Meanwhile, the commentators for the television broadcast..."Fantastic duels from Alicia, Edward, and Usagi! Good seeing such strong competitors this early in the tournament, wouldn't you agree, Ted?" The main commentator, Carl Bloomberg, asked, looking to his co-worker.
"Wholeheartedly, Carl! Edward was cutting it close, but it's a good thing he pulled it out in the end. And that brilliant play of Exodia from Usagi really boosted our ratings!" The sidekick, Ted Burns, added.
"Didn't Usagi have a CD coming out soon, Ted? Japanese idols sure are popular these days."
"Yes, indeed, Carl. I've got it on pre-order, myself."
"Oh, really? One of your kids a fan?"
"I don't have kids."
"... Okay, then! Let's get back to the tournament! Let's see here... Oh, what's this? Is that Rob Waites on the field!?"
The camera panned over to one of the far-left duel fields, showing the tournament's "host" facing off against an opponent.
"Indeed it its, Carl! Let's take a closer look!"
Back at the tournament...Turn 8
Robert: 7300
Paul: 2500
Robert wasn't the most confident duelist, to be honest. He was only doing this because his brother asked him to, saying that he'd
be along to host the tournament. The young man sighed, eyeing the field. His opponent, Paul, was stuck in a corner. On Paul's side were three face-up traps- Armor Ninjitsu Art of Rust Mist, Ninjitsu Art of Shadow Sealing, and Armor Ninjitsu Art of Freezing. His monsters, White Dragon Ninja and Masked Ninja Ebisu, were mildly annoying. Dragon prevented his spells and traps from being destroyed, and Ebisu kept recycling Robert's traps according to how many Ninjas were on the field. Normally a death sentence for Robert's under-optimized Gustos deck.
But Robert had Sphreez on the field.
Sphreez was practically the ace of any Gustos deck. It reversed battle damage, essentially. Any damage Robert would have taken in an attack, Paul takes instead. Paul was looking kind of nervous, as it was obvious the outcome of the duel. "Okay... I draw," Knowing himself that the draw didn't matter, he didn't make such a big motion out of the act. A quick glance, and into the hand it went. It was Blessings for Gusto. It would have been nice earlier in the duel, when Robert wasn't sure of the outcome. But now, with his field like it was, he didn't need it. "Hm. Where were you earlier?"
"Whatever it is, it can't be any worse than what you got now... Geez..." Paul muttered, being stared down by Sphreez, Eguls, and Caam.
"That is true. It's not really something that I would play, because it'd only prolong the duel. I'm not too concerned with ratings, so there's no point." Robert shrugged.
"So... Is this...?"
"Yeah. Sorry, mate. Better luck next year." Robert held his hand up, and the three monsters prepared themselves for the attack, like coiled springs.
"Aw crap... I thought I had it this year..." Paul sighed and lowered his duel disc. He wasn't one to surrender in duels, but he was tired of getting beat on in them constantly.
"Sphreez, Eguls, Caam. Attack Paul's White Dragon Ninja." Like a shot of a gun, the three took off. Sphreez tackled the Ninja first, being flung back to Robert's side with Paul staggering from the impact. Caam hopped onto Eguls, and the two dive-bombed White Dragon Ninja, the force of the explosion knocking Paul off his feet, and down to 0.
Robert wins
Back at the commentator box..."OOH! A brutal ending from Robert! Ted, what did you think of that one?" Carl asked, looking to his co-worker.
"Well, Carl, they both fumbled a little at first, but once Rob found his rhythm and summoned Sphreez, the duel might as well have ended there. Points to Paul for not giving up, though." Ted nodded approvingly.
"Fantastic assessment. Let's go take a look at another duel..."
On the field...Robert walked forward through the field, exchanging a quick fist-bump with Sphreez before the Solid-Light machine deactivated. Paul sat up with a groan, rubbing his head. "Oww..." He looked up, seeing Robert standing over him with a hand outstretched. Paul took the hand, and Robert helped the other boy up.
"Good game, Paul. If you hit your head, the infirmary's close-by. Just follow the facility map on the wall as you exit this area. We've got some complimentary food and drink in the main lobby for contestants when their duels are over, as well."
"Thanks... See ya next year, Rob." Paul gave Robert a small pat on the shoulder as he passed him, heading for the infirmary to get some pain-relievers.
"See you next year, Paul."