Akia had been walking around the city for quite some time now. Almost every other duelist was in the middle of a duel, and, those who weren't, were avoiding her, since they recognized her as the victor of Duelist Kingdom, the Queen of Games.
Akia let out a sigh. She then took out the Red Eyes Black Dragon card that she had won back from the Rare Hunter. "Even though I'm really happy to have you, it just doesn't feel right. I feel like your rightful place is with Jounouchi, by his side, as his companion. Just like how I feel like I should stay by his side as his close friend who'll always be there for him..."
Akia kept walking around, hoping to find someone who was willing to duel her.
"You!" Akia turned around to see who had called her out.
As soon as she saw who it was, she frowned in disgust. "It's you again... What do you want?"
The man with the large physique was in fact Kungo, the first duelist she had defeated in Duelist Kingdom. "If it wasn't for you, I would've gotten the title of King of Games! You used some weird trick to knock me out!"
"Look, the second you lost to me, you were disqualified. So it didn't matter if you were unconscious or not." Akia then turned around and started walking away.
"Hey! I'm not done with you!" Kungo grabbed Akia's wrist and pulled it up, keeping her from struggling to get out of his grip since her feet were barely touching the floor.
"Ow! Let go of me you brute!" Akia yelled out.
"No way. I'm taking back what's rightfully mine." He retorted then reached into her black leather jacket's pocket and got the puzzle cards out. "Two, huh? With those I'll just need two more to qualify for the finals."
Akia was furious. She lifted one of her legs and kneed Kungo hard in the stomach.
"Gah!" He gasped. The impact made him loosen his grip on her, giving her the chance to escape from him and snatch back her puzzle cards.
A crowd was starting to notice the commotion. Kungo knew then that he couldn't steal the puzzle cards from her anymore or he would get reported.
Akia rubbed her sore wrist. "If you really want my puzzle cards that badly, then duel me."
When the people around heard that, they started getting excited. "The Queen of Games is about to duel!" "We can't miss that!" "Who's that she's even dueling?"
Kungo felt pressured by the crowd. "F-Fine! That's what I wanted anyway! I'll get my revenge on you with my powered up deck!"
"Bring it on. I've been meaning to try out a few new combos. Let's both bet the two puzzle cards that we possess," Akia challenged.
"Tch. It's your funeral," Kungo scoffed.
"As for rare cards, I don't think you have anything in your current deck that would benefit me. How about I take one of the cards that you don't use?"
"Heh! You think you've already won? But fine. It's a deal then. The winner takes whatever card they're most interested in having."
Akia didn't feel like she had to involve the Millennium Scale into this, since there was such a big number of witnesses around. There was almost no way that Kungo would run away like he tried to do last time without honouring their deal.
"Duel!" They both shouted as they drew their cards.
"Since you challenged me, how about I go first?" Akia suggested.
"Yeah, whatever," Kungo muttered.
The girl then drew a card from her deck, starting the first turn. She looked at her hand. She decided to start off with one of her favourite cards: Different Dimension Warrior. "I'll place a monster in facedown defence position. I'll place one card facedown and end my turn."
It was Kungo's turn. "I draw! Hmph, a real duelist doesn't cower behind his cards! I summon Enraged Battle Ox(1700/1000). Unlike the normal Battle Ox, this one inflicts piercing damage against a defence position monster! I'm not done yet! I'll activate the spell card Wild Nature's Release. This card targets one of my beast or beast-warrior type monsters and makes it gain attack equal to its defence points. The only downfall, is that, during my end phase, I'll have to destroy the monster. However, it'll be worth the amount of damage that I'll be inflicting on you! My Battle Ox now has 2700 attack points! Now... I'll attack your facedown monster!"
Akia clenched her teeth, preparing herself for the impact. She knew this would be a huge hit on her life points. She didn't expect something like that to happen, but at least she would still survive another turn.
Kungo's Enraged Battle Ox slashed through Akia's Different Dimension Warrior, causing Akia to lose 1700 life points, dropping them down to 2300.
"What a puny monster you had there! I expected a bit more, to be honest," he mocked his opponent.
"He's not puny! In fact, my Different Dimension Warrior's special effect activates! It removes both itself and any monster it battled with from play," Akia retorted.
"It doesn't matter, since my monster was a goner this turn anyway. I'll place a card facedown and end my turn."
"My turn; I draw!" Akia drew one of the new monsters she had added to her deck: Different Dimension Warrior Lady(1500/1600). This card had a similar effect to Different Dimension Warrior, the difference being that the controller of the card had the choice of whether or not to remove the attacking monster and Different Dimension Warrior Lady from play. I'll place a monster in facedown defence position. I'll end my turn." Akia thought about how she would proceed, "if I put my monster in facedown defence position, my opponent will attack it, not knowing that his monster will be removed from play. Right now, I need to remove as many cards as possible."
"Again? This will get boring real quick," Kungo sighed then drew a card from his deck. "I summon another Enraged Battle Ox(1700/1000)! I'll attack your monster with it and inflict more piercing damage to your life points!" Kungo's monster destroyed Different Dimension Warrior Lady, inflicting 100 points of damage to Akia's life points once more, bringing them down to 2200.
"My monster won't go down alone! I activate Different Dimension Warrior Lady's special effect! Both her and your monster are removed from play!" Akia exclaimed.
"Tsk. What kind of strategy are you planning? Well, it doesn't matter. I end my turn."
"I draw. I'll place one more card facedown and one monster in facedown defence position. I'll end my turn."
Kungo was starting to get irritated at how passive Akia's moves have been. "You won't be able to keep defending forever! I draw! I summon Vortex King(1800/1000) in attack position! I attack your defence position monster!"
Akia could've activated one of her traps to stop the attack, but she opted not to, letting Kungo's monster destroy her monster which was revealed to be the third Different Dimension monster: Different Dimension Assailant(1700/1600).
"Another one of those pests?" Kungo retorted.
"And another similar effect to the previous ones! If a monster destroys Different Dimension Assailant, they are dragged out and removed from play along with her," Akia explained.
Kungo's third monster was yet again removed from play. "I'll set a facedown and end my turn."
Akia drew a card. She looked at her hand. "I'll end my turn." She opted to wait and prepare more before she could set her strategy in motion.
"You are wide open! Didn't expect the Queen of Games to be such a weakling!" Kungo taunted her.
Akia sighed in exasperation. Why were almost all the duelists she played against so obnoxious, she asked herself.
Kungo drew his next card. He summoned another Berserk Gorilla. "Now! I attack your life points directly!"
"As if I'd let you! I activate one of my facedown cards: Dimensional Prison! It allows me to remove from play one attacking monster. Your Berserk Gorilla's going to go join the rest of your other monsters," Akia countered.
"You escaped this time. I'll get you next turn!" The burly man grumbled.
Akia reached for her deck, hoping for a specific card. "I'm just stalling for time at this point. I need to draw my Banisher of the Light and fast. I'm running out of escape routes." She thought before playing her turn. "I draw! I'll place one monster in facedown defence position and end my turn," she concluded then looked at her facedown monster, "placing Morphing Jar #2 might help me next turn with its flip effect. Here's hoping that Kungo won't summon another monster and attack it, though."
Kungo drew his next card and frowned. He didn't have any monster that he could summon. "I'll end my turn."
Akia took a deep breath and drew a card. "Alright, time to flip summon my facedown monster! My Morphing Jar #2's effect activates! I can shuffle all the monsters on the field into the respective deck. Considering you have no monsters, this effect will only apply to me. I will then go through my deck, special summoning in facedown defence position the first level 4 or lower monster I encounter while drawing, discarding all other cards up to that monster to the graveyard."
"Hopefully I get lucky enough to get Banisher of the Light," Akia thought before flipping the first card at the top of her deck, which revealed to be Nobleman of Crossout, a spell card, which she immediately discarded to the graveyard. The next card she picked turned out to be one of her Needle Worms(750/600). She was then forced to summon the card in facedown defence position, even though she would rather wait until she could use its effect in combination with removing cards. "I'll set a card facedown and end my turn."
"I draw!" Kungo started his turn, "it seems that you'll survive another turn. However, I will limit your actions with my Swords of Revealing Lights!"
"Where did you get that card?!" Akia exclaimed. Up until now, her brother was the only one that she saw using that card, considering how rare it was. She didn't know how someone like Kungo was able to get his hands on such a card.
"Let's just say I got lucky," Kungo chuckled.
The Swords of Revealing Lights' effect caused Akia's Needle Worm to be flipped face up, activating its effect prematurely to when Akia wanted. The effect made Kungo's top five cards of his deck to be sent to the graveyard, instead of being removed from play like Akia had wanted.
"Those were some good cards... It still won't change the outcome! I'll end my turn," the mustachioed man concluded.
"I draw. I'll set one card facedown and one monster in facedown defence position. With that, I'll end my turn," Akia quickly concluded.
Kungo drew a card and ended his turn, not having drawn anything that he could use. Akia's turn went the same way. She drew a card and ended her turn without playing anything.
"This duel is dragging on much longer than I expected it to... I'm going to have to change up my deck as soon as I get some good cards for it," Akia pondered as she was starting to feel a bit anxious.
Kungo drew a card. "Finally! I summon Gladiator Beast Dimacari(1600/1200) in attack position! I'll attack your facedown monster!"
Not wanting her other Needle Worm's effect to be wasted again, Akia activated one of her trap cards. "Not so fast! I'll activate my trap card: Karma Cut! By discarding one card from my hand, I can remove from play one of your monsters. By doing so, if any other monsters of the same name are in your graveyard, they are removed from play as well."
Akia discarded Horn of Light, an equip spell card, from her hand to the graveyard to remove Kungo's monster from play once more along with the other Gladiator Beast Dimacari in his graveyard.
"Not again! Do you think I'll run out of monsters or something? That won't happen until I defeat you!" Kungo whined and ended his turn.
"I draw. I'll put one card facedown and end my turn," Akia completed her turn.
"I draw! I'll summon Berserk Gorilla and take care of your facedown monster for good!"
"You keep falling for the same tricks! I activate my trap, Dimensional Prison."
Kungo's Berserk Gorilla was also removed from play. Kungo was losing his patience. It was as if Akia anticipated every move he'd make.
"I end my turn..." Kungo said.
Akia put her hand on her deck and closed her eyes. "I don't know for how long I can keep resisting like this... I really need this card... Please... Banisher of the Light!"
"I draw!" Akia drew her card. She couldn't believe her eyes. She had finally drawn the card she'd been waiting for.
"Time for my trump card! I summon Banisher of the Light(100/2000) in attack mode! I'll end my turn with that."
She knew that she had left her Banisher wide open. However, because of the new rules, she couldn't summon it in face up defence position. She needed his ability to activate as soon as possible. That was why she risked it and summoned him in attack position. However, it was not like she didn't have a backup plan. She had mirror force facedown in her trap zone. If Kungo were to attack her, she'd use it as a preventive measure.
Thankfully, he didn't draw any monsters and ended his turn after placing a card facedown.
"I draw! I'll put my Banisher of the Light in defence position. I will then activate Heavy Storm! This card allows me to destroy all spell and trap cards on the field! Thanks to my Banisher all those cards are removed from play." Akia destroyed three of Kungo's traps and spells, discovering that one of them was Sakuretsu Armour. She knew that she did the right choice to keep herself on the defensive. He had some pretty good cards in his deck. If he was smarter about it, he would've been more of a challenge to beat.
"I'll place one card facedown. I'll then flip summon my facedown Needle Worm, removing five more of your cards from play. As to not waste my turn, I'll attack you directly with my Needle Worm," Akia declared.
Kungo's life points dropped down to 3250. This was still much more than Akia's 2200 life points, but he appeared more worried than her.
"I end my turn," the red-eyed girl finished.
"I draw! I'll put a facedown and end my turn."
"I draw! I put a monster in facedown defence position. I'll then switch my other Needle Worm into attack position and attack you with both of my monsters, bringing your life points down to 1750! Looks like I finally caught up." Akia smirked and Kungo groaned in frustration. How could she do so much damage to him with such puny monsters?
"I draw! I'll summon Giant Rat(1400/1450) in attack mode. I'll attack one of your Needle Worms!" Kungo yelled out his turn.
"Kuh...!" Akia clenched her fists. She thought she was safe as long as she had her trap card, Bottomless Trap Hole. However, it only worked on monsters with 1500 or more attack points. Giant Rate barely escaped being destroyed, and she knew she'd suffer a large hit to her life points. Her life point counter went down to 1550.
"Haha! Just when you thought that you'd finally caught up. Sorry to break it to you, but I'm not planning on losing a second time. I'll end my turn," Kungo scoffed.
"You just got lucky! I draw. I'll switch my Needle Worm to defence mode. I'll then activate my spell card: Ekibyo Virus Blackdust! When I equip this card to a monster, it prevents it from attacking and destroys it after two turns. When that effect is resolved, this card comes back to my hand. I'll of course equip it to your Giant Rat! I'll end my turn with that."
"I draw! I won't let that effect resolve! I activate my facedown card: Heavy Storm. You thought you were the only one who had that card huh? Sorry to break it to you, but your Ekibyo won't be destroying my monster any time soon!"
"No...!" Akia uttered before panicking internally a little, "not only is Ekibyo destroyed, but my Bottomless Trap Hole as well! I have no defence against his monsters except for my own monsters. If he summons anything more powerful than my Banisher... It'll halt my strategy..."
"Hehehe! This is the beginning of my victory! I tribute my Giant Rat to summon Gladiator Beast Alexander(2400/600)! Now let's get rid of your pesky Banisher!"
Akia didn't have a choice but to watch as her Banisher was ruthlessly destroyed by Kungo's monster and sent to the graveyard.
"Alright. I just need to take care of the rest of your tiny monsters and then you'll be done. I'll put a facedown and end my turn," Kungo smirked, feeling as though he had already won.
"Don't count me out just yet! I draw! I'll put one card facedown. I'll then activate a spell from my hand: Tribute to the Doomed. By discarding one card from my hand, I can destroy one of your monsters. Of course, that means your Gladiator Beast Alexander is done for," Akia countered.
As soon as Kungo's monster was destroyed, he chuckled. "Well, well... I activate from my hand! Green Baboon, Defender of the Forest(2600/1800)! If this card is in my hand or graveyard when one of my Beast-Warrior monsters is destroyed by any other way except by battle, I can pay 1000 of my life points to special summon it in attack position!"
Akia frowned. This was not looking good for her, even though Kungo's life points were now down to 750. "I end my turn..."
"Hahaha! This will be a one-sided massacre! I draw! I'll activate my continuous spell card Poison Fangs. With this, each time one of my Beast-Warriors inflicts battle damage to you, you will receive an additional 500 points of damage! Now, I will use my monster to destroy your facedown monster!" Kungo laughed victoriously.
Akia's Different Dimension Scout Plane(800/1200) didn't stand a chance and was destroyed immediately and sent to the graveyard.
"I'll end my turn. Next turn, you're done!" Kungo exclaimed.
She only had one measly Needle Worm left on her side of the field and a facedown card. "I draw. I'll place a facedown and end my turn."
"This is it! I draw! ...You got lucky this time. I'll just attack your Needle Worm with my Green Baboon. With that I'll end my turn."
"Survived another turn... But now I'm completely defenceless. If I don't draw anything useful, he'll attack me directly and I'll lose. I can't believe how much of a hard time he's giving me. Well I guess that's what I get for using an experimental deck solely for the purpose of trying out my new cards," she cursed her recklessness and proceeded with her turn. "I draw!" Akia looked at the card she drew. She cocked her head, wondering if this was the end, "Torrential Tribute?! This card will only save me if he gets greedy and summons another monster... If not, then I'm a goner! He could definitely finish me off without any other monsters. But what other choice do I have...?" She sighed and played her move, "I'll place one card facedown and end my turn."
"Hahahaha! This is it! I draw!" Kungo happily exclaimed.
Akia gulped. Would Kungo summon a monster even though it wasn't necessary, or would he stay on the safe side and just attack with the monster he had?
"Let's make this into an overkill victory! I summon a Giant Rat(1400/1450) in attack position!" The bald man yelled out.
"You fell right into my trap!" Akia interjected.
"Huh?!"
"Honestly, I was kind of worried there. It turns out that your greed became your downfall! By summoning a monster, you triggered my trap card: Torrential Tribute! Thanks to this card, when a monster is summoned, all monsters on the field are destroyed." Akia sighed in relief as Kungo's monsters are destroyed.
"Wha-?! No! How could this happen? I was going to win!"
"That was a close one..."
"I... I end my turn."
"Alright, my turn! I draw! I'll place a card facedown and end my turn." Akia was feeling the pressure again. "I still have nothing in my hand again. I hope I draw something good soon."
"I still have more monsters. I'll take you down! I draw! There we go... I summon another Vortex King(1800/1000) in attack mode!" Kungo played his card.
"Too bad you activated my trap: Bottomless Trap Hole! This removes from play any monster that is summoned with 1500 or more attack points!"
"Gah! Not again! I've had it with your cheap tricks! How many trap cards do you have?!"
"Hey, I needed to experiment with a new deck. I don't usually use that many traps," Akia informed her opponent.
"...Experiment?! Are you underestimating me?! I'll show you!" Kungo shouted in frustration.
"Well you can't show me yet, since this is probably the end of your turn, right?"
Kungo was livid with rage. He, however, took deep long breaths to calm himself down. "I'm done my turn. Just you wait... Next turn you're dead!"
"I draw." Akia smiled widely.
"I don't think there'll be a next turn for you. I summon my trusted Gren Maju Da Eiza(?/?)! He gains attack and defence points equal to the number of my cards that were removed from play!" Gren Maju Da Eiza, to Kungo's horror, had its parameters go up to 3600. "Time for this duel to end. I attack your life points directly!" Gren Maju Da Eiza fired his gigantic fireball which engulfed Kungo who screamed in defeat as his life points hit 0.
The whole crowd cheered for the exciting duel that had just unfolded. Akia then went up to Kungo, making sure he upholds his end of the bargain.
She extended her hand to him. "The puzzle cards." He slapped them down on her hands. She put them away and extended her hand again. "And the Ante rule. Show me your cards."
"Grr..." Kungo grumbled. He had no choice, however, but to hand over his extra cards that he didn't use, just like they bargained, since there were so many people around, watching.
Akia went through his cards until one particular card caught her eye. "Macro Cosmos?" The description of the card was as followed: "When this card resolves: You can Special Summon 1 "Helios - The Primordial Sun" from your hand or Deck. While this card is face-up on the field, any card sent to the Graveyard is banished instead."
"This is basically the same effect as my Banisher, but in trap form. There's also something about Helios - The Primordial Sun. I'll have to look into that monster. Maybe it'll be useful for my deck," she thought to herself.
"Hurry up and decide, I don't have all day!" Kungo yelled out.
"I'll take Macro Cosmos," Akia replied.
"Sure whatever. Gimme back my cards. I'm outta here." Kungo left, shoving people out of his way. Akia's gaze lingered on the card she had just acquired. She had a feeling that this card would become part of her main strategy from now on. She walked off to a nearby bench where she started sorting out her deck to implement better strategies for her future duels.