The Cyberse Tournament's Semi-Final rounds were drawing to a close, with both sides giving it everything they had.

Currently, Flash and Spike were both on the defensive. Flash found himself facing off against Yona's best monster, Obliteration Smasher, the super powered Xyz Monster having devastated Flash's side of the field. Meanwhile, Spike was up against Smolder's most powerful Fusion Monster. Storm Dragon Brawler.

The Triple Fusion Monster roared, unleashing a powerful gust that flew across the pirate ship. When it hit Spike, he felt water splash against his face before he was suddenly shocked by a weak level of electricity.

Aria: "Spike might be in trouble here, folks. Smolder's going all out here. If Spike can't find a way to defend himself, this Duel might be over right here, right now."

"I activate the effect of Storm Dragon Brawler!" In a flash of light, a portal opened up before five monsters flew out of it. Rock Dragon Brawler, Flame Dragon Brawler, Dark Dragon Brawler, Magma Dragon Brawler and Ice Dragon Brawler, floated up. "By banishing any number of Dragon-type monsters in my graveyard, I can take a look at the same number of cards off the top of your deck. Then, any monsters amongst them are destroyed."

Spike frowned, as the top five cards of his deck were lifted off of his deck. Four of them were monsters, that being Assault Wyvern, Peewee Dragon, Flame Banner Dracokid and Flame Core Dragon. Spike could only gasp, as the four cards exploded.

"Oh that's not good," Sunset gulped. "Really not good."

"Why?" Sweetie Belle asked. "I know losing cards isn't great, but Spike can afford to lose a few monsters. If he's able to get his Pendulum Scale back up, it'll be even more power for Blazelord."

"Except that's just it," Sunset told her. "Flame Banner Dracokid and Flame Core Dragon are two of his highest Pendulum Scales. Without them or Repulser Dracokid, he might not be able to Pendulum Summon anything strong enough to beat Storm Dragon Brawler next turn."

"If he even has a next turn," Gallus stated. "You're all forgetting about Storm's other ability." Everyone looked back at the screen, as Smolder called out.

"Storm Dragon Brawler! Attack Blazelord!" The warrior spread his wings and took to the air, as the ghostly imaged of all Smolder's banished monsters appeared.

Aria: "With eight Dragon Brawlers removed from play, Smolder's Dragon Brawler will gain twenty four hundred ATK points. That's enough to not only destroy Spike's monster, but wipe out the rest of his Life Points."

Storm Dragon Brawler roared, as the ghostly images placed a hand on his armor and allowed him to power up to an almost unstoppable Level. (A5400/D2500/L8) "GO!" Smolder yelled, as her Fusion Monster summoned a sphere of water around his fist. Lightning then surged into the sphere before it was wrapped in wind, the street fighter diving down and ready to take Blazelord out. But Spike wasn't about to be defeated so easily.

"I activate my face down!" His card flipped up to reveal a Trap. "Shift!"

"What?" Smolder asked. "But you don't have another monster to switch the attack to." Then, she remembered what happened a few turns back. "No way."

"Yes way!" Spike cried, as another of his face downs flipped up. "Go, Trap Summon!" In a burst of fire, Mega-Hide Dragon appeared in DEF mode. (A100/D2500/L4) As Shieldranoid raised its shield wings, Shift's effect kicked in and it swapped positions with Blazelord.

Smolder watched, as her monster slammed its fist into Shieldranoid. As it did, Shieldranoid's effect kicked in. Light was being sucked out of Storm Dragon Brawler, which then flowed into Shieldranoid and transferred to Spike.

Aria: "Wow! That's a close call. Now Spike gets an eight hundred Life Points boost."

Spike: 3050
Smolder: 2300

As soon as Spike's Life Points increased, his Trap monster was destroyed and an explosion rocked the deck. Spike flinched at the impact, but had managed to survive. Smolder frowned at this, but couldn't do anything else. "I place a card face down and end my turn." Storm Brawler's ATK returned to normal. (A3000/D2500/L8)

Spike sighed, feeling his legs almost give out. That had been a close call. Luckily, Spike had had just the right cards to save his butt. "That was too close."

"One turn," Smolder announced. "That's all you got yourself. One turn. Next turn, you're going down." Spike knew she was right. But in the end, one turn might be all that he needed. If he could just draw the right card.

"It's my turn!" Spike reached for his deck, praying he got something good. "I draw!" He looked at the card he had drawn. Smolder tried to see what look he had, but Spike was remaining stoic. His poker face was unbeatable right now. "I place a card face down. Then switch Blazelord to DEF Mode." The Dragon held its sword up, defensively. "I end my turn."

Aria: "Too bad. Spike must have been hoping for something that could power up his monster. But it seems he didn't have what he needed. Playing defensively might be all he can do right now."

"Come on," Smolder told her deck. "Give me a monster I can use." She drew her card and whilst it wasn't a monster, she smiled at it. "I activate, Stop Defence!" Spike's eyes widened, as the Spell took effect and caused Blazelord to stand up.

"Not good," Spike realised. "Really not good."

Smolder smirked, as the spirits of the other Dragon Brawlers appeared around her monster. "Storm Dragon Brawler! Attack Blazelord!" Once again, Storm Brawler absorbed the spirits of his banished allies and increased his ATK power. (A5400/D2500/L8) The warrior then flew up and summoned the sphere of water, wind and lightning around his fist before diving down.

Spike braced himself, as the attack landed and an explosion filled the air. "AUGH!" Spike cried, as his Synchro Monster was destroyed.

He was sent flying back and crashed into a mast, his life points dropping fast then a stone.

Spike: 650
Smolder: 2300

As soon as the attack ended, Spike moaned and activated his face down. "Trap Summon!" His face down flipped up, revealing a Trap. "Ancient Dragon Egg. Now I can summon this card to my side of the field." The purple egg appeared. (A0/D0/L1)

Aria: "Spike has lost his best monster, but managed to summon one to replace it. And with that card's ability, he might still have a chance."

Smolder said nothing and ended her turn, Storm Dragon Brawler's ATK points returning to normal. "My turn." Spike reached for his deck and drew his card, smiling when he saw what it was. "And since it's my Standby Phase, my Ancient Dragon Egg gains a Hatching Counter along with three hundred ATK and DEF Points." One of the spots on the egg began to glow, as its power rose. (A300/D300/L1)

"So what?" Smolder asked. "Three hundred ATK and DEF Points aren't gonna be enough to destroy my monster."

"You're right," Spike nodded. "But this will." He threw the card into the air, as Iron Tail Dragon flew up with it. "I discard Ember Dragon in order to destroy your Storm Dragon Brawler." Smolder gasped, as Iron Tail Dragon unleashed a blast of fire.

It shot down and struck Spike's card, then continued until it struck Storm Dragon Brawler. "NO!" Smolder cried, seeing her monster be destroyed. She was now defenceless, though she did have her Face Down.

Aria: "Spike faces a tough choice now. Does he Master Summon his Deck Master and attack with it and his egg? Or will he play it safe and not risk losing the card that holds his fate in its claws?"

Two fireballs appeared on Spike's Field, being the Tokens created due to Ember Dragon's destruction effect. (A0/D0/L1)X2 Spike stared at the card, obviously trying to decide if it was dangerous or not. In the end, he called an end to his turn.

Smolder panted, as she glared at Spike. "I can't believe you destroyed my best card so easily."

"Just luck, I guess. If I hadn't gotten that Monster, I wouldn't have been able to use my Deck Master's Ability. The same way you got lucky drawing that Dragon Soul Fusion card. Luck's a big part of this game. But you gotta know how to use your luck. Luck could give you the perfect card to win a game, but if you don't realise what you need to do it could be wasted."

"I guess," Smolder frowned. "And you might have destroyed my best monster, but I'm not out of this yet." She reached for her deck. "Just watch. I'm gonna win this, here and now." She drew her card and smiled. "Like right now. I summon Warp-Gate Dragon!" A bright flash of light appeared and from it, a green serpentine dragon appeared and let out a hiss. (A500/D300/L2)

Aria: "That's a new one. I don't think Smolder's ever used that card before. What could it possibly do?"

"I activate Warp-Gate Dragon's Special Ability. By tributing him, I can summon a banished monster that has Dragon in its card name." The serpentine dragon flew up and spun around, biting the end of its tail.

Spike watched as it began to spin, moving faster and faster. Light came off it and swirled into the ring it was creating, the dragon eventually vanishing and creating a green swirling portal. And from it, a warrior leapt out that was covered in ice armor. (A2300/D1200/L6)

"Ice Dragon Brawler. Welcome back to the party." As soon as the dragon warrior appeared, he unleashed a barrage of icicles that flew down and struck Spike's three empty Spell and Trap Zones. "Nice. No using those zones anymore. Which means you'll have only one zone left when I do this!" Ice Dragon Brawler flew up and surrounded his fist in an icy mist. "Go, Ice Dragon Brawler. Attack and destroy his Ancient Dragon Egg!"

Spike watched, as the monster dived down towards his egg. But before it did, he activated the Quick-Play Spell he had been holding off on using for a while. "Go, Turn Jump!" Smolder was shocked, as she watched time completely freeze. "This Spell warps us all three turns into the future. And you know what that means."

"Three Standby Phases pass," Smolder frowned. "Meaning your egg gains three more counters." And sure enough, that's exactly what happened. Three more of the spots began to glow, causing the egg's ATK and DEF points to rise. (A1200/D1200/L1) "That's still not enough to save your monster!" Ice Dragon Brawler continued to dive and punched the egg, causing cracks to cover it.

"Maybe not!" Spike cried. "But since he had four Hatching Counters on him, I get to summon a Level Four or below Dragon Monster from my deck." The egg shattered, unleashing a blast of fire that Smolder had to shield her face from. "Meet my Level Four, Flame Sceptre Dragon!" The fire faded to reveal a red humanoid female dragon, holding a sceptre that had fire coming off the top of it. (A1500/D1200/L4/P5)

Smolder frowned, seeing the new Pendulum Monster appear. "So what? Doesn't look that impressive."

"Sorry, Smolder. I hate to tell you this. But you might have just lost this Duel." Smolder frowned, wondering what the heck he was talking about.

Everyone else was also wondering what Spike meant by that.

"How can that monster win Spike the Duel?" Sandbar asked. "It's not strong enough to beat Ice Dragon Brawler. And even if it was, Smolder's face down should protect her." The others nodded, but could see how sure Spike was.

"What's he up to?" Applebloom wondered, whilst the others noticed how Flash and Yona's Duel was going.

Yona and Flash stared one another down, Obliteration Smasher looming over him like a loaded cannon.

Flash looked down at his deck and knew he needed to draw something good. He had an idea that might help him. But he needed the right combo of cards to make it work. "Alright. Here goes. I activate the skill of Tempusidium!"

"But she banished."

"And that's when she can use this effect. Instead of drawing, I can use her Skill to add any Spell or Trap from my graveyard back to my hand!" The portal opened up and from it, a Spell Card appeared. One that Flash quickly caught and activated. "Go, Starburst Reload!" The portal remained open and from it, Flash Heart Dracokid flew out before disintegrating. "With that, I can now draw three new cards."

Sonata: "Will three cards be enough to help him win this Duel? Or is Obliteration Smasher just too powerful?"

Flash drew the first card, then the second. He looked them over and whilst they might help, they still lacked what Flash needed to win this. And so, he reached for the third card and after taking a deep breath, he drew the card. And when he saw what it was, he smiled.

"Uh oh," Yona gulped. "Yona get feeling she not like what come next."

"Maybe." Flash took another card and played it. "I think it's time to test my luck. Go, Star Dice!" The Spell appeared and Flash glowed. "Here's the deal. I give up Life Points and for every thousand points I sacrifice, I get a dice." He flinched, as his Life Points dropped.

Yona: 750
Flash: 500

A large blue die appeared, with stars in place of the dots. "Now I roll the dice and add the numbers together. That number is the limit for the Level of the Monsters I can summon from my hand or deck. So long as their combined Levels are equal to or less than the number I roll, I can summon them."

Sonata: "Since he only gave up a thousand Life Points, he only gets to roll one die. That means the highest monster he can summon is six. Or a combo of monsters adding up to six. But that's only if he rolls that number. He could roll a one and get something completely useless."

"Here goes," Flash whispered. "I hope this works!" With that, he threw the die and it flew into the air, everyone watching as it began to descend and hit the ground. It bounced around, landing on multiple different numbers. Six, one, four, five, one, two, six. Everyone was on the edge of their seats, as they watched the die slow down and eventually, it remained on one number.

Sonata: "Four. Flash landed on four and can now summon any monsters who's combined levels equal it or less."

Flash smiled. "Nice. I only needed a three, but I'll work with that."

"Only needed three?" Yona asked, as three of the stars on the dice glowed. They then shot off and flew around before landing in front of Flash, exploding as he summoned his monsters.

"Come forth. Kuriboost!" The lights vanished and revealed the three Kuriboh monsters, with metal claws, a streak of blue hair and the wings of Flash Heart Dragon. (A300/D200/L1)X3

The three identical monsters stared at Obliteration Smasher, not looking scared of it in the slightest. "That what Flash chose?" Yona asked. "Monsters tiny!"

"Maybe," Flash smirked. "But they have a lot of power inside of them." He held up a card. "Now, I tribute two of my Kuriboosts to summon Star Fang, Magna Tiger!" Two of them were consumed by a pillar of light, which the red mechanical tiger man appeared out of. (A2400/2100/L7)

"There's no way that monster's gonna beat Obliteration Smasher," Sandbar stated. "What's he thinking?"

"He wouldn't go through all that if he wasn't sure," Sunset stated. "Sure he had a way to beat that thing. Whatever his plan is." Then they watched Flash take another card from his hand. The one he had drawn last out of the three cards he had gotten. "What's he planning?"

"It's gotta be something big," Scootaloo stated. And sure enough, she was right.

"I now sacrifice Star Fang and one Level one Light monster, in order to awaken Magna Tiger's ultimate power!" With that, Star Fang and Kuriboost glowed before they shot into the air, with Kuriboost morphing into a cocoon of light that completely enveloped Magna Tiger.

Sonata: "Wow! This is new. What kind of monster could Flash be creating?"

Flash clutched his fist, as the cocoon grew larger and larger. "My wish for a brighter future, is now within the palm of my hand. Rip down all that is wrong with the world and rebuild it anew. TRANSCEND!" The cocoon exploded, unleashing a blinding light that filled the battlefield and blinded anyone watching. That included those watching on TV.

Slowly, the light began to fade and revealed Flash's monster. It was Magna Tiger, but it was now piloting a large tiger themed mech-suit. He was in the chest area, with his arms and everything below the waist inside the mech. The mech was red and had stars on the shoulders and knees, with large claws on the end of the hands. Above Magna Tiger, where the mech's head should be, a pair of large laser cannons.

The new monster's back opened up, causing jets to fire out of it and its feet to keep it in the air. The monster then swung its mechanical claws around, as parts of its arms opened up and missiles flew out of them. "Star Tiger, MAGNA REVOLUTION!" (A3000/D2500/L8)

Yona stared at the giant robotic monster, shocked by the sight of it. But no matter how strong it was, it didn't compare to her Obliteration Smasher. "Yona's monster fifteen hundred points stronger than that."

"Maybe," Flash stated. "But wait until I activate the effect of the Kuriboosts in my graveyard." A portal opened up and from it, the three Kuriboh monsters flew out of it. "By banishing them, they can power a Light Monster up."

"By how much," Yona gulped.

"One hundred points. For each of my monster's Levels." Yona's eyes widened, as the Kuriboosts all placed their hands on Magna Revolution. They each burst into light and were absorbed by the evolved monster, making the mechanical beast roar as its power rose. (A5400/D2500/L8)

Sonata: "INCREDIBLE! Flash managed to power his monster up to more than enough to defeat Obliteration Smasher. But could Yona have a way to defend?"

"Star Tiger!" Flash yelled, attack Obliteration Smasher!" The giant mech pointed its claws at the Xyz monster, the sections opening up and readying to fire the missiles. "And when Magna Revolution attacks, his ability kicks in!" The blasters on the mech's top powered up, as a portal opened. "Good news. All the cards that were removed from play and now shuffled back into our decks." Nine cards flew out of the portal, five going into Flash's deck whilst the other four went into Yona's.

"Why do that?" Yona asked, only for the blasters to fire a laser that struck her monster. "Obliteration Smasher!" She watched, as her monster's power was suddenly diminished. (A1800/D2300/R6) "What?"

Flash smirked. "For every card returned to the deck, your monster loses three hundred ATK points for this turn." Yona could hardly believe it. "Sorry to go overboard. But I don't wanna take any chances. But this has been fun! Now, Magna Revolution, ATTACK!"

Yona watched, as the missiles exploded out of the mech's giant arms and claws. They flew down towards her monster and before Yona could even consider that there may be a way to save herself, the missiles smashed into her monster and exploded.

Obliteration Smasher roared, as he was vaporised and unleashed a powerful shockwave. That shockwave then struck Yona, blasting her backwards and making her scream as her Life Points dropped.

Yona: 0
Flash: 500 (Winner)

"RAAAAH!" Yona crashed into the ground and rolled along the ground, almost falling over the edge of the cliff but managing to stop just in time. "Ow."

Sonata: "There you have it, folks. Flash Sentry will be moving on to the finals of the Cyberse Tournament. Yona certainly proved herself to be an amazing Duelist on her way to this point, but she just wasn't able to get past the obstacle that was the Pendulum Master."

As the monsters vanished, Flash began to make his way over to Yona and knelt down beside her as she recovered. She pushed herself up and when she saw Flash smiling at her, she looked like she was about to start crying. "Hey. Don't cry. You were amazing back there."

"Really?" Yona asked, using her sleeve to wipe her eyes.

"Yeah. I was lucky with that last turn. If I hadn't gotten the cards I did, you'd probably be the one going to the finals instead of me." He stood up and held a hand out, "come on. You don't want to leave the tournament on your knees. Stand up, like the true Duelist you are."

Yona sniffed, but nodded and took Flash's hand. The man suddenly found himself having trouble staying up as the far stronger girl pulled herself to her feet. Once she was back up, she let go and Flash looked down at his hand. He was glad he was currently a virtual avatar. If he wasn't, he might have taken some serious damage from her strong grip.

"Thank you," Yona smiled. "Yona glad she Duel such a strong foe and manage to make him sweat."

"Oh, I did more than sweat. If we were in the real world right now, my clothes would have been soaked to the bone." Yona laughed at this. "I'm serious. You're a great Duelist. The fact that you made it this far is a testament to that." He held out a fist. "Let's Duel again, sometime in the future. And make it a Duel to be proud of."

Yona smiled and punched his fist, Flash flinching in pain. Then, her body began to digitise and the pair nodded at one another. Within moments, she completely vanished and Flash was left alone atop the mountain's peak.

Flash let out a sigh, as he thought back to the Duel and how intense it had been. He had certainly faced the best of the best in this tournament. But now he was going to the finals, where he would most likely face the very best of the best of the best.

Sure enough, a bright flash of light caught his attention and he looked around. There, she saw a doorway appear. Once that would likely lead him to the final battlefield. "This better be the last Duel," Flash told Twilight. "If I step through there and find myself Dueling against Sombra or something, I'm not sure I'm gonna have the energy to face whoever's in the finals." With that, he stepped through the light and disappeared in a flash.

"Geez," Gallus frowned. "I can't believe Yona lost."

"She was so close," Silverstream sighed. "Now it's all down to Smolder to try and get to the finals to let the younger crowd get the win."

"Younger crowd?" Scootaloo asked. "Spike's not that old."

"He's older than Smolder," Sandbar replied. "And honestly. Once you're over the age of twenty, you're considered old." Considering everyone except Sandbar, Silverstream, Ocellus and Gallus were over the age of twenty, that hurt.

Suddenly a bright flash of light caught their attention. From it, Yona appeared and looked around. "Wha?"

"Hey," Sunset told her. "Welcome to the loser's box." Yona frowned at this, as Sandbar patted the ground next to him. "Better get comfortable. Spike and Smolder's Duel is still going and after that, it's the big finale." Yona looked excited for this, as she stepped over to Sandbar and sat beside him. Due to her size, she took up a lot of that part of the couch.

"Smolder make it to semi-finals too?"

"Yup," Silverstream nodded. "And if she plays her cards right, she might end up in the finals." The others weren't so sure about this, given Spike had managed to outplay her at certain points. The Duel was drawing to a close and if Spike got the right card, it might end up being the very last turn. Especially after what Spike had just said.

Back with Spike and Smolder, the teen girl stared at Spike in absolute shock. "You really think that thing can beat me. No way."

"I never said it would beat you," Spike told her. "I said you might have just lost this Duel. Unless that face down of yours is able to stop what I'm about to do, this Duel will be over on my next turn. You'd better hope it can."

Smolder frowned, almost looking angry at the statement. "Are you mocking me?"

"Hardly. I've seen how well you Duel and I have nothing but respect. You're a talented Duelist and I've only made it this far because I've been lucky with the cards I got. But now, it's time for this Duel to end."

"Yeah. With your defeat. Just go. I'm gonna beat you next turn."

"If you have a next turn!" Spike reached for his Deck and drew his card. When he did, his new monster leapt into the air. "I activate the Skill of my Flame Sceptre Dragon!" The dragon swung her staff through the air, as the fire flew off and started to surround her. "By banishing her, I can place one Dragon-Type Pendulum Monster in my Grave or Extra Deck, into the Pendulum Zone!"

Smolder's eyes widened, as she realised what that meant. "Don't tell me!"

"Repulser Dracokid, return to the Pendulum Zone!" The fire faded and revealed the bazooka totting dragon child, who quickly flew over into the light pillar that had just appeared. As he did, the portal began to form once again. "Burn through space time and blaze the arc of victory!" The portal completed and began to open. "I PENDULUM SUMMON!"

Two fireballs rocketed out and struck the ship's deck, exploding to reveal Spike's monsters. "Flame Hunter Dragon!" (A2300/1300/L5/P8)

"And Dragon BLAZELORD!" (A3000/D2000/L8/P4) The beast roared, the sound of it rocking the entire ship whilst Smolder looked up in horror. "Blazelord's skill!" Fire flew up from beneath the deck and took the form of ten different dragons. "For every Dragon in the graveyard, he gains two hundred ATK Points." The flames flew into Blazelord's mouth, causing him to roar again as he powered up. (A5000/D2000/L8/P4)

Aria: "Five thousand ATK points! That's more than enough to wipe out Ice Dragon Brawler and the rest of Smolder's Life Points. But with that face down on the field, can Spike attack?"

Spike stared at his opponent, whilst Flame Hunter Dragon began to heat up. "It's now or never, Smolder. Either that Trap saves you now, or it doesn't save you at all!" Flame Hunter Dragon spread its wings and prepared to unleash a wave of fire. If Smolder didn't use her face down now, it would be destroyed.

Smolder stared down at her Trap and realised it couldn't be activated. That meant it was about to be destroyed.

"Flame Hunter Dragon! GO!" The dragon beat its wings and unleashed a blast of fire, which struck Smolder's face down and destroyed it. Before it was, the card was flipped up and revealed Mirror Force.

Aria: "Oh! If Spike had attacked before destroying that, he would have lost for sure. This might be it, folks."

Spike and Smolder stared one another down, with Smolder looking completely defeated. "You did great," Spike told her. This statement shocked her, as Spike smiled at her. "I mean it. You were awesome. This was a really tough Duel."

Smolder's frown slowly rose to a smile. "Thanks. It was." She braced herself and held her arms out. "Go on. DO IT!" Spike nodded, as Dragonic Blazelord raised his sword.

"Dragon Blazelord, ATTACK AND DESTROY ICE DRAGON BRAWLER!" The Synchro Pendulum Monster swung the flaming sword around, unleashing a wave of five that struck Smolder's Fusion Monster.

The street fighter tried to hold on, but it just couldn't fight against the intense heat. He was blasted back, exploding as the shockwave slammed into Smolder. "AUGH!" She screamed, slamming into the mast as her Life Points gave out.

Spike: 650 (Winner)
Smolder: 0

As Smolder fell to the ground, Spike panted as the monsters began to fade away. It took a minute for it to sink in, but he had won. He had beaten Smolder.

Aria: "That's it. We have our second Finalist. Spike will be moving on to face off in order to claim the championship title. Smolder was strong and has overcome much to get here, but her Cyberse adventure ends here."

Spike rushed over to Smolder, the girl letting out a moan as she clutched her head. "You okay?" She looked up at him, Spike holding out a hand to help Smolder back to her feet. But she simply batted his hand away and pushed herself up the mast.

"I'm fine," she told him. "I...I..." She clenched her hand into a fist and punched the mast, causing it to shake and her hand to hurt. "I lost."

"Yeah?" Spike nodded. "But it was a great Duel. One of the best I've had." Smolder turned to him, as he held out a hand. "It was a lot of fun. I'm glad you were my opponent."

"Why. Because you beat me?"

"Not just that. I've watched you Duel in the Double X and saw how awesome you are. Lots of Duelists use Dragon Decks and do so because of how powerful Dragons are supposed to be. But you're different. I saw how you respected the cards in your deck. Not just because they were strong. But because of the heart your Dragon Brawlers had."

Smolder wasn't sure what to say about this, as a bright flash occurred next to them. For some strange reason, Smolder wasn't disappearing. The portal to the next battlefield had appeared to both of them.

"What's going on?" Smolder asked, but Spike wasn't sure. As such, he stepped forward and touched the portal. And as soon as he did, the light exploded and spread around the pair. "Augh!" They both cried, as the dome of light completely surrounded them.

"What just happened?" Ocellus asked. They had been upset about their friend disappearing, expecting her to travel to the loser room with them. But she didn't.

They watched as the dome began to disappear. And when it did, Spike and Smolder were both gone. "Where are they?" Trixie asked, everyone looking around hoping another had the answer. But they didn't.

"I'm not sure," Sunset replied. "I think Twilight has something big planned for the finals." She noticed that Flash's screen had shut down, as soon as he stepped through his portal. So what was going on?

Then, a light suddenly exploded inside the room and blinded them all for a moment. "Now what's happening?" Sweetie asked, as Fizzlepop forced herself to open her eyes and looked forward. And when she did, she saw a portal had opened in front of the TV screens.

She got to her feet and moved towards it, the others finally opening their eyes and seeing the same thing. "What are you doing?" Wallflower asked.

Fizzlepop reached out and touched the light, which suddenly began to dim and allow her to look into it and see what was on the other side. And when she did, her eyes went wide. "You really have to see this." The others slowly got up and headed towards the portal. They all looked inside and when they did, their eyes widened.

"Awesome," Scootaloo smirked. "You think we're supposed to go through?"

"I think so," Sunset nodded. Since she was the first one to enter this place, Sunset decided she should be the first to leave. And so, she stepped through the portal. The others seemed to follow suit, stepping through it in the order they arrived. Until, finally, Yona stepped through it and the elimination box was empty.

The bright light of the dome around them began to die down.

When Spike opened his eyes, he found Smolder was still next to him. And they were in some kind of wasteland, the wooden deck beneath their feet having been replaced by a rocky surface. And powerful wind was sweeping through the area, picking up dust and making it impossible to see what was two feet in front of them.

Smolder almost fell over to the wind, but Spike managed to hold his ground and grabbed Smolder's hand. "Where the heck are we?" She asked, as Spike pulled her close to him.

"I don't know," Spike replied. "Maybe this is the final obstacle between us and the finals?"

"So why am I here?" Spike had no idea. But right at that moment, he had more important things to worry about. Finding wherever he was supposed to Duel was a start. He doubted he would be Dueling somewhere he couldn't see his own hand. He had to find somewhere he could actually battle in.

"Come on!" He cried, forcing himself forward and pulling Smolder behind him.

The two fought against the raging force, shielding their faces to keep the wind from blowing dust into their eyes. They didn't say anything, not wanting to risk getting any dust in their mouths. All the while, they wondered what the heck Twilight was thinking by sending them there.

Smolder suddenly lost her footing and staggered, the strong wind forcing her backwards. She cried out, feeling herself about to be blown away. But before she could be, Spike let himself be blown back until he flew past her.

He then managed to get his feet back on the ground and braced himself, as Smolder slammed into him. "I got you." Smolder could hardly believe Spike had been able to do something like that. "Keep going. We can make it. Twilight wouldn't just throw us into this place with no way to escape. We've gotta be heading somewhere."

"But where?" Smolder asked, as they kept pushing forward. The pair could feel their strength beginning to leave them, the thought of endlessly marching through this dust storm draining a lot of their stamina. But Spike refused to let himself be overwhelmed. Not after making it so far.

It was then that Spike saw something in the distance. A large building, which was glowing with a light that allowed Spike to see it through the storm. "There!" He pushed himself forward, Smolder right there beside him. Having an actual destination, seemed to give them the strength they needed to keep going. And as they got closer, they realised what kind of building they were heading towards.

It was a coliseum. Like the one found in Rome, only looking like it was brand new.

Torches covered it, giving off a flame that wasn't being affected by the wind or the dust being blown around the place. It was huge. Large enough for a seven story building to stand beside it and still be hidden within its shadow. It was quite the sight to see.

Spike and Smolder finally reached the building and as soon as they headed into one of the entrances covering the building, the wind and dust was no longer assaulting them. They both coughed, brushing off the dust covering their bodies. Then, they noticed two lines of glowing arrows on the ground. One was purple and heading in one direction, whilst the other was orange and heading in another.

"I think I'm supposed to go this way," Spike pointed at the purple arrows.

"And I guess I'm going in this direction," Smolder pointed to the orange line. Spike nodded and the pair smirked at each other. "Good luck, I guess. Your opponent's probably at the end of those arrows."

"Yeah. Thanks. And win or lose, I'm glad I got to face you before I go up against whoever's waiting for me." Smolder nodded and held up a fist, Spike bumping it before the pair went their separate ways.

As he walked down the dark hallway, he felt a chill run down his spine. He had made it to the finals of plenty of tournaments. But for some reason, he felt like this one was special. And strangely, he had a feeling he knew who was waiting for him on the battlefield.

Eventually, the arrows stopped and Spike spotted a bright light at the end of the corridor.

He headed through it and found himself back outside, within the stadium's inner sanctum. The wind blowing around the stadium, had no effect within the place. The air was still and refreshing, allowing him to look around and see the place.

The walls of the stadium were ten feet high, with multiple rows of seats around him. And in the centre of the stadium was a square stone platform, with stairs leading up the side.

As Spike made his way towards those stairs, he heard cheering and looked up to see the rest of the Duelists that had competed in the tournament. They were all scattered around the stands, cheering for him. Sunset, Sandbar, Fluttershy, Gallus, Trixie and many others.

Spike spotted Smolder, who had joined the rest of her friends and was cheering for him. But as he climbed the steps, he noticed someone wasn't amongst the crowd. And when he reached the top, he saw why.

Flash was standing in the centre of the stage, smiling at him as he reached the top. And as Spike stepped forward, he spoke. "And here we are. Multiple Duels. Difficult opponents and obstacles that seemed to never end. It was all leading us to this point."

Spike reached him, the two now standing in the centre of the battlefield. Carved into the stone beneath them was some kind of eye symbol, with two weird flicks coming off the bottom.

Spike then focused on Flash. "So this is it. You and me. One last Duel to decide who the best of the best will be."

"Yup." Flash nodded. "And this might just be your last chance." Spike looked confused. "Don't tell anyone. But I've decided this will be my final Duel as a pro." Spike looked shocked. "With the kid on the way, I want to be home for it. Maybe when it's older, I'll join the pros again. But for now, this will be my last tournament."

Spike could hardly believe it. He understood what Flash was getting at, given this was the same thing Shining did when he learned Flurry was going to be born. But this meant Spike wouldn't get another chance.

Spike frowned. "Ever since we met, I've always walked behind you." Flash looked confused by this. "You, who didn't even like Dueling when we met, had more skill and ability than me. I watched you, Duel countless opponents and overcoming obstacle after obstacle. Every time you found yourself in trouble, you managed to find a way to pull out a win. Meanwhile, I could do nothing but watch from the sidelines."

"Spike."

"I trained and improved, hoping to one day stand as your equal. But no matter how much better I was able to get, you were always zooming ahead. It was almost like the wind outside. It was like I was pushing through that, giving it everything I had not to be overwhelmed. Whilst you simply walked forward, not even being phased by it. That's what I want. to be able to walk beside you and stand as your equal, no matter what obstacles get in our way."

Flash let out a sigh. "I get it. You just realised this might be your last chance."

Spike nodded. "The last chance to prove myself. To show that I've got what it takes to do what you do. Who knows if another world ending threat will appear. Someone has to protect this world, if you're not gonna be there to protect it."

"Who said I'm not gonna be around to protect it? If something does happen, I'll Duel if I have to. But I don't think I'll need to. Because if this tournament has shown me anything, it's that there are plenty of Duelists that can pick up the slack if I choose to hang up my deck. Duelists like you."

"But you're still one of the best," Spike stated.

"Maybe. Or maybe I'm only the second best." He gave Spike a smirk. "Let's find out." He held out a hand and Spike nodded before shaking his hand, the pair then turning to walk away.

Up in the stands, everyone was watching with baited breath. "This is it," Trixie stated. "Winner takes all, Duel of all Duels. Whoever wins this is gonna be the best Duelist ever."

Fluttershy turned to Sunset. "Do you think Spike has a chance? He's never beaten Flash in an official Duel."

Sunset frowned. "Honestly. I have no idea. But it's kind of fitting that they'd end up here." The others looked confused. "These two faced off in the finals of the first official tournament they ever competed in. The Shooting Star Micro Tournament. Back then, Flash managed to beat Spike and entered the Celestial Cup. Now, here they are. It's almost like everything's come full circle."

"You're right," Fizzlepop nodded. "But will this have the same outcome as the Micro Tournament?" They watched, as Flash and Spike reached the ends of the battlefield.

Flash stared at Spike, thinking about what this Duel meant. 'This is the first time I'm hoping for my opponent's victory. But I can't just let Spike win this. No. If it's to mean anything, Spike has to win whilst I'm giving it my all. So watch out, Spike. I'm not gonna hold back. I won't insult you by giving you anything less than my all. I'm gonna come at you hard and fast right from the start. It's the only way you can truly stand as my equal."

Spike stared back at him, as the pair prepared for what was about to happen. The Cyberse Tournament had finally reached its climax. Everything the Duelists had been through up to this point, had all been leading to this moment. Flash and Spike. Two Duelists who have been through thick and thin together. Now, it was time to decide which of the two would stand as the best of the best. One final Duel.

Author's Note

And thus, we have the final two Duelists. This has been fun to make, but we're drawing close to the end. Now, who will win?