urk!" Tempest suddenly fell down on one knee, gasping for breath. One of the cards in her hand was glowing ominously and pulsated with every second. Tempest gripped her free hand, and played the card on her duel disk.

"Witness the power of a 'real' duelist! I activate the spell card, Rank-up Magic Barian's Force!" she cried out. There was a slight hint of pain in her voice.

The giant figure began to morph, changing as the hair shone from green and red to a desert yellow, and from its back sprouted giant spikes with joints every meter that cause them to bend and curve like spider limbs. The black metal was now a deep violet, and the harp began shifting to the other side of the body. The sword grew longer, and the tip became red.

As this was happening, Tempest rubbed her forehead in pain, before snapping back to reality, and declaring her play. "With this card, I can take one XYZs monster and evolve it, raising its rank by one and making it even stronger!"

The transformation was complete, and the machine man, for the first time, roared in victory.
"Break this world in two! Spread discourse among the people and eradicate hope from thier lives! COME, CHAOS NUMBER 40, GIMMICK PUPPET OF DARK STRINGS!"(Rank 9, 3000/2500)

Hitch took as step back. "W-what is going on?"
Mona shook his head regretfully. "I tried to warn you..." he said, tugging his hair. "Tempest is not like you. She's not dueling for the fun of it. She lives for making people squirm, before squashing them out."
Hitch looked on in horror, as Mona's eyes began to water. Trixie's mouth was covered in shock and despair, as Tempest pointed at Maud, who was on her own knees now.

"Dark String's effect triggers upon being summoned! I destroy every monster on the field with a string counter, and you take damage equal to the attack points of the monster with the highest attack among the ones destroyed by this effect!"

The puppet raised its blade, bringing it down on the string attached to the giant grinder. Almost like a grenade pin being pulled, after a brief pause, the sitting puppet exploded, sending shrapnel in every direction. A few whizzed over Trixie's head, a few caused the people in the bleachers to abandon their seats, and one cut past Maud's leg.

She covered the scratch, wincing in pain. "Something's not right", Maud thought to herself. "There's no way this is real. This is a simulation. So why does it hurt so much?"

Maud's LP: 3200 -----> 1700

"This duel is over!" Tempest laughed again, raising her arm in triumph. She brought it down as she declared: "GIMMICK PUPPET OF DARK STRINGS! FINISH HER FOR GOOD! MELODIC MAYHEM!"

The puppet raised its sword, and with one fell motion, slammed it with a force that shook the earth, right down on Maud. Trixie's world slowed down as, through her tears and the dust being kicked up, she saw her friend fly through the air, and land on her back. Maud's eyes were closed, and she laid still as the field began to fade.

Maud's LP: 1700 ---> 0



Victory: Tempest