The situation didn’t look good. Tommy stared at the two trap cards preventing him from attacking. He then looked at his hand, there was nothing that could help him get rid of them. The Rabbit glanced up at the Ape and he still didn’t look concerned. Well, let’s trust him.

“I end my turn,” Tommy declared.

The Cat chuckled to himself as he drew his card. “I play another monster facedown. “Next I turn my first monster faceup,” this monster looked like a stone door with arms and legs “800 attack 1800 defense”. “It’s my Golem sentry, it returns any monster to its owner’s hand. I choose your Knight,” The Knight of Red Lotus returned to Tommy’s hand, adding to the disaster of the scene. “Lastly, Golem Sentry can turn itself back facedown. Your move,”

Tommy watched the monster disappear underneath the card, waiting to spring out next turn. He drew his card. At least he can get his monster back into play. “I sacrifice my dragon to summon my Knight of Red Lotus, and use his power to bring back my dragon,” With two monsters in play, he can at least keep himself safe while he figures out a way to turn the tide. “Your move,”

The cat draws and sneers. “I flip over both my monsters,” both cards turn faceup and to Tommy’s horror, they were both Golem Sentries. “Both of your monsters return to your hand,” Tommy’s field was clear of monsters to protect himself with. “My Golems will attack you directly,” both monsters leaped at the Rabbit, striking him. His life points dropped to 600. One more attack will end the game. “Your. Move. Rabbit,”

Tommy gulped; he was in a corner. He can’t attack or defend; it will take a miracle to survive this round. He draws is card, hoping for that miracle. A spell card, well, let's see what it does.

“I play Terraforming, this lets me search my deck for a field spell card,” he took out his deck and skimmed its contents. Come on, what do you have, Ape? He finds it, and to his surprise it had just the effect he needed. “I play Flawless Perfection of the Tenyi,” a mystical Japanese shrine appeared around them. “It protects my normal and facedown monsters from the effects of your monsters, also, when you special summon an effect monster, I draw two cards. And I summon my Alexandrite Dragon. I end my turn,”

Tommy felt some power coming back, but the Cat just looked annoyed as he drew his card. “I end,” Tommy thought that was anticlimactic. “I’ll get you soon enough,”

The Rabbit drew. “I place a monster facedown,” it was two for two, but his own defenses did not compare to the Cat’s.

The Cat drew his card and grinned. “I play the Spell card Dark Hole. It instantly destroys all our monsters, but I don’t need these to win,”

Tommy looked up to see the black hole appear over the field as it began to suck up all the monsters into its void. His Dragon scratched helplessly at the ground as it was being dragged in, it was actually hard to watch. Even the audience looked nervous. “I play my trap card, Magic Jammer. By discarding from my hand, your Black Hole is no more,”

Annoyed as ever, the Cat grumbled. “I play the spell card Monster Reborn, bringing back my Ancient Gear Knight,” the robotic knight came back to the field.

“Then I draw two cards,” Tommy declared. The Cat said nothing while the Rabbit added to his hand. He gazed at his new cards, imagining the implications of these unique monsters. Wow, this might be just what he needs to make a comeback. Tommy’s turn, he draws, more good luck, he is starting to feel optimistic again, he just needs to pull it off. He looks at the Ape, showing him the cards he just gained.

The Ape nods. “To activate those cards, place them in the slots furthest to the left and right in the spell/trap zones,”

“Okay, I play Pendulum monsters Sky Dragoons of Draconia and Dragoons of Draconia, they are now spell cards instead of monsters,” the two knights appeared at his side like loyal bodyguards, one rode a wyvern and the other was astride a dinosaur. “Every time my normal monster destroys yours, one lets me search my deck for any normal monster and the other lets me destroy any card you have, ending my turn,” come on, work, he thought.

The Cat feigns a yawn. “That’s your big comeback? Those only work if you attack my monsters, my traps will prevent you from doing so, those do you no good, runt,”

By now the audience was at the edge of their seats, not a word was spoken between them. Who will win this showdown?

The Cat draws and sneers. “I play the spell card, Axe of Despair, the equipped monster gets 1000 attack, and I give it to my Ancient Gear Knight,” the axe materialized in its hand, replacing its lance and shield, "2800 attack 500 defense". “Do the math, that is my victory, Rabbit,”
The Knight obediently lunged at Tommy, who showed no fear. He plays a card from his hand and an elegant, green phenix rose from the ground, taking the Cat by surprise. “I banish Tenyi Spirit-Nahata from my hand to cripple your monster,” the great bird flew at the incoming monster, possessing it, reducing its attack “1300 attack”. His opponent was powerless as Tommy’s Dragon reverses the attack, destroying the Knight. The Cat’s life points drop to 200.

“You’re just a punk if you think that will save you,” the Cat spat.

Tommy grinned. “Don’t forget my pendulum monsters, they activate when my normal monsters destroy yours. My Sky Dragoon can now destroy any card you have, and I select your Astral Projection,” the Knight hovering atop his wyvern raises his rifle and fires, removing the trap from the field. “My second Dragoon also lets me search my deck for any normal monster,”

Tommy went through his deck, skimming the cards for the highest attack rating possible. He didn’t know what was in here, but his gut told him there will be an ace in the hole. And there it is, the king of this deck. This is it, the final showdown, he is going to put all of his faith in this monster. The Ape just watched, he looked proud of Tommy, and of the deck he made.

“My move,” Tommy draws. “I sacrifice both my monsters to summon…” he trails off as his two monsters disappear and enter the grave. A card turns upright to release a massive, white dragon that takes flight. It was so big, it had to hover behind Tommy as to not obstruct his view of the field. “The Blue-Eyes white Dragon!” “3000 attack 2500" defense”

As the Cat stared at the great monster, his face finally began to crack, indicating his fear. Which was the most satisfying thing Tommy had seen all day. “You’re not going to beat me punk. You’re not going to,”

To Be Continued