Yu-Gi-Oh E-Quest: Malefic Wars

by DakariKingMykan

Episode 37 Part 1: Dueling Minds.

EPISODE THIRTY-SEVEN

The scores were set…

Terra LP: 8000

Gar LP: 8000

“I’ll go first.” Terra insisted, and she held up her five cards “And I summon GEM-KNIGHT ARMADILLO!”

(Atk: 1700)

The very sight of her monster made Gar growl, as it brought back good memories of the time he and Terra dueled as friends.

“Even good memories cause me nothing but pain!” he thought miserably. “They only serve to remind me of all the things I had but lost, and they remind me of how weak I was then.”

Terra hoped he was thinking this; that her playing her strategies would trigger good memories in his head.

Then she saw Gar pick up a card from his hand.

“Since you’ve Normal Summoned a monster, you’ve allowed me to send INTERVENTION OF FATE to the graveyard, and by doing so, I can then activate one Normal Spell from my hand,

And which better than GRACEFUL CHARITY, so I draw three cards and discard two.”

Now Terra was concerned, and so were the spectators.

“That’s just like him-- pulling off such a cheap stunt!” grumbled Spike.

Sci-Twi felt very uneasy. Normally Gar was already a strong and sneaky duelist, but this time she had a worse feeling about it.

“What’s the matter?” asked Princess Twilight.

Sci-Twi confessed, “I have a really bad feeling Terra’s in way over her head this time.”

As for Terra, she thought to herself, “He’s discarded cards, and I’ll just bet I know…

…He sent Makyura the Destructor to the Graveyard, which means he can play traps from his hand for the rest of the turn.”

Now her stomach was starting to turn. Even though her suspicions were strong, and he had done what she thought, she still had no idea of his strategy.

“What kind of traps would he play? Will he destroy my monsters? Will he summon monsters of his own?”

The more she thought, the more nervous she seemed, much to Gar’s delight.

“What’s the matter?” Gar taunted “Are you scared? It wouldn’t surprise me, you were always a nervous wreck, Terra-- always unsure of yourself, always unable to make it yourself without someone holding your hand, and when the going gets tough, you quit and run to hide.”

The spectators were angry at his continuous taunting, even if some of-- if not all-- was true.

Terra, however, took it in stride. She couldn’t deny these things, and the fact that Gar pointed them out showed that he was thinking back, which meant he had to be remembering the good times.

Still, she thought, “I can’t let him get to me. I must show him I’m not afraid… just like he taught me to be.”


“Now!” she shouted as she held up a card, “I activate the spell GEM-KNIGHT FUSION!

I’ll use it to fuse--”

“Stop right there!” shouted Gar.

“Huh?”

“Since I sent MAKURYA THE DESTRUCTOR to the graveyard, I can play this trap from my hand…

…Activate, CURSED SEAL OF THE FORBIDDEN SPELL!”

Terra gasped, and Sci-Twi growled softly.

Gar grabbed another card, “When you activate a spell, I send one spell in my hand to the graveyard, and it stops yours spell’s activation and destroys it.”

As promised, the card image faded to pale gray, and it shattered, but also leaving behind some kind of cursed fog all over Terra’s field.

“…And as a further twist,” sneered Gar “You are no longer able to activate that that particular spell for the remainder of the duel!”

Terra felt a sickening lurch inside her. “No more Gem-Knight Fusion?!” she murmured in horror.

“But that’s Terra’s go-to Fusion Card!” cried Twilight.

Spike growled and barked angrily in Gar’s direction. “Why that cheap creep of a sneaker!”

Everyone then noticed Gar was trembling in anger rather than by himself with glee.

“I loathe Extra Deck monster, especially Fusion! I may have used them in the old days, but now… all they resemble to me is how closer several monsters can work together like a team and combine their forces to win…

…Much like heroes do!”

He could only think of his days when he was part of the Titans, and all the bad times there were. It really made him feel enraged.

This was also the reason why he never used any Extra Deck monsters when dueling-- No Fusion, Synchro, or Xyz. He wouldn’t even use Pendulum Monsters due to their alignment with the Extra Deck as well.

“Finish your turn!” he demanded.

Terra could still hardly believe her best Fusion Card was no longer useful to her.

“I’ll place two cards facedown and end my turn.” that was all she could do.

“And with that, I activate CALL OF THE HAUNTED!

Now I can summon one monster from my graveyard, and I choose JINZO!”

(Atk: 2400)

Terra stepped back in fright, “No! Not Jinzo!”

Gar snickered, “Oh, yes! Hope those two face-downs of yours aren’t traps, because now they and any other trap is useless!

Even my own Call of the Haunted no longer is tied to Jinzo himself.”

The magical binding line disconnected Jinzo from the card, leaving the monster no longer affected by its negative sides.

“No!” Terra cried in thought, “I was counting on my two traps to save me. This could be harder than I thought.”

The group of friends still found Khaos’ story hard to believe.

“Stare at me all you like,” he hissed “Everything I have told you is just how it is.”

Pinkie thought hard, “Then that means Sapphire and Violet are also made of the remains of fallen Malefic warriors.”

Khaos nodded, “They would tell exactly as I have. They have no idea how Z-Arc’s power has risen either. Even still, it does not matter.

It took a vast amount of power to vanquish it the first time. Now that it’s back, doubt very much anyone could stand up to it as it is now.”

Dick’s fists were quivering with rage.

Suddenly, Khaos looked up, and the others looked up too, and they all saw someone standing on a store roof.

“Celestia!” cried Cadance.

Celestia narrowed her eyes. “So, here you all are. I was hoping to find Sunset, but it seems I wasted my time.”

She turned to head off, but Khaos quickly hopped on his flight cloud, and zoomed straight up to her. “You’re coming with me!” he called as he swooped in to magically bind her again, only for Celestia to dodge him and then hopped on her own cloud.

“Celestia, wait!” called Kori.

“Keep out of this!” Celestia balked back. “Your times will come, I assure you.” Then she and Khaos flew off into the air on another chase, and they were gone.

“Let’s go after them!” shouted Rainbow, but as she started to run, Vic grabbed her by the jacket collar. “Whoa, whoa! Stop!” he said to her “It’s no use, they’re already gone.”

He felt just as upset as she did, wanting to go after Celestia to try and save her from whatever got her too.

Pinkie growled angrily, “If only we had our powers, we could chase after them easily, and they’d lead us to where the Prince Brothers are.”

Still, the villains were already out of sight to do much now, and they still had a main priority.

“We should find Twilight and the others before they get in trouble themselves.” suggested Dick. “Let’s keep going.”

Raven rudely grumbled, “Yeah, it’s like they’re really just going to turn up in a flash.”

Everyone just kept on going and kept their eyes open for any signs of other danger.

It was Gar’s turn. “I draw!” he sneered.

Sci-Twi eyed Gar’s hand carefully still up with her suspicions.

“I’ll place one card face down, and now I will attack! Go, Jinzo!”

Jinzo blasted Terra’s monster to bits.

(Atk: 2400) VS (Atk: 1700)

The shockwaves sped past her, and she braced herself to keep on her feet.

Terra LP: 8000 -----> 7300

At least there were no Malefic shockwaves to burn her.

The spectators still felt bad for her.

“Hang tough, Terra!” called Spike.

Sci-Twi was still uncertain.

“Make your move,” growled Gar. “Then again, why bother. We both know you’re destined for the same thing you’ve always been-- Loserville!”

Rather than verbally retaliate, Terra drew her next card.

“Hey!” she said with a look of glee in her eyes. “Let’s see if this is the move of a loser.

…I activate BRILLIANT FUSION!”

Gar growled softly.

“With this spell, I send GEM-KNIGHT TOURMALINE and LAZULI from my deck to the graveyard. Then I can Fusion Summon the very Gem-Knight that I need them to make, as long as I reduce that monster’s attack to zero.”

For the first time ever, she called out a chant to her forming monster…

“I summon forth a warrior of might,
With Amber of Thunder, and Crystal so bright!

I Fusion Summon… GEM-KNIGHT PRISMAURA!”

(Atk: 2450) -----> (Atk: 0)

The very sight of this Fusion Monster really made Gar’s blood boil. “Fusion!” he growled ever so softly, but fiercely, and more memories went through his head…

The time when he taught Terra how to Fusion Summon, and she successfully did it, earning him a hug from her.

“I did it! You said I could do it and you were right.”

The spectators were joyed that Terra got a strong monster in play.

“That monster’s stronger than Jinzo!” cried Twilight.

Terra nodded with a proud smirk, “And that’s not all; since Lazuli was set to the graveyard by an effect, I can use her power to add Tourmaline back to my hand. I remember, it has the power to destroy one monster instantly.”

Suddenly, she looked up. Her newly summoned monster didn’t look so well. It was starting to turn gray with sickness.

“What’s happening?”

“This is what!” called Gar. “I activated my facedown, MYSTICAL SPACE TYPHOON!”

“Ah!” gasped Terra.

“Yes, you should be scared, because with this I can blow your so-called “Brilliant” Fusion card away, and your monster goes with it!”

“No!!” Terra cried. She almost couldn’t bear to watch as lightning bolts struck her card’s images, destroying it and her monster as promised.

“Ha!” snapped Gar “You were planning to use Prismauru’s effect to destroy Jinzo. Too bad you didn’t think ahead.”

Terra and the spectators were horrified, and Sci-Twi looked over at Gar and said aloud “He played that so perfectly-- like he expected it to happen.”

“What are you thinking?” asked Twilight.

Sci-Twi hesitated, but then answered, “Think of it… We’re inside Gar’s mind, and that’s just an avatar of Gar that exists within the mind.”

“So?” said Spike.

“That’s just it.” replied Sci-Twi. “The avatar can generate the actual cards he needs. There’s no way he can mess up!”

Everyone’s eyes widened, and Gar then snickered admitted, “Sorry to say, it’s true. Dueling inside your mind is rather extraordinary.”

Terra stood frozen in shock and disbelief.

“So, he’s cheating!” protested Spike.

Twilight tried to add it up, “Technically he’s not, it’s just the way the mind works. Remember, he’s not the real Gar, but just an inner version of himself.”

Gar sneered, “Even if it were the real me, I’d never need to cheat to defeat the likes of you, Terra. You’ve picked a battle you can never hope to win, and the sooner I defeat you, the sooner I can get you out of my life for good!”

Those harsh words struck Terra hard in her heart, reminding her of the time Gar had let her down for betraying him.

“You said you’d be my friend no matter what, remember?”

“Slade was right; you don’t have any friends!”

Very harsh, but rightfully deserved for her actions, and now even more so for her other actions in breaking his heart back at her old school.

“Don’t listen to him, Terra.” Twilight called. “Keep trying, and give it your all.”

Terra found her third wind, and remember what she was dueling for in the first place, not to win or lose, but to help Gar see, and snap him out of his own darkness.

“I won’t give up!” she said in thought. “I owe it to myself, and to Gar when he tried to help me.”

With not much else to do, she placed a monster face-down in defense mode and ended her turn.

Gar snuffed, “It’s my turn!”

He drew a card.

Sci-Twi wondered, “What did he generate now?”

She soon got her answer as Gar called out, “Now, I activate my SHUFFLE REBORN from the graveyard, which I sent their earlier.

By banishing it, I shuffle my dead Call of the Haunted back into my deck, and then I draw one card.”

When all was done, he was holding three cards.

“Now, you’re about to see what I mean by just how superior to you I am.

I activate the spell STAR BLAST!”

He then held up a single card. “For every 500 life points I pay, I reduce this monster’s level by one star. Therefore, by paying 1000 points…”

Gar LP: 8000 -----> 7000

“This Six-Star monster becomes a Four-Star monster, meaning I can summon it right away.

Come forth TIMEATER!”

(Atk: 1900)

Everyone else didn’t like the looks of this.

“Now,” Gar called “Timeter, destroy that face-down monster!”

The creature blasted Terra’s Lapis with a powerful shockwave, blowing it to bits.

Suddenly, Terra was shocked with powerful bolts, making her wail! “What’s happening?”

Gar explained, “You don’t know? Of course, you don’t! I wouldn’t expect you to.

When Timeater destroys a monster, its special ability will force you to skip your Main Phase 1 on your next turn.”

“What?!” yelped Terra.

Sci-Twi clenched her fists. “This is very bad!”

“How bad?” asked Twilight.

“It means that on Terra’s next turn, she’ll draw, but she won’t get to play any cards until her Main Phase 2, after the Battle Phase.”

Spike growled softly, “To put it simple, he’s put a big stopper from Terra’s attacks or sneaky attempts next turn.”

Jinzo then stood tall and firm in front of Terra, and Terra quivered nervously while Gar snickered and ordered, “…Direct attack!”

Jinzo powered up and shot Terra hard with his powerful energy, knocking her flat on her back.

Terra LP: 7300 -----> 4900

“TERRA!!” the trio all cried out.

She was alright, and got back up onto her feet, while Gar sighed softly, feeling very proud, and even some of relief for just having attacked her.

“That felt good!” he whispered softly. Then he regained himself, “I end my turn with one facedown.

What are you going to do now? Continue to prove me right and show me how weak you are?”

Terra maintained her cool, and just focussed on her situation.

“If only I could activate my traps!” she thought “But I’ve got to get rid of Jinzo if I want to do that, and thanks to what’s just happened, I can’t attack this turn.

What can I do?”

She hesitated for a moment, as if she were frozen with fear and the sting of defeat.

“Poor, Terra.” said Twilight. “I’ve never seen someone in such a state.”

Spike still couldn’t believe what Terra was fighting for. “…Does she really think she can convince him to change?”

Terra then analyzed the facedown card on Gar’s field and deduced. “I’m positive that must be a Quick-Play spell. After all, he can’t use traps either, but I still don’t know what it is.”

“You’re stalling!” Gar taunted. “A perfect sign of weakness as I suspected.”

“I’ll show you!” Terra insisted, and she drew her next card with a big “Ha!”

“Remember!” Gar called “You skip right to your Main Phase 2.”

“I’m aware!” growled Terra. “I can still play cards, like this… POT OF GREED, so I draw two cards.”

She looked at her two new cards, and just stared blankly at them. “These just might work!”

Then she looked over at Gar while holding a single card, “Prepare yourself, because this card really put a sting on your memories.”

Gar didn’t seem amused.

“I activate CHANGE OF HEART!”

“What?!” snapped Gar.

“That’s Terra’s trademark card.” said Spike.

Sci-Twi agreed, and remembered the stories, “…He gave her that, not just to help her dueling, but as a gift of love.”

Gar was trembling angrily and struggling with the exact memories.

He gave it to Terra along with the Heart-Shaped Mirror Box, and then they went out on their first ever date… which then turned out to be an ambush!

Terra couldn’t tell if Gar was struggling in a good or bad way. Then again, it was struggling; there was never anything good about that.

She began to struggle herself with the exact same memories, and they hurt her, a lot.

“I know things were bad then!” she called over while trying to brave her tears of guilt, “But this card means the world to me, and I’ll use it to help both of us.

…I invoke its power to take Jinzo and place him on my field!”

“My Jinzo!” Gar shouted as his monster switched sides, enraging him even further.

“He won’t be here too much longer.” said Terra, “I already played Change of Heart, and now I’ll use another spell…

…Activate SHARE THE PAIN!”

Gar growled loudly.

“This allows me to tribute Jinzo, and it forces you to tribute one of your own monsters too, and since you only have one other monster…”

With that, both Jinzo and Timeater vanished from the field.

The spectators were filled with delight.

“Jinzo’s gone!” cried Twilight.

“Ah, yeah! Which means Terra can use her traps again!” cheered Spike.

Terra smirked, “You bet I can, and here comes one of them. I play FRAGMENT FUSION! This let’s me banish Lazuli, Lapis, and Armadillo from the graveyard, allowing me to fuse them all together!”

The three monster spirits rose into the air and swirled together in a big blaze of light as Terra made up a new chant on the spot…

“Pretty as diamond, solid as stone,
I summon a warrior legend of its own!

I Fusion Summon GEM-KNIGHT LADY BRILLIANT DIAMOND!”

Her strong lady warrior landed on the field. Her armor shimmered brightly and her sword gleaming as well.

(Atk: 3400)

Gar glared up at the shimmering knight, but he was still trembling furiously and hardly making a sound.

Terra was deeply concerned, but she continued with her move.

“Now I summon GEM-KNIGHT TOURMALINE.”

(Atk: 1900)

“But he won’t be staying around for long, because I’m tributing him so Lady Brilliant Diamond can use her special ability!

Now I get to call on a “Gem-Knight” Fusion monster from my Extra Deck, without bothering about it’s requirements!”

The monster leapt up high, changing into a beam of light, which flowed into the lady’s sword.

She raised the sword up high, and the tip gave off a magical glow, thus summoning the next monster.

“Come forth GEM-KNIGHT MASTER DIAMOND!”

(Atk: 2900)

Her second Fusion Monster stood alongside his lady-friend, and together they both shimmered like stars in the sky due to their diamond armors.

“Wow! They’re so pretty.” sighed Twilight.

Gar still hardly moved much, which made Terra wonder if her move earlier with Change of Heart had shocked him harder than she thought, and what she was about to do next filled her with a flow of regret.

“I’m sorry to do this to you, but believe me, I’m doing it for the both of us.

From my hand I play MISCHIEF OF THE TIME GODDESS! Now the turn skips to my next battle phase!”

The spectators were wide-eyed with glee, while Gar was still furious.

Terra hesitated a moment-- trying to come to grips with herself.

“Lady Brilliant Diamond, attack him directly!”

Her lady complied, and even Terra could barely watch as her monster leapt open and slashed Gar hard across the chest making him roar in anger and pain!

Gar LP: 7000 -----> 3600

Terra didn’t know what to feel for attacking him like that. She knew it had to be done, but it almost felt totally wrong to her.

Finally, Gar looked up at her and spoke extremely deeply in his rage, “Terra…! You made a big mistake using that Change of Heart card on me!”

Terra felt her blood turning cold.

“Wow.” remarked Spike “Getting so worked up over one simple cards. This guy’s a lot more miserable than I thought.”

Twilight had to agree. “I’ve never seen anyone like this before-- so angry… so full of hatred, and lost in the dark.”

Sci-Twi shook her head in disappointment, disbelief, and even pity. Even she herself was never this anti-social.

Terra’s fist quivered, “Somehow, I’m going to get through to you, and it starts now!

Go Master Diamond!”

Her Master lunged forth…

“And don’t forget, since I have two “Gem-Knights” in the graveyard, Master Diamond gains 100 attack points for them each!”

(Atk: 2900) -----> (Atk: 3100)

“I think not!!” shouted Gar. “I play the trap CONFUSION CHAFF!”

“Ah!” wailed Terra.

The spectators gasped too.

Gar shouted, “Looks like your so-called “Master” is about to have a Change of Heart of his own, because this trap forces him to attack your own Lady Diamond!”

Terra watched as her Master turned round and bound straight for the Lady. The two looked ready to brawl it out.

“Looks like your monster has betrayed you.” said Gar. “You know all about betraying others!”

Terra growled, feeling more flashbacks coming back to her.

“No, I won’t let them!” she insisted. “I play the trap GEM-ENHANCEMENT!

It lets me send Lady Brilliant Diamond to the graveyard, so the attack misses!”

Lady Diamond disappeared just in the nick of time, much to Gar’s annoyance.

Terra sighed heavily in relief, as did the others.

“That was way to close!” panted Spike.

“And now,” Terra continued “Thanks to Enhancement, I can bring one “Gem-Knight” back from the grave, and who better than the one I just sent…

Lady Brilliant Diamond now returns!”

(Atk: 3400)

Gar’s fists quivered in anger again.

“And now, she gets to attack you all over!” Terra hollered, and her lady leapt up high, crashed down and slashed Gar hard again.

He roared and wailed and lost a great deal of points.

Gar LP: 3600 -----> 200

“Whoa!” Spike exclaimed. “She’s really got him on the ropes now.”

Sci-Twi was very impressed. She had never seen anyone this close to beating Gar before, even if it wasn’t the real Gar. “She’s overcome all the odds and even the mind generation.”

Both she and Princess Twilight happened on the same idea, and that maybe Terra’s determination and sincerity were true.

For now, there was nothing else Terra could do. So, she ended her turn.

She already felt sore herself for having attacked Gar that much. “Are you okay, Gar?” she called to him.

Rather than answer back, he balked loudly, “Stop CALLING ME THAT!!”

Everyone was taken back by his yelling.

“You still don’t get it, do you? Gar… is… Dead! And he’s… never… coming back!”

Terra shook her head, “I don’t believe you!”

“Believe what you will… This duel isn’t over!”

He drew a card, and it was no surprise to anyone what came next.

“I activate CARD OF DEMISE! So, now I draw five new cards, but I must discard my hand after five turns. Not that it will matter, because I’ve toyed with you for long enough!”

“Huh?” said Terra “You mean all this time you were just playing me along?!”

“I can generate any card I need to draw for any moment. I could have ended this duel any time I wanted, but maybe now you get what I’ve been really doing.

…I’ve been dragging this whole duel out to gain further opportunities to pummel you with every shot I get!”

The spectators were all livid.

“So, all this time he just wants her to suffer?!” groaned Spike. “Talk about overkill!”

The two Twilights agreed.

Gar then grabbed a card from his hand. “I now summon for FIEND MEGA CYBER!”

(Atk: 2200

“I was able to summon it because you have at least two monsters in play, but not that you will for much longer!

It’s time for some more punishment, with the spell RAIGEKI!”

“Ah!” cried Terra, and with powerful lightning bolts striking her field, both her monsters were vaporized!

“All her monsters are gone!” cried Twilight.

Gar then placed down one card, “Now then….! Go, my fiend, attack her directly!” ordered Gar.

His monster roared, and rushed over and gave Terra a huge shove, knocking her to ground again!

Terra LP: 4900 -----> 2700

“TERRA!!” the trio all cried out.

Gar laughed at what he had just done. “Oh, this feels wonderful! Each and every blow I inflict on you is well-deserved for all that you’ve done!

Your time is running out, Terra, and soon me and my cards will expose you and your so-called “Friends” up for the failures you all are!”

By this point he was shouting so loud in rage, the very graveyard they stood in rumbled.

“YOU HAVE NO BUSINESS BEING HERE… ANY OF YOU!!!

AND SOON YOU’LL FIND OUT THE HARD WAY!!!”

To Be Continued…