Curry Worries

*Slifer Red Dorm...*

The Reds were about to eat lunch, but they weren't expecting the kind of food they received.

"I don't remember ordering Curry today." Rumiko said.

They went outside to find out the source of the smell.

"Soup is on." A man wearing a apron, cape and paper bag on his head was outside the dorm.

"Okay, I didn't schedule a cook out today." Rumiko said.

"Who is that?" Tyson pointed at the strange man.

"If I had to guess, that would be my old headmaster and your soon to be new headmaster." Kaoru said. The voice was familiar to her.

"My name is Don Simon, here to dazzle your digestive tracts and tantalize your taste buds."

"So far I'm impressed." Davis said.

He was visiting from the Obelisk Blue dorm.

"Come again?" Bastion raised a eyebrow.

"Wait, can we eat this?" Syrus asked.

"Get in line, son." Hassleberry instructed.

"Smells good, no? I only use the finest ingredients whenever I create my famous curry. However, if you wish to taste it, you must defeat me in a duel. However, should you lose this duel, Seniors Hassleberry, Truesdale and Misawa, you will all return to Ra Yellow."

"Wait, how do you know our names?"

"And more importantly, why do you want us to leave this dorm?"

"Who cares? We have to protect this dorm while Jaden's gone."

Bonaparte stood to the side, watching the scene unfold.

*'I like his style, minus the paper bag. Once those three leave the Red Dorm, it will be much easier to get rid of it.'*

"You can't accept this duel Hassleberry." Alexis protested. "If you lose, Tyson will have to defend the dorm with one other person."

"And to be honest, while I'm tough I can't do the job alone." Tyson admitted.

"I don't shy away from battle. I accept your challenge."

"No wonder Professor Sartyr was so proud to have him in Ra Yellow." Rumiko said. "He lives up to his hype about being the best duelist from the west side of the Rio Grande."

"Ain't that the truth." Tyson added.

"You'd better not lose." Alexis stated.

"Students, spectators, food lovers of all ages. I hope you brought your appetites, for I am serving a large portion of defeat."

"We could go for some food." Kaoru said.

"A mystery chef vs a sergeant wannabe."

"Another typical day."

"Alright soldier, time for combat. Remember, when I win, it's chow time."

"And if you lose, you shall taste nothing but defeat."

"Don't threaten me pops." Hassleberry remarked.

"I'll be tasting victory soon enough." Simon declared.

Rumiko and the Shiba siblings watched this.

"Let's duel!" Both announced.

Simon: 4000

Hassleberry: 4000

"I shall make the first move. I draw!" Simon drew. "First I summon Carrotman in attack mode."

Carrotman: 800/900

"A carrot?" Hassleberry asked.

"And now I activate the continuous spell Curry Pot. While this is active, any monster sent to the graveyard is added to the pot instead."

"Wait, does he mean they're banished?" Bastion asked.

"Yeah that's what he said." Kaoru answered.

"I'll simmer for a while." Simon said.

"I'm guessing that means you end your turn." Hassleberry assumed. "Alright then, I'm gonna turn up the heat by summoning Black Stego in attack mode."

Black Stego: 1200/2000

"Now attack Carrotman!" Hassleberry ordered.

Black Stego charged at Carrotman, turning it into carrot slices that fell into the curry pot.

"I'll place this card face down and end my turn." Hassleberry declared.

"You are quite the assistant chef." Simon complimented him. "You've just added the first ingredient to my curry surprise."

"Come on. Vegetable men and curry bowls? Are you a duelist or a short order cook?"

"A cook?" Simon asked, feeling insulted. "Please, I am a culinary connoisseur."

"A what?" Hassleberry repeated.

"A guru of the gastronomic arts, the captain of first-class cuisine."

"He forgot leader of the loonies." Bastion retorted.

"The point is, the guy is a master chef." Rumiko advised. "And do not insult the culinary arts. My father is a master chef and a master ninja."

"Now serving, I draw." Simon drew. "And I summon Potatoman in attack mode."

Potatoman: 900/800

"Give me a break. Are all your monsters edible?"

"Of course." Simon nodded. "But they are much tastier when I add some seasoning, or in this case, spices."

"You're kidding." Hassleberry sweat dropped.

"He's serious." Tyson said.

"What's he doing?" Syrus asked.

"He's spicing things up." Dorothy explained.

"Ms. Dorothy? What are you doing here?"

"I was nearby and saw a duel was going on."

"I hope you like it hot, because I activate the spell card Red Pepper Spice."

A red dust cloud blew through the area, causing Black Stego to start panting.

"What's the matter boy?" Hassleberry asked.

"Why do I get the feeling this card has a destruction effect." Tyson remarked.

"I guess he can't handle the heat. Red Pepper Spice increases my monster's attack by 300 while lowering your monster's attack by 300 until the end of the turn."

"It was close enough." Kaoru told Tyson. "Either way, it's not good for Hassleberry."

"Now show him what a root vegetable can do with Spud Smash!"

His monster ran forward and tried to punch Black Stego, but it batted the monster away with it's tail.

"What happened?" Simon asked.

"Black Stego's special ability. When he's attacked while in attack position, he switches himself to defense position and with 2000 defense points, your monster can't touch him."

"Nice save." Rumiko sighed.

Simon: 3200

"Very well. I play Spell Spice Cinnamon."

"Not more spices." Hassleberry groaned.

"You know what they say. A dash of cinnamon goes a long way. This card causes both our monsters to change battle positions, so my Potatoman goes to defense and your dino goes to attack. Next I'll place a card face down and end my turn which means the effect of my Red Pepper Spice wears off."

"Doesn't Hassleberry understand that spices are the difference between bland food and great tasting food." Davis stated.

"I guess not." Kaoru added.

"Cinnamon on taters? Where did you learn to cook?" Hassleberry asked.

"How dare you!" Simon shouted. "I'll have you know my cinnamon spuds are very popular."

"Alright, fess up pops, it's time to lose the paper bag. Who are you and why are you here?"

"Hello Professor Sartyr." Kaoru said.

"Kaoru, you know him?" Tyson asked.

"Yeah, he used to be my headmaster when I was at Ra Yellow." She explained.

"And mine too when I was at Ra Yellow in my first year." Davis added. "It's been so long since we chatted. Even so he does tend to face into the background despite him being a good chef. He actually cooked the Ra Yellow's welcome dinner and I have to say it's quite good."

"Glad to hear someone acknowledged me." Sartyr said.

"I've been so busy tending to the Slifer Red dorm that I hadn't had time to discuss with the rest of the staff." Rumiko stated.

"We have a duel to continue." Hassleberry said. "I draw and retire Black Stego to summon Dark Driceratops."

Dark Driceratops: 2400/1500

"Now attack with Jurassic Jolt!"

Dark Driceratops roared, sending a barrage of sonic waves that cut Potatoman into pieces.

"And even though your monster was in defense position, you lose life points due to Dark Driceratops' effect."

Sartyr: 1600

"I activate the trap Counter Spice Cumin. Since Potataman was destroyed in battle, I special summon a level 4 or lower monster from my hand in attack mode like Onionman!"

Onionman: 1200/1200

"I was wondering when the onions would show up." Kaoru said. "Those are a staple in good cooking."

"Say what you want about Sartyr but he can duel as well as he cooks." Tyson added.

"I also activate a trap. Hunting Instinct. Since you special summoned a monster, I can special summon a dino from my hand. Black Tyranno, front and center!"

Black Tyranno: 2600/1800

"Well played." Davis said. "Hassleberry is doing well, but Sartyr is dueling as well as he cooks."

"Now mince that onion. Forward march!"

Black Tyranno charged forward and stomped on Onionman, turning him into slivers that fell into the curry pot.

Rumiko looked worried.

Sartyr: 200

The shock from Black Tyranno's attack caused Don Simon's mask to fall off, revealing his identity to everyone.

"Wait, who is he?"

"I just told you. It's Professor Sartyr." Kaoru said.

"Does everyone forget about him so fast?" Davis asked.

"I won't." Tyson added. "Considering he'll be my headmaster at some point."

"That's good to know." Rumiko said. "And I won't be forgetting about a colleague."

"It doesn't change the fact that everyone abandoned me." Sartyr lamented.

"What do you mean?" Tyson asked.

"All my best students either moved up to Obelisk Blue or decided to spend their time at Slifer Red. Ra Yellow isn't the best dorm, but you didn't have to leave." Sartyr explained.

"He's got a point considering that I did get promoted but at least I made the most of my time in Ra Yellow." Kaoru said.

"This duel is beginning to make sense. Kind of."

"I thought preparing some delicious food would get you to move back to Ra Yellow. The mask was to provide some flair. Now that the truth has been revealed, let's head back."

"That's not a option." Hassleberry told him.

"Why? It might be a lot nicer than it was last year due to the remodeling, but at Ra Yellow you'll be surrounded by duelists around your skill level, instead of being dragged down by the bums in red."

"You don't understand, professor." Kaoru replied. "If they leave, something bad will happen to this dorm."

"And besides professor those bums in red as you call them still have potential to grow into Ra Yellow students." Rumiko said. "Not to mention Arisa has to bring Jaden back."

"Very well. If you won't come back willingly I'll have to bring you back by force, or rather Don Simon will."

"What's the point of calling yourself that anymore. We know who you are."

"Forget it." Rumiko said. "He's still in a duel, so he has to stay in character."

"Bring it." Hassleberry said.

"Bring it I shall." Don Simon said. "To the table that is. All the preparations are complete."

"What preparations?" Hassleberry asked.

"For my curry. You see, due to the effect of Curry Pot, when Carrotman, Potatoman and Onionman have all been banished I can banish all monsters on the field and then from my hand or deck, I can summon Curry Fiend Roo!"

Hassleberry's monsters turned into giant pieces of meat and flew into the curry pot, and a giant monster appeared on Don Simon's field.

Curry Fiend Roo: 0/0

"All that for a monster with no attack points?" Hassleberry asked.

"Don't be so sure. You see, Curry Fiend gains 200 attack points for every spice card in my graveyard and 300 for every banished monster."

"What?" Hassleberry exclaimed.

"There are three spice cards in his graveyard and six banished monsters, so his monster will gain 2400 attack points."

"Not good. I'll place a card face down and end my turn."

"It's not too bad." Tyson said. "Hassleberry has a monster that can reverse this."

"It's my turn. I draw." Simon said. "And thanks to Pot of Greed, I get two more cards."

"Now I play Spice Spell Caraway. This takes 200 of your life points and adds them to mine."

Hassleberry: 3800

Simon: 400

"It's not too bad." Davis commented. "Hassleberry still has this."

"And because you can never over-season, I play Mix Spice Garamasala. This allows me to add three spice cards from my deck to my hand."

"If he plays any more spice cards, won't his monster gain 600 additional attack points?" Syrus questioned.

"I'm afraid so. Which means this duel comes down to what cards he picks."

"There is such a thing as over seasoning you know." Tyson said. "Too much spice and the food will burn your mouth."

"I choose these three cards. I activate one Red Pepper Spice and two Spell Spice Caraways, so my fiend gains 300 attack, you lose 400 life points and I gain that same amount."

Hassleberry: 3400

Simon: 800

"And don't forget, the more ingredients in my grave, the stronger my Curry Fiend Roo gets."

"I have to say Simon has excellent curry skills and this duel is making me hungry." Rumiko said.

Then her stomach growled.

"It's got 3700 attack points." Syrus said.

*'I've gotta think of something fast. I can't let my best friend down.'* Hassleberry thought.

*'You've got one monster that can turn this entire duel around.'* Tyson thought. *'You need to draw it and summon it Hassleberry.'*

"Curry Fiend Roo, make a meal out of him!"

"Hold it right there. I activate Survival Instinct. I banish any number of dinos from my graveyard and for every one that is banished, I gain 500 life points. I banish Element Saurus and Hyper Hammerhead to gain 1000 life points."

Hassleberry: 4400

"With two banished monsters, his Curry Fiend Roo gains 600 additional attack points." Bastion pointed out.

"That's true, but Hassleberry has one Dinosaur that gains power from situations like this." Davis said.

"Very well. Go Curry Fiend Roo, Montezuma's Revenge!"

His monster dipped the spoon in it's hand into the soup boat that served as it's head before throwing some of the liquid inside at Hassleberry.

Hassleberry: 100

"He just barely made it out of that one." Alexis noted.

"Yes, but he needs to turn this around now." Rumiko said.

"Otherwise he'll lose." Kaoru added.

"I'll end my turn, which means the effect of Red Pepper Spice wears off." Simon said.

"Don't you see that living in the red dorm has weakened you? Your dueling is predictable and your friends are pathetic."

"He's in for a huge surprise." Rumiko said.

"You need to take that bag off your head and open your eyes pops, because I've learned more than you think."

"Like how to rip off your sleeves?" Simon asked.

"I've learned that dueling's not about dorms, it's about heart and making sure you cover your best bud's back, even when he's gone. No matter what you think, I'm a red and let me tell you, if you think dueling is about luring people away from where they belong with a sad story and a sack full of spices, then you're even more pitiful than I thought."

"Very good lesson." Davis said. "Ryan, what do you think based on all that you have seen?"

"Dorm color doesn't matter in the dueling world." He responded.

"Exactly." Rumiko nodded.

"I might be moved if you weren't losing. Now, make your final move."

"Alright then. Like my pal Jaden says, just when you think you know how a duel is gonna end, one draw can change everything. And it looks like he was right. I summon Tyranno Infinity in attack mode."

Tyranno Infinity: ?/0

"It's attack points aren't determined?"

"Because Tyranno Infinity gains attack based on the number of banished dinosaurs times 100, and at last count Hassleberry has five banished dinosaur monsters." Kaoru explained.

"Which means the Don is going down." Tyson said.

"This can't be. My glorious feast, ruined."

"You know, there's something I've been wanting to say all day. So here goes. Bon appetite!"

On those words, Tyranno Infinity ran forward and bit down on Curry Fiend Roo, destroying him.

"I'd like to order a hot plate of victory and as for your life points, I'll take em to go."

Simon: 0

"Nice job Hassleberry." Kaoru said.

"Well that was a bust." Bonaparte sighed in disappointment.

"I guess I'll be alone forever." Sartyr sadly said.

"No you won't." Tyson told him. "Once we get the Slifer Red dorm situation solved, I'll be promoted to Ra Yellow but for that to happen we have to wait for Chancellor Sheppard to return."

"You mean you'll visit me? Maybe stay for dinner and dessert? I will cook up whatever you like, let's set up an evening next week."

"Now there's an idea." Rumiko said.

"Let's eat now." Hassleberry stated.

Soon everyone was eating Sartyr's curry and they couldn't get enough of it.

"This is pretty good." Chazz admitted.

"Agreed." Hassleberry added.

"Bit too spicy for me, but still good."

"This is really good." Kaoru said. "Sartyr's cooking is awesome. I wonder why he didn't open a restaurant instead of coming to Duel Academy."

"Hey pops, we gotta do this again. How about tomorrow at the same time?"

"I would be delighted." Sartyr said.

"10-4. But leave the mask at home."

"It's a shame Jaden isn't here. He loves spicy food."

"We just have to hope he's okay."

"I'm sure he is." Bastion stated.