Episode 71. - The Decks Without Bellybuttons

"Victory to duelist seventy three!" Juliet announced from her station. Bernadette had taken Leo's finishing attack quite well, though she did seem a bit disappointed that she would not be progressing any further through the tournament.

"Now duelist eighteen will face duelist fifteen," Juliet continued, as Leo Motane moved back to his parents' side. Duelist eighteen was known in the North American tournament circuit already. Siddhant Sutar. The other duelist was a short, wiry, devious looking girl with swarthy skin and long braided black hair. Marina Elsus.

The judges had given Marina the first turn, as, apparently, Siddhant's deck was nothing like the one he had used to participate in the North American championships, and was now a more swift attack focused build. Marina placed a card into her mana zone that made quite a few duelists take immediate notice. Benzo, the Hidden Fury...

Siddhant charged Nature mana, and Marina Water. He followed with fire mana. A Twin-Cannon Skyterror, and summoned his first creature. Gonta, the Warrior Savage. The rush of energy caused some of the other duelists to instantly look around. The aim of the deck was instantly made perfectly clear.

Marina charged Darkness mana and summoned a Charge Whipper, but did nothing more. Siddhant sent more Nature, a second Soulswap, to his mana zone, and doubled the energy from before. A second Gonta. The first charged forward now, crashing powerfully into Marina's shields...

She seemed rather surprised that there was no trigger. Only another Charge Whipper which she placed into her mana zone, summoning Emeral. The Cyber Lord fiddled with a shield, replacing the Aqua Jolter fireline with one to an Aqua Surfer. She ended her turn.

Siddhant charged water mana and summoned a Poisonous Mushroom. Both his Gonta now nodded at each other, and charged the opponent's shield zone. The first triggered, but it was merely an Aqua Jolter. The Liquid one somersaulted over the head of the Humanoid Beast Folk Warrior and dashed towards the Emeral. The second shield did not trigger, but a quick increase in the darkness energy on Marina's side now showed what it had been. The Aqua Jolter in her hand now materialized, and broke into a run, chasing the two Gonta as it evolved into the Crystal Spinslicer. A toss of a whirling blade, and one Gonta fell into the warm earth of Siddhant's mindspace.

"Charge Whipper, ikei... Emeral, ikei... Aqua Jolter, ikei..."
The third shield triggered. A surge of surf. An Aqua Surfer. The Charge Whipper was washed away, and Marina nodded.

"Perfect... now we just manipulate things a little more, and we win..."

Siddhant charged Nature mana. Now, another Warrior Savage roared out onto the field of battle, its dual axes bringing destruction to the Crystal Spinslicer instantly, and raking new energy out of a patch of barren earth. Wind Axe.

"Aqua Surfer, attack Emeral. Ikei!"
The Surfer quickly swept down on the Cyber Lord, dragging it into the air and flinging it far. When Emeral landed, it did not move again. Gonta charged the Aqua Jolter. This time, there was no escape. The Poisonous Mushroom now infected a shield, but the Proclamation of Death that triggered instantly reduced the fungus to dust. Siddhant's turn was over.

"Charge Whipper to mana. Summon Aqua Surfer, on your Wind Axe. End turn."

"Scarlet Skyterror, to mana. Summon Aqua Surfer, for your Aqua Surfer. Gonta, ikei."

"Shield Trigger, Aqua Surfer, on your Aqua Surfer--" this ended Siddhant's turn.

"Now summon Aqua Surfer on your Gonta. Aqua Surfer, ikei!"

"Shield Trigger, Spiral Gate, on your Aqua Surfer... now, Poisonous Mushroom to mana. Summon Emeral, and Gonta, the Warrior Savage. Aqua Surfer, todomeda!"

Siddhant's energy now revealed Marina's avatar for a moment as the Dark Lord shrieked at the Warrior Savage. Uliya's frustration did not seem to carry over to her human half. Marina smiled warmly at Siddhant as his Kaijudo washed over her, then shook his hand, and picked up her cards without another word.

"Victory to duelist eighteen!" Juliet announced, the room now buzzing with predictions and contemplations of duelists, "Now duelist sixty four versus duelist thirty nine. Good luck."

The tournament was proceeding quite quickly, as the judges and analysts had predicted. Duelist sixty four was also known quite well in the North American tournament circuit, having been the one who had defeated Siddhant Sutar in the last tournament. Nicholas Burner...

Few competitors at the current venue knew his opponent, but she was quite determined to change that. Luni Matthia was exactly that type of girl. The first turn would go to her, apparently for similar reasons as that which had granted Marina first turn against Siddhant.

She looked at her hand of cards and growled softly, placing the Holy Awe into her mana zone. It was always a bad sign when the card came in her hand. It often meant that none had bothered to go into her shield defenses.

Burner charged Fire mana, and she continued with Darkness. He charged Nature, and for the second time that day, a surge of synchronous energy heralded the arrival of Gonta, the Warrior Savage, in the battle zone...

"You too, eh?" Luni smirked, "You'll never be known if you just play what everyone else plays cause it works. Dream Pirate to mana, summon Gray Balloon, Shadow of Greed. End turn."

"Heh," Burner laughed, "People will know me cause I'll be the best. Emeral to mana. Summon Bronze-Arm Tribe. Gonta, ikei!"

Luni scoffed, picking up the shield card and drawing a new one. She placed her newly drawn card into her mana zone. More Light mana. Now, she summoned a Gigastand.

"Damn Awes always in the wrong place..." she muttered now, motioning the end of her turn. Burner charged more Fire mana, a Pyrofighter Magnus, and summoned another.

Gonta made the first attack, causing Luni to curse again. A Dark Reversal. It would have been much more helpful had Burner attacked with the Pyrofighter first. Now, that Pyrofighter finally did make a move. The extreme speed of the Dragonoid was not quite enough to stop it from being swallowed by the Gray Balloon, but the Gray Balloon was also not strong enough to survive Magnus' particular form of inflicted 'indigestion'. It exploded in a mess of spirit plasm, leaving the dead body of the Dragonoid behind. The Bronze-Arm Tribe followed to break the third shield, granting Luni a Death Smoke. Also useless.

"Just not my day..." she grumbled, sending a Gigastand to her mana zone and casting the Dark Reversal, drawing the fallen plasm out of her dark world to re-form her Gray Balloon. She sent it directly out again, and let her Gigastand attack the Bronze-Arm Tribe.

Burner charged more nature mana and summoned a Rumbling Terahorn, seeking a Twin-Cannon Skyterror from his deck. Gonta charged again. Again, there was no trigger. Luni did not block the creature.

"You're getting on my nerves. Gigaclaws to mana. Summon Dia Nork, Moonlight Guardian."
Burner smirked, charged water mana, and summoned his Twin-Cannon Skyterror.

For some reason, Luni did not block this. No one could quite understand why, but the shield did not trigger either. She drew her card, charged water mana, in the form of a Hydro Hurricane... and cast the other...

The howling rain and wind drove back the Warrior Savage and Twin-Cannon Skyterror, causing Burner to sigh, as even some of his water mana was stripped away as well. She was cute, but something about her seemed rather off. Luni sent her Gigastand in, to break a shield, at last.

Burner brought forth his Skyterror again, and dual cannon blasts again splattered the Gray Balloon into nothing. Burner's turn ended. Luni drew her card, and practically shivered in surprise and elation. Another Hydro Hurricane. Only a moment later did it occur to her that the card was a bit too late for what she needed done. She could only stop one of the enemy creatures now with it, and the Terahorn would surely bring another Pyrofighter Magnus with it, if she cast right then.

"Two Corpse Chargers... he won't attack the Gigastand at this point... You don't need me. Keep blocking, maybe there is a way to hold him awhile..."
These were the words of the Seeker of Clouds, that she now placed into her mana zone. The Corpse Charger did what the Dark Reversal had done before, coalescing the Gray Balloon into form again, and letting it float back out.

Burner needed no further time nor help. His hand contained both the cards capable of ending this. He placed the Rumbling Terahorn into his mana zone, and summoned the Pyrofighter Magnus. It, and the Skyterror, charged in, gaining the attention of the Gray Balloon and Moonlight Guardian, long enough for the last charge of the Rumbling Terahorn to finish the duel, and cause Luni Matthia to shriek in frustration.

Her Kaijudo reaction was potent, but brief. A surge of hatred, then nothing. She snatched up her cards, not bothering to shake Burner's hand or pay much attention to anything, pushing her way through the crowd to go off and sulk in her defeat.

"Victory to duelist sixty four. Well played. Now duelist fifty six will play duelist one hundred."

Duelist fifty six was one who was not directly known. Porto Andrew had come from to play in the Grand Tournament, and was doing very well. His opponent was not known to most either. Duelist one hundred... was Suzanne Marshall. Her skill had improved just enough for her to manage to reach the upper echelons of the tournament.

Apparently, Porto would be going second, for, again, the same reasons as the two duelists before him. Suzanne charged Darkness mana, Porto charging a Wind Axe, the Warrior Savage. She continued with Nature, and him Nature also. As the two before him had done, he now summoned Gonta, the Warrior Savage.

Suzanne drew an Emeral, and sighed. None of her many three-cost creatures had come, and she did not even have enough other Water cards in her hand to let her summon the little Cyber Lord. Things were not going well.

Porto charged Water mana, and summoned a Bronze-Arm Tribe. Gonta charged in, the event happening for what would be at least the sixth time for the day. The shield shattered without trigger, causing Suzanne to exhale with relief. Corile. She sent another Lost Soul card to her mana zone, and summoned her Charmilia, the Enticer. The creature could not stop Gonta itself, but Suzanne was not relying on it to do so.

Porto smirked. He was already set up for his most powerful and brutal attack. He sent his avatar card to his mana zone, and with a cast of his Soulswap spell, sent his Bronze-Arm Tribe through the gap in dimensions. The gate rumbled now as the Magmadragon Jagalzor now burst forth, and he used his two remaining mana to summon an Emeral alongside it. Gonta charged in yet again, and the shield broke with no trigger, causing Suzanne to wince. She had been counting on it...

Jagalzor roared, and surged forward, shattering the two others. These two, did trigger, the Natural Snare dragging away the Warrior Savage, and the Terror Pit swallowing up the great Magmadragon. Without it there, Emeral could not strike.

"Corpse Charger to mana. Corile, on your Emeral. Charmilia, bring a Thrash Crawler!"
Suzanne's power surged just as Porto's had, as her avatar entered the battle zone, whisking away the opposing Cyber Lord. Charmilia spun, her wand shimmering, and a Thrash Crawler coming to Suzanne from her deck. Her eyes scanned quickly over the contents of that deck.

Porto drew his card, and did nothing more than summon Emeral, exchanging one shield. Suzanne nodded, drawing another Charmilia, but she placed this one into her mana zone and cast a Terror Pit, for some reason. Yodaz, watching, smiled slightly now. She was learning.

Charmilia again spun, another Thrash Crawler coming to Suzanne. Porto charged Nature mana, and cast Energy Stream, then summoned another Gonta, the Warrior Savage.

"Natural Snare on your Gonta, and tap Charmilia again, to get my Corile. End turn."

"You're kidding me now..." Porto groaned, casting a Spiral Gate on her Snow Fairy in an attempt to stop the endless stream of defenses she was likely to bring. He summoned a Wind Axe, the Warrior Savage. Suzanne smiled. This had been what she expected, and had been hoping to hold him off long enough to make him summon it without it hurting her Thrash Crawlers. Now, she placed one of those Crawlers into her mana zone, and summoned Corile on the Wind Axe.

"This is going well, but we cannot hold him forever. We need another way, and quickly..."

Porto made this fact even clearer on his next turn, as he summoned a Bronze-Arm Tribe before the Warrior Savage. Even so, those around seemed surprised that Suzanne did not flinch, nor did the enormous psychic pressure that she was exerting on the younger duelist seem to diminish in any way. She calmly sent her Charmilia to mana, and summoned Corile's preferred helper. The Illusionary Merfolk.

The three cards she drew caused her power to swamp Porto, and her summon of her Thrash Crawler a moment later did not improve things. She picked up her Emeral rather than any of her other options, for reasons no one really understood but her.

"All right, now it's over!" Porto said, summoning Gonta again, "I summon Scarlet Skyterror!"

The Armored Wyvern arrived with a blast of power that obliterated her Thrash Crawler. Porto smirked. This was definitely it.

"Bronze-Arm Tribe, ikei!"
Suzanne smiled as the power of the black stones now shot up, generating a new shield. Mana Nexus. Porto's jaw dropped as the Natural Snare became her new shield card, but the Wind Axe did not hesitate to move in. The Snare dragged away the newly summoned Gonta, and Porto's turn ended. The ocean seethed with vines, stopping him at every turn...

"Emeral to mana. Summon Bronze-Arm Tribe, and cast Natural Snare on your Scarlet Skyterror! Merfolk attacks your Warrior Savage, and Corile your Bronze-Arm Tribe. Ikei!"
The battle was swift, as the Cyber Lord and its soldier creature moved in to defeat the two Beast Folk. Porto's field of creatures was again, clear.

"She cannot stop us forever. Keep pushing forward..." Jagalzor growled. Porto summoned his Aqua Surfer, and a wave drove back her Illusionary Merfolk. She smirked. With a little luck, even this could be salvaged. She placed a Cranium Clamp into her mana zone, and summoned the Merfolk once more, hoping to draw just one more Corile, or perhaps a Mana Nexus, to hold off Porto's final creature.

Now, her three cards brought her no joy nor no new surge of energy. Another Merfolk, a Rumbling Terahorn, and her new mighty one, her Terradragon Dakma Balgarow. It was over. For her own psychic protection, she summoned the new Merfolk also, just to draw the next three cards. Terror Pit, Corile, and Cranium Clamp. She sighed, satisfied.

"End turn."

"Gotcha!" Porto declared, "Aqua Surfer, todomeda!"

The power seemed to have no effect on Suzanne whatsoever. Despite his swift attack and heavy pressure, she had held up, some might even say admirably so. She bowed slightly to Porto and shook his hand, then picked up her cards and made room for the next pair.

"Victory to duelist fifty six! Now duelist eighty seven will face duelist fifty."

The crowd now parted to let a large dark energy pass through to the dueling table. Duelist eighty seven. The great 'Darkness Dragon'. Shu Lon. His opponent was about his height, and seemed a bit nervous. Remni Yokura had come a long way for this tournament also, but watching the last three duels had made him aware of just how many ways there were to oddly counter decks like his own.

The judges for some reason had seen fit to let him go first, unlike all the others. He charged Nature mana, a Mana Nexus. Shu, of course, charged Darkness. It was then, on the next two turns, that the possible reason for their choice became apparent. Remni charged water mana and summoned his Emeral. Shu charged more darkness, a Terror Pit, but, to the surprise of many, summoned also. A Propeller Mutant.

"Rumble Gate to mana. Summon Gonta, the Warrior Savage!" Remni declared, "Emeral, ikei!"

"Shield Trigger. Terror Pit..." Shu declared calmly. The Warrior Savage was dragged away into darkness, rather unexpected. Remni shivered. Shu's power was very haunting.

"Ghost Touch to mana. Summon Gigazoul. Propeller Mutant, attack Emeral. Ikei."
The battle was swift, and the Hedrian's crash robbed Remni of an Aqua Hulcus, so he could not even rebuild his hand of cards. He placed a Soulswap into his mana zone and summoned his Pyrofighter Magnus.

"Pyrofighter, ikei!" he declared, the shield shattering and granting Shu Lon a Shadow Moon. The Dragonoid was, as usual, gone as quickly as it came. Shu charged mana and summoned only a Gigastand. No other action.

"So eerie and quiet..." Remni noted to himself, sending his Pyrofighter to break another shield. This one also turned out to be a Shadow Moon. Shu did not respond much, until the next turn, when his face broke into its customary 'evil grin'...

"Gigazoul, evolve into Phantasmal Horror Gigazald!"
The dark energy of Shu's avatar now swamped Remni's mind, as it devoured the essence of his Pyrofighter Magnus. The last card in his hand.

A moment later, a new Pyrofighter streaked in, practically off the top of Remni's deck in its movement. This one, unfortunately, fell into another Terror Pit. Shu considered, momentarily, sparing the creature and letting Gigazald devour it instead, but something told him to let the Dragonoid be dragged away this time. Now, he summoned one of the Shadow Moons, filling the battle zone with dark power, and Gigazald lurched forward to break one shield. The Gigastand instantly devoured the Gonta, and Shu ended his turn.

Remni drew his card, seemed to stop, and then placed it into his mana zone, for reasons unclear. An Emeral. Shu did not seem to be paying much attention. He charged more darkness, and summoned a Bloody Squito and another Shadow Moon. Gigazald's power was now beyond that of even a Twin-Cannon Skyterror, if Remni did in fact play the card. Gigazald lurched again...

The Aqua Surfer that burst forth now removed the Squito from the battle zone. The Shadow Moon cast a dark spell, to break the next shield, and the Gigastand devoured the Quixotic Hero. One shield remained on his opponent's side, and at least three of Shu's Terror Pits were accounted for. All Remni would need now, would be a single speed attacker on this turn...

He sighed at the card he drew, and cast the Spiral Gate to whisk Gigazald away. The Aqua Surfer took its chance to break the final shield. Even at this point, Shu did not seem to react. He merely charged more Darkness, and summoned the Gigazoul, along with not one, but two Bloody Squito.

"Shadow Moon, attack the Aqua Surfer..."
The battle was quick, and Remni quickly snatched up his next card. If it were at least an Aqua Hulcus, he could shift the situation... but he was able to do nothing but summon the Bronze-Arm Tribe. That Bronze-Arm sent the very Aqua Hulcus he needed, to his mana.

"Death Smoke on your Bronze-Arm..."
The Beast Folk Tribe was consumed quickly, and the Gigazoul moved in on the second to last shield. The final shield was the Trigger set by Remni's Emeral. A Natural Snare, which now stopped one Shadow Moon... but not the other...

"Shadow Moon, Cursed Shade... todomeda..."
Remni Yokura's mind fell into darkness, his awareness of his surroundings dimming, even as he stared into the unflinching eyes of the wielder of Phantasmal Horror...