Capítulo 9: 9
"Who do you think you're going to be put up against, Bob?"
The Slifers were chilling on the stands, while the duel fields were being prepared for the next rounds of exams.
"Bob?" Cross repeated. "How about you defeat me in a duel first before hashing out that nick name."
"Did I hit a sore spot?" Ryouta wiggled his brows.
"No, but if you want to be repeatedly beaten down by a Bob then be my guest." He smirked.
"That doesn't sound good." Ryouta slumped in his seat.
Robert turned his head around, eyeing the electric board on the wall. A couple of names were slowly showing up. Finally the pairings were being announced for the freshmen. When he saw his name next to his supposed rival he couldn't help but chuckle.
"It seems I'll be going first. Wish me luck."
"Please." Ryouta rolled his eyes. "You couldn't have had a better match up if you had tried."
"I don't know." Syrus saw the Obelisk already waiting at the duel field. "He looks very confident."
"Then let's see if that's just a bluff."
Robert Cross left his buddies and made his way towards his opponent. As he got closer he could see what Syrus had meant. Gerald was assured of his victory against him.
'Did he get help from Crowler?'
As the both contestants finally had arrived, the judge from the last match with Chumley made his presence known.
"Attention duelists, the first match of the freshmen year will commence shortly. Please shuffle your opponent's deck."
"Ready to fall, Cross?"
"From boredom?" Robert calmly cut the deck.
"Hmph. We'll see if you can keep that attitude after this." He huffed and walked to his side of the field.
"The duel between Mr. Cross and Mr. Withers starts, now!"
"Duel!"
"Duel!"
Cross LP 4000
Withers LP 4000
"Draw!" Gerald took the first turn. "I'll set one monster face down and two cards in my Spell and Trap zone. Your move."
"On the defensive?" Robert placed his drawn card in his hand. " How unusual for you."
"Talking won't help you with I've had prepared for you, Slifer."
"Call me intrigued. Let's see what you've got under there. "I summon Pyramid Turtle (*4 A1200 D1400) in Attack Mode and I'll proceed by attacking your face down."
Robert's monster trampled all over the set down monster.
"I also have a way to special summon monsters. Because you've destroyed my monster by battle I activate my Shining Angel's effect to summon a light monster with 1500 or less attack points in attack mode from my deck. I choose my second copy of Shining Angel (*4 A1400 D800).
A humanoid monster in a white tunic and four wings descended to the field.
"I'll end my turn with setting three face downs." Robert said.
"Not so fast, I use Mystical Space Typhoon on your card on the right."
That set card turned out to be Mirror Force.
"Someone's learning." Robert clicked his tongue.
"You've trashed me so many times in the last month," Gerald eyed the teen with hatred, "that I've accepted the fact that to destroy you I need to use your methods."
"Methods? You mean actually planning out your strategy. If so then you can thank me for opening your eyes later with a small donation of a jacuzzi."
"Silence! I'll show you what my deck can do. Draw!" The Obelisk sneered. "I'll first use Smashing Ground and destroy your turtle."
The zombie monster was pulverized by a holographic fist from above, leaving Robert's field defenseless.
"Now I summon my monster, The Agent of Creation - Venus."
Another angel like monster appeared on the field. She had long blonde hair and one pair of wings. Three globes were continously floating around her.
"I'll use her effect and summon three Mystical Shine Balls to the field for the price of 1500 LP."
Withers LP4000 -> 2500
"He's flooded his field with monsters. Mindy exclaimed.
"He really has outdone himself. With those kind of plays becoming a pro is just a formality." Jasmine nodded.
'But why isn't he concerned?' Alexis couldn't help but speculate on the non impressed look on Cross's face.
"What do you think, Alexis?"
"Oh, sorry Mindy. I wasn't listening."
Back at the field.
"With over 4000 attack points on my side of the field it's over, Cross. I'll attack you directly, starting with Venus."
"I activate Waboku, now you can attack as much as you want." Three maidens shielded the incoming attack.
"Che, I enter Main Phase 2. I'll activate Swords of Revealing Light and end my turn."
"Troublesome, Draw! I activate Snatch Steal, targeting your Shining Angel. Then I'll use it to tribute summon Caius the Shadow Monarch."
A majestic fiend, adorned in royal purplish dark armor entered the stage. His malicious eyes struck fear in those faint of heart.
"When Tribute Summoned I can use his effect to remove one card from the field, I choose Swords of Revealing Light."
The three imposing swords vanished from the playing field.
"I'll set a card face down and end my turn."
"Why didn't he attack?"
"Withers has an unused face down and game on board if he has a good back up on his next turn." Bastion explained. "He has too much to lose."
"He...what do you call it? Bricked?" Natsuo asked.
"It seems so. However he had done as much as he could with the cards he got."
"I know he'll turn it around." Jaden had complete faith in his friend.
The field looked unfavorably to the Slifer player. And what's worst, his opponent wasn't going to wait.
"And who's on the defensive now?" Gerald looked at the card he drew. "I'll sacrifice one Mystical Shine Ball to summon Airknight Parshath and put the rest of the Balls to Defense mode. I now end my turn."
"Gathering fairies for Mudora aren't you?" His words shocked Gerald.
"Even if you somehow have guessed my strategy you can't do anything to stop it."
"Are you sure about that?" He drew a card. "Finally something I can work with. I activate Pot of Greed, drawing two more cards."
"Now since you love fairies so much, let's see their angel wings fall. I activate Zombie World."
The holographic system went into overdrive, encapsulating the whole field in eerie darkness. Tombstones and crosses slowly had risen from the ground.
"What's this, cat got your tongue?" Robert mocked. "Since my Caius is useless I'll sacrifice him to bring forth a monster that I haven't used before."
"Nourished by the hellscapes of death, it flies over the anguished and forgotten souls of the past. Let your eyes, burning with hatred, bring damnation to those standing in your path. Come to me, Red-Eyes Zombie Dragon."
A tornado of blue mist appeared on Robert's side of the field. The wind was so strong it made the audience cover their eyes.
"And he was the guy that said summoning chants were stupid." Natsuo groaned from the melodramatic pose their friend was doing.
"He said your chants suck, gracious Insect Queen my ass."
"You have a problem with my Insect deck, Katou?"
"Only that it belongs to the same place as other annoying bugs. Under my shoe."
"You're so lucky they're holding me back."
"They? It's your arms keeping hold on the backrest for dear life."
"Yeah!?"
"Yeah!"
Syrus and Chumley were sweating from the argument next to them.
"See, how quickly they've become best friends." Jaden laught.
"Who's the friend now!" Both Natsuo and Ryouta screamed.
Meanwhile at the dueling field a pair of bloodthirsty eyes appeared within the twister. A great draconic roar shattered the sea of wind, revealing the Red-Eyes Zombie Dragon.
"I'll now enter the Battle Phase, attack Parshath with Howling Flames of Nether."
"I activate my trap, Sakuretsu Armor. Say goodbye to your rotting dragon."
"I think my facedown has something to say about that. I activate in response my Dark Bribe, negating your trap."
"Che." Gerald drew a card, frustrated his card had missed.
With nothing holding it back Robert's monster obliterated the opposing creature.
Withers LP 2500 -> 2000
"When it destroys a monster in battle I can special summon that monster on my side of the field."
Gas leaked from one of the crypts on the field. It soon turned into the image of Parshath.
"And I also can attack with it, destroy the ball on the left."
A lance filled with underworld energy formed in the hand of the knight. With a mighty thrust it was sent flying towards its target, nailing it to the ground before it shattered and hit Gerald with its pieces.
Withers LP 1700 -> 300
"Because Parshath dealed battle damage I can draw a card. I end my turn with a face down."
"I can't lose like this. Not when I was so close." Gerald's hand was trembling as he placed it on the top of his deck. "I'll win. Draw!"
His eyes widened, he drew the out. He drew the one thing that can turn the field around.
"It's over, Cross. You may have made it impossible to use Mudora, but now you can't avoid it. I activate The Sanctuary in the Sky."
Columns of light ravaged the pit of hell, purging its darkness. White marble walls fell down, shattering the tomes and bones of the cementary. The Zombie World was no more.
"And now, I'll activate the Spell card Dark Hole, destroying every monster on the field.
A black hole sucked in all of the monsters, before fizzling out.
"And now come forth Mudora (*4 A1500 D1800). Show me your ancient strength."
A sword wielding warrior with an ancient egyptian mask entered the field.
"As you already know it gains 200 attack points for each fairy in my Graveyard."
Mudora A1500 + 1400 -> A2900
"That'd still not game, Gery boy."
"Oh I'm not done yet." Gerald maniacally laught. "Witness the true master. By banishing a 'The Agent' monster from my Graveyard I can special summon my ace monster."
"Within your hands, the guiding light strucks fear into the insolent shadows of End. Let the world learn your mercy as you struck them down with your sword of Penitence. I summon thee, Master Hyperion!"
The bells of the sanctuary tolled, announcing the return of their benevolent emperor. The divine throne shattered as a portal crushed it under its weight. From within the blinding luster an armored red hand grabbed the edge of the portal. Next a leg stepped out, revealing more of the reigning supreme ruler. Master Hyperion's head broke through the fragile screen, making it scatter in the wind.
"So pretentious." Robert Cross smirked. "Anyway I activate Solumn Judgement, negating the special summon of your monster and thus destroying it in the process."
Thunder struck the temple, leaving but a crater where the supposed master of the universe standed before.
"Hmph, so what? You're only prolonging the inevitable. And now you're at half your lifepoints."
Cross LP4000 -> 2000
"As long as I have a single point its never over." Robert replied.
"Nevertheless, I have to end this charade. It was fun until it lasted. Go Mudora, take this insolent fool to his grave."
Mudora unsheathed his sword, tossing away the scabard. It started slow but began to increase his speed.
"I have one more facedown, Gery." The blond pushed the button on his duel disk. "I activate Magic Cylinder."
Mudora's sword was stolen by one of the cylinders. As the magical glyphs shined a glow came to life within the second container. After it charged up, a beam of energy shot towards Gerald, covering him in light.
"I... I lost." His voice was swallowed by the deafening sound of the laser.
Cross LP 2000
Withers LP 300 -> 0
After the cloud of dust dispersed, a kneeling Gerald was revealed. The points on his dueldisk didn't lie. He truly had lost, lost his chance of redeeming himself before the crowd.
'Am I weak?' He asked himself.
Even before getting his ace monster from Crowler he was certain that all of his preparations would coalesce into victory. He had the upper hand, he got rid of his opponents strategies; rendered his field spell useless. But that still wasn't enough to secure the duel. It hurt. It hurt him so badly to lose to a trap so old as the card game itself.
"I've failed." A lone tear gathered at the corner of his eye.
"Ah come on. Don't be so hard on yourself." He saw his opponent approaching.
"Haven't you mocked me enough?"
"Mocked you?" Robert repeated. "Trash talking during a duel shouldn't be taken seriously. And besides, I have to thank you."
"Thank me? What's there to thank me for?"
"My guy, you're the first person to actually give me an exhilarating duel. It was finished with a mistake on your part and a cheep shot from mine, but you can't say that it wasn't one of the best duels this Academy has ever witnessed."
Robert reached for the teen's hand. After hesitating Gerald reciprocated and stood up with the help of the Slifer.
"And don't take my word for it. Look around."
Everyone was watching them. The duel, during its entirely kept them on the edge of their seats. So many twists and back and forths. If not for the jackets the duelists were wearing one could assume that they were watching the Pro Leagues.
"Ladies and Gentlemen." The judge wiped the tears under his sunglasses." Although the duel has ended in Mr. Cross's favor we can all acknowledge the ingenuity and sportsmanship of both players. Please give an aplauz for both Mr. Cross and Mr. Withers."
The crowd roared. Everyone that was currently at the exam area gave a show of their appreciation for the duel they just have witnessed.
"ROBERT, ROBERT!" The red dorm roared.
"GERALD, GERALD!" Obelisks were cheering on the fallen hero.
There were no losers, only a passionate clash of foes trying to outdo one another.
"Oh my gosh, he's so cool." Mindy had hearts in her eyes.
"Hmph, get in the line, you're not the only one eyeing him."
"And who's first Jas?"
"Of course its me."
'How can they think about romance at a time like this.'Alexis clapped while sighing. 'At least he showed that there is something more to him then just winning.'
Gerald watched as they were being cheered on by the crowd. No sign of disgust could be found from his fellow dorm mates. Even Zane of all people was watching him duel at the back row.
"It's great isn't it. Getting acknowledged for your skills." Robert said.
"Yeah, it feels... rewarding." Gerald smiled back.
"Well, I think we should be going. Otherwise they'll never stop with the aplauz."
"And what's the problem with that?"
"I'm already on the teachers' shit list. Better not tease fate to struck me down." The Slifer chuckled. "I'll call you up for another match."
"What? Why?" Gerald didn't like the smile on Robert's face.
"Because it's fun." The teen laught as he headed towards the bleachers, were his friends were waiting for him.
-------
Let the monsters hit the floor
Let the monsters hit the FLOOR!
Ahem... it was a jolly good chapter, I hope.
I've had some trouble writing this chapter. Finding a good deck for Gerald was one thing, but writing a duel that doesn't feel so one sided isn't as easy as one would think. However, with each word I found myself getting even more engrossed in the moment. I hope that it's the same for you, the reader.
Thank you for keeping up with my idle project. And cheers to seeing and hearing from all of you.
Thank you all for reading and leaving reviews.
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Geek-Mytho: he cooked so hard that Sam doesn't even own the S to his name.
Omni Fate Lover: we're still quite a bit before the he appears in the story. However I'll look more into it.
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