Team Nightwatch

It's Time to Duel

     The weekend came far too soon for my liking.  It hasn't been easy hiding my relic from Andrew as his powers more or less cause havoc wherever he goes.  Actually, it's the reason why the me, Leah, and Destiny don't wear skirts anymore.
     Whenever Andrew gets bored, no matter where he is, he starts manipulating the wind and has, on more than one occasion, lifted up a few skirts.  Luckily, he pays attention in class else every girl in there would be so screwed.  I used my free time between classes (Andrew had cancelled sparring until the tournament was over) to familiarize myself with my deck.  For the most part, it isn't a hard deck to use.  Only problem is with all of the toons which require the spell card Toon World.  If I can get that early I should be able to pull off a quick win.
     "Isabel,"  Destiny said.  "The participants need to meet in the courtyard, but you'll have your tent."  I slipped the rope of the key through one of my belt loops and ran to where she said.  The other nine contestants were already there apparently because the only one that was empty was mine.  I pushed the curtain aside and stepped in to the little tent. 
     A monitor showed the arena outside and I was impressed.  There were bleachers surrounding a five by five square with equal-sized rectangles in the first, second, fourth and fifth rows.  Most of the school seems to have come out to see this and two other monitors behind each side were blank but would probably show the person dueling on that side and their life points.
     "Welcome everyone," Ozpin announced.  "Welcome to the first 'Millennium Tournament' of Beacon Academy.  We hope to continue this as a tradition here but we have not decided yet."  He took a sip from his mug.  "This will test the contestants skill and strategy in the card game they shall play.  The technology we are using for this will create realistic holographic versions of the monsters, traps, and spells of the duelists.  The players will not be hurt but for the sake of drama some might pretend like they're being attacked...."
     Some muttering broke out at his words and he waited for silence before continuing.  "Each duelist has been given an item as their badge.  The winner of the duel will take the loser's badge as a symbol of their victory."  Wonder what happens if someone has more than one when they lose....  "The duels will be determined randomly.  Now for the first match!"  The big monitors and the one next to me whirled mostly with gold and when they stopped I saw my key and a upside down golden pyramid with an eye in the center.  "Will these duelists step forward?" 
     I exited my tent to great applause and went up to where I put my cards.  I looked at my opponent and we both stared at each other in shock.
     "Isabel?"  Andrew asked, shocked.  Oh, no...this isn't going to end well....  "Since when do you duel?"
     "I've been dueling since I was little,"  I replied, trying to sound threatening.  Andrew doesn't scare easy but I've got to make him think that I'm as good as he claims to be.  That's half the battle isn't it? 
     "Andrew is going first," Ozpin said.  I glanced down at my hand and tried not to squeal.  Toon World was in my opening hand!  This should be easy....
     "I summon the Mystical Elf in defense mode," Andrew said.  The hologram of the blue-skinned elf, kneeling in her robes appeared in front of him.  If I remember right, she's got some of the highest defense points in the game.  He played two cards face down and ended the turn.
     Without hesitation I played Toon World and saw Andrew sneer. 
     "What's the matter?"  I jeered, watching as my four thousand life points dropped to three thousand.  "Scared of a couple of toons?"
     "No," he replied.  "It's just that they're not worth the thousand life points...."  I glared at him and summoned the Toon Alligator.  Nowhere near enough attack points but I have another trick up my sleeve.  Andrew summoned Gaia, The Fierce Knight, but he didn't attack.  Gaia's got more than enough attack to take down my Alligator, so why doesn't he do it?  He set another face-down card and ended his turn.
     I summoned the Alpha the Magnet Warrior and equipped it with the Lucky Iron Axe which let me draw another card.  Whenever I saw what it was I almost gasped.  My other trump card...The Winged Dragon of Ra!  All I need is one more low-level monster and the turn after will end it all.  Unless....  I set a few traps and spells down and smiled at Andrew.  "You've only got a few turns left 'til you lose Andrew...."
     "Is that so?"  He said, raising an eyebrow and drawing a card.  "Funny, I was going to say the same thing about you...."  I couldn't tell whether he was just trying to psyche me out or if he was being serious. 
     He looked at me with those cold, appraising eyes.  "I play Ancient Rules and summon the Summoned Skull!"  The bone demon rose from from the card and looked at me with empty eye sockets.  "Destroy that electromagnet!"  The lightning arched from the demon's fingers towards the Pixie Knight.
     "I play the Magic Cylinder!"  The hologram of the card, two cylinders, appeared in front of the Pixie Knight.  The electricity went into one and came out the other to hit Andrew.  He cringed and spazzed with the current and his Life Points dropped from 4000 to 1500. 
     "Well played," he said.  "Anything else?"  To show off and show his doom.  "Ultimate Offering...I knew I should have used Card Destruction earlier...."
     "I summon Beta the Magnet Warrior and use Ultimate Offering to summon Gamma the Magnet Warrior...."  Sensing each other, the three warriors disconnected and formed Valkyrion the Magna Warrior.  I expected to see fear on Andrew's face but he was smiling.  "What?"
     "You've just killed yourself," he said.  Valkyrion and the Summoned Skull were staring each other down.
     "Get rid of the Summoned Skull," I told him.  Valkyrion leaped through the air, sword raised to slice the demon in half but Andrew flipped over another one of his cards.
     "I play Negate Attack," he said.  "Stopping your Magna Warrior's attack."  He drew his next card and an evil grin played across his face.  "I sacrifice all of my monsters to summon the strongest monster in my deck!"  He put the card on the sensor and the air became thick with the smell of rain.  Clouds gathered over us and lightning flashed as a giant red Dragon descended from the clouds.  "Behold!  Slifer the Sky Dragon!"  It opened its top mouth and lighting flashed and hit Valkyrion, not killing it but lowering its attack.  "I've been holding onto this card since you told me that I was going to lose.  Looks like the tables have turned."
     "For anyone who doesn't know," Ozpin announced.  "The Sky Dragon's attack and defense are equal to one thousand times the number of cards in the person's hand."  Andrew had six cards.
     "End this Slifer," Andrew called.  Lightning crackles in the mouth of the beast which flew at Valkyrion, destroying him and taking my Life Points down to zero. 
     "The winner is Andrew," Glynda announced, a little unnecessarily.  "The next match will begin in a few moments."  We walked toward each other and I handed over the key.
     "You did pretty good," he told me.  "Didn't summon any Toons though, did you?"  I smiled but couldn't talk.  He was a serious duelist but a really good friend outside of the duel.  "Go find the girls.  I'll take it from here."