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Aarikku · Last edited by Aarikku on Sat Dec 13, 2008 2:49 pm; edited 2 times in total

Shmod
Chapter Ten

“Uh oh.” Zywen’s eyes opened sharply; she had been meditating.

“What is it?” Sebastian asked, concerned.

“The shopkeeper. He knows about my cards.” She looked at her deck; Lucior roaring fiercely in its shiny picture.

“I’m not surprised. People have been looking for them for what, three years?”

“Five.” Zywen shuffled Lucior away; the bottom card now Vampire Princess.

“What will you do? If security’s involved…” Sebastian trailed off.

“I have no more use for the cards. They can take them back.”

“You’re going to surrender?”

“Basically.” Zywen said calmly, sipping from a soda can. “What’s interesting is that I haven’t been taken in yet. Silly shopkeep – he wants to finish the tournament first. Well, the tarot cards seem to believe that I’ll beat Tyson.”

“The upright Death.” Sebastian recalled.

“Exactly. So I can just relax for now.”

==

There was a break between the quarter- and semi-finals. Cassandra and Linlan used it to settle an old score.

“And Panda Brawler attacks Combustiploder Cannon!” Linlan declared dramatically. “Resulting in… another draw.”

“Okay, that’s been like, ten games.” Cassandra scratched her head. “We’re just both too good to lose.”

“Except to the brothers Morin.” Linlan said bitterly.

“Wow, that’s true. I didn’t even notice.” Cassandra sighed.

Kyle and Kevin spent the break trading. “C’mon!” Kyle pleaded. “What do you want for Tetra Armoured Dragon?”

“A frog that’s at the same level or higher.” Kevin smiled.

“There aren’t any!” Kyle protested.

“Then I’ll be keeping my dragon.” Kevin snapped his binder closed. “You’ve only got what, one Metal monster in your deck anyway!”

“What if Zywen plays a Metal card? I could Yoink it and be about to fuse it to win, only to lose because someone didn’t trade me Tetra Armoured Dragon.”

“Zywen uses a Dark deck. See if you can remove one of her Sins from the game.”

“Interesting… but I don’t think I have any cards that do that.” Kyle looked through his deck.

“There’s Graveflinger to send ‘em back to the deck…” Kevin suggested.

“But it’s almost useless in any other situation.” Kyle argued. “I need cards that work at any time.”

“This from the guy whose deck is based on combining cards.” Kevin rolled his eyes.

“Your break is over!” The shopkeep announced suddenly. Tyson, who had seemingly spent the entire break staring at his Combination Stack and Luke, who had been wandering (and talking to Zywen) both snapped to attention. “The first semi-final will be a battle of the brothers! Tyson Morin, the king of scaled beasts! Versus Luke Morin, the robotics genius!” The crowd cheered. Tyson thought he heard his parents among the roars.

The two gamers met at a table and shuffled. “Best of luck, bro.” Tyson nodded.

“Let’s play.” Luke finished shuffling. Rock-paper-scissors let him begin. “I’ll charge Mana Miner. It counts as 2 Mana for a Metal monster, but it can’t be tapped in the turn it’s Charged. Your go.”

“Not even a first-turn defence.” Tyson drew. “Sad. I’ll charge Banyo Dragon, and tap it to play Cloudrunner!” The dragon appeared, snapping its jaws. “Attack!” The dragon did so with a blast of wind. (Luke: 4 Life) “That’s all for me.”

“You want a defence? I charge Elemental Fissure, and tap it for Replenish. But I also tap Mana Miner for my 2800-DEF Sphere Droid!” The mechanical sphere rolled into position. “How’s that for defence?”

“Pretty good.” Tyson admitted, drawing. “Eh, I’ll kill it later. For now, I’ll charge Mustang Dragon and tap it for Replenish. Whoa. Bad cards. I’ll tap my other Mana for Mulligan, and return four cards to draw five. That’s what I’m talkin’ about! You’re up.”

Luke drew, and suddenly his hand started to shake. He had drawn Zywen’s card. This is it. He glanced at Zywen, who was sitting beside Tyson. She grinned. “Here we go. I charge R-1…”

“Wait, what? How do you expect to win using an R-4 deck without R-1?” Tyson asked.

“This is how! I tap Mana Miner and Elemental Fissure for Bionic Noble Dragon!” Flames blazed on the screen as a mechanical version of Tyson’s star card appeared. A robotic shriek erupted from its jaws.

“Huh. It got weaker.” Tyson said, pointing out its 3000/3000 stats.

“Weaker is in the eye of the beholder.” Luke replied emotionlessly as his dragon’s yellow eyes rotated and focused on Cloudrunner. “Attack.” The dragon fired a laser from its mouth, destroying Tyson’s dragon. (Tyson: 3 Life)

“Wait, three life?” Tyson checked the screen. “Shopkeep, is your screen working right? I should have four.”

“Wrong.” Luke corrected. “When Bionic Noble Dragon destroys a monster by battle, it inflicts an extra 1 damage to you.”

“Whoa!” Linlan cried suddenly. “With an effect like that, in a five-life game…”

“I know.” Cassandra agreed solemnly. “Tyson needs to destroy that dragon.”

==

“Do you think that Luke can beat Tyson?” Sebastian asked Zywen.

“Considering that Tyson very nearly lost to the panda girl,” Zywen shuffled her tarot cards. “I believe it could go either way.” She drew the Wheel of Fortune. “Ah, there you go.”

==

“My dragon…” Tyson looked at the roaring automaton. “Buddy.” It’s just like that time… the game where Noble Dragon turned against me. I gave it too much power, and it destroyed both my opponent and I. Tyson drew, and saw Noble Dragon looking back at him. I wonder… if cards have feelings. It sure seems like it sometimes. You’re up, buddy. “I charge Burning Tiger, and tap all three Mana to play Noble Dragon!” A matching inferno signalled the coming of Tyson’s dragon. It and the robot stared each other down, and they both roared fiercely. Calm down, Noble Dragon. “On second thought, destroy that copy!” The dragon smiled, and blasted a fireball at its imitation. Bionic Noble Dragon writhed in the flames.

Luke looked again to Zywen. So far… your dragon is faring worse than my robots would. He looked at his hand, within which an R-1 was looking back at him. What… what has Zywen done? She made me forget about R-1. Well no more! Luke drew. I wonder… He thought, looking at R-1. if cards have feelings. “I play Hell Mulligan!” Later, buddy. “I discard four cards, and I get to draw five.” R-1 joined a few random cards on a journey to the Grave as Luke replaced them. “Okay. I’ll also play Mana Swap! It lets me discard one of my Mana cards, and then Charge one card from my hand. I’ll send R-1 and charge Gunner Droid.”

“Why’d you charge it then?” Tyson demanded.

“I didn’t think I’d need it.” I thought Zywen’s cards were all she cracked them up to be. Luke considered.

“Anything else?” Asked Tyson impatiently.

“Yeah. I’ll tap three for Bionic Noble Dragon! …In defence mode.” Another copy of the golden robot appeared and roared, but then curled its wings around itself. The sooner I get rid of them all, the better.

“Your turn was boring.” Tyson drew, but hardly looked at what it was. “Noble Dragon, if you please.” The dragon flung a fireball, vanquishing its copy. “Thank you. See, Luke, that’s a turn. You’re up.”

Luke drew. You guys just keep coming back, don’t you? He mentally asked the two R-1’s he had drawn by last turn’s Hell Mulligan. Drawing another copy of Hell Mulligan, he also wondered how well he had shuffled his deck. “Whatever. I play Hell Mulligan, and discard two cards to draw three!” His two R-1’s met the other two in the Graveyard. “Now to fulfill my destiny! The destruction of Noble Dragon! I tap two for Whirlwind of Parts, fusing the four R-1’s in my Graveyard to form R-4!” Luke’s trademark automaton appeared, flexing its lack of muscles.

“And? I’ll put money on a 3500-ATK creature versus a 3000-ATK any day!” Tyson crossed his arms cockily.

“Uh, Tyson?” Linlan got his attention, and pointed at Luke’s Sphere Droid.

“How long has that been there?” Tyson asked, watching R-4’s ATK rise to 4000.

“Second turn… ish?” Luke shrugged. “Anyway, it’s time for me to achieve my destiny. R-4, attack!” The robot blasted Tyson’s dragon with its trademark laser. The dragon let out a last roar as it vaporized.

“No…” Tyson said softly as little pixels of his dragon fluttered around on the screen. Suddenly he was determined. “You’ve gone to far. My go!” Tyson drew.

“What’s he doing?” Linlan asked, noticing Tyson looking closely at his cards.

“He’s… strategizing.” Kyle realized suddenly. “Whoa.”

“Got it!” Tyson decided. “I tap one for Heir Dragonling!” A tiny Noble Dragon appeared, and let out a high-pitched roar. “But it won’t be here long – time for its effect. I’ll Tribute it for Noble Dragon!” The larger dragon roared far more fiercely. “And since the problem here was Sphere Droid, I’ll take it out! Go, Noble Dragon!” The dragon complied, releasing a barrage of flames that eliminated the droid. “I’ll set one card, and it’s over to you.”

“That was a poor move.” Linlan shook her head. “Luke can win decidedly easily now.”

“Agreed.” Said Kyle. “We should’ve known better than to trust Tyson’s strategies.”

“I can hear you, you know!” Tyson growled. Linlan and Kyle whistled innocently.

“Too bad you couldn’t hear them earlier!” Luke drew. “I tap three for my third Bionic Noble Dragon; this one in attack mode!” I did it! He smiled. And I didn’t really even need Zywen’s help.

Zywen flipped over a tarot card. “Interesting…” She muttered.

“Now!” Luke commanded. “R-4, attack!” The giant robot, who was once again at its respectable 4000 ATK, fired a laser from its hands.

“I think not!” Tyson said quickly. “I flip, and tap two for, Cancel Attack! Now, your monsters can’t attack for this turn.”

“Whew.” Linlan breathed a sigh of relief on Tyson’s behalf.

“Crap, and I can’t even change Bionic Noble Dragon to defence.” Luke sighed. “Well, I guess I’ve got enough Life to spare. Go for it.”

“Maybe you do now, but I’ve got something better than extra life. My last Noble Dragon!” Tyson tapped his Mana and played the dragon. It flew to position beside the existing Noble Dragon, and the two roared together. “First dragon; attack Bionic Noble Dragon!” One of the two launched a fireball that incinerated Luke’s mechanical beast. (Luke: 2 Life) “And the other one will destroy R-4!” (Luke: 1 Life) “Now you don’t have Life to spare. I’ll set one card, and that’s it for me. Enjoy your point.”

Damn! Damn! Luke cursed mentally, drawing. Re-Fusion. R-4 won’t help me here. But… He looked over at Zywen, who was holding The Devil up at him. “I guess if you can’t win with your own power, use whatever you’ve got.”

“Eh?”

“I wish I could rely on R-1 for this game. It’s my favourite card. Fun and surprisingly powerful. But sometimes fun isn’t enough.” Luke stared at the Bionic Noble Dragon peeking out of his Graveyard. “Sometimes, when you have a point to prove, you need more than that.”

“What point do you have to prove?” Tyson asked.

“The point that I’m more than a nuisance to you. You’ve always seen me as ‘that annoying kid who keeps getting in my way’. Well no more!”

“I never thought that.” Tyson protested.

“That’s sure how it feels.” Luke looked like he was about to continue ranting, but he caught Zywen’s eye, and she nodded. “If it comes down to making a deal with the devil to win this game, I’m all for it! I tap two for Re-Fusion!”

“R-4’s the devil?” Cassandra asked Kevin.

“Isn’t it obvious?” Kevin replied to the rest of their group of observers. They all shook their heads. “Geez. Bionic Noble Dragon is a more destructive form of its brother in flesh, though it in itself is weaker. Noble Dragon also has one trick that is crucial – fusion. Bionic Noble Dragon just wouldn’t be complete without –”

“Hey, Kevin. Only people in the games are allowed to monologue.” Luke shut him up. “I fuse my three Bionic Noble Dragons to create Deus ex Machina Dragon!” The three dragons twisted just as Tyson’s did while creating Sigma Dragon, but black smoke signalled the rise of the gold three-headed beast. It roared eerily, reminding the crowd more of Skeletal Chimera or Lucior, the Seven-Headed Damnation than Sigma Dragon.

“Deus ex Machina?” Linlan wondered.

“It’s Latin.” Kyle explained.

“What does it mean?” Asked Cassandra.

“That’s the scary part.” Kevin replied. “Deus ex Machina translates, quite literally, to God in the machine.”

“It deserves that title.” Luke commented solemnly. “5000 ATK, and it can attack your monsters up to three times. So I’ll attack your two Noble Dragons!” Luke’s golden automaton roared with its three heads, each one charging a fiery laser. “I know you’re bad at math, bro, but this will take out 2 Life. You only have 2 remaining.”

“I’m not that bad. I also know that 5000 ATK is a lot worse than 9000.” Tyson grabbed his facedown card.

“That makes no sense.” Luke raised an eyebrow.

“Oh, it does.” He flipped it fully – Elemental Fissure. “Now, by tapping 1 Mana, I can split your Deus ex Machina Dragon into its original components – before your attack! Enjoy your three Bionic Noble Dragons, each of whom is weaker than a Noble Dragon. And since I’m the one who used the card, I get to choose the mode. All of them in Attack Position.” The giant dragon never finished charging its laser. It glowed brightly and split back into three less frightening one-headed dragons. “For my turn, I’ll tap three for Revival Stone, bringing back my first Noble Dragon. It’s three Nobles versus three Bionics.” Tyson’s scaled dragons glared at their metal counterparts.

“I just wanted you to respect me.” Luke said quietly.

“I always did.” Tyson replied, their exchange completely tuned out from the crowd by the dragons’ roars. “Noble Dragons – attack.” The three true dragons destroyed their impostors with balls of fire. (Luke: 0 Life)

“And the winner, and one of our two finalists, is Tyson Morin!” The shopkeep announced. The crowd cheered. “The next game will start shortly.”

==

“Take them.” Luke pushed his three Bionic Noble Dragons and their combined form back to Zywen. “They’re not good enough for me.”

“I’m sure that’s it.” Zywen nodded, oozing sarcasm. “If you’ll excuse me, it’s time for my game – and Lucior’s hungry.”

Card of the Chapter is Deus ex Machina Dragon

Author's Note: Yes, spelling mistake. Whatever.

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The Decktype Guide

Naardaas · Posted: Sat May 17, 2008 12:14 pm Post subject:

Now this is what I came here to see man! Hahahahahaha! You finally completed the Bionic Noble Dragon deck! Oh happy day! Mwuhahahahaha!
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The seal on my existence is broken. My great dragon has arrived as pinnacle strength. And I have the last thing I need to exact revenge on those who banished me. I have the power over chaos, over life and death. The power of Drahondes.

Aarikku · Posted: Sat May 17, 2008 4:44 pm Post subject:

Another happy customer!

Or rather, the same customer. Happy again. Huzzah!
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The Decktype Guide

Naardaas · Posted: Sat May 17, 2008 5:33 pm Post subject:

(Female Voice) That's correct my dear friend. After all, I knew that in time you could create something that held the energy and content with which you began. Now to see if the Lord of Alchemy can transmute himself a miracle, or if his Philosopher's Stone is about to crumble away. Mwuhahahahahaha!

_________________
The seal on my existence is broken. My great dragon has arrived as pinnacle strength. And I have the last thing I need to exact revenge on those who banished me. I have the power over chaos, over life and death. The power of Drahondes.