More card games...

I thought I was done with the friggin card games, but I guess not. Some one snuck into my room and left a note of my pillow, saying to meet them in the Garden of S, and to bring my cards. I decided to oblige.

The Blak Garden was abandoned after the incident a few months ago, so there weren't any Proxies there. There was someone there though. I've been going to that diner a lot since I was set free, mostly because of the cute waitress. The boy who I encountered in the Garden went there a lot with his friends. But what was he doing there, and why did he want me to come? That's what was on my mind when I saw him.

“What are you doing here, kid?” I asked.

“I'm here to challenge you,” he said. He seemed different. Emotionless. Empty. Something was controlling him.

“HEY!” I called out. “I DON'T KNOW WHICH OF YOU MONSTERS IS USING THIS KID, BUT YOU'D BETTER LET HIM GO!”

“Master won't listen to you,” the boy said. “If you want to save me, you must win.”

“Fine then,” I said. “Let's do this.”

“I'll take the first turn,” the boy said. “I summon Wind-Up Rabbit in attack mode!”

A rabbit-like android appeared on his side of the field. It was level 3 with 1400 attack.

“I set two cards face down and end my turn,” he said.

“Mu move,” I said. “I summon SlenderProxy Grinning Reaper in attack mode!”

My scythe-weilding monster appeared.

“Next, I activate the spell card Gift From Hell,” I said. “Now, I can summon a monster from my extra deck to my opponent's side of the field, and I'll choose Convocation Nest- The Crow!”

The Crow appeared on his field.

“Due to Gift From Hell's effect, I can draw 2 cards,” I said. “Now, I'll have Grinning Reaper attack the Crow. And since she's battling a Nest card, her attack power doubles.”

He took 1000 damage from that attack, bringing him down to 7000.

“I set a card face down and end my turn,” I said.

“I draw,” he said. “Now, I normal summon Wind-Up Warrior!”

A mechanical warrior appeared on his side of the field. It was level 4, with 1200 attack.

“I activate the continuous trap card Copy Knight!” he said. “Since I normal summoned a warrior-type monster, this card can be treated as a monster with the same name and level. Then, I use Wind-Ep Warrior's effect to boost my Rebbit's attack power by 600 and increase its level by 1!”

He had 3 level 4 monsters out. Not good.

“I build the overlay network with these 3 level 4 monsters!” he said. “I xyz summon Chaos Droid Blaster!”

His monster was a giant machine with a cannon for one of its arms. It had 2600 attack points and 1500 defense.

“I activate my monsters effect!” he said. “By using an overlay unit, I can cut your monster's attack power in half!”

Grinning Reaper went down to 800 attack.

“Now I use the trap card Reinforced Space!” he said. “Now one of my xyz monsters gains 300 attack for each of its overlay units. Since he still has , his attack increases by 600. Now, attack his Reaper!”

I took 2400 damage from that attack, but my monster wasn't destroyed.

“Hey, what gives?” I asked. “Shouldn't she have been destroyed?”

“No,” the by said. “A monster that had it's attack reduced by Blaster's effect can't be destroyed in battle this turn. Also, I activate the quickplay spell card Xyz Berserk Assault! Since you still have a monster out, my xyz monster can attack again!”

He attacked my Grinning Reaper again, bringing me down to 3200 life points.

“Due to the effect of Xyz Berserk Assault, my monster is switched to defense position,” he said. “I end my turn.”

“I draw,” I said. “I summon Slender Proxy Guardian in attack position. And when I summon a SlenderProxy card, I can bring out SlenderProxy Thug.”

I had out three level 4 monsters of my own now.

“I build an overlay network with these 3 dark monsters!” I said. “I xyz summon Ren, The Thorned Prince!”

The Thorned Prince appeared on my side of the field. He had 2800 attack points.

“I use Ren's effect,” I said. “By detaching an overlay unit, I can switch your monster to attack position and reduce its attack by 1000 until the end phase.”

His monster was forced back into attack position and was reduced to 1600 attack.

“Now, I'll have my monster attack!” I said.

“I use Blaster's effect on himself!” the boy said. “By using an overlay unit, he'll lose half of his attack points, but he won't be destroyed.”

His monster survived, but he took 2000 damage.

“I end my turn,” I said.

“Good,” he said. “I draw, and My monster's attack returns to normal. Now, I'll use his effect to cut the Thorned Prince's attack power in half. Now, attack!”

My life points were reduced to 2000, but my monster survived.

“I set a card face down and end my turn,” he said.

“Since I used Ren's effect last turn, I have to skip my draw phase,” I said. “Now, I summon SlenderProxy Mechanic in attack mode. Next, I'll have Ren attack your monster!”

“I activate the trap card Mirror Force!” he said.

“I don't think so!” I said. “I activate the trap card Trap Jammer! This card can negate the effect of a trap card activated during the battle phase. So my monster's attack continues!”

His monster was destroyed, and he lost 200.

“I attack with my Mechanic as well,” I said. He lost another 1300, bringing him down to 3500.

“I end my turn,” I said.

“Time to teach you a lesson,” he said. “I summon Wind-Up Soldier in attack mode, and when I summon a Wind-Up monster, I can also bring out Wind-Up Shark!”

Two monsters appeared. There was a soldier with 1800 attack points, and a shark with 1500 attack.

“I activate my Soldier's effect,” he said. “One time only, I increase his level by 1 and his attack power by 400. And I can also use my Shark's effect to raise his level by 1. Now both my monsters are level 5, so I'll build an overlay network with them! Come forth, Chaos Droid Dimension Splitter!”

This one was a giant robot with a blade emmitting purple lighting for one of its arms. It had 2500 attack and 2300 defense.

“I use Dimension Splitter's effect,” he said. “By using one of his overlay units, I can banish the monster you control with the highest attack points! Now, eliminate his Thorned Prince!”

The machine cut open a dimensional rift and Ren was consumed by it.

“Now, attack his Mechanic!” he ordered.

“Once per turn, if my Mechanic would be destroyed in battle by a non-Fear card, I can prevent his destruction,” I said. “Also, by discarding SlenderProxy Medic, I can negate the damage.”

“I end my turn,” he said.

“My move,” I said. “I summon SlenderProxy Dalia The Poisoner in attack mode!”

This card was a level 3 monster with 900 attack and 1100 defense.

“I tune level 3 SlenderProxy Mechanic to my level 3 Dalia the Poisoner to synchro summon my level 6 SlenderProxy Dark One!”

A man carrying a large black sword appeared. He had 2200 attack and 2000 defense.

“I activate the effect of Dalia,” I said. “When she's sent to the graveyard, I can select a monster in play and destroy it during the end phase. Then I end my turn, and your monster is destroyed.”

“I draw,” he said. “I summon Wind-Up Knight!”

This one was a warrior with a sword and shield. It was level 4, with 1800 attack and 1200 defense.

“I end my turn,” he said.

“My turn,” I said. “I activate the spell card Card Destruction, so now we both discard our hands and then draw the same number of cards.”

We both did so.

“Now, I use the effect of the SlenderProxy agent in my graveyard,” I said. “I banish him and Grinning Reaper to special summon Slender Man from my graveyard!”

My ultimate monster appeared before us.

“Since I have Slender Man in play, I can normal summon my SlenderProxy Mistress in attack mode!”

This one was a woman dressed in black, with an aura of darkness surrounding her. She was level 6 with 2400 attack and 2200 defense.

“Now, I have SlenderProxy Dark One attack your Wind-Up Knight!” I said.

“I use Wind-Up Knight's effect!” he said. “One time only, I can negate an attack targetting a Wind-Up Monster I control.”

“You can stop his attack, but you can't stop my Mistress!” I said. “Attack!”

This time, the attack hit and he lost 600 life, bringing him down to 2900.

“I activate her effect!” I said. “By cutting her attack points in half until the end phase, she can attack again!”

He lost another 1200, bringing him to 1700.

“Agent's effect prevents Slender Man from attacking this turn, so I'll end my turn here,” I said.

“My move,” he said. “I activate the spell card Hateful Return. If my life points are 2000 or I can pay half of them to bring back a monster card from my graveyard. I special summon Chaos Droid Dimension Splitter!”

“I activate Dark One's effect!” I said. “When my opponent special summons a monster, I can have all of my monsters gain 300 attack until the end phase.”

“It doesn't matter,” he said. “Because I'm about to call forth my strongest card. The ultimate weapon against the Fears.”

“What are you talking about?” I demanded.

“If I have less than 1000 life points, I can use a Chaos Droid monster I control as an overlay unit to call forth Chaos Droid Fear Hunter!”

This machine was larger than all the others, and far more powerful. It had 3000 attack and 2500 defense.

“I activate my Fear hunter's effect,” he said. “By detaching an overlay unit from it, I can destroy any Fear card in play, and I'll choose Slender Man.”

The machine unleashed an arsenal of eldritch weapons that completely obliterated my Slender Man.

“But that's not all,” he said. “Until the end phase, my monster will gain all of Slender Man's attack points. And I'll put them to use by attacking your SlenderProxy Mistress.”

“I activate the effect of SlenderProxy Guard from my graveyard!” I said. “By banishing it and paying half of my life points, I can negate your attack!”

“I set a card face down and end my turn,” he said.

“I draw!” I said.

“I activate the trap card Drop Off,” he said. “Now, you must discard the card you just drew.”

“It doesn't matter!” I said. “I can still win! I build the overlay network with these two level 6 monsters to xyz summon Unleashed O'Zalia!”

Summoning him without using SlenderProxy O'Zalia The Illusionist means he doesn't get his extra effects, but I can still make use of his main power.

“I detach an overlay unit from Unleashed O'Zalia to destroy your monster!” I said.

O'Zalia tore reality apart and crushed the machine.

“When My Fear Hunter is destroyed, neither player can attack this turn,” he said.

“I set a card face down and end my turn,” I said.

“I draw!” he said. “I activate monster reborn, and with it, I bring back the Slender Man from your graveyard!”

Slender Man appeared on his side of the field. He had turned my ace monster against me.

“I'll have Slender Man attack your Unleashed O'Zalia!” he said. The attack hit, and my monster was destroyed. “I end my turn,” he said.

This wasn't looking good. He was at 850, and I was at 900, plus he had my ultimate monster on his side of the field. All I had was my face down Reload card.

“You're not gonna give up yet, are you?” a voice asked. I turned around and saw a tan, dark haired woman in tight clothing watching us. I didn't recognize her at first, but then it clicked.

“You're the Red Joker!” I said.

“Not anymore,” she said. “My name is Cleopatra. Get used to it.”

“What are you doing here!?” the boy demanded.

“None of your friggin beeswax!” she snapped at him. “Look, you can win this if you use this.”

She snapped her fingers, and the pocket where I had my extra deck started glowing. I reached in and noticed that there was a new card.

“No fair!” the boy sqaid. “You can't give him cards!”

“Put a sock in it, punk!” she said, before vanishing.

“I believe it's my turn,” I said, drawing.

It was my Miracle Lotus card. Not useful. “I cativate Reload, so by shuffling this card back into my deck, I can draw again!” I said.

This time, it was Monster Reborn. Perfect.

“I activate Monster Reborn!” I said. “And I'll use it to bring back Convocation Nest- The Crow!”

“What good will that thing do?” he asked.

“You're about to find out,” I said. “If my life points are 2000 or less, I can build the overlay network using The Crow. Now, come forth, my new monster! Deadly Nest- The Black Crow!”

He looked a lot the man who I've always despised, but he was changed. His right arm was more muscular than the rest of his body, and was cover in pitch black feathers, and ended in a clawed hand. Patches of feathers covered his body, and a pair of wings stretched from his back. His single overlay unit took the form of a black bird, cirling his body.

“By detaching his overlay unit, I can negate Slender Man's effect, removing his invincibility,” I said. “Now, attack!”

“You fool!” he said. “You're monster only has 2200 attack points!”

“I know!” I said. “But when The Black Crow can cut the attack points of any monster he battles in half, so Slender Man is reduced to 1250!”

The attack hit and his life points hit 0.

The boy fell over. Then he showed up.

“You cheated, Jack said. “That card was given to you during the duel, so it was against the rules for you to-”

He didn't get a chance to finish, because I ran over there and punched him so hard he went flying. I caught up to him in mid flight and slammed him into the ground.

“You think it's unfair that I cheated at a fucking card game!?” I yelled at him. “What's unfair is manipulating little kids to do your fucking dirty work!”

He vanished and reappeared behind me.

“I'll let your rule-breaking slide this time,” he said. He then tossed me a small slip of paper with jaanese characters on it.

“The fuck is this?” I demanded.

“Something you might be interested in attending,” he said.

“I can't read this shit,” I told him.

“Then you'd best find a translator before Friday night,” he said, before vanishing.

I woke the kid up and brought him back to his house after that.

Fuck Jack! I hate that son of a bitch! If I see him again, I'll make him regret what he did to that kid!