Chapter 36: Chapter 34: Bird Cage
The duel starts with Odion's draw.
His impassive face looks at his hand before placing a pair of cards face down in his Spell/trap zones and placing a face down monster on the field before ending his turn in silence.
undeterred Mai Draws her card before eyeing the field then her hand.
"Hm, I don't like the feeling I get from those face downs."
She takes a card and places it on the field in her spell/trap zone before summoning her own monster but in this case does not face down.
"I Summon My Amazoness Trainee, and I'll have her take out your face down Monster."
the card appears on the field and at the edge of the card a grapple is seen before a grey-haired woman in exotic cloth climbs out of the card onto the field, she quickly swings her grappling hook and chain at the face down monster.
[Amazoness Trainee ★★★★ Earth][Warrior/Effect][ATK:1500/DEF:1300]
The female warriors hook strikes into the back of the face down card with the chain becoming taut she pulls, and the card is flipped over to reveal what seems to be a Zombie Camel.
[Des Locooda ★★★ Earth][Zombie/Effect][ATK:500/DEF:600]
Odion ever passive speaks directly, "Due to Des Locooda being flipped, I am allowed to draw a card."
The Zombie Camel is wrapped up in the chain of the amazon and becomes inert.
"you're not the only one with an effect happening, Due to the effect of my Amazoness Trainee, if she would defeat a monster, she sends it to your deck and increases her Attack by 200."
the Trainee pulls and spins in place which lifts the camel's corpse from the ground before swinging it like a giant version of a hammer throwing event before sending the mass towards Odion, he acts impartial to the event as the camel disintegrates into light and goes into his deck.
unaware to everyone who's watching Odion simply placed the card in the deck but just didn't comment on the theatrics.
[Amazoness Trainee][ATK:1500 >1700]
Mai looks at her hand then ends her turn, Odion draws his card and looks at the field.
"From my hand I'll play Temple of the Kings and Dark room of Nightmare." he places them on each edge of his duel disk's spell and trap zone, these cards cause the surroundings to change like a field spell.
the surroundings take on an ancient Egyptian tomb like ascetic with exposed sandstone and hieroglyphs a pair of Lit braziers light the surroundings, but they cast shadows which depict monsters just out of sight ready to strike.
[Temple of the Kings][Spell/Continuous]
[Dark Room of Nightmare][Spell/Continuous]
"Lastly I'll Summon another monster in face down defence before activating another Spell from my hand with it being Gold Sarcophagus."
Within the tomb a pedestal appears and onto of it appears a golden box with the millennium eye imprinted upon it. besides the pedestal the face down monster appears as if like a guard for the tombs treasure.
[Gold Sarcophagus][Spell]
"The Gold Sarcophagus holds relics of the past, but for this duel it allows me to remove a card from my deck from play and retrieve it in two turns."
A white undetailed card of light appears over the sarcophagus and floats into it before the lid of the sarcophagus closes locking it tight.
"With that I'll end my turn."
Mai draws her card and gives the change of scenery a peer before focusing back on the duel.
"Well since you're playing so defensive I means I have to go on the offensive, I'll Summon Amazoness Swords Woman and have her attack your face down."
The card appears in front of Mai and stepping out of is a Bronze haired woman with wild hair and a purple crown, she charges out with both ferocity and grace before slamming her sword down on the face down card.
[Amazoness Swords Woman ★★★★ Earth][Warrior/Effect][ATK:1500/DEF:1600]
The sound of impact occurs but its more a of squelchy slop as a Rotting corpse like mummy in red and blue wraps appears to climb out from the card with the sword imbedded in its torso but seemingly unharmed from the blades insertion.
[Poison Mummy ★★★★ Earth][Zombie/Effect][ATK:1000/DEF:1800]
The Mummy tries to strike at the swordswoman, but she dodges in time and returns to Mai's field before taking out a second sword, she's called a swords woman for a reason.
Odion Speaks "When Poison Mummy is flipped you take 500 damage but also due to the effect of Dark room of nightmare, you take an additional 300."
the poison Mummy reaches for the blade in its chest before ripping it out in a shower of gore and liquids, the liquids coalesce into a ball above the zombie before being fired at Mai like a poisonous blob of goo.
The Amazoness Swords woman reacts and swings at the Blob of goo and slices a portion of it off before sending towards Odion using the flat of her blade like a baseball bat.
The balls of goo hit the pair at the same time dealing damage to the both of them.
[Mai's LP: 4000 > 3200]
[Marik's LP: 4000 > 3700]
Shivering at the thought of being covered in goo if this was real Mai composes herself before speaking.
"Swords woman's effect, you take any battle damage I would have taken in a battle with her, anyway my trainee can't beat the mummy." she goes to speak more but Odion cuts in.
"In response to taking the damage I'll activate one of my face downs. Attack and receive, this causes 700 more damage to you which is increased due to Dark room of Nightmare to 1000."
The Mummy still holding the sword throws it at Mai and in flight it seems to gain a edge of darkness, it strikes her dealing damage to her.
[Mai's Lp: 3200 > 2200]
With a bitter expression on her face, she says. "I'll end my turn."
Before he draws Odion speaks, "At the end of your turn, I'll activate on of my face downs. I activate Needle wall."
[Needle Wall][Trap/Continuous]
"This card designates each of your monster zones 1 to 5, and at my standby phase I roll a die to determine a monster zone that is crushed with any monster on it being destroyed."
At his words the monster zones on Mai's field get marked with her sword's woman on 2 and trainee on 3.
"I now draw and throw my first die." he draws then presses a button on his duel disk, from what seems to be the ceiling of the tomb a sandstone cube is dropped, and it rolls around.
It moves for a small time before landing on a 5, in an instant a pillar falls from the ceiling pronged with sharp spikes and smashes into Mai's fifth monster zone.
"too bad, well lets me begin your decent into doom, I'll tribute my Poison Mummy to Summon the Mystical Beast of Serket."
At his words the Poison mummy on the field starts to spasm and writhe erratically, the zombie lets out a groan of pain before its form decays and morphs, this takes a few moments, but the Mummy's blue and red wraps start to bulge outwards before straining, like a cocoon before metamorphism.
In a loud crack the wrap cocoon snaps and a large creature that can only be described the mixture between a scorpion, Worm and Dragon appears with many black chitinous legs and arms with a pale red pulsating exoskeleton which leads to a maw of many teeth.
[Mystical Beast of Serket ★★★★★★ Earth][Fairy/Effect][ATK:2500/Def:2000]
"Ill have my Beast attack your Trainee." at his words his monstrosity springs into action and goes to attack the woman warrior.
The beast charges forth and when it's about to harm the trainee, a Grand machete like blade appears against the monster's claw blocking it at the last moment, Wielding it is a Blue haired woman in grand metal Amazoness armour.
"In response I'll activate my own face down, Dramatic Rescue."
[Dramatic Rescue][Trap]
"This allows me to save my trainee and by returning her to my hand before Summoning another monster from my hand, in this case, my Amazoness Queen."
[Amazoness Queen ★★★★★★ Earth][Warrior/Effect][ATK:2400/DEF:1800]
Off the screen I can metaphorically hear the moronic tones of Joey taking about even though she now here she's still weaker than the Monstrosity.
"Due to Amazoness Queen's effect Amazons cannot be destroyed by battle." at her words the queen parries the monster's claw, but the parry sends a shard of the beast's claw to be sent to hit Mai.
[Mai's LP: 2200 >2100]
Odion isn't happy at that, but he continues his turn not betraying his irritation, "I'll play one card face down before ending my turn."
Mai draws before immediately playing the card. "I play Pot of greed to draw two."
[Pot of greed][Spell]
She draws more and looks at her field, "First I'll play one card face down before going to the battle phase, I'll have my Amazoness Swords Woman attack your beast."
her words cause a silence to occur, but her words act out as the sword's woman readies her second blade before sprinting at the beast, the beast more focused on the Amazoness queen doesn't catch the weaklings attack in time allowing her to cut one of its claws off at a joint.
The beast Flails in pain before going to strike at the weakling that harmed it, when it does the Queen moves and blocks the strike to hit the swords woman who picks up the dropped claw and throws it at Odion before retreating while being protected by her Queen.
The Claw strikes Odion who watches the display without emotion, while she's retreating the swords woman even retrieves her first sword so she's now wielding a pair of large swords one in each hand.
Radahn next to me approves of that action.
[Marik's Lp: 3700 >2700]
Most people are still confused due to the combat but with the life points result they remember the effect of Amazoness Swords Woman.
With that Mai ends her turn and at the start of Odion's turn two things happen in an order once he draws, first the Golden Sarcophagus near him unseals itself presenting a card for him to collect as well as another Sandstone die Is rolled, in an instant It lands on 2.
as Odion add the card to his hand the pillar from the ceiling falls down upon the Swords woman who tries to guard against it using her blades, but she's crushed into a paste on the floor due to the sheer impact of the trap.
The Queen looks angrily at Odion but it's his turn, but he doesn't seem to do anything special.
"I'll Summon a Monster face down and end my turn."
Mai looks at Odion with suspicion before drawing a card for her turn.
"I'll Resummon my Amazoness Trainee and play one card on the field face down before attacking your face down with my Trainee."
The trainee appears again and with her chain she goes to attack the face down. With some surprise a familiar Zombie Camel appears. in a repeat of the first turn the zombie dies and Odion is allowed to draw a card.
Mai with a irritated look sighs before ending her turn even after her monster returns to 1700 ATK.
Odion Simply Draws before another Sandstone Die falls and this time lands on a 1, the pillar misses the pair.
Odion seems to size up his cards before Normal summoning a monster for the first time in the Duel.
"I'll Summon A man with Wdjat, when Summoned I'm allowed to look at one set card on your field, and since you have two, I'll target the left one." this causes Mai to flinch as its revealed to be a transparent wall of reflective crystals.
[A man with Wdjat ★★★★ Dark][Spellcaster/Effect][ATK:1600/Def:1600]
[Mirror Wall][Trap/Continuous]
Odion simply Nods before letting the card fall back down.
"I'll activate a Mystical Space Typhoon from my hand to destroy your mirror wall"
[Mystical Space Typhoon][Spell/Quick]
A small, localized tornado appears in the tomb and a bolt of lightning strikes down on the face down shattering it like glass.
"Now I'll have my Beast attack your trainee." the beast goes to strike at the Amazoness, but Mai reacts.
"I'll activate my other face down, My Amazoness archers."
[Amazoness Archers][Trap]
As if in an ambush a flurry of Arrows appears from blind spots and impale into the beast and the robe of the man with a golden eye.
"This causes both of your monsters to temporarily lose 500 Attack points and Forces them to attack this turn."
[Mystical Beast of Serket][ATK:2500 > 2000]
[A man with a Wdjat][ATK:1600 >1100]
The beast continues again without instruction since its rampage is total, it strides towards the trainee who looks at nervously, the beast goes to strike at the trainee but the ever-dutiful queen steps in the block the strike, but beast has learned and strikes with another of its claws, this causes the trainee to be struck but the hit just sends her reeling.
in her reeling her grappling hook is sent flying and strikes at Mai equal to the force of the attack.
[Mai's Lp: 2100> 1800]
Thinking he smart the man with the magic eye goes to attack the trainee while she's down hoping to please the beast but as he goes for the attack, he feels his arms are pulled out of the way as hidden wires on the arrows imbedded in his robe cause him to flail.
the trainee is able to stand back up and she watches as the man is flailing in his robes and makes her grappling hook swing towards the man.
Being too preoccupied with his robe acting like a puppeteer, he doesn't notice the flying hook before its right in front of his eye, it's an Egyptian eye as it pierces perfectly defeating him.
The man blows up in a blast of light and Odion losses some Life points in the blast, the Hook returns to the trainee and now glows with a gold like lustre.
[Marik's Lp: 2700 > 2100]
[Amazoness Trainee][ATK: 1700> 1900]
Odion actually shows a scowl of annoyance before he goes to end his turn.
Mai now smiling at her turn draws and her smile just grows.
"From my hand I'll activate My harpies' Feather Duster to destroy all of your spell and traps on the field."
[Harpie's Feather Duster][Spell]
Odion still scowling speaks, "In response I activate my Temple of the Kings to Tribute my Mystical Beast of Serket to Special Summon a card of my choice from my hand, deck or field."
The Temple starts to decay, and the walls start to become ruins, the beast it self-starts to decay and calcify as if time itself is attacking the beast it causes the beast to become a white husk upon the field.
At that point the feather duster appears and causes a flurry of fake sand to fly everywhere making the temple disappear, the only thing left on Odion's field is the calcified remains of the beast.
"Were is the monster you summoned Marik; I don't see it." Mai says in slight confusion.
Odion responds, "Oh it's just there." at his words he points to the calcified remains as it starts to move. the remains start to animate and from the abundance of Chitin and bones a creature made of bone and Skulls appears with a core that glows red.
[Ryu Kokki ★★★★★★ Dark][Zombie/Effect][ATK:2400/Def:2000]
At the sight of the monster, Mai looks annoyed since she just got rid of one monster and now another difficult one appears, she looks at it then her hand before making a plan.
"I'll have my Amazoness Queen attack your monster." at her words the Amazoness queen nods before charging the arisen monster.
The creature detects her approach and swings its arm to strike at the warrior, the Queen jumps onto the arm of the creature and runs along it to get closer.
The Zombie raises its other arm to attack, but she jumps over it and leaps towards the core of the monster.
She plunges her Great machete into the core of the creature's chest, the creature in a Bellow of rage start to glow, the Queen looks towards the trainee who is watching her and smiles.
The trainee realizing what happening goes to run and help her queen, but the core of the creature explodes in a blast of red energy taking the queen with it.
Odion simply speaks, "Ryu kokki's effect destroys all warriors or spellcasters which battled with it via an effect defeating your Amazoness queen."
As he ends his words, he spots in time as a Hook glowing lightly with gold comes and strikes him for a lot of damage.
[Marik's Lp: 2100 >200]
The enraged Amazoness Trainee retracts her hook and glares at Odion.
Mai looks annoyed since she doesn't have a monster in hand to just summon and win the duel with when she could have, she places one card face down before she ends the turn.
Odion draws a card and simply plays A card of Sanctity refilling both of their hands up to 6 again, with his hand refilled he plays a card from it.
[Card of Sanctity][Spell]
[Monster reborn][Spell]
"I'll revive Ryu Kokki and then I'll summon a monster face down."
the Skeletal monstrosity arises from the crater of its demise leers at the amazon who looks at with hatred.
"Now I have a bad feeling about that face down, so I'll just play two cards face down and end my turn."
Mai seems annoyed at that, but she draws a card for her turn.
"I'll activate from my hand a graceful Charity. to draw 3 then discard 2."
[Graceful Charity][Spell]
She goes though the draw and discards and smiles
"You were right to worry about my face down, but you misinterpreted its danger, I'll activate Harpies' Hunting Ground"
[Harpies' Hunting Ground][Spell/Field]
"Next I'll summon to my field Harpie lady 1,With her appearance the Hunting ground allows me to destroy one of your spell or traps so I'll destroy the right one."
the Harpie appears from the clouds the female beast woman has bright red hair and green wings attached to her arms appears, she dive bombs the field and strikes at Odion's card but he doesn't react besides revealing it to be a Serpent like creature in trap form.
[Harpie Lady #1 ★★★★ Wind][Winged-Beast/Effect][ATK:1300>1800/DEF:1400]
"I'll play another card from my hand, Elegant Egotist which will allow me to Special Summon more Harpie ladies, in this case Harpie Lady Sisters, and I'll have them take out your last face down card."
[Elegant Egotist][Spell]
3 more Harpies break from the clouds making the Harpie count up to 4, the trio goes to dive bomb the last face down.
[Harpie Lady Sisters ★★★★★★ Wind][Winged-Beast/Effect][ATK:1950> 2450/DEF:2100]
Odion looks at Mai with a passive face before taking the card and revealing it, "you're not the only person to be patient, I was planning to see if you were to summon a stronger monster and I was correct, in response to your summoning I'll use Solemn Judgement to pay half of my remaining life points to negate your Harpie sisters Summoning."
[Solemn Judgment][Trap/counter]
The Harpie Sisters still diving from the skies feel an immense pressure upon them but they continue to go for the strike before a trio of Lightning bolts break from the clouds as well striking the trio down.
the Harpies are fried in the sky and become limp in the air before become pixilated motes of light.
[Marik's Lp: 200 >100]
This causes Mai to scowl; from there she looks at her field and Points her Amazoness trainee to attack Odion's face down monster.
She goes to do so but her Hook is deflected by a bronze Shield as a Zombie wields it with surprising skill, a chip of the shield is sent flying at Mai.
[Royal Keeper ★★★★ Earth][Zombie/Effect][ATK:1600/DEF:1700 >2000]
[Mai's LP 1800>1700]
Annoyed at the turn of events Mai ends her turn.
At this Odion Draws and looks at his field, "I'll tribute Royal Keeper to Summon Great Dezard"
A Coffin rises from the ground behind the royal Keeper, and it walks into it willingly, the coffin is sealed by a slab of stone rising from the ground to cover it and appearing from behind it is a robed man in ornate robes with a unique headdress.
[Great Dezard ★★★★★★ Dark][Spellcaster/Effect][ATK:1900/DEF:2300]
"I'll have Ryu Kokki attack your Trainee and Great Dezard attack your Harpie."
At his words the Trainee watches at the Skeletal monster goes to attack her, and while that happens the Harpie who's watching this unfold from the sky has to start dodging void bolts being rained towards her coming from the spellcaster.
the pair of female combatants hold out for longer than they should have but one gets crushed by the sheer weight of the monster smashing into her while the other gets overwhelmed by the flood of bolts making her fall from the sky and fading into motes of pixelated light.
[Mai's Lp: 1700 > 1100]
At this Odion ends his turn and Mai draws while having no monsters or any cards on the field.
she looks at the last card with hope and feels like she has it as she reveals the card.
"I activate a pot of greed to draw two" she does this and draws 2 more cards. with those cards she feels she's back in the game.
"I'll Summon a monster face down and place this card face down. before ending my turn."
Odion draws looks at the drawn card before looking at the field.
"I'll have Grand Dezard attack your face down." he orders, and the Robbed man charges a magical ball to fling at the face down, but Mai responds, "I'll activate A Mirror Wall halving your monster's attack for the turn." she does this before revealing the mirror wall.
The monster is revealed to be a Harpie lady, and Mai thinks she's won since Odion would lose from splash back damage, but something happens. the magical ball from Grand Dezard travels towards the mirror Wall and completely Shatters it before striking the Harpie destroying it.
"Mirror wall had to target Grand Dezard and due to his effect since he's already destroyed a monster, any spell of trap that targets him is negated and destroyed."
Odion's words ring in the air before he says some words and the white abomination strides over the Mai and strikes her for the last of her Life points.
[Mai's LP: 1100> 0]
[Marik Wins]