Episode 60. - Apprehensive Arsonist's Final

Rain drizzled outside, but it had no effect on the proceedings inside the building. Currently, Suzanne was facing another Disruption deck in the finals of the tournament. It had been an exciting tournament from the very beginning. Here, the KC League was in full swing, and she had been happy to get the chance to play. KirriCorp employees were in no way barred from entering the tournaments, due to the nature of the game. Gene had also tried his hand at it a little, but had been eliminated early on by the same opponent that Suzanne now faced.

Now, he and Tom were watching her duel. She was doing quite well, being one of the few duelists still willing to play Corile or Cranium Clamp in the current format, and taking her opponents by surprise with the fact that she could still use both to devastating effect. Gene found himself yet again impressed by her cunning. He realized now that it was not quite ruthlessness he had seen in her, but a knack for taking advantage of situations. Card games did not really employ 'mercy' very often in the first place, so her dueling style had, at first, seemed far more 'ruthless' than it was.

His own thoughts were now drifting off to his own early duel. Fortunately for his ego, most people assumed that he had entered the tournament as some sort of mild KirriCorp humor. His deck had done relatively well for a few duels, but eventually Gene had met his match, and decided to bow out of further play for the day, before he ran into someone with actual Kaijudo to back up their deck play.

"This isn't working... maybe I should try something else... or maybe..."

"What isn't working?" Tom wondered, looking across at his indirect employer.

"My deck feels weak compared to things like those..." he said, pointing with his chin toward the table where Suzanne and her opponent were locked in combat. She had just summoned her Magmadragon Jagalzor, but hit a Terror Pit on her first attack, negating its power. The trigger left her opponent's hand empty, and they had only two shields remaining anyway. She could wait.

"Mono-Light is not exactly the best choice for rush tactics, Mr. Kirricort," Tom reiterated. He had mentioned this, in one way or another, several times indirectly before. Now, he just flat out said it.

"Or perhaps I should say it might not be the best choice for a beginner..." he corrected, turning his attention back to the duel table, where a topdecked Apocalypse Vise had just cleared Suzanne's field.

Gene shrugged. "It's because I can't do things like that, I think. I don't have any single card so powerful that it can destroy so much when I am relying on the top of my deck. Even the suggestions you made do not actually have that effect. It seems a bit as though it really only lies within Fire."

"Apocalypse Vise..." Tom noted, "Quite the useful card."

Suzanne's field had now gained an Aqua Hulcus and a Rumbling Terahorn, and her hand, a Bazagazeal Dragon. The opponent had little chance now. That little chance became much bigger on their next card from the top of their deck. Lost Soul.

"That one's fairly problematic too..." Gene noted, "But I think I can escape that a bit better. Still, the point isn't what I can play around. Moreso that I don't have anything like it."

"Is that somehow unfair?" Tom said, his voice taking on the subtle inflection Gene had come to know from the Crystal Paladin.

"Hardly," Gene smiled, "When things go well, they do not have enough mana yet to bother me with such things. That fire spell is awfully destructive, though. Many of them are."

Suzanne drew her card and sighed. Apocalypse Vise. Her opponent had no creatures present themselves. She flicked it into her mana zone, not bothering to save it. Her next two attacks brought no triggers, and apparently only gave her opponent an Energy Stream and a Bloody Squito. Whatever other cards they got when they cast the Energy Stream, they were not enough. They had only ten mana. She had won.

"You're so lucky I didn't get any triggers right then..." her opponent muttered. Suzanne shrugged. She felt similarly about the drawing of the Apocalypse Vise. She'd have preferred something large and powerful. That was the feeling she was getting more and more as she dueled.

"Those Fire cards are getting in my way..." she said softly to herself, "I want power, not speed."

"Er... Suzanne. You won... I think you have to play against Tom now," Gene mentioned.

"What? Oh... Oh! Oh right. I won..." she said sheepishly, "But can't we just split up the booster packs from the bonus boxes amongst the attendees? I'm sure everyone would like one or two..."

"Wouldn't that imply that you beat me?" Tom smiled. He slid into the chair opposite her, before continuing, "Besides, I'm sure most of the people here would like to see me actually duel. Of course, I'd prefer not to be restricted to your Errata, if you don't mind."

"What?" Suzanne asked, looking confused, "But I'm the one with the Corile and Clamp... you don't even have any of the errata cards, why would you want to play without them now?"

"I believe in enjoying the game fully," Tom smiled, shuffling his deck and deploying his shields. Suzanne was about to protest further when the Corile within her nudged her to accept. She deployed her own shields and drew her cards.

"I will have no particularly useful effect, since nearly everything he plays accelerates him even if I have full power. And this way makes our Clamp more dangerous to us. Whatever you do, try not to use it unless absolutely necessary."

Suzanne accepted this, realizing now that the deck she had was not suited for defeating Tom in the first place. Giving her the full power of the two cards she had chosen to keep using despite the changes, was barely even going to make it 'fair' to her. Suddenly, she found herself wishing that she truly did not have the Fire cards. They were going to slow her down in terms of attacking him herself, which she would have preferred to switch to.

"He's not going to care how many I kill, and I'll never manage to finish him off if all I do is cast spells..."
Unlike many other duelists of the 'Disruption' camp, Suzanne had no Bolmeteus Steel Dragon. She could not wait for the right moment in that respect. Jagalzor was vulnerable to even Tom's Craze Valkyrie. Bolmeteus would have been also.

"Ugh... I need an even bigger one. I wonder if they get bigger than nine thousand power..."
The idea of having a creature beyond that strength made her grin. Tom noticed her smile, but could not, even with a pulse of his Kaijudo, discern the reason for it. anymore.

"Holy Awe to mana," Tom announced, "End turn."

Suzanne drew her last card and smiled. Her hand looked oddly nice without the red in it. She had drawn no fire cards. She sent her Niofa, Horned Protector, to her mana zone. The feeling was a wistful one.

In her mindspace, the Ocean of Snares filled with seaweed, thick and strong, enough to choke any passing ship to a halt. Like the dark Sargasso Sea in the far off ocean. She liked that feeling also. Defended by the interweaving plantlife, she ended her turn.

"Aqua Surfer to mana," Tom said, allowing his Kaijudo to meet hers. He too, seemed to have a clear vision. This one, of a sunny island. Idyllic and peaceful looking. He summoned Ballas, Vizier of Electrons, and the light creature zipped over toward Suzanne, almost as if scouting. Gene, from his spot nearby, smiled at the feeling. He liked when Tom summoned Ballas early. It let him feel as if he, himself, could be successful.

Suzanne drew her next card and her energy fluttered with relief. Still not Fire. An Illusionary Merfolk. She sent the card to mana, activating the actual visualization of the sea, almost 'filling in' the phantom water that had been merely an illusion before.

"Summon Emeral."
She exchanged a Terror Pit for a Natural Snare. Not what she truly wanted, but at least it would not affect things too much. Giving Tom's deck more mana was probably not too good a plan anyway.

Tom played a Natural Snare to his own mana zone, but did not summon then. Merely declared an attack with his Vizier of Electrons. The shield shattered, and returned an Aqua Hulcus to Suzanne. Tom eyed her oddly when her Kaijudo went through another rise and fall.

Her next card kept up this trend. A Rumbling Terahorn. Now, she was beginning to become slightly worried. If the Fire cards had not come so far, they would be sure to be 'piled up' somewhere.

"We wanted to be able to move without the fire, so let us move. Quickly."

She nodded to her avatar, in her mind, and sent a Mana Nexus to her mana zone, strengthening the seaweed further.

"Summon Aqua Hulcus. End turn."
The card she drew, was yet again, not Fire. A Thrash Crawler. Her brow furrowed, her worry increasing. This was how she wanted it to go, but without having to feel as if some stockpile of Fire was somewhere nearby, ready to slow down her efforts.

"Holy Awe to mana. Ballas, break shield. Ikei!"
This one was a Rumbling Terahorn. Suzanne's Kaijudo receded, allowing Tom's to press forward. He looked up at her in surprise. His attack could not have been, in his mind, so meaningful that it would cause that in her.

"Where are they? Something is wrong... and why is it that the only thing I have, to summon on this turn, is this Crawler?" she wondered to herself as she drew another Mana Nexus. She charged darkness mana now, the sea becoming deep and strong.

"Cranium Clamp."

She was about to declare her attack when she realized it was not necessary. Unfortunately for Suzanne, in this particular duel, the ruleset chosen favored her opponent. Greatly. The cards were not discarded. The Clamping device squeezing in on Tom shattered with the power of two Dava Torey that exploded outwards into the battle zone on either side of him. He smiled, his Kaijudo surging forward at her. She braced herself, knowing that the error was already made.

"Aqua Hulcus... attack Ballas..." she muttered sadly. The Liquid one shot into the air, blocking the lightning, cleaving into the Initiate, then being destroyed itself by Ballas' final discharge. Suzanne seemed sad, but ended her turn. At least, to an extent, she had a chance. Dava was an easy creature to use Corile's full effect on. The problem was the lack of Corile at her disposal.

"Crystal Paladin to mana. This is easy enough," Tom said, "As you can see, that card can be easily dealt with if you are prepared. Dava, break shield!"

The first shield to shatter and return to her hand was one of the dreaded fire cards. A Crimson Hammer. At the point of the duel they now had reached, utterly useless. The second Seeker of Clouds attacked similarly, this time granting her an Apocalypse Vise. Doubly useless. Suzanne suddenly found herself overwhelmed with the urge to cry like a child. She quickly suppressed it, and drew her next card.

"Crimson Hammer to mana..." she now looked at her options wistfully. Nothing at all she could really do. She cast Mana Nexus to generate another Nexus shield. Tom's Kaijudo was pressing in on her now. She would not even have time to summon Corile, in the face of this dual menace. Accepting defeat, she simply ended her turn.

"Summon Magris, Vizier of Magnetism," Tom smiled, "Dava Torey, ikei!"

The Mana Nexus was the card he now triggered, and Suzanne used it to generate a Terror Pit as her shield. Her heart leapt now for a moment. If she could only get a turn or two, she could start to actually fight back. The second Dava Torey attacked the set shield, and was dragged into the very same Terror Pit that it triggered. Tom ended his turn. Suzanne felt her body start to tremble.

"Lost Soul to mana..." she muttered now, charging the card she had drawn. Her Ocean's power was still weakened from defending itself in that way. She summoned a Thrash Crawler, in hopes of stalling it out, even though the blocker was going to slow things down in itself. She picked up the Crimson Hammer again. Just in case Tom summoned anything that would actually be vulnerable to it. The other cards in her mana zone were unlikely to be any help at all with only four mana.

"Why... is my deck built this way?" she wondered now, "I thought I had found what I wanted, but I think I just did what I... could manage to not be scared of doing..."

Tom did not give her time to think about it. A Bronze-Arm Tribe card now went into his mana zone, and the Vizier of Magnetism shone with a light from within. As expected by most of those around who had any idea what the top-ranked player had been recently using, it now became... the Drastic.

"Craze Valkyrie, tap them both."
The whips of light rendered both the tiny Emeral and the huge Thrash Crawler immobile. Dava's saber descended upon Thrash, cleaving it in two easily. The Craze Valkyrie finished off Emeral with no effort at all. Tom ended his turn, his Kaijudo now so brilliant and powerful that Suzanne's head began to sink into pain, even as her mental form slowly dropped into the water, finally coming to rest in a slightly slumped seated position on a small 'throne' of seaweed. She drew her card.

"Fire..."
A Magmadragon Jagalzor. Again, she found herself suppressing the wish to cry. She put the Crimson Hammer back into her mana zone, and took one last chance, casting an Energy Stream. The feeling intensified as she drew the next two cards. Crimson Hammer and Apocalypse Vise again.

"It seems... we have found the fire cards..."

Suzanne nodded in despondent agreement, and ended her turn, unable to do anything more. Tom drew his card, his psionic waves battering against her consciousness.

"Summon Bronze-Arm Tribe--"
The card's effect sent a Natural Snare to Tom's mana zone, allowing him to summon Magris, Vizier of Magnetism, again, and draw a new card. The Craze Valkyrie triggered the Terror Pit that now swallowed up the second Dava Torey. Suzanne cringed, whimpering slightly.

"Why... why don't I have a nice card for that fourth turn?" she asked herself now as she drew her own next card, "Something strong to step on Viziers!"

Her anger was directed mostly at herself, and it fizzled now as she realized that nothing at all would be enough to stop him or save her. The very cards that were supposed to prevent her from being overrun, were not enough against Tom's speed and power.

"You win..." she admitted. Tom halted himself from making the final attack. It was unnecessary. Suzanne had not put up any real fight, and she seemed so fragile now that it could make a scene if his Kaijudo had too strong an effect on her. He simply turned to the crowd and accepted their mild applause and congratulations.

Suzanne looked at her deck, picked up all the non-Fire cards that had been played, and shuffled them back into the deck. Then, one by one, she began to take out the others, leaving them in a neat pile on the table.

Tom noticed this as he turned back to gather up his own deck, and spoke up.
"What are you doing?"

"Taking the Fire out..." she said softly, not really seeming to have much feeling regarding the fact that he was questioning her.

"You'll have trouble without the mass destruction," he noted, "And certainly without the surprise effect of your Magmadragon."

All ears in the room seemed to suddenly focus on the conversation the two seemed as if they were going to have. This was going to be the advice of the Kaijudo Kid on how to build Disruption decks, and few were willing to pass up the chance to hear it.

"I'll make do without it," she said, "I don't like the way it feels. My..."

She hesitated there, realizing that she had been about to say ocean rather than deck. The feeling calmed her now as she realized why exactly she was beginning to feel this way. Fire made her destructive, but it did not make her powerful.

"My deck does not seem to suit the Fire very well. It stops little things, but I can probably use some creatures for that. I think I saw one that I liked..."

"If you change your reliance to one of creatures, you will have trouble yourself when your opponents start to use their removal on you. And as you have seen, discarding the hand may not end in your favor."

Suzanne felt a surge of anger, one that coincided with the flicking of the last Fire Card, the Bazagazeal Dragon, from her deck onto the pile on the table. As quickly as the surge came, it was gone, and she found herself calm, looking at Tom with soft quiet eyes.

"It's one card," she shrugged, "If I'd had a nice creature for that turn I would not have Clamped you at all anyway. I was not supposed to. I simply had nothing else to do, and forgot that you could do what you did so easily. One Seeker of Clouds, I could have handled maybe... but not two."

Gene smiled, finding himself wanting to applaud her for some reason. Instead, he took up the small pile of Fire cards and began handing them out to the nearby duelists who wanted them, as his contribution to her effort. She smiled thankfully. Watching the cards given away added a certain finality to the decision.

"Is your deck even still forty cards with all those removed?" Tom wondered now, noticing that Gene had found at least eight people to give cards to, and perhaps more when he had not been looking.

Suzanne noted the question and began to count, moving each card almost lovingly from her hand down to the table as her lips moved silently with the numbers. At the end of this she smiled, exhaled a relieved sigh and leaned back in her chair with an oddly blissful look on her face. Tom nudged her with his Kaijudo.

"Exactly forty..." she murmured in answer, seeming very pleased with this fact. Someone nearby immediately started to explain to her why her deck would need more than forty cards in order to act as a Disruption type deck, but Suzanne seemed to let them drone on without really listening.

You are happy again!" Reusol noted joyously. In her mindspace now, Corile floated near her as she sat on her seaweed throne, projecting out of the teeming waters. It was dark, and a bit cold. She was indeed content.

Corile floated calmly around, seemingly checking the status of everything, making sure it would be all right without the fire cards. It came to 'report back' to its human side shortly after this, with the simple observation...

"We are going to need a new dragon. And Niofa probably should not stay, either."

Suzanne nodded, without opening her eyes. For now, she was relatively calm, and did not feel the need to duel more really. She would take her time, and learn what she could do and should do. This was a pleasant feeling.

"I had... fun today..." she smiled.