Time to Duel!

'Thoughts'

"Speech"

"I'll face you."

"Are you sure Jack?"

"Yea, this was my trade deal, so it's my responsibility to finish this." Taking his deck out of his bag, he transformed his Duel Watch and placed his deck inside.

"SPLENDID! Then let's get this duel going." Dante tapped his Duel Watch, transforming it into its Duel Disk mode. A wired disk fired, landing between Jack and him. Jack followed suit, his Duel Disk launching a wired disk that landed next to Dante's disk. Both disks started to change forms, connecting the disks formed a small area. Dante tilted his head at the sight and frowned. "Why is it like that?"

"What do you mean?" Jack looked at the mini arena in front of them, not seeing anything wrong. Dante spread out his arms wide.

"Look around you. Does it look like we need such a small arena to duel here? Why is the indoor arena active?"

"Indoor arena?"

"You have no idea what I'm talking about do you?" Jack looked at Annie who also looked confused, she answered him with a  shrug."-Sigh- I refuse to duel with such tiny arena." He typed on his Duel Disk. Jack was taken by surprise to see a pop-up appear on his Duel Disk screen. 

-Outdoor arena request received. Confirm? Y/N- 

Looking at the message, then to the small arena between them, Jack clicked Y. Soon the arena started to dismantle, the pieces moving to make a large rectangle frame. In the metal frame, lights started to flicker until a hologram image of an arena appeared. Jack gawked at the sight, while Annie stared at the new arena with wide eyes.

"THAT IS SO COOL!" Annie couldn't help herself from yelling. Dante nodded with a satisfied smile.

"Indeed, now this is a fitting arena for our match." Looking at his Duel Disk he selected the shock option and confirmed he was ready. After getting over his surprise. Jack confirmed he was ready after choosing the only punishment available to him, the vibrate option. "Because I was the one to challenge you, I'll let you call." Jack nodded.

"I call heads." After choosing heads, a giant coin appeared in the middle of the arena. It started to fall, eventually landing on tails.

"Ah looks like I won the coin flip, but because I'm generous I'll allow you to go first." Jack frowned, before nodding to Dante.

'Hmm, why would he do that? Either he is confident that he would win no matter who goes first. or he has a deck that wants to go second.' He glanced at Dante, who just stood there with a wide smile. 'Yea, it could be either one. I'll just have to be extra careful.' Dante noticed him staring and just nodded. Jack wasn't sure what that meant but decided to start the duel.

"It's time to duel!/let's this show going!"

Jack Markus

8000LP / 5 cards in hand / 0 monster / 0 spell/traps

Dante Deville 

8000LP / 5 cards in hand / 0 monster / 0 spell/traps

"I first start by normal summoning EVO Grazer, and with its effect special summon another EVO grazer from my deck in defence mode." Two hologram EVO Grazers materialize on the field. "I then use both my Grazers to link summon EVO Apex Sky Queen." Both grazers turned into balls of light before forming a circuit-like portal, with 3 arrows lighting up. With a roar, a giant green dragon flew out of the portal, landing on the field.

EVO Grazer X 2 > 0

500 ATK/ 2000 DEF

EVO Apex Sky Queen

3000 ATK/ Link 2

"Impressive." Dante whistled as he glance up at EVO Queen.

"I'm not done yet, I play EVO - Encyclopedia, allowing me to add 2 EVO monsters one with higher attack and one with higher defence from my deck to my hand. I then activate Sky Queen's effect, which allows me to perform an additional normal summon to an arena one of her arrows points to. I summon EVO Overseers' Hunter, her effect activates allowing me to add an EVO equip spell from my deck to my hand. I add and then equip Hunter with EVO Dual Blades. I then end my turn by setting 1 card."

EVO Overseers' Hunter

1500 > 2300 ATK/ 1000 DEF

Jack Markus

8000LP / 5 cards in hand / 0 monster / 0 spell/traps

Dante Deville 

8000LP /3 cards in hand / 1 monster / 2 spell/traps

"Impressive turn, but I find it a bit lacking. Let me show you what a proper turn looks like, I DRAW!" With a flourish, he drew his card. "I first must prepare the stage. I set the pendulum scale with Abyss Actor - Mellow Madonna and Abyss Actor - Comic Relief." A pink-skinned demon with silly glasses and a purple-skinned humanoid appeared on either side of Dante. Jack frowned at Dante's action.

Abyss Actor - Mellow Madonna: Scale 0

Abyss Actor - Comic Relief: Scale 8

'This is the first time I will see pendulums in action. Also, Abyss Actors isn't an archetype I faced before. Hmm, I have a bad feeling about this.' 

"Don't keep the audience waiting, your stage is set come forth my actors! I PENDULUM SUMMON!" Stage lights shine at Dante's monster zones. In a puff of smoke, monsters would appear, a green-skinned big humanoid with four arms, one with a cowboy hat and prop gun, another purple-skinned lady and a skinny humanoid wearing black. "Superstar and Funky ability activates when they were Special Summoned. Until the end of the turn, Funky gains 300 attacks for each abyss actor I currently have, and Superstar prevents you from  activating spell, trap or card effects in response to their successful summon."

Abyss Actor - Funky Comedian

300 > 1500 ATK/ 200 DEF

Abyss Actor - Wild Hope

1600 ATK/ 1200 DEF

Abyss Actor - Mellow Madonna

1800 ATK/ 2500 DEF

Abyss Actor - Superstar

2500 ATK/ 1800 DEF

Jack's face darkens at the sight. 'That's a lot of monsters out of nowhere, but none of them is strong enough to defeat my Sky Queen. However, I have a feeling he's not done yet.'

"I then activate Superstar's effect, directly setting an Abyss Script Spell directly from my Deck. I then activate the set card, Abyss Script - Rise of the Abyss King. Allowing me to destroy face-up cards up to the amount of Abyss Actors with different names I control. I target both your monsters and the Duel Blades to be destroyed. GO! Show them how this story will end!" From the face-up spell card black mist started to shoot out, forming a large figure that grabbed Hunter and Sky Queen, it started to squeeze its hands trying to crush Jack's monsters.

"I activate my face-down car-"

"Not so fast! Rise of the Abyss King also has the effect that if  I control a level 7 or higher Abyss Actor monster, you cant activate cards or effects in response to its activation. For when the villain of a story appears, nothing can stop the despair that they bring." The shadow figure crushed Jack's monsters, they gave out a cry as they disappeared in a cloud of particles. 

"Shit. This doesn't look good."

"Because I activated an Abyss Script spell card, not only does Mellow Madonna gain 100 attack for each Abyss Script spell card in my graveyard. But she also allows me to special summon 1 Level 4 or lower Abyss Actor Pendulum Monster from my Deck, but I have to return it to the hand during the End Phase. Come take your spot on the stage! Come forth Abyss Actor - Sassy Rookie!" A spotlight shone on Dante's last open monster area, in a puff of smoke a skinny humanoid with baggy pants and claws appeared. "I then activate Wild Hope's effect, having it gain 100 attack for each Abyss Actor with different names I own."

Abyss Actor - Sassy Rookie

1200 ATK/ 1000 DEF

Abyss Actor - Mellow Madonna

1800 > 1900 ATK/ 2500 DEF

Abyss Actor - Wild Hope

1600 ATK > 2100/ 1200 DEF*

Jack stared at Dante's board, frowning when he looks at defenceless he looks with his empty board. 'Damn, I don't know what to do at this point, nothing in my hand or face-down can help me without any monsters in my field.'

"It's time to close the curtains on this show. ATTACK HIM AND END THIS!" The spotlight suddenly shined on Jack as Dante's monster charged at him. Their attacks going through him, Jack's Duel Disk vibrating each time.

Jack Markus

8000>6500>4400>2500>800>0LP / 3 cards in hand / 0 monster / 1 spell/traps

Dante Deville 

8000LP /0 cards in hand / 5 monster / 0 spell/traps

-Winner Dante Deville-

"And scene." Dante bowed as the arena dismantles itself, the disks returning to the Duel Disks. "Hahaha, that was an interesting Duel."Dante laughed as he walked toward Jack. Annie went to Jack to comfort him about the loss.

"It's ok Jack, no one wins all their Duels."

"-Sigh-Yea but I can't believe I lost on the first turn."

"Haha! Don't worry lad! I was just more experienced, also if I lost to a kid I would be a laughing stock." Dante grinned at Jack, patting him on his back. 

"Well you won, so here is the card you wanted." Jack took out the copy of the Left Leg of the Forbidden One and handed it to Dante. He was about to leave with Annie right behind him before Dante stopped them.

"Ah not so fast. I did say even if you lose I would still pay you for the card. And I am a man of my word." He beckoned one of the other teens to come over, the teen walked toward Dante and handed him a briefcase. Opening it up he grabbed two deck boxes, handing one to Jack and the other one to Annie. Jack was surprised by Dante's action while Annie got flustered by being handed something too. Seeing their reaction Dante frowned. "What? Did you think I wouldn't pay for the card if you lost the duel?"

"From what I saw from others yea." Jack nodded as he remembered other similar duels he has seen.

"Isn't that the usual way it goes?" Annie tilted her head, confused about why he was asking.

"-Sigh- This was a trade, not a challenge. My pride won't allow me to just take a card, especially from a kid." 

"Oh, uh well happy to trade with you." Jack extended his arm out. Dante smiled and grabbed his hand, both shaking to finalize the trade. 

"Likewise, I'll look forward to trading with you again. Also, I'm looking forward to how strong you can get in the future. Let's go." Dante beckoned to the other teens. "We shouldn't take too much of their time." Right before Dante and the other teen left, Annie raised a question she had.

"Why did you give me something too? I wasn't the one duelling or trading?" Dante turned his head and smiled at Annie.

"You were ready to fight for your friend, and that's a behaviour that needs to be rewarded. It isn't easy to find someone willing to do that. Now both of you should get going, you don't want to be out when it gets too dark." Waving at the two kids, Dante left the clearing with the other teens behind him. The kids looked at each other before stuffing boxes into their bags. 

"Let's get going." Annie nodded. As they walked, Annie would send worried glances toward Jack. Noticing this he decided to clear up any misunderstanding. "You don't have to worry about me Annie, it's just a loss. It isn't like I haven't lost a duel before."

"Yea but this is the first time it happened like that."

"-Sigh- Yea, but that only means one thing." He grinned at Annie. "I will have to get better so something like that won't happen again." Annie smiled, happy to see her rival mood improve. 'I'm just lucky that this time the stakes were low, I need to improve for next time.' Jack thought about his collection. 'I also need to improve my collection, I didn't have anything prepared for when my opponent clear my whole board. Next time I'll be prepared.'

"YEA! Also as your rival, I'll need to grow stronger too. Can't have you be stronger than me." Annie slung an arm around Jack. "Both of us are going to be the strongest set of rivals in the world!" Jack laughed at her declaration. Both their mood improved as they chatted and laughed their way home.

A couple of hours later, in a room full of bookshelves. A teen relaxed in a chair in front of a fireplace. His brown coat draping off his shoulder. The teen typed on his Duel Watch, as he put it on speakers the sound of ringing can be heard. After a few moments of waiting the ringing was replaced with a voice. "What is it Dante, why are you calling me at this time of night?" The voice was irritated and tired.

"Hahaha, don't be like that Bella. What's wrong with friends calling each other?"

"Dante it's Isabella, not Bella. Also, get to the point, why are you calling?" 

"Ok, ok. Sheesh, you should lighten up some times. I'm calling to tell you to inform the boss that I got one."

"Really?" Bella's voice perked up, her sleepiness forgotten.

"Yea, it was even one he doesn't have one to."

"Ah, that's great news. I'll be sure to inform my brother of your achievement."

"Thanks, Bella." Before Bella can hang up Dante started to ask. "So how about we catch a movie? We haven't hung out together in a long while." There was silence for a moment before Isabella answered.

"Sorry Dante, maybe another time."

"Ok, that's fine with me. Have a great night Bella."

"It Isabella, and good night to you too" Dante hanged up. After a few minutes of silence, Dante sighed.

"I miss the old days when we can just hang out." Dante then thought back to the pair of kids he met early that day. "Ah seeing those two brings back good memories. Just a pair of friends going out on adventures, having fun and having each other backs." He laughed as he remembered the kid's faces when he handed them the deck boxes. "Boss won't' be happy that I gave away two decks, but I'm sure giving him the card would make it up to him." Dante laughed as he imaged his boss's face when he finds out what he did.  Standing up he stared at the fireplace. "Well, I better head to bed. I have the assignment to finish in the morning." After putting out the fire, he left the room.