Turn 3: Rising Rider

'''Yu-Gi-Oh! Infinity Hunter''' ARC 1 “Rising Star.”

Turn 3: Rising Rider.

“Now look out!”

Two duel runners sped around the racetrack in the Aurora Stadium. One was the purple Duel Runner and unmistakably Grace on it as she raced after the yellow-orange Duel Runner of her opponent.

“Now take a sharp left!” Lance ordered through the earphones as Grace took the curve exactly as she should do. The yellow-orange Duel Runner however hit the side bar and slipped, making it crash.

“Justin, get on your feet and the Duel Runner running!” Lance strictly ordered as he started to get angry at the reckless driving behavior of Justin, apparently the one who rides the yellow-orange Duel Runner. The rider slowly got on his feet, being dressed in a ugly green suit with a black helmet.

“Stupid trainer,” the rider, called Justin, grumbles as he sat back down on the Duel Runner. “Why do I need to ride over such a stupid training course? I am much more confident and stronger at the wild road.”

The moment he sat back on the Duel Runner, Grace shot past him on her Duel Runner and he grumbled even more, desperate to get the Runner up and running again. When he finally pushed harder and the engines roared, raising life back into the Runner.

“Justin, ride on! Grace is two laps before you!” Lance commented and Justin let his speed rise to a maximum as he came closer to Grace. “You have to accelerate to a maximum capacity.”

“Well, that is exactly what I am trying,” Justin furiously answered through his headphone and he rides a lap around the circuit and then stops near Lance, with Grace stopping behind him not long after. “You just keep pushing me. This is not the place for me to ride. I want to ride in the wild or without pressure.”

“A turbo duel is always with pressure, Justin. You should know since you competed in that Juvenile Championship on D-Boards remember? You were beaten in the second round by that Luciano guy,” Lance reminded him of his past. “Your parents want you to get a legal duel tournament riding pass in order to get into the next WRGP.”

“Besides, turbo dueling is not all about speed and dueling. It is about the life you live and how your heart lies within your deck. You’ll learn when you get your license and pass,” Lance tells him and he hears footsteps behind them. Kaito sat down behind them and smiled. “Well, well. Look who showed up. Kaito Shinmaru. I haven’t seen you in a year.”

“Hello Lance,” Kaito winked and Lance smirked turning back to the two duelists he was giving a speech too, but they had disappeared already. “Seems you have lost your students.”

“Well, they are quite the challenge to teach. You try it once in a while,” Lance taunts Kaito. “But how are you, mate? I haven’t seen you since that local tournament in Barrington.”

“Yeah well, that was my last real tournament before I moved back to Chicago. My parents bought me this house and I live here now for about 5 months,” Kaito shook hands and stepped onto the arena field. He wore his black jacket with red symbols and accents. He smirked when he saw Justin being thrown into the air, by another crash. “Seems you need to teach him better, Lance.”

“Yeah, well he is being a real egoistic jerk that seems to find himself more important to ride in the wild and no license then to get a license and ride around legally and in tournament. Without a license you cannot enter the qualifier tournaments for the next WRGP,” Lance explained to Kaito and Kaito nodded. “That damn tournament starts next year and you at least have to end up in the Top-16 of two tournaments in order to enter in the WRGP, including one team dueling tournament.”

“Yeah, well I might have an interest in joining such a tournament as well in the future. I want to be drawn into the turbo dueling again. I quitted because I felt I made more fun with Ground Duels, but I seem to be wanting to get back on the road again,” Kaito sighed and he looked how Grace and Justin raced past again, chatting and scolding through the headphones. “Ah, Lance. Remember how we were when we just started as rookies?”

<span style="color:rgb(225,228,242);font-family:verdana,geneva,lucida,'lucidagrande',arial,helvetica,sans-serif;font-size:13px;line-height:normal;text-align:left;">“We? You mean how you were,” Lance taunts Kaito, before turning back on the track.

<span style="color:rgb(225,228,242);font-family:verdana,geneva,lucida,'lucidagrande',arial,helvetica,sans-serif;font-size:13px;line-height:normal;text-align:left;">-

<span style="color:rgb(225,228,242);font-family:verdana,geneva,lucida,'lucidagrande',arial,helvetica,sans-serif;font-size:13px;line-height:normal;text-align:left;">“Where did I go wrong?”

<span style="color:rgb(225,228,242);font-family:verdana,geneva,lucida,'lucidagrande',arial,helvetica,sans-serif;font-size:13px;line-height:normal;text-align:left;">Blake was sitting in his room, looking through his deck, still not able to believe he lost against Kaito Shinmaru, a former national champion. He picked various cards from his deck, put them aside and then picked a box from below his bed, revealing another stash of cards. He had bought them one by one, except Blackthunder Helios Dragon; he got that one from his father.

<span style="color:rgb(225,228,242);font-family:verdana,geneva,lucida,'lucidagrande',arial,helvetica,sans-serif;font-size:13px;line-height:normal;text-align:left;">“I have dueled many duelists, but never did I face someone that was equal to me as Kaito was,” Blake pondered and he looked at his cards. “My strategy was perfect until Kaito beated me. Sure, he countered me on some occasions, but I had a perfect plan. This time without using Blackthunder Helios Dragon.”

<span style="color:rgb(225,228,242);font-family:verdana,geneva,lucida,'lucidagrande',arial,helvetica,sans-serif;font-size:13px;line-height:normal;text-align:left;">“Maybe you should have used it,” the voice of Kamon came through the room and Blake looked up seeing how an instant messenger window came up with the cam shot of Kamon and Ken. “Maybe you should have used it to defeat this guy. Was he really that good?”

<span style="color:rgb(225,228,242);font-family:verdana,geneva,lucida,'lucidagrande',arial,helvetica,sans-serif;font-size:13px;line-height:normal;text-align:left;">“Yeah, duh. He defeated Blake. You have to be good to defeat Blake,” Ken started against Kamon and he smirked. “You could not even beat him. Oh wait, you are Blake.” Kamon shrugged and slapped Ken against the head. Blake stood up and sat down in front of the screen, opening his cam as well.

<span style="color:rgb(225,228,242);font-family:verdana,geneva,lucida,'lucidagrande',arial,helvetica,sans-serif;font-size:13px;line-height:normal;text-align:left;">“I don’t think that even if I used Blackthunder Helios Dragon I would have beaten Kaito now. There is no guarantee that I could have beaten Kaito otherwise,” Blake countered his best friends at the other side of the world.

<span style="color:rgb(225,228,242);font-family:verdana,geneva,lucida,'lucidagrande',arial,helvetica,sans-serif;font-size:13px;line-height:normal;text-align:left;">“There is no guarantee you would not have won of Kaito if you did,” Kamon outsmarted Blake and Blake shakes his head. “But first before you start your rematch you might want to increase the power of your deck further. Maybe duel some other opponents first.”

<span style="color:rgb(225,228,242);font-family:verdana,geneva,lucida,'lucidagrande',arial,helvetica,sans-serif;font-size:13px;line-height:normal;text-align:left;">“Get reacquainted with your friend, Gillian maybe,” Ken taunted Blake and Blake definitely shook his head. Blake looked at Ken with a vicious glare for what he just said. “Okay, I realize that was not the best thing to say.”

<span style="color:rgb(225,228,242);font-family:verdana,geneva,lucida,'lucidagrande',arial,helvetica,sans-serif;font-size:13px;line-height:normal;text-align:left;">“No,” Blake commented and he looked at his deck once more. “Though I could get some fun and catch a break from dueling by going to the test Turbo Duel of Grace.”

<span style="color:rgb(225,228,242);font-family:verdana,geneva,lucida,'lucidagrande',arial,helvetica,sans-serif;font-size:13px;line-height:normal;text-align:left;">“You two are really into each other now are you not?” Kamon taunted Blake.

<span style="color:rgb(225,228,242);font-family:verdana,geneva,lucida,'lucidagrande',arial,helvetica,sans-serif;font-size:13px;line-height:normal;text-align:left;">“No comment,” Blake joked and he waved in the cam before turning it off and logging of the instant messenger service. “Good god, every time something happens with me I have to explain it to them. Don’t they ever get tired of themselves?”

<span style="color:rgb(225,228,242);font-family:verdana,geneva,lucida,'lucidagrande',arial,helvetica,sans-serif;font-size:13px;line-height:normal;text-align:left;">

<span style="color:rgb(225,228,242);font-family:verdana,geneva,lucida,'lucidagrande',arial,helvetica,sans-serif;font-size:13px;line-height:normal;text-align:left;">Opponent – 500 [SPC: 1] <span style="color:rgb(225,228,242);font-family:verdana,geneva,lucida,'lucidagrande',arial,helvetica,sans-serif;font-size:13px;line-height:normal;text-align:left;">Lance – 3000 [SPC: 5]

<span style="color:rgb(225,228,242);font-family:verdana,geneva,lucida,'lucidagrande',arial,helvetica,sans-serif;font-size:13px;line-height:normal;text-align:left;">‘ Damn, I should not have activated Speed World 2 to draw 1 card,<span style="color:rgb(225,228,242);font-family:verdana,geneva,lucida,'lucidagrande',arial,helvetica,sans-serif;font-size:13px;line-height:normal;text-align:left;">’ the opponent thought as he looked back at Lance who had a  The Creator<span style="color:rgb(225,228,242);font-family:verdana,geneva,lucida,'lucidagrande',arial,helvetica,sans-serif;font-size:13px;line-height:normal;text-align:left;"> (2300/3000) on the field and two face down cards and way more lifepoints then he had. Swordsman of Landstar<span style="color:rgb(225,228,242);font-family:verdana,geneva,lucida,'lucidagrande',arial,helvetica,sans-serif;font-size:13px;line-height:normal;text-align:left;"> was face up in defense mode on the field.

<span style="color:rgb(225,228,242);font-family:verdana,geneva,lucida,'lucidagrande',arial,helvetica,sans-serif;font-size:13px;line-height:normal;text-align:left;">“Now I select  Luster Dragon #2<span style="color:rgb(225,228,242);font-family:verdana,geneva,lucida,'lucidagrande',arial,helvetica,sans-serif;font-size:13px;line-height:normal;text-align:left;"> (2400/1400) in my graveyard and ditch my  Decoy Dragon<span style="color:rgb(225,228,242);font-family:verdana,geneva,lucida,'lucidagrande',arial,helvetica,sans-serif;font-size:13px;line-height:normal;text-align:left;"> from my hand to Special Summon it to the field,” Lance told his opponent, while inserting 1 card in the graveyard slot and getting 1 back from the graveyard, setting it on his dueldisk. “ Luster Dragon #2<span style="color:rgb(225,228,242);font-family:verdana,geneva,lucida,'lucidagrande',arial,helvetica,sans-serif;font-size:13px;line-height:normal;text-align:left;"> appear!”

<span style="color:rgb(225,228,242);font-family:verdana,geneva,lucida,'lucidagrande',arial,helvetica,sans-serif;font-size:13px;line-height:normal;text-align:left;">“Oh great, now I have two plus 2000 monsters to deal with!” the opponent shrugged as he looked at  The Creator<span style="color:rgb(225,228,242);font-family:verdana,geneva,lucida,'lucidagrande',arial,helvetica,sans-serif;font-size:13px;line-height:normal;text-align:left;"> and  Luster Dragon #2<span style="color:rgb(225,228,242);font-family:verdana,geneva,lucida,'lucidagrande',arial,helvetica,sans-serif;font-size:13px;line-height:normal;text-align:left;">.

<span style="color:rgb(225,228,242);font-family:verdana,geneva,lucida,'lucidagrande',arial,helvetica,sans-serif;font-size:13px;line-height:normal;text-align:left;">“Now  Luster Dragon #2<span style="color:rgb(225,228,242);font-family:verdana,geneva,lucida,'lucidagrande',arial,helvetica,sans-serif;font-size:13px;line-height:normal;text-align:left;">! Attack his  Swordsman of Landstar<span style="color:rgb(225,228,242);font-family:verdana,geneva,lucida,'lucidagrande',arial,helvetica,sans-serif;font-size:13px;line-height:normal;text-align:left;">! Crystallized Burst!” Lance ordered as the dragon flew and trampled the small warrior with the funny shield and sword. “And now to finish this! The Creator<span style="color:rgb(225,228,242);font-family:verdana,geneva,lucida,'lucidagrande',arial,helvetica,sans-serif;font-size:13px;line-height:normal;text-align:left;">, attack him directly! Creation Genesis!”

<span style="color:rgb(225,228,242);font-family:verdana,geneva,lucida,'lucidagrande',arial,helvetica,sans-serif;font-size:13px;line-height:normal;text-align:left;">“Ah!”

<span style="color:rgb(225,228,242);font-family:verdana,geneva,lucida,'lucidagrande',arial,helvetica,sans-serif;font-size:13px;line-height:normal;text-align:left;">Opponent – 0 [SPC: 1] <span style="color:rgb(225,228,242);font-family:verdana,geneva,lucida,'lucidagrande',arial,helvetica,sans-serif;font-size:13px;line-height:normal;text-align:left;">Lance – 3000 [SPC: 5]

<span style="color:rgb(225,228,242);font-family:verdana,geneva,lucida,'lucidagrande',arial,helvetica,sans-serif;font-size:13px;line-height:normal;text-align:left;">The opponent slowed down on his white-orange Duel Runner as the screen on the Duel Runner featured the DEFEAT sign. The duelist stepped off the Duel Runner and pulled of his helmet.

<span style="color:rgb(225,228,242);font-family:verdana,geneva,lucida,'lucidagrande',arial,helvetica,sans-serif;font-size:13px;line-height:normal;text-align:left;">“You did well,” Lance complimented the duelist, while pulling up next to him. “Your timing to activate Speed World 2 in order to draw 1 card was however mistimed. It can happen to any ordinary duelist, so don’t worry too much about it.” The duelist nodded, placed his helmet on the Duel Runner before taking it with him back into the stands.

<span style="color:rgb(225,228,242);font-family:verdana,geneva,lucida,'lucidagrande',arial,helvetica,sans-serif;font-size:13px;line-height:normal;text-align:left;">“He was a bad runner,” the arrogant and selfish voice of Justin was heard behind Lance and he turned around. “A bad rider to be honest.” Grace and Justin both met Lance with their Duel Runners, Grace with her purple Duel Runner and Justin with his yellow-orange Duel Runner.

<span style="color:rgb(225,228,242);font-family:verdana,geneva,lucida,'lucidagrande',arial,helvetica,sans-serif;font-size:13px;line-height:normal;text-align:left;">“Yeah well I see you are ready to do better,” Lance commented and instead of riding his Duel Runner to the sides to see how the duel would go from the sidelines, he kept sitting on it. “Oh right? You want to know why I am still on my Duel Runner, right?”

<span style="color:rgb(225,228,242);font-family:verdana,geneva,lucida,'lucidagrande',arial,helvetica,sans-serif;font-size:13px;line-height:normal;text-align:left;">“Unless the plot is about to reveal it, yes I would love to know why,” Grace smirked.

<span style="color:rgb(225,228,242);font-family:verdana,geneva,lucida,'lucidagrande',arial,helvetica,sans-serif;font-size:13px;line-height:normal;text-align:left;">“Well since it is your first legal,” – he specifically looked at Justin – “Turbo Duel, I thought it was best if an experienced Turbo Duelist would ride along. Definitely because Mr. Shivers here seems to have a habit of crashing.”

<span style="color:rgb(225,228,242);font-family:verdana,geneva,lucida,'lucidagrande',arial,helvetica,sans-serif;font-size:13px;line-height:normal;text-align:left;">“Oh shut up.”

<span style="color:rgb(225,228,242);font-family:verdana,geneva,lucida,'lucidagrande',arial,helvetica,sans-serif;font-size:13px;line-height:normal;text-align:left;">“So if you ride with Justin, who will ride with me?” Grace asked Lance and Lance smirked as they heard another Duel Runner approaching. A black, with yellow lightning strikes on the sides and flare patterns around the engines appeared. The Turbo Duelist had a quiet relaxing seat to sit in.

<span style="color:rgb(225,228,242);font-family:verdana,geneva,lucida,'lucidagrande',arial,helvetica,sans-serif;font-size:13px;line-height:normal;text-align:left;">“I will,” the voice of the Turbo Duelist revealed him to be none other then Blake. He pulled his helmet off for just that moment. “Lance knew I would be here anyway so he asked me to ride along.”

<span style="color:rgb(225,228,242);font-family:verdana,geneva,lucida,'lucidagrande',arial,helvetica,sans-serif;font-size:13px;line-height:normal;text-align:left;">“I am glad it is you Blake,” Grace smiled and gassed up her engine.

<span style="color:rgb(225,228,242);font-family:verdana,geneva,lucida,'lucidagrande',arial,helvetica,sans-serif;font-size:13px;line-height:normal;text-align:left;">“Woohooh, love perils. We don’t have time for this. I want this test duel over so I can get on the road,” Justin urged and both Blake and Lance turned to him. “Well, we may go onto the road right?”

<span style="color:rgb(225,228,242);font-family:verdana,geneva,lucida,'lucidagrande',arial,helvetica,sans-serif;font-size:13px;line-height:normal;text-align:left;">“It is a test duel,” Lance tells him. “You don’t obtain your license today or gain a Duel Pass to get into the Tournaments.”

<span style="color:rgb(225,228,242);font-family:verdana,geneva,lucida,'lucidagrande',arial,helvetica,sans-serif;font-size:13px;line-height:normal;text-align:left;">“Well then why am I wasting my time here?”

<span style="color:rgb(225,228,242);font-family:verdana,geneva,lucida,'lucidagrande',arial,helvetica,sans-serif;font-size:13px;line-height:normal;text-align:left;">“Because you need to learn,” Blake tells Justin and he started rolling over the course. “As I can see, Grace has perfect handling over her Duel Runner, you don’t although you brag about it all the time.”

<span style="color:rgb(225,228,242);font-family:verdana,geneva,lucida,'lucidagrande',arial,helvetica,sans-serif;font-size:13px;line-height:normal;text-align:left;">“I’ll show you how well I handle my Duel Runner!” Justin challenged them and he started rolling as well. He stopped near the starting line and Grace drove up next to him, allowing her Duel Runner to auto-shuffle her deck as Justin did. Lance stood right of Justin as Blake drove up left from Grace.

<span style="color:rgb(225,228,242);font-family:verdana,geneva,lucida,'lucidagrande',arial,helvetica,sans-serif;font-size:13px;line-height:normal;text-align:left;">“Activate Speed World 2,” Lance advised and both Lance and Grace pushed a button on their respective Duel Runners.

<span style="color:rgb(225,228,242);font-family:verdana,geneva,lucida,'lucidagrande',arial,helvetica,sans-serif;font-size:13px;line-height:normal;text-align:left;">“Speed World 2 on!” Lance and Grace commented on the same time as they got rolling. It was no trouble for Lance and Blake to keep up with them as they were going pretty slow. “Auto Pilot on! Duel Acceleration!”

<span style="color:rgb(225,228,242);font-family:verdana,geneva,lucida,'lucidagrande',arial,helvetica,sans-serif;font-size:13px;line-height:normal;text-align:left;">Justin – 4000 [SPC: 0] <span style="color:rgb(225,228,242);font-family:verdana,geneva,lucida,'lucidagrande',arial,helvetica,sans-serif;font-size:13px;line-height:normal;text-align:left;">Grace – 4000 [SPC: 0]

<span style="color:rgb(225,228,242);font-family:verdana,geneva,lucida,'lucidagrande',arial,helvetica,sans-serif;font-size:13px;line-height:normal;text-align:left;">As Justin passed the first turn before Grace did, Lance noticed this time Justin showed no mistake in taking the turn. ‘ Maybe he is more relaxed when he duels and has the auto-pilot online.<span style="color:rgb(225,228,242);font-family:verdana,geneva,lucida,'lucidagrande',arial,helvetica,sans-serif;font-size:13px;line-height:normal;text-align:left;">’ Lance and Blake both drove with no auto-pilot because they were experienced enough.

<span style="color:rgb(225,228,242);font-family:verdana,geneva,lucida,'lucidagrande',arial,helvetica,sans-serif;font-size:13px;line-height:normal;text-align:left;">“I go first!”

<span style="color:rgb(225,228,242);font-family:verdana,geneva,lucida,'lucidagrande',arial,helvetica,sans-serif;font-size:13px;line-height:normal;text-align:left;">“What about ladies first?” Grace taunted him.

<span style="color:rgb(225,228,242);font-family:verdana,geneva,lucida,'lucidagrande',arial,helvetica,sans-serif;font-size:13px;line-height:normal;text-align:left;">“Well that rule does not go with me,” Justin pulled a card from his deck and put it in the hand. As he took another sharp turn, it could be seen his Duel Runner slipped a little. “I summon Quart Knight – 3 (300/300) in attack mode.” A tiny knight with a clock at the front of his armor appeared on the field, with the fingers both pointed at 3. “Now this card comes into play with 5 Time-Counters. By removing 1 I can increase its attack power by 200 (ATK: 300 -> 500).”

<span style="color:rgb(225,228,242);font-family:verdana,geneva,lucida,'lucidagrande',arial,helvetica,sans-serif;font-size:13px;line-height:normal;text-align:left;">“Great a knight based on time,” Grace shrugged and she looked at her side, seeing Blake pull up next to her.

<span style="color:rgb(225,228,242);font-family:verdana,geneva,lucida,'lucidagrande',arial,helvetica,sans-serif;font-size:13px;line-height:normal;text-align:left;">“Don’t worry, it is just the first turn of the game.”

<span style="color:rgb(225,228,242);font-family:verdana,geneva,lucida,'lucidagrande',arial,helvetica,sans-serif;font-size:13px;line-height:normal;text-align:left;">“Next I set this card face down and end my turn.” Justin sped up as their Speed-Counters both rose to 1. “Now show me what you have in your deck.”

<span style="color:rgb(225,228,242);font-family:verdana,geneva,lucida,'lucidagrande',arial,helvetica,sans-serif;font-size:13px;line-height:normal;text-align:left;">Grace pulled a new card and placed it in the cardholder at her arm as she took one card out. “I summon  Fortune Lady Water<span style="color:rgb(225,228,242);font-family:verdana,geneva,lucida,'lucidagrande',arial,helvetica,sans-serif;font-size:13px;line-height:normal;text-align:left;"> (?/?) to the field. It gains 1 level and 300 attack and defense points per turn.” A blue dressed spellcaster appeared on her side of the field. “Next I set these two cards face down and end my turn.”

<span style="color:rgb(225,228,242);font-family:verdana,geneva,lucida,'lucidagrande',arial,helvetica,sans-serif;font-size:13px;line-height:normal;text-align:left;">As Justin draws a new card,  Fortune Lady Water<span style="color:rgb(225,228,242);font-family:verdana,geneva,lucida,'lucidagrande',arial,helvetica,sans-serif;font-size:13px;line-height:normal;text-align:left;"> gains 1 level (300/300 -> 600/600) and their Speed-Counter total rose to 2. Justin smirked as he inserted a card in the spell and trap card zone.

<span style="color:rgb(225,228,242);font-family:verdana,geneva,lucida,'lucidagrande',arial,helvetica,sans-serif;font-size:13px;line-height:normal;text-align:left;">“I activate Speed Spell – Angel Baton, which can be activated when I have 2 Speed-Counters on a face-up Speed World card. I draw 2 cards and discard 1,” Justin swept of two new cards from his deck and inserted one in the graveyard. “I just discarded Quart Knight – 6, which when send to the graveyard, places 5 Time-Counters on any monster on my opponent`s field.”

<span style="color:rgb(225,228,242);font-family:verdana,geneva,lucida,'lucidagrande',arial,helvetica,sans-serif;font-size:13px;line-height:normal;text-align:left;">“His deck is something special,” Blake commented on Justin`s playing style. “He seems to be focusing on Time-Counters and clock-based cards.”

<span style="color:rgb(225,228,242);font-family:verdana,geneva,lucida,'lucidagrande',arial,helvetica,sans-serif;font-size:13px;line-height:normal;text-align:left;">“Now I remove a Time-Counter from Quart Knight – 3, to increase its attack power by 200 (ATK: 500 -> 700),” Justin tells Grace of his move and then his face down card flips up, revealing a big clock appearing above him. “This is my Ticking Clock. It has 12 counters on it. When you do not destroy it or defeat me within the next 12 turns, you lose 2000 lifepoints. Now since there is a card with 12 Time-Counters on it, I can Special Summon Midnight Sorcerer (1500/1500) to the field.”

<span style="color:rgb(225,228,242);font-family:verdana,geneva,lucida,'lucidagrande',arial,helvetica,sans-serif;font-size:13px;line-height:normal;text-align:left;">A sorcerer with a full moon on its chest, dressed in purple-black robes appeared on the field. “Now I can remove 1 Time-Counter from any card on the field to deal 300 lifepoints of damage to you. I remove 1 from your  Fortune Lady Water<span style="color:rgb(225,228,242);font-family:verdana,geneva,lucida,'lucidagrande',arial,helvetica,sans-serif;font-size:13px;line-height:normal;text-align:left;">!”

<span style="color:rgb(225,228,242);font-family:verdana,geneva,lucida,'lucidagrande',arial,helvetica,sans-serif;font-size:13px;line-height:normal;text-align:left;">Grace – 3700 [SPC: 2]

<span style="color:rgb(225,228,242);font-family:verdana,geneva,lucida,'lucidagrande',arial,helvetica,sans-serif;font-size:13px;line-height:normal;text-align:left;">“Now I draw,” Grace`s Speed-Counters rose to 3. “I activate Speed Spell – Small Fortune. I can draw 1 card per Fortune Lady I have on the field.” She picked up one additional card from her deck. “Next I cast my other face down card, Fortune Coin!” The other card flipped up and a virtual coin flipped up on the screen. “I call heads!” The coin landed on Heads.

<span style="color:rgb(225,228,242);font-family:verdana,geneva,lucida,'lucidagrande',arial,helvetica,sans-serif;font-size:13px;line-height:normal;text-align:left;">“So what does that mean?” both Lance, Blake and Justin wondered.

<span style="color:rgb(225,228,242);font-family:verdana,geneva,lucida,'lucidagrande',arial,helvetica,sans-serif;font-size:13px;line-height:normal;text-align:left;">“It means that I can increase the level of a Fortune Lady by 2. Next I summon  Fortune Lady Light<span style="color:rgb(225,228,242);font-family:verdana,geneva,lucida,'lucidagrande',arial,helvetica,sans-serif;font-size:13px;line-height:normal;text-align:left;"> (?/?), which like her sister gains a boost per level it gains, which is now 1 so it gains 200 (200/200),” Grace smirked and she put in another card in her dueldisk. “I set this face down and attack your Quart Knight – 3 with my  Fortune Lady Water<span style="color:rgb(225,228,242);font-family:verdana,geneva,lucida,'lucidagrande',arial,helvetica,sans-serif;font-size:13px;line-height:normal;text-align:left;">! Water Wall!” Fortune Lady conjured a wall of water and blew away the tiny knight.

<span style="color:rgb(225,228,242);font-family:verdana,geneva,lucida,'lucidagrande',arial,helvetica,sans-serif;font-size:13px;line-height:normal;text-align:left;">Justin – 3200 [SPC: 3]

<span style="color:rgb(225,228,242);font-family:verdana,geneva,lucida,'lucidagrande',arial,helvetica,sans-serif;font-size:13px;line-height:normal;text-align:left;">As Justin took another sharp turn, he did not slip this time. Kaito had arrived in the mean time as well, overlooking the ensuing duel. He smirked as he saw how Lance and Blake drove with the two. Also a man with black hair and red points at the end of the hair strikes, sitting in a dark blue jacket was watching the duel.

<span style="color:rgb(225,228,242);font-family:verdana,geneva,lucida,'lucidagrande',arial,helvetica,sans-serif;font-size:13px;line-height:normal;text-align:left;">“I end my turn,” Grace looks at her field and then at Blake, who nods confidently.

<span style="color:rgb(225,228,242);font-family:verdana,geneva,lucida,'lucidagrande',arial,helvetica,sans-serif;font-size:13px;line-height:normal;text-align:left;">“I start,” Justin picked up another card as his Speed-Counters rose to 4 and his Ticking Clock`s Time-Counters dropped to 10. “I remove 1 Time-Counter from Ticking Clock due to Midnight Sorcerer, to deal 300 lifepoints to you.”

<span style="color:rgb(225,228,242);font-family:verdana,geneva,lucida,'lucidagrande',arial,helvetica,sans-serif;font-size:13px;line-height:normal;text-align:left;">Grace – 3400 [SPC: 4]

<span style="color:rgb(225,228,242);font-family:verdana,geneva,lucida,'lucidagrande',arial,helvetica,sans-serif;font-size:13px;line-height:normal;text-align:left;">“He did speed up his Ticking Clock countdown and Midnight Sorcerer,” Blake shrugged and he activated his own Auto Pilot, making sure he could relax and ride on with the duelists. “He has a dangerous combo set up here.”

<span style="color:rgb(225,228,242);font-family:verdana,geneva,lucida,'lucidagrande',arial,helvetica,sans-serif;font-size:13px;line-height:normal;text-align:left;">“Now I remove my Quart Knight – 3 and Quart Knight – 6 from the graveyard from play and Special Summon Quart Knight – 9 (900/900) to the field. Like his predecessors it comes with 5 Time-Counters, but by removing one it gains 400 attack points (ATK: 900 -> 1300),” Justin smirked. “And now by reducing my Quart Knight – 9`s Time-Counters to 0, I can give him the permanent ability to attack directly. Go, attack her directly! Nine Slash!”

<span style="color:rgb(225,228,242);font-family:verdana,geneva,lucida,'lucidagrande',arial,helvetica,sans-serif;font-size:13px;line-height:normal;text-align:left;">Grace – 2100 [SPC: 4]

<span style="color:rgb(225,228,242);font-family:verdana,geneva,lucida,'lucidagrande',arial,helvetica,sans-serif;font-size:13px;line-height:normal;text-align:left;">“Now for my last move, I activate Speed Spell – Half Size, which allows me to halve one of your monster`s attack power and gain lifepoints equal to that monster`s attack points. Your  Fortune Lady Water<span style="color:rgb(225,228,242);font-family:verdana,geneva,lucida,'lucidagrande',arial,helvetica,sans-serif;font-size:13px;line-height:normal;text-align:left;"> is my target (1500 -> 750),” Justin smirked, as he looked how his lifepoints increased. “Now I end my turn.”

<span style="color:rgb(225,228,242);font-family:verdana,geneva,lucida,'lucidagrande',arial,helvetica,sans-serif;font-size:13px;line-height:normal;text-align:left;">Justin – 3950 [SPC: 4]

<span style="color:rgb(225,228,242);font-family:verdana,geneva,lucida,'lucidagrande',arial,helvetica,sans-serif;font-size:13px;line-height:normal;text-align:left;">As both their Speed-Counters counter rose to 5, Grace draws a new card, while turning around another corner. She was feeling the pressure of the wind on her shoulders and Blake who was right behind her. She hoped she would not fail him. He was her safeguard in this duel, but she wanted to show she was ready for the real work.

<span style="color:rgb(225,228,242);font-family:verdana,geneva,lucida,'lucidagrande',arial,helvetica,sans-serif;font-size:13px;line-height:normal;text-align:left;">“I summon  Fortune Lady Wind<span style="color:rgb(225,228,242);font-family:verdana,geneva,lucida,'lucidagrande',arial,helvetica,sans-serif;font-size:13px;line-height:normal;text-align:left;"> (?/?) to the field. As she is a level 3 monster it gains 300 attack and defense points per level which is now currently 3 (?/? -> 900/900). Now I activate its effect and destroy a number of trap and spell cards equal to the amount of Fortune Ladies on my side of the field. So your Ticking Clock is gone!” Grace smiled, but her smile faded as Ticking Clock was not destroyed. “What?!”

<span style="color:rgb(225,228,242);font-family:verdana,geneva,lucida,'lucidagrande',arial,helvetica,sans-serif;font-size:13px;line-height:normal;text-align:left;">“Ticking Clock cannot be destroyed as long as there is at least one monster on my side of the field. The countdown continues,” Justin smirked. “Reveal my trap card, Time Gate! When one of my spell or trap cards are target by my opponent, I can negate it and special summon a level-4 or below monster to the field.” A familiar red monster appeared, in the shape of a clock with a hood on top of it. It had a staff. “ Time Wizard<span style="color:rgb(225,228,242);font-family:verdana,geneva,lucida,'lucidagrande',arial,helvetica,sans-serif;font-size:13px;line-height:normal;text-align:left;"> (500/400)!”

<span style="color:rgb(225,228,242);font-family:verdana,geneva,lucida,'lucidagrande',arial,helvetica,sans-serif;font-size:13px;line-height:normal;text-align:left;">“Oh great, not that monster.”

<span style="color:rgb(225,228,242);font-family:verdana,geneva,lucida,'lucidagrande',arial,helvetica,sans-serif;font-size:13px;line-height:normal;text-align:left;">“Yes,” Justin smirked and he looked at it with proud. “That monster has served many great duelists in the past and so will it serve me, as I am planning to become the greatest duelist ever!”

<span style="color:rgb(225,228,242);font-family:verdana,geneva,lucida,'lucidagrande',arial,helvetica,sans-serif;font-size:13px;line-height:normal;text-align:left;">“Well, you have a long way to go,” Lance mumbled as Justin shakes his head.

<span style="color:rgb(225,228,242);font-family:verdana,geneva,lucida,'lucidagrande',arial,helvetica,sans-serif;font-size:13px;line-height:normal;text-align:left;">“I heard you.”

<span style="color:rgb(225,228,242);font-family:verdana,geneva,lucida,'lucidagrande',arial,helvetica,sans-serif;font-size:13px;line-height:normal;text-align:left;">“Well anyway, I set this card and attack your Midnight Sorcerer with  Fortune Lady Water<span style="color:rgb(225,228,242);font-family:verdana,geneva,lucida,'lucidagrande',arial,helvetica,sans-serif;font-size:13px;line-height:normal;text-align:left;">!” Grace relaxed back against her driver seat and looked at the road in front of them as the Midnight Sorcerer was blown up. “I set this card and end my turn.”

<span style="color:rgb(225,228,242);font-family:verdana,geneva,lucida,'lucidagrande',arial,helvetica,sans-serif;font-size:13px;line-height:normal;text-align:left;">Justin – 3650 [SPC: 5]

<span style="color:rgb(225,228,242);font-family:verdana,geneva,lucida,'lucidagrande',arial,helvetica,sans-serif;font-size:13px;line-height:normal;text-align:left;">“Good, then I go,” Justin draws a new card and smiles. ‘ Yay, this will come in handy if I plan on beating her.<span style="color:rgb(225,228,242);font-family:verdana,geneva,lucida,'lucidagrande',arial,helvetica,sans-serif;font-size:13px;line-height:normal;text-align:left;">’ He took the  Time Wizard<span style="color:rgb(225,228,242);font-family:verdana,geneva,lucida,'lucidagrande',arial,helvetica,sans-serif;font-size:13px;line-height:normal;text-align:left;"> card from his dueldisk and placed a new card on it. “I tribute my  Time Wizard<span style="color:rgb(225,228,242);font-family:verdana,geneva,lucida,'lucidagrande',arial,helvetica,sans-serif;font-size:13px;line-height:normal;text-align:left;"> in order to Special Summon Time Sorcerer (900/800). Now since I still have a normal summon left.”

<span style="color:rgb(225,228,242);font-family:verdana,geneva,lucida,'lucidagrande',arial,helvetica,sans-serif;font-size:13px;line-height:normal;text-align:left;">“Great an update for  Time Wizard<span style="color:rgb(225,228,242);font-family:verdana,geneva,lucida,'lucidagrande',arial,helvetica,sans-serif;font-size:13px;line-height:normal;text-align:left;">!”

<span style="color:rgb(225,228,242);font-family:verdana,geneva,lucida,'lucidagrande',arial,helvetica,sans-serif;font-size:13px;line-height:normal;text-align:left;">“Yes and it gets 200 points per Time-Counter on the field, which is 7 (ATK/DEF: 900/800 -> 2300/2200). Plus I can do a coin toss,” Justin smirked as a coin flipped up on his screen. “Heads!” It was a tails.

<span style="color:rgb(225,228,242);font-family:verdana,geneva,lucida,'lucidagrande',arial,helvetica,sans-serif;font-size:13px;line-height:normal;text-align:left;">“I guess that is a down side for you?”

<span style="color:rgb(225,228,242);font-family:verdana,geneva,lucida,'lucidagrande',arial,helvetica,sans-serif;font-size:13px;line-height:normal;text-align:left;">“Actually no, since now I can simply destroy all your monsters and deal half of the total attack power to you as damage. Since your total attack power is 3900, I deal 1950 lifepoints of damage to you!” Justin smirked as the Time Sorcerer waved with his wand and destroyed all the Fortune Ladies.

<span style="color:rgb(225,228,242);font-family:verdana,geneva,lucida,'lucidagrande',arial,helvetica,sans-serif;font-size:13px;line-height:normal;text-align:left;">Grace – 150 [SPC: 6]

<span style="color:rgb(225,228,242);font-family:verdana,geneva,lucida,'lucidagrande',arial,helvetica,sans-serif;font-size:13px;line-height:normal;text-align:left;">“Don’t worry, you can still get back on him!” Blake encouraged her.

<span style="color:rgb(225,228,242);font-family:verdana,geneva,lucida,'lucidagrande',arial,helvetica,sans-serif;font-size:13px;line-height:normal;text-align:left;">“I know!” Grace smirked as a new monster appeared on her side of the field. “Because my Fortune Ladies have been destroyed I can Special Summon Fortune Sage (800/400) to the field!” The new monster was similarly dressed as the Fortune Ladies only all attributes were featured on the robes.

<span style="color:rgb(225,228,242);font-family:verdana,geneva,lucida,'lucidagrande',arial,helvetica,sans-serif;font-size:13px;line-height:normal;text-align:left;">‘ ''A Tuner! She must be going of a Synchro Summoning.''<span style="color:rgb(225,228,242);font-family:verdana,geneva,lucida,'lucidagrande',arial,helvetica,sans-serif;font-size:13px;line-height:normal;text-align:left;">’

<span style="color:rgb(225,228,242);font-family:verdana,geneva,lucida,'lucidagrande',arial,helvetica,sans-serif;font-size:13px;line-height:normal;text-align:left;">“I know what you are thinking,” Grace smirked and she looked at Justin. “I am going for a Synchro Summoning yes. But you don’t know the half of it.”

<span style="color:rgb(225,228,242);font-family:verdana,geneva,lucida,'lucidagrande',arial,helvetica,sans-serif;font-size:13px;line-height:normal;text-align:left;">“Well bring it on,” Justin inserted a card in his dueldisk. “I end my turn with this face down card.”

<span style="color:rgb(225,228,242);font-family:verdana,geneva,lucida,'lucidagrande',arial,helvetica,sans-serif;font-size:13px;line-height:normal;text-align:left;">“Good my turn then,” Grace pulled a new card as their Speed-Counters rose to 7. “Now I reduce my Speed-Counters by 7 and activate Speed World 2`s effect to draw 1 card.” She picked an additional card. “Now I activate  Call Of The Haunted<span style="color:rgb(225,228,242);font-family:verdana,geneva,lucida,'lucidagrande',arial,helvetica,sans-serif;font-size:13px;line-height:normal;text-align:left;"> and bring back my  Fortune Lady Water<span style="color:rgb(225,228,242);font-family:verdana,geneva,lucida,'lucidagrande',arial,helvetica,sans-serif;font-size:13px;line-height:normal;text-align:left;"> (1200/1200)!” The Fortune Lady returned to the field.

<span style="color:rgb(225,228,242);font-family:verdana,geneva,lucida,'lucidagrande',arial,helvetica,sans-serif;font-size:13px;line-height:normal;text-align:left;">“So you are going to Synchro Summon?”

<span style="color:rgb(225,228,242);font-family:verdana,geneva,lucida,'lucidagrande',arial,helvetica,sans-serif;font-size:13px;line-height:normal;text-align:left;">“First I activate Fortune Sage`s special effect, increasing my Water`s level by 1 to 5. Then yeah, I tune in my Fortune Sage with Fortune Lady Water<span style="color:rgb(225,228,242);font-family:verdana,geneva,lucida,'lucidagrande',arial,helvetica,sans-serif;font-size:13px;line-height:normal;text-align:left;">! With wealth comes fortune and with fortune comes hope! Become the queen of hope! Synchro Summon! Rise, Fortune Queen – Alistarias!” Grace chanted as the two monster disappeared into the Synchro Gate and out came a more majestic Fortune Lady, hanged with diamonds and other gems. Her robes were longer and more revealing.

<span style="color:rgb(225,228,242);font-family:verdana,geneva,lucida,'lucidagrande',arial,helvetica,sans-serif;font-size:13px;line-height:normal;text-align:left;">“So the Fortune Ladies did get a Synchro,” Blake realizes although he had never heard of it until now.

<span style="color:rgb(225,228,242);font-family:verdana,geneva,lucida,'lucidagrande',arial,helvetica,sans-serif;font-size:13px;line-height:normal;text-align:left;">“Now like the Fortune Ladies this card gains a level and 300 attack points per turn, which means my Fortune Queen increases in power (ATK: 2000 -> 2300),” Grace explained as she smiled. “And I gain 100 lifepoints per level per turn, which means a boost of 700 points!”

<span style="color:rgb(225,228,242);font-family:verdana,geneva,lucida,'lucidagrande',arial,helvetica,sans-serif;font-size:13px;line-height:normal;text-align:left;">Grace – 850 [SPC: 0]

<span style="color:rgb(225,228,242);font-family:verdana,geneva,lucida,'lucidagrande',arial,helvetica,sans-serif;font-size:13px;line-height:normal;text-align:left;">“Now I attack your Quart Knight – 9 with my Fortune Queen – Alistarias! Shooting Star Fortune!” Grace ordered as the Queen raised her staff and blasted apart the Quart Knight – 9.

<span style="color:rgb(225,228,242);font-family:verdana,geneva,lucida,'lucidagrande',arial,helvetica,sans-serif;font-size:13px;line-height:normal;text-align:left;">Justin – 2650 [SPC: 7]

<span style="color:rgb(225,228,242);font-family:verdana,geneva,lucida,'lucidagrande',arial,helvetica,sans-serif;font-size:13px;line-height:normal;text-align:left;">“Now I end my turn,” Grace was happy that she was able to deal more damage to Justin as she had done before. It might just turn things around in her favor. “Now show me whether you are really as good as you claim to be.”

<span style="color:rgb(225,228,242);font-family:verdana,geneva,lucida,'lucidagrande',arial,helvetica,sans-serif;font-size:13px;line-height:normal;text-align:left;">---

<span style="color:rgb(225,228,242);font-family:verdana,geneva,lucida,'lucidagrande',arial,helvetica,sans-serif;font-size:13px;line-height:normal;text-align:left;">“Are our people in place?”

<span style="color:rgb(225,228,242);font-family:verdana,geneva,lucida,'lucidagrande',arial,helvetica,sans-serif;font-size:13px;line-height:normal;text-align:left;">One of the grey robed man with the orange accents asked another robed man. They were once again in the hideout of the socalled Aurora Remnant, the surviving fraction of the Arcadia Movement. Four of the five people were there.

<span style="color:rgb(225,228,242);font-family:verdana,geneva,lucida,'lucidagrande',arial,helvetica,sans-serif;font-size:13px;line-height:normal;text-align:left;">“Yes, everything is ready for our next attack.”

<span style="color:rgb(225,228,242);font-family:verdana,geneva,lucida,'lucidagrande',arial,helvetica,sans-serif;font-size:13px;line-height:normal;text-align:left;">The grey robed man that was meditating opened his eyes. One eye was blue, the other was green, bright green. One streak of white hair came from under his hood. He had his head bend as he looked at the ground.

<span style="color:rgb(225,228,242);font-family:verdana,geneva,lucida,'lucidagrande',arial,helvetica,sans-serif;font-size:13px;line-height:normal;text-align:left;">“They won’t know what hit them when we strike.”

<span style="color:rgb(225,228,242);font-family:verdana,geneva,lucida,'lucidagrande',arial,helvetica,sans-serif;font-size:13px;line-height:normal;text-align:left;">---

<span style="color:rgb(225,228,242);font-family:verdana,geneva,lucida,'lucidagrande',arial,helvetica,sans-serif;font-size:13px;line-height:normal;text-align:left;">“Interesting.”

<span style="color:rgb(225,228,242);font-family:verdana,geneva,lucida,'lucidagrande',arial,helvetica,sans-serif;font-size:13px;line-height:normal;text-align:left;">Kaito who was still in the stands looked up to see the man with the black hair and the red tips walked down to the arena level. He carefully watched the duel and Kaito was intrigued by the interest the man was showing.

<span style="color:rgb(225,228,242);font-family:verdana,geneva,lucida,'lucidagrande',arial,helvetica,sans-serif;font-size:13px;line-height:normal;text-align:left;">“Excuse me.”

<span style="color:rgb(225,228,242);font-family:verdana,geneva,lucida,'lucidagrande',arial,helvetica,sans-serif;font-size:13px;line-height:normal;text-align:left;">The man turned around, facing Kaito. Kaito was a head bigger then the guy, but somehow the man gave him an inner scare for some reason. He had no reason why, he did not know why. However it vanished as the man answered.

<span style="color:rgb(225,228,242);font-family:verdana,geneva,lucida,'lucidagrande',arial,helvetica,sans-serif;font-size:13px;line-height:normal;text-align:left;">“Yes, how can I help you?”

<span style="color:rgb(225,228,242);font-family:verdana,geneva,lucida,'lucidagrande',arial,helvetica,sans-serif;font-size:13px;line-height:normal;text-align:left;">“It might sound weird, but I have a reason to believe I know you,” Kaito tells the man and the man smiles as he nods. “I know you, right?”

<span style="color:rgb(225,228,242);font-family:verdana,geneva,lucida,'lucidagrande',arial,helvetica,sans-serif;font-size:13px;line-height:normal;text-align:left;">“Yes,” the man nodded again. “My name is Jason Gael. I am a duelist like you, like your friends over there. I am here, because I want to see how my niece is doing in this duel?”

<span style="color:rgb(225,228,242);font-family:verdana,geneva,lucida,'lucidagrande',arial,helvetica,sans-serif;font-size:13px;line-height:normal;text-align:left;">“You are a cousin of Grace?” Kaito asked Jason and Jason nodded. “I didn’t know she had family.”

<span style="color:rgb(225,228,242);font-family:verdana,geneva,lucida,'lucidagrande',arial,helvetica,sans-serif;font-size:13px;line-height:normal;text-align:left;">“You don’t know a lot about her, now do you?” Jason smirked as he looked back at the duelists running on the Duel Runners. “I taught Grace to use that Fortune Lady deck. I gave her the Fortune Queen card she uses right now.”

<span style="color:rgb(225,228,242);font-family:verdana,geneva,lucida,'lucidagrande',arial,helvetica,sans-serif;font-size:13px;line-height:normal;text-align:left;">“So you know about the real power of her deck?”

<span style="color:rgb(225,228,242);font-family:verdana,geneva,lucida,'lucidagrande',arial,helvetica,sans-serif;font-size:13px;line-height:normal;text-align:left;">“Well yeah, if she can utilize it,” Jason smiled and both he and Kaito looked at the duel as it continued.

<span style="color:rgb(225,228,242);font-family:verdana,geneva,lucida,'lucidagrande',arial,helvetica,sans-serif;font-size:13px;line-height:normal;text-align:left;">Justin – 2650 [SPC: 7] <span style="color:rgb(225,228,242);font-family:verdana,geneva,lucida,'lucidagrande',arial,helvetica,sans-serif;font-size:13px;line-height:normal;text-align:left;">Grace – 850 [SPC: 0]

<span style="color:rgb(225,228,242);font-family:verdana,geneva,lucida,'lucidagrande',arial,helvetica,sans-serif;font-size:13px;line-height:normal;text-align:left;">“Draw,” Justin pulled of a new card. “My Ticking Clock lowers by another Time-Counter, bringing you closer to your demise. Five more turns to go, Grace. Do you feel the pressure? Do you feel the enclosing doom?”

<span style="color:rgb(225,228,242);font-family:verdana,geneva,lucida,'lucidagrande',arial,helvetica,sans-serif;font-size:13px;line-height:normal;text-align:left;">“Hold on, Grace!” both Lance and Blake encouraged her as she kept riding. “Don’t give up now. This duel is still on.”

<span style="color:rgb(225,228,242);font-family:verdana,geneva,lucida,'lucidagrande',arial,helvetica,sans-serif;font-size:13px;line-height:normal;text-align:left;">“I know, I know.”

<span style="color:rgb(225,228,242);font-family:verdana,geneva,lucida,'lucidagrande',arial,helvetica,sans-serif;font-size:13px;line-height:normal;text-align:left;">“I remove Quart Knight – 9 from my graveyard from play as well and Special Summon Quart Knight – 12 (1200/1200)!” Justin flipped another card on his dueldisk as a new knight appeared on his side of the field. “I also need to pay 1000 lifepoints.”

<span style="color:rgb(225,228,242);font-family:verdana,geneva,lucida,'lucidagrande',arial,helvetica,sans-serif;font-size:13px;line-height:normal;text-align:left;">Justin – 1650 [SPC: 8]

<span style="color:rgb(225,228,242);font-family:verdana,geneva,lucida,'lucidagrande',arial,helvetica,sans-serif;font-size:13px;line-height:normal;text-align:left;">“Now I remove one Time-Counter and increase Quart Knight – 12 by 500 points (ATK: 1200 -> 1700),” Justin pulled another card from his hand and inserted it into his dueldisk. “Now I set this card and activate my other face down card, Clock Gift, which allows me to pay 1000 lifepoints and place up to 5 Counters on any card. I choose to increase the Speed-Counters on my Speed World 2 card by four and place one at my Time Sorcerer!”

<span style="color:rgb(225,228,242);font-family:verdana,geneva,lucida,'lucidagrande',arial,helvetica,sans-serif;font-size:13px;line-height:normal;text-align:left;">Justin – 650 [SPC: 12]

<span style="color:rgb(225,228,242);font-family:verdana,geneva,lucida,'lucidagrande',arial,helvetica,sans-serif;font-size:13px;line-height:normal;text-align:left;">‘ A total of 12 Speed-Counters, this can never mean anything good,<span style="color:rgb(225,228,242);font-family:verdana,geneva,lucida,'lucidagrande',arial,helvetica,sans-serif;font-size:13px;line-height:normal;text-align:left;">’ it really bothered Blake how Justin had proceeded in this duel. Would Justin really wait until Ticking Clock was over? ‘ There are a couple of Speed Spells that require you to have so many Speed-Counters, but I wonder which he uses.<span style="color:rgb(225,228,242);font-family:verdana,geneva,lucida,'lucidagrande',arial,helvetica,sans-serif;font-size:13px;line-height:normal;text-align:left;">’

<span style="color:rgb(225,228,242);font-family:verdana,geneva,lucida,'lucidagrande',arial,helvetica,sans-serif;font-size:13px;line-height:normal;text-align:left;">“Now I could wait for Ticking Clock, but I’ll deal damage another way. I activate Speed Spell – End of the  Storm<span style="color:rgb(225,228,242);font-family:verdana,geneva,lucida,'lucidagrande',arial,helvetica,sans-serif;font-size:13px;line-height:normal;text-align:left;">, which requires me to have 10 or more Speed-Counters on my Speed World 2 card and destroy all monsters on the field and deal 300 lifepoints of damage to the owner.”

<span style="color:rgb(225,228,242);font-family:verdana,geneva,lucida,'lucidagrande',arial,helvetica,sans-serif;font-size:13px;line-height:normal;text-align:left;">‘ ''End of the Storm, of course! Only a low life like Justin would use such a cheap trick to defeat a beginner like Grace.''<span style="color:rgb(225,228,242);font-family:verdana,geneva,lucida,'lucidagrande',arial,helvetica,sans-serif;font-size:13px;line-height:normal;text-align:left;">’ From the inside Blake boiled with anger, but he realized it was what it was.

<span style="color:rgb(225,228,242);font-family:verdana,geneva,lucida,'lucidagrande',arial,helvetica,sans-serif;font-size:13px;line-height:normal;text-align:left;">Fortune Queen – Alistarias was destroyed along with Time Sorcerer and Quart Knight – 12, ensuing in a blast that would both lower their lifepoints to 0. However Justin`s final face down card flipped up.

<span style="color:rgb(225,228,242);font-family:verdana,geneva,lucida,'lucidagrande',arial,helvetica,sans-serif;font-size:13px;line-height:normal;text-align:left;">“Rewind Clock!” Justin intervened his own effect. “Unlike you I can now rewind the turn back to how it was qua lifepoints, which means I still have 2650 lifepoints and with the 900 lifepoints I lose I still have 1750 left, but you don’t!”

<span style="color:rgb(225,228,242);font-family:verdana,geneva,lucida,'lucidagrande',arial,helvetica,sans-serif;font-size:13px;line-height:normal;text-align:left;">Justin – 1750 [SPC: 12]

<span style="color:rgb(225,228,242);font-family:verdana,geneva,lucida,'lucidagrande',arial,helvetica,sans-serif;font-size:13px;line-height:normal;text-align:left;">‘ ''Rewind Clock is a cheap trick to get out of such a situation. Grace lost.''<span style="color:rgb(225,228,242);font-family:verdana,geneva,lucida,'lucidagrande',arial,helvetica,sans-serif;font-size:13px;line-height:normal;text-align:left;">’

<span style="color:rgb(225,228,242);font-family:verdana,geneva,lucida,'lucidagrande',arial,helvetica,sans-serif;font-size:13px;line-height:normal;text-align:left;">However as the blast disappeared, Grace was still on and her lifepoints had only taken a drop to 750. Justin`s mouth dropped open as it happened and Grace smirked as she pointed to the spirit of the Fortune Queen.

<span style="color:rgb(225,228,242);font-family:verdana,geneva,lucida,'lucidagrande',arial,helvetica,sans-serif;font-size:13px;line-height:normal;text-align:left;">“What?!”

<span style="color:rgb(225,228,242);font-family:verdana,geneva,lucida,'lucidagrande',arial,helvetica,sans-serif;font-size:13px;line-height:normal;text-align:left;">“My Fortune Queen`s effect kicked in, allowing me to gain 800 lifepoints before the battle started, and that was enough to give me another try at defeating you. Plus when Fortune Queen – Alistarias was destroyed by a monster effect, I can Special Summon 2 Fortune Lady monsters from my deck to the field. Fortune Lady Dark and  Fortune Lady Earth<span style="color:rgb(225,228,242);font-family:verdana,geneva,lucida,'lucidagrande',arial,helvetica,sans-serif;font-size:13px;line-height:normal;text-align:left;"> appear!” Grace smirked as the two new spellcasters appeared on the field.

<span style="color:rgb(225,228,242);font-family:verdana,geneva,lucida,'lucidagrande',arial,helvetica,sans-serif;font-size:13px;line-height:normal;text-align:left;">“I set this card and activated Speed Spell –  Heavy Storm<span style="color:rgb(225,228,242);font-family:verdana,geneva,lucida,'lucidagrande',arial,helvetica,sans-serif;font-size:13px;line-height:normal;text-align:left;">, which allows me to remove 4 Speed-Counters from my Speed World 2 and destroy all spell and trap cards on your side of the field, excluding Speed World 2 of course,” Justin placed another card and heavy winds blew up the face down cards of Grace. “Now I end my turn.”

<span style="color:rgb(225,228,242);font-family:verdana,geneva,lucida,'lucidagrande',arial,helvetica,sans-serif;font-size:13px;line-height:normal;text-align:left;">As Grace`s Speed-Counters raise to 2 and Ticking Clock`s effect dropped to 4 Time-Counters, Grace thought about what to do as her Fortune Ladies increased in power. ‘ ''There is a good chance he is waiting for me to attack him. If I attack, he might as well activate a trap card that counters me.''<span style="color:rgb(225,228,242);font-family:verdana,geneva,lucida,'lucidagrande',arial,helvetica,sans-serif;font-size:13px;line-height:normal;text-align:left;">’

<span style="color:rgb(225,228,242);font-family:verdana,geneva,lucida,'lucidagrande',arial,helvetica,sans-serif;font-size:13px;line-height:normal;text-align:left;">“Pondering to much?” Justin taunts her.

<span style="color:rgb(225,228,242);font-family:verdana,geneva,lucida,'lucidagrande',arial,helvetica,sans-serif;font-size:13px;line-height:normal;text-align:left;">“Hey give her a break!” Blake argued as he was getting a little tired of Justin. “She does this for the first time you know, a Turbo Duel.”

<span style="color:rgb(225,228,242);font-family:verdana,geneva,lucida,'lucidagrande',arial,helvetica,sans-serif;font-size:13px;line-height:normal;text-align:left;">“Yeah, but she does not duel for the first time. I have seen her duel many times and I was waiting for this duel to come once. If I want to be the best I need to defeat everyone and she simply was the next on my list.”

<span style="color:rgb(225,228,242);font-family:verdana,geneva,lucida,'lucidagrande',arial,helvetica,sans-serif;font-size:13px;line-height:normal;text-align:left;">“Finish him off,” Blake encouraged Grace.

<span style="color:rgb(225,228,242);font-family:verdana,geneva,lucida,'lucidagrande',arial,helvetica,sans-serif;font-size:13px;line-height:normal;text-align:left;">“Well that is one thing I am certain off,” Grace smiled and Blake knew she was going for it. “ Fortune Lady Dark<span style="color:rgb(225,228,242);font-family:verdana,geneva,lucida,'lucidagrande',arial,helvetica,sans-serif;font-size:13px;line-height:normal;text-align:left;">! Dark  Storm<span style="color:rgb(225,228,242);font-family:verdana,geneva,lucida,'lucidagrande',arial,helvetica,sans-serif;font-size:13px;line-height:normal;text-align:left;"> Curse!” Fortune Lady Dark<span style="color:rgb(225,228,242);font-family:verdana,geneva,lucida,'lucidagrande',arial,helvetica,sans-serif;font-size:13px;line-height:normal;text-align:left;"> raised her staff and fired a dark swirling blast of energy at Justin, who triggered his face down card. “I could have known.”

<span style="color:rgb(225,228,242);font-family:verdana,geneva,lucida,'lucidagrande',arial,helvetica,sans-serif;font-size:13px;line-height:normal;text-align:left;">“Tune Paradox,” Justin revealed. “When I am attacked directly, I can Special Summon 1 Tuner monster from my deck to the field. I summon Clock Wizard (900/0) to the field. Not only do I have a Tuner now, I can halve the Battle Damage.”

<span style="color:rgb(225,228,242);font-family:verdana,geneva,lucida,'lucidagrande',arial,helvetica,sans-serif;font-size:13px;line-height:normal;text-align:left;">Justin – 550 [SPC: 8]

<span style="color:rgb(225,228,242);font-family:verdana,geneva,lucida,'lucidagrande',arial,helvetica,sans-serif;font-size:13px;line-height:normal;text-align:left;">“Well, I set this card face down and attack your Clock Wizard with  Fortune Lady Earth<span style="color:rgb(225,228,242);font-family:verdana,geneva,lucida,'lucidagrande',arial,helvetica,sans-serif;font-size:13px;line-height:normal;text-align:left;">!” Grace ordered but another monster appeared next to the tiny midget caster that was on the field. This one held out a clock. “Grandfather Time (0/0). I can negate the battle that has just occurred. Next because I used Tune Paradox in order to summon Clock Wizard, I can decrease your Earth`s level to 1 (2800/2800 -> 400/400) and increase Clock Wizard`s level by the same amount.”

<span style="color:rgb(225,228,242);font-family:verdana,geneva,lucida,'lucidagrande',arial,helvetica,sans-serif;font-size:13px;line-height:normal;text-align:left;">‘ ''Oh great, now Clock Wizard is a level 7 monster. This is going to get ugly,''<span style="color:rgb(225,228,242);font-family:verdana,geneva,lucida,'lucidagrande',arial,helvetica,sans-serif;font-size:13px;line-height:normal;text-align:left;">’ Blake looked with warning eyes to Grace, who did not seem to notice him.

<span style="color:rgb(225,228,242);font-family:verdana,geneva,lucida,'lucidagrande',arial,helvetica,sans-serif;font-size:13px;line-height:normal;text-align:left;">“I end my turn,” Grace sighed and she looked at her hand, while being doubtful what to do. ‘ ''I have no cards to counter him. I do not have enough Speed-Counters to deal damage to him. What can I do?''<span style="color:rgb(225,228,242);font-family:verdana,geneva,lucida,'lucidagrande',arial,helvetica,sans-serif;font-size:13px;line-height:normal;text-align:left;">’

<span style="color:rgb(225,228,242);font-family:verdana,geneva,lucida,'lucidagrande',arial,helvetica,sans-serif;font-size:13px;line-height:normal;text-align:left;">Justin smiled as he flicked out a new card from his deck and smirked. “And now it is time to give Grandfather Time a tune-up! With age comes power, with age comes wisdom! Rise from the millennia, fury of time! Superancient Time Sage (2900/2200).”

<span style="color:rgb(225,228,242);font-family:verdana,geneva,lucida,'lucidagrande',arial,helvetica,sans-serif;font-size:13px;line-height:normal;text-align:left;">“A Psychic monster in a Time related deck. Pretty interesting to say the least,” Blake had to admit.

<span style="color:rgb(225,228,242);font-family:verdana,geneva,lucida,'lucidagrande',arial,helvetica,sans-serif;font-size:13px;line-height:normal;text-align:left;">“Now this card has the ability to absorb all Time-Counters on the card and gain 300 attack points per Counter (ATK: 2900 -> 4100 (Ticking Clock [4 -> 0])). Now I could finish you off with Ticking Clock, since when it has no Time-Counters anymore, you lose 2000 lifepoints, however I feel like Superancient Time Sage should do it,” Justin growled as his white robed, golden ankh wearing priest raised his ankh and staff. “Time Magic! Transcending Fire!”

<span style="color:rgb(225,228,242);font-family:verdana,geneva,lucida,'lucidagrande',arial,helvetica,sans-serif;font-size:13px;line-height:normal;text-align:left;">“NO!” Grace panicked as the fires took over  Fortune Lady Dark<span style="color:rgb(225,228,242);font-family:verdana,geneva,lucida,'lucidagrande',arial,helvetica,sans-serif;font-size:13px;line-height:normal;text-align:left;"> and she was to shocked, although she did see it coming, to react and activate a face down. Her Duel Runner showed DEFEAT, even before she saw the lifepoint counter hit 0.

<span style="color:rgb(225,228,242);font-family:verdana,geneva,lucida,'lucidagrande',arial,helvetica,sans-serif;font-size:13px;line-height:normal;text-align:left;">Justin – 550 [SPC: 9] <span style="color:rgb(225,228,242);font-family:verdana,geneva,lucida,'lucidagrande',arial,helvetica,sans-serif;font-size:13px;line-height:normal;text-align:left;">Grace – 0 [SPC: 3]

<span style="color:rgb(225,228,242);font-family:verdana,geneva,lucida,'lucidagrande',arial,helvetica,sans-serif;font-size:13px;line-height:normal;text-align:left;">“And so I have won!” Justin cheered for himself as he winked to Lance, Blake and Grace who stopped at a considerable distance from him. “So, teach, when can I enter the examinations for the Tournament Pass?”

<span style="color:rgb(225,228,242);font-family:verdana,geneva,lucida,'lucidagrande',arial,helvetica,sans-serif;font-size:13px;line-height:normal;text-align:left;">“You really don’t care about how your fellow contestant is doing?” Blake sounded disgusted as he looked at a weeping Grace, who was distraught about her loss against Justin. “You have no heart, no feelings?”

<span style="color:rgb(225,228,242);font-family:verdana,geneva,lucida,'lucidagrande',arial,helvetica,sans-serif;font-size:13px;line-height:normal;text-align:left;">“Oh I do have a heart and feelings, but in order to become the best you have to take out the weakest,” Justin smiled and turned around his Duel Runner facing the exit of the training course. “Smell ya all later!”

<span style="color:rgb(225,228,242);font-family:verdana,geneva,lucida,'lucidagrande',arial,helvetica,sans-serif;font-size:13px;line-height:normal;text-align:left;">As he drove away, Lance and Blake comforted Grace. Kaito and at some distance Jason too, came walking onto the training course. As Grace felt comfortable with Blake, she was very happy to see Jason, as she flung her arms around him.

<span style="color:rgb(225,228,242);font-family:verdana,geneva,lucida,'lucidagrande',arial,helvetica,sans-serif;font-size:13px;line-height:normal;text-align:left;">“Jason, am I happy to see you? Did you see the entire duel?”

<span style="color:rgb(225,228,242);font-family:verdana,geneva,lucida,'lucidagrande',arial,helvetica,sans-serif;font-size:13px;line-height:normal;text-align:left;">“Yes, and I am proud of you, Grace. You handled yourself really well. Really well and I am proud of you,” Jason turned to Blake and shook hands with him. “So you are Blake where my niece tells me so much about. It is a real pleasure to meet you.”

<span style="color:rgb(225,228,242);font-family:verdana,geneva,lucida,'lucidagrande',arial,helvetica,sans-serif;font-size:13px;line-height:normal;text-align:left;">“Same goes for me,” Blake smiles and he looks around. “So you duel yourself?”

<span style="color:rgb(225,228,242);font-family:verdana,geneva,lucida,'lucidagrande',arial,helvetica,sans-serif;font-size:13px;line-height:normal;text-align:left;">“Yeah, I do. I used to teach Grace until she became a little overexcited and left hometown,” Jason taunted Grace as she gave Jason a friendly shove over the head. “Listen, I have gotten free tickets for the next promotion match between Gillian O’Hare and an unknown duelist. They say the unknown duelist is really good and has just arrived in Chicago.”

<span style="color:rgb(225,228,242);font-family:verdana,geneva,lucida,'lucidagrande',arial,helvetica,sans-serif;font-size:13px;line-height:normal;text-align:left;">Everybody looked at each other and Blake and Lance shakes their heads. Blake smiled as he looked to Jason.

<span style="color:rgb(225,228,242);font-family:verdana,geneva,lucida,'lucidagrande',arial,helvetica,sans-serif;font-size:13px;line-height:normal;text-align:left;">“Well, I would love to if it did not involve Gillian O’Hare. That is quite the sore subject,” Blake began and they all went laughing, before leaving the training course.

<span style="color:rgb(225,228,242);font-family:verdana,geneva,lucida,'lucidagrande',arial,helvetica,sans-serif;font-size:13px;line-height:normal;text-align:left;">--

<span style="color:rgb(225,228,242);font-family:verdana,geneva,lucida,'lucidagrande',arial,helvetica,sans-serif;font-size:13px;line-height:normal;text-align:left;">“Are you all ready?”

<span style="color:rgb(225,228,242);font-family:verdana,geneva,lucida,'lucidagrande',arial,helvetica,sans-serif;font-size:13px;line-height:normal;text-align:left;">Two man were standing in the middle of a park. There were a few people around as they were unnoticed. They were dressed normally, in business suits as the right man, black skinned and blonde hair, held up a silvery orb.

<span style="color:rgb(225,228,242);font-family:verdana,geneva,lucida,'lucidagrande',arial,helvetica,sans-serif;font-size:13px;line-height:normal;text-align:left;">“Yes sir. We and the Silent Core are ready.”

<span style="color:rgb(225,228,242);font-family:verdana,geneva,lucida,'lucidagrande',arial,helvetica,sans-serif;font-size:13px;line-height:normal;text-align:left;">“Will we expect any interference from  them<span style="color:rgb(225,228,242);font-family:verdana,geneva,lucida,'lucidagrande',arial,helvetica,sans-serif;font-size:13px;line-height:normal;text-align:left;">?” The man not holding the silvery orb asked the man holding the Silver Orb. “Will they try to take it from us? Will they try to take over our power?”

<span style="color:rgb(225,228,242);font-family:verdana,geneva,lucida,'lucidagrande',arial,helvetica,sans-serif;font-size:13px;line-height:normal;text-align:left;">“No.”

<span style="color:rgb(225,228,242);font-family:verdana,geneva,lucida,'lucidagrande',arial,helvetica,sans-serif;font-size:13px;line-height:normal;text-align:left;">“Where are they?”

<span style="color:rgb(225,228,242);font-family:verdana,geneva,lucida,'lucidagrande',arial,helvetica,sans-serif;font-size:13px;line-height:normal;text-align:left;">“Scattered around this wastefull place,” the man with the orb spoke. He raised his head, revealing the blood red eyes he had with the pitch-black pupils. “We have nothing to worry from them.”

<span style="color:rgb(225,228,242);font-family:verdana,geneva,lucida,'lucidagrande',arial,helvetica,sans-serif;font-size:13px;line-height:normal;text-align:left;">“Good. Than it is time for phase one of our plan.”

<span style="color:rgb(225,228,242);font-family:verdana,geneva,lucida,'lucidagrande',arial,helvetica,sans-serif;font-size:13px;line-height:normal;text-align:left;">To be continued……….

<span style="color:rgb(225,228,242);font-family:verdana,geneva,lucida,'lucidagrande',arial,helvetica,sans-serif;font-size:13px;line-height:normal;text-align:left;">RANDOM INFINITY HUNTER TRIVIA:

<span style="color:rgb(225,228,242);font-family:verdana,geneva,lucida,'lucidagrande',arial,helvetica,sans-serif;font-size:13px;line-height:normal;text-align:left;">And so we have landed at Turn 3 already. Man, this goes fast. I really enjoy writing these. Turn 3 was actually finished at March 14, 2010 already, but like the before mentioned turns, I decided to hold off on them for the time being.

<span style="color:rgb(225,228,242);font-family:verdana,geneva,lucida,'lucidagrande',arial,helvetica,sans-serif;font-size:13px;line-height:normal;text-align:left;">Now the Silent Core mentioned at the end of this chapter is something I am curious about. It seems that some anime serie called Bakugan<span style="color:rgb(225,228,242);font-family:verdana,geneva,lucida,'lucidagrande',arial,helvetica,sans-serif;font-size:13px;line-height:normal;text-align:left;"> seemed to have something similar in the beginning. The Silent Core thing is actually an unused storyline from previous stories I wrote. Just like a future archetype, who seemed to have hit the grounds in the same series. I never realized they sounded the same.

<span style="color:rgb(225,228,242);font-family:verdana,geneva,lucida,'lucidagrande',arial,helvetica,sans-serif;font-size:13px;line-height:normal;text-align:left;">See you for Turn 4!

<span style="color:rgb(225,228,242);font-family:verdana,geneva,lucida,'lucidagrande',arial,helvetica,sans-serif;font-size:13px;line-height:normal;text-align:left;">NEW TRIVIA:

<span style="color:rgb(225,228,242);font-family:verdana,geneva,lucida,'lucidagrande',arial,helvetica,sans-serif;font-size:13px;line-height:normal;text-align:left;">Only did minor editing to this turn. I have left all of the duel intact and all of the scenes as well. Like the previous turn I have expanded the final scene with a few sentences.