The Cyberse Tournament continues and in three different areas, three different challenges were currently being faced.
There was the Labyrinth Duel, where Flash and Spike had to defeat The Paradox Brothers in order to continue to the next round. There was the Battle Royale, where Fizzlepop, Gallus, Smolder and Yona faced off against one another to determine which opponent they faced next. And there was the Duel puzzle, with Fluttershy and Scootaloo currently stumped on how to overcome it.
And watching the whole thing were the people all around the world, along with those that had already been eliminated from the tournament.
Sunset and the others were sitting in the comfy chairs, watching as they snacked on delicious treats and watched the many Duels going on at that moment.
In the Battle Royale, Fizzlepop and Smolder were still reeling from losing both their monsters and their face downs. if things didn't change for them soon, they were going to end up losing this four way duel.
Adagio: "Yona's in a good spot now. Despite having the least Life Points, she now has an open field to attack against Fizzlepop or Smolder."
"Yona draw!" The girl did so and smiled. "Yona summon Berserking Forger, ATK Mode." The viking blacksmith appeared, holding a small hammer in hand. (A1000/D1000/L3) "Attack Fizzlepop!" The man flew down and slammed his hammer into Fizzlepop's pod, causing her to go flying up.
Yona: 2900
Gallus: 3500
Smolder: 3500
Fizzlepop: 2500
"Yona place one card face down and end turn."
Fizzlepop panted as the pod stopped moving, the woman taking a deep breath as she tried to make a new plan of attack. She couldn't let this sudden upset throw her off. Not if she wanted to win. "I got this."
Back with the Labyrinth Duel, the Paradox Brothers were still in shock.
Para had ended his turn, not even bothering to summon a monster. If Razor Claw Fiend was really all he had, he was either in a serious situation or holding back cards to use in case Dox needed help. "It's my turn." Spike drew a card and smiled. "And thanks to Effort Dragon's Ability, he gains a Level during each of my Standby Phases." Sure enough, the little purple dragon suddenly glowed.
It grew larger and gained a pair of wings, making it look rather powerful. "And since his Level also decides his ATK and DEF, that gets boosted too." (A1600/D1600/L4)
Flash looked impressed, having never seen that monster before. "If he can keep it on the field long enough, that monster's ATK could increase all the way to forty eight hundred."
"Next," Spike placed another card on the field, "my Drag-Blader!" In a burst of fire, the dragon swordsman appeared beside Effort Dragon. (A1800/D1200/L4) "I'll move him and Effort Dragon forward, four spaces, then put them both in ATK mode." The pair moved forward and joined Starbreak Dragon, the three Level Four monsters standing ready to fight anything.
Sonata. "Amazing. All together, these three monsters have over four thousand ATK points. Nothing the Paradox Brothers have is gonna be able to break through that."
Para smirked. "It doesn't matter, if your forces are one or many. Because soon..."
"There won't be any," Dox drew his card and instantly played it. "Mega Drill. This Equip Spell will boost the power of my Labyrinth Heavy Tank by one thousand!" The tanks drill glowed as it was replaced by another, longer, drill that had spikes on it. (A3400/D2400/L7) "I advance the Labyrinth Tank forward seven spaces." The machine rolled through the maze, "Dungeon Scout follows him right behind."
"So what?" Spike asked. "That's still not enough to beat our monsters."
"That's why I'm activating the Trap I played last turn," Dox flipped it over. "Landmine Spider. With this, several random sections of the maze will be imbued with a spider symbol. If a monster should land on that space, they'll summon the mighty Jirai Gumo to the field."
"Not good," Flash frowned as Dox ended his turn. "I draw." His frown turned to a smile. "Magna Caster, Lunara!" The other Pendulum Zone lit up, as the Spellcaster appeared within it. "Cut through space time and carve the arc of victory!" He cried, as the portal formed above the battlefield. "I PENDULUM SUMMON!"
The portal opened and a single light shot out of it, which struck the ground and exploded to reveal a monster many hadn't seen in a long time. "Shine your Light of victory, Flash Heart Dragon!" (A2500/D2000/L7/P4)
"Huh," Spike smirked, seeing Flash's ace in its original form. "You decide to go old school?"
"You know it," Flash nodded as he pointed towards the Paradox Brothers. "Flash Heart's skill. Since he was Special Summoned, the weakest monster on your field is sent to the bottom of your deck." A portal opened beneath Dungeon Scout and the monster fell into it. "Now, Flash Heart. Move five spaces forward and protect our other monsters." The robotic dragon's wheel caused it to race forward, the beast then leaping over the other three and standing protectively in front of them. "I place a card face down and end my turn."
Sonata: "Flash and Spike have certainly got faith in their combined power. Despite this appearing to be their first Tag Duel, the pair are working together brilliantly."
Spike smiled. "Alright. With Flash Heart up front and our three monsters together behind them, nothing's gonna stop us."
"Yup," Flash nodded, "strength in numbers. That's something I've always believed in. And with it, we'll get out of this murderous maze."
"We shall see about that," Para drew his card and smiled.
Dox shared this smile, the other two frowning. "What?" Spike asked, "what's got you so happy?"
"A Spell Card," Para stated. "One that's cause for celebration." He quickly activated it, as the walls started glowing. "Magical Labyrinth!" Flash and Spike watched, then gasped when some of the walls suddenly vanished into the ground. Then, new walls sprouted out in different areas.
"What the heck?" Trixie asked, "what are they doing?"
"They're changing the maze," Silverstream gasped. "And that changes the whole game!" And sure enough, a wall popped up behind Flash Heart Dragon. Said wall, now separated it from the other three monsters. It boxed him in, trapping him inside a pathway that would take forever to move around.
"That's not good," Sunset gulped.
"Our guys are cut off from one another," Spike yelled. Para and Dox laughed, whilst Spike looked worried. "Our strategy's blown."
"It's okay," Flash assured him. "Nothing ever goes as planned. We can't let them throw us off our game. If one strategy doesn't work, we'll just use another." Spike nodded, seeing his point.
As Para ended his turn, Spike drew his card whilst Effort Dragon glowed. "Since it's my turn, my little buddy grows up a bit." The light faded, revealing a larger version of the winged monster. He almost appeared buff, like a body builder or something. (A2000/D2000/L5) "Now, I'll move him forward four spaces."
Everyone watched as the dragon stepped forward, turning a corner around a wall. But as he did, the ground suddenly started glowing and Flash gasped. "Spike, wait!"
"Too late!" Dox roared, as a card materialised in his hands. "He activated my trap!" He slapped the card down and from out of the light, a giant brown spider shot out. "Jirai Gumo!" (A2200/D100/L4)
The giant spider attacked Effort Dragon, the pair struggling against one another. "Fend him off!" Spike cried, but his monster wasn't strong enough.
"Looks like all that effort's gone to waste," Dox joked as the dragon was destroyed. Spike growled, as their Life Points dropped.
Flash+Spike: 3300
Paradox Brothers: 3400
Sonata: "Spike and Flash have once again fallen behind, taken by surprise by the Brother's Paradox."
Para smiled. "Good Trap, my brother."
"That's just the beginning," Dox stated as he drew his card and smiled. "I activate the Spell card, Star Surge!" Labyrinth Heavy Tank then began to glow. "This Equip Card increases the level of a monster on my field by a maximum of five. (A3400/2400/L12)
"Level Twelve!" Flash gasped, as the tank began to move through the field. Thanks to the Magical Labyrinth, Starbreak and Drag-Blader were exactly twelve spaces from the tank's location. Jirai Gumo stuck to the walls, allowing the tank to fly past as it charged around the corner.
"Attack those two and destroy them!" The drill started spinning faster, as it charged forward.
Sonata "With only the two together, their ATK power won't be enough to protect them from the tank's Mega Drill. This might be the end for those two."
The drill slammed into them and a blast of smoke filled the air, the Paradox Brothers smirking. But as the smoke began to fade, it revealed something that shocked.
Standing there, holding the drill and stopping it from spinning, was Flash Heart Dragon. The mechanical monster stood protective of Drag-Blader, whilst everyone else was shocked. "How?" Dox asked, looking over at where Flash Heart had previously been. And to his amazement, Starbreak Dragon was standing there inside. "They switched places?"
"That's right," Flash told him before holding up a card he had had face down. "My Shift Trap activated when you declared an attack. Normally, it would simply shift the target of the attack to another monster. But I had a feeling in a Labyrinth Duel, it'd shift the locations of my monsters instead."
Sonata: "Amazing. Flash not only saved his and Spike's monsters, he was able to move his dragon to a more favourable location. Together, Flash Heart and Drag-Blader's ATK strength is forty three hundred!"
Flash Heart grabbed part of the tank and threw it into the air, as Drag-Blader leapt up with his sword bursting into flames. With a single swing, the sword cut through the metal like a hot knife through butter. And when he landed, it exploded.
Flash+Spike: 3300
Paradox Brothers: 2500
"Booyah!" Flash smirked, "now that's how we do it."
"Oh yeah," Spike nodded as the Paradox Brothers growled. "Take that, you twisted twins." Dox glared at him and quickly switched Jirai Gumo to DEF mode before ending his turn.
"YEAH!" Sandbar cheered, the others applauding as well. it appeared Flash and Spike had the two on the run.
"This Duel is far from over," Wallflower pointed out. "Like Sunset said before. Twilight probably programmed them with a bunch more tricks. If those two don't keep their guard up...they're gonna find themselves up a creek without a paddle."
"She's right," Sunset nodded. "And then there's the others." They looked over at the other two screens, as the events there continued to play out.
Adagio: "Fizzlepop better summon something. If she doesn't, she might find herself getting a bunch of direct attacks thrown right at her."
"Alright." Fizzlepop placed her hand on her deck. "Let's see what we've got." She drew her card and nodded. "I play Graceful Charity." She drew another three cards, nodding as she quickly discarded two before summoning another monster. "I summon Storm Guard Liberator, Sword, In ATK mode!" A blast of thunder appeared in front of her and revealed the sword wielding ape. (A1500/D1200/L4) "Skill of Sword!" She looked at the top three cards of her deck, one of which she added to her hand.
Smolder frowned, as she watched Fizzlepop turn towards her. "Oh geez." Sure enough, Fizzlepop ordered an attack and the monster flew down. It quickly slashed her pod, making her cry out as sent upwards.
Yona: 2900
Gallus: 3500
Smolder: 2000
Fizzlepop: 2500
"Not cool," Smolder growled as she looked down. She was now in last place, whilst Gallus had barely taken any damage. And if Yona lost her monsters, she would just summon Destroyer again and wipe the board.
"I place two cards face down and end my turn," Fizzlepop announced.
"Come on," Smolder reached for her deck. "Give me something good!" She drew her card and smiled when she saw it. "I'll take it. Go, Fusion Recovery!" She reached for her Graveyard and picked up Rock Dragon Brawler and Polymerization.
Adagio: "Smolder has the cards she needs to Fusion Summon. But what monster will she create?"
"I play Polymerization!" She cried, as the portal formed above her. Her Rock and Spark Dragon Brawlers then appeared before getting sucked into the portal. "The brutal forces of earth and lightning, will now merge to become an even greater force." A figure appeared in the light before it exploded, "I FUSION SUMMON!"
The light faded and revealed a tall muscular man, wearing metal dragon themed armor. Alongside the normal dragon heads, metal spikes also stuck out of his armor on his upper arms, lower legs, back and chest. They looked sharp enough to cut through anything. "Steel Dragon Brawler!" (A2600/D1800/L7)
"That looks pretty strong." Fizzlepop frowned, as she wondered which monster Smolder would attack.
She got her answer, when Smolder pointed at Gallus. "Now, attack Blader of Great Skill!" The brawler shot downwards, his metal fist pulled back ready to crush Gallus' monster.
"Go," Gallus' face down flipped around, "Negate Attack!" A barrier appeared around his monster, but Fizzlepop smirked.
"I don't think so," she discarded a card as her face down flipped around. "Trap Jammer!" Her Trap unleashed a burst of light, which caused Gallus' Trap to spark before exploding.
Adagio: "Oh! I did not see that coming. Fizzlepop sabotaging Gallus to let Smolder continue her attack. That's what Battle Royales are all about."
Steel Dragon Brawler punched Blade of Great Skill, causing the knight to explode and dealing serious damage to Gallus. "Augh!" he cried, his pod flying up and stopping once it was Level with Smolder. "Stupid Piercing Damage."
Yona: 2900
Gallus: 2000
Smolder: 2000
Fizzlepop: 2500
Smolder smirked before placing a card face down. "I end my turn."
Gallus quickly reached for his deck. "My draw!" He did so and quickly played a card. "Starburst Reload!" The ghostly image of Lion Beast Warrior appeared before being sucked into a portal, allowing Gallus to draw four cards. "I summon Gold Paladin, Double-Edge Fenrir, in ATK mode!" In a flash of light, a large blue wolf appeared. In its mouth was a double-edged sword. (A1600/D1400/L4) "Since I have at least three Gold Paladins in my Graveyard, Fenrir gains an extra four hundred ATK points. (A2000/D1400/L4) "Attack!"
Fizzlepop watched as the wolf flew down, flying towards her monster and slashing at it. Storm Guard Sword was quickly destroyed, forcing Fizzlepop to go higher as her Life Points dropped.
Yona: 2900
Gallus: 2000
Smolder: 2000
Fizzlepop: 2000
The three found themselves in a familiar position, being at the same spot whilst Yona looked up at them from below. "I place a card face down and end my turn."
Over at the Duel Puzzle, Fluttershy and Scootaloo had tried several attempts to overcome the robot's strategy.
Scootaloo was once again attempting to defeat the robot, having summoned her Robotic Knight and sacrificed it to increase her Life Points with Mystic Wok. "Jinzo, attack now!" The cyborg monster built up its power and was about to attack, Scootaloo smirking. "Now, I activate Limiter Removal." The Quick-Play Spell card spun around, but the Robot then reacted.
"Activate, Shrink!" The Spell flipped up and Jinzo suddenly got smaller. (A1200/D1500/L6) Moments later, Limiter Removal activated and returned it to its normal ATK points. (A2400/D1500/L6) Jinzo fired, but Black Metal Dragon fired back. The two attacks clashed, with Scootaloo's monster losing the tussle and getting destroyed. Thanks to Cyber Mystic Wok, she survived.
Scootaloo then smirked. "I activate, my Ultimate Offering!" Her Trap flipped up, Scootaloo thinking she had this down.
But before she could summon her MechanicalChaser, the Robot spoke. "Activate, Emergency Magic." Its Trap flipped up, Scootaloo frowning. "Now drawing." The card was lifted up and spun around, revealing The Dark Door. "Now activating Spell Card. The Dark Door."
As the Spell Card appeared, Scootaloo's monster was summoned. But it didn't matter now. "Aw, man!" She groaned, unable to attack. "I end my turn." Her Life Points dropped, as she fell to the ground. "I don't get this!"
Fluttershy was also wondering what they were doing wrong. She knew that every card had a reason for being there. It wasn't a matter of playing the right card. It was a matter of playing all the cards at the right time.
She looked over at her opponent's monster. Black Metal Dragon was a powerful monster. One not so easily vanquished. No matter what they did, there wasn't a way to attack it and deal enough damage to defeat the opponent in a single hit. They use Limiter Removal, the opponent uses Shrink on the attacking monster. They use Mystical Wok to sacrifice a monster, they still couldn't deal enough damage to beat the opponent in a single turn.
"What are we missing?" Fluttershy asked, as her eyes shifted from one card to the next. Then, her eyes landed on one card in particular. One they hadn't used yet. That might be the key. But which way did it need to be used.
She closed her eyes and slowly put the pieces together, figuring out which card needed to be used when. Then, she gasped as a burst of inspiration struck her. "I think I have it." Scootaloo turned to her, as Fluttershy stepped forward. "I know how to win."
"You do?" Scootaloo asked, as Fluttershy's name appeared above the Life Points.
Robot: 1100
Fluttershy: 100
"First, I'll use Upstart Goblin!" The Spell Card activated, allowing her to draw Cyber Dragon to her hand whilst increasing the Life Points of her opponent.
Robot: 2100
Fluttershy: 100
"Then, I'll use Mystic Wok in order to sacrifice Jinzo and increase my Life Point by his ATK points." Jinzo vanished, the light he transformed flying into Fluttershy and increasing her Life Points.
Robot: 2100
Fluttershy: 2500
"And with him gone, my Traps are free. So Ultimate Offering will now activate." The card flipped up, as Fluttershy pointed at one of her cards. "Since you have a monster and I don't, I can now Special Summon Cyber Dragon to the field." In a burst of bright light, the giant robotic dragon appeared. (A2100/D1600/L5)
"Nice," Scootaloo cheered. "You show 'em!"
"Now, I summon MechanicalChaser. Then pay five hundred Life Points to summon Robotic Knight." She glowed, as her two monsters appeared on the field beside Cyber Dragon.
Robot: 2100
Fluttershy: 2000
"What's she planning?" Scootaloo asked, since this was exactly what happened with her.
"Activate Trap!" Fluttershy then announced, as her other Trap card flipped up. "Two Pronged Attack!" Both Robotic Knight and MechanicalChaser glowed before getting sucked inside the Trap, which then fired a blast of light that struck Black Metal Dragon and destroyed it. As the monster blew up, Fluttershy activated the last card in her hand. "Go, Limiter Removal!" Cyber Dragon glowed as its power doubled. (A4200/D1600/L5) "Attack!"
The opponent used its Shrink Spell, reverting Cyber Dragon back to its base power. But it wasn't enough to save it.
Cyber Dragon fired a laser at the robot, slamming into it and causing it to explode as its Life Points dropped to zero.
Robot: 0
Fluttershy: 2000 (Winner)
The battlefield burst into digital data and transformed into a large white room, leaving Fluttershy and Scootaloo cheering as they hugged one another. "You did it!" Scootaloo cheered.
"We did it," Fluttershy told her. "Together."
Aria: "Congratulations. You've completed the Duel Puzzle and can now continue on to the next round. Each select a different door and it will take you to one of two possible battlefields and opponents."
At that moment, a door pair of doors opened up in front of them. They both stepped forward and looked through the white voids, wondering where they would lead them. "Which one should we go through?"
"She said we had to select a different door," Fluttershy told her. "this could be an important choice." Scootaloo gave her an odd look. "One of these doors might lead to an opponent I can't beat, whilst the other leads to one I have a shot at winning against. Same for you. If we don't pick the right door, our journey in this tournament ends right now."
"You're right," Scootaloo realised. But then she shook her head. "Whatever. I can't let myself get frozen because of something I don't know." She turned to one of the doors. "I'm going through this door. Whether I win the next round or lose, doesn't matter. This is the path I'm walking."
Fluttershy nodded and turned to her own door, the pair glancing at one another one last time before stepping through the light and into their next battlefield. They had done well to get this far, but whether or not they continued was down to their own choices and skills.
"Not bad," Sunset smiled. That was how she had defeated the robot in her head. As she watched the pair disappear into the light, she wondered how many other Duelists had figured it out.
"That Duel Puzzle actually looked kind of fun," Ocellus smiled. "I hope there are other ones in Link Vrains. Twilight wouldn't have shown it off, if she didn't have a bunch more for us to solve. Right?" The others shrugged, but they had a feeling there was going to be more Duel Puzzle.
As they turned back to the screens, they also thought about the Labyrinth Duel. That style of Dueling actually looked kind of fun. Some of them were already planning on trying it out once they got the chance.
Back in the Labyrinth, Flash began his turn.
"I draw," Flash did so. "And activate, Starburst Reload!" He reached over to his Graveyard and held up Flash Wing Pegasus, then placed it in the Banished Zone before drawing four cards.
Sonata: "Flash is restocking cards, getting everything he needs to try and defeat the two."
"Alright," Flash activated a Spell Card. "Go, Fissure!" Part of the ground began to crack open before Jirai Gumo suddenly fell into it, destroying the beast and leaving the Paradox Brothers with no monsters to attack with. "It's just lucky for you, I can only attack directly if my monster's in your starting zone. So, I'll move Flash Heart forward seven spaces!" The dragon raced through the maze, flying around on his wheel feet before stopping. "Next, I'll summoned Bright Bounce Magna Bunny, in DEF Mode!"
Everyone watched, as a white robotic rabbit appeared on the field and knelt down, its arms crossed in front of it. (A1200/D600/L3/P2)
Para smirked. "You may be leading, but wait and see. The Duel's just getting started, for my brother and me."
"We'll see," Flash smirked. "But every time you've done something to try and get one over on us, Spike and I have managed to overcome it."
"Yeah," Spike nodded. "And we'll handle anything else you guys throw at us."
Dox scoffed at this. "Of yourself, you think too much. Show them, brother, our lucky touch."
Para drew his card and when he saw what it was, a smile appeared on his lips. Flash and Spike didn't like the look of it. And they especially didn't like it, when the portal began to form above the battle field. "Now, I Pendulum Summon!" The portal opened and a light shot out of it, "Sanga of the Thunder!" The light faded to reveal a strange looking monster, which looked like a brown torso with orange around the top, a small round head and a pair of arms. A bunch of spheres were connected to its back by tubes. Its head had the symbol of thunder upon it. (A2600/D2200/L7)
Spike tilted his head. "What is that thing?"
"A legendary monster," Flash replied. "Your sister told me about it, once. It's part of a trinity that can be used to create a powerful monster. The Gate Guardian."
"That doesn't sound good."
Flash smiled at him. "Relax. Gate Guardian might have been powerful when the game was new, but these days the thing is hardly worth anything. Considering how much of a pain it is to get out, it's really not worth it."
In the control room, Twilight was watching and smirked when she heard her husband say that.
"Come on, Flash." She patted her rounded stomach. "You must know I wouldn't try and use such an old monster against you. Oh no. You're gonna have to work for this victory."
"Now," Para summoned another monster, "Defense Wall!" In a flash of light, another monster appeared. It was a giant stone wall, with cable arms and a face. (A0/D2100/L4) "Turn end."
"My turn," Spike drew his card. When he saw what he had, he turned to Flash. The two appeared to be having a silent conversation, Flash eventually nodding.
"Do it."
"Alright!" Spike activated the card. "I play Card Destruction!" The Paradox Brothers gasped. "This card forces us all to ditch the cards in our hands and draw the same number of cards from our decks. So things are about to get interesting." They all discarded their cards and drew new ones. This made Spike smile, since he had gotten the cards he wanted and also got three dragons in the graveyard. "Now," the portal formed above him, "I PENDULUM SUMMON!"
The portal opened and two fireballs shot out of it, hitting the ground and exploding to reveal a pair of Dragons. "Armored Wyvern!" (A1500/D1200/L4)
"And Magna Drago!" (A1400/D600/L2) "Next, I'll use the Pendulum Ability of Magna Leghorn!" The star on the robot chicken's chest glowed, as two stars flew out of it and into Magna Drago's body. "With this, I raise my monsters Level two for this turn. (A1400/D600/L4)
Sonata: "A Level four Tuner Monster, alongside another Level four Monster. We all know what that means!"
Magna Drago leapt into the air, bursting into flames as it did. "Now watch!" Spike cried, as the flames split into four. "As I tune my two monsters together to form an even mightier beast!" The flames carved a quartet of fire circles, which Armored Wyvern leapt up into. "Cast your flames across this battlefield, and burn everything that is weak to ashes!" Everyone watched as his monsters were consumed by an explosion of fire. "I SYNCHRO SUMMON!"
The flames died down to reveal his Synchro Pendulum monster, which was only half the size of a person right now. "Dragonic BLAZELORD!" (A3000/D2000/L8/P4)
"Oh yeah!" Sweetie cheered, Applebloom nodding.
"That's Spike's best card." The others smiled, but Sunset wasn't sure it was such a good thing.
"I think Spike might have gotten a little ahead of himself." The others turned to her, wondering what she meant. "He's still thinking of this like an ordinary Duel. But he's forgotten one of the rules he was told about at the start."
"Alright," Spike cheered. "With Dragonic Blazelord on our field, we've got this Duel nailed. Go, move eight spaces into the maze!" However, this was when the problem arose.
"Err...Spike." Spike turned to Flash, who pointed at his monster. Spike looked down and saw Blazelord, looking down at the smaller entrance into the maze. "I don't think he's gonna fit!"
Spike's eyes went wide. "No...don't tell me!" The Paradox Brothers both laughed.
"Silly boy," Para stated. "Did you not listen, when they said size mattered in this Duel?"
"Your monster's too big," Dox continued. "And now, you look like the fool."
Spike frowned, thinking he had wasted his turn. But one glance at Flash and Spike knew, they could still make this work. "I'll move Drag-Blader four steps closer to the exit and end my turn." The brothers watched, as Flash Heart and Drag-Blader drew closer and closer. Even though Sanga was waiting there, it wouldn't be difficult to power the two up and destroy it.
"Time to test my luck," Dox drew a card and smiled before the portal formed. "Pendulum Summon, GO!" The portal opened before a light flew out and struck the ground. "Suijin!" When the light faded, revealing what appeared to be a triangular blue head. A mouth and eyes were near the bottom, but they were dwarfed by the large cranium. And coming out the sides of its head, were a pair of arms that ended in feet-like claws. The kanji for water was inscribed upon its large forehead. (A2500/D2400/L7)
"Another one," Flash frowned. "That makes two pieces of the Gate Guardian. We need to hurry and stop them before they can summon the last piece."
"Next," Dox placed a card on the field. "I sacrificed the Defense Wall to summon my Whispering Death!" Defense Wall crumble to pieces and from out of the rubble, a long blue snake-like creature appeared. Its body was whip-like and covered in spines. Its head was a huge spherical shape and when it opened its mouth, four rows of razor sharp teeth were spinning in opposite directions. (A2100/D1600/L6)
"What is that?" Flash asked, as the beast rose up before slamming its head into the ground. The next thing they knew, it began to dig into the ground and disappeared.
"Where'd it go?" Spike asked, as the field began to shake
"Behold," Dox stated. "Whispering Death's Labyrinth Ability. Now, it can burrow to any space on the battlefield." Suddenly, the ground beneath Starbreak Dragon exploded.
"NO!" Flash cried, as his monster was thrown into the air. Whispering Death then shot out and grabbed him in its mouth, its many sawing teeth digging into his body. "Starbreak!" The monster pulled the dragon down into the tunnel, as Flash's Life Points were reduced.
Flash+Spike: 2700
Paradox Brothers: 2500
"No fair!" Applebloom cried.
"The Paradox Brothers have all the advantages," Ocellus cried. "How is anyone supposed to win in a Duel like that?" The others nodded, fearing Flash and Spike might be eliminated without going through the second round.
"It's not all bad," Sunset stated. "they've still got more life points. They just have to keep fighting. That thing's gotta have a weakness of some kind."
Spike turned to Flash. "Any ideas?"
Flash reached for his deck, drawing a card and looking through the new ones he had gotten thanks to Spike's last move. "Alright. I'll set three cards face down and move Flash Heart ahead seven spaces." The dragon shot forward and drew closer and closer to the maze's exit.
Para frowned, but quickly drew his card and smiled. "I play Revitalisation! An Equip Spell that increases the ATK of the monster with it by the number of cards in my hand, times two hundred." He held up his three cards, showing them the amount their worm would soon get. (A2700/D1600/L6) "Now, destroy Drag-Blader!"
Spike gasped, but Flash smirked. "I don't think so." He flipped the two cards he had face down over. "Go, Reflection Guard and Brittle Shield!" The cards quickly activated in reverse order, with Drag-Blader switching himself to DEF Position whilst Whispering Death appeared from out of the ground.
But as it attacked, the image of Drag-Blader shattered whilst the real one hid behind it.
Sonata: "Flash's quick thinking saved Spike's monster. But how long can the pair hold out against such a dangerous foe?"
Spike sighed, glad his monster was safe. But the Paradox Brothers simply smiled. "You stopped one attack, but it matters not."
Dox nodded. "Barely any time, your monster was bought."
"We'll see about that," Spike stated as Para ended his turn. In doing so, Revitalisation's effects faded. But it would be back, on their next turn. (A2100/D1600/L6)
Back at the Battle Royale, Yona stood below the other three Duelists and smiled.
"Now it's Yona's turn!" The girl drew her card and quickly summoned it. "Berserking Archer!" A barely clothed man carrying a bow and arrow quiver appeared. (A1200/D1100/L4) "Then Yona play Berserking Empowered."
Adagio: "An impressive Continuous Spell Card. By paying three hundred Life Points, Yona will be able to Level up any Berserking Monster on her field."
"Yona pay nine hundred Life Points," she cried. "Level up Forger by two Levels and Archer by one." Her pod moved upwards, as her Life Points decreased.
Yona: 2000
Gallus: 2000
Smolder: 2000
Fizzlepop: 2000
As she reached the same height as the rest of her opponents, both monsters glowed as their power levels surging. (A1000/D1000/L5) (A1200/D1100/L5) "Now!" She cried, as her monsters morphed into a pair of lights. "Yona Overlay both monsters and build Overlay Network!" A black hole appeared at Yona's feet, which the lights flew into. "Smash apart and rebuild stronger. That Berserking way. Now Yona smash two monsters together to make more powerful beast!" The black hole exploded. "YONA XYZ SUMMON!"
The light faded away, revealing the more powerful and insane looking Wild Smasher. "Rampage Smasher!" (A2700/D2200/R4) The Xyz monster beat its chest, the others looking at it worried at the sight of such a powerful beast.
Adagio: "With that creature on the field, how will the others respond?"
Yona pointed at Fizzlepop. "Rampage Smasher's skill!" One of the Overlay Units flew into the monster's metal glove, as the circle in it lit up and revealed the numbers. "Now Yona rolls numbers one through six. Depending on roll, ability different." The numbers began to change and Yona quickly called out of it to stop, the number slowing until it landed on a two. "No!"
Adagio: "Too bad. That means Yona has to destroy one of her own cards and take three hundred points of damage."
Yona destroyed her Berserking Empowered, as her pod moved upwards due to her taking damage.
Yona: 1700
Gallus: 2000
Smolder: 2000
Fizzlepop: 2000
"Doesn't matter," Yona cried. "Fizzlepop gonna lose now. Rampage Smasher!" The Xyz monster flew down, ready to wipe out Fizzlepop's Life Points.
But Fizzlepop was ready. "Trap Summon!" Her card flipped around and unleashed a blast of lightning, which began to take shape and form a monster. "Storm Guard Liberator, Lightning Sentinel!" A giant ape appeared, carrying a large golden shield that protected her. (A1100/D2300/L6) The Trap Monster raised the shield, as Rampage Smasher slammed its fist into it. The monster was then destroyed, Yona frowning.
"If Yona had rolled right number, you would have lost."
"Maybe," Fizzlepop smirked. "But sometimes, it's better to be lucky than good. Anyway, I activate my Lightning Sentinel's special ability." A ghostly image of the monster appeared. "When this card is destroyed, the monster that destroyed it loses one thousand ATK points until the owner's next Standby Phase."
Yona watched, as the ghost exploded into a burst of lightning. That lightning then struck her Rampage Smasher, making it roar in pain as its power dropped. (A1700/D2200/R5) "Yona will end turn."
"Alright," Fizzlepop reached for her deck. "My draw." She smiled, "I play Storm Guard Reload!" The image of Storm Guard Sword appeared before being sucked into a portal. "By banishing a Storm Guard monster from my Grave, I can now draw four cards." She saw what she had gotten and smiled. "Perfect." The others looked worried. "I activate Soul Release!"
Adagio: "That's not gonna be good for her opponents. Now, Fizzlepop can banish up to five cards from any Graveyard."
A portal opened below them and from out of it, Berserking Destroyer, Wild Smasher, Wood Dragon Brawler, Rock Dragon Brawler and Celgor appeared. They then disinterested, being removed from play so that they could no longer be of any use to their owners.
"Destroyer!" Yona cried, seeing her insurance card had been taken out of commission.
"Now I don't have to worry about destroying your monsters," Fizzlepop announced. "Which means I can summon this without issue!" She slapped a card down on the terminal, as a blast of lightning exploded in front of her. "Arise, Tempest Rogue Liberator! SCARVOLT!" Her ace monster appeared, wielding her twin golden swords as she stood ready for battle. (A2500/D2000/L7/P4)
"Hey!" Gallus cried, "how'd you summon such a powerful monster?"
"Yeah," Smolder nodded. "A Level seven like that needs at least two tributes."
Fizzlepop smiled. "Normally, yes. But I have a monster in my Grave that changed that." The ghostly image of a monster appeared behind Scarvolt. "Storm Guard Liberator, Chain Claw. This monster lets me summon one high Level Liberator monster when it's in the Graveyard. Though I can only do it once. And thanks to that, Scarvolt's ready to take down Yona's Rampage Smasher!"
"Uh oh," Yona gulped as Scarvolt leapt into the air. The monster raised its sword and swung it downwards, cutting the armored viking straight down the middle and causing her to cry out. "AUGH!"
Yona: 900
Gallus: 2000
Smolder: 2000
Fizzlepop: 2000
Yona was sent shooting up the tube, arriving near the very top of the place. "Not good."
Fizzlepop placed a card face down. "I end my turn."
Adagio: "Yona's in real trouble now. Not only is she down to less than a thousand points. She also has no monster on the field to protect her. Here's hoping that face down is something she can use to keep herself in this game."
"My turn," Smolder drew her card and quickly summoned it. "Go, Flame Dragon Brawler!" In a burst of fire, the red shirted street fighter appeared. (A1600/D1400/L4) "And when he's summoned to the field, I can blast five hundred ATK points away from any monster on the field."
Flame Dragon Brawler turned his attention to Scarvolt, slamming his fists together unleashing a wave of fire to hit the monster. (A2000/D2000/L7/P4)
Smolder then turned to the only player without any monsters. "Sorry, Yona. But I gotta do this." She pointed at her. "Flame Dragon Brawler, attack!" The warrior rushed upwards, its fist bursting into flames. But before they could hit, Yona's card flipped around.
"Trap Card. Chain of Command!" A bunch of chains flew out of the Trap and wrapped around Steel Dragon Brawler, pulling him over to Yona's side of the field. "When Yona attacked with no monsters, this card let Yona take control of other monster. But Yona no attack with that monster."
Flame Dragon Brawler was forced to come to a stop, Smolder frowning since this meant she couldn't attack with Steel Dragon Brawler. "No fair. I end my turn." Scarvolt's ATK returned to normal. (A2500/D2000/L7/P4)
"Then it's my turn," Gallus drew his card and smiled. "Alright. I summon Gold Paladin, Strike Fighter!" In a burst of golden light, a knight in golden armor appeared. His right arm was replaced by some kind of arm cannon, which unleashed a blade of life. (A1000/D1000/L3)
"Not good," Smolder gulped.
"Tuner Monster," Yona realised.
"That's right," Gallus cried. His monsters then leapt upwards. "And now, I'm tuning Strike Fighter and Double-Edged Fenrir together." Strike Fighter morphed into a trio of rings, which the wolf leapt into. "Let the light of unity, shine down upon the battlefield and create a strength greater than a thousand armies." The monsters were consumed by an explosion of light. "I SYNCHRO SUMMON!"
The light faded, revealing a twenty foot humanoid dragon monster which filled a lot of the tunnel's space. The monster was covered in golden armor, with blue light shining between the seams. Instead of wings, it had a pair of laser cannons on its back pointing downwards. Its right arm had a golden band around its waist and on top of that band, a golden tube sat that unleashed a blade of light. A similar band was on its left arm, only this one created an energy shield that looked like it could withstand anything.
The monster floated down, letting out a roar as it did, whilst Gallus announced its name. "Gold Paladin, Radiant Arms Dragon!" (A2300/D2200/L7)
Everyone stared up at this large dragon, Smolder and Yona knowing its power. Against something like that, defending wasn't gonna be easy.
Back with Spike and Flash, their issues against the tunnelling terror had them in a serious spot. If they didn't destroy it soon, they were gonna be in serious trouble.
"My turn." Spike drew his card and smiled. "Perfect. I switch Drag-Blader to ATK mode!" The swordsman stood up. "Then, I'll use this." He activated a Spell Card, "Bond of Dragons. This card lets me pick two Dragon monsters on the field. Then, one of them gets a power boost equal to the other's Level."
Sonata: "However. The monster that doesn't get the boost, becomes unable to attack. But since Dragonic Blazelord can't attack anyway, it's perfect to use as a battery."
Blazelord and Drag-Blader both glowed, Blazelord's power flying into the swordsman and raising his attack power.(A2600/D1600/L4) "Go!" Spike cried, "Dragon Flame Slash!" Drag-Blader looked down at the hole made by the Whispering Death, then raised its sword as the blade caught on fire. With a mighty swing, the fire shot off and flew into the hole.
Everyone watched, as fire flew out of every hole made by the beast. And from out of its original space, the tunnelling terror flew out covered in fire. It let out a monstrous hiss before exploding, the Paradox Brothers gasping as their points began fewer and fewer.
Flash+Spike: 2700
Paradox Brothers: 2000
"One Whispering Death," Spike smirked. "Extra crispy." Flash smiled, giving his partner a thumbs up whilst Para turned to Dox.
"You must draw the card we need!"
"Indeed," Dox reached for his deck and drew his card. And when he saw it, a smile crept onto his face before the portal began to form. "I Pendulum Summon!" The portal opened and a single light shot out, hitting the field and exploding to reveal the final monster of the trinity. "Kazejin!" The monster was a giant green orb, with golden patterns making a face and a pair of large green hands. Above the face was the symbol of wind. (A2400/D2200/L7)
"That's it," Flash gulped. "They have them all!" As he said that, the three monsters began to glow their respective colours. They then shot into the air, morphing into three pillars that swirled around one another. As they did, the Paradox Brothers chanted.
"Elements of thunder, water and wind! Suijin, Sanga, Kazejin begin! Meld your powers in eternal light! Show these fools your unstoppable might!" The pillars shot down and created an explosion of light, blinding the Duelists and those watching.
"What is it?" Sandbar asked, the loser's room filled with just as much light.
"We're about to find out," Sunset replied as the light began to fade.
Para continued to chant. "He is pain, beyond description."
"He'll mark the grave, with your inscription!" Dox continued, as the monster was revealed to be a fusion of the three monsters. Sanga was the head, chest and arms, whilst Kazejin tucked in its arms to become stomach and Suijin acted as the waist and legs. Lightning, wind and water swirled around it, as the brothers announced its name in unison. "Gate Guardian...COMBINED!" (A3750/D3400/L12)
"Gate Guardian...Combined?" Flash asked, as the opponent's monster showed up on the screen. To his shock, it wasn't the same one he had learned about from Twilight. "A Fusion Monster."
"Looks like Gate Guardian got an upgrade," Spike gulped. "So, any ideas what we do?"
"I'm not sure," Flash replied. "For now, let's see what that thing can do." He turned to stare at the monster, then noticed it was even larger than Blazelord. "However, I do know one thing. Our monsters are safe from its attack. There's no way something that big fits into the maze."
The brothers laughed as Para pointed at the monsters on the field. "Don't be a fool. Gate Guardian is king of the labyrinth."
"That's right," Dox nodded. "He doesn't need to enter it in order to destroy you. Gate Guardian, show them your all mighty power!" In that moment, the monster's head began sparking with lightning. It stared over the walls of the maze, glaring down at its target. Drag-Blader.
Spike's eyes went wide, as he turned to Flash. "This is it, Flash. We're going down in a big way." As he said that, Gate Guardian finished building up his power.
"THUNDER STROKE ASSAULT!" The lightning exploded off his monster and shot towards Drag-Blader, who could do nothing to protect himself.
"Drag-Blader's about to be dragged down to the grave!" Flash and Spike's Tag Duel had just taken a turn for the worse. If they didn't find a way to overcome this powerful monster, they were never going to get to the second round.