4 Fear

"Damn it," Daniel said. "And I just got rid of that thing!"
"I activate the effect of Wild Retribution!" Briant announced. "By paying 800 life points, I can increase my monster's attack power by 1500 until the end phase!"Briant's life points were reduced to 2250, and the Rake's power increased to 4000.
"Now, finish off his Giant Soldier Of Stone!" Briant demanded.
The Rake crawled forward and attacked Daniel's monster.
"I activate the trap card Negate Attack!" Daniel said. "Now, I can negate your attack and end the battle phase!"
"Damn it!" Briant said. "I should have seen that one coming. I end my turn."

"I draw!" Daniel said. "Then I summon Shining Abyss!"
A strange looking fairy appeared on Daniel's field. It was level 4 with 1600 attack points.
"Then, I use Buten's effect!" Daniel continued. "By banishing it from my graveyard, Shining Abyss becomes a tuner monster! Now, I tune level 4 Shining Abyss to level 3 Giant Soldier Of Stone!"
Both of Daniel's monsters dissappeared and were replaced by a large mechanical dragon with tools attached to its arms.
"I summon Power Tool Dragon!" Daniel said.
His new monster was level 7, with  2300 attack and 2500 defense.
"Now, I use Power Tool's effect" Daniel said. "I choose 3 equip spells from my deck, and you pick one at random."
Daniel selected three cards from his deck and held them up.
"I pick the one on the left," Briant said.
"Okay," Daniel said. "Now, I add it to my hand, and the other two return to my deck. Then I activate Malevolent Nuzzler!"
The equip card Daniel played increased Power Tool Dragon's attack points to 3000.
"Then I use my face down card, Scroll Of Bewitchment!" Daniel said. "This card will now equip to Power Tool Dragon and change its attribute to dark."
"Not too useful in this situation," Briant said. "Although, since Power Tool Dragon can survive battle by sacrificing equip spells, it may help you a bit after all."
"That's the plan!" Daniel said. "Now, attack!"
Power Tool Dragon drew back one its arms and rammed one of its tools into the Rake, reducing Briant's life points to 1750. The Rake managed to survive, thank's to its nature as a Fear.
"And with that, I end my turn," Daniel said.

Meanwhile, Hiroshi continued to follow Malkator as he walked through the Board.
"Why are you following me?" Malkator said.
"I was hoping we could team up?" Hiroshi replied.
"Why?" Malkator replied. "There can only be one winner, so any alliances will eventually fall apart. Besides, I'm no good at this game."
"You managed to ass the prelim, didn't you?" Hiroshi asked.
"I only managed to do that by copying that xyz thing that I saw the girl do earlier," Malkator said. "I know next to nothing about this game."
"All the more reason for you to team up with someone," Hiroshi said. "You might be able to learn a thing or two."
"And what happens when we have to face each other later?" Malkator asked.
"We can cross that bridge when we come to it," Hiroshi said.
Malkator set out a sighe. "Fine, have it your way."

Back where Daniel was dueling, a man appeared at the top of the bishop building and looked down at the duel. He was dressed in a long coat and a fedora, which was pulled down so that it cast a shadow over his features.
"I use the Board's effect!" Briant said, as his life points dropped to 1450. "I guess monster!"
He drew, revealing a monster card.
"I use the effect again!" he said, dropping down to 1150. "I guess spell card this time!"
He drew a spell card.
"Again!" he said, going down to 850. "I guess monster!"
The card he drew was another spell.
"Oh well, can't guess them all right," he saighed. "I summon Bad Rabbit!"
A level 4 black rabbit appeared on his field, with 1400 attack points.
"Now, by tributing him, I can allow an earth monster I control to attack an additional time this turn!" he said.
"Crap," Daniel said.
"But that's not all!" Briant said. "I use another effect of Wild Retribution! By sending the top 5 cards on my deck to the graveyard, the Rake gains yt another attack!"
"But that means he can attack three times this turn!" Daniel said.
"That's right," Briant said. "Next, I play the spell card Wild Doom! Since I control a beast-type monster, all cards sent to the grave this turn will be removed from play instead!"
"Shit!" Daniel said. "But that means-"
"That you can't use Malevolent Nuzzler's effect," he said. "Normally, you'd be able to pay 500 life points to return it to the top of your deck when it's destroyed, then you could use it with the Board's effect to help you draw. But if it's removed from the game instead of going to the graveyard, that won't work."
"Damn it all to hell!" Daniel said.
"Next I play the spell card Feast Of Souls, and equip it to the Rake!"
"What does that do?" Daniel asked.
"Once per turn, I can banish a monster from your graveyard and add attack power to the Rake equal to its level times 100 until the end phase," Briant said. "I think I'll chose that pesky Dark End Dragon!"
Dark End Dragon was banished from Daniel's graveyard. The Rake devoured its soul, increasing its power.
"Dark End Dragon was evel 8, so the Rake gains 800 attack," Briant said. "Now, attack Power Tool Dragon!"
"I sacrifice Scroll Of Bewitchment to protect my monster!" Daniel said.
Scroll Of Bewitchment was banished, and Power Tool Dragon survived. Daniel's life points were reduced to 1850.
"I'll have Rake attack again!" Briant declared.
"I sacrifice Malevolent Nuzzler!" Daniel said.
Daniel's life dropped to 1550, and Malevolent Nuzzler was banished. Power Tool Dragon's attack power was reduced to 2300.
"One more time!" Briant said.
The Rake attacked a third time, this time destroying Power Tool Dragon and reducing Daniel to 550 life points. Daniel fell over onto his back. His body ached from the damage he had taken.
"And with that, I'll end my turn," Briant said. "What's the matter? To close to death to do anything?"
Daniel raised himself up onto his elbows.
"You're about to lose your first life," Briant taunted. "Then you'll be that much closer to dying in this tournament."
Daniel heave himself up so that he was sitting.
"You scared?" Briant mocked.
The image of the Archangel popped up again in Daniel's head. The image of the afterlife itself. Daniel angrily got back to his feet, facing Briant.
"I'm not afraid to die," Daniel said. "What I'm afraid of is what comes next!"

Daniel was suddenly immersed in an aura of blackness, and Briant took a step back, frightened.
"So it's finally awakened, has it?" the man on the roof of the building said. "Good. Let's see how this plans out.
"I activate the Board's effect!" Daniel said, as his life dropped to 250. "I guess monster!"
Daniel drew, and glanced at his card. It was a new one. A card he had never had in his deck before. The card he was now holding was the Archangel.
"Very good," the man watching them said softly. The duelists had still not noticed his presence. "But you still need the means to summon it. I suppose I can lend a hand."
The man snapped his fingers.
"Since I guessed right, I can draw again!" Daniel said.
Daniel drew another card. It was new, just like the Archangel, but it was exactly what he needed.
"I play the spell card Revive Shift!" Daniel said. "This card allows me to revive a monster from either graveyard, as long as there's an attribute mentioned in its effect!"
"What?" Briant asked.
"Since Trojan Horse has the earth attribute in its effect, I'll bring it back to my field!" Daniel said.
The Trojan Horse in Briant's graveyard was special summoned to Daniel's field.
"What the hell?" Briant asked
"That was the revive part!" Daniel said. "Now comes the shift! Do to Revive Shift's effect, I can change any attribute in Trojan Horse's card text to a different attribute! I'll change the earth attribute in its effect to dark!"
"But that means...," Briant said.
"That if I summon a dark attribute monster, Trojan Horse will be used as two tributes instead of one," Daniel finished for him. "Now,  I tribute Trojan Horse to summon Archangel! Lord Of The Fallen!"
A new being appeared on Daniel's field. It resembled a tall man, with dark clothing and a gas mask concealing his face. A pair of deep black angel winds sprouted from his back. He was level 8 with 2500 attack points, the same as the Rake.
"I activate the Archangel's effect!" Daniel said. "When it's summoned to the field, I can equip it with a monster from my graveyard! I choose Light End Dragon!"
An aura of light surrounded the Archangel as Daniel equipped his dragon to it.
"Now, attack!" Daniel ordered.
"But their attack points are the same!"Briant said.
"For now," Daniel said. "But Archangel gains the effects of the monster equipped to him. So by reducing his attack power by 500, I can reduce the Rake's attack power by 1500!"
The Archangel's attack power became 2000, and the Rake was reduced to 1000. The Archangel conjured a black scythe from nothingness, and cleaved the Rake in to. The scythe continued moving, hitting Briant and reducing his life points to 0. Suddenly, on of the wounds on his chest vanished.

"You son of a itch!" Briant said, as his body began fading. "I'll get you for this! This isn't over!"
He disappeared, leaving Daniel alone. He glanced at the Archangel's card.
"Where the hell did you come from?" he asked.