The Crash

Delilah, who had once been a mermaid, moved quietly through the woods, keeping close to the treetops to avoid the Card Collectors and the Mustissac mind-controlled Card Hunters. She stepped carefully from branch to branch, her movements almost silent among the rustling leaves.

As she reached the highest branches overlooking a clearing, something caught her attention. In the distance, a magnificent luxury cruise ship slowly glided across the water, heading toward the towering Water World Castle. Its polished hull gleamed in the sunlight.

Delilah frowned. A cruise ship arriving here was unusual—and potentially disastrous.

She slipped a hand into her pocket and withdrew two glowing green magical stones. Holding one in each hand, she gently tapped them together.

A soft emerald flash shimmered between the stones. In an instant, the rocks vanished, replaced by a beautifully crafted pair of brass binoculars etched with glowing green runes.

Delilah raised the enchanted binoculars to her eyes and focused on the approaching ship, determined to discover why it had come to the Water World Castle before the Card Collectors or the Mustissac-controlled hunters made their move.

Delilah watched as seven flying hoverboards launched from the luxury cruise ship, each carrying a duelist toward the Water World Castle. One rider immediately caught her attention.

Hailey.

Unlike the others, Hailey struggled to keep her hoverboard under control. It rocked from side to side, dipping and climbing wildly as she fought to steady herself. It was obvious this was the first time she had ever flown one.

A strange feeling settled over Delilah.

I need to follow her.

Keeping to the treetops, Delilah moved swiftly from branch to branch, stopping every so often to check on Hailey through the gaps in the leaves. Unfortunately, Hailey never seemed to get the hang of the hoverboard.

Then it happened.

The board tilted sharply.

"No!" Delilah whispered.

Hailey lost control and slammed into the ground. The hoverboard skidded across the forest floor while Hailey rolled into the grass. She sat up, clutching her left arm as tears streamed down her cheeks from the pain.

"Oh, shoot!" Delilah gasped.

Two Card Collectors emerged from the trees, grinning as they approached the injured duelist.

"Ivan," one of them chuckled, "look at this. An injured duelist. This should be an easy grab of her Duel Magic cards."

Bane let out an evil laugh as the two closed in.

Delilah didn't hesitate. She leaped from her branch, landing between Hailey and the Card Collectors.

"Hold it right there!" she shouted.

Ivan smirked.

"Bane, look at this. Another duelist. That means we're taking two decks instead of one."

Delilah calmly reached into her pocket and pulled out two glowing green magical stones. She tapped them together.

A pulse of emerald light washed over Hailey.

The pain in Hailey's injured arm vanished instantly. She blinked in surprise, flexing her arm until she realized it was completely healed.

Delilah tapped the stones together once more.

The green light swirled around her hand before forming a deck of Duel Magic cards.

She caught the deck confidently and stared at the two Card Collectors.

"I suppose you two clowns want to settle this with a Shadow Game."

Hailey stood, rolling her shoulder as if it had never been injured. She walked beside Delilah and smiled.

"Two against one wouldn't be fair."

The bracelet around Hailey's wrist began to glow with brilliant light. A deck of Duel Magic cards materialized in her hand, and she gripped it with growing confidence.

The smiles on Ivan and Bane slowly faded.

This wasn't going to be the easy victory they had expected.

The forest fell silent as dark mist rolled across the ground.

A crimson moon appeared overhead, even though it was still daytime.

"The Shadow Game has begun," Delilah declared.

Black flames erupted in a circle around the four duelists, sealing them inside an invisible arena.

Ivan smirked. "When we win, your Duel Magic cards become ours."

"And your souls will never leave this forest," Bane added with a cruel grin.

Hailey tightened her grip on her deck but glanced at Delilah.

"We've got this."

Delilah smiled. "Just trust your cards.”

Ivan took the first turn.

"I summon Iron Blade Commander in Attack Position!" A heavily armored warrior appeared with a massive sword. "Next, I set two cards and end my turn."

Bane smiled.

"I summon Shadow Fang Beast and activate Dark Hunter's Call, increasing the attack power of all Dark monsters!”

.The beast let out a terrifying roar as dark energy surrounded the battlefield.

"My monsters attack!"

Iron Blade Commander slashed toward Delilah while Shadow Fang Beast charged at Hailey.

"Not so fast!" Delilah shouted. "I activate the Trap Card Forest Barrier!"

Ancient trees erupted from the ground, shielding both duelists from the attacks.

Ivan frowned.

"Our attacks were stopped?"

"My turn!" Delilah declared.

She drew her card and smiled.

"I activate the Spell Card Forest of Ancient Spirits!”

Green light spread across the battlefield as vines and towering trees surrounded the Shadow Arena.

"I summon Emerald Forest Guardian!"

A towering warrior clad in wooden armor stepped onto the field, carrying a glowing emerald spear.

"When Emerald Forest Guardian is summoned, I can destroy one Spell or Trap Card."

A beam of green light shattered one of Ivan's face-down cards.

"I'll set one card and end my turn."

Hailey nodded.

"My turn!"

She drew her card.

"I summon Sky Guardian Pegasus!”

A magnificent white Pegasus descended from the sky, its wings glowing with silver light.

"I activate Healing Breeze! Delilah and I each recover 1000 Life Points."

Delilah & Hailey: 9000 LP

Ivan & Bane: 8000 LP

"Sky Guardian Pegasus, attack Shadow Fang Beast!"

The Pegasus soared through the air, striking Bane's monster with a brilliant burst of light.

Shadow Fang Beast shattered into glowing fragments.

Bane growled.

"I activate Shadow Reinforcements! I summon two more warriors!"

Dark soldiers appeared beside Iron Blade Commander.

"You'll never get through us!"

Delilah smiled confidently.

"Hailey, now!"

Hailey nodded.

"I activate my Trap Card—Twin Hearts Unite!"

Blue and green light linked their monsters together.

Delilah revealed the final card in her hand.

"I tribute Emerald Forest Guardian and Sky Guardian Pegasus to summon our strongest monster!”

I summon Celestial Guardian of the Emerald Sky!"

An enormous knight with radiant wings descended onto the battlefield, holding a glowing emerald blade.

ATK: 4000

Ivan's eyes widened.

"That's impossible!"

"Nothing is impossible when duelists trust each other," Delilah replied.

"Celestial Guardian of the Emerald Sky," Hailey called, "attack Iron Blade Commander!"

The guardian swept its blade across the battlefield, destroying Ivan's strongest monster in one strike.

"Now attack directly!"

The guardian unleashed a wave of emerald and silver energy that engulfed Ivan and Bane.

Ivan & Bane: 8000 LP → 0 LP

"No!" Ivan screamed.

"We've been defeated!" Bane cried

The crimson moon disappeared, and the black flames faded away. Sunlight returned to the forest as the Shadow Game came to an end.

Ivan reluctantly handed his rarest Duel Magic card to Hailey, while Bane surrendered his to Delilah. The two collectors walked away with their heads hanging low, disappointed. It had taken them years to find and win those rare cards, only to lose them in a single duel.

"Hey!" Delilah called after them.

Ivan and Bane stopped and turned around.

"Maybe one day we'll meet again," Delilah said with a smile. "You can try to win your rare cards back—or maybe we can just duel for fun."

Although attending Duel University had always been her dream, Delilah understood that there was a deeper reason behind the Shadow Game, and that knowledge stayed with her as she watched the two collectors leave.

Meanwhile, at an undisclosed hideout, Mustissac watched the duel between Hailey, Delilah, and the collectors on a large viewscreen. His expression darkened as he reached for the telephone beside him.

"I don't care if you have to send planes or ships," Mustissac growled. "Get me that girl!"

He slammed his fist onto the table, causing everything on it to rattle.