Yu-Gi-Oh! Soul of Silicon

[Dark Sage]

What Quickplay Spell that can be used to destroy “Scapegoat” has the four Scapegoats on its artwork? If you said “Tornado”, you were successfully able to Name that Card!



My true name is not known to beings who are not at least equal to my own rank in the hierarchy of the Higher Plane. Humans and Duel Spirits call me Voltanis the Adjudicator.

I am known as the highest representation of Law among Duel Spirits. I would even have authority over Shinato, if by some tragic catastrophe, he would turn rogue. I have functioned as a judge in disputes whenever laws, treaties, and contracts among them have been broken. It is against my nature to brag, but of all the laws that govern the Twelve Dimensions, there are none that I am not aware of.

Still, I like to think of myself as a judge, and as such, I serve the law; it does not serve me. I know I must temper justice with mercy. I must take into account all mitigating factors in my decisions, and weigh every piece of evidence. And it isn’t my job to enforce the laws… It’s just my job to interpret them, and carry out their purposes.

As such, I know that there are exceptions to all rules, even this one…

Chaos and evil have poisoned the mind of a child of the Higher Plane… It is time I intervened…

CHAPTER FORTY-TWO



Vision

It was at the point of Erik’s duel where he was about to summon Air Fortress Ziggurat.

Below the computer room, in a dark chamber in front of a locked door, Marie the Fallen One brooded.

She nervously looked at the deck in her Disk again. She was planning to use it, and hopefully use it against Chelsea again. Even if the card that Daala had given her to put in it had made her uneasy.

A lot was going through her mind, however.

“I’ll say she ‘blew it’ a long time ago. The thing is, she never learned a very important part about redemption… Actively seeking forgiveness defeats the purpose of receiving it. Such a thing cannot be gotten… It can only be given…”

Why couldn’t she get those words out of her head? She didn’t want to believe them… But they had struck at her deeply, and held more meaning than anything she had perceived.

As she thought this, she was surprised as a shimmering portal started to appear in front of her. She slowly got up.

A familiar smell wafted from the portal.

Saffron and roses? Could it be?

She paused.

It was too much of a temptation for her. She had to investigate.

She walked into the portal. Nothing held her back.

* * * * * * * * * *

Marie emerged into a sight that she thought she would never see again. She was in a beautiful garden, with huge trees weighed down by ripe fruit, lovely flowers, and cool fountains in the distance, all under a sapphire blue sky. Clouds passed overhead, some of which had ancient temples perched on them.

“The Higher Plane…” she whispered. “I’m home…”

“Yes,” said a voice that was deep and commanding, “but only for a few minutes.”

Marie turned around startled.

Facing her was an intimidating figure, about eight feet tall. He (identified as male only by his voice) was covered in purple robes or armor (it was hard to tell which), and was faceless, except for a gemstone that suggested an eye. Behind him were two vast wings that seemed to be floating behind him, rather than attached to his body. He held a long scepter topped with a blue gem.

Marie’s eyes narrowed with an annoyed look as she looked up at Voltanis the Adjudicator.

“So why did you call me here?” she asked. “If you’re going to give me a lecture, I really don’t have time.

“If you’re going to arrest me for associating with Daala, then just do it.”

“I will do neither,” replied Voltanis. “Though maybe I should do both. You think that I’ve given up on you, Cassandra, but I haven’t. However, I’m nearing that fine line.”

Marie sighed. It had been so long since anyone had used her actual name. “Cassandra” was her Fairy name, and she wasn’t allowed to use it as a Fiend.

She looked at him.

“I know about that special card in your deck…” said Voltanis.

“Let me guess,” replied Marie, “you’re going to tell me that if I use it, my last chance will be gone forever.”

“On the contrary, just the opposite,” replied Voltanis. “Soon, those mortals will be coming to meet you. You will challenge Chelsea again, and I want you to do everything in your power to use that card against her.”

Marie looked at him.

“Is this some sort of joke?” she asked.

“Have you ever known me to joke?” asked Voltanis.

He held up his hand.

“Now begone.”

Marie was lifted off her feet, and thrown back through the portal. She fell on her behind, back in the dark chamber.

She slowly got up as the portal vanished.

“Why would he tell me to…” she asked.

She thought for a minute.

“Oh, I get it!” she exclaimed. “Reverse psychology, right? Well, sorry, but I’m not gonna fall for that.”

She looked at the deck.

“You made a big mistake, your honor. If you try to punish me for using this card, I’ll have the perfect excuse…”

She started to sweat.

Deep down, she knew that there was more to this than that…

* * * * * * * * * *

The team, now five again, walked down a stairway, Erik supporting Sam who was still rather weak.

“How you holding up?” he asked.

“Where’s Hiroki?” she muttered.

“We’ll worry about him later!” exclaimed Yumi. “Don’t even think about going after him right now!

“He beat you good, Sam, and you’re in big trouble! You lost that duel… I don’t know if Joan can protect you anymore, and Daala might just be biding her time before she decides to come get you…”

“Anyone know where Vita went?” asked Ren.

They all looked around. The masked woman had apparently vanished again.

“Man, you gotta be a magician to keep her around for longer than a few minutes,” said Chelsea.

Then, as they reached the bottom of the stairway, they stopped short.

Marie was crouched down on the floor, holding her knees to her chin, watching them enter with a solemn look.

She quickly got up.

“I knew you’d come,” she sighed. “I didn’t have much faith in Leichter’s ability to hold you back…”

Yumi looked at the locked door behind her.

“So, are you the jailer, Marie?” she asked.

“Well, sort of,” replied Marie. “Daala told me to watch the prisoners until you got here, so that makes me the jailer by default, I guess…

“But you’re free to liberate them… I just want a rematch.”

Chelsea looked at her.

“Oh, really?” she asked. “Without your Deck Lord Power? It won’t be as easy without it.”

“The advantage is yours if you think so,” said Marie. “Just let me duel you again, and once it’s over, one way or another, no matter where you go in the Twelve Dimensions, I’ll never bother you again.”

Chelsea looked at her.

Something is wrong, she thought. When we last met, she was cruel and merciless. Now, she’s uncertain of herself… In fact, she seems a little scared. What happened between now and then?

“Chelsea, maybe we should think this thing through…” said Yumi. “Maybe I should duel her…”

“Don’t worry, Yumi,” replied Chelsea. “I beat her once, I can do it again.”

She stepped up and faced the fallen angel.

“Let’s do this.”

Both Disks activated.

“Game on!” they shouted.

(Chelsea: 8,000) - - - - - - - - - - (Marie: 8,000)

Chelsea made one draw.

“I summon Zombie Werewolf,” she said.

Zombie Werewolf appeared, and let out an angry snarl when he saw Marie. (1,200/1,200)

“I end my turn.”

“What’s Chelsea doing?” asked Ren. “That’s the same opening move she made last time.”

“Well, there’s a chance Marie won’t have Banisher of the Radiance in her opening hand…” replied Erik.

Marie drew a card.

“I summon Indomitable Fighter Lei Lei,” she said.

She played the card, and a hulking creature appeared in a burst. It was a tall, muscular brute, wearing a breastplate and helmet, with the lower body of an ape. (2,300/0)

HUH? thought Chelsea. That’s no Counter Fairy!

She looked at Marie.

“Change decks, Marie?” she said with a small laugh. “And he isn’t as intimidating as he seems. I happen to know that he has to move to Defense Mode after he attacks, and his Defense Score is a big zero.”

“I end my turn,” said Marie.

So then she isn’t going to attack, thought Chelsea. She’s using him as an offensive wall…

She drew a card.

“Zombie Werewolf moves to Defense Mode,” she said.

Zombie Werewolf knelt, and crossed his arms.

“Then I’ll set another Monster in Defense Mode.”

A facedown Monster appeared.

“And that’s all.”

Marie drew a card.

She added it to her hand and took another one.

“I summon Goblin Attack Force,” she said.

She played the card, and a small squad of five goblins, dressed in leather armor and helmets, carrying clubs appeared. (2,300/0)

“Another high-Attack Score Level Four Monster?” asked Erik.

“I play a card facedown, and end my turn,” said Marie.

A facedown card appeared.

Yumi looked at the two Monsters.

Marie is clearly planning something, she thought. Just what, I have no idea.

Chelsea drew a card.

She set a new Monster in Defense Mode.

“That’s all,” she said.

Marie drew.

Her hand shook as she looked at the card. She had seen the card before when looking through the deck, but that was only when Daala had told her to use it. Now, both Daala AND Voltanis were telling her to do so.

Two opposing forces wanted her to use this card… And she really didn’t know the reasons behind either of them. Daala had simply told her that it was instrumental to her plans, and that it would be a potent weapon against the rebellion. Why then, did Voltanis want her to use it?

She added it to her hand and chose another one.

“I, uhm, I summon Zombyra the Dark,” she said.

A dark portal appeared, and a powerful form flew out of it. It was a dark, costumed superhero in black, wearing a skull-like mask and a cape with a high collar. (2,100/500)

“Something wrong, Marie?” asked Chelsea. “I’m beginning to think that you’re not all into this.”

“I’m completely into this!” shouted Marie. “Nothing has changed at all! I’m still going to beat you and cast you and your accursed Monsters into the fiery bowels of Hell!”

“Yeah, yeah,” chuckled Chelsea, drawing a card. “’Bowels’? A little too high on the melodrama there, Marie…

“I’ll just play a facedown, and end my turn.”

A facedown card appeared.

Marie quickly drew.

“Here’s a guy you’d remember,” she said. “Majestic Mech – Ohka!”

She played the card, and the radiant, celestial lion appeared. (2,400/1,400)

“Ohka, attack the facedown Monster on the left!”

Ohka opened its jaws, and bright flames appeared in them.

“Go, Trap Card!” shouted Chelsea. “Widespread Ruin!”

Her facedown card flipped up, and Ohka exploded into a burst of colored lights.

Marie put her hand on her hip.

“Well, that was pointless,” she said. “Ohka would have been gone when I ended my turn anyway.

“And since you used that Trap Card…

“Zombyra, you attack.”

Zombyra flew at the facedown Monster, and Vampire Lady appeared on the card. He punched her hard, and she shattered.

Zombyra groaned, and his Attack Score fell to 1,900.

“Goblin Attack Force, attack the other facedown Monster!”

The small squad charged, and Blood Sucker appeared on the card. The goblins pummeled it with their clubs, and it shattered.

“Take the last one, Lei Lei!” ordered Marie.

Indomitable Fighter Lei Lei snarled. He dropped to all fours, and rushed at Zombie Werewolf, tackling it and blowing it to pieces.

“I use his effect,” said Chelsea. “I get to summon a stronger one.”

A second Zombie Werewolf appeared in Defense Mode. (1,700/1,200)

Goblin Attack Force sat on the group and started to drink from wine flasks. Lei Lei slumped over and fell asleep.

“I set down two more facedown cards, and end my turn,” said Marie.

Two more facedown cards appeared.

Chelsea drew a card.

“I summon a second Vampire Lady,” she said.

She played the card, and the sultry vampiress appeared. (1,550/1,550)

“I activate a Trap Card,” exclaimed Marie. “Threatening Roar!”

One of her facedown cards lifted, and a roar echoed over the field.

“Okay, fine,” said Chelsea. “I’ll leave Zombie Werewolf in Defense Mode then… You still can’t switch those two guys to Attack Mode next turn.”

“I don’t intend to,” said Marie, drawing a card.

She quickly added it to her hand.

“I sacrifice my three Monsters…” she said.

Lei Lei, the Goblins, and Zombyra vanished. A windstorm started to pick up in the room.

Everyone was startled as that terrible sound echoed through the chamber… The neighing of that demonic horse.

“YOU, Marie?” asked Chelsea. “You have the fourth Horseman?”

Marie nodded.

“And here she is,” replied Marie. “Death, the Pale Horseman!”

As the creature appeared, it became clear that the word “Horseman” may have been inaccurate. This creature was clearly female. It was a svelte woman with pale skin, dressed in a long, dark robe, low-cut in front, with a long cloak and hood. Her eyes glowed with pale light, and her face was emotionless. (2,500/2,500)

“Death is… A girl?” asked Yumi.

“Never even occurred to you, did it?” said Marie, with a nervous chuckle.

She looked at her Monster…

Then she was startled, as the lighting in the room suddenly dimmed. She started to see dark shadows out the corners of her eyes.

She shook her head, trying to get the fog out of it.

“Now I activate a Trap Card,” she said, as one of her two facedown cards lifted. “Skull Invitation. This inflicts 300 points of damage on a player whenever a card goes to her Graveyard.”

“You sure you want to do that?” asked Chelsea. “The same applies to you, you know.”

“I’m well-aware,” said Marie. “Death, attack Vampire Lady!”

The Pale Horseman simply lifted her finger, and it glowed with pale light. She made a quick slash, and Vampire Lady gasped in shock, right before she was sliced in half. Her remains shattered.

The Skull Invitation card glowed, and Chelsea groaned.

“Now I activate my other Trap,” said Marie, as her last facedown card lifted. “Desperate Battle. Now, my Monster can attack a second time, so long as I cut 1,000 Attack Points off her score.”

Death fell to an Attack Score of 1,500. She made the slash again, and Zombie Werewolf was cleaved in half.

The Skull Invitation card glowed again, hurting both of them this time.

“I summon my third one,” said Chelsea.

A third Zombie Werewolf appeared. (2,200/1,200)

“I end my turn,” said Marie, as Death rose to an Attack Score of 2,500 again.

She looked around nervously. She could see those mysterious shadows clearer now, and it was clear that no-one else in the room could see them. What were they? They weren’t any tricks of lights…

(C: 6,450) - - - - - - - - - - (M: 7,700)

Chelsea drew a card.

It was Vampire Lord.

All right! she thought, looking at her hand. I have Vampire Genesis too… She has no facedown cards… Now I can end this before it begins…

“I sacrifice Zombie Werewolf to summon Vampire Lord!” she shouted.

Zombie Werewolf vanished, and the tall vampire appeared. She cringed as Skull Invitation glowed again. (2,000/1,500)

“Now, I remove him from play, to summon Vampire Genesis!”

Vampire Lord vanished, and the huge, muscular vampire deity appeared. (3,000/2,100)

“Yes!” shouted Ren.

“Destroy the Pale Horseman!” ordered Chelsea. “Crimson shroud!”

Vampire Genesis collapsed into the burning, red cloud, and flew at Death…

Death and Marie grunted, but the Horseman only staggered back a little. Genesis reformed and fell to his knees.

“Death cannot be destroyed in battle,” said Marie. “Your Monster, however, won’t be so lucky…”

Chelsea gasped in surprise as Vampire Genesis shattered into pixels.

“Any Monster that so much as touches the Pale Horseman pays with its life,” said Marie.

Chelsea groaned as Skull Invitation glowed again. She took another card from her hand and played it.

“I play Symbol of Heritage,” she muttered.

Zombie Werewolf appeared on the field, crouching in Defense Mode. (1,200/1,200)

(C: 5,850) - - - - - - - - - - (M: 7,200)

Marie drew a card.

The shadows around her were starting to take shape… They started to form eyes and limbs. She tried hard to ignore them.

“I summon Des Wombat,” she said.

Most folks who didn’t live in Australia didn’t know what a Wombat was. As far as facts went, it was a quadruped, herbivorous, burrowing marsupial that resembled a rodent about a meter long with sharp claws and large teeth.

This Monster looked pretty much like its real-world counterpart, but was much larger. It looked at Chelsea and her Monster with a very curious expression. (1,600/300)

“With this critter on the field,” said Marie, “all effect damage to me is reduced to zero.”

“Meaning you don’t take any damage from your own Skull Invitation, right?” asked Chelsea.

Marie nodded.

“Not to mention the fact that it’s stronger than your Werewolf,” she replied.

Des Wombat scurried over and charged Zombie Werewolf, headbutting it in the chest. The Zombie shattered. Chelsea groaned as the Trap Card glowed again.

“Death, attack her directly,” ordered Marie.

Chelsea stepped back in horror as the Pale Horseman loomed over her. She reached over with one hand and simply grabbed Chelsea in the face. Chelsea screamed as an unearthly chill tore through her…

(C: 2,750) - - - - - - - - - - (M: 7,200)

“ERK!” gasped Marie.

She gripped her stomach.

What had happened? It was almost as if Death had attacked both of them. She felt like someone… No, several someones had clawed at her.

Then she noticed that the room around her was smoldering, like hot coals. And the shadows had taken fiendish forms. They were looking at her with evil smiles.

Had they attacked her just then?

“Chelsea…” she muttered. “Can’t you see them?”

Chelsea looked at her.

“See what?” gasped Chelsea, still a little winded from Death’s attack. “Just finish your move so I can think of a way to bring this thing down.”

Marie looked nervously at the two cards in her hand.

She placed one in her Disk, and it appeared facedown.

“I end my turn,” she said.

Chelsea drew a card. She looked over the four cards in her hand.

“I set two cards facedown, and then play Mirage of Nightmare,” she said. “That will be all.”

Two facedown cards and the Mirage Card appeared.

“No Monsters?” shouted Ren. “She’s toast!”

Marie quickly drew.

The smoldering coals had now turned into fires. The shadowy demons were chuckling at her.

“I get to draw three extra cards now,” said Chelsea.

She made three draws.

“Fine…” said Marie. “Three-hundred won’t help you…

“Death, attack directly again!”

Death loomed over Chelsea again.

“I activate Red Ghost Moon!” shouted Chelsea.

Her Trap Card flipped up, and she discarded The Kick Man from her hand.

Marie’s hand went for her Disk to trigger her own Trap.

Then she paused.

A sinister voice reached her ears.

“G’wan!” it chuckled. “It couldn’t be easier!”

Marie saw who had spoken. The shadows had spoken for the first time.

She quickly changed her mind.

The harvest moon appeared over Chelsea, and the Pale Horseman was stopped short. Chelsea glowed with energy.

“Now, Emergency Provisions!” exclaimed Chelsea. “I’ll send Mirage and Red Ghost Moon to the Graveyard to gain 2,000 more Life Points!”

The two cards vanished, and she glowed with energy again.

“That move may have cost me 1,200 Life Points due to Skull Invitation, but I gained 4,500, for a net gain of 3,300.”

“Chelsea always gets A’s in math,” laughed Ren.

(C: 6,050) - - - - - - - - - - (M: 7,200)

Marie cringed again, as she felt another claw scraping at her, in the buttocks, no less. She nervously took another card from her hand.

“I’ll set a Monster in Defense Mode, and then you go,” she said.

A facedown Monster appeared.

Chelsea drew.

Marie looked around. The fires around her had turned into an inferno full of choking smoke, and the shadows had completely taken shape. Terrible, horrible shape…

She knew… She now knew exactly what it was she was seeing…

“Time to defeat Death,” said Chelsea. “I play Call of the Mummy.”

She played the Spell Card.

“Now, I summon your old friend… Come on out, Penelope!”

In a flash of light, the Lady of the Night appeared, brandishing her staff. (1,000/200) –> (4,200/200)

She glowed. Call of the Mummy and Skull Invitation shattered. Then Marie’s facedown Trap Card lifted and shattered.

“HUH?” shouted Yumi, when she saw what it was.

“What?” shouted Ren.

“She could have…?” exclaimed Erik. “She didn’t?”

“She’s crazy!” exclaimed Sam, who had recovered a little.

Chelsea looked at Marie.

“Why…” she started.

“I’ll tell you if Penelope manages to defeat Death,” replied Marie. “If she can, I’ll know that I made the right choice…

“But I don’t know if she can… If Penelope simply attacks, I’ll take some damage, but Death’s effect will kill Penelope.”

Chelsea took another card from her hand.

“I play Monster Reborn!” she shouted. “I’ll raise Majestic Mech – Ohka from your Graveyard!”

In a flash of light, the ankh appeared, and Ohka appeared next to Penelope. (2,400/1,400)

“Now, I remove both Monsters from play…”

Penelope and Ohka vanished into grains of light.

“To summon Penelope, the Divine Avenger!”

The shining portal appeared, and with a majestic flourish, Penelope’s other self flew out, her wings spread, and her sword aloft, radiating divine light. (2,800/2,500)

The shadowy demons around Marie howled in fright…

“She gains Attack Points equal to Ohka’s Attack Points…” said Chelsea.

(5,200/2,500)

“And, one card on the field is annihilated!”

The Pale Horseman showed emotion for the first time, as Penelope lifted her sword. She screamed as the Divine Avenger’s blade made a slash, cutting her in twain.

The shadowy demons around Marie dissolved into nothing, the flames died down, and the lights came back around her.

“I still have her normal attack,” continued Chelsea. “Attack Des Wombat with avenging blade”

Penelope struck the Beast with her longsword, and Des Wombat was smashed to pieces. Marie didn’t even flinch.

(C: 6,050) - - - - - - - - - - (M: 3,600)

“Now talk, Marie!” shouted Chelsea. “You had Solemn Judgment set! You could have stopped me from summoning Penelope! Heck, you could have stopped me from activating Red Ghost Moon! You threw this duel, and I want to know why!”

Marie sighed.

“I had a good reason,” she said.

She paused.

“Chelsea… As a fallen angel, my ultimate goal is to win my way back to Heaven. I had pretty much consigned myself to the fact that I wouldn’t be able to do so…

“Daala gave me that card, thinking I might hate you enough to use it effectively… But the evil Spirit inside of it reacted with the curse placed on me by Voltanis in a way that not even Daala could have predicted.”

“How?” asked Chelsea, opening her eyes wide.

Marie sighed again.

“As I said, the goal of a fallen angel is to regain Heaven,” she said. “That card was giving me… a vision.

“It was showing me a vivid look at the alternative…

“And it scared me…”

She looked Chelsea in the eye.



Continued…

[Dark Sage]

Continued from last post:



“We both have Life Points left, Chelsea,” she said. “I’ll leave it up to you whether we finish this duel or not… But if you choose to do so, I swear… No more strings attached. The Horseman will stay dead, and we’ll finish like honorable duelists. And once this is over, I’ll do whatever I have to do to make amends.”

“What about Daala?” asked Chelsea.

Marie chuckled.

“Daala has no authority over this duel,” said Marie. “Death is still in my Graveyard, and its Spirit is so infused with Chaos, no being’s authority functions. They defy any attempts to enforce any form of law. Daala was taking a big risk with all four of the Horsemen.”

Chelsea smirked.

“Well then…” she said. “Why not?”

She took a card from her hand.

“I set a Monster in Defense Mode, and end my turn.”

A facedown Monster appeared, and Penelope vanished in a ripple of light.

“Hey…” said Ren. “What happened to Penelope?”

“The Divine Avenger only stays on the field for one turn,” said Chelsea. “Then she goes back to my Fusion Deck.”

“So both of them have lost their ace Monsters,” said Sam. “I guess maybe now it’s fair…”

Marie drew a card.

She set it in her Disk, and it appeared facedown.

“That’s all,” she said.

Chelsea made a draw.

“I’ll set this facedown too,” she said, as a facedown card appeared. “Then I’ll flip Pyramid Turtle to Attack Mode.”

The facedown card flipped, and a large, sandy turtle with a pyramid for a shell appeared in its place. (1,200/1,400)

“Attack her facedown Monster!” she shouted. “Dust of decay!”

Pyramid Turtle breathed a cloud of sand and grit at the facedown Monster. The Morphing Jar appeared on the card, and was eroded into sand.

Chelsea grinned. Marie discarded the one card in her hand and drew five, while Chelsea simply drew five.

Chelsea looked over the five cards.

“Okay…” she said. “Think I’ll end my turn there…”

Marie drew a card.

“I play Pot of Avarice,” she said, playing the card.

The goofy jug appeared.

“But I won’t go back on my word… Death is staying where she is.”

Zombyra the Dark, Indomitable Fighter Lei Lei, Goblin Attack Force, Des Wombat, and Morphing Jar fell out of her discard slot. She shuffled the five Monsters back into her deck, and drew two cards.

“Now I’ll throw two cards facedown…”

Two facedown cards appeared.

“And I’ll summon an… acquaintance of mine… Nurse Reficule the Fallen One.”

In a burst of wind, a female figure appeared. It looked like a woman who was swathed in bandages from head to toe, with dark hair that looked somewhat like blades. She had wings that were more bat-like than the feathered wings of the typical angel. (1,400/600)

She turned to Marie and made a slight smile.

“Another fallen angel?” asked Sam.

“Fallen angels tend to keep informed of each other’s activities,” replied Marie. “After all, who else can we find to commiserate with? Once you’ve been thrown out of Heaven, not many folks trust you unless they’re in the same boat.

“Anyway, I end my turn.”

Hmm… thought Chelsea. She didn’t attack Pyramid Turtle, clearly because she doesn’t want me to use its effect just yet…

She drew a card.

“I summon… Zombie Master!”

She played the card, and in a burst of darkness, the undead lord appeared. (1,800/0)

“Hold, it, Chelsea,” said Marie. “I have a Trap, and this time I’m gonna use it.”

A facedown card flipped up.

“It’s called Dark Cure. Now, whenever you summon a Monster, you gain Life Points equal to half the Monster’s Attack Score.”

“I gain Life Points?” asked Chelsea, as she started to glow with golden energy. “Are you nuts?”

“Not really,” said Marie, “you see, Reficule has a powerful effect… She converts any Life Point gain on your part to effect damage.”

Reficule’s eyes glowed with red light. Then the golden glow around Chelsea turned to a red glow, and Chelsea cringed in pain.

“Zombie Master can still beat her…” she muttered.

Another facedown card lifted.

“Not once I activate this,” said Marie. “It’s called Brutal Potion, and it Equips to my Monster.”

A set of shackles appeared on Reficule’s wrists, and a spiked harness appeared around her neck.

“Now, once per turn, whenever you take effect damage, her Attack Score gets a 1,000-point boost until the End Phase.”

(2,400/600)

Chelsea looked at the rest of the cards in her hand.

Using Zombie Master’s effect would just cause me more damage, she thought.

“I’ll move my Turtle to Defense Mode, and that will be all,” she said.

Pyramid Turtle withdrew into its shell.

(C: 5,150) - - - - - - - - - - (M: 3,600)

Marie drew a card.

“Here’s someone you’ll remember,” she said. “Your old friend, Indomitable Fighter Lei Lei.”

In a burst of energy, Lei Lei appeared again. (2,300/0)

“Now, I activate a facedown card…” she said, as a Trap Card lifted. “It’s called Gift Card. This Trap gives my opponent a little gift… 3,000 Life Points.”

“Crud,” said Ren. “I get it… Reficule will convert that to damage.”

“Yeah,” said Yumi. “Seems she’s like Bad Reaction to Simochi.”

“Only worse,” said Sam. “Monsters can’t be destroyed using Heavy Storm.”

Chelsea screamed as the red aura surrounded her again, only much more intense.

She gasped for breath.

“And don’t forget the effect of Brutal Potion,” continued Marie, as Reficule’s Attack Score rose to 2,400.

“I’ll keep on going, Chelsea. I’ll play Rain of Mercy.”

As she played the Spell Card, clouds formed on the ceiling, and rain started to fall in the chamber.

“This Spell increases the Life Points of both players by 1,000.”

“But with Reficule there, only you’ll benefit,” muttered Chelsea. “I, on the other hand, will lose 1,000 Life Points.”

The fact that the raindrops started to burn her skin like acid was all the proof she needed that she was right.

She started panting.

(C: 1,150) - - - - - - - - - - (M: 4,600)

“You know…” said Chelsea, with a grin. “After you decided to ditch that evil card and play fair… You aren’t half bad…”

Marie smirked.

“Then maybe the vision was for the best,” she said.

“Reficule, attack Zombie Master with infectious wrath.”

Reficule threw out her arms, and her very hair came to life. It reached out like a swarm of tentacles and grabbed Zombie Master, pulling him close.

Reficule grinned, as part of her hair formed a sharp blade, and made a swipe, cleaving the Zombie in half.

“You know…” said Sam. “I’m beginning to think that whatever Reficule did to get thrown out of the Higher Plane was worse than anything that Marie did…”

(C: 550) - - - - - - - - - - (M: 4,600)

“Lei Lei, destroy Pyramid Turtle!” ordered Marie.

Lei Lei roared again, and bull-rushed the turtle, crushing it with his fist.

“Well…” said Chelsea. “So much for that… But now I can Special Summon a Zombie with 2,000 Attack Points or less.”

“Oh?” asked Marie. “Are you sure you want to do that?”

“Marie is right…” said Erik. “There isn’t much that Chelsea can summon. With only 550 Life Points left, and with Marie’s combo of Dark Cure and Reficule, she’ll receive a lethal blow if she summons anything with 1,100 Attack Points or more…”

Chelsea nervously looked at the cards in her deck.

“I summon… this,” she said.

In a burst of darkness, Soul-Absorbing Bone Tower appeared in Defense Mode. (400/1,500)

“Only 400 Attack Points,” she said, as the red aura surrounded her again. “So I only lose 200 Life Points. I’m safe for now.”

Lei Lei slumped down and fell asleep.

“Then I end my turn,” said Marie.

(C: 350) - - - - - - - - - - (M: 4,600)

Chelsea slowly drew a card.

“I set one Monster, and one facedown card, and I end my turn,” she said.

A hidden Monster and a facedown card appeared.

Marie drew a card. She smiled.

“I summon Burning Algae,” she said.

She played the card, and a large, burning bush with a fiendish face on the trunk appeared. (500/1,500)

“No!” shouted Ren. “If that goes to the Graveyard, Chelsea would gain 1,000 Life Points… But because of Reficule, she’ll lose it instead!”

“But how is she going to send it to the Graveyard?” asked Sam.

“With this,” replied Marie. “The Spell Card, Tribute to the Doomed.”

She played the card, and then discarded Zombyra the Dark.

“Not so fast!” shouted Chelsea, as one of her facedown cards lifted. “I activate Spell Shield Type-8! This negates your Spell Card!”

A weird machine appeared on the field and started spinning. The Tribute to the Doomed card was shredded into confetti.

“Even better,” said Chelsea, “since Tribute to the Doomed targets a Monster, I don’t have to pay a cost.”

“Clever,” said Marie. “I end my turn.”

Chelsea drew a card.

Her eyes opened wide.

She slowly placed it in her Disk, and it appeared facedown.

“Go ahead…” she said.

Marie drew.

“I Equip Reficule with Cestus of Dagla!” she exclaimed.

Reficule’s hands glowed with golden energy, and two weapons that looked like crescent-shaped blades appeared in them. Her Attack Score rose to 1,900.

“Reficule… Attack Soul-Absorbing Bone Tower!”

Reficule lifted the Cestus, and flew at the Bone Tower.

“I activate… Malevolent Catastrophe!” shouted Chelsea, as one of her two facedown cards lifted.

“Huh?” said Marie.

“Now, since you ordered an attack, all Spells and Traps on the field are destroyed!” continued Chelsea.

Chelsea’s other facedown card, the Cestus of Dagla, and Marie’s Brutal Potion and Dark Cure were blown to bits. Marie tried to punch the Bone Tower with her fist, but it did nothing.

“I had to destroy my own Trap Card too,” said Chelsea, “but that’s okay, because it was Zombie Bed. And since it was destroyed, I get to Special Summon a Zombie from my Graveyard. And now that Dark Cure is gone…”

Vampire Lady appeared, striking a pose. (1,550/1,550)

“And since I just Special Summoned a Zombie, Soul-Absorbing Bone Tower’s effect activates, and you lose two cards from your deck.”

Two cards flew off the top of Marie’s deck.

Marie chuckled,

“You aren’t too bad either,” she said. “I’ll move Burning Algae to Defense Mode and end my turn. Have any more?”

“You bet!” shouted Chelsea, drawing a card.

“I’ll flip my facedown Monster into Defense Mode. My third Vampire Lady!”

Another Vampire Lady appeared. (1,550/1,550)

“Next, I’ll Equip one of them with Axe of Despair.”

She played a card, and the Axe appeared again, this time in one of the vampires’ hands. (2,550/1,550)

“Next, I’ll sacrifice Soul-Absorbing Bone Tower to summon Ryu Kokki.”

The Bone Tower vanished, and a much larger Zombie made of bones appeared. Ryu Kokki loomed over the field. (2,400/2,000)

“Now, Book of Life! I’ll summon Zombie Master back from my Graveyard.”

In another burst of energy, Zombie Master appeared again. (1,800/0) Zombyra the Dark fell out of Marie’s discard slot.

“Finally… I’ll use Zombie Master’s effect.”

She discarded Vampire’s Curse from her hand. Lightning flashed, and Zombie Werewolf appeared, howling at some nonexistent moon. (1,200/1,200)

“Stronger Vampire Lady, attack Reficule!”

The armed Vampire Lady slashed at Nurse Reficule the Fallen One with her axe, and the fallen angel screamed. She shattered into dark shards.

“Second Vampire Lady, attack Burning Algae!”

The unarmed Lady gave the burning bush a kick, and it burst into a shower of embers. Chelsea glowed with golden energy.

“Zombie Werewolf, destroy Indomitable Fighter Lei Lei!”

The Werewolf pounced, and raked at the Beast-Warrior with his claw. Lei Lei was blown to pieces.

“Ryu Kokki… Zombie Master… Attack directly.”

Marie the Fallen One screamed as Zombie Master shot bolts of lightning that shot through her. Then she fell backwards as Ryu Kokki clobbered her with its fist.

She let out a long sigh…

(C: 1,350) - - - - - - - - - - (M: 0)

“All right, Marie…” said Yumi. “Now… The keys to the cells, if you don’t mind?”

Marie slowly got up.

She turned around, and lifted the keys off of a hook on the wall that were behind her.

Yumi was dumbfounded. She hadn’t noticed that they were there…

* * * * * * * * * *

Sam had completely recovered by now, and was slowly shuffling her deck. She was secretly hoping that Hiroki would show up again, but he had disappeared.

They were standing in front of Leichter’s castle, while Marie was looking out towards the wasteland of the Flaming Peaks.

“So what will you do now, Marie?” asked Chelsea.

Marie hung her head.

“I honestly don’t know,” said the Fallen One. “I strayed from the track… It’s going to take something very special to gain the Higher Plane’s favor again…

“Maybe once I find my way out of Xanadu, I’ll head to Dark World. The place was thrown into practical anarchy when the Supreme King fell, and the Dark World Fiends haven’t been able to form a proper government. Both the humans and Duel Spirits alike who live there suffer from terrible poverty. If any place has a need for charity now, it’s there.”

She started to walk off.

“Should we just let her go?” asked Erik.

“We have another concern,” said Yumi.

She held up the Death card, which Marie had given her.

“If Daala had no authority over those four duels, that means that when Ares, Want, and Chaos Sorcerer lost, they left via their own free wills.”

Everyone looked at each other.

“The cards were left on purpose!” they all shouted at once.

Yumi quickly started dialing on her phone.

“Joan?” she said. “It’s me… We’re heading back, and we have some information that’s might be of interest…

“What? Okay, I’ll tell her…

“Chelsea, she says to use your Interdimensional Matter Transporter card.”

Chelsea gave a strange look. She looked through her deck.

She took the card, and placed it in her Disk. The odd machine appeared.

Then they were covered by a wave of weird light.

* * * * * * * * * *

Minutes later, they were in an inner sanctum of the temple, where Joan, who had used a second Interdimensional Matter Transporter, had brought them there quickly.

Joan had quickly taken the Death card, and placed it in a capsule made of transparent material (clearly not glass) surrounded by wards. The other three Horseman cards were in separate capsules.

“Joan,” said Erik, “why are you keeping them here and not sending them to… I dunno, Switzerland?”

“Erik’s right,” said Ren. “They’re clearly going to be used as part of some attack on the temple.”

“I had suspected that for a long time,” replied Joan, “but the Spirits in these cards will now be helpless. These capsules are foolproof prisons.

“Foolproof, so long as the settings are not changed from the Type, Attribute, and Level set to contain these Spirits: Fiend, Dark, and Level Ten. And only I can change the setting.”

She waved her hand, and a light turned green.

“Light green, capsule clean,” she said.

She turned to Sam.

“Sam, stand still,” she said, picking up a small box.

“What?” asked Sam.

Joan picked up a wooden brush, and started to paint a strange rune on Sam’s forehead.

“You were defeated, Sam,” said Joan. “My dictum can no longer protect you. Daala could arrest you at any time, unless I do this…

“This sigil will provide further protection. More fragile than my dictum, but it will do.

“There. Just don’t play with it.”

Sam took a makeup mirror out of her purse and looked at it.

“So I have to wear this until I leave Xanadu?” she asked.

“Sam,” said Joan, “technically, this violates the rules. Fortunately, Daala cannot appeal to any higher powers, because she breaks far more rules on a daily basis.

“And be careful. All it will take is one more loss for this sigil to crumble into nothing.

“Now, we have neglected our guests long enough…”

“Guests?” asked Yumi.

Joan led them out to the common room of the temple. There, sitting with a teacup in his hand, was the powerful, armored man with his sword slung to his back. The Command Knight was standing behind him.

“Folks,” said Joan, “this is an old college of mine… Freed the Matchless General.”

“It’s a pleasure,” said Freed. “As I said before, Joan, my army stands ready. As soon as you plan your assault on the Core, we’ll be ready to march.”

“We won’t be ready until we have secured the last Realm,” said Joan.

“The Realm of Wind…” muttered Yumi.

Joan nodded.

“The Frozen Wastes,” she said. “An icy tundra. Most think that Hell is fire, but some are sure it is ice. If so, this is their Hell.”

“All of the Big Five have been defeated. Whoever rules this land, we have no idea. Only one group has ever made it as far to the fortress of the mysterious Realm Lord. I recruited four powerful Duel Spirits to undertake the mission to gather information on the Lord.

“The Elemental Heroes.”

“There are more than four of them,” replied Erik.

“The four original ones?” asked Chelsea.

Joan nodded.

“I’m guessing they didn’t come back…” replied Yumi, somberly.

Joan shook her head.

“We assume they are prisoners now,” she replied. “Since then, only one member of the rebellion dares patrol the Frozen Wastes… He’s my second-in-command, and the strongest duelist in my army. I’ll arrange for him to meet you any time you are ready…”

“Huh?” said Freed.

A pouch on his belt started to glow.

“What’s that?” asked Ren.

“I was…” started Freed. “I was given custody of a card that had a very powerful Spirit… I was told that it would choose its master…”

The pouch burst open.

“I think it wants to choose!”

A mote of light flew out of the pouch, and into the air. It flew over the assembled duelists.

It flew towards Sam, but then flew away. Then it flew towards Yumi, but flew away again.

Then it flew towards Ren.

It didn’t fly away.

The mote slowly transformed into a card. It floated towards Ren, and he reached out with his hand.

He took it. He looked at it.

“No…” he said in disbelief.

“Yes!” said Freed. “The Spirit apparently wants to be with you, Ren.”

He took something else out of the pouch.

“You’re probably gonna need this too.”

He handed Ren another card.

“What you choose to do with them is up to you…”

* * * * * * * * * *

It was nine PM.

Sam was sitting in the main room of the temple, going over her cards.

“Sam?” said a comforting voice.

Sam turned, and saw her mother come in.

“It’s late,” said Sheena. “You’re gonna need your strength tomorrow.”

“Hiroki’s still out there,” muttered Sam.

Sheena sighed.

“Sam, it was all I could do to get a message to Nicholas and Olga,” sighed Sheena. “Getting in touch with his father is out of the question.

“I don’t know why he betrayed us, but for whatever reason, he’s become very dangerous. And hunting him down for revenge is not a good idea.”

Sam opened the pouch that contained her side deck, and took out a card.

“I know mom, I know,” she said. “But this whole situation seems a little upside-down if you ask me.”

She looked at the card.

“He told me during that duel that Daala had worked on his deck for months… That would imply that he’s worked for her for months… But we saw him at that… Travesty of a party you threw two months ago.”

“Sam, it was my PR guy’s fault that it turned out the way it did,” sighed Sheena. “He’ll never work for Kaibacorp again.”

“Well, if Hiroki bore any resentment towards me then, he was hiding it pretty well,” said Sam.

“And when I was being held prisoner, I was half-conscious, and I had… A vision, a dream… It’s hard to explain, but it made me doubt whether everything is as it seems.”

“Might he be brainwashed?” asked Sheena.

“That would be the easy answer,” muttered Sam. “I really don’t think the answer is so clichéd.”

She looked at the card again.

“There’s something else… And sooner or later, I’m gonna find out what it is…”

* * * * * * * * * *

Daala was in the center of an arena of sorts, located in a subterranean location. This arena had no seats for spectators. It only had monstrous-looking statuary on the walls surrounding the sandy floor.

In front of her was a very nervous and scared-looking Ebon Magician Curran, holding her Duel Disk.

“Here’s the deal, Curran,” said Daala. “I’ve given you the power of the Core. Now I have to test you.

“The one in charge of distributing that power is going to send a duelist. You’re going to duel it. I’m not allowed to help you any more than I have.

“If you win, it will just go back.

“If you lose, it will go back, and take you with it. And I have no control over what happens to you after that.

“Understand?”

Curran slowly nodded.

Daala slowly turned to the front of the arena.

“She’s ready,” she said.

A dark portal slowly opened, and a large form slithered out. It stood seven feet tall. From the waist up, it might have resembled an attractive human female, except that it had six arms. From the waist down, it had a long serpent’s tail instead of legs.

Curran gasped and took a step back. The demon grinned at her, the same way a cat tended to grin at a cornered mouse. A Duel Disk appeared on its upper-left arm.

“Duel,” it said, in a sinister voice.

* * * * * * * * * *

ZOMBIE BED (Trap Card)

Normal Trap

Image: A sinister-looking coffin made of green stone.

Card Description: This card is activated when it is destroyed while facedown on your side of the field. Special Summon one Zombie-Type Monster from your Graveyard.

Note: “Zombie Bed” was first used by Camula in the “Yu-Gi-Oh GX” episode “Field of Screams (Part One)”. Creative credit goes to the writers of that episode.



DESPERATE BATTLE (Trap Card)

Normal Trap

Image: A small kid in a boxing outfit standing up to a hulking muscleman in a boxing outfit.

Card Description: Activate only during your own Battle Phase. Select one Monster that has attacked. Reduce the ATK of the selected Monster by 1,000 until the end of the Battle Phase. The selected Monster may attack a second time.

Note: “Desperate Battle” was first used by Crowler in a fourth-season episode of “Yu-Gi-Oh GX”. All creative credit goes to the writers of that episode.



DEATH, THE PALE HORSEMAN (Monster Card)

Card Specs

Type: Fiend/Effect
Attribute: Dark
Level: 10
ATK: 2,500
DEF: 2,500

Card Description: This card cannot be Special Summoned. This card can only be Normal Summoned by offering three Monsters as a Tribute. This card cannot be destroyed as a result of battle (damage calculation still applies). When this card battles a Monster and does not destroy it, the Monster that battled it is destroyed at the end of the Battle Phase.



Coming up next:

The heroes don’t waste any time. Coming up next, they start to venture into the Frozen Wastes, where another powerful Duel Spirit greets them with another enigmatic warning. Plus, they soon learn that this Realm is the one closest to the Core, when Ren in confronted by the Archfiend of Gilfer, a Duel Spirit who calls himself the Lord of Nothingness. Chaos starts to become far more dangerous in “Blank Slate”, coming soon.



Name that Card!

A lot of fans of the original anime wondered just why Joey wasted space in his deck with a Monster as weak as Swordsman of Landstar. The answer is simple: According to anime rules (which are not the case in real rules), the effect of this other card that he was known to use only worked on Monsters that had 500 ATK or less. Can you name it?

[Shuppet Master]

I'd guess "Silver Dollar", but that was an anime-only card.

"Vision", indeed! Last night I dreamt I had been reading this! Great job, Brian!

It's nice to see that you fixed the goof-up everyone complained about, saying you made Marie too shallow, by having this chapter. I'm sure Marie will get her redemption now.

Poor Sam, having to be protected by a flimsy defense now that she was beaten in a duel. Somehow, Sam thinks that Hiroki was being controlled, and things are too weird.

So, the Wind Realm is an arctic realm. Makes sense, ice and wind are usually associated with each other.

[Dark Sage]

Which of Joey’s cards was the reason he had Swordsman of Landstar in his deck? If you said “Graceful Dice”, you were successfully able to Name that Card!



Want to give someone something to fight for? Give him something to believe in.

Countries are founded on beliefs. Wars are started over beliefs. Whole cultures come into being due to beliefs. Never have conflicts started due to someone willing to fight simply over disbelief. As one of the Wind Dukes of Aaqa, I personally believe in the power and superiority of Law. But I’m not going to go into a discussion of my personal philosophy right now. You have already read about that.

Still, there are indeed philosophies of disbelief. And I’m not talking about atheism either. An atheist often has valid beliefs of his own, such as the belief that mankind should control his own destiny. Some atheists can be quite optimistic. I’m talking about something else entirely.

There exists a school of thought that is referred to as nihilism. Quite simply, this is the philosophy of disbelief. This philosophical standpoint argues that existence is without purpose, meaning, or intrinsic value.

If you think this is a pessimistic outlook, you’re right. A nihilist will hold that objective morality does not exist. He’ll state that existence has no goals, and no choice of actions is preferable to another. He naturally argues that there is no proof for the existence of any higher powers or creators, and will also say that if any do exist, mankind is under no obligation to worship them.

In short, a nihilist believes in nothing.

If you think this suits the needs of chaotic entities like Shogarr just fine, you’re understanding his ways better. Demon lords like him are the ones who first taught mortals this concept. If more mortals truly believe in nothing, more of them embrace hopelessness and despair, and the power of the Abyss grows stronger, gaining more recruits for their dark empire. The Abyss feeds on despair… It’s like sweet nectar to the demons.

What I’m seeing now surprises even me. My race has no duelists, but we have tried to study this game that was inspired by Duel Spirits as much as we can, ever since Shogarr has expressed an interest in it. And it seems that this belief in nothing has spawned a duelist who draws upon its power…

Power derived from belief in nothing? As oxymoronic as that sounds, I must admit that Chaos has done stranger things…

CHAPTER FORTY-THREE



Clean Slate

“Attack directly!” screamed Curran.

The demon let out a vile hiss as a dark sword made a swipe across its chest. Its Life Points fell to zero.

It fell to the floor of the arena with a crash that shook the whole chamber.

Curran held her chest and took deep, slow breaths. The demon slowly turned to dark mist, and was sucked back through the portal.

She heard clapping behind her.

Curran turned around, and saw that the clapping was coming from Daala, who was smiling.

“Well done!” said Daala. “You have become more powerful than even I imagined Curran…”

Curran still couldn’t respond. She was still out of breath. Daala knelt down to look her in the eye.

“You know, Curran…” she said. “That slot in my inner circle that recently opened is still available… Interested? You might get a chance against Yumi after all…”

Curran gave a weak grin.

“It… It would be an honor,” she said.

Daala carefully straightened Curran’s hood.

“You have passed the test…” she said. “You are a child of Chaos now…

“Yumi won’t know what hit her…”

* * * * * * * * * *

It was midnight.

Saturday had just changed into Sunday.

As her charges slept, Joan was hard at work in the main room of the temple.

In front of the huge throne, she had erected something new: A large, crystal spire, ten feet tall, four feet thick at the base, and tapering to a point at the top.

She was concentrating, feeding energy into it. Once her charges completed the last job, and she hoped they could, she could use it, as she had been wanting to do for years.

She paused.

Something had come through the portal.

She stopped, and turned to retrieve the scroll. She recognized the seal. It had been sent by Meltiel. It was the reply.

She broke the seal, and read the message.

My dear Joan,

Of course I can read Ancient Draconic, it’s like a second language to me.

Come to the Great Library tomorrow when the gears of Mechanus have turned ten percent, and I’ll be happy to translate it.

- Meltiel

Joan chuckled.

Planar time was measured by the gears of Mechanus. That was a formal way of saying, “come at eleven AM”.

And she’d be sure to do so.

* * * * * * * * * *

Daala was nervous.

Her morning shower couldn’t have been more luxurious. It resembled an indoor lagoon with a waterfall more than a typical shower. And she even had two handmaidens to scrub her back.

Still, as two others gave her a towel, she was more nervous than she had been for a while.

It was Sunday. Tonight, at nine o’clock, she would have to report back to that arena. And this time, she was the one who would be tested.

She sighed.

When she was first building Xanadu, her patron – she didn’t know yet that it was Shogarr, although she would later – put her under the guidance of a more experienced master of the dark arts. He taught her magic, and they learned the secrets of merging it with technology, increasing both their powers greatly.

Ever since she had become queen, this mentor served as her partner and advisor. But Shogarr said there would be a condition.

Daala would eventually have to prove she was worthy of keeping the crown. She’d have to face her mentor in a duel, and win. The conditions were very generous. She’d even be allowed six attempts.

But… If she failed all six, her status would be demoted. From queen, to slave.

And she had lost five times. Tonight was her last chance.

As she got dressed, she chose her best outfit. It was pretty revealing – a low-cut halter and a short skirt. If she was going to be sacrificed to Shogarr, she would at least look the part.

As one of the handmaidens started to do her hair, she picked up a phone. She still had several responsibilities before nine o’clock.

“General?” she said. “It’s time… Start gathering your troops. And start by sending a few scouts…”

* * * * * * * * * *

Yumi and the others stood outside of the temple, wearing some winter clothing that Joan had provided.

“Okay folks, listen up,” she said. “I’m not big on speeches.

“But… We’ve taken out the Big Five… We’ve survived this far… We only have one more Realm to go, and then we can take out Daala herself.

“So… Onward, I say.”

They walked down the path, and once again, the odd spatial effect of Xanadu kicked in. A cold chill ripped through them, as they emerged in a tundra of snow and ice.

They looked around. Glaciers and mountains of ice surrounded them. Wind whipped and howled.

Chelsea gestured, and flames erupted around her hands. It started warming the others up a little.

“Well,” said Ren. “Joan said our guide would be…”

Then the ice burst in a great explosion of electricity in front of them, and a giant form rose out of it. Everyone stepped backwards.

Standing in front of them was a twenty-foot-tall titan made of bronze metal. It was human-shaped, in a way that suggested armor, with a giant, circular discus on its back, covered with strange runes. Its eyes glowed with energy.

“The Creator!” gasped Erik.

He activated his Disk.

“Wait…” said Yumi. “If my hunch is right…”

She walked up to the huge Monster and glared at it in the face. It glared back. Then, a deep and commanding telepathic voice sounded in their heads.

“Mortals, hear my cry,” it said, “and prepare, for a beast stalks the night. It commands the power of lightning, but such gives no illumination, for it is the lightning of the dead. It cannot come unless all of its allies who came before are dead, and not unless those allies number five. But when it comes, it can consume the soul of one of those allies to give life to another. Beware the beast who causes death in order to give life!”

As it said the last of these words, lighting struck from the sky, and as one powerful one struck, it vanished.

“What did it mean?” shouted Sam.

“Beats me,” said a voice. “I certainly never heard him talk before.”

Everyone looked up, and saw who had spoken. It was a dark figure, wearing a black trenchcoat, with long, neatly-trimmed, dark hair and a solemn expression. He wore a standard-issue Duel Disk on his left arm.

Everyone was shocked, as they quickly recognized him.

“Zane Truesdale?” asked Ren. “You’re Joan’s second-in-command?”

The figure nodded.

“Before we get started,” he said, “let me give you a tip for surviving the Frozen Wastes.

“Friends here are few and far between. So don’t lose the ones you have.

“And stay close… If a blizzard strikes, if you wander off, you might be lost forever.”

With those encouraging words, they followed him.

* * * * * * * * * *

“We all heard the stories, Zane,” said Ren. “You used to be Hell Kaiser… The meanest guy in the Pro League…”

“You confuse me with someone else,” replied Zane. “Don’t forget, I’m just a copy of someone who’s long gone.”

“We heard about what happened to Syrus in this world,” said Chelsea. “We’re… sorry…”

Zane paused. He nodded.

“In the real world, Zane gave his brother the Cyber Tails Deck,” replied Zane. “And Syrus fashioned a new deck that was a combination of it and his own… A Cyberoid Deck.

“In Xanadu, we were both programmed to have the sibling bond they had, and Syrus had the Cyberoid Deck. The deck I used at first isn’t important.

“Then Daala defeated him personally. And gave the deck to one of her top lieutenants.

“I wouldn’t let that go unchallenged. I hunted that lieutenant down, and defeated him. Then I took the deck back. And I reworked it, turning it into the Cyber Tails deck that I remembered due to my programming.”

He hit his chest with his fist.

“Those cards may have caused the real Zane health trouble, but they can’t hurt an AI. I’m going to keep fighting until we liberate Daala’s prison and get him out of there.”

“And we’re going to do it,” said Yumi. “This is the last visible Realm that Daala controls. Soon we’ll…”

“Get out of sight!” interrupted Zane.

A winged Fiend flew overhead. They all looked for a place to hide.

“What?” asked Erik, as they ducked behind an icy outcropping.

“The Realm Lord’s air force…” replied Zane.

He watched the creature.

“Oh, too late!” he shouted.

The Fiend started circling, and landed about thirty feet away.

“That’s an Archfiend of Gilfer,” muttered Sam.

The Archfiend walked over to them, his wings folding against his back like some odd cape. Even as the humans tried to conceal themselves, he crossed his arms.

“I know you’re there,” he said, in a bored tone of voice.

“Well, Yumi…” muttered Chelsea, looking at the horned, clawed Fiend. “This guy used to be in your grandpa’s deck… Why don’t you BS him?”

“Hey, I hardly know him!” replied Yumi.

The Archfiend shook his head.

“That guy was the white sheep of the Archfiends,” he said. “I’m not as approachable.

“So I’m left with a choice, I suppose…

“I could fly back to the fortress right now and raise the alarm…

“Or, I could handle one of you right now before doing so…”

He pulled the horn on his left elbow, and his forearm split, unfolding a Disk that had seemingly been implanted there.

Ren stood up.

“You want to duel?” he asked.

“No, not really,” said the Archfiend. “But I guess there’s no avoiding it forever…”

“You don’t sound very enthusiastic,” replied Ren.

“Not much to be enthusiastic about,” said the Archfiend. “Don’t you know the effect of my card? It can’t do anything useful unless it dies first.

“Archfiends of Gilfer like myself are called the Lords of Nothingness… There isn’t much that makes you get excited when you rule over a cause that isn’t truly a cause.”

“Lords of Nothingness?” asked Sam. “What exactly do you do with your time?”

The Archfiend made a slight smirk.

“We do our best to spread our message,” he said. “That there is no meaning to anything.”

The Disk activated.

“And once I defeat you, Ren, perhaps I’ll have you thinking the same way.”

“You must be a big laugh at parties, pal,” said Ren, activating his own Disk. “So, will we be using Deck Lords?”

“Makes no difference to me,” replied the Archfiend with a shrug.

“I’ll take that as a yes,” said Ren.

He gestured, and Penumbral Soldier Lady appeared behind him.

“Game on!” he shouted.

“Whatever,” muttered the Archfiend.

(Ren: 8,000) - - - - - - - - - - (Archfiend of Gilfer: 8,000)

“You’re the expert, Zane,” said Chelsea. “Do you believe this guy?”

“Frankly, no,” replied Zane. “This is a Fiend, and such creatures tend to be experts at deception and trickery. It wouldn’t surprise me in the least if this guy’s glum attitude was nothing but an act.

“Ren had better watch himself.”

“Guess I’ll go first,” mumbled the Archfiend, making a draw.

He glanced over his cards and then chose one.

“I summon Clear Phantom in Attack Mode.”

The Monster simply appeared, with no display of energy, and no sound. It looked like a fiendish skeleton, with one glaring eye, sealed inside a crystal prism. (1,200/1,400)

“I guess that will do,” he said.

“Clear Phantom?” said Ren, raising an eyebrow. “What the…”

He drew a card.

No idea what the heck that thing is, he thought. But I can take care of it…

“I use one of my newest Deck Lord abilities,” he said. “It’s called Dark Demotion. I simply have to discard one Dark Warrior-Type Monster from my hand…”

He discarded The Fiend Megacyber.

“…and I get to search for one from my deck that’s a lower Level.”

A card slipped out of his deck.

“Now, I’ll summon Mataza the Zapper!”

He played the card, and the armored ronin holding his katana appeared. (1,300/800)

“Attack his Clear Phantom!” shouted Ren. “Zapping blade!”

Mataza the Zapper swung his katana, and the prism was smashed to bits, smashing the bony Fiend inside it with it.

“All right!” shouted Ren.

Then pieces of the prism flew at Mataza the Zapper and stabbed into him. He screamed, and then shattered into pixels.

“All wrong…” muttered Ren.

“When Clear Phantom is destroyed in battle,” sighed the Archfiend, “you lose the Monster that destroyed it. As well as the top three cards from your deck.”

Ren gasped as three cards flew off his deck and disappeared.

“Why didn’t you say so?!” he shouted.

“You didn’t ask,” replied the Archfiend.

Ren growled.

“I have to end my turn.”

(R: 8,000) - - - - - - - - - - (A: 7,900)

The Archfiend drew a card.

“I summon Clear Rage Golem,” he said.

Another Monster sealed in a prism appeared. This one was humanoid (more or less), seven feet tall, and made of solid, black rock. (1,600/1,800)

“Attack him directly,” said the Archfiend.

The Golem burst free of its prism with a roar, showing much more emotion than its master. It lunged at Ren and slugged him in the stomach.

“Ergh…” groaned Ren.

“And now its effect activates,” said the Archfiend. “When it attacks directly and deals damage, you lose an additional 300 points of damage for each card in your hand.”

Ren looked at his hand as a painful red aura surrounded him. He never thought it would be a liability to have a hand of five cards…

Clear Rage Golem glowed with green flames, and the prism reformed around it.

“I’ll set a facedown card, and end my turn there,” said the Archfiend.

A reversed card appeared.

(R: 4,900) - - - - - - - - - - (A: 7,900)

“Can’t you show just a little emotion?” asked Ren. “This is like a lecture by my economics teacher, only not as exciting.”

The Archfiend just glared at him.

“Why show emotion?” he asked. “They just keep you from thinking clearly. Anger makes you careless… Fear holds you back… Doubt keeps you from acting.

“And positive emotions are little better. They set you up for big disappointments. If I enjoyed myself in this duel, I’d just have a letdown once it was over. So I don’t bother anymore.”

Ren glared at him.

What was I thinking? thought Ren, as he drew a card. There’s a reason that the Frozen Wastes are the most dangerous Realm… This guy is and his… Clear Monsters are obviously deadly!

I don’t know whether he actually believes what he’s saying, or whether he’s messing with my mind…

I’ll be more careful…

“I use another of my Deck Lord abilities,” said Ren. “Since I have no Monsters on the field, and my Graveyard has only Dark Warriors, I get to Special Summon one from there.”

Mataza the Zapper appeared again. (1,300/800)

“Next, I’ll summon Dark Blade.”

He played another card, and Dark Blade appeared, brandishing his scimitars. (1,800/1,600)

“Destroy his Golem! Dark sword slash!”

Dark Blade made a swipe with his sword, and Clear Rage Golem and its prism was blown to bits.

“Mataza the Zapper, attack him directly!”

“I activate Call of the Haunted,” replied the Archfiend.

His facedown card flipped up, and once again, Clear Rage Golem appeared. (1,600/1,800)

“In that case,” said Ren, “I call off my attack, and end my turn.”

(R: 4,900) - - - - - - - - - - (A: 7,700)

Archfiend of Gilfer drew a card.

“I activate my Deck Lord ability,” he said. “If I have at least one Monster face-up on the field during my Standby Phase, I get to draw an extra card.”

He made a draw.

“Say WHAT?” shouted Ren.

“But…” said the Archfiend, “if the drawn card is a Monster, and its Attribute is the same as one I have on the field, I lose the drawn card, and every copy of it on the field, in my deck, and in my Graveyard.”

“O-kay…” muttered Ren. “That seems fair.”

The Fiend flipped the card around. It was Hallowed Life Barrier.

Then he added it to his hand and chose another one.

“I play Clear World,” he said.

He placed the card in a slot on his Disk, and the whole arena changed…

It was like they had been transported to a blue void of sorts. Hanging in the air were white crystal prisms, and under their feet was a sandy surface.

“A Field Spell?” asked Ren.

Archfiend of Gilfer nodded.

“Clear World is a place where only absence has any power,” he explained. “So it rejects all forms of matter, including most forms of life. That includes both Monsters, and the ones controlling them. In game terms, this Field Spell has one or more debilitating effects on each player, depending on what Attribute of Monsters they control. As far as you’re concerned, I believe all your Monsters are Dark. So as long as you have at least one on the field in Clear World, you aren’t allowed to declare an attack.”

“Wait a minute…” said Ren. “Your Monsters look pretty Dark too…”

The Archfiend shook its head.

“Clear Monsters rule over Nothingness, Ren,” he said. “They have no Attribute.”

Ren’s eyes opened wide.

“That’s…” he started.

“That makes his Deck Lord power broken!” shouted Sam. “If his Monsters have no Attribute, there’s no drawback to it at all!”

“And this Field Spell gives him a pretty unfair advantage,” said Chelsea. “At least Clear Rage Golem isn’t strong enough to beat Dark Blade.”

“Still my move,” said the Archfiend. “But… I think I’ve done enough for now anyway… So I’ll end my turn…”

Ren looked at him.

Why the heck didn’t he attack Mataza? he thought. This makes no sense…

He drew a card.

He looked at his hand.

First order of business is to tear this Field down, he thought. Then try to gain the upper hand before any more nasty surprises show up.

“I summon Getsu Fuhma,” he said.

In a shower of cherry blossoms, the redheaded, female ronin appeared. (1,700/1,200)

“That’s all I can do,” he said.

“I draw,” said the Archfiend, drawing a card.

He yawned as he looked at it.

“Then I use my Deck Lord ability to draw again.”

He made a second draw. He turned the card forward, revealing it to be Morphing Jar.

“Now I play an Equip Spell,” he said. “It’s called Attribute Mastery.”

He played the card. The art appeared to be one of those ever-present prisms surrounded by the six Attribute symbols.

“When I Equip this to my Monster, I have to name one Attribute… Let’s see… Think I’ll name Dark.

“Next, I play a second Equip Spell. It’s called Attribute Bomb.”

The Spell Card that appeared was rather ominous. It depicted a group of men in dark suits and sunglasses around a roulette wheel with colored tiles, with a bomb for a marble.

“Again, I have to name one Attribute. I think I’ll name Dark again.

“Now… Clear Rage Golem… Attack Dark Blade.”

“Huh?” said Ren.

Clear Rage Golem burst free of its prism again, and lunged at Dark Blade. It made a slash with its claw, and the results were dramatic. Dark Blade literally exploded, and Ren was thrown to the ground.

“What happened?” gasped Ren.

“Thanks to Attribute Mastery,” explained the Archfiend, “when the Equipped Monster battles a Monster that is the Attribute I named, damage calculation is ignored, and the attack target is destroyed.

“And thanks to Attribute Bomb, you lose 1,000 Life Points when that happens.

“And now it’s your move.”

(R: 3,900) - - - - - - - - - - (A: 7,700)

Ren growled as he drew a card.

“I move Mataza and Getsu to Defense Mode,” he said.

Both the Warriors sheathed their katanas, and knelt down, shielding themselves.

“Then I summon Dark Squire.”

The young, black-garbed page appeared. She crouched down and crossed her arms. (300/300)

“And that ends my turn.”

The Archfiend drew.

“I draw a second card due to my Deck Lord ability,” he said, making another draw.

He turned the card forward. It was a Trap Card called Attribute Gravity.

What the Hell is that? thought Ren.

“Now I summon a second Clear Rage Golem.”

He played another card, and a twin of the first Golem appeared.

“Now my Equipped one will attack Getsu Fuhma.”

The first Golem broke free of its prism, and lunged at Getsu. Like before, Getsu exploded, and Ren cringed.

“Second one, destroy Dark Squire.”

The second one broke free of its own gem. It lifted its foot, and squashed Dark Squire with one stomp.

“Thank you,” said Ren. “Now we both get to draw two cards.”

Archfiend of Gilfer shrugged, and they both made two draws. The two Golems burned with green flames, and the prisms reformed around them.

“My turn is over,” said the Fiend.

(R: 2,900) - - - - - - - - - - (A: 7,700)

“Your friend had better do something fast,” said Zane. “This guy is clearly not fooling around.”

“Don’t worry…” said Chelsea, with a nervous laugh. “He’ll likely draw just the right card right now…”

“Actually,” said Ren, “I already drew it.”

He made his draw.

“Thanks to Dark Squire, I can play this… Heavy Storm!”

He held the card up, and a fierce wind tore through Clear World. The prisms burst, and the void blew away. Then Attribute Mastery and Attribute Bomb shattered, and so did Call of the Haunted, along with the Clear Rage Golem that it had summoned.

“I’m not done,” said Ren. “I sacrifice Mataza…”

Mataza the Zapper vanished.

“To summon Total Defense Shogun! Burgundy, welcome back.”

The powerful Shogun appeared, lifting his huge sword and shield. Then he knelt down, and held his shield in front of him. (1,550/2,500)

“An Archfiend, eh?” said his voice (although his lips didn’t move). “I never had the misfortune of messing with one of them… But after dealing with the Dark Army, it shouldn’t be hard.”

“With that,” said Ren, “I end my turn. It’s your move…”

The Archfiend drew a card casually.

“I use the effect of my Deck Lord to draw again,” he said.

He made a draw. He turned the card forward.

“Argh, that’s a Level Eight Monster!” exclaimed Chelsea.

“And I don’t like it at all!” replied Sam. “Clear Vice Dragon?”

“Don’t worry,” added Zane. “He’d need two Monsters to summon it, and he only has one.”

“You think too small,” said the Archfiend, adding it to his hand. “But I won’t summon it this round anyway.

“First, I’ll play a facedown.”

A facedown card appeared.

“Then, I’ll play Clear World again.”

He placed a second Field Spell in his Disk, and once again, the crystal-filled void covered the arena.

“I’m starting to hate this place…” said Ren.

“I move Clear Rage Golem to Defense Mode,” said the Archfiend, as the prism holding the Golem settled on the ground.

“Then I Equip Total Defense Shogun with Scroll of Bewitchment. This lets me change its Attribute. I’ll change it from Dark to Earth.”

He played the card.

“Why did you do that?” asked Ren. “If I don’t have any Dark Monsters, that means I can attack…”

“But Shogun isn’t strong enough to defeat my Golem’s Defense anyway,” said the Archfiend. “And now you must deal with the Earth effect of Clear World. During your End Phase, you must destroy one of your Monsters.

“What’s more, if you summon another Monster, you must deal with both the Earth effect, and the Dark effect.”

“Of all the dirty…” muttered Chelsea.

“I end my turn,” said the Archfiend.

Ren drew a card.

“Sorry to ruin your plans, pal,” he said. “I play Mystic Plasma Zone.”

He played his own field Spell, and the crystals of Clear World shattered again. A creeping darkness covered the field.

Deep inside the dark heart of the Archfiend of Gilfer, which had long ago been numbed to all emotion, an emotion was starting to form…

Anger. Not once, but twice now, this insolent human had destroyed the Field Spell that was the key to his perfect strategy.

He had decided. Next turn, he would show Ren the true terror of his deck.

“I summon a second Dark Blade!” shouted Ren.

He played the card, and another Dark Blade appeared. (1,800/1,600) –> (2,300/1,200)

“Dark Blade, destroy Clear Rage Golem!”

Dark Blade slashed with his scimitar, and the Golem and its prism was blown to pieces.

“Total Defense Shogun, attack him directly!”

The Shogun slammed his sword down, and a blade of energy tore across the field. The Archfiend cringed a little as it hit him.

He frowned.

(R: 2,900) - - - - - - - - - - (A: 6,150)

“I set two cards facedown, and then end my turn,” said Ren.

The Archfiend drew a card. He looked at it, and then added it to his hand.

“Time to take this duel to the next level,” he said. “With a more powerful Monster… My Clear Vice Dragon.”

“Yeah?” asked Chelsea. “How are you gonna summon it? You need two sacrifices, and you don’t even have one!”

“Oh, but I do…” said the Fiend.

He played a Spell Card.

“I play Clear Sacrifice,” he said. “Now, if I need sacrifices to summon a high-Level Clear Monster, all I have to do is turn to my Graveyard. The Monsters there can serve as the sacrifices, even though they’ve already been destroyed.”

Clear Phantom and Clear Rage Golem appeared behind him.

“And I’ll also chain Emergency Provisions to this card’s activation.”

He played the card, and Clear Sacrifice vanished, as did the two Monsters.

“Now behold… The Lord of Nothing… The Clear Vice Dragon.”

It loomed over the field, casting a shadow over the already-dark arena. Once again sealed in a prism, it looked like a cross between a Dragon and some wicked demon, with jagged claws and rows of teeth. (0/0)

Ren was mortified. This was the Monster he had the nightmare about all those nights ago…


Continued…

[Dark Sage]

Continued from last post:



“It… It has zero Attack Points…” he gasped. “That’s bad, right?”

“It only has zero Attack Points when it isn’t battling,” said the Archfiend. “When it battles a Monster, its Attack Score becomes double that of its opponent. Long story short, it cannot be defeated in battle.”

The Dragon burst free of its crystal, and let out a roar of bloodlust.

“Attack his Dark Blade,” ordered the Archfiend. “Clear Malicious Stream.”

Clear Vice Dragon roared again, and its Attack Score became 3,600.

“I activate Sakuretsu Armor!” shouted Ren, as one of his Trap Cards lifted.

“That won’t work,” replied Archfiend of Gilfer. “If my Dragon would be destroyed, by anything, I can protect it by simply discarding one card.”

He discarded a card in his hand, and the Trap Card shattered.

Dark flames appeared in Clear Vice Dragon’s mouth…

“Ren!” shouted Burgundy. “The other Trap!”

“Are you sure?” shouted Ren.

“Do it!” yelled the Shogun. “I’ll be fine!”

“I activate Attack Guidance Armor!” screamed Ren, as his other facedown card lifted.

The fiendish suit of armor appeared, and fit over Burgundy’s chest.

“Now, your Dragon’s attack is redirected to my Total Defense Shogun!”

Clear Vice Dragon’s Attack Score fell to 3,100. It blasted a bolt of black flames, and Total Defense Shogun exploded.

Ren hung his head.

“Thank you Burgundy…” he whispered.

He looked up.

“Since he was in Defense Mode, I take no damage.”

“So you didn’t,” replied the Archfiend. “And since it attacked, my Dragon must move to Defense Mode itself.”

Clear Vice Dragon shielded itself with its wings, and purple flames surrounded it as the prism reformed around it.

“It may have zero Defense Points, but even if you attack it, I can negate its destruction by discarding a card.

“And just in case, I’ll set one card facedown.”

A facedown card appeared.

“It’s your move.”

(R: 2,900) - - - - - - - - - - (A: 7,150)

Ren drew a card.

“I play Monster Reborn!” he shouted.

He played the card, and the holy ankh appeared on the field. The Fiend Megacyber appeared in a flash of light. (2,200/1,200) –> (2,700/800)

“Next,” he said, “I’ll discard Familiar Knight from my hand, so I can summon Black Lotus without a sacrifice.”

He discarded the card, and the veiled, black-garbed assassin appeared, holding her sai. (1,300/1,400) –> (1,800/1,000)

“Take a look, buddy,” he said. “I have three Monsters, so I have three attacks. And you have only two cards to discard. So you can’t stop me from taking out your Dragon!”

The Archfiend looked at his hand.

“Well, well…” he said. “Well, well, well… You’re right… Huh…”

“Dark Blade,” ordered Ren, “attack Clear Vice Dragon!”

Dark Blade made a great leap, and brought his sword down on the huge crystal. A great crack formed in the huge prism, and Clear Vice Dragon burst into rocky shards.

Huh? thought Ren. He didn’t even try?

His problem…

“Black Lotus, attack him directly!”

The Kunoichi made a rush at the Fiend…

“I activate Hallowed Life Barrier,” said the Archfiend, as one of his facedown cards lifted.

He discarded the Attribute Gravity in his hand, and a dome of force materialized around him. Black Lotus’s blade glanced off of him.

Ren looked at his hand.

“I’ll play a facedown of my own,” he said, “and end my turn.”

A facedown card appeared on his own side of the field.

The Archfiend quickly drew.

“I set one Monster in Defense Mode,” it said, “and then I play my own Monster Reborn, to summon Clear Cube in Defense Mode.”

A facedown Monster appeared. Then the holy ankh appeared, and a new Clear Monster appeared. This one was, again, sealed in a prism, but it was smallish, and resembled a robot of some type, cubical in shape, with small mechanical limbs. (0/0)

Clear Cube? thought Ren. When was that…

He paused.

Oh… He must have discarded it to activate his Dragon’s effect.

“You have no more cards,” he said, “so it’s my move…”

He drew a card.

“I summon my second Getsu Fuhma!” he exclaimed.

In another shower of petals, Getsu appeared again. (1,700/1,200) –> (2,200/800)

“Yes!” cheered Chelsea. “Ren has him outnumbered four Monsters to two!”

“Black Lotus,” ordered Ren, “destroy his Cube!”

Black Lotus lunged, and stabbed the Machine with her sai. It burst into shards.

“And since she destroyed a Monster, she gains 200 Attack Points.”

Black Lotus wiped her sai on her leotard, and her Attack Score rose to 2,000.

“Clear Cube has a special effect as well,” replied the Archfiend. “When it leaves the field, I get to summon another Cube.”

A second Clear Cube appeared in Defense Mode. (0/0)

“Dark Blade, attack the second one!” shouted Ren.

Dark Blade brought his scimitar down on the Cube, and it shattered.

“As you may have already guessed,” said the Archfiend, “my deck has three Cubes in it.”

A third Clear Cube appeared. (0/0)

Ren pointed, and Getsu Fuhma slashed with her scimitar, slicing the third Cube in half.

“Now for your last Monster,” said Ren. “Fiend Megacyber, get it!”

The Fiend Megacyber rushed at the facedown Monster. The Morphing Jar appeared on the card and cackled before it was ripped to shreds.

Ren frowned. He should have remembered that his opponent had that.

He discarded the three cards in his hand, and made five draws. Archfiend of Gilfer simply made five draws.

Ren looked over the five new cards.

“All right…” he said. “I end my turn.”

“And I start mine,” said the Archfiend, drawing a card.

“First, I play Mystical Space Typhoon to destroy this Field Spell.”

He played the card, and the cyclone blew the uncanny darkness away. Dark Blade fell to an Attack Score of 1,800, Getsu Fuhma fell to 1,700, The Fiend Megacyber fell to 2,200, and Black Lotus fell to 1,500.

“Next,” he continued, “I activate my facedown Trap Card.”

His facedown card lifted up.

“It’s called Nihilistic Summoning Technique, and it lets me summon to the field one Monster that has been removed from play in Attack Mode.”

Clear Rage Golem appeared once again.

“Of course,” he continued, “It’s Attack Score becomes zero, and I’m not allowed to switch it to Defense Mode.”

(0/1,800)

“So what’s the point?” asked Chelsea.

“You’ll see,” continued the Fiend. “I next play Golden Sarcophagus.”

He played the card, and a golden chest with the Eye of Wdjat on its front appeared. He took a card from his deck, and held it over the chest. It lowered into the chest, which then closed, and the chest lowered into the ground.

“We’ll get to that later. For now, I play a facedown, and end my turn.”

A facedown card appeared behind Clear Rage Golem.

This is a pretty obvious Trap if I’ve ever seen one, thought Ren.

He looked at the facedown card. He looked at the card he had just drawn.

Well, sorry, buddy, I’m not gonna bite…

He placed a card on his Disk, and a facedown card appeared.

“Your move,” he said.

The Archfiend frowned.

He drew a card. As he did so, Ren’s facedown card lifted.

“Dust Tornado!” he exclaimed.

The Tornado flew across the field, and towards the facedown card that the Archfiend had set. It was a second Attribute Gravity.

The Fiend actually smirked a little as it shattered. He looked at the card he had just drawn.

“Clever,” he said. “That was a pretty powerful Trap. It would have drawn your attacks to your own Monsters. But what you should have done was destroyed my Nihilistic Summoning Technique. If you had, my Monster would have gone with it.”

“What the heck are you going to do with a Monster that has zero…” started Ren.

He stopped short.

“You’re going to sacrifice it, right?”

“That’s right,” said the Archfiend. “For a greater Lord of Nothing. This Monster is Level Eight, but if my opponent has at least one Monster, I can summon it with one sacrifice…”

Clear Rage Golem vanished.

“Behold… The Clear Vicious Knight.”

The Monster that appeared was not as big as the Dragon, but just as intimidating. Inside its prism, it stood seven feet tall, and while its name suggested that it was a Warrior, its armor made it look like a cross between an alien and some sort of demon soldier. The armor looked more like a black exoskeleton than any that came from a forge, and it came equipped with two sharp blades on its wrists. (2,300/2,000)

“O-kay…” said Ren, nervously. “Nothing I can’t handle…”

“We’ll soon see,” said the Archfiend. “I play a Spell Card. It’s called Trojan Ploy.”

The Spell Card appeared, showing the image of the Trojan Horse under the full moon at night.

The Archfiend started to walk up to Ren.

“What’s going on?” asked Ren.

“I have no need for the rest of the cards in my hand, Ren,” said the Fiend, “so I’m giving them to you.

“Here.”

He casually handed the two cards to Ren.

“I’m not sure I want them,” replied Ren. “What’s the catch?”

“Well,” said the Archfiend, as he walked back to his position, “if you actually want to use any of them, you have to pay 1,000 Life Points apiece.

“But you won’t get a chance to anyway, because I’m ending this now. You see, when I have no cards in my hand, and Clear Vicious Knight is the only card I have on the field, its effect activates.

“Its Attack Score is increased by the base Attack Score of the most powerful Monster on your side of the field. That would be your Fiend Megacyber.”

Clear Vicious Knight threw up its arms and broke free of its prism. It glowed with ominous blue flames, and its Attack Score rose to 4,500.

“Attack Black Lotus,” ordered the Archfiend. “The End of Clean.”

“This is it!” screamed Sam. “If Ren can’t block this attack, he loses!”

Clear Vicious Knight flew at Black Lotus…

“Not so fast!” shouted Ren. “I have a Trap Card!”

His facedown card lifted up.

“It’s called Covering Fire! Now, I can increase Black Lotus’s Attack Score by that of another Monster on my side of the field. So she can gain the same bonus that your Knight is getting!”

The Fiend Megacyber and Black Lotus glowed with energy, and Black Lotus shot up to an Attack Score of 3,700.

Clear Vicious Knight slashed at the assassin, and she screamed before shattering into shards.

“I may not have been able to save Black Lotus,” muttered Ren, wiping his brow, “but I managed to avoid losing the duel.”

(R: 2,100) - - - - - - - - - - (A: 7,150)

“You know…” continued Ren. “For a Lord of Nothing, that guy is really something.”

Archfiend of Gilfer looked at him.

“Oh, c’mon!” said Ren. “That was a joke!”

Clear Vicious Knight was surrounded by an aura of blue flames, and the prism reformed around it.

“Your move,” said the Archfiend.

“Some folks have no sense of humor…” muttered Ren, drawing a card.

He looked at his cards, and the cards that the Archfiend had given him.

Hey… he thought. I just got an idea…

“I activate my Litmus Doom Ritual Spell,” he exclaimed, as the Spell Card appeared. “And I offer Getsu Fuhma and Dark Blade as sacrifices.”

The ominous altar with its spires and cauldron appeared behind him. The two Warriors vanished, and lightning struck the spires.

From out of the shadows, the flamboyant form of Litmus Doom Swordsman appeared. (0/0)

“There are no Trap Cards on the field,” said the Archfiend. “That means he’s powerless.”

“Then I’ll help him,” replied Ren. “I’ll pay 1,000 Life Points to use one of the cards you gave me.”

He placed a card into his Disk.

“Didn’t expect that, did you? Scroll of Bewitchment. I’ll Equip it to your Clear Vicious Knight, changing its Attribute to… Let’s see… How about Fire?”

Clear Vicious Knight became surrounded by an aura of flames.

The Archfiend raised an eyebrow.

“Why?” he asked. “What good would it do you to change its Attribute to Fire?”

“Because, I’m also playing Double Spell,” replied Ren. “Now, I’ll toss the other card you gave me…”

He discarded a copy of Terraforming.

“…so I can use a Spell Card in your Graveyard. And I think I’ll use Attribute Mastery.”

Archfiend of Gilfer’s face actually showed an expression for the first time. And this time, it was fear.

“I’ll Equip it to Litmus Doom,” continued Ren, “and once again, I’ll name Fire.

“Litmus Doom, attack Clear Vicious Knight!”

Litmus Doom Swordsman raised his scimitars, and charged at the demonic Warrior. With one slash, the evil knight broke into a shower of flaming shards.

“See you in my nightmares,” continued Ren. “And I’m not done with you… Fiend Megacyber… Attack him directly!”

The Fiend Megacyber slid up to the Archfiend, and slashed at him with his gauntlets.

“ERGH!” groaned the Fiend.

(R: 1,100) - - - - - - - - - - (A: 4,950)

“I’ll toss three cards facedown, and end my turn,” said Ren.

Three facedown cards appeared in front of him.

Now… he thought. If what he put in that Sarcophagus is what I think it is… Let’s hope he manages to use it.

“All right Ren…” growled the Archfiend, now sounding genuinely angry. “I draw one card…”

He made a draw.

“And I couldn’t have asked for better. I retrieve the card I placed in the Golden Sarcophagus.”

The Sarcophagus rose out of the floor, and the card floated out. He took it.

“And I activate a Trap,” said Ren, as one of his facedown cards lifted. “Final Attack Orders.

“And with a Trap Card on the field, my Swordsman’s Attack Score becomes 3,000.”

“Well, that certainly makes things easier, you fool,” said the Archfiend with a sinister smile. “Time for some reminiscing…”

He played a Spell Card.

“I’m sure you remember how Clear Sacrifice works, right?”

Two Clear Cubes appeared behind him, and vanished into grains of light.

The huge form of Clear Vice Dragon reappeared. (0/0)

“And I’m sure you remember this Monster’s effect?” he asked. “It’s Attack Score is double the Attack Score of the Monster it’s attacking.

“Attack his Swordsman.”

Clear Vice Dragon roared, and busted out of its prism. Its Attack Score shot up to 6,000.

“I can’t watch!” screamed Chelsea.

“That’s exactly what I wanted you to do, fellah,” said Ren.

Another of his facedown cards lifted.

“Emergency Provisions!”

The Final Attack Orders card vanished, and Litmus Doom Swordsman’s Attack Score fell down to zero.

Clear Vice Dragon breathed its dark flames at the Swordsman, but he swatted them aside, and the Dragon exploded into shards.

“What happened?” asked Erik.

“Seems Ren set him up,” said Zane with a grin. “And he figured out that Clear Vice Dragon is not unbeatable in battle.

“The ability to double any Monster’s Attack Score is clearly an incredibly powerful ability. But what would that Dragon do against a Monster with zero Attack Points? Two times zero is also zero.

“Normally, such a battle would be a draw. But since Litmus Doom Swordsman can’t be destroyed in battle, and Archfiend of Gilfer had no cards to discard, Litmus Doom won.”

(R: 2,100) - - - - - - - - - - (A: 4,950)

“Seems the best way to fight Chaos is with Law,” said Ren. “And what represents Law better than a universal rule of mathematics?

“And it’s my move.”

He drew a card. Then his last facedown card lifted.

“I activate Call of the Haunted!”

A coffin appeared on his side of the field. It opened, and Getsu Fuhma stepped out. (1,700/1,200)

“A Trap Card is active again, so Litmus Doom’s Attack Score becomes 3,000 again.”

Archfiend of Gilfer just stared at him.

“Attack him directly!”

The Archfiend didn’t even move as The Fiend Magacyber slammed his fist into him. He didn’t move when Litmus Doom slashed at him either.

(R: 2,100) - - - - - - - - - - (A: 0)

“He won!” cheered Chelsea.

“Big deal,” replied the Archfiend.

Penumbral Soldier Lady lifted her sword, and the Archfiend of Gilfer glowed with dark energy.

“What difference does it make?” he asked. “Even if I had won, you likely wouldn’t have seen my point of view anyway… You would have denied it to the end. You’re too full of emotion for me to ever convince…”

“Most people won’t see your side no matter what you do,” said Ren. “I mean, face it. It’s hard to convince anyone that life has no purpose. There’s too much proof otherwise.

“Come to think of it, if you think life has no purpose, why do you even bother trying to express your idea to others? Isn’t that a purpose in itself?”

The Archfiend’s eyes opened wide. Then they bugged out. He hadn’t realized that.

“Wait…” he gasped. “I try to show people my point of view… That life has no purpose… But… But… That gives my life a purpose…

“But… My point of view is that life has no purpose…

“I spend my life trying to show that life has no purpose… But doing so gives my life a purpose…”

He held his head and fell to his knees… He screamed…

And then he shattered into dark triangles.

Sam chuckled softly.

“I wonder if he’ll ever figure that out?” she asked.

“Heh,” chuckled Zane. “I doubt it… If he ever does, it would make his purpose even more solid. Controversial philosophies tend to create paradoxes when people think about them enough.”

“So, how far is it to the Realm Lord’s fortress?” asked Yumi.

“Not too far,” replied Zane. “The Frozen Wastes aren’t too-too big. Unless we run into a snowstorm, we should be there by mid-afternoon, and…

“Look…”

He pointed up. Flying overhead was a huge, beautiful bird. It was none other than Simorgh, Bird of Divinity.

“Whoa,” muttered Sam.

“Well, this is the Realm of Wind,” replied Zane. “It has a lair somewhere around here, but it keeps to itself.”

They watched as the large Duel Spirit passed by. Apparently, it was not concerned with them.

* * * * * * * * * *

In downtown Domino, Nicholas and Olga were standing in front of a building. The sign on the front was written in Japanese, but they could read it pretty well:

WHITE LOTUS SCHOOL OF MARTIAL ARTS


Koryū Style Training

Olga looked at Nicholas.

“A dojo that teaches Koryū style martial arts?” she asked. “Those are pretty old.”

“They’re big on traditional Japanese styles here,” replied Nicholas. “Jujitsu, kenjutsu, naginatajutsu, and the like. They don’t teach the modern techniques like judo and aikido at this place.

“And they don’t teach karate either. Karate wasn’t truly invented by the Japanese, only adapted by them, so it doesn’t have a place here.”

“Then how are we going to find some great secret of Duel Monsters here?” asked Olga. “Duel Monsters is more modern than almost all martial arts.”

“Trust me,” said Nicholas. “The woman who runs the place knows a thing or two about it.

“There aren’t any classes today until noon, and she said she’d at least talk to us.

“Just above all, be polite… You don’t want to get on this lady’s bad side…”

* * * * * * * * * *

CLEAR PHANTOM (Monster Card)

Card Specs

Type: Fiend/Effect
Attribute: Dark
Level: 3
ATK: 1,200
DEF: 1,400

Card Description: This card is not treated as a DARK Monster while it is face-up on the field. When this card is destroyed as a result of battle, destroy one Monster your opponent controls, and your opponent sends the top three cards from his deck to the Graveyard.



CLEAR RAGE GOLEM (Monster Card)

Card Specs

Type: Rock/Effect
Attribute: Dark
Level: 4
ATK: 1,600
DEF: 1,800

Card Description: This card is not treated as a DARK Monster while it is face-up on the field. When this card attacks your opponent directly and inflicts damage, inflict an additional 300 points of damage for each card in your opponent’s hand.



CLEAR VICE DRAGON (Monster Card)

Card Specs

Type: Dragon/Effect
Attribute: Dark
Level: 8
ATK: 0
DEF: 0

Card Description: This card is not treated as a DARK monster while it is face-up on the field. If this card attacks, or is attacked, its ATK becomes equal to twice the ATK of the Monster it battles until the end of the Damage Step. If this card attacks, switch it to face-up Defense Position at the end of the Battle Phase. By discarding one card, negate the activation of a card effect that would destroy this card. Negate this card’s destruction as a result of battle by discarding one card from your hand.



CLEAR CUBE (Monster Card)

Card Specs

Type: Machine/Effect
Attribute: Dark
Level: 3
ATK: 0
DEF: 0

Card Description: This card is not treated as a DARK monster while it is face-up on the field. When this face-up card is removed from the field (except when used as a Tribute), Special Summon one “Clear Cube” from your deck.



CLEAR VICIOUS KNIGHT (Monster Card)

Card Specs

Type: Warrior/Effect
Attribute: Dark
Level: 8
ATK: 2,300
DEF: 2,000

Card Description: This card is not treated as a DARK monster while it is face-up on the field. If your opponent controls at least one Monster, you may Normal Summon this card with one Tribute. While this card is face-up on the field and you control no other cards and have no cards in your hand, this card gains ATK equal to the base ATK of the face-up Monster your opponent controls with the highest base ATK.



CLEAR WORLD (Spell Card)

Field Spell

Image: A silhouette of a man below a large, brilliant gem. (The man is apparently Yusuke Fujiwara.)

Card Description: If a Monster(s) of any of the following Attributes exists on the field, apply the relevant effect(s) to that Monster's controller:
● LIGHT: Play with your hand revealed.
● DARK: You cannot declare an attack
● EARTH: Once per turn, destroy one Monster you control.
● WATER: During your End Phase, discard one card from your hand.
● FIRE: You take 1000 points of damage during your End Phase.
● WIND: You cannot activate Spell Cards.



CLEAR SACRIFICE (Spell Card)

Normal Spell

Image: A crystal peak with ghostly spirits flying out of it.

Card Description: Select one Level Five or higher “Clear” Monster in your hand. Remove from play from your Graveyard “Clear” Monsters equal to the number of Tributes necessary to Tribute Summon the selected Monster. This turn, you may Normal Summon the selected Monster without Tributes.



ATTRIBUTE MASTERY (Spell Card)

Equip Spell

Image: A blue gem in the center of the six Attribute symbols.

Card Description: Designate one Attribute when this card is played. When the Equipped Monster battles a Monster of the designated Attribute, destroy the opposing Monster without applying damage calculation.



ATTRIBUTE BOMB (Spell Card)

Equip Spell

Image: A group of shadowy men gathered behind a roulette wheel where a bomb is the marble.

Card Description: Designate one Attribute when this card is played. When the Equipped Monster battles a Monster with the declared Attribute, inflict 1,000 points of damage to the Life Points of the controller of the attack target before damage calculation.



NIHILISTIC SUMMONING TECHNIQUE (Trap Card)

Continuous Trap

Image: Clear Rage Golem surrounded by an aura of flames.

Card Description: Select one of your Monsters that has been removed from play that is Level Four or lower and Special Summon it in Attack Position. This card is then treated as an Equip Spell and is Equipped to the Special Summoned Monster. The Special Summoned Monster’s ATK becomes zero and cannot be switched to Defense Position. If this card leaves the field, destroy the Special Summoned Monster.



ATTRIBUTE GRAVITY (Trap Card)

Continuous Trap

Image: Command Knight and Hiita the Fire Charmer with a dark orb of crackling energy between them.

Card Description: During your opponent’s Battle Phase, all his Monsters in Attack Position must attack if they are able to. If your opponent attacks with a Monster and one or more Monsters of the same Attribute as the attacking Monster exist on either side of the field, the attacking Monster’s attack is directed towards a Monster with the same Attribute.

Note: The proceeding eleven cards were used by Yusuke in the fourth season of “Yu-Gi-Oh GX”. Creative credit goes to the creators.



TROJAN PLOY (Spell Card)

Normal Spell

Image: The Trojan Horse looming over the city of Troy at night under a full moon.

Card Description: Select any number of cards in your hand, and give them to your opponent. Your opponent must pay 1,000 Life Points to summon, set, or activate any of these cards.



Ren’s Deck Lord: “Penumbral Soldier Lady”: “Immortal Warriors”: If you control no Monsters, and your Graveyard contains no Monsters other than DARK Warriors, you may Special Summon a DARK Warrior from your Graveyard. This effect may be used once per turn, during your Main Phase 1. (Greater Power) “Dark Demotion”: Send one DARK Warrior-Type Monster from your hand to the Graveyard. Search your deck for a DARK Warrior-Type Monster that is a lower Level than the one sent to the Graveyard. Dark Rush: You may pay 800 Life Points to increase the ATK of one of your DARK Warrior-Type Monsters by the same amount during your own Battle Phase. If you use this effect, you may not use again until three of your Standby Phases have passed. (Minor Power)



Archfiend of Gilfer’s Deck Lord: “Archfiend’s Contract”: If you have at least one Monster face-up on the field, you may draw one card during your Standby Phase. If the drawn card is a Monster with the same Attribute as a Monster that is face-up on the field, remove all copies of the drawn card on your side of the field, your deck, and your Graveyard from play. (Extraordinary Power)



Coming up next:

It isn’t like Shogarr is the first Elder Evil that Yumi’s family has dealt with. Her grandfather and his spiritual partner felt the influence of two of these beings – the Leviathan and Zorc Necrophades. These beings are so powerful, it’s thankful that they appear not like each other that much.

WHY don’t Elder Evils like each other that much? Maybe they don’t like competition. But next episode, a clue is provided, as the team stumbles upon the nutty mad scientist Kozaky, who is working on a project that they decide must be stopped at all costs. Erik takes up the challenge in a chapter called “Cold War”, coming soon.



Name that Card!

In the second season of “Yu-Gi-Oh GX” Sartorious used a deck full of cards that, at the time, had not yet been released in the real world. Only one card seen in his deck was real at the time. Can you name it?

[Dueler King]

Hello, I've been reading this fanfic for a while now, but I just joined this site today.

That was a great chapter. I've Always liked this story, and it gets better and better.


The Name that card question I think is Monster Reincarnation.

Anyways, Good job with this story!

[Shuppet Master]

I was at vacation, but read this at the hotel. So, Zane himself is the guide for the Frozen Wastes. Interesting. Oh, and the first duel was very interesting. I'm afraid I won't be able to see those cards on TV because I can't find GX on the TV. (And don't tell me to check my guide, it says "Yu-Gi-Oh", not "Yu-Gi-Oh GX" on Channel 2, so they're rerunning the old series. Meh, I'm not as interested in Yu-Gi-Oh as I was in Pokemon.)

I can't wait to read the next chapter, because it will be a plotty chapter and Erik duels again. His toy deck is awesome.

BTW, I think that Zane's heart didn't fail because of the Cyber Dark duel spirits, it failed because he was using those wretched Underground Duel shackles that electrocute you if you take damage too much. Too much electroshock = bad for the circulation.

[mario72486]

An interesting duel, considering how complicated the Clear series appears to be. The Archfiend of Gilfer's appearance was quite a surprise, as was the personality he was given. Reminds me a bit of the Transformers character Dead End, a fatalistic Decepticon who saw everything as being pointless, including the war the series is centered around. "We are all just food for rust," as he would say.

Another great chapter, and hopefully the next one will be as well.

[Dark Sage]

What was the only card in Sartorious’s deck that was real at the time? If you said “Monster Reincarnation” (seen in his duel with Chazz when Chazz shuffled his deck) you were successfully able to Name that Card!



As we walk through the Frozen Wastes, a sense of foreboding slowly works its way into my bones.

On the surface, this is the Realm where Wind is the strongest Attribute. But if I had to guess, I’d say that it also borders the Core in some way.

The proofs of this theory keep coming. The lordship of this place is uncertain, but whoever rules it is someone who the Elemental Heroes, Monsters famous for being the stars of Jaden’s deck, tried to take down and failed. That Archfiend of Gilfer that Ren dueled seemed to have Shogarr’s interests in mind.

And now… We’ve stumbled upon an experiment that would bring back terrible memories of another entity of Chaos for Yumi’s grandfathers.

Zane has made a heavy wager, and it’s up to me to do the business end of it. I have to do my best not to let him down… The things that my opponent has agreed to ante… We can’t let Daala keep them…

CHAPTER FORTY-FOUR



Cold War

Nicholas and Olga walked into the reception area of the dojo, which was typical for such a place. A trophy rack containing awards that students representing the dojo had won (lots of them) was against the wall, and Japanese style paintings hung over cushioned couches.

“Well, I guess we should…” said Olga.

“Welcome,” said a voice from the other door.

They turned towards the woman who had come out to greet them.

In her youth, this woman was a picture of beauty, even when she was wearing armor and holding a katana blade. Her flowing blonde hair and violet eyes had made her a reflection of her mother, albeit more muscular with a more serious expression.

She was in her fifties now, and her armor had been put away in favor of a green kimono. But she was still beautiful; her hair still had its color, she was still fit, and her face was still unblemished.

“I’ve been expecting you,” she said.

“It’s an honor, Ms. Valentine,” said Nicholas.

The woman made a slight smile.

“You can call me Jade,” she said.

* * * * * * * * * *

As this was happening, Yumi’s party was not having a very good time. Despite Chelsea’s fire, it was getting colder, and the wind was picking up. Clouds were quickly forming.

“Man, Clear Monsters, Lords of Nothingness,” muttered Erik. “Why do bad guys always summon hideous things? Why can’t they ever use Monsters like the Ice Cream Sandwich Man?”

“Or the Double Pepperoni Pizza Creature?” added Sam.

Ren looked at the sky.

“Think it might snow?” he asked.

“I’d count on it,” replied Zane. “We’d best find shelter before this squall starts.”

As if to answer them, a plume of smoke appeared over a ridge above them.

Smoke meant fire, so they carefully made their way up the icy hill. What was at the top surprised them.

It looked like a temple of some sort, made entirely of black marble. It was covered with carved frescos, most of them depicting frightening monsters that they couldn’t identify.

Or could they? Yumi looked at one of them carefully. It looked sort of like the odd traditional Japanese statuary from the Jomon Period, commonly called a Dogū. Only this one was more fiendish than any clay Dogū she had seen in a museum.

I could swear I heard about something like that once before… she thought.

“This is a new structure,” said Zane, “and it’s likely dangerous in there. But a storm may be much more dangerous.

“Follow my lead.”

As snow started to fall, they followed him into the temple.

* * * * * * * * * *

Inside the temple, they were met by a welcome sight – a roaring fireplace.

The whole room seemed to be a big library of some sort, with lots of books on shelves lining the walls. (Ren glanced at one, but the title was in a language he could not read.)

As they warmed themselves by the fire, Yumi’s attention was drawn to a glass display case on the other side. She motioned to Zane, and they went over to it.

“Guys!” she shouted, as she looked in it.

Everyone ran over. The display case had six Monster Cards in it.

“Are those…” gasped Sam.

“Yeah…” muttered Yumi, starting to sweat. “I’ve only been told descriptions of these, but I recognize them…

“These were Dartz’s Monsters.”

“I never thought I’d see them,” gasped Ren. “I’m actually kinda curious as to how they work.”

Yumi nervously pointed to one, a Fiend that looked like it was made of fire. It had 1,500 Attack Points and zero Defense Points.

“That’s Orichalcos Malevolence,” she said. “It was the least broken… Its effect was simply the ability to change the battle position of one Monster every round.”

She pointed to another Monster. A hulking, ugly ogre with a spiked harness and collar and chains on its wrists. It had 400 Attack Points and 1,500 Defense Points.

“Then there was Orichalcos Gigas,” she said. “If it was destroyed, and its controller was willing to skip his next Draw Phase, he could Special Summon it back during the next End Phase, with 500 more Attack Points. And this bonus stacked each time.”

“Plus it got the standard 500-point bonus from The Seal of Orichalcos,” added Zane.

“Yes,” said Yumi, “but these two guys were small potatoes compared to Dartz’s actual strategy. It started with this card.”

She pointed to a Monster that looked like a diabolic eye surrounded by tentacles. It had 500 Attack and Defense Points.

“Orichalcos Kyutora. When it was attacked, all battle damage was reduced to zero, and the controller got to Special Summon this…”

She pointed to a Monster that looked like a demonic bronze statue. (This was the one that looked the Dogū that she had seen outside.)

“It was called Orichalcos Shunoros. And when it was summoned, its effect Special Summoned its two limbs…”

She pointed to the last two cards in the case.

“Orichalcos Aristeros and Orichalcos Dexia. Aristeros and Dexia could not be destroyed so long as Shunoros was on the field, and while their Attack and Defense was normally zero, both became equal to the Attack Score of the Monster they were battling, plus 300.”

“Plus the bonus from the Seal,” added Chelsea.

“Right,” muttered Yumi. “As for Shunoros itself, its Attack Score started at the amount of damage Kyutora’s effect negated. My grandfather and Sam’s uncle made a big mistake in that duel by trying to end it early, activating Meteorain and attacking it with Dragon Master Knight. As a result, Shunoros started with a lot of Attack Points.

“And every time it destroyed a Monster in battle, it lost Attack Points equal to the Attack Score of the destroyed Monster.”

“It lost Attack Points?” asked Erik. “But… Eventually then, it would be defeated…”

“That was the idea,” replied Yumi. “If it was destroyed, the controller got to summon…”

She gulped.

“…The Divine Serpent… That card isn’t here, fortunately.”

“I haven’t had a chance to work on that one yet,” said a cheery voice.

Everyone turned to the back of the room, where someone had entered.

It looked like a creepy, fiendish mad scientist, dressed in a white coat, formal shirt and vest, trousers, and tie. His grey hair was unkempt, and he had diabolic horns growing out of his head, pointing backwards. He wore thick glasses, and had slate grey skin.

“Kozaky?” said Zane, surprised.

“I see you folks are admiring my handiwork,” said Kozaky, with a smile. “Working on these cards has been anything but easy… I only had descriptions to go by. There are no websites with information on such cards. Kinda surprising, actually… Nowadays, you can find almost anything on the internet.”

“Listen, fellah,” said Yumi, “I don’t know what your intentions are. If you’re planning on recreating The Seal of Orichalcos, stop before it’s too late! That thing is evil.”

“Oh, NO!” replied Kozaky. “No, no, no, no, no, no, no! I wouldn’t dream of it! As you say, The Seal of Orichalcos is an evil thing, that threatened humans and Duel Spirits alike.

“You see, I’m working on an experiment for Daala, to try to duplicate Dartz’s cards so they’ll work without the Seal.”

As they were speaking, the Goblin of Greed poked his head in the entrance.

The Orichalcos Monsters? he thought. Very interesting…

“Of course, like I said,” continued Kozaky, “it’s been hard. Those cards don’t even function yet. All they can do now is look intimidating. But slowly but surely, I’m making progress, and…”

“Look, Kozaky!” shouted Zane. “Nothing good can ever come from those six cards!”

He lifted his Disk.

“I’m willing to duel you to get them out of Daala’s hands… And I’ll wager my entire deck against those six cards!”

“Zane!” shouted Sam. “Are you sure?”

Underneath his glasses, Kozaky’s eyes nearly popped out of his skull.

The Cyber Tails Deck? he thought. I’d be the strongest duelist in Daala’s army…

“Think of it, Kozaky…” said Zane, with a grin. “You’re only a Normal Level One Monster. Only duelists who run Human Wave Decks like you… If it weren’t for your brains, no-one would give you the time of day… This deck could make you important…”

True, thought Kozaky. But then… I’m not stupid…

“I might be willing to make that wager,” he said. “But I’m certainly not dueling you, Truesdale. If I’m allowed to choose my opponent, I’ll accept.”

Zane looked at him.

“Fine,” said Zane, closing his eyes.

A Disk appeared on Kozaky’s arm.

“Then I choose Erik,” he said.

“ME?” shouted Erik.

Zane looked at him.

“Erik,” he said. “You have to win… Those six cards cannot stay in Daala’s hands. She could commit all sorts of atrocities with them.

“You can beat this small fry…”

And if I don’t, thought Erik, I’ll never be able to look Zane in the face again!

He stepped up to Kozaky.

“Okay, Dr. Caligari,” he said. “Let’s do this.”

Both Disks activated.

“Game on!” they both shouted.

(Erik: 8,000) - - - - - - - - - - (Kozaky: 8,000)

This should be amusing, thought the Goblin, as he watched.

“My move,” said Erik, drawing a card.

He looked at his hand.

“I’ll set a Monster and a facedown card, and that will end my turn.”

A facedown Monster and a facedown card appeared.

“Ooh, sneaky!” chuckled Kozaky, drawing a card. “Well, let’s see here.

“Living in the Frozen Wastes tends to have its advantages, don’t you know… I’ve made friends with some very unique Duel Spirits…

“I summon one right now… This lovely lady! Cold Enchanter!”

“Huh?” asked Erik. “Who’s she?”

As the Monster appeared in a shower of ice crystals, it was clear that “she” was a coldly beautiful and icy woman, dressed in a low cut robe, fancy hat, and high boots. She held a long staff topped with a snowflake symbol. (1,600/1,200)

Erik raised an eyebrow.

“A Fairy?” he asked.

“An Aqua,” replied Kozaky. “Attack his Monster! Chill blast!”

Cold Enchanter shot a blast of ice and frost from her staff. Toy Soldier appeared on the card, and was frozen in a block of ice before shattering.

“Trap activate!” shouted Erik. “Call of the Haunted! Now he’s coming right back!”

His facedown card lifted up, and a miniature coffin appeared on his side of the field. Toy Soldier hopped out. (800/300)

“Hmm, so he did,” said Kozaky. “Still my turn…”

He played a Spell Card.

“I play Frigid Ice Pillars. This gives my Monster a little accessory.”

Two six-foot pillars made of ice rose out of the floor to either side of Cold Enchanter.

“I’ll toss a card facedown, and that will be all.”

A facedown card appeared.

“My move,” said Erik, drawing.

He looked at his hand.

“I use Toy Soldier’s effect, to call out two more of them.”

In two flashes of light, two more Toy Soldiers appeared.

“Next… I play Forced March!”

He played the Spell Card.

“Sorry,” said Kozaky, as his facedown card lifted, “but this time, I’m leaving you cold. Activate Instantaneous Freezing!”

“Huh?” said Erik.

Then he gasped as the Forced March card fell facedown on the field, and froze over.

“Instantaneous Freezing negates the effect of your card,” chuckled Kozaky, “and then freezes it to the ground. And it won’t defrost until three of my End Phases have past.”

“Fine!” shouted Erik. “I have another option…”

He played another card.

“I Equip one Toy Soldier with Chthonian Alliance. This raises his Attack Score by 800 for each Monster on the field with the same name. You’re the intellectual… You do the math…”

The Toy Soldier in the center glowed with a dark aura. (2,400/300)

“Now, attack Cold Enchanter!”

Toy Soldier fired his musket. However, Cold Enchanter ducked behind one of the two pillars, and the pillar shattered, shielding her from the bullet.

“My Frigid Ice Pillars aren’t just for show,” chuckled Kozaky. “They gave her two Counters, and each one lets her dodge one attack.”

Erik took a deep breath.

“Fine…” he said. “I end my turn…”

Kozaky drew a card.

“I play the Field Spell, Absolute Zero Barrier,” he said.

He placed a card in his field slot, and the whole library changed, turning into a chilling ice cave. Chelsea conjured up her fire again quickly.

“What does this do?” asked Erik.

“I’ll show you,” said Kozaky. “I discard one card to use Cold Enchanter’s effect and place an Ice Counter on your Equipped Toy Soldier.”

He discarded a card, and the Toy Soldier gasped and turned a shade of blue.

“Cold Enchanter gains 300 Attack Points for each Ice Counter on the field,” continued Kozaky.

Cold Enchanter rose to (1,900/1,200)

“But your Toy Soldier won’t be so lucky. Because in this Field, any Monster that has one loses 500 Attack Points, and can’t attack.”

Toy Soldier fell to an Attack Score of 1,900.

“Cold Enchanter,” ordered Kozaky, “attack one of the un-Equipped Toy Soldiers!”

Cold Enchanter cast her icy hex, and one of the weaker Toy Soldiers iced over and shattered.

“Ergh…” muttered Erik.

(E: 6,900) - - - - - - - - - - (K: 8,000)

“And with him gone,” said Kozaky, “your Equipped one gets even weaker.”

The Equipped Soldier fell to 1,100 Attack Points.

“I’m done,” said Kozaky.

Erik drew a card.

“Since my Toy Soldier can’t attack,” he said, “I’ll sacrifice him, by using Crowning of the Emperor!”

He played the card, and the Toy Soldier vanished. Toy Emperor galloped onto the field. (2,300/800) Cold Enchanter fell back to 1,600 Attack Points.

“Attack Cold Enchanter!” he shouted.

“Forget?” asked Kozaky. “She still has one Pillar left.”

Cold Enchanter hid behind the remaining Pillar as Toy Emperor charged. It shattered under a swing of his sword, but she was safe.

“I set a Monster in Defense Mode, and move my last Toy Soldier to Defense Mode,” said Erik.

A facedown Monster appeared, and Toy Soldier knelt and held his gun in his lap.

“I set a card facedown, and end my turn.”

A facedown card appeared.

“My move…” said Kozaky.

He drew a card.

“Well…” he said. “It’s been fun using Cold Enchanter, but now it’s time to say goodbye…

“I sacrifice her…”

Cold Enchanter vanished into grains of light…

“…to summon Mobius the Frost Monarch!”

The infamous Monarch loomed over the field. The ten-foot-tall giant made entirely of ice, wearing a blue cape. (2,400/1,000)

“I guess we all saw that coming, huh?” muttered Sam.

“By a mile,” replied Chelsea.

Mobius blasted its chilling breath, and Erik’s facedown Forced March and Draining Shield turned to ice and shattered into bits.

“Now, wipe out his Toy Emperor!” ordered Kozaky. “Ice blight!”

Mobius breathed a cone of chilling frost, and Toy Emperor was frozen solid. He shattered into shards.

Looks like Kozaky has Erik just where he wants him, thought the Goblin of Greed. Guess Zane won’t be winning those cards…

Which means Kozaky will be tired when I come in later and take them from him… I could probably name my price when I got back to Lower Planes if I had copies of those things…

(E: 6,800) - - - - - - - - - - (K: 8,000)

“Your move…” said Kozaky, with a grin.

Erik quickly drew a card.

“All right…” said Erik. “I play Pot of Greed.”

He played the card, and quickly made two draws.

He looked at them.

“All I have to do,” he said, “is set one card facedown, and that’s all.”

A facedown card appeared.

Kozaky chuckled and drew a card.

“Mobius, wipe out his Toy Soldier!” he shouted.

Mobius breathed its blight again…

“Go, Mirror Force!” shouted Erik.

His facedown card lifted up, and the holy light washed over the field. Mobius exploded into ice crystals.

“All right!” shouted Ren. “It finally worked!”

“Mmm, unfortunate,” replied Kozaky. “But at least now I can activate this…”

He played a Spell Card, and snow started to whip through the icy cavern.

“Ice Age Panic. Since I have no Monsters on the field, I get to Special Summon any Earth Monster I desire from my deck. So I can bring out my Big-Tusked Mammoth.”

A Monster even bigger than Mobius lumbered onto the field. It was a giant, wooly pachyderm, with huge, curving tusks. It let out a great trumpet that shook the cavern. (2,000/1,000)

“I’ve seen stronger Earth Monsters,” said Chelsea.

“True, but Big-Tusked Mammoth has a powerful effect,” replied Zane. “None of Erik’s Monsters can attack the turn they’re summoned.”

Erik looked at the last card in his hand. Then he drew.

“I Flip-Summon Toy Magician into Attack Mode,” he said.

His facedown Monster flipped up, and Toy Magician appeared. (1,600/1,500)

“When Toy Magician is flipped, I get to destroy one Spell or Trap Card for each Toy Magician present.”

The ice cave started to crack and crumble, and then collapsed into shards.

“Next, I set one card facedown, and summon Toy Wind-Up.”

A facedown card appeared, and Toy-Wind-Up appeared, holding its blunderbuss. (1,000/700)

“And I end my turn.”

Kozaky chuckled as he drew a card. He looked over the three cards in his hand.

“You think I’m going to fall for that?” he laughed. “Not one, but two Monsters in Attack Mode that are weaker than my Mammoth? Your facedown card is clearly deadly.

“I’ll just set one card of my own facedown, and end my turn.”

A facedown card appeared behind the huge elephant.

Erik quickly drew.

He looked at the card. It was Blockman.

I’ll save this guy, he thought.

His facedown card lifted.

“I activate Shrink!” he exclaimed.

Big-Tusked Mammoth was reduced to half its size, and an Attack Score of 1,000.

“Eh?” said Kozaky.

Toy Magician aimed his scepter at the Beast, and with a blast of energy, it was blown away.



Continued…

[Dark Sage]

Continued from last post:



“Now, Toy Wind-Up attacks directly! Blunderbuss blast!”

Kozaky screamed as the weapon ignited and the shell hit him.

“Now I use Wind-Up’s effect to summon another one,” continued Erik.

A second Wind-Up appeared. (1,000/700)

It fired another blast at the mad scientist.

“Sweet Mother McCree!” screamed Kozaky, as he was hit a second time.

In a burst of light, a third Wind-Up appeared. (1,000/700) It fired its weapon, and Kozaky fell over.

(E: 6,800) - - - - - - - - - - (K: 4,400)

Kozaky got up, panting for breath.

“Your move,” said Erik.

“Well…” chuckled the mad scientist. “Seems I kinda sold you short…”

He drew a card. Then he played one.

“I’ll summon Lord of Dragons.”

He played the card, and the famous the black-cloaked, draconic Spellcaster appeared. (1,200/1,100)

“Attack one of his Toy Wind-Ups!”

Lord of Dragons put his hands together, and blasted a bolt of darkness at one of the Wind-Ups. It exploded into pieces of metal.

“That’s all for me.”

(E: 6,600) - - - - - - - - - - (K: 4,400)

“Huh?” asked Chelsea. “Erik can take that out without half-trying! What does Kozaky expect to do with it?”

“You got me,” replied Zane.

Erik looked at Lord of Dragons and Kozaky’s facedown card. Then he drew a card.

He looked at it.

“I activate my Trap,” said Kozaky, as his facedown card lifted. “Frozen Soul. Now, since My Life Points are at least 2,000 points less than yours, you have to skip your Battle Phase.”

“There’s your answer,” said Yumi.

“In that case,” said Erik, “I’ll just switch my offensive Monsters to Defense Mode, and end my turn.”

Both Toy Wind-Ups and Toy Magician knelt and shielded themselves.

Kozaky drew a card.

“I play my own Pot of Greed,” he said, playing it.

He made two draws. Then he grinned.

“I activate The Flute of Summoning Dragon!” he said with a laugh.

The golden flute appeared in Lord of Dragons’ hand. He put it to his lips, and it let out a haunting chime.

“So… Say hello to Blizzard Dragon and Dragon Ice!”

The first Dragon that appeared was familiar. They had seen Daala use it. (1,800/1,000) The second one was more humanoid, more muscular, scalier, and had a face that looked like a skull-like mask. (1,800/2,200)

“Blizzard Dragon, attack one Toy Wind-Up!” ordered Kozaky. “Cryogenic cold wave!”

Blizzard Dragon breathed a wave of ice at the first Wind-Up, and it froze in a block of ice and shattered into bits.

“Now, my Dragon Ice attacks the last one!”

Dragon Ice breathed a similar wave, and the third Wind-Up froze and shattered.

“Lord of Dragons, destroy the last Toy Soldier!”

Lord of Dragons put his hands together and cast a dark spell. The final Toy Soldier exploded.

“Fortunately, they were in Defense Mode,” said Erik.

“Fortunately,” said Kozaky. “I doubt that Toy Magician is much of a threat, but I’ll use Blizzard Dragon’s effect anyway.”

Blizzard Dragon blasted a bolt of ice at Toy Magician, and the plastic Spellcaster froze solid in a block of ice.

“Now he can’t attack or even change his battle position until the end of your next turn,” laughed Kozaky. “My turn is over.”

Erik drew a card.

“I play Toy Memorial,” he said, playing the other one. “Now, I get to draw one card for each card with the word ‘Toy’ in its name in my Graveyard, so long as I skip my Battle Phase. I have Toy Emperor, three Toy Soldiers and three Toy Wind-Ups”

He quickly made seven draws. He looked them over.

“I set two cards facedown,” he said, “and then summon Blockman.

Two facedown cards appeared. Then, in a flash of energy, the bulky man made of Legos appeared in front of him. (1,000/1,500)

“That will be all.”

The ice entrapping Toy Magician melted and crumbled into nothing.

Kozaky chuckled and drew a card.

“I sacrifice Lord of Dragons…” he said.

The Spellcaster vanished.

“To summon Frostosaurus!”

A bone-chilling wind tore through the room as a huge Monster appeared on Kozaky’s side of the field. It looked a huge Apatosaurus, sculpted completely out of ice and covered with snow. It let out a hoarse roar. (2,600/1,700)

“Look at the size of that thing!” gasped Ren.

“Dragon Ice,” ordered Kozaky, “attack his Blockman!”

Dragon Ice opened its jaws…

“Activate… Zero Gravity!” shouted Erik.

One of his facedown cards lifted. Toy Magician stood up into Attack Mode, while Blockman knelt and shielded itself, and Dragon Ice, Blizzard Dragon, and Frostosaurus all sat down, and curled up in Defense Mode.

“So you last another turn,” said Kozaky, fitting his last card into his Disk. “I play a facedown…”

A facedown card appeared.

“Then I use Blizzard Dragon’s effect on Toy Magician again.”

Blizzard Dragon lifted its head, and blasted its breath, entrapping Toy Magician in a coffin of ice again.

“And I end my turn.”

Erik quickly drew a card.

“I activate Blockman’s effect,” he said. “Since this is the second turn he’s been on the field, I can sacrifice him…”

Blockman vanished into grains of light.

“…and get two Block Tokens in return.”

Two Tokens that looked exactly like Blockman appeared, crouching in Defense Mode. (1,000/1,500 x2)

“Next, I sacrifice both Tokens…” he said.

The two Block Tokens vanished into grains of light.

“To summon Puppet King!”

In an explosion of energy, Puppet King appeared, looming over the field. (2,800/2,600)

“GO!” shouted Erik. “Break the ice and destroy Frostosaurus!”

Puppet King charged, and hit the huge Dinosaur with his fist. The giant creature shattered into shards of ice.

“I’m beginning to get… annoyed!” shouted Kozaky.

“It’s your move…” muttered Erik.

The ice imprisoning Toy Magician crumbled again.

Kozaky drew a card.

Then he laughed. He started laughing like a lunatic.

“Uh, I think he got a good draw…” said Sam.

“That I did,” chuckled Kozaky. “I just drew the star of my deck. But she needs help before I summon her…”

His facedown card lifted.

“I activate DNA Transplant. I get to name one Attribute, and every Monster on the field becomes that Attribute.

“I name… Water.”

“I don’t get it,” replied Erik.

“You will,” replied Kozaky. “I sacrifice Blizzard Dragon and Dragon Ice…”

Both Dragons shattered into shards of ice. Slowly, the shards began to take shape…

“…to summon her majesty… The Ice Queen!”

He played the card, and a powerful female figure appeared. She was beautiful, and dressed in royal raiment, but she had icy skin and hair, and radiated an aura of pure cold. She held a staff made of white crystal, with a crystalline design on the tip. She opened her eyes, and they glowed blue and cold. (2,900/2,100)

“Oh no,” said Sam. “She’s stronger than Puppet King!”

“True,” said Kozaky. “She could defeat Puppet King. But that’s not my intention. She has a potent special ability.

“Once per round, I can pay 500 Life Points, and she can take control of a Water Attribute Monster for the rest of the round. And thanks to my Trap Card, all Monsters on the field are Water.”

Erik gasped.

The Ice Queen pointed her staff, and Puppet Queen looked confused. He was pulled over to Kozaky’s side of the field.

“Now to business,” said Kozaky. “Your majesty… Put the chill on Toy Magician!”

The Ice Queen’s eyes glowed. She pointed her staff, and shot a blast of chilling vapor. Toy Magician was covered with ice and frost, just before he shattered into icy shards.

“Puppet King…” ordered Kozaky, “attack him directly!”

“Go, Fortress of Sand!” shouted Erik, as his facedown card lifted.

The huge sand castle appeared behind him, just as Puppet King lunged.

“My castle has 3,000 Life Points, and that’s just enough to protect me!”

Puppet King threw a punch, and half of the castle collapsed.

“Well then,” said Kozaky. “I end my turn, which means you get Puppet King back.”

Puppet King appeared back on Erik’s side of the field.

(E: 5,300) - - - - - - - - - - (K: 3,900)

Erik drew a card.

I can’t believe this! he thought. Seven cards, and not a single one that can help me!

All I need is one card…

“I move Puppet King to Defense Mode,” he said, as Puppet King knelt and shielded himself.

“Then, I summon Card Blocker.”

The small, toy soldier appeared holding his sword and shield. He quickly knelt in Defense Mode. (400/400)

“That’s all,” he said.

Kozaky chuckled again as he drew a card.

“I play… Pot of Avarice,” he said.

He played the card, and Cold Enchanter, Lord of Dragons, Blizzard Dragon, Dragon Ice, and Mobius the Frost Monarch slipped out of his discard slot. He shuffled them into his deck, and drew twice.

“I play Tribute to the Doomed!” he laughed, playing one of them. “I’ll discard one card to destroy your Card Blocker!”

He discarded the other card, and waves of energy struck Card Blocker. He shattered into shards.

“Now, I’ll pay 500 Life Points again so that The Ice Queen can do her job.”

The Ice Queen gestured, and Puppet King was pulled over to Kozaky’s side again.

“Don’t they make a cute couple?” asked Kozaky, as Puppet King moved to Attack Mode. “What’s a Queen without a King, I always say…”

Erik just glared at him.

“Puppet King, tear the rest of his Fortress down!”

Puppet King lunged, and hit the remains of the sand castle with his fist. What was left of it collapsed.

“Ice Queen, attack him directly with arctic punisher!”

The Ice Queen’s frigid spell blasted forward, hitting Erik. He screamed as numbing cold ripped though him.

He fell to his knees.

(E: 3,400) - - - - - - - - - - (K: 3,400)

“I end my turn,” said Kozaky.

Puppet King reappeared on Erik’s side of the field.

Erik looked up to see that Puppet King was looking down at him with a look of horror. The Duel Spirit couldn’t believe what had happened.

“It’s okay…” whispered Erik. “Wasn’t… Wasn’t your fault…”

But I gotta do something, fast! One more round of this, and not only will I lose, Zane will lose his deck! I’ll never forgive myself!

“As Jaden would say…” he muttered, getting up, “here goes… something!”

He drew a card. He held it up to the light.

“I summon Armor Breaker!” he shouted.

In a flash of light, the small toy soldier with a huge helmet shaped like a mallet appeared. (800/800)

“Next, I remove one Spell Card from play…”

Toy Memorial slipped out of his discard slot.

“To Special Summon Spell Striker!”

The small toy wizard holding his wand appeared. He made a big smile. (600/200)

“Eh?” said Kozaky.

“Okay, boys,” said Erik, “let’s DO it!”

Armor Breaker leapt into the air and started to spin around. He quickly transformed into something resembling more a real mallet. Spell Striker caught it and held it aloft.

“Time to finish this!” shouted Erik. “Spell Striker, attack Kozaky directly!”

Spell Striker flew at the mad scientist swinging the mallet. Kozaky grunted as the toy Warrior hit him with it.

“Finish this?” asked Kozaky. “You barely made a dent!”

“Really?” asked Erik. “Well, when a Monster deals damage using Armor Breaker, he gets to destroy one card on the field!”

“Huh?” asked Kozaky.

Spell Striker slammed the mallet into the ground, and a tremor rocked the room. A huge crack opened in the floor. The Ice Queen screamed, just before she plummeted into the crevice.

“What have you done?” screamed Kozaky.

“I think I’ve just beaten you,” said Erik. “Puppet King, put this guy on ice! Attack directly with Majestic Checker!”

Puppet King glared at Kozaky with an angry look.

“Uh…” gulped Kozaky, looking at the huge Warrior. “You aren’t really that mad at me, are you?”

Puppet King slugged the mad scientist hard in the stomach, with such force that Kozaky flew against the wall and into the bookshelf. To add insult to injury, a volume landed on his head.

“I do believe he was,” said Yumi.

(E: 3,400) - - - - - - - - - - (K: 0)

Erik’s opponent was not only out of Life Points, he was out, period. The last blow had him seeing stars and mumbling something about the square root of seven.

“Good job, Erik,” said Zane. “And it looks like we’ve won the wager…”

He walked up to the glass case. Then he reached into his satchel and took out a studded, leather glove.

“What are we going to do with them?” asked Ren.

“I’ll keep them safe until we get back to Joan,” said Zane putting the glove on. “Anyone who wants them is going to have to beat me, and I didn’t become Joan’s second-in-command due to my good looks.”

He punched through the glass case with his gloved hand, shattering it.

He carefully cleared away the glass, and then started to gather the cards.

“Joan will know what to do with these cards…”

The Goblin of Greed watched. He frowned.

If I want them then, he thought, I’ll have to lift them before I confront Chelsea. Getting them off of Zane will be hard…

Hard, but not impossible…

* * * * * * * * * *

Daala was working hard at her mainframe. She intended to punish Kozaky severely for accepting that wager once she got her hands on him, but now she had other concerns.

She was working on the program that had created the AI version of Raiden, the one that could create AI versions of video game characters.

But she had learned her lesson with Raiden. She would not use this program to give life to a hero character again.

Her next subject would not only be a villain, but a remorseless, unfeeling, unrelenting villain, one who possessed no concern for others, one who did not know the meaning of mercy, one who would not accept a surrender nor would surrender himself. One who would not give up until his prey was defeated. He would have to duel, but he would duel without emotion.

Only this type of duelist had any chance of defeating Hell Kaiser.

She hit the Run command. Slowly, an image of the creature appeared on the screen.

“Bring me Zane,” she said.

* * * * * * * * * *

Nicholas and Olga sipped tea while seated on a mat on the floor. Their host wasn’t as talkative as they’d have liked.

“So…” said Jade, finally speaking. “Are you two interested in classes here? We have much to offer. And very reasonable rates.”

“Truthfully, Jade,” said Nicholas, “it isn’t your martial arts skills that interest us… It’s your expertise in Duel Monsters.”

Jade just looked at him.

“You used to be one of the greatest,” he continued. “You were one of the finalists of the first Duelatopia, alongside Yumi’s parents. You were…”

“I’m retired,” she said. “I leave Duel Monsters and the heroics that come with it for the new generation.

“I’ve heard of you, Nicholas… You and your Six Samurai Deck… You’re creating quite a stir in Kaibaland on weekends lately…”

“Yeah, and I know about your history too, Jade,” said Nicholas. “Your own sensei was someone who was attempting to teach his students in the same way that they did in the Feudal Era, the same style of the real Samurai. In a way, you adapted the same traditions. The Code of Bushido. Concepts like honor and loyalty… Things that aren’t thought of much today…

“And yet, as a duelist, you never used the Six Samurai, preferring to use a different class of Samurai-related cards… And I heard why you didn’t…

“I heard a rumor that the Six Samurai hid a great secret. Your sensei introduced you to dueling, and he entrusted you with that secret. You didn’t use the Six Samurai yourself because you didn’t want to be tempted to take the secret for your own use.”

Jade slowly sipped her tea.

“This secret you speak of,” she said. “Let’s say, for a moment, that it does exist… Perhaps a special card of some sort… Well… You certainly would expect me to protect it with all my power, would you not?”

“Sure,” said Nicholas. “I realize that you can’t just give it away… But I do know that great secrets tend to have ways of being earned.

“So…”

He stopped short.

She was looking at him.

She was looking at him directly in the eye.

He couldn’t look away. He couldn’t look away from those big, violet eyes.

What was she doing? Was it some sort of trick?

Jade finally closed her eyes, and nodded. She stood up and put her cup down.

“Wait here,” she said. “I have to get dressed.”

She turned and left the room.

“Get dressed?” said Olga. “Nicholas, what if she’s going to get her armor and sword?”

“We run away in terror,” replied Nicholas. “But… I think we may want to stick around for now…”

* * * * * * * * * *

THE ICE QUEEN (Monster Card)

Card Specs

Type: Spellcaster/Effect
Attribute: Water
Level: 8
ATK: 2,900
DEF: 2,100

Card Description: Once per turn, you may pay 500 Life Points to take control of one WATER Monster on your opponent’s side of the field until the End Phase of the current turn.



ABSOLUTE ZERO BARRIER (Spell Card)

Field Spell

Image: A man in a robe confronting a dragon in an ice cavern.

Card Description: Each Monster on the field loses 500 Attack Points for each “Ice Counter” on it. Monsters with at least one “Ice Counter” cannot declare an attack.



INSTANTANEOUS FREEZING (Spell Card)

Quickplay Spell

Image: A man in a heavy cloak in an icy cavern, his cloak being buffeted by winds.

Card Description: Negate the activation of a Spell or Trap Card and set it facedown on the owner’s side of the field. That Spell or Trap cannot be activated until your third End Phase after the activation of this card.



FRIGID ICE PILLARS (Spell Card)

Normal Spell

Image: A man on a tundra approaching a yeti who is hiding behind two ice pillars.

Card Description: Place two “Ice Pillar Counters” on a face-up Monster on the field. When that Monster is targeted by an attack, you can remove one “Ice Pillar Counter” to negate that attack.

Note: “The Ice Queen”, “Absolute Zero Barrier”. “Instantaneous Freezing”, and “Frigid Ice Pillars” were first used by Alexis at various times in the “Yu-Gi-Oh GX” Manga. Creative credit goes to the writers.



ICE AGE PANIC (Spell Card)

Normal Spell

Image: A blizzard over a range of icy mountains, with a beam of light falling from the sky towards the center.

Card Description: You may only activate this card when you have no Monsters on your side of the field. Special Summon one EARTH Monster from your deck.

Note: “Ice Age Panic” was first used by Noah in the original anime episode “Brothers in Arms (Part Two)”. Creative credit goes to the writers of that episode.



Coming up next…

IS Jade going to get her armor and sword? If she is, then the next chapter is probably going to be incredibly short…

All kidding aside, next chapter, Jade decides to come out of retirement, and challenges Nicholas to a battle to test to see whether her secret should stay hidden or not. But if you’re expecting Jade to use her old deck, you’ll be disappointed. A completely different deck has been prepared for this purpose, and the creatures in it are not nearly as nice as the ones in her old deck. All cards have a story behind them, and the Six Samurai are no different… What are they hiding?

“Reenactment” is coming soon…


Name that Card!

When Kagemaru unleashed the Sacred Beasts for the first time, his deck had only Monster that we saw aside from the three Sacred Beasts. Can you name it?

[Shuppet Master]

“Welcome,” said a voice from the other door.

They turned towards the woman who had come out to greet them.

In her youth, this woman was a picture of beauty, even when she was wearing armor and holding a katana blade. Her flowing blonde hair and violet eyes had made her a reflection of her mother, albeit more muscular with a more serious expression.

She was in her fifties now, and her armor had been put away in favor of a green kimono. But she was still beautiful; her hair still had its color, she was still fit, and her face was still unblemished.

“I’ve been expecting you,” she said.

“It’s an honor, Ms. Valentine,” said Nicholas.

The woman made a slight smile.

“You can call me Jade,” she said.

Squee! Jade's back! I loved Jade, she was my favorite character in the series. ^_^

And it looks like she's going to duel Nicholas, but no Yamoto or Sashia. I wonder what's going on.

Oh, and I liked the duel between Erik and Kozaky... and it looks like Daala's siccing another video game character on Zane. Things are getting interesting.

But where the heck did that Goblin of Greed come from? I can't remember him.

Keep it up, Brian.

[Mystic_clown]

Hmm, so Daala's bringing out another video game character huh? Hmm, someone who can duel, but with no emotion. One name springs to mind.

I liked Kozaky. He just seemed like a guy who loved his job, and not some evil mad scientist. This guy could actually be one of the good guys under the right circumstances.

[Dark Sage]

Good point, MC. Kozaky strikes me as just the curious type. He likes his work, and he'll do any project that proves to be interesting, regardless of how sinister its nature. While that may indicate a lack of wisdom, it doesn't necessarily indicate evil.

And this new video game character will show up in Chapter 47. It isn't far away!

[jkBAKURA]

Bakura here. Yes I know I haven't posted in awhile, but I am a sucker for Ice theme duels, seeing as they can be tough to put together.

After my experience with Skadi, forgive me, but I can't help but compare and contrast. I never really did like too many of Asuka's cards from the manga. Ice Pillars especially didn't make a whole lot of sense, but the diversion from the Mobius combo made a fun read.

When Blockman was sacrificed, I held my breath for Toy Dragon. I kind of miss the guy. Erik never did have many heavy hitters, even with the new addition of Ziggurat, but I'm finding Puppet King beginning to get overused.

For some reason the entire deck doesn't feel like the same character we started with in Kings, but character evolution has affected all the characters, so why should Erik be immune?

My one complaint is that the duel moved way too fast. All of the events, attacks, and summonings were stated in short quips. It read like the way you read when skimming a story, which I did in this chapter and found I missed nothing.

It's an efficient way to write indeed, but it can be tough to get drawn in when I feel like I'm reading Cliffnotes, or a Janime summary. Heck, you missed a golden opportunity for someone to wonder why the hell Lord of Dragons was in an Ice deck in the first place.

I've suggested drawing things out before, so I'll stop before I hammer the point any further, but I will say that I would recommend adding slightly more meat that a reader can take their time with.

To sum up, enjoyable, but read like a first draft. Still, it competes with the Skadi duel which was far more random combos. I'm a little disappointed in myself with how much better you managed to blend the strategy.

Till you draw me in again Dark Sage, JKB

[Dark Sage]

Don't worry, JK, I love Toy Dragon too. After all, I created the card, and I swear, in his next duel (a duel where Erik's opponent will also use toys, but a different type) Toy Dragon will appear. I swear on it.

I hope to "draw you in again" soon.

[Dark Sage]

What was the only Monster in Kagemaru’s deck other than the Sacred Beasts that we knew about? If you said “The Creator”, you were successfully able to Name that Card!



My name is Jade Valentine, daughter of Mai Valentine. I was once a great duelist, like my mother aspired to be, and also a martial artist who tried to live up to the ways of tradition set forth by my ancestors.

These days, I spend most of my time teaching martial arts. I haven’t dueled in a long time. I give encouragement to the students in my dojo who are also duelists, but no advice – they are here to learn something other than card games.

But… Long ago, my own sensei entrusted me with a great secret… A secret that I would only reveal to one who held the Six Samurai and possessed the power within him to use it.

Nicholas… I looked deep into his soul… I know a few tricks. The power inside him has not yet been awakened, but there is no mistaking, it is there.

I must come out of retirement. I’ve been preparing for this moment for most of my life.

Once again… It is time to duel.

CHAPTER FORTY-FIVE



Reenactment

In one of the Twelve Dimensions, somewhat separate from Xanadu, Freed the Matchless General was sitting in the center of an army camp that had been erected quickly, where several Warriors were being debriefed by other Warriors. He was looking over two clipboards.

“Sir!” shouted a voice, that startled him.

“What?” he said, rather annoyed.

“Did you get the clipboard?” asked the Command Knight.

“Yes, I got the clipboard!” he snapped, “and it’s the exact same clipboard as the first clipboard!

“Everyone here doesn’t seem to realize how serious this campaign is. We’re likely going to be facing Duel Spirits who are working for Shogarr, and we’re not showing enough cooperation to take on an army working for Vashtuk!”

“Vashtuk?” asked the Command Knight. “The fallen celestial who was cursed with the form of a thieving goblin after he stole from the god of joy and laughter? His army is a joke… It can’t…”

She paused.

“Are we… That bad?” she asked.

“Not yet, but we’re getting close,” replied Freed. “Well, as the great Carthaginian general Hannibal is attributed to saying, ‘We will either find a way, or make one.’

“Give me that!”

He grabbed the bullhorn she was holding and stood up.

“All right folks, listen up!” he shouted through it. “Frankly, I’ve seen more organized behavior from a Piranha Army in a feeding frenzy! I was hoping for more Sergeant Yorks, and less Gomer Pyles!

“Now everyone, just calm down! Everyone will be assigned by abilities and strength once we gauge them.

“Now, we’re going to form three lines, and then line up alphabetically…”

“Oh, for the love of…” shouted someone in the crowd.

“Sorry, Zombyra,” said Freed, “but if we don’t do this with some semblance of order, we’ll be no better than the forces of Chaos that we’re fighting. And we don’t want that…”

* * * * * * * * * *

“That door isn’t locked, is it?” asked Nicholas.

“No…” said Olga, trying the knob. “So why don’t we run while we have the chance? We’ll go down to Domino Mall, look at weirdoes and have a milkshake…”

“What are you scared of?” asked Nicholas.

“What am I scared of?” repeated Olga. “Think about, Nicholas! This woman can break through cinderblock with her forehead!”

“Any sensei would advise against actually doing that,” said Jade’s voice, this time sounding a little ominous. “You could break your nose.”

Then the lights in the room went out.

“Nicholas…” said Olga.

She went for the door again. And this time, it was locked.

“We’re trapped…” she squeaked.

Then, several candles placed in alcoves around the room lit.

Nicholas jumped when he saw Jade standing just ten paces in front of him.

She wasn’t wearing her armor, but she had changed her wardrobe dramatically. She had changed out of her green kimono, and put on a black one with a red sash. Her hair was now tied in a long ponytail that hung behind her, and most shocking, her face was covered with odd designs, drawn on by what looked like charcoal.

A standard-issue Duel Disk was on her left arm.

“Jade, you’re scaring me,” said Nicholas.

“That’s the idea, young warrior,” said Jade. “It’s time you learned a few things about the cards you hold, before we decide whether my secrets shall stay hidden or not.”

“You want me to duel you, right?” asked Nicholas.

Jade nodded.

“But you won’t be seeing Yamoto or Sashia or any of my other signature cards,” she continued. “They are not appropriate for such a battle.

“Listen carefully as I tell the whole story… The story of how the cards in your deck came to be…

“On one of his frequent trips to Japan, Pegasus bought an old journal at an auction. If the dates in this journal were accurate, it was written by a powerful lord who lived around the 12th Century AD, the time when Samurai were first becoming molded into the system that they are recognized as.

“This lord detailed six knights who had pledged allegiance to him, who also happened to be brothers. These six were the most skilled, bravest, and most loyal members of his army. Pegasus would later take the descriptions of these knights and design the Six Samurai.

“But the journal also says that before they ever entered the service of this lord, these six brothers studied the arts of warfare under a mysterious sensei. The writer of the journal only refers to him as The True Master. Apparently, after teaching his students all he could, The True Master retired, and retreated to the wilderness to become a philosopher.

“Now, when they were alive, the Six Samurai and their lord had enemies. Their deadliest were a tribe of vicious Yōkai.”

“Yōkai?” asked Nicholas.

“Yōkai,” continued Jade. “Spirits. Goblins, demons, all manner of supernatural beings ranging from the mischievous Kitsune to the wild Tengu to the ravenous Oni. They represented the dark side of nature.

“The Six Samurai and the Yōkai tribe met in a battle that was fierce and bloody. It seemed the Samurai could not win, because their enemies regenerated themselves after they fell, coming back from the dead stronger than before.

“Finally, help came from an unexpected source. The True Master appeared on a hill above the battlefield. No-one knew where he had come from, but he had come. Apparently, he was not interested in doing anything but watching; however, the appearance of their sensei gave the brothers their second wind. One of the Six – the journal doesn’t say which one – confronted the Yōkai general head-to-head, and after a long struggle, struck clean with his sword and split the beast straight down the middle, slaying it.

“The demon army fled, and the Six Samurai were victorious. They looked for their mentor, but he had left as mysteriously as he had come.

“Do you want The True Master to come again, Nicholas? Then you must face me in a duel where that great battle will be reenacted. The deck I have now contains the spirits of the Six Samurai’s bloodthirsty enemies, the dreaded Yōkai army. If the Samurai are victorious again, you will be proven worthy.”

“An army of evil spirits?” gasped Olga. “Jade… Are you sure?”

“All my life, I have conditioned myself for this very duel, Olga,” said Jade. “Thus, when I duel using this deck, I will control these demons, and they will not control me.”

“So…” muttered Nicholas. “What will this be? Some sort of Shadow Game?”

“Not quite,” replied Jade. “Shadow Games draw power from the dark realm that we mortals call the Shadow Realm.

“This duel will hopefully draw power from two different sources. As far as I’m concerned, I will draw power from the unholy energy of the Yōkai.

“You will draw it from a different source, if you are truly able to. The ancestral power that is drawn from the souls of the six brothers should prove to be more than a match for the source I am channeling…

“IF… If, that is, you are truly worthy of facing my deck with it. Otherwise, the creatures you summon will be no more than holograms, and you will be overcome by the nightmares that I will summon.”

Nicholas took some deep breaths. He looked hard at his deck.

He closed his eyes.

“I accept…” he said.

“Then let the battle begin…” said Jade.

(Jade: 8,000) - - - - - - - - - - (Nicholas: 8,000)

“The first move is yours,” said Jade.

“Be careful, Nicholas!” shouted Olga, as Nicholas made his first draw.

“Okay, here goes…” said Nicholas. “I’ll summon Marauding Captain…”

He played the card, and in a flourish, the battle-worn warrior appeared, holding his twin swords. (1,200/400)

“Now I’ll use his effect, to Special Summon Shien’s Footsoldier in Defense Mode.”

He played another card, and the small, simian Warrior appeared, sitting cross-legged with his spear in his lap. (700/300)

“I’ll play a facedown, and end by playing the Continuous Spell, The Six Samurai United.”

A facedown card appeared, and the Continuous Spell appeared next to it.

“Not bad,” said Jade. “You managed to do much in your first turn…

“But still… You are still afraid, young warrior. Your voice was thick with fear with every card you played.”

“Is that a bad thing?” asked Nicholas, nervously.

“It depends on how you show it,” replied Jade. “One warrior I read about thought he was a coward because he was always afraid. Until one wise man told him that simply because he ran from danger, it didn’t make him a coward. Certainly, he was confusing courage with wisdom.”

“Uhm…” muttered Olga. “Isn’t that… Isn’t that what the Wizard of Oz told the Cowardly Lion?”

“Was the Wizard not a wise man?” asked Jade. “Still, the point is, the Lion’s problem was that he was expressing his fear in the wrong way. True courage is when you’re afraid, but you act anyway.”

She drew a card.

“I play the Spell Card, Foolish Burial. Now, I can bury any Monster from my deck in my Graveyard.”

She quickly took a card from her deck, and discarded it.

“And it will wait there until I need it. Next, a Continuous Spell Card. The powerful Card of Safe Return.”

She played another Spell Card.

“Now, every time I Special Summon a Monster from my Graveyard, I get to make one draw.

“Next, I summon Gozuki.”

“Who?” asked Nicholas.

A dark flame appeared on Jade’s side of the field, and a bestial creature stepped out of it. It looked like a huge, muscular, humanoid bull, holding a giant, wooden hammer. It snarled in a voice that was clearly bestial. (1,700/800)

“Now I use Gozuki’s effect,” said Jade, taking her deck. “Once per round, I get to take one Zombie from my deck, and send it to the Graveyard.”

She discarded a card.

“Why do you keep sending your Monsters to the Graveyard?” gasped Nicholas.

“Didn’t you hear that part of my story?” asked Jade. “The Yōkai cannot be killed under most circumstances. If you try, they come back from the grave, and become even more powerful.

“In game terms, that means their true strength is only awakened after they’ve been summoned from the Graveyard. I will demonstrate.

“The Monster I just discarded is called a Mezuki. And by removing it from play, I can raise another Zombie from my Graveyard. And I’ll raise the one I discarded with Foolish Burial. My Crow Tengu!”

The ground in front of her cracked, and a humanoid form burst out. It was a big, black bird with humanoid features, and arms as well as wings. It let out a loud squawk. (1,400/1,200)

“I get to draw one card,” she said, as Card of Safe Return glowed. “And when Crow Tengu is Special Summoned from the Graveyard, it destroys one Monster.”

She drew a card, and Crow Tengu’s eyes glowed with feral light. Shien’s Footsoldier burst into pixels.

“Crud,” said Nicholas.

“Crow Tengu,” ordered Jade, “attack Marauding Captain. Doom wind.”

Crow Tengu spread its wings and took to the air. It beat its wings, releasing a fierce gale. Marauding Captain shielded himself, and then shattered.

“Gozuki…” she continued. “Attack Nicholas directly! Soul hammer!”

Steam blew from the bestial Zombie’s nostrils. It lifted its hammer and charged at Nicholas.

“Activate… Draining Shield!” shouted Nicholas.

His facedown card shot up, and a sphere of energy surrounded him. Gozuki’s weapon slammed into it.

Hey… thought Nicholas, as he felt the tingle. Maybe there is something to this ancestral power… I never felt more energized when I used Draining Shield before…

Could the actual Six Samurai be here?

Well… I won’t know until I draw one…

(J: 8,000) - - - - - - - - - - (N: 9,500)

“It’s your move,” said Jade.

Nicholas drew a card and looked at it.

He placed it on his Disk, and a set Monster appeared.

“That’ll do,” he said.

“You seem more confident,” said Jade, drawing.

“I activate the effect of Gozuki again.”

She took a card from her deck, and discarded it.

If she keeps pitching Monsters into her Graveyard, thought Olga, she’s gonna run out of them twice as fast!

“Next,” said Jade, “I’ll summon a second Mezuki.”

She played the card, and Nicholas was a little glad she had chosen to summon it. Now he got to see what it looked like. It was an ogre that combined the features of man and horse, wearing a ragged pair of shorts, and holding an axe. It growled, and its eyes narrowed. (1,700/800)

“Attack his Monster!” she shouted.

Mezuki snorted, and charged the facedown Monster, swinging its weapon.

Command Knight appeared on the card. She lifted up her shield and knocked the axe aside. (1,200/1,900) –> (1,600/1,900)

“Sorry, Jade,” said Nicholas. “She’s a little too strong for him.”

“So I see,” said Jade. “I set one card facedown, and end my turn.”

A facedown card appeared behind her three Zombies.

(J: 7,800) - - - - - - - - - - (N: 9,500)

“All right!” exclaimed Nicholas. “Draw!”

He drew a card. He looked at it.

It was Zanji.

Time to find out… he thought.

“I summon… Six Samurai Zanji!” he shouted.

He played the card, and a burst of light shot up from the space in front of him.

The armored Samurai appeared holding his naginata. He turned slightly to Nicholas.

The slight smile on Zanji’s face was all the proof that Nicholas needed. Zanji turned to face the three demons. (1,800/1,300)

“With Command Knight on the field, he gains a little boost.”

Zanji glowed, and rose to an Attack Score of 2,200.

“And I’ll move her to Attack Mode too…”

Command Knight stood up, and drew her sword.

“And, since I summoned a Samurai, my United card gains one Bushido Counter.

“Now, I’ll play Double Summon. This lets me make a second Normal Summon.”

He played the card, and took another card from his hand.

“And I’ll summon Spirit of the Six Samurai.”

With a low moan, the haunted suit of armor appeared next to Zanji. (500/500)

“Since it counts as a Samurai, my card gains another Counter. And since it now has two Counters, I can send it to the Graveyard to draw two cards.”

The United card vanished, and Nicholas drew twice.

“Next, I’ll Equip the Spirit to Zanji!”

Spirit of the Six Samurai broke apart, and the armor bonded to Zanji, forming a fancier, more elaborate suit of armor. A much more powerful-looking naginata appeared in his hands. (2,700/1,800)

“All right!” shouted Nicholas. “Time to take out some demon trash! Zanji, attack her Gozuki! Rising sun strike!”

Zanji flew at the bestial Yōkai and made a slash with his weapon. It howled and shattered.

“Command Knight, turn that Tengu into a feather duster!”

Command Knight slashed at the winged Zombie with her sword. Crow Tengu made a loud screech and then exploded into black feathers.

(J: 6,600) - - - - - - - - - - (N: 9,500)

Jade smirked.

“Huh?” said Olga. “She’s losing, and she’s happy?”

“How soon you forget the nature of the Yōkai’s powers, young warrior?” said Jade. “Attack them… Kill them if you think you can… Because they’ll only come back, gaining strength from the grave itself…

“My move…”

She drew a card.

“I move Mezuki to Defense Mode, and then set a Monster.”

Mezuki knelt, and held its axe in front of it. Then a facedown Monster appeared.

“…and my turn is complete.”

Nicholas drew a card.

“I summon Six Samurai Nisashi!” he exclaimed.

A blast of wind tore through the hall, causing the candle flames to flicker. Nisashi appeared, holding his glowing katana blades. (1,400/700) –> (1,800/700)

“And since I have at least one Samurai on the field, I can Special Summon Grandmaster of the Six Samurai!”

In a burst of energy, the elderly, eyepatched sensei appeared, holding his longsword. (2,100/800) –> (2,600/800)

“Gee, Jade…” said Nicholas. “All your ominous talk and scary Monsters aside, this isn’t very hard… I kinda expected more from you…”

Jade narrowed her eyes.

“Zanji… Attack her Mezuki!”

Zanji speared the Zombie with his weapon, and it burst into shards.

“I get to draw one card, due to my Spirit.”

He made a draw.

“Now Nisashi attacks. And since I have another Samurai on the field, he can do so twice! Go! Strike of the Driving Gale!”

Nisashi rushed at the facedown card. A small, cute-looking fox with a flame on the tip of its tail appeared on the card, right before one slash cut it down.

“Now attack…”

“I activate my Trap Card,” interrupted Jade, as her facedown card lifted.

“Huh?” said Nicholas. “A Trap? What is it?”

A gaggle of howling ghosts flew out the Trap Card, whose image depicted two specters flying out of a cave.

“Behold…” said Jade. “Haunted Shrine of Wretched Ghosts! Since I have no Monsters on the field, this lets me Special Summon a Zombie from my Graveyard.”

Crow Tengu appeared again, forming a fighting stance. (1,400/1,200)

“I get to draw one card due to Card of Safe Return,” she said, drawing a card. “And you remember what Crow Tengu can do when it’s summoned from the Graveyard, right? I think I’ll destroy Command Knight.”

Crow Tengu’s eyes glowed, and Command Knight screamed. She shattered into pixels. Nicholas’s three other Warriors lost 400 Attack Points.

“I still can destroy it!” replied Nicholas. “Grandmaster, destroy Crow Tengu!”

The Grandmaster lifted his longsword, and made a fierce swipe. The goblin screeched again, and shattered into shards.

“And by the way, Nisashi’s two attacks do NOT have to come in succession! Attack directly!”

Nisashi made a slash at Jade with his katana, and she grunted and staggered backwards.

“Hurts…” she muttered. “But I’ve felt worse…”

(J: 4,500) - - - - - - - - - - (N: 9,500)

“I end my turn,” said Nicholas.

“That means the effect of my Fox Fire activates,” replied Jade. “Since it was destroyed, it comes back to the field during the End Phase.”

The small fox with the burning tail reappeared. (300/200)

“And Card of Safe Return activates.”

She made one draw.

“Now, I’ll make my normal draw.”

She drew again.

“I remove my second Mezuki from play, to raise Shutendouji from my Graveyard.”

Once again, the ground burst open, and a new Yōkai crawled out. This one was just as bestial as the others, with wolf-like features and a thick mane of hair. It had no weapon, but instead carried an odd jug that seemed to be made from a gourd, which had odd runes carved on it. It snarled, and saliva dripped from its fangs. (1,500/800)

“Since I summoned it from the Graveyard, its Attack Score becomes 2,000.”

Shutendouji glowed with dark energy. (2,000/800)

“And I get to draw one more card due to Card of Safe Return.”

She drew a card.

“Next, I Normal Summon Ittan-Momen.”

She played the card, and a ghostly shape appeared next to Shutendouji. It looked like a collection of long rags, animated by some phantom force, surrounded by an aura of flames. (1,200/1,500)

“Then, since I have a Fire Monster on the field – I have two, actually – I get to Special Summon Goka, the Pyre of Malice.”

She played the card, and a large, iron jar appeared on the field.

“A jar?” asked Olga.

Then flames spouted from the jar, and they solidified, turning into, for lack of better description, a ghost made of fire. It had a demonic face, and large claws made of flames. (2,200/1,900)

“Correction…” said Olga, nervously. “A jar with a Monster inside it…”

“Since I did that,” continued Jade, “I have to destroy said Fire Monster…”

Ittan-Momen burst into embers.

“And, when Ittan-Momen is destroyed, one of your Monsters loses 500 Attack Points.”

Zanji groaned as an aura of fire surrounded him, and his Attack Score fell to 1,800.

“But I’m not done,” continued Jade. “Now, by sacrificing another Fire Monster, I can increase Goka’s Attack Score by 500.”

Fox Fire vanished, and Goka burned even more fiercely. (2,700/1,900)

“Goka, attack Zanji. Dark pyre.”

Goka blazed with flames, and flew towards Zanji. He held up his arm, and the armor covering him shattered. His Attack Score fell to 1,300.

“Zanji survived,” muttered Nicholas. “He used the Spirit as a shield.”

“Maybe so,” said Jade, “but are your other Samurai worth sacrificing to protect him from Shutendouji?”

The ogre breathed a gout of flames from its jowls at Zanji. Zanji groaned again, and shattered into golden triangles.

“I didn’t think so,” said Jade.

She placed a card in her Disk, and a facedown card appeared.

“My move is complete,” she said, “which means Goka’s Attack Score returns to 2,200.”

(J: 4,500) - - - - - - - - - - (N: 7,900)

Nicholas slowly drew. He looked at the two demons.

“You know, Jade,” he muttered, “I have to say, after all these years, you haven’t lost your touch…

“I summon… Six Samurai Yaichi!”

In a watery burst, the tall Samurai archer appeared, holding his bow forward. (1,300/800)

“Now he can destroy your facedown card!”

Yaichi’s eyes narrowed. He drew back his bow, and fired an arrow, skewering the facedown card.

“Sorry, young warrior,” said Jade, “but by destroying it, you activated it. Threatening Roar.”

A loud below echoed over the room.

Nicholas paused. He looked at the last three cards in his hand.

“I set a facedown of my own,” he said, “then move Nisashi to Defense Mode, and that will be all.”

A facedown card appeared behind his three Warriors. Nisashi sheathed his two katana and knelt in a defensive position.

“I draw,” said Jade.

She drew, and looked at the card.

“Due to Goka’s other effect, I now get a Fireball Token in Defense Mode.”

In a small burst of flame, a small fireball with two glowing eyes appeared next to Goka. (100/100)

“Next, I play Graceful Charity.”

The Spell Card appeared, and she drew three cards. She looked them over, and then discarded two from her hand.

“Now, I play Tribute to the Doomed to destroy Nisashi.”

She played the card, and discarded another one. A blast of energy hit Nisashi, and he screamed before shattering into pixels.

“Now,” continued Jade, “I sacrifice my Fireball Token to increase Goka’s Attack Score once again.”

The Token vanished, and Goka rose to an Attack Score of 2,700 again.

“Goka, attack his Grandmaster.”

Goka blazed with fire again, and flew at the Grandmaster.

“I activate… Shrink!” shouted Nicholas. “And it’s gonna put out your Monster’s fire!”

His facedown card flipped up, and Goka fell to an Attack Score of 1,600. Grandmaster slashed with his sword, and Goka howled before it shattered.

“Shutendouji, attack Yaichi,” said Jade, as if nothing had happened.

The ogre breathed his dark flames, and Yaichi cringed before he shattered.

(J: 4,500) - - - - - - - - - - (N: 7,200)

“My turn isn’t over,” said Jade. “First, I Normal Summon Onmoraki.”

She played the card, and a large bird appeared, that looked like a big crane with black feathers and a flame on its forehead. It squawked and flapped its wings. (1,200/1,000)

“Next, one of the Monsters I discarded when I played Graceful Charity is a powerful Yōkai called a Nine-Tailed Fox. If I summon it from my hand, it doesn’t have any effects. But, if I sacrifice two Zombies on the field, I can summon it from the Graveyard, and it gains two powerful effects.

“So, I sacrifice Onmoraki and Shutendouji…”

The two Yōkai vanished.

“To bring Nine-Tailed Fox to the field.”

The ground split open again, and another creature crawled out. It looked like a bigger, stronger version of Fox Fire, with (naturally) nine glowing tails. (2,200/2,000)

“I get to draw one card, due to Card of Safe Return…”

She made one draw, and looked at it.

“I believe I’ll set it facedown…”

She placed it in her Disk, and a facedown card appeared.

“And I’ll end my turn.”



Continued…

[Dark Sage]

Continued from last post:



Jade’s strategy seems clever on the surface, thought Olga. She sends Monsters to the Graveyard and revives them to activate their powers, gaining an extra draw in the process due to Card of Safe Return…

But there is one weakness to this strategy… She’s going through her deck twice as fast. Nicholas might be able to deck her out if this keeps up.

Nicholas drew a card.

That’s it, he thought.

“I summon Six Samurai Kamon!” he shouted.

In a burst of fire, the Samurai armed to the teeth with explosives appeared, a smile on his sooty face. (1,500/1,000)

“Now I use his effect,” continued Nicholas, “to destroy your Card of Safe Return!”

Kamon grabbed one of his explosives, and prepared to light it.

“You make this too easy,” said Jade, as her facedown card lifted. “Activate, Divine Wrath.”

She discarded a card, a second Card of Safe Return, and lightning flashed. It struck Kamon, and he shattered.

Nicholas stood dumbfounded.

Was her deck specifically built to counter the Samurai’s abilities? he asked himself.

“I move Grandmaster to Defense Mode, set one card facedown and end my turn,” he said.

Grandmaster knelt and crossed his arms, and a facedown card appeared behind him.

“Not the brightest idea,” said Jade, drawing a card.

“I play Premature Burial, to raise Onmoraki from the Graveyard.”

The card slipped out of her discard slot, and Onmoraki appeared again. (1,200/1,000)

“When Onmoraki is summoned from the Graveyard, I get to draw one card. And I also get to draw once due to Card of Safe Return.”

She made two draws.

“Now, my Nine-Tailed Fox attacks your Grandmaster. And because of the special way in which I summoned it, when it attacks a Monster in Defense Mode, and its Attack Score is higher than the target’s Defense Score, the difference is taken out of your Life Points.”

“Oh no…” muttered Nicholas.

Nine-Tailed Fox breathed a scorching blast of heat. Grandmaster cringed, and was burned up.

“Now, Onmoraki attacks you directly,” said Jade.

Onmoraki screeched and swooped down on Nicholas, and he screamed in pain as it dug its talons into his shoulders.

“That… that hurt!” he gasped.

Jade smirked slightly.

“I never said this would be easy, young warrior,” she said. “My move is over.”

(J: 3,700) - - - - - - - - - - (N: 4,400)

Nicholas nervously made a draw.

He played the card quickly, and the Pot of Greed appeared on his side of the field. He made two draws.

He looked at them.

“I activate Call of the Haunted!” he exclaimed, as his facedown card lifted. “I’ll bring back my Grandmaster.”

A wicker coffin rose to the surface on his side of the field. It opened, and Grandmaster stepped out. (2,100/800)

“Next, I summon Six Samurai Yariza.”

In a blur of energy, the black-garbed, masked Samurai holding his spear appeared. (1,000/500)

“Now, a Spell Card,” he continued. “It’s called Union Attack. For this round only, only one of my Monsters can attack… But he gains Attack Points equal to the Attack Scores of my other Monsters.”

He played the card, and Grandmaster rose to an Attack Score of 3,100.

“You forget,” said Jade, with a smile, “battle damage to me is reduced to zero.”

“At least I can destroy your Fox!” shouted Nicholas.

Grandmaster slashed with his longsword, and Nine-Tailed Fox exploded into a shower of embers.

“I activate its other effect,” said Jade. “When it is defeated, I get two Fox Tokens in Defense Mode.”

In two bursts of flame, two fiery foxes appeared on Jade’s side of the field. (300/300 x2)

Nicholas looked at the last card in his hand.

“I end my turn,” he said.

Jade drew a card.

“I will simply move Onmoraki to Defense Mode,” she said, “and that will be all.”

Onmoraki landed and shielded itself with its wings.

Nicholas drew.

Hope this works, he thought, looking at it.

“I play my own Graceful Charity,” he said.

He played the card, and drew three. He held the three cards up to the one that was already in his hand. The three new ones were Premature Burial, Six Samurai Irou, and Cunning of the Six Samurai.

Perfect, he thought.

He discarded Irou and Cunning.

“I play Premature Burial to revive Six Samurai Irou,” he said.

He fit the card in his Disk, and the blind, katana-wielding Samurai appeared. (1,700/1,200)

“Then, a Monster in Defense Mode.”

He played the last card in his hand, and a facedown Monster appeared.

“All right, everyone!” he exclaimed. “Take out her Monsters!”

Yariza jabbed one of the foxes with his spear, and it burst into flaming sparks. Irou slashed at the other one with his katana, and it burst. Then Grandmaster made a swipe with his sword, cleaving Onmoraki in half.

“And that’s my turn,” said Nicholas, taking a deep breath.

(J: 3,700) - - - - - - - - - - (N: 3,600)

Jade closed her eyes. She drew a card.

“I set two cards,” she said, as two facedown cards appeared.

“Then, I play Swords of Revealing Light.”

She played the Spell Card, and the blizzard of swords shot forward, entrapping Nicholas and his Monsters. The concealed Monster on Nicholas’s side revealed itself to be his Morphing Jar.

“Just as I thought,” said Jade.

She discarded her hand, and they both drew five cards.

Jade looked at her new hand.

“I activate Shield Crush,” she said, playing one of the cards.

A beam of light shot forward, and Morphing Jar was blown to dust.

“Now, I activate my two facedown cards.”

The two cards she had just set lifted. They were two copies of the same card.

“Fiend’s Sanctuary?” gasped Nicholas.

“That’s right,” said Jade. “Now I get two Metal Fiend Tokens.”

Two objects that looked like stick men made out of metal beads appeared on her side of the field. (0/0 x2)

“Now, I sacrifice both of them…”

The room darkened even more as both of the tokens vanished. A low growl echoed through the room as a dark shadow rose on Jade’s side of the field.

The shadow formed into a monstrous ogre, almost nine feet tall. It had red skin, clawed hands and feet, horns on its head, longer horns on its shoulders, pointed teeth, and was dressed only in a ragged breechcloth. It carried a weapon that looked like a big, metal baseball bat with small spikes on the business end. (2,800/2,100)

Nicholas stepped back in fright.

“That’s him, isn’t it?” he asked. “That’s the Yōkai general!”

Jade nodded.

“And Akaoni has a powerful effect that I can use when it is Normal Summoned,” she said, holding up the three cards in her hand. “For each card in my hand that I choose to discard, I can send one card on the field back to its owner’s hand.”

She quickly discarded all three of the cards. Grandmaster, Irou, and Yariza vanished, and their cards appeared in Nicholas’s hand.

“Good lord…” he muttered.

“Akaoni,” ordered Jade. “Attack him directly.”

It was all Nicholas could do not to turn and run as the huge beast bore down on him. It struck him hard with the great club, and he hollered in pain as he was thrown backwards.

(J: 3,700) - - - - - - - - - - (N: 800)

Then Jade actually laughed.

“Having this duel was an excellent idea!” she laughed. “I don’t even remember why I stopped dueling in the first place! It gets my blood pumping!”

Oh, I was afraid of this, thought Olga. Jade claimed she could control these cards, but very slowly, they’re breaking free from her control. I don’t think they like being controlled by anyone. Nicholas had better think of something fast, or they might turn the tables on her.

Nicholas got up.

“My move,” he muttered.

He drew a card and looked at his hand, which, thanks to that last move, now consisted of nine cards.

She made a powerful move, he thought, but she had to toss her whole hand to do it. Still, I don’t have anything that can take out that monstrosity.

He played a card, and a facedown Monster appeared. Then he fit two of his cards into his Disk, and two facedown cards appeared.

I just have to pray that she doesn’t manage to draw a Monster on her next turn.

“That’s all I can do,” he said.

“I draw one card,” said Jade, drawing.

She looked at the card.

She glanced at Nicholas with a look that made his blood run cold.

She placed the card in her Disk, and a facedown card appeared.

I have a feeling that that’s a Trap Card, he thought, and likely a very powerful one…

Akaoni charged at the facedown Monster. Yariza appeared on the card, and with one smash, he was blown to bits.

“Your move,” said Jade.

Nicholas quickly drew a card.

His eyebrow rose.

I got an idea, he thought. All I need is one thing…

He hit a button on his Disk.

“Before I move, Jade,” he said, “I’m gonna take a look at your Graveyard…”

All the cards in Jade’s Graveyard appeared in the air in front of him.

“Aha!” he said. “I had a feeling you might have had this in your deck… It certainly would have benefited you. And you discarded it at one point…”

The cards vanished.

“I play Double Spell! Now, for the cost of one Spell Card…”

He tossed one of his cards.

“…I can use that card… Card Destruction!”

The art for Double Spell changed to that for Card Destruction.

“I’ll fold the rest of the cards in my hand, and draw an equal number.”

He discarded his five cards, and then drew five times.

What? thought Jade. He just sent Grandmaster and Irou to the Graveyard on purpose?

Nicholas looked at the five cards. Then he chose one, and placed it on his Disk. A set Monster appeared.

“And that’s all,” he said.

Jade chuckled, and drew a card.

“Time to end this,” she said. “I’m going to show you the true power that the Yōkai are capable of… This might be overkill, but…”

Her facedown card lifted. It was a hideous picture that showed a mob of ghouls in a dark wood.

“The Trap Card, Night Parade of One-Hundred Demons!”

“I don’t even know what it does,” gasped Nicholas, “and I already know I’m not gonna like it…”

“Trust me, you won’t,” replied Jade. “This Trap lets me Special Summon from my Graveyard as many Zombies as I am able to. Sure, they’ll all die when I end my turn, but this duel will be over before that happens.”

An aura of flaming, unholy energy burned on Jade’s side of the field, and a sound like the cries of a mob of tortured spirits echoed through the hall. Crow Tengu appeared first. (1,400/1,200), then Shutendouji (1,500/800) –> (2,000/800), then the Nine-Tailed Fox (2,200/2,000), and finally, Gozuki (1,700/800). The five demons’ eyes glowed with evil light as they glared at Nicholas.

“I get to draw one card due to Card of Safe Return,” said Jade, making a draw, “and you remember Crow Tengu’s effect, right?”

Nicholas’s facedown Monster shattered to pieces.

Jade pointed.

“Get him,” she said.

The five Yōkai started to rush at Nicholas.

“Hold on, Jade!” he shouted. “I have a Trap of my own…”

One of his two facedown cards lifted.

“You see, you may be able to summon an army… But so can I! It’s a Trap called Backs to the Wall!

“To activate this card, I have to pay all my Life Points but 100 of them. Then, I get to bring back as many Samurai as I can!”

In five flashes of light, five Samurai appeared. Zanji (1,800/1,300), Yaichi (1,300/800), Kamon (1,500/1,000), Nisashi (1,400/700), and the Grandmaster (2,100/800) appeared on Nicholas’s side, all in Defense Mode.

(J: 3,700) - - - - - - - - - - (N: 100)

“You may have erected a shield,” said Jade, “but my army will kill them all!”

The five demons started to charge again…

“Shield?” asked Nicholas. “Not on your life! They’re gonna take your goons down!

“I have another Trap Card! And it’s as powerful as it is hard to say…”

His other facedown card lifted.

“Go, Fuh-Rin-Ka-Zan!”

The Samurai quickly stood up.

“Wind! Forest! Fire! Mountain!” shouted Nicholas.

“Swift as Wind,” replied Nisashi, holding aloft his blades.

“Silent as Forest,” added Yaichi, drawing back his bow.

“Fierce as Fire,” said Kamon, as flames appeared in his hand.

“Unmoving as Mountain,” said the Grandmaster.

“Combine as one,” said Zanji, as he started to glow with pure light.

The light became blinding, and the five demons howled. Then a great bolt of energy blasted towards the five Yōkai, and they screamed just before being reduced to ashes.

Jade looked in disbelief.

She chuckled.

“Not bad,” she said. “But you haven’t beaten me yet…”

She played one of her two cards.

“I play Monster Reborn.”

In a flash of light, Akaoni appeared again on her side of the field in Attack Mode. (2,800/2,100)

The Card of Safe Return glowed, and she drew one card.

She placed it in her Disk, and it appeared facedown.

“My Monster is still stronger than any of yours,” she said, “you’re still trapped behind my Swords for one more turn, and you only have 100 Life Points left. What will you do?”

Nicholas looked at her.

Good question… he thought.

He looked at his deck. He closed his eyes, and drew a card.

He looked at it.

“You seem to have forgot a few things, Jade,” he said. “The special abilities of my Samurai.

“Yaichi, destroy her facedown card!”

Yaichi got up, and shot an arrow from his bow. Jade’s Mirror Force lifted up and shattered.

“Kamon, wipe out the Swords!”

Kamon hurled one of his grenades, and the Swords of Revealing Light shattered into bits.

“Everyone else… Move into Attack Mode!”

Zanji, Nisashi, and the Grandmaster stood up.

“Finally,” said Nicholas, “I play this… The A. Forces. This gives each of my Warriors 200 more Attack Points for each Warrior present.”

He played the card, and all five of the Samurai glowed with energy. Grandmaster rose to 3,100 Attack Points, Zanji rose to 2,800, Nisashi to 2,400, Kamon to 2,500, and Yariza to 2,000.

Jade gasped.

“Grandmaster,” ordered Nicholas, “destroy Akaoni!”

A scowl appeared on Grandmaster’s face. He charged the huge ogre, and made a savage slash with his longsword. He cut right down the middle of the Yōkai general, slicing it in twain.

“Zanji… Nisashi… Attack directly and finish this duel.”

Zanji and Nisashi rushed at Jade with their weapons, and she screamed as they cut into her. She collapsed on her back.

A sad moan echoed through the room as the spell of the wicked Yōkai was broken.

(J: 0) - - - - - - - - - - (N: 100)

“You know…” muttered Jade, not getting up yet, “I think I just remembered exactly why I stopped dueling…”

She looked up, and saw that Nicholas was offering his hand. He looked her in the face.

“You have succeeded,” she said with a smile. “The brothers are victorious once again, and the demons have been sent fleeing back to the darkness where they belong…”

She slowly took a card out of her kimono.

“Thus, my secret can no longer be kept hidden… I bequeath to you the avatar… Of The True Master.”

Nicholas was excited, but he knew well enough not to show it. He slowly took the card…

But he was somewhat surprised when he looked at it.

“Jade…” he said. “But… But… This card is blank!”

Jade sadly nodded.

“I gave you the card,” said Jade, “now I also must tell you the rest of the story. There is a reason why The True Master left his students.

“You see, young warrior, The True Master believed all his life in a fledgling idea. It was a code… A code that stressed the importance of honor, and the superiority of Order. The concept that would one day be called Bushido.

“But eventually, he began to question this belief. He began to wonder if dishonorable creatures who served Chaos were not rewarded just as much as those who followed his ideals. There were proofs to this theory. No matter how many enemies he vanquished, more and more kept coming. He wondered if the cause he dedicated himself to had any meaning at all, and if anyone truly listened.

“Eventually, he became so cynical, he became depressed, and retired from the world of man. That is why he did nothing but watch in that great battle as his students fought.

“Young warrior, you have the card. Now, for The True Master to truly show himself, he must be convinced that his cause is worth fighting for. This card must witness a powerful battle between Order and Chaos, and Order must be victorious.”

“So… I’d have to duel again?” asked Nicholas.

Jade shook her head.

“Seeing his students fight will not convince him,” she replied. “He must see a triumph by beings who believe in his ideals, which are independent of him. Only then will he believe that the cause he stands for has meaning.”

Nicholas paused.

He turned and looked at Olga. She slowly nodded.

“Thank you for your help, Jade,” he said.

“Good luck, young warrior,” she said.

Nicholas turned to Olga.

“Let’s go,” he said. “There’s no telling when Daala will make her move.”

“For all we know,” said Olga, “she’s already made it…”

* * * * * * * * * *

GOKA, THE PYRE OF MALICE (Monster Card)

Card Specs

Type: Zombie/Effect
Attribute: Fire
Level: 6
ATK: 2,200
DEF: 1,900

Card Description: If there is a FIRE Monster on your side of the field you can Special Summon this card from your hand. If this card is Special Summoned in this manner, destroy a FIRE Monster on your side of the field. Once per turn during your Standby Phase, you can Special Summon one ''Fireball Token'' (Pyro/Fire/Level One/ATK 100/DEF 100) to your side of the field in Defense Position. You can Tribute one FIRE Monster on you side of your field other than this one to increase the ATK of this card by 500 until the End Phase.



AKAONI (Monster Card)

Card Specs

Type: Zombie/Effect
Attribute: Earth
Level: 7
ATK: 2,800
DEF: 2,100

Card Description: When this card is Normal Summoned, by sending any number of cards in your hand to the Graveyard, send the same number of cards on the field to their owners’ hands.

Note: “Goka, the Pyre of Malice” and “Akaoni” are Japanese cards that have not yet been released in the United States. Both were based on cards used by Bastion in the “Yu-Gi-Oh GX” Manga.



CROW TENGU (Monster Card)

Card Specs

Type: Zombie/Effect
Attribute: Wind
Level: 4
ATK: 1,400
DEF: 1,200

Card Description: When this card is Special Summoned from the Graveyard, destroy one Monster on the field.



ITTAN-MOMEN (Monster Card)

Card Specs

Type: Zombie/Effect
Attribute: Fire
Level: 4
ATK: 1,200
DEF: 1,500

Card Description: When this card is destroyed and sent to the Graveyard, decrease the ATK of one of your opponent’s Monsters by 500.



SHUTENDOUJI (Monster Card)

Card Specs

Type: Zombie/Effect
Attribute: Dark
Level: 4
ATK: 1,500
DEF: 800

Card Description: When this card is Special Summoned from your Graveyard, its base ATK becomes 2,000.



ONMORAKI (Monster Card)

Card Specs

Type: Zombie/Effect
Attribute: Fire
Level: 4
ATK: 1,200
DEF: 1,000

Card Description: When this card is Special Summoned from your Graveyard, draw one card from your deck.



NINE-TAILED FOX (Monster Card)

Card Specs

Type: Zombie/Effect
Attribute: Fire
Level: 6
ATK: 2,200
DEF: 2,000

Card Description: When this card is in your Graveyard, you may Tribute two Zombie-Type Monsters that you control to Special Summon this card from your Graveyard. When this card is Special Summoned via this effect, it gains the following two effects:
- When this card battles a Defense Position Monster with a DEF lower than this card’s ATK, inflict the difference as battle damage to your opponent’s Life Points.
- When this card is destroyed and sent to the Graveyard, Special Summon two “Fox Tokens” (Zombie/Fire/Level One/ATK 300/DEF 300) to your side of the field in Defense Position.



GOZUKI (Monster Card)

Card Specs

Type: Zombie/Effect
Attribute: Earth
Level: 4
ATK: 1,700
DEF: 800

Card Description: Once per turn that this card is face-up on your side of the field, you can send one Zombie-Type Monster from your deck to the Graveyard.



HAUNTED SHRINE OF WRETCHED GHOSTS (Trap Card)

Normal Trap

Image: Two ghostly spirits flying out of a cavern.

Card Description: You may activate this card when you control no Monsters on the field. Special Summon one Zombie-Type Monster from your Graveyard.



NIGHT PARADE OF ONE-HUNDRED DEMONS (Trap Card)

Normal Trap

Image: A mob of ghoulish creatures in a dark wood.

Card Description: Special Summon as many Zombie-Type Monsters as possible from your Graveyard. At the End Phase of the turn, destroy all Monsters that were Special Summoned by this effect.

Note: The proceeding eight cards were all used by Bastion at various times in the “Yu-Gi-Oh GX” Manga.



Coming up next:

You all knew it would happen. Back in Xanadu, Hiroki confronts Sam again, and she demands a rematch! The secret behind Hiroki’s treachery is finally revealed, but even so, can Sam stand up to the three legendary Monsters in his deck? The outcome of this duel is one you will have to see to believe! “Ruinous Beast” is coming soon.



Name that Card!

This special edition promo card that was printed in TCG format cannot be used legally, and was never meant to be a legal card. However, it was the model for “Ruin, Queen of Oblivion”, and like that card, is a Level Eight, Light-Attribute Fairy. Can you name it?

[Dueler King]

That was one impressive chapter, my friend. It was good to See Jade duel again and that deck of hers was really cool. Keep up the impressive work with this story.

[Shuppet Master]

Sorry, I missed the update and had to read this chapter from Fanfiction.net, but it's a great chapter nonetheless. So, we have what seems to be a sort of "Legend of Heart" situation, where the card is blank but needs to make something happen. I have a feeling we might find out what this battle is soon enough.

The duel was interesting indeed, the threat of those evil demon Yokai possessing Jade was really interesting. And the move with that card(yeah, I can't spell it either) reminded me of the duel in my own fic, between Lina and Balzak.

And a rematch between Sam and Hiroki, figures. Keep up the good work, Brian.

[Dark Sage]

What promo card that was never meant to be legally used was the model for Ruin? If you said “Queen of Fate – Eternia” you were successfully able to Name that Card!

I’m doing away with Name that Card to instead end each chapter with some colorful stories of important figures whom the Wind Dukes of Aaqa have opposed. In the struggle of Law versus Chaos, Yumi must always keep on her toes, for there is no telling whom Shogarr may recruit to his side.



He came out of nowhere. He was dressed like my uncle, and unbeknownst to me, he had stolen my uncle’s cards; duplicated them, and made cheap forgeries. He challenged me to a duel, and I lost.

That was a day ago, and I consider myself very lucky. It is very likely that Daala would not have kept her word had she actually gotten the Key, and I’d be Shogarr’s prisoner if Erik had not defeated Leichter.

Now, he’s shown up again. I’ve challenged him to another duel…

But this time, there’s a difference…

This time… I have a plan…

CHAPTER FORTY-SIX



Ruinous Beast

Yumi’s party was in trouble, and they knew it.

They had left the library after the short storm had apparently passed, and started to make their way towards their goal again, following Zane once more.

But half an hour later, the sky opened up, and fierce wind with snow started to come down mercilessly. The six duelists staggered against the blizzard, covering their mouths with their scarves and trudging through the thick accumulation.

“Hold up!” shouted Zane.

“What!” yelled Yumi.

“I’m no idiot!” yelled Zane. “This isn’t a normal storm… Someone is causing it…”

He held his hand over his eyes, and could just make out a shadowy shape in front of and above them.

He lifted up a card.

“Seven Tools of the Bandit!” he shouted.

There was a loud snap, and the wind started to die down. The snow eased up, and then stopped all together.

Everyone looked up, and saw who it was. Hiroki was standing above them on an ice-covered rock, holding up the Trap Card, Driving Snow. It quickly shattered into particles of light.

Sam stepped forward.

“I figured it was you,” she said. “How long have you been following us?”

Hiroki leapt down from the rock.

“Long enough,” he replied. “I heard you had escaped, and I hate leaving things unfinished.”

“Daala was never going to let me go at all, was she?” asked Sam.

“Guess we’ll never know,” said Hiroki with a shrug. “But she certainly won’t this time. Now are you gonna come quietly, or do I have to humiliate you again?”

“Oh, look at you!” sneered Sam, stepping up to him. “Mr. high and mighty! Hiroki, you think you’re the king of the world, but I think differently. Know what your problem is? You have something powerful, and you’re downright drunk with the power.

“You want to humiliate me again? Well, I’m certainly not going to ‘go quietly’, as you put it.”

“Something powerful?” asked Hiroki. “It’s more than just something powerful, sis. Have you forgotten that I hold the power of the Blue-Eyes White Dragons in my deck?”

“You do not!” snapped Sam. “Know how I know?”

She stared Hiroki in the face.

“When I was trapped in that soulgem, I was half-conscious, and I had a waking nightmare. The Spirits of the three real Blue-Eyes White Dragons came to me… And they were crying their eyes out, because three imposters pretending to be them had hurt their master’s niece!

“It took a lot of gentle talking and reassuring just to calm them down, and I finally convinced them that I’d erase this stain. Fix this injustice.”

“Sam…” said Yumi, in a cautious tone, “maybe you’d better not…”

“Why?” asked Sam, angrily. “Why, Yumi? So you can duel him? So the epic battle between Dark Magician and Blue-Eyes can happen again? You think that only a Mouto is capable of beating that deck, is that the reason? Well, that may have been true in the past, but I swear on Seto Kaiba’s good name that I’m going to be the first duelist without Mouto blood to do it!”

She took her deck out of its holder, and loaded it into her Disk.

“And by the way, Hiroki…” she said, “I’ve changed a few cards in my own deck since we met last time…

“Know what one of the cards is? It’s the card you gave me for my birthday!”

“Huh?” said Hiroki, somewhat surprised.

Hiroki heard Daala’s voice in his head.

Don’t worry, Hiroki, she said. I can see her plan clearly. She thinks that if you see that card, you’ll suddenly snap out of it and come to your senses. I think it’s a pathetic plan.

In fact, I’ll send you something to make her fall flat on her face.

Hiroki’s deck glowed as a card was shuffled into it. He grinned.

“Thank you, milady,” he whispered.

“Why not go for the gusto, sis?” asked Hiroki. “Let’s use Deck Lords this time.”

“Fine with me,” said Sam.

In a flourish, Gors appeared behind her.

“And mine is the Lord of Dragons!” exclaimed Hiroki.

In another flourish, the caped, black-garbed Spellcaster with a helmet shaped like a dragon’s claw appeared behind him.

“Let’s hope this turns out better than it did last time,” muttered Ren.

“Good luck, sis,” chuckled Hiroki. “Frankly, I think you’re gonna need it.”

Both Disks activated.

“Game on!” they both shouted.

(Sam: 8,000) - - - - - - - - - - (Hiroki: 8,000)

“I’ll make the first move…” said Hiroki, drawing a card.

“I summon Sangan.”

The three-eyed, spherical Fiend appeared. (1,000/600)

“That’s all for now.”

Sam slowly drew a card.

“I summon… My Mad Archfiend,” she said.

She played the card, and in a burst of energy, a very savage looking Fiend appeared. It had thin, gangly limbs, attached to a torso that looked like a set of bestial mandibles with a skull inside them, and two more jawbones as shoulder pads. It had a hideous face below a mane of bright red hair. It snarled in rage. (1,800/0)

“Whoa,” said Chelsea. “That guy does look pretty mad.”

“And it’s about to take its anger out on your Sangan!” exclaimed Sam.

Mad Archfiend rushed at the critter, and with one swipe of its claw, tore it in half.

(S: 8,000) - - - - - - - - - - (H: 7,200)

“I use Sangan’s effect,” said Hiroki, taking his deck. “I get to...”

“I know how it works!” snapped Sam. “I took Dueling 101! You get to take a Monster with 1,500 Attack Points or less from your deck! So do it already!”

Hiroki took Kaibaman from his deck and looked at it.

“I’ll end with one facedown card,” said Sam.

A facedown card appeared behind Mad Archfiend.

Hiroki drew a card.

“So you have a new Monster,” he said. “I have all I need right here.

“I use my Deck Lord ability! During my Standby Phase, if I don’t have a Dragon on the field, I can pull one from my deck.”

He took a card from his deck and held it up. It was Blue-Eyes White Dragon.

“Like this one!

“Now, I’ll summon Kaibaman!”

He played the card, and the heroic version of Seto Kaiba appeared. (200/700)

“Trap Card, activate,” said Sam, as her facedown card lifted.

“Huh?” said Hiroki.

“Thousand Buster,” continued Sam. “I pay 1,000 Life Points… Then, all Monsters that are in Attack Mode with 1,000 Attack Points or less, and all Monsters in Defense Mode with 1,000 Defense Points or less, are destroyed.”

“But that means…” gasped Hiroki.

“My Mad Archfiend is safe,” replied Sam, “because it’s in Attack Mode with 1,800 Attack Points. But your Monster won’t be so lucky. I’m not letting you summon Blue-Eyes that easily.”

Kaibaman exploded into shards.

Sam bowed her head, and a tear fell down her cheek.

“Uncle Seto, I’m sorry…” she muttered. “I… I didn’t have a choice…”

She looked up.

“Thousand Buster also causes us both to lose 1,000 Life Points!”

Hiroki groaned as they were both surrounded by an aura of red energy.

(S: 6,000) - - - - - - - - - - (H: 6,200)

“Fine,” said Hiroki. “So you managed to form somewhat of a strategy this time…

“I have to end my turn.”

“All right!” shouted Erik. “Sam has a free shot at him!”

Sam quickly drew a card.

“I activate Pot of Greed,” she said.

She played the card, and the green jar appeared. She drew twice.

“Now I summon Gil Garth!” she shouted.

In a dark flame, Gil Garth appeared next to Mad Archfiend. (1,800/1,200)

“Mad Archfiend, attack him directly! Bone splash!”

Mad Archfiend snarled, and drooled at the mouth. It rushed at Hiroki, and raked at him with its claws. Hiroki took a step backwards.

“Gil Garth, your turn!”

Gil Garth gripped its scimitar with both hands, and rushed at Hiroki, slashing at him with the blade. Hiroki toppled over.

(S: 6,000) - - - - - - - - - - (H: 3,000)

Two facedown cards appeared behind her two Fiends.

“I’ll set these, and then it’s your move.”

“She’s actually winning!” gasped Erik.

“Don’t jinx it,” said Chelsea.

Hiroki frowned as he drew.

“I play the Spell Card, Trade-In,” he said. “Now, by tossing a Level Eight Monster from my hand, I get to draw twice.”

He discarded the Blue-Eyes, and then made two draws.

“Now, I play Monster Reborn.”

The holy ankh appeared in front of him.

“To summon… Oh, c’mon… You know who it is…”

The Blue-Eyes White Dragon loomed over the field. (3,000/2,500)

“Attack that ugly Mad Archfiend!” shouted Hiroki. “White Lightning!”

Blue-Eyes opened its jaws, and a sphere of energy appeared in them…

“I activate Mad Archfiend’s effect!” shouted Sam. “When it’s attacked while in Attack Mode, it gets to retreat into Defense Mode.”

Mad Archfiend quickly knelt down, and crossed its arms over its chest. Blue-Eyes’s bolt of energy blasted and struck it, blowing it to particles.

Darn… thought Hiroki. I really need to study up on the new stuff more…

“It’s your move,” he said.

Sam drew a card.

“I’ll just move Gil Garth to Defense Mode, and that will be all,” she said.

Gil Garth knelt, and shielded itself.

Hiroki drew again.

“I’m gonna finish you off!” he shouted. “I play the Spell Card, Cost Down. So I toss one card…”

He discarded his Different Dimension Dragon.

“And the Levels of all Monsters in my hand are downgraded two places. So my second Blue-Eyes is transformed from Level Eight, to Level Six.”

“You still need one sacrifice to summon it,” added Ren, “and you have none. I mean, it would be really dumb to sacrifice the Blue-Eyes on the field for a second one.”

“I don’t think he’d play Cost Down unless he already had one,” said Zane.

“That’s right,” replied Hiroki, “I play Fiend’s Sanctuary!”

He played the card, and a Metal Fiend Token appeared on his side of the field. (0/0)

“Now, I’ll sacrifice it…”

The Token vanished.

“And now I have two Blue-Eyes!”

A second Blue-Eyes appeared next to the first. It roared. (3,000/2,500)

“Now to clear away your Monster… I play Lightning Vortex!”

He played the card, and discarded another. Thunder flashed, and bolt fell from the blue, atomizing Gil Garth.

“NO!” screamed Erik. “It can’t be happening again!”

“It is!” shouted Hiroki. “First Blue-Eyes, attack her directly!”

The first Blue-Eyes roared, and fired its lethal White Lightning towards Sam…

“Go, Draining Shield!” she shouted, as one of her facedown cards lifted.

Hiroki snarled with anger as a dome of force formed around Sam, and the blast was absorbed into it.

“What your Trap Card gave you, my other Blue-Eyes will take away!” he yelled. “Direct attack!”

The second Blue-Eyes breathed its mighty breath, and this time, it met no objection. Sam screamed as it hit her.

She fell on one knee. She held her stomach and took some deep, gasping breaths.

(S: 6,000) - - - - - - - - - - (H: 3,000)

“I guess that time, it was no harm, no foul, huh sis?” asked Hiroki.

“Not quite,” gasped Sam. “I wanted you to attack me… Because I have another Trap…”

Her second facedown card lifted.

“It’s called Damage Condenser! Now, I toss one card…”

She discarded her Skull Knight #2. A huge electrical generator sparking with energy rose up behind her.

“…and I get to Special Summon any Monster from my deck I want, so long as its Attack Score isn’t greater than the amount of damage I just took. I took 3,000 points of damage, so pretty much any Monster in my deck that doesn’t have specific summoning requirements qualifies!”

A bonfire of dark flames appeared on the field, and Dark Ruler Ha Des appeared with an angry leer. (2,450/1,600)

Hiroki glared at Sam in anger.

He looked at the last card in his hand.

“I’ll set this facedown,” he said, “and end my turn…”

The card appeared facedown.

Sam quickly drew the top card off of her deck.

“I activate… Shadow Spell!” shouted Hiroki.

His facedown card lifted up, and chains sprouted from the ground, latching onto Ha Des’s wrists and waist. His Attack Score fell to 1,750.

“So much for your Dark Ruler,” he said.

“Don’t count your chickens yet,” said Sam. “This just means I get a chance to use my new Deck Lord power.

“You see, thanks to Nezbitt, I was able to swap Gors’s powers for a Greater Power. It’s called Wrath of Ha Des.

“Once per duel, when Ha Des is on the field, I can toss two cards from my hand…”

She discarded her Bistro Butcher and Premature Burial.

“And Ha Des can destroy every card on the field except himself.”

“Hey!” shouted Hiroki. “Hold on! Wait a minute!”

Ha Des roared with rage, and tore free of the chains. He formed a huge fireball in his hands, and then slammed it to the ground…

The two Blue-Eyes roared as flames surrounded them, and they shattered into shards.

“Unbelievable…” said Zane.

“Fortunately for you,” continued Sam, “I can’t attack on the round where I do that. But I can still summon Winged Minion.”

She played her last card, and the nasty, winged imp appeared. (700/700)

“Now, I sacrifice it, to boost Ha Des.”

Winged Minion vanished, and Ha Des rose to (3,150/2,300)

“And my turn is over.”

Hiroki seethed with anger.

He drew a card.

“I use my Deck Lord effect again,” he said.

He pulled a card out of his deck.

He played the card, and the card he had drawn, and a facedown Monster and a facedown card appeared in front of him.

“That’s all I can do…”

Sam drew a card and looked at it.

“I set a Monster in Defense Mode,” she said, as a facedown Monster appeared.

“Then I attack with Ha Des! Stygian blast!”

Ha Des formed a ball of dark, crackling energy in his hands, and threw it. The Dragon Dwelling in the Cave appeared on the card, and was blown to pieces.

“Your move,” said Sam.

Hiroki drew.

He looked at the card he had just drawn. Then he looked at Sam’s facedown Monster, and then looked at the card he had drawn again.

If that facedown Monster is what I think it is, he thought, this setup is perfect…

He fit the card into his Disk. It appeared facedown.

“I set this,” he said. “Then I use my Deck Lord ability.”

Lord of Dragons glowed with energy, and a card slipped out of his deck. He held up the third Blue-Eyes card.

“Now, I activate my Trap Card…”

The facedown card he had set last turn lifted up.

“Birthright. Now I get to bring a Normal Monster back from my Graveyard. Guess who it is…”

With a bellow, the Blue-Eyes appeared again. (3,000/2,500)

“Ha Des is still stronger!” shouted Sam.

“He isn’t my target,” replied Hiroki. “Blue-Eyes, attack her facedown Monster!”

Blue-Eyes blasted its White Lightning at the hidden Monster. Morphing Jar appeared on the card, and was blown to nothing.

“Just as I suspected,” said Hiroki.

He discarded the Dragon, and then drew five cards. Sam also drew five cards.

“Wait…” said Chelsea. “Why would he search for his third Blue-Eyes… If he expected that card to be Morphing Jar? Why would he want to discard it?”

“I have a pretty good idea…” said Zane.

“That’s right,” said Hiroki.

The card he had set lifted up.

“I activate Dragon’s Mirror!” he shouted.



Continued…

[Dark Sage]

Continued from last post:



Lightning flashed, and wind started to tear through the tundra.

“I remove from play this Blue-Eyes on the field, and the two in my Graveyard…”

Lightning flashed again as the huge Dragon vanished.

“Come forth… Blue-Eyes Ultimate Dragon!”

Sam stepped back in fear as the huge, winged, three-headed titan that she thought she would never see loomed over the field behind Hiroki. It was just as big as the F.G.D., and like that Dragon, seemed bigger than life. It roared with three voices, shaking the whole terrain, and its six eyes glowed with pure light. (4,500/3,800)

“Sam, you’d better have a plan for this too!” shouted Erik, trying hard to be heard over the noise.

“Don’t count on it,” said Hiroki. “Fortunately for her, my Battle Phase is over, so I’ll set a card facedown, and anticipate my next turn.”

A facedown card appeared in a flash of light.

Sam’s hand shook as she drew a card.

She looked at it.

Okay, here goes… she thought. It all comes down to this…

Please… Don’t let me be wrong…

“You think I’m scared of that, Hiroki?” she asked, nervously. “So it’s big… Big deal, I say. The bigger they are, the harder they fall, don’t you know…

“Know what card I just drew? I just drew the card you gave me for my birthday. Isn’t that a coincidence?

“But… I don’t think I’ll play it just now…

“Instead, I’ll move Ha Des to Defense Mode, set someone else in Defense Mode, and end my turn.”

Ha Des knelt and crossed his arms. Then a facedown Monster appeared next to him.

Hiroki glanced at his hand, and smiled inwardly.

He drew a card.

Perfect! he thought. I have the cards I need for the perfect combo!

Burial From a Different Dimension, and De-Fusion! The first one will return my three ordinary Blue-Eyes to my Graveyard, and the second will let me swap my Ultimate Dragon for all three of them… And I can activate De-Fusion in the middle of my Battle Phase. This will bring this duel to an explosive end…

He took another card in his hand.

But first… I’m going to use the card that Daala sent me to show Sam what I think of her feeble attempt…

“All right, sis!” he shouted, playing a Spell Card. “Telling me that card was in your hand the stupidest thing you ever did! I play… D.D. Designator!”

“NO!” screamed Yumi.

“Now, I get to name any card I can think of,” continued Hiroki, “and if it’s in your hand, it’s removed from play!

“I name… Spear Cretin!”

There was a dead silence for a minute.

Sam breathed a sigh of relief. Then she started to chuckle softly.

“What?” said Hiroki. “Mind letting me in on the joke?”

“That’s exactly what I wanted you to do,” she said with a another sigh of relief. “I wasn’t wrong after all…”

She turned her hand of cards forward.

“As you can see, Hiroki, if that’s truly who you are, Spear Cretin is not here. Nor is it anywhere in my deck.”

Hiroki gasped.

“You lied!” he shouted.

“No,” said Sam, with an angry look. “I told the God-honest truth. YOU are the liar, you imposter.”

“Imposter?” asked Erik. “Sam… What…”

“I’ll explain,” started Sam. “Two months ago, when it was my eighteenth birthday, my mom made the mistake of letting her public relations man plan the festivities.

“Well, the jerk turned the event into a media circus, with more emphasis on PR for Kaibacorp than the celebrating of my birthday. Most of the folks on the guest list were members of Domino’s trendy crowd who I didn’t even know, and they didn’t come for any purpose except trying to influence my mother on behalf of their own companies. One idiot called me Shania and made a very inappropriate pass at me. Well, the next week, mom was looking for a new PR man.

“Hiroki was invited, using an assumed name so as not to cause any scandals for mom. Once he got wind of the situation, he put the present he had brought for me away, then took a Spear Cretin out of his own deck that he had brought. A cheap card that any duelist could have gotten. He had tried hard to build a good deck, and was going to ask me for advice later. When the time for exchanging of gifts came, he passed it off as his gift to me.

“Now, I have no doubt that Daala probably had a spy at that party. She was likely studying me at the time, along with the rest of us. So she told you that Spear Cretin was Hiroki’s present.

“But… Whatever spy she had sent couldn’t have been watching hours later, when mom had finally gotten rid of all the guests, and Hiroki gave me his real present.

“You see… I didn’t put Hiroki’s present in my deck to convince you that you that I cared. I put it in my deck because I simply knew, deep down, that you were never Hiroki to begin with. I put it there to expose you!

“And since you played D.D. Designator and guessed wrong, you lose a card from your hand!”

A slash of energy made a swipe across the duelist’s hand of cards. He gasped as the Burial From a Different Dimension card vanished.

“Not that one!” he screamed.

He dropped his cards and fell on his knees. He started writhing and groaning.

And then he vanished, leaving behind only the cards and the Duel Disk.

“Is it over?” asked Ren. “Does this mean that Sam wins?”

The Lord of Dragons’ eyes glowed.

“No…” said Zane. “I have a feeling it may just be starting…”

The Spellcaster stepped forward. He picked up the cards, and then slipped the Duel Disk on his own arm.

“I had a feeling it was probably you,” growled Sam. “I figured there were only two Duel Spirits in existence capable of using imitation Blue-Eyes, and I didn’t think that Kaibaman would have betrayed me.

“I have to ask… Why?”

“Why do you think, Samantha?” asked Lord of Dragons. “I’ve hated you and your mother with a passion. I never forgave Siegfried either. His last act was to give his three Dragons to the family of Kaiba’s hated rival!”

“My father was Siegfried’s friend, pal,” said Yumi, “as well as his closest ally! Sure, they were rivals, but they weren’t nasty about it.”

“You and your mother disgust me,” said Lord of Dragons, pointing to Sam. “Neither of you have even tried to contest that portion of the will, and gain freedom for those three Dragons. They’re prisoners in that cold museum, while Kaiba’s heir does nothing to help them!

“The heir of Seto Kaiba shouldn’t be using a Fiend Deck. She should be using the cards that are associated with the Kaiba name. The only solution to this travesty now is to kill the family line before it can be embarrassed further.”

“To think that my uncle always had room for you in his deck…” said Sam, shaking her head. “You think I’m a disgrace? Then prove it… Let’s end this!”

“Gladly!” shouted the Lord of Dragons. “It’s still my move!”

Lightning flashed.

(Sam: 6,000) - - - - - - - - - - (Lord of Dragons: 3,000)

The Lord of Dragons took a card from his hand.

“I summon Luster Dragon!” he shouted.

In an explosion of energy, the beautiful, sapphire Dragon appeared. (1,900/1,600)

“Now, I activate my facedown card… Dragon’s Rage!”

His facedown card lifted.

“This Continuous Trap gives all of my Dragons a trampling effect, giving you nowhere left to hide.

“Luster Dragon, attack her facedown Monster! Sapphire spark!”

Luster Dragon breathed a blast of blue energy at the facedown Monster. Opticlops appeared on the card, and exploded. Sam sweat a little.

“Blue-Eyes… Destroy her Dark Ruler with Neuron Blast!”

Blue-Eyes Ultimate Dragon roared, and a burning blast of pure energy shot at Dark Ruler Ha Des. He exploded, and Sam was thrown off her feet.

(S: 3,600) - - - - - - - - - - (LoD: 3,000)

“I may not have been able to finish her this round,” he mumbled, “but maybe it was for the better. Seeing her sweat through another round might make it worth it. Daala will be so pleased, she’ll…”

He stopped short.

“Hey, wait a minute…” he muttered. “Who needs Daala? I’ve got the best deck in Xanadu… Once I take down Sam, I’ll take her down too… Then I’ll crush Joan and the rebellion myself… No-one will stop me!”

“Uhm, hello?” said Sam. “Are you gonna end your turn sometime this decade?”

“Your move,” he said.

Sam quickly drew a card.

She threw two cards into her Disk, and two cards appeared facedown.

“Your move,” she said.

Lord of Dragons laughed as he drew a card.

“I sacrifice Luster Dragon,” he said, “for the stronger Luster Dragon #2!”

Luster Dragon vanished, and the larger, emerald Dragon appeared. (2,400/1,400)

“Luster Dragon… Attack her directly!”

Luster Dragon breathed a stream of green flames. Sam cringed in pain as they hit her in the chest.

(S: 1,200) - - - - - - - - - - (LoD: 3,000)

“SAM!” screamed Erik. “NOOOO!”

“You’re through!” shouted Lord of Dragons. “Blue-Eyes Ultimate Dragon, finish her off!”

The great, three-headed beast roared. Flaming energy appeared in all three of its mouths.

“I activate… Call of the Haunted!” shouted Sam.

One of her facedown cards flipped up, and Mad Archfiend appeared in an explosion of soot and smoke. (1,800/0)

“As if that will save you!” laughed Lord of Dragons.

Three streams of energy blasted towards the Archfiend…

“I activate my other Trap!” screamed Sam. “And guess what, you imposter? This is Hiroki’s real present!

“Hate Buster!”

“Hate Buster?” gasped Zane, in surprise.

“You’ve heard of it?” asked Yumi.

“A player can activate it when one of his Fiends is attacked,” said Zane. “Both the Fiend and the attacking Monster are destroyed…

“But… The controller of the attacking Monster is worse off, because he takes damage equal to his Monster’s Attack Score!”

Mad Archfiend let out a savage roar. Flames surrounded it, and it started to burn like a bonfire. It leapt off of its feet, and flew at the colossal Dragon like a guided missile.

Lord of Dragons dropped his cards and let out a bloodcurdling scream. Blue-Eyes Ultimate Dragon bellowed from all three of its mouths, right before it erupted in an explosion that lit up the whole landscape.

(S: 1,200) - - - - - - - - - - (LoD: 0)

When everyone looked, the Spellcaster was down on one knee in a very large puddle of melted snow, and Sam was standing, albeit with her hair unkempt, and her face covered with soot.

“Whoa…” said Sam. “I hope I don’t ever have to do that again…”

Erik ran up to her, and grabbed her, giving her the biggest hug he could.

“Easy, baby, easy,” said Sam.

And then they were surprised, as a chain dropped out of the sky, and latched onto Lord of Dragons’ wrist. He was yanked up.

They all looked up, and saw that he was being towed. Daala was mounted on one of her Manticores of Darkness, and had snagged him.

“We need to chat, Lord of Dragons!” she snapped.

They were out of sight before any of them could do anything.

“That was great, baby,” said Erik. “He had me fooled… But he never fooled you! Beautiful and smart! What more can a guy ask for?”

Sam took the Hate Buster card out of her Disk and looked at it.

Truthfully, she thought, I wasn’t a hundred percent sure. Maybe I should have been more sure. Still, I was still willing to bet a great deal on the likelihood that he was a fake… Hiroki is still my brother, after all is said and done. Maybe once I finally get home, I’ll give him a call.

“That was great, Sam,” said Yumi.

“Yumi…” said Sam. “He was a jerk, I know… I may have beaten him, but… Just for the sake of argument, do you think he might have had a point? Do you think I might be more loyal to the Kaiba name if somehow, I was able to use his deck?”

“You want my honest opinion?” asked Yumi.

“Lay it on me,” replied Sam.

“I think,” said Yumi, “that the only duelist who was ever able to properly use those three Dragons was Seto Kaiba himself. He was bonded to their spirits in a way that is difficult, if not impossible, to pass to someone else. If you believe the story, when he was Priest Seto in a former life, the spirit of the Blue-Eyes was bonded to him by his beloved. In other words, they were Kaiba’s Monsters, and they wouldn’t easily adjust to anyone else, even an heir.

“Sure, Siegfried used them, but I think they were loyal to him because he was fulfilling his uncle’s mission, the mission to protect the Mandate of Heaven. In a sense, while Siegfried used them, they still belonged to Seto.

“So Sam… I do not think that your uncle would think any less of you for not using his cards. He was a duelist, after all… He understood that every duelist has to find his own calling.”

Sam nodded.

She looked at the Hate Buster card again.

“Thank you, Hiroki,” she whispered.

* * * * * * * * * *

Hiroshima was a smaller city than Domino, but still quite large. Having the dubious distinction of being the target of one of the atomic attacks during World War II had given it a few of its more popular attractions, such as the Hiroshima Peace Memorial Park and the accompanying museum. The Hiroshima Peace Institute, established at the city’s university, was one of the strongest voices in the world for the abolishment of nuclear weapons.

Duel Monsters was only a casual pastime here, not at all like its popularity in Domino. And for the real Hiroki Ishiyama, it was the farthest thing on his mind right now. Like any good second-year high-school student, he was hard at work in his room in his father’s penthouse apartment, working on a trigonometry assignment.

At this moment, he paused. He started writing again, and his pencil broke.

He looked at the pencil.

“Sam?” he said, out loud.

* * * * * * * * * *

Daala was reclining on her couch, casually petting her pet Catnipped Kitty, while Lord of Dragons nervously stood before her.

“Don’t feel too bad, Lord of Dragons,” said Daala. “Things didn’t turn out too bad…”

She put down the cat and sat up.

“After all,” she said, slipping her Duel Disk on her arm, “I’m certain that if you had won, you would have tried to seize power for yourself!”

“N-no!” gasped Lord of Dragons. “No! Honest milady… The thought never crossed my mind!”

“I see…” said Daala, calming down a little.

She reclined back on the couch again.

“Well, in that case, you’re free to go.”

Lord of Dragons’ eyes lit up.

“Really?” he said with a smile.

Daala’s Disk activated.

“IF you can reach the door!” she added.

Lord of Dragons heard a growl behind him. He slowly turned around.

He backed up, as the three fake Blue-Eyes White Dragons loomed over him.

Daala smiled. This was going to be amusing…

* * * * * * * * * *

Near Kozaky’s library, a lone figure ran across the tundra.

The cold didn’t bother him at all, and he ran faster than any human could likely manage, at a tireless pace.

He was single-minded in his pursuit. Only one thing was on his mind.

He paused at the library and looked around. His quarry had passed this way. He could tell. He quickly resumed his chase.

He only had one goal. What he would do if he ever succeeded, he didn’t know, nor had he even taken the time to consider it. The one who had sent him had put it plainly…

Find Zane Truesdale… Defeat him.

It was as simple as that…

* * * * * * * * * *

MAD ARCHFIEND (Monster Card)

Card Specs

Type: Fiend/Effect
Attribute: Dark
Level: 4
ATK: 1,800
DEF: 0

Card Description: When this card attacks a Defense Position Monster with an ATK higher than the attack target’s DEF, inflict the difference in battle damage to your opponent’s Life Points. When this card is the target of an attack while in Attack Position, switch it to face-up Defense Position.

Note: This card was released in Japan in the “Crossroads of Chaos” set (English release date unknown). The name “Mad Archfiend” is an educated guess to a possible TCG name. (The original name is “Mad Demon”.)



Lord of Dragons’ Deck Lord: “Dragon Summoner”: Once per round, if you do not control a Dragon-Type Monster you can take one Dragon-Type Monster from your deck and add it to your hand: (Greater Power)



Sam’s Deck Lord: “Messenger of Hades – Gors”: “Wrath of Dark Ruler”: Once per duel, when you have a “Dark Ruler Ha Des” face-up on your side of the field, you can discard two cards from your hand to destroy all cards on the field except “Dark Ruler Ha Des”. You cannot declare an attack on a round in which you use this effect. (Greater Power)



Lords of Chaos

The Story of Vashtuk, the Laughing Demon

Chapter thirty-seven of The Demonicon, a treatise written as a collective effort by sages among the Wind Dukes of Aaqa, is devoted to information on one entity of Chaos. The first part of the chapter details the following version of his origins, which is believed to be the most likely.

Most think that the Seven Deadly Sins of Man were creations of devils, and are thus tools of Law. That may or may be true, but these traits are often exhibited by chaotic forces as well, as shown by the tale of Vashtuk.

He was once a minor noble among the celestial hosts, and a high-ranking servant of the god of laughter, joy, and riches. He did his job well and without complaining for many centuries.

But as time passed, Vashtuk became too enamored of his lords many riches and trinkets – the fine jewelry and carved golden bric-a-brac that adorned the halls of the celestial palace. At last, he became obsessed with one belonging in particular: a golden, bejeweled drinking cup.

Vashtuk said to himself, “It is only the smallest of things, this little cup – he shall never miss it.” And so he took it for his own.

But Vashtuk had not known that this cup was a gift to his lord from his lord’s sister, the goddess of love and beauty. Indeed, it was a reflection of her fairness captured in the gold of the cup that had made him so obsessed.

One day, when the goddess came to visit her brother, they chose to have wine, and she asked why he did not drink from the cup she had given him. When it could not be found, she became angry, convinced that he had given it to a goddess who he had been wooing. She left in a fury… And the lord became enraged. It did not take him long to discover the true cause of its absence.

Vashtuk was brought before his lord, and the god of laughter said, “If you will steal trinkets and skulk about at the heels like some miserable goblin, then a miserable goblin you will be! By this mark, you will have me to remember my by. The greater your misery, the more forcefully you will laugh at the poverty of your existence. For laughter is my gift, and you shall have it until you choke!”

And so it was. And Vashtuk was cast into the Abyss.

He was turned into the likeness of a goblin, and since then, he has made due, possessing greater powers that are twisted versions of those he possessed as a celestial being. He draws goblins under his wing, often convincing them that he is one of them, sometimes even convincing them that he is a god of their kind. Still sick with greed, and possessing it at a more pronounced level, he encourages his followers to steal and con others out of their purses, so as to accumulate wealth. Possibly, he hopes to buy his way back into Heaven with his ill-gotten gains, not realizing that his thieving ways have become too ingrained for him ever to stop, and that he is now as much a force of Chaos as any other demon lord…



Coming up next:

The next duelist that the heroes encounter has a way with words – he just doesn’t use them that much. Daala’s video game assassin strikes, and he’s not nearly as nice as Raiden was. Of course, his target is Zane, who isn’t known for being nice either. What villain from the world of computer games could possibly be a match for Hell Kaiser? Giving the title of the next chapter here would likely give it away, so suffice to say, be here soon…

[Shuppet Master]

Well, other than recycling that part from "Thousand Year Door" with Dark Cllown Peten, the chapter was pretty nice. Interesting backstory about Hiroki, and nice to know that wasn't the real Hiroki.

[Dark Sage]

Author’s note:

Zane is the star of this chapter. Now, as of September 1st, one of his favorite cards, Cyber Dragon, is Limited in the actual game. There is a good reason for this: A Level Five Monster that can be Special Summoned so easily makes Synchro Summoning too easy.

However, in my fanfic world, as you know, Synchro Monsters are incredibly rare. Thus, I am keeping with anime rules in this case, and making Cyber Dragon an Unlimited card.

Just thought I’d let everyone know that.



As one of the AI programs in Joan’s army, I have two separate sets of memories. Sometimes even I find it hard to tell them apart, as much as I try.

The first set is the memories belonging to the human who was used as the model for my programming. They were present when I first appeared in Xanadu. I remember all aspects of Zane Truesdale’s life, up to a certain point.

The second set is the memories of my true experiences, those that actually happened to me since I was programmed.

In both sets of memories, I recall facing a lot of bizarre enemies, not all of them human. But this one… This one beats all. For one thing, he looks like he literally fell off the ugly tree and hit every ugly branch on the way down.

If what Yumi says about his origins is right, this creature cannot be reasoned with. Trying to would be a waste of time. In the video game where he came from, his purpose was to hunt down his targets and kill them. Joan’s dictum is probably the only reason he has to duel me.

Besides…

I really don’t feel like reasoning with him anyway. This freak just got on my bad side, and I like to think I can handle him just as well as any special forces police unit…

CHAPTER FORTY-SEVEN



Relentless

The creature poked his head over an icy hill, and saw the six duelists walking on a frozen plain below.

“Mmm…” he grunted.

Not knowing he was watching, Zane looked back and forth.

“Trouble, Zane?” asked Yumi.

“Something’s about,” muttered Zane. “I can’t exactly put my finger on it… But I wouldn’t drop my guard if I were you…”

Then they were startled by several loud squawkings. Five Sonic Ducks were rushing towards them

“Look out!” shouted Ren. “It’s a box of quackers!”

“Very funny!” shouted Chelsea.

To their surprise, the Sonic Ducks just rushed right past them, paying them no heed.

Then they all took a step backwards, as they saw the much bigger Duel Spirit who was chasing them.

It was clearly a Dragon, standing twenty feet high. Its hide was covered with metal armor, all of which was covered with spikes, blades, and drills.

“The Armed Dragon!” shouted Zane.

“Figures,” said Yumi, as everyone activated their Disks. “It sure doesn’t look like a Wind Monster, but it is one…”

They watched the huge creature, expecting it to lunge. But strangely, it didn’t. It glared at them for a few seconds.

Then, they all heard a telepathic voice in their heads. It was gruff, deep, and gravely, but commanding.

[I]“The behemoth comes,”[I] it said, “waiting to unleash its powers of destruction. Its arrival is heralded by three. Three must die before it can come. Any less, and it is too proud to appear. Any more, and the power of the hallowed ground forbids it from coming. But when it comes, it can consume the soul of one who has fallen to slay any foe or smash any barrier that would impede it. Beware, mortals, for this evil is not subtle in the least.

“And by the way, look out behind you…”

“Huh?” said Zane.

Armed Dragon turned and fled, as the six duelists spun around. They saw a figure on the tall hill – pointing a hand-held rocket launcher at them.

“That guy’s pointing a bazooka at us!” shouted Chelsea.

Yumi quickly drew a card from her deck. She threw it into her Disk.

The figure pulled the trigger of the weapon, and the rocket fired. Yumi quickly hit the command button on her Disk, and the Draining Shield card flipped up.

The impact threw all six of them off of their feet, and blew the Shield to pieces, but the Trap had absorbed the brunt of it.

The assailant tossed the weapon aside and started to walk down the hill. Yumi and Zane were the first ones to get up, and also the first ones to see him plainly.

He was a hideous and intimidating sight. Standing seven feet tall, broad, and dressed in a black, leather trenchcoat, his skin looked diseased, hairless, rotted, and decayed. Nonetheless, despite this appearance of decomposition, he exuded an aura of strength.

“Good lord…” muttered Yumi. “Nemesis…”

“Huh?” said Chelsea, getting up. “Nemesis? What is this thing? A zombie?”

“More like a biologically-engineered life form, Chelsea,” replied Yumi. “Daala has been playing with video games again.”

“Err…” grunted the creature.

“Nemesis was the antagonist of Resident Evil: Nemesis,” explained Yumi. “In the storyline, he was a super-soldier created by the Umbrella Corporation to hunt down the surviving heroes in the zombie-infested Raccoon City.

“As far as the game went, he was similar to a boss character, but unlike them, he didn’t stay in one place. He relentlessly tracked the heroine everywhere she went, showing up at various times throughout the whole game. He had powers that most enemies didn’t have, like the ability to follow the player from one area into another and pick up and use the same weapons that the player could use. And no matter how many times the heroine knocked him down, he was sure to get up again and continue chasing her, until she defeated him for good at the game’s climax.”

“Err…” growled Nemesis.

He pointed at Zane.

“Truesdale…” he grunted. “We duel…”

Zane closed his eyes and chuckled.

“Looks like Daala was going for fright value in her most recent attempt, huh?” he asked. “Fine, gruesome. If you’re looking for a fight, I’ll be happy to oblige. Since you had a game named after you, I guess you were doing something right.”

Nemesis tore the left sleeve off of his trenchcoat. Then he lifted his left arm, and it started to mutate. A Duel Disk that appeared to be made out of his own flesh and bone grew out of his forearm.

“Gross…” said Sam.

“I’ve seen worse,” said Zane. “Not much worse, I’ll admit, but I’ve seen worse…”

The assassin took a deck of cards out of his trenchcoat and loaded it into the Disk.

“Duel…” he said.

“Guys?” said Chelsea. “Maybe we should give them a little space, don’t you think? Zane’s duels tend to be kinda intense…”

“And they tend to be rather short, too,” replied Ren. “I’ve heard he can draw all three Cyber Dragons and Power Bond in his opening hand.”

(Zane: 8,000) - - - - - - - - - - (Nemesis: 8,000)

“I’ll make the first move,” said Zane, drawing a card.

He looked over his six cards.

“Unfortunately, Ren, it seems I wasn’t that lucky this time.

“I summon Cyber Valley in Attack Mode.”

In a flash of light, a Machine appeared that looked like a man-sized, metal snake, with prongs on its sides. (0/0)

“Huh?” said Erik. “Zero attack points?”

“Next,” said Zane, “I’ll play my Double Summon Spell Card, in order to make a second Normal Summon.”

The Spell Card appeared.

“So, I’ll also summon Cyber Kirin.”

A small, metal dog with spines on its back appeared. (300/800)

“I end my turn.”

If this guy is as dumb as he looks, thought Zane, he’s probably going to attack… And he’ll be in for a surprise…

Nemesis drew a card. He looked over his hand.

He played four of his cards, and a facedown Monster and three facedown cards appeared.

“Mmm,” he said.

“I guess you’re the strong, silent type,” said Zane.

He drew a card.

I also guess he isn’t as dumb as I thought, said Zane, looking at his four cards.

“Cyber Valley has three different effects,” he continued, “and I’m going to activate the second one.

“By removing it and one other Monster on the field from play, I get to draw two times.”

Cyber Valley and Cyber Kirin vanished into ripples of light. Zane made two draws.

“Next, I play Different Dimension Capsule. This lets me take any card from my deck I desire, and seal it in the capsule.”

He took a card from his deck, and a glowing, blue sarcophagus rose out of the ground. The card in his hand vanished, and the sarcophagus sank into the ground.

“Bet it’s his Power Bond!” laughed Ren.

“Now, I summon Cyber Dragon!”

In an explosion of ice and water, the huge, serpentine Machine burst out of the ground. It roared, and glared at Nemesis with its optic sensors. (2,100/1,600)

“All right!” cheered Sam. “Get that ugly zombie good!”

“I’m just starting!” said Zane. “Since that was a Special Summon, I’ll Normal Summon Proto-Cyber Dragon!”

The Monster that appeared looked similar to Cyber Valley; same metal, serpentine design, and about the same size. (1,100/600)

“Proto-Cyber Dragon, attack his Monster!”

The smaller Machine breathed a blast of energy at the facedown Monster.

“Activate… Power Gift…” said Nemesis.

One of his facedown cards lifted, revealing a Quickplay.

“Send Despair From the Dark to Graveyard,” said Nemesis, discarding a card from his hand, “and Proto-Cyber Dragon gains Attack Points equal to Despair From the Dark’s Attack Points.”

Proto-Cyber Dragon shot up to an Attack Score of 3,900.

“Huh?” said Zane, as his eyes opened wide. “It gains Attack Points? Why would you…”

“Activate… Draining Shield…” said Nemesis.

Another of his facedown cards lifted, and a dome of energy surrounded him. Proto-Cyber Dragon’s blast was absorbed by the shield.

Zane frowned.

“Now second effect of Power Gift…” said Nemesis. “Proto-Cyber Dragon is destroyed.”

Proto-Cyber Dragon exploded into pixels.

“I still have my real Cyber Dragon!” shouted Zane. “Attack! Strident blast!”

Cyber Dragon breathed a burst of burning energy at the facedown card. A Morphing Jar appeared on the card and was burned to ashes.

Okay… thought Zane. I guess this guy may be a little better than I gave him credit for.

Zane discarded his two cards, and Nemesis discarded the one he had. Each of them drew five cards.

“It’s your move, ugly,” he said.

(Z: 8,000) - - - - - - - - - - (N: 11,900)

Nemesis drew a card.

It’s pointless trying to insult this guy, thought Zane. He’s a genetically engineered assassin, and such creatures are bred to ignore insults.

That may be a problem… Psychological warfare was one of Hell Kaiser’s greatest advantages… But what does he do against an opponent who simply can’t be intimidated?

“Activate Mystical Space Typhoon…” said Nemesis, holding up a card.

The cyclone tore across the field. The Different Dimension Capsule rose out of the ground, and was blown to pieces.

“NO!” shouted Chelsea.

“Heh, heh, heh, heh…” chuckled Zane.

He looked at Nemesis.

“That’s exactly what I wanted you to do, big guy.”

“Err?” said Nemesis.

“Just finish your move,” said Zane.

Nemesis placed a card in his Disk.

“Play Premature Burial…” he said.

“Oh no…” said Sam. “He’s bringing back Despair From the Dark…”

However, the Monster that appeared on Nemesis’s side of the field was not Despair From the Dark. It was actually a lowly Skull Servant. (300/200)

“Huh??” said everyone at once.

Nemesis’s last facedown card activated.

“Activate The League of Uniform Nomenclature…” he said. “Special Summon two more Skull Servants…”

Two more of the skeletal Zombies appeared.

He held up a Spell Card.

“Play… Triangle Power… Increase the Attack Scores of all Level One Normal Monsters by 2,000.”

“Ho boy…” said Erik.

A flaming energy triangle appeared around the three Skull Servants. They glowed with energy and rose to Attack Scores of 2,300.

“Attack…” commanded Nemesis.

The three skeletons charged. The first one clawed at the Cyber Dragon, and the Machine exploded. The other two raked their bony claws against Zane, and he staggered backwards.

He clutched his stomach and took a deep breath.

“This isn’t good…” said Chelsea.

“At least Triangle Power has a side effect,” said Sam. “Those Skull Servants will be destroyed when Nemesis ends his turn.”

Nemesis held up a card.

“Play… Thunder Crash…” he said.

“Unless…” muttered Sam. “Unless he destroys them himself before that happens…”

The three Skull Servants burst into shards, and a beam of energy shot at Zane, striking him.

(Z: 2,300) - - - - - - - - - - (N: 11,100)

Nemesis took a card from his hand, and set it on his Disk. A facedown Monster appeared.

This is bad, thought Zane. I made a mistake… I got cocky, and I underestimated him… I really shouldn’t have done that…

Nemesis was never programmed to be a fighter… He was programmed to be a killer, plain and simple. And he may look like a zombie with a worm-eaten brain, but he’s actually quite clever.

If I want to win this duel, I have to stop taking him for granted, and start dueling like I mean it…

I just hope it isn’t too late…

“It it’s my move…” he said.

He drew a card.

“The card that was in my Capsule was this one…”

A card appeared in his hand.

“Card From a Different Dimension. Since it was removed from play, it goes to my hand this round, and we both draw twice.”

Nemesis frowned. They both made two draws.

“Now, I play Monster Reborn!” shouted Zane.

He played the card, and the glowing ankh appeared in front of him.

“I’m summoning a powerful Monster that I discarded when Morphing Jar was flipped. The mighty Chthonian Emperor Dragon!”

With a fierce roar, a powerful Dragon appeared on Zane’s side of the field. From the look of it, it may have been a distant relative of the more infamous Chaos Emperor Dragon, but it was much smaller, and had no legs, only large wings on its bulky, serpentine body. (2,400/1,500)

“Since Chthonian Emperor Dragon is a Gemini Monster,” continued Zane, “I have to summon it twice to use its effect. So, I use my Normal Summon for this turn to second summon it.”

Chthonian Emperor Dragon glowed with energy.

“And what’s this effect, you may ask? It’s the ability to attack twice in one round!

“Attack his Monster! Raging hellfire!”

The Dragon spit a burning stream of flames at the facedown card. A gaunt creature with insectoid features and holding a sword appeared on the card, and was burned to ashes.

“You destroy Goblin Zombie…” said Nemesis. “Effect activates… I take Zombie with 1,200 Defense Points or less from deck…”

He took a card from his deck.

“Fine,” said Zane. “But my Dragon still gets to attack twice.

“Attack him directly!”

Chthonian Emperor Dragon breathed an even more intense blast of flames. There was an explosion at impact where it hit the assassin.

When the smoke cleared, Nemesis was simply glaring at Zane.

(Z: 2,300) - - - - - - - - - - (N: 8,700)

Zane took two cards from his hand.

“I’ll set two facedowns, and end my turn,” he said.

The two reversed cards appeared.

Nemesis grunted as he drew a card.

“Play Foolish Burial…” he said, as a Spell Card appeared. “Send King of the Skull Servants to Graveyard…”

A card slipped out of his deck, and he discarded it.

“Then summon… Second King of the Skull Servants.”

In a dark, shadowy aura, a new Zombie appeared. It looked similar to Skull Servant, only taller, with a definite aura of menace.

“King of the Skull Servants gains 1,000 Attack Points for each Skull Servant…” continued Nemesis, “and additional King in Graveyard. Have three Skull Servants… And one King…”

(4,000/0)

“Good lord…” said Ren.

“Attack Chthonian Emperor Dragon…” ordered Nemesis.

King of the Skull Servants lifted its claw, and a burning skull appeared in it. It hurled it at the Dragon. Zane cringed as the Dragon exploded.

(Z: 700) - - - - - - - - - - (N: 8,700)

Nemesis placed a card in his Disk, and a facedown card appeared. He nodded.

“Zane is in big trouble, guys!” shouted Erik.

“I disagree,” said Sam. “He has only 700 Life Points left, while his opponent has more than what he started with. He has no Monsters on his field, while his opponent has one with 4,000 Attack Points.

“The trouble he’s in passed ‘big’ a long time ago. It’s become overwhelming.”

“Don’t sell Zane short, people,” said Yumi. “I heard he turned around a much more hopeless situation than this.”

Zane looked at her.

She’s talking about Zane’s duel with Mad Dog, she thought. The turning point where he first became Hell Kaiser…

True, he reversed an overwhelming situation, but he did so by giving in to anger. Becoming cold and merciless. Something he regretted later.

I’m a copy of the real Zane, so I must become Hell Kaiser by default… But I must remain calm! Giving in to anger in Xanadu could lead to defeat, and that is NOT an option…

“I draw!” he shouted, drawing a card.

He looked at it, and added it to his hand.

“I summon Proto-Cyber Dragon!”

A second Proto-Cyber Dragon appeared. (1,100/600)

“Now I activate a Trap Card…”

One of his facedown cards lifted.

“Alchemy Cycle. When this card is activated, the Attack Scores of all my Monsters fall all the way to zero.”

Proto-Cyber Dragon fell to (0/600)

“Err?” said Nemesis.

“Confused?” said Zane, with a smile. “Well, because I lowered its Attack Score to under 500, I can now combine it with this…”

A Spell Card appeared.

“Machine Duplication! This lets me Special Summon two more Machines with the same name. And since Proto-Cyber Dragon is assumed to be a Cyber Dragon when it’s on the field, I can use this to summon two real Cyber Dragons!”

Two of the huge robotic serpents appeared. (2,100/1,600 x2)

“Now, I play Polymerization!”

He played the card, and the Proto-Cyber Dragon and two real Cyber Dragons melted into a spinning vortex of energy…

“Forming the Cyber End Dragon!”

The goliath of Cyber Dragons loomed over the field. Its three heads roared as it glared at the skeletal Zombie in front of it. (4,000/2,800)

“What good will that do?” asked Erik. “Their Attack Scores are equal!”

Zane’s other facedown card lifted.

“I activate Rare Metalmorph!” he shouted. “Now, my Dragon gains 500 Attack Points, and the ability to, just once, avoid the effect of one Spell Card.

“Attack his King of the Skull Servants! Super Strident Blaze!”

Cyber End Dragon breathed bright, burning fire from its three mouths, and King of the Skull Servants exploded in a fiery blast.

“Activate King’s effect…” said Nemesis. “Remove King in Graveyard from play… Special Summon King that was destroyed back to field…”

King of the Skull Servants appeared again in an aura of black flames. (3,000/0)

“I set two cards facedown,” said Zane, “and end my turn.”

Two facedown cards appeared.


Continued…

[Dark Sage]

Continued from last post:

(Z: 700) - - - - - - - - - - (N: 8,200)

“Well,” said Sam, “it’s a start…”

Nemesis drew a card.

“Play Card of Demise…” he said.

He played the card, and the dangerous-looking guillotine appeared behind him. He drew four cards.

“Summon third King of the Skull Servants…”

He played a card, and another King appeared. (3,000/0)

“Then, play Monster Gate… Sacrifice one Monster, then pick up cards from deck until a Monster card is reached. Then summon it.”

One of the two Kings vanished, and the other one rose to an Attack Score of 4,000.

Nemesis picked up one card, then two. Then he discarded them, and played the third. Zombie Master appeared on the field. (1,800/0)

“Play second Foolish Burial,” he said. “Discard The Lady in Wight from deck.”

He discarded a card.

“The Lady in Wight has the name ‘Skull Servant’ when in Graveyard.”

The King on the field grew to an Attack Score of 5,000.

“Attack Cyber End Dragon…” he ordered.

“Not so fast!” shouted Zane.

One of his two facedown cards lifted.

“I activate The Transmigration Prophesy!” he shouted. “Now I can take any two cards in either Graveyard, and send them back to their owner’s deck. So, I think I’ll send King of the Skull Servants and The Lady in Wight back to yours.

“Of course, that weakens the one you have on the field, and it’s too late to call off your attack…”

King of the Skull Servants fell to an Attack Score of 3,000. It threw its flaming skull, but Cyber End Dragon breathed a fiery blast of its own, and the King was destroyed.

“Ergh…” muttered Nemesis.

He gestured, and his facedown card lifted.

“Activate… Graceful Revival…” he said. “Bring King back to the field…”

King of the Skull Servants appeared again. (3,000/0)

He held up a Spell Card.

“Play Twister… Pay 500 Life Points to destroy Rare Metalmorph…”

A cyclone tore across the field. The Rare Metalmorph card shattered.

He held up another Spell Card.

“Play Ekibyo Drakmord… Equip to Cyber End Dragon… With Ekibyo Drakmord Equipped, Cyber End Dragon cannot attack, and will be destroyed after two turns…”

Cyber End Dragon roared, as if in pain. Zane stepped back in shock.

“End turn…” said Nemesis.

(Z: 700) - - - - - - - - - - (N: 6,200)

Zane quickly drew a card.

“Cyber End Dragon isn’t any good to me as it is,” he said. “I can only sacrifice it…”

He played a Spell Card.

“I play Cyber Seller. Now, I can sacrifice my Dragon…”

Cyber End Dragon vanished into grains of light.

“Then I have a choice to make. I can either gain 300 Life Points for each Level it has, or draw one card for ever four Levels it has.

“I think I’ll choose the cards.”

He made two draws.

“Those cards had better be good ones,” said Ren. “He’s low enough on Life Points as it is.”

“Now,” said Zane. “I play Pot of Avarice.”

He played the card, and Cyber End Dragon, all three Cyber Dragons, and one Proto-Cyber Dragon slipped out of his discard slot. He combined them with his deck, and reshuffled. Then he drew twice.

“Okay,” he continued, as a Spell Card appeared. “I play Reasoning, and it works as follows, listen up.

“You give me one number. Then I pick up cards from my deck until I reach a Monster. If the Monster’s Level is the number you chose, it goes to the Graveyard. Otherwise, I get to Special Summon it.

“Did you get all that?”

“Err…” growled Nemesis.

He held up his hands, showing five fingers.

“Five, huh?” asked Zane, reaching for his deck.

“That’s bad, people,” said Erik. “Cyber Dragon is Level Five.”

“Nemesis is no dummy,” replied Ren.

Zane picked up one card, and then a second.

He chuckled as he looked at the third.

“Proto-Cyber Dragon,” he said, turning it forward. “That’s Level Three.”

He placed the card on his Disk, and Proto-Cyber Dragon appeared in Defense Mode. (1,100/600)

He discarded the other two cards.

“Everyone always picks five when I play that card,” he said, turning to Erik. “No-one ever realizes that three Monsters in a whole deck is a very small minority.

“I’ll also play a facedown card.”

A facedown card appeared next to the other one.

“Then, I’ll play Double Spell. I’ll toss this…”

He played the card, and discarded Card From a Different Dimension.

“…to duplicate Card of Demise.”

The art for Double Spell changed to that of Card of Demise. He drew four cards. He looked them over.

“I’ll set two more cards facedown, and end my turn.”

Two more facedown cards appeared.

“What’s Zane up to?” asked Erik.

“You got me,” said Sam, with a shrug.

Nemesis made a draw.

“Play Pot of Greed,” he said.

He made two draws, and looked at the two cards.

“Attack Proto-Cyber Dragon…” he said.

King of the Skull Servants threw his burning skull at the Machine.

“I activate Attack Deflector Unit!” shouted Zane, as one of his Trap Cards lifted. “Now, I can sacrifice a Cyber Dragon, and once again, Proto-Cyber Dragon meets the requirements.”

Proto-Cyber Dragon vanished.

“I summon Cyber Barrier Dragon!”

A new Machine appeared. It looked similar to Cyber Dragon, albeit with an emphasis on armor, and an energy-generating collar around its neck. (800/2,800)

“So long as it’s in Attack Mode, it can deflect one attack per round.”

King of the Skull Servants continued its attack, and a shield of energy formed around Cyber Barrier Dragon, forming a shield.

“ZANE!” screamed Chelsea. “You made a mistake! He has another Monster that can attack!”

“Zombie Master…” muttered Nemesis. “Attack Cyber Barrier Dragon…”

Zombie Master fired a volley of lightning bolts at Cyber Barrier Dragon, and the Machine erupted in sparks. Then it exploded.

“No…” said Ren.

“He lost…” cried Chelsea.

“Better take another look,” said Zane.

Everyone looked. Zane had activated a Trap Card, and was holding a handful of cards.

“It’s called Power Wall,” he said. “Now, by sending these ten cards from my deck to the Graveyard, the damage to me is reduced to zero.”

He discarded the ten cards.

Nemesis grunted, and placed both his cards in his Disk. Two facedown cards appeared.

“I take it that means it’s my turn,” said Zane.

He drew a card.

“Activate Trap Card,” said Nemesis, as one of his facedown cards lifted. “Secret Barrel.”

A large trapdoor appeared on the ground, opened, and a laser cannon lifted out of it.

“Secret Barrel inflicts 200 points of damage for each card on your side of the field and in your hand.

“Die…”

A glowing crosshairs appeared on Zane’s chest…

“I activate Fusion Guard!” shouted Zane, as one of his facedown cards lifted. “Now, I just have to discard one card from my Fusion Deck, and your little toy is rendered powerless.”

He held up six cards without looking at them. Yumi glanced over and saw what they were: Cyber Twin Dragon, Cyber End Dragon, Chimeratech Overdragon, Chimeratech Fortress Dragon, and two copies of Cyberdark Dragon. He held his hand over them, and chose Chimeratech Fortress Dragon, and then discarded it. The laser fired, but fell short of striking Zane.

Zane looked at the card he had just drawn.

“All right, Nemesis,” he said. “I must say I’ve had handsomer opponents, for sure, and more talkative ones, but you were a valid challenge. That’s why I’m hedging the outcome of this duel on one shot in the dark!”

A Spell Card appeared.

“I play Soul Release! Now I can remove from play up to five cards in either Graveyard. I could render your King powerless if I wanted to… But if I took that option, I really don’t know what I would do next. So, I’m going to use that effect on my own Graveyard.”

Three cards slipped out of his discard slot.

“Next, my facedown card is a little thing about reminiscing…”

His last Trap Card lifted up.

“I activate Return From the Different Dimension! Now, by paying half my Life Points, all the Monsters I’ve removed from play come back.

“So let’s welcome Cyber Valley, Cyber Kirin, Cyberdark Horn, Cyberdark Edge, and Cyberdark Keel!”

A glowing portal tore open behind him, and five Monsters flew out and landed in front of him. Cyber Valley came first. (0/0) Cyber Kirin followed. (300/800) Then the three notorious Cyberdark Machines appeared. (800/800 x3)

(Z: 350) - - - - - - - - - - (N: 6,200)

“Now comes that shot in the dark I was talking about. I’ll remove Cyber Valley and Cyber Kirin from play again, to draw two cards. And I’ll hope for the best!”

The two Monsters vanished. Everyone held their breath as he made two draws.

“And I just got just what I needed! The signature card of the Truesdale family…”

The wind started to pick up. Lightning flashed.

“I play Power Bond!”

A Spell Card appeared on his side of the field. Lightning flashed again.

“This is it!” screamed Sam. “One way or another, this is the last turn of the duel!”

“I fuse Cyberdark Horn,” shouted Zane, “Cyberdark Edge, and Cyberdark Keel to summon the Cyberdark Dragon!”

All three Machines swirled into a dark vortex, and the intimidating shape of Cyberdark Dragon loomed over the field. (1,000/1,000)

“And since I fused them using Power Bond, its Attack Score is doubled!”

(2,000/1,000)

“And its effect activates, allowing me to Equip it with a Dragon in my Graveyard, and add that Dragon’s Attack Score to its Attack Score…”

Chthonian Emperor Dragon appeared in front of Cyberdark Dragon. Clamps grabbed hold of it, bonding the two Monsters together. (4,400/1,000)

“Finally, for every other Monster in my Graveyard, it gains 100 more Attack Points. And with a little help from Power Wall, there are ten Monsters remaining in my Graveyard.”

(5,400/1,000)

“Err…” growled Nemesis.

“Cyberdark Dragon…” ordered Zane, “attack his Zombie Master!”

“Activate… Relieve Monster…” said Nemesis, as his last facedown card lifted. “I can return Zombie Master to my hand, and Special Summon a Level Four Monster.”

Zombie Master vanished.

“Choose to Special Summon Zombie Master back in Defense Mode.”

Zombie Master appeared again, crouching and shielding itself. (1,800/0)

“Oh, no!” shouted Erik. “Now his Life Points will be untouched!”

“Wrong…” said Zane. “He made an error… He forgot that since Zombie Master left the field and was summoned back to it, a replay was triggered. And he has another Monster that’s in Attack Mode…”

Everyone looked at King of the Skull Servants.

“Oh, it’s no good!” shouted Sam. “Nemesis will still have Life Points left!”

Zane threw another card into his Disk.

“I activate Limiter Removal!” he shouted.

Cyberdark Dragon burned with green flames. Its Attack Score rose to 10,800.

“No he won’t!” exclaimed Erik.

“Uh, guys…” said Yumi. “You all might want to hit the deck…”

“Attack his King of the Skull Servants!” ordered Zane. “Ultimate Darkness Burst!”

It seemed that the whole sky turned dark as night, as Cyberdark Dragon blasted its dark, burning beam at the Zombie, and an explosion ripped through the Frozen Wastes, causing the whole Realm to shake. The explosion could be seen from Leichter’s castle in the Burning Peaks where Atticus was trying to establish order; he saw the explosion, and hoped that it was a score for his side.

Fortunately, it was.

(Z: 350) - - - - - - - - - - (N: 0)

When Yumi and company dared to look, nothing was left of Nemesis or his Monsters except a burning crater, and the snow around them for hundreds of feet had been melted into water.

Chelsea walked up to Zane.

“Gee, Zane,” she said, “I’m glad I’ll never have to duel you… You’re crazy.”

Zane sighed, and started shuffling his deck.

“Let’s keep going,” he said. “I just realized something…

“Anyone even consider just what the Armed Dragon told us?”

“I don’t know Zane,” said Yumi. “He wasn’t the first.

“So far, Horus, Nephthys, The Creator, and Armed Dragon have all shown up with ominous warnings. Something is making powerful Duel Spirits very uneasy.

“And frankly, we don’t like it…”

* * * * * * * * * *

Daala walked down the corridors of her prison, carrying a bundle under her shoulder.

She walked to a secure area where she had been recently – Brron’s cell.

“Open the door,” she said to Shadow Tamers guarding it.

The Warriors punched in a code, and the metal door swung open. Daala switched on the light, and Brron was still there, confined to the containment capsule and restrained by a straightjacket, and chuckling to himself.

He perked up some more when he saw Daala come in.

“Find it yet, your highness?” he said, sarcastically.

“Actually, yes,” said Daala.

Brron frowned.

“So then,” he said. “I guess you came to kill me… Well, fine… Not like I don’t despise my life anyway…”

“Not yet, Brron,” said Daala, opening up the bundle. “You’re still of some use to me alive…”

The bundle glowed with golden light, and a gold torque appeared around Brron’s neck.

“Why, thank you,” chuckled Brron, “but don’t you think it clashes with the straightjacket?”

“Quiet!” said Daala. “This is a device that will let us manipulate the chaos of an Anarchist Disk. By using the energy of a living Duel Spirit, such as you, we can control its decision, and still get the powerful deck that it usually creates.

“And you won’t feel any pain at all. In another few minutes, you’ll be fast asleep.”

Brron chuckled.

“Well, Daala,” he said. “If this necklace can put me to sleep, I welcome it, but I doubt that it can.

“You see, when I’m asleep is the only time I can be lucid. As you might believe, when I was king of Dark World, I used drugs, magic, and anything else I could think of to induce sleep, in order to stave off the madness. After a while, such things simply stopped working.

“In fact…”

Then he let out a low groan…

He slumped over, and fell asleep. He started snoring loudly.

“Sweet dreams,” said Daala, as she walked away.

* * * * * * * * * *

POWER GIFT (Spell Card)

Image: A Rocket Warrior blazing with energy confronting two goblins, as a pair of hands in the foreground works a Geiger counter.

Card Description: Discard one Monster Card in your hand to the Graveyard, and target one face-up opposing Monster. Increase the targeted Monster’s ATK by an amount equal to the ATK of the discarded Monster. When the targeted Monster engages in battle, it is destroyed at the end of the damage step.

Note: “Power Gift” was first used by Mr. T in a fourth season episode of “Yu-Gi-Oh GX”. Creative credit goes to the writers of that episode.



POWER WALL (Trap Card)

Normal Trap

Image: A man in royal armor standing in a castle courtyard, holding his hand aloft, as a titanic dragon looms overhead.

Card Description: Activate this card when you would take battle damage. Discard any number of cards from the top of your deck. For each card discarded in this manner, reduce the amount of damage you take by 100.

Note: “Power Wall” was first used by Zane in the “Yu-Gi-Oh GX” episode “The Darkness Within”. Creative credit goes to the writers of that episode.



CYBER SELLER (Spell Card)

Normal Spell

Image: A man outside a used car lot, which includes a Cyber Dragon among the cars.

Card Description: Offer as a Tribute one Machine-Type Monster on your side of the field with the word “Cyber” in its name. Then choose one the following effects:

- Gain Life Points equal to the Level of the Tributed Monsters x 300.

- For every multiple of four in the Level of the Tributed Monster, draw one card.

Note: “Cyber Seller” first appeared in “Legend of the Sorcerer Kings”

* * * * * * * * * *

Lords of Chaos

The Peculiarity of Raum, Harbinger of the Apocalypse

The following information is written in the journals of Straumus, field commander of the armies of the Wind Dukes of Aaqa.

The demon lord known as Raum is clearly a peculiar case. According to the story, as he himself tells it, he was born a powerful demon prince, on the same power level as Orcus and Demogorgon, far in the future, an instant before an apocalypse that ended the universe. Since then, he’s aged in reverse – as time passes, Raum becomes more knowledgeable about a future that only he has experienced. His great wisdom, unusual for demons, has made him a paragon of prophesy. Soothsayers and fortunetellers turn to Raum for information about the future, which he’s willing to share – for a price.

For a demon, Raum does not look formidable. He appears as a withered old man, deteriorating and crippled, who hides his fragile form in dirty, grey robes. He becomes more decrepit each year. Raum does not know why he is aging, but he expects to fade from existence entirely soon, perhaps even within the next century, and the suspicion that he has not yet fulfilled the “purpose” of his creation now drives almost all of his decisions. After millennia of contemplation, he has come to the conclusion that he was created by a powerful entity of Law to prevent the apocalypse from happening. However, his chosen means of doing so clearly identifies him as a being of Chaos.

Raum hopes to use his knowledge of the future to trigger an apocalypse in the present – a suicidal bid to prevent himself from ever being created in the first place. The universe would be destroyed earlier than it would have been, but at least he would have prevented the later annihilation. Further, by erasing himself from creation, he would be absolved from the responsibility of being involved. He is already heavy with the guilt of being involved in the apocalypse at all, and views absolution as the only cause worth fighting for now.

Exactly how Raum intends to carry out his goals is uncertain. As far as demon lords go, Raum’s actual power is not very potent. His Abyssal realm, known as Damanscus, has deteriorated as much as he has. No demonic armies guard its boarders, and Raum has exerted no energies fortifying its defenses. The reason that no other demon lord has conquered it yet is because it has no strategic value at all, and all of its resources were mined and exhausted years ago.

The Wind Dukes are smarter. They watch Raum carefully, well-aware of his plan to bring about the end times. They would have taken him out long ago, if not for the possibility that some greater power of Law did indeed create him as part of some grand plan. Their researchers comb every copy of every text written by the entities of Order for any mention of Raum’s name. If they should find concrete proof that Raum’s claim is untrue, the Harbinger of the Apocalypse might not survive much longer.



Coming up next:

The goal is in sight, but the heroes are pestered by the Goblin of Greed. And after a case of theft is made known, Chelsea is forced to duel him… And is forced to do so without Penelope. What is the motive behind this Fiend? The title of the chapter may give you a clue. “The Root of All Evil” is coming up next.

[Shuppet Master]

Funny you should mention apocalypses, as the most famous challenge in The Sims 2 is called "Apocalypse." Search the net for "Boolprop.com" and read some interesting stories of that challenge! Sorry for the shameless plug, mods, it'll never happen again.

Anyways, Brian, that was a fantasic chapter. I didn't expect a Resident Evil enemy to be Zane's opponent, but I was pleasantly surprised. Resident Evil is quite a series and has become the cornerstone of survival horror in the console gaming world. For those who don't get it, here's a line from the original game:

"Here is a lockpick. You, the master of unlocking, might be able to use it."

Classic. ^_^

Still, the whole duel was epic, and Zane's KO blow(RftDD) was pretty amazing. I didn't expect him to use the Gemini Dragon, but it's pretty neat that he did.

Can't wait to see how Chelsea beats the Goblin of Greed without her fan-made card.

[Dark Sage]

Some say that the Dimensions are founded on the principles of beliefs. Philosophies shape the worlds, and ideas define existence. In my immortal life, I’ve seen many.

Once sect that I remember well was a now-defunct group called the Merkants. They were a group of very rich mortals whose philosophy was, quite simply, that acquisition of material wealth was the key to knowing the secrets of existence. They believed that the power of money could accomplish nearly anything. Now, some folks felt sorry for them for being so materialistic, and told them that there were some things that money just couldn’t buy. But all Merkants had heard that one, and they’d laugh, and say that if money couldn’t buy it, it wasn’t worth having.

The Merkants were not foolish misers. They wisely invested their wealth and used it to fund projects which they believed would uncover secrets of the universe. Most of these secrets involved gaining more wealth. Some Merkants became quite powerful, owning controlling shares of inter-planar trade companies that spanned several dimensions. One rumor states that one of them actually bought divine power and ascended to a godlike form, although very few actually believe it.

So why did this sect die out? Well, quite simply, the members couldn’t cooperate. Unlike most groups, the Merkants were their own worst enemies, seeing each other as competitors. Two Merkants in one town was a war waiting to happen. And the winner of any conflict between two of them was whoever was willing to spend more to solve the problem.

Eventually, they invested a great amount of resources to obtain one of the greatest sources of wealth in the universe – Tiamat’s horde. But their failure to cooperate, and their squabbling over who should get the greater shares of the prize kept them from succeeding, and for their audacity to try, they all became targets of armies of angry dragons, a situation they truly could not buy their way out of. They were annihilated.

The fact of the matter is, someone who has large amounts of money must handle it carefully, or it leads to greed. It can be like an addictive drug, causing a person to want more, and never be satisfied. And as much as the Merkants denied it, there are some things in life that you can’t put a price on.

One of my recruits is facing a Fiend who embodies the dark side of wealth, and I can only hope that she won’t be taken to the cleaners…

CHAPTER FORTY-EIGHT



The Root of All Evil

“Zane?” said Yumi. “I have a question…”

“Shoot,” said Zane.

“I noticed that you had Chimeratech Overdragon in your Fusion Deck,” she said.

“So?” asked Zane.

“Well…” continued Yumi. “Doresain said that its Spirit is dangerous and hard to control. That only someone who had the power of the Core could control it.”

Zane smirked.

“I do have the power of the Core,” he replied.

“HUH?” gasped everyone.

“Remember that guy who took Syrus’s deck?” asked Zane. “The one who I defeated to get it back? He had many powers derived from exposure to the Core. Well, I took them from him after I beat him.

“Joan was nervous after I did, but once she found how powerful I had become, she programmed a copy of the Chimeratech.

“She’s debating whether or not to program a copy of F.G.D., which was also in Hell Kaiser’s deck. She’s reluctant to do so. Its Spirit is incredibly evil, and might be too hard for anyone working for her to control.

“And I have a question for you, Yumi… How do you intend to beat Daala?”

“Well, it’s gonna be tough,” replied Yumi. “We have to find something called The Testament, and we don’t even know what that is…”

“The Testament you say?” said a creepy voice.

Everyone turned around, and saw a hunched-over figure, his head hidden in a dark hood attached to a long cloak.

“I know of a Testament,” said the figure. “I can lead you to it, if you want it badly enough…”

“What? What?” asked Yumi, eagerly. “We’ll do anything!”

“Hold on!” sneered Zane.

He walked up to the figure.

“This is a little too convenient. I smell a rat…

“Or more appropriately…”

He tore the cloak off.

“…a Goblin!”

The figure straightened up and stepped backwards. It was indeed the Goblin of Greed.

“You know this guy?” asked Chelsea.

“He’s a scoundrel,” said Zane. “A con artist who works for evil creatures of the Lower Planes as a merchant, doing any sleazy act necessary to get the goods they require.”

“You make it sound so… common,” said the Goblin.

“What do you want?” asked Chelsea.

“I want nothing,” replied the Goblin. “I already have what I came to get.”

He held up a card. Chelsea gasped. It was Penelope.

“You should watch your things better,” said the Goblin.

“Thief!” screamed Chelsea.

“Easy, easy,” said the Goblin, “she’s okay…”

The card in his hand vanished, and a large, glass capsule appeared behind him. To Chelsea’s horror, Penelope was trapped inside it, and she certainly didn’t look very happy.

“We’ll just keep her there for now.”

“Let her go!” shouted Chelsea.

“Be careful, Chelsea!” warned Zane. “That’s one of Daala’s restraining devices for Duel Spirits. A Spirit that’s confined to one is more or less at its jailer’s mercy. It can be used not only to hold the Spirit, but to inflict cruel forms of torture.”

Chelsea glared at the Fiend angrily.

“What do you want, Goblin?” she fumed.

“Now, now,” he replied. “I’m fair… You can have The Lady of the Night back, if you can win her back.

“We’re gonna duel, Chelsea. If you win, she goes back to you safe and sound. But if you lose, she comes with me.”

“To where?” shouted Chelsea.

“I have a buyer,” started the Goblin. “You see…”

“Money?” screamed Chelsea. “You’re doing this just for money?”

The Goblin chuckled. He took a wine flask from his belt and opened the top.

“Not just money, Chels,” he replied. “A whole bloomin’ lot of money!”

He took a swig from the flask.

“My buyer is a collector who likes unique and exotic things. Do you know how many Zombie Duel Spirits in all of existence are of the Light Attribute? There are two confirmed specimens, and two that may only be rumors. Spirit of the Pharaoh and Penelope are the two confirmed ones. Rumors exist of two other unique Light Zombies named Paladin of the Cursed Dragon and Malevolent Mech – Goku En, but these rumors have yet to be confirmed.

“Well, I have no chance to get near Spirit of the Pharaoh. He’s a powerful noble in the Dimension where Zombies are the most powerful. He commands a whole army. But if I had Penelope to offer, my buyer would pay through the nose…

“And frankly, I need all the cash I can get. Pretty soon, the terms of that wager I made with Marauding Captain are going to expire, and he’s gonna come after me if I refuse to pay up.”

“Just how much did the two of you wager in that bet?” asked Ren.

“Suffice to say, a lot,” replied the Goblin, tossing the flask away. “Know what the worst part is? Every card with his picture on it portrays him as some heroic soldier, while most cards with my picture on it portrays me as a buffoon. This whole wager has been a big embarrassment.”

“Why even bother to duel me?” asked Chelsea. “Why not just take her and run?”

“You wound me,” said the Goblin. “I always give folks a fair chance…”

He grinned a little. That was a lie. Once he cemented his hold on Penelope, he wanted Chelsea’s allies to bargain to get her back. There were so many rare cards and powerful Spirits among these duelists, and so much profit to be made…

Chelsea nervously looked at Penelope, who was looking back at her.

She quickly took a card from her side deck, and shuffled it into to her deck.

“I won’t let you down,” she said, looking at Penelope again.

“Okay, Goblin, I’ll duel you.”

The Goblin gestured, and a standard-issue Duel Disk appeared on his arm.

“Be careful, Chelsea!” warned Ren. “Never trust a thief, I always say.”

“Shall we get started?” asked the Goblin.

(Chelsea: 8,000) - - - - - - - - - - (Goblin of Greed: 8,000)

“Let’s hurry,” said the Goblin, drawing his first card. “Time is money, I always say.

“I play a Monster in Defense Mode, and then set two cards.”

A concealed Monster and two facedown cards appeared on his side.

“And then I’ll turn it over to you.”

Chelsea drew. She looked at her six cards.

Seems a pretty standard start, she thought. Playing defensively…

Well, I’m going on offense!

“I play… Call of the Mummy!” she shouted, playing a Spell Card. “Then, I’ll use it to summon Vampire Lady.”

Vampire Lady appeared, striking a pose. (1,550/1,550)

“Next, I’ll Normal Summon Zombie Master.”

In a burst of energy, Zombie Master appeared. (1,800/0)

“Then, I’ll Equip Vampire Lady with Axe of Despair.”

The large, heavy axe appeared in Vampire Lady’s hands. (2,550/1,550)

“Vampire Lady, chop his Monster!”

Vampire Lady flew at the facedown Monster, hefting the axe. Giant Rat appeared on the card, and was cleaved in half.

“I activate its effect,” said the Goblin. “I think I’ll summon a second Giant Rat.”

Another Giant Rat appeared in Attack Mode. (1,400/1,450)

“Zombie Master, take it out!” yelled Chelsea.

“Chelsea!” shouted Yumi.

Before Chelsea could reconsider, Zombie Master fired its bolts of lightning, and Giant Rat was eradicated.

“I use that one’s effect too,” said the Goblin, “to summon Avatar of the Pot.”

In a flash of light, a tall, green-skinned genie with a head that looked like the Pot of Greed appeared. He let out a throaty laugh. (1,200/1,300)

Chelsea sighed.

“I end my turn,” she said.

(C: 8,000) - - - - - - - - - - (GG: 7,600)

The Goblin drew a card.

“First,” he said, “I move the Avatar to Defense Mode.”

Avatar of the Pot sat in the lotus position and crossed his arms.

“Then I use his effect. By sending my favorite Spell Card to the Graveyard…”

He held up the card, which was Pot of Greed, and then discarded it.

“…I get to draw three cards instead of two.”

He made three draws.

“Next, I play Card Destruction.”

“Huh?” said Chelsea.

She shrugged. She discarded her two cards, and then drew two more. The Goblin discarded his five cards and drew five more.

“And, since you just drew cards outside your Draw Phase, I can activate this…”

One of his facedown cards lifted, showing the image of two merchants around piles of money.

“It’s called Appropriate. Now, whenever you pick up extra cards, I get to pick up two myself.”

“Appropriate?” said Sam. “Oh no… There’s only one reason anyone has that card in his deck…”

“I also activate this,” continued the Goblin.

His other facedown card lifted, showing the image of Marie the Fallen One with a card between her claws.

“Disgraceful Charity. Now, we get back all the cards we just had to toss.”

The two cards Chelsea had discarded slipped out of her discard slot slipped back out, as did the five cards her opponent discarded.

“Continuing,” said the Goblin, “I play this… Convulsion of Nature!”

A Continuous Spell Card appeared, and lightning stuck, and an earthquake rocked the tundra. Lava erupted from the ground.

“Convulsion of Nature requires both players to flip their decks upside-down,” he explained, “so the bottom is facing the top.”

Chelsea did so, wondering just what the purpose was.

“Next,” said the Goblin, as another Continuous Spell Card appeared, “I play Archfiend’s Oath.”

In another flash of lightning, an ominous stone tablet with strange writing carved on it rose up behind him. The writing glowed sickly green.

“I’m not the kind of merchant who’d ever deal with the Archfiends,” he continued. “They’re nasty, unreliable creatures who tend to double-cross anyone who deals with them. Not good for business.

“But their Oath is quite useful. According to its terms, I’m allowed to pay 500 Life Points each round to try to guess what the top card on my deck is. If I’m right, I add it to my hand. If I’m wrong, it goes to the Graveyard.”

“Hold on…” said Erik. “With Convulsion of Nature… He can see what his top card is… He can’t possibly miss!”

The Goblin chuckled.

“This was drafted by the Archfiends, Erik,” he replied. “Don’t you expect it to have a few loopholes?

“Anyway, I pay 500 Life Points, and I guess that my top card is Double Summon.”

He took the top card from his deck.

“What do you know?” he said, turning it forward. “I was right.

“I’ll set one Monster in Defense Mode, and then play Monster Reborn to summon Giant Rat in Defense Mode.”

A facedown Monster appeared. Then the holy ankh appeared, and Giant Rat appeared crouching in Defense Mode.

“Finally, since I now have seven cards in my hand, I’ll play one more Spell Card.”

A third Continuous Spell Card appeared.

“Infinite Cards. With this card in play, each player may ignore the six-card limit, and hold as many cards as they desire in their hands.

“And now, my turn is complete.”

(C: 8,000) - - - - - - - - - - (GG: 7,100)

“Finally,” said Chelsea, drawing a card.

His strategy clearly requires him to draw lots and lots of cards, she thought. But I have no idea just what specifically it is…

She played a card.

“I summon The Kick Man,” she said.

In a burst of shadow, The Kick Man appeared. (1,300/300)

“Time to strut your stuff,” she said. “Attack the facedown Monster!”

Kick Man leapt up, and aimed a kick at the facedown card. Dark Mimic LV1 appeared on the card, and was crushed.

“Now I get to draw one card,” said the Goblin, drawing.

“Zombie Master, destroy the Avatar!” shouted Chelsea.

Zombie Master blasted his bolts of lightning, and the genie was blown into shards of rock.

“Vampire Lady, stomp that Rat!”

Vampire Lady made another chop, and Giant Rat exploded.

The Goblin of Greed grinned, and took a card from his deck.

“I summon Muka Muka!” he shouted.

In a burst of energy, a large Monster that looked like a rocky centipede with pipes on its head – from which steam was emitting – appeared on the field. (600/300)

“Huh?” said Ren. “Muka Muka? What’s that?”

“Not sure…” replied Zane. “I think it’s a pretty old card…”

“It’s a Rock Monster that’s powerful if used right,” said the Goblin. “It gains 300 Attack Points for each card in my hand. As you can see, I have seven right now. Do the math.”

Muka Muka glowed, and more steam poured out of its vents. (2,700/300)

Chelsea looked at the big bug.

“I… end my turn…” she said.

* * * * * * * * * *

Joan walked into her library, holding a large tome. It was exactly the size of the book she had brought to Meltiel, but much newer. He had quickly made this translated version.

She didn’t waste time. She opened the tome, and started to read at the section he had bookmarked.

In the fifth year of the reign of Malys the Feathered, in the Dimension of Arcanium, where Spellcasters claim dominance, a cabal of powerful Wild Mages successfully created the Wildwind, a powerful generator for Wild Magic, the chaotic sorcery that most Spellcasters feared.

Drawing power from the Wildwind, the Wild Mages became stronger, and their numbers grew, attracting more recruits to their controversial school of magic. Soon, Wild Magic Zones spread across the land, and Spellcasters of all schools of magic were finding their spells causing Wild Surges.

Worry started to spread. Some feared that the Wildwind would transform into a Wildfire, a far more deadly generator of Wild Magic.

This worry was shared by none other than the Uncaring; Boccob, the Archmage of the Deities. The balance of the magical flow had tipped too far to the side of Chaos in Arcanium, and he needed to act.

Assuming avatar form, he arrived in the dimension, disguised as an old scholar. He came with an assistant, a powerful Spellcaster who rarely spoke. The avatar did not reveal himself, but said he was a representative of a group called the Arcane Lords.

Presenting himself to the ruling class, the avatar gave advice towards a solution that would tame the Wildwind. Using this advice, the more lawful mages were able to contain the Wildwind in a stable container, decreasing its power and preventing a Wildfire from forming. This upset the cabal of Wild Mages, especially when a law was passed forbidding tapering with the Wildwind further. After one rebellious mage was executed for attempting to destroy the container, the cabal dwindled in size, and the expanse of Wild Magic quickly ended.

Boccob left for his celestial home soon after, but his assistant remained behind. Speaking for the first time, the creature called itself the Testament of the Arcane Lords, and started preaching to anyone who would hear about the power of the Archmage of the Deities. It gained followers quickly, and soon a church dedicated to Boccob was founded.

Once the influence of the church was strong, the Testament revealed to the congregation that its master was the embodiment of Boccob himself. Then it too left, leaving the church to prosper.

It is said that if the magical flow ever becomes unbalanced again, the Duel Spirit who called itself the Testament of the Arcane Lords will come again on Boccob’s behalf, to correct that unbalance. Whether it would support Good, Evil, Law, or Chaos would depend on the nature of the unbalance.

Joan looked up from the book.

“Somehow…” she muttered, “that leaves me with even more questions…”

* * * * * * * * * *

“I draw one card,” said the Goblin.

He drew, and Muka Muka rose to (3,000/300)

“Now, I pay 500 Life Points to use the effect of Archfiend’s Oath. I believe that my top card is Pot of Avarice.”

He picked up the top card of his deck.

“What do you know? I was right again!”

Muka Muka rose to (3,300/300)

“All right, my Muka Muka… Chew up her Vampire Lady!”

Muka Muka scurried towards Vampire Lady, and she screamed as it gripped her in its mandibles. She shattered into shards, and Chelsea groaned in pain.

(C: 7,250) - - - - - - - - - - (GG: 6,600)

“That’s enough for one turn,” he said.

This is ridiculous, thought Chelsea. If this keeps up, it’s just gonna get stronger each round…

She drew a card.

“I’ll just move both my Monsters to Defense Mode, and that will be all,” she said.

Zombie Master and The Kick Man knelt and shielded themselves.

“My move,” said the Goblin, drawing a card.

Muka Muka rose to (3,600/300)

“Once again, I pay 500 Life Points to use the effect of Archfiend’s Oath. And I believe that my top card will be Disgraceful Charity.”

He took the top card from his deck and turned it around. Sure enough, it was Disgraceful Charity. Muka Muka rose to (3,900/300)

“You could at least try to put up somewhat of a defense, Chels. This is like reading the financial section. Productive, but boring.”

Muka Muka rushed at Zombie Master and crushed it with its mandibles. The Zombie shattered.

“It’s your move.”

Chelsea drew a card.

Hmm, Pot of Greed… she thought.

She looked at the other cards in her hand, which were Zombie Werewolf, Emergency Provisions, Monster Reborn, Rush Recklessly, and Book of Life.

Hey… I just got a diabolical idea!

“I play Monster Reborn!” she shouted. “And I’m going to raise a Monster from your Graveyard, Goblin!”

“Huh?” said the Goblin, as his discard slot started to glow.

The ankh appeared, and Avatar of the Pot appeared on Chelsea’s side of the field in Defense Mode. (1,200/1,300)

“Now that he’s on my side of the field,” continued Chelsea, “I can use his effect, and discard my own Pot of Greed to draw three cards.”

She discarded the Spell Card, and then drew three times.

“You forget,” chuckled the Goblin, “due to my Appropriate, when you do that, I get to draw twice. Share the wealth, I always say.”

The Trap Card glowed, and he drew twice.

“My hand now consists of thirteen cards. Some say that thirteen is unlucky, but I think that’s a crock. After all, take a look at the American one-dollar bill. On the back, the pyramid has thirteen steps. The eagle clutches thirteen arrows in one claw, and a branch with thirteen leaves and thirteen berries in the other.”

“That represents the thirteen original colonies, stupid!” shouted Erik. “It has nothing to do with money!”

“Ah, well,” said the Goblin. “My Monster doesn’t think it’s unlucky either.”

Muka Muka rose to (4,500/300)

Good lord… thought Chelsea. It’s just as strong as Kaiba’s Ultimate Dragon now…

Mustn’t panic…

“I play Book of Life,” she said. “I’ll Special Summon Zombie Master in Defense Mode, and remove one Giant Rat from play.”

Zombie Master appeared again, crouching and shielding itself. (1,800/0)

“Next,” she said, “I sacrifice The Kick Man to summon Ryu Kokki.”

The Kick Man vanished, and the huge, lumbering ogre made of bone appeared on the field. (2,400/2,000)

“But he won’t be staying. I’ll play Mystik Wok to sacrifice him and boost my Life Points.”

The Spell Card appeared, and Ryu Kokki vanished into grains of light.

“Next,” she continued, “I’ll discard one Monster to use Zombie Master’s effect.”

She discarded Zombie Werewolf. Zombie Master glowed, and The Kick Man appeared next to him in Attack Mode. In a flash of light, the Axe of Despair appeared in his hands. (1,300/300) –> (2,300/300)

“I set one card facedown, and end my turn.”

A reversed card appeared.

(C: 9,650) - - - - - - - - - - (GG: 6,600)

The Goblin chuckled. He drew a card, and Muka Muka rose to (4,800/300).

“I use the effect of Archfiend’s Oath again!” he laughed. “And I guess that the card on the top of my deck is Ipiria!”

Ipiria? thought Chelsea. What is THAT?

The Goblin held the card forward. It was indeed a Monster called Ipiria.

“I think I’ll summon it while I’m at it.”

A small Monster appeared, hovering in midair. It was a small, white lizard with a fur collar. (500/500)

“By summoning it, I get to draw one card.”

He made one draw.

“Muka Muka, attack her Kick Man!” he shouted.

Muka Muka rushed at The Kick Man.

“Activate… Widespread Ruin!” shouted Chelsea.

Her Trap Card lifted, and Muka Muka exploded into a burst of pebbles.

“All right!” cheered Ren. “She finally stomped that ugly bug!”

The Goblin of Greed’s eyes narrowed.

“Okay…” he said, with a hint of bile in his voice. “It’s clear that I won’t be able to conduct this deal as smoothly as I normally do… It’s time to start acting like a true merchant…

“Ruthless!”



Continued…

[Dark Sage]

Continued from last post:



He took a card from his hand.

“You see, the up side to this sort of deck is, you always have just the cards you need on hand.

“I play Double Summon. Now I get to make a second Normal Summon for this turn.”

The Spell Card appeared.

“Now I sacrifice Ipiria…”

The lizard vanished into grains of light.

“…to summon Enraged Muka Muka!”

The Monster that appeared looked similar to the first Muka Muka, but much bigger, shaped more like a boulder and much more fiendish in appearance. Smoke poured from the numerous vents all over its body. (1,200/600)

“This evolved version gains 400 more Attack Points for each card in my hand,” continued the Goblin. “And since I now have thirteen again…”

(6,400/600)

Chelsea gulped.

“I set one card facedown, and end my turn,” said the Goblin.

A facedown card appeared in the last slot in his Spell Zone. Enraged Muka Muka fell to (6,000/600)

(C: 9,650) - - - - - - - - - - (GG: 6,100)

Chelsea’s hand shook as she drew a card.

I’ve gotta do something… she thought. I can’t lose Penelope…

This will help him too… But I have no choice…

“I move The Kick Man into Defense Mode,” she said. “Then I throw two cards facedown, and play Mirage of Nightmare.”

Kick Man knelt and shielded himself. Then the two facedown cards and the Mirage card appeared.

“I end my turn…”

“And as you do that,” replied the Goblin, “my Trap Card activates… Zero Gravity.”

His facedown card lifted.

“Now, all Monsters on the field switch modes.”

Chelsea gasped. Avatar of the Pot, Zombie Master, and The Kick Man moved into Attack Mode, while Enraged Muka Muka curled up in Defense Mode.”

“My move,” said the Goblin, drawing a card.

“I get to draw four cards thanks to Mirage!” shouted Chelsea.

She quickly made four draws.

“And I get to draw two, thanks to Appropriate,” said the Goblin.

He made two draws. Enraged Muka Muka grew to (7,200/600)

Chelsea’s eyes opened wide when she saw one of the cards she had drawn.

“Emergency Provisions!” she shouted.

The facedown Quickplay shot up, and the Mirage card vanished into grains of light.

“I use the effect of Archfiend’s Oath again,” continued the Goblin. “I believe my top card is Nobleman of Crossout.”

He held up the card, which was indeed Nobleman of Crossout. Enraged Muka Muka grew to (7,600/600)

Then he turned the card on his Disk, and it moved back into Attack Mode.

“Attack her Kick Man!” he ordered.

Enraged Muka Muka rushed at the Zombie with a noise that sounded like an avalanche. Chelsea screamed as he was crushed under the huge, living boulder.

(C: 4,350) - - - - - - - - - - (GG: 5,600)

“I activate… Axe of Despair’s effect…” gasped Chelsea. “By sacrificing one Monster… I get to put it on the top of my deck…”

Zombie Master vanished, and Axe of Despair slipped out of her discard slot. She placed it on the top of her deck.

The Goblin laughed.

“I was hoping you’d do that!” he laughed. “Why did you think I attacked your strongest Monster! Now I practically took out two of your Monsters instead of one, and on your next turn, you’ll practically have a dead draw! There’s no way that Equip Spell could possibly make a difference!”

He laughed so hard he started to cough. Then he calmed down a little.

“And it’s your move…” he chuckled.

Chelsea drew. She added the card to her hand.

“I move Avatar of the Pot to Defense Mode again,” she said, as the Avatar sat down and crossed his arms. “Then I set a facedown.”

A facedown card appeared.

“That’s all.”

The Goblin drew a card.

“I’ll use the effect of my Oath again,” he said. “I guess that the card is Limit Reverse.”

He turned the card around. Enraged Muka Muka rose to (8,400/600)

“Eight-thousand, four-hundred?” shouted Ren. “How can Chelsea beat it?”

I know exactly how, thought Chelsea.

Enraged Muka Muka rolled towards Avatar of the Pot, and crushed him.

“I end my turn,” laughed the Goblin.

(C: 4,350) - - - - - - - - - - (GG: 5,100)

“You won’t be laughing for long!” shouted Chelsea. “I’m chaining this to the start of your End Phase! Go, Dust Tornado!”

One of her facedown cards flipped up, and the tornado ripped across the field. The Infinite Cards was blown to pieces.

“Now that it’s gone,” said Chelsea, “you aren’t allowed to hold more than the six card limit. Since this is your End Phase, you can’t play a second copy, and you must discard all the cards in your hand until you only have six.”

The Goblin’s eyes bugged out.

“But… But…” he said.

“NOW do you see why I recovered my Axe of Despair?” asked Chelsea.

“But… But…” repeated the Goblin.

“No buts!” ordered Chelsea. “Dump ‘em!”

The Goblin growled. He looked at his enormous hand, and chose six cards. Then he discarded the other thirteen. Enraged Muka Muka plummeted to (3,600/600)

“So you weakened my Monster,” growled the Goblin. “It’s Attack Score is still stronger than anything you’ve got, even with that Axe!”

“We’ll see,” said Chelsea, drawing a card. “Don’t forget, you only have seven cards left in your deck.”

“Actually, I have twelve,” he replied. “My deck started with forty-five. I’m not dumb, y’know.”

“Would have fooled me,” said Chelsea. “I play Premature Burial! I’ll revive Ryu Kokki!”

In a burst of dark energy, the Bone Dragon Ogre reappeared. (2,400/2,000)

“Now, I’ll Equip him with the Axe of Despair!”

The ugly axe appeared in Ryu Kokki’s hands. (3,400/2,000)

“Then, I activate my facedown card… Rush Recklessly!”

Her facedown card lifted, and Ryu Kokki shot up to 4,100 Attack Points. It made a great chop at Enraged Muka Muka, and the huge centipede exploded into a burst of flames and smoke.

(C: 3,550) - - - - - - - - - - (GG: 4,600)

Chelsea looked up at Penelope.

“It won’t be long now,” she whispered.

“All right!” cheered Ren. “Stomp one more bug!”

The Goblin frowned as he drew a card.

“I’ll use the effect of Archfiend’s Oath, and this will be the last time,” he said. “I guess that the card will be Drawler.”

“Drawler?” asked Chelsea. “What is THAT?”

The Goblin picked up the card and held it up. It was a Monster called Drawler.

“It’s a very powerful Monster that’s going to win the duel for me,” he said, taking a card from his hand. “But before I use it, I’ll play Pot of Avarice.”

He played the card, and five cards slipped out of his discard slot. He combined them with the ten cards left in his deck, and reshuffled. Then he drew two.

“Now, I play Giant Trunade!”

He played another card, and a wind tore across the field. The terrible calamity stopped and the huge tablet disappeared, as Appropriate, Convulsion of Nature, and Archfiend’s Oath vanished, returning to his hand. The Axe of Despair vanished and reappeared in Chelsea’s hand.

“Now…” said the Goblin, with a big chuckle, “I summon Drawler!”

Chelsea stepped back as an enormous creature appeared on the Goblin’s side of the field. It looked like a huge, stone statue with a grim face that was mounted on rollers. (?/?)

“Why aren’t that thing’s scores determined?” she shouted.

“Because, in order to get points,” replied the Goblin, “when I summon Drawler, I have to take any number of cards from my hand, and send them back to my deck. Then I multiply by 500.

“And I think I’ll send all ten of my cards back to my deck!”

He took every card in his hand and combined them with his deck, and reshuffled. Drawler glowed with energy. (5,000/5,000)

“Erk!” gasped Chelsea.

“Drawler, flatten her Ryu Kokki!” shouted the Goblin.

With a rumbling noise, Drawler rolled forward, rolling right over Ryu Kokki, and squashing it as flat as a pancake. The remains shattered.

“Ergh…” groaned Chelsea.

(C: 950) - - - - - - - - - - (GG: 4,100)

“By the way,” said the Goblin, “Drawler has another effect. When it destroys a Monster that’s in Attack Mode, that Monster doesn’t go to the Graveyard, it goes to the bottom of your deck! So unless you manage to shuffle it, you likely won’t be using Ryu Kokki again.

“I end my turn.”

Chelsea hung her head.

She looked at her hand.

She had a way to get rid of this thing, but it would be incredibly risky, especially with her Life Points so low… She needed more Monsters than the one she had…

She drew.

Her eyes opened when she saw the card. How did this guy get in her deck?

Oh, that’s right… she thought. This is the card I switched from my side deck when I knew I couldn’t use Penelope…

She looked at the card. It just might be a lifesaver now.

“I use the effect of Call of the Mummy to Special Summon Goblin Zombie in Defense Mode!” she shouted.

In a burst of shadowy energy, the gaunt Zombie with the bony, insectoid exoskeleton appeared. It knelt and held its sword in its lap. (1,100/1,050)

He may have managed to summon a Monster with 5,000 Attack Points, she thought, but it cost him his whole hand. This just might work.

“I end my turn.”

The Goblin drew a card.

He frowned.

“Disappointed, Goblin?” asked Chelsea.

“Well, it’s not exactly the right time for this guy,” he said, “but at least it’s something. I summon a second Muka Muka.”

He played the card, and a second of the rocky centipedes appeared. (600/300)

Chelsea chuckled.

“No cards in your hand,” she said. “It gets no bonus.”

“Well, that’s how it is in business,” muttered the Goblin, “sometimes you get the bear, and sometimes the bear gets you.

“Drawler, attack her Goblin Zombie!”

Drawler rolled forward, rolling over Goblin Zombie and crushing it flat.

“You activated its effect!” shouted Chelsea. “Now I get to search for a Zombie from my deck with up to 1,200 Defense Points.”

She took Vampire’s Curse from her deck and looked at it.

“Whatever,” said the Goblin.

Muka Muka scurried forward, and chomped on Chelsea’s leg.

“You can’t keep defending forever,” said the Goblin. “One more round, and I’m ending this. It’s your move.”

(C: 350) - - - - - - - - - - (GG: 4,100)

“My draw!” shouted Chelsea.

She drew a card.

“My field has no Monsters again,” she said. “So I’ll use Call of the Mummy to Special Summon Vampire Lord.”

Vampire Lord appeared in a burst of shadow. (2,000/1,500)

“Now, I’ll remove him from play to summon Vampire Genesis!”

Vampire Lord faded into a ripple of light, and the enormous vampire deity appeared. (3,000/2,100)

“Attack his Muka Muka!” she shouted.

Vampire Genesis burst into his crimson shroud, and flew at Muka Muka. The centipede exploded. The Goblin cringed.

“Now, I play Infernalvania!” continued Chelsea.

She placed a card in her Field Slot, and lightning flashed. The icy tundra was transformed into a broken wasteland, and the spooky vampire’s castle rose on a hill behind her.

“What’s going on?” shouted the Goblin.

“I’m going to take down your big statue,” said Chelsea. “But first…”

Her facedown card lifted.

“I activate Interdimensional Matter Transporter!”

The strange machine appeared, and Vampire Genesis vanished in a beam of light.

“Now, I use the effect of Infernalvania,” continued Chelsea, “and toss Vampire’s Curse to destroy all Monsters on the field!”

She discarded the card, and lighting flashed. A bolt struck Drawler, and the huge statue was blown into shards of rock.

The Goblin of Greed gulped.

“I end my turn,” said Chelsea.

Vampire Genesis reappeared.

(C: 350) - - - - - - - - - - (GG: 1,700)

The Goblin nervously drew a card.

He set it on his Disk, and a facedown Monster appeared.

“That all?” asked Chelsea, drawing a card.

“I summon my second Vampire Lady.”

She played the card, and the sultry vampiress appeared. (1,550/1,550)

“And then… Axe of Despair!”

She played the card, and the axe appeared in Vampire Lady’s hands. (2,550/1,550)

“Vampire Lady, attack his Monster!” she shouted.

Vampire Lady leapt at the facedown card, and Avatar of the Pot appeared crouched on it. With one chop, he shattered.

“Genesis, finish this!”

The Goblin of Greed screamed as the immense vampire flew into him, and he tumbled over.

(C: 350) - - - - - - - - - - (GG: 0)

Infernalvania and the two vampires vanished.

“That’s that,” said Chelsea, wiping her hands. “Now let Penelope go.”

The Goblin gasped for breath and pulled himself up. He backed up towards the capsule.

“You folks must have mistaken me for someone who intended to keep his word,” he scowled. “Sorry, but she’s worth too much. I’m getting out of here, just as soon as…”

And then black motes of energy started to surround him.

“What’s happening?” he shouted. “What’s going on?”

The motes covered him, and then seemingly consumed him, and he vanished.

“Thank goodness,” gasped Chelsea, running up to the capsule. “Zane, can you open this thing?”

“I think I can,” he replied. “I’ll need about fifteen minutes to crack the digital code.”

“Wonder what happened to him?” asked Erik.

“Don’t know,” said Sam, “don’t care… That’s one Fiend who isn’t welcome in my deck. It takes a lot to give even them a bad name, but…”

* * * * * * * * * *

Daala was standing with Skull Knight in a reception area of her prison. She watched as two Battle Ox dragged the Goblin of Greed in.

“Daala!” he shouted. “What’s going on!”

“What’s going on, Goblin?” replied Daala. “I believe that you have a few things that are my property, that’s what’s going on!”

The Goblin let out a nervous chuckle.

“I don’t know what you’re talking about…” he muttered, tugging his collar.

“Both of you,” ordered Daala, pointing to the Battle Ox, “search him.”

The Beast-Warriors dropped their prisoner, and then pulled on rubber gloves.

“Hey, wait a minute…” gasped the Goblin.

Daala turned around, turning a deaf ear to the screams of pain that followed as the two Beast-Warriors did their search.

Eventually, the screams stopped, and one of the Battle Ox walked up to her.

“He was hiding these,” he said, handing Daala six cards. “In the folds of his fat, no less… I wouldn’t have bought them from him…”

Daala looked at the cards, which were the six Orichalcos Monsters that Zane had taken from Kozaky.

“Yugoloths and demons really don’t care how clean things are,” she muttered. “They never bathe, and their fortresses are crawling with vermin. Their armor and weapons are worn, battered, filthy, smelly, and often diseased. They don’t care… They’re immune to diseases anyway. Such creatures only care how powerful an item is.”

She looked at the Goblin.

“You picked these out of Zane’s pouch when he grabbed the cloak off of you,” she growled at him. “And you were going to keep them so you could sell them to some Lower Planar lord…”

“N-no, your excellence!” gasped the Goblin. “I was going to give them back to you!”

“Yeah, right,” replied Daala. “You can’t buy your way out of this one, Goblin…”

She turned to the two Battle Ox.

“Have this thief locked up in a dark cell,” she said. “One with a lot of rats.”

The Goblin screamed as he was dragged away. Daala looked at the cards again, and then put them in a pouch at her side.

“Sending Nemesis after Zane was a bust,” she muttered, “but at least we got back the goods, thanks to some unintentional help.”

Then she took another card out of her pouch.

“Skull Knight…” she said. “Exactly when are the terms of that wager he made with Marauding Captain up?”

“In one year,” replied Skull Knight.

“A pity…” said Daala, looking at the card.

It was a Trap called Pollinosis, and it depicted the Goblin of Greed on its art.

“If he hadn’t been such a scoundrel, I would have told him that with the recent release of this card, he and the Captain are now tied… But he can learn from someone else now, if I ever choose to let him loose…”

* * * * * * * * * *

DRAWLER (Monster Card)

Card Specs

Type: Rock/Effect
Attribute: Earth
Level: 3
ATK: ?
DEF: ?

Card Description: When this card is Normal Summoned, Flip Summoned, or Special Summoned, take any number of cards from your hand and shuffle them into your deck. The base ATK and DEF of this card becomes 500 for each card shuffled into your deck in this manner. Monsters in Attack Position that this card destroys as a result of battle are sent to the bottom of the owner’s deck.

Note: “Drawler” was first used by Damien in the “Yu-Gi-Oh GX” episode “Nature of the Draw”. Creative credit goes to the writers of that episode.



IPIRIA (Monster Card)

Card Specs

Type: Reptile/Effect
Attribute: Earth
Level: 3
ATK: 500
DEF: 500

Card Description: When this card is Normal Summoned, Flip Summoned, or Special Summoned, draw one card from your deck.

Note: “Ipiria” was first used by Gansley in the original anime episode “Isolated in Cyberspace (Part One)”. Creative credit goes to the writers of that episode.

* * * * * * * * * *

Lords of Chaos

The Law in a Lawless Land; The Judges of Woe

Most believe that the chaotic Abyss, by its very nature, has no laws. That is true for the most part. However, they do have a justice system of sorts, which calls itself the Court of Woe.

The Judges of Woe are a cabal of thirteen nalfeshnee, which are demons that look like huge crosses between bears, apes, and boars, in humanoid form. The Judges have no obvious powers that make them better than any other nalfeshnee, but they have more influence, wealth, resources, and command of more minions than most.

The Judges of Woe have taken upon themselves to define the law in a place that usually has none. In truth, their authority only holds over any creature in the Abyss who they are able to force it upon, and their jurisdiction only covers creatures weaker than they are (which is still a great deal, as they are very powerful). The Court is at best a mockery of any proper justice system. The Judges make up any laws they require as it suits them, and judge any resident of the Abyss whom they feel has broken them. Such defendants are more often than not tried in absentia, and those that carry out their sentences are often hard to distinguish from any other demonic gang looking for a fight. To anyone with any knowledge of the law, this body is contradictory at best, changing on the whims of the nalfeshnee.

Most demons (other than the Judges’ servants) would dismiss the cabal as a group of lunatics, if not for one vital trick that they have learned. Somehow, the Judges of Woe have learned how to enter pacts with mortals, something that normally only the lawful devils can do. Agents of the Court of Woe can approach mortals with the same offers that devils are notorious for offering, exchanging power for souls or other terrible prices.

Like in the contracts written up by devils, the Court of Woe exploits every loophole and fine print possible. But there is a big difference. Their contracts are not agreements. They are curses that are inflicted upon the mortal who agrees upon them. While a devil’s contract often manipulates its meaning, contracts written by the Court often contain boldfaced lies that the Court includes to get what they want. If the Court decides to go back on their word in a contract, they often do so. In the Abyss, there are no appeals.

Few intelligent mortals are foolish enough to initiate such contracts. However, in the past, demons have made deals with powerful mortals, only to be tricked, and then imprisoned or enslaved when they are no longer needed. Demons that need insurance when dealing with mortals whom they know are more powerful than they are often request help from the Court of Woe to make certain that such things don’t happen. Evil mortals who need help from demons that they can’t get anywhere else soon learn that agreeing to these contracts is the only way to get what they want. Of course, the Court of Woe will not do this for free, and anyone seeking legal help in the Abyss must be cautious… More than one demon hoped to avoid enslavement by a mortal, only to face that fate by the Judges of Woe…



Coming up next:

The Realm Lord’s castle is in sight at last! Meanwhile, in the real world, Daala’s invasion begins, and Olga is threatened by the first scout. In a bid to awaken the card that Jade gave to Nicholas, she takes the creature on, but her opponent is no lightweight. “Beachhead” is coming up next.

[Shuppet Master]

I liked this chapter, and it was interesting how Chelsea defeated this creature.

So, now there are equal amounts of images with both Marauding Captain and Goblin of Greed ,huh? Interesting.

[MeLoVeGhOsTs]

I liked the theme of the Goblin's deck, really. I'm also finding the background stories at the end of each chapter very enlightning. Keep up the good work.

I caught up on all your other stories from the past and this one is defenitly the best one, evolved as a writer at some extent, surely not as predictable as before.

Thumbs up.

[Dark Sage]

It’s my birthday… But the present is for you. A new chapter, a day early. Enjoy, while I go get some cake.



Daala’s invasion has started. Her unholy army has begun to cross the threshold from Xanadu into the world of humans.

Like most invasion forces, it has begun small. She has sent scouts on reconnaissance missions to scope out the situation, which will no doubt prepare for the arrival of the larger squads.

The overall successes of campaigns like this depend largely on the success of the starting points. I’m standing before one of the scouts, and if I can defeat him, then maybe an early victory on our side will mean an advantage down the road.

At least… I hope so… And I hope that this duel can do what Nicholas wants it to do… He worked hard to get that card…

CHAPTER FORTY-NINE



Beachhead

The Realm Lord’s fortress stood on an icy plateau, and was not easily accessible.

The medieval-style castle could be accessed, if you used the expected way, by a winding, narrow pathway going around the plateau, where one false step would send you tumbling to your doom to the rocks below. And once you got to the top, you’d be a clear target for the sentries guarding the main gate, the only apparent way in.

Yumi’s party was not going to play that game. She told Chelsea to use her Interdimensional Matter Transporter to send them right to the top, where they were now hidden behind a group of boulders, able to broadside the two sentries.

They were very modern-looking Duel Spirits. They looked like robotic Warriors, with solar panels on their backs, glowing optic sensors, and laser rifles mounted on their arms.

“What are they?” whispered Ren.

“Search Strikers,” whispered Zane. “Wind-Attribute Warriors, although I fail to see what a cybernetic soldier has to do with Wind.”

“Only two of them,” whispered Sam. “We can take them.”

“It only takes one to raise an alarm,” replied Zane. “We need to use a little strategy…”

“Strategy, huh?” said Erik. “I got an idea.”

Five minutes later, one of the Search Strikers turned his head.

“You hear something?” he said to the other one.

“Eh, it’s your imagination,” said the second.

Then Spell Striker floated over the ridge and winked at them. It flew to the side.

“You got a good imagination,” he continued.

The two Warriors pointed their guns at the small Warrior and followed him as he ducked behind a large boulder…

…and then they were shocked as a Vampire Lady, Dark Blade, Magician’s Valkyria, and Opticlops leapt out from behind the rock and tackled them. The four Monsters wrestled them to the ground and tore the guns away from them.

Vampire Lady grinned, and handed a ring of keys to Chelsea.

“Not bad,” said Chelsea, as Zane started tying their hands together. “Zane, if we find the Elemental Heroes first, we may gain an advantage when we find the boss.”

“Don’t worry, I know where they are,” said Zane. “I’ve been here before.”

“Huh?” said Yumi.

“I wanted to free them,” replied Zane, “but they begged me to flee, telling me that the Lord knew I was coming, and had designed a deck specifically to combat mine. An Anti-Machine Deck.

“In my downloaded memories, I knew that it was facing such a deck that drove the real Zane over the edge. Much as I hated to do it, I couldn’t risk staying, and left them behind.”

“Don’t worry,” said Yumi, lifting her Disk. “I’ve upgraded my own deck a bit, and I’m prepared for the worst…”

As they walked into the castle, a Mokey Mokey floated up the pathway. It looked at them with a curious expression, and followed them inside.

* * * * * * * * * *

It was five minutes to five PM, in Domino Square. The same place where, years ago, the first duel of Battle City, Yugi Mouto versus the Rare Hunter, took place.

“Why are we here, Nicholas?” asked Olga.

“I have a feeling,” said Nicholas. “I once heard that portals often open at places of historic importance. And in terms of dueling, this square was the sight of several important duels in the history of the game…”

The clock struck five.

Then a shimmering light appeared in front of them. It started to grow into a glowing, blue opening…

“Speak of the devil,” said Nicholas. “Be careful, Olga. There’s no telling who – or what – will come out of there…”

Emerging from the portal was a frightening creature. The Duel Spirit was clearly a Fiend – all the standard fiendish features were there, claws, horns, and wings that looked like flames. He had mauve skin with odd tattoos, and elaborate gauntlets and leg armor. A very large sword was strapped to his back.

“Well, well,” he said, lifting a Duel Disk. “I just get here, and already a couple of duelists to practice on!”

“Guardian Baou?” gasped Nicholas. “Olga, watch out!”

“Olga, eh?” replied Baou. “One minute…”

He tapped his Disk, and a holographic screen came up in front of him.

“Hmm…” he said, looking at the data. “Are you the Olga from Liverpool, or the Olga from Prague?”

“Why should I tell you, Mr. Buttinsky?” snapped Olga.

“Okay…” said Baou, looking at the screen. “Since your accent is clearly British and not Slavic, I’m going with Liverpool…”

“Oops,” said Olga, covering her mouth.

“My, my…” chuckled Baou. “Plays a Fairy Deck, I see… Well, I may even enjoy this more than usual.”

“How come?” asked Olga.

Baou glared at her as the screen vanished.

“Well, let me think,” he muttered, “I’m a Fiend… You use Fairies… Do the math!”

He crossed his arms.

“Fairies were half the reason I left the other Guardians… Elma was stuck up, and downright bossy…”

“Why should I duel you?” asked Olga. “What if I tell you to get lost?”

“Would you rather I find some wayward children as victims?” asked Baou. “Once Daala’s invasion begins in earnest, the duelists have to be taken out. They’re the only ones who can see us, so they’re our biggest threat. Refuse to duel us, and we’ll take it out on some poor souls who can’t.”

“Olga!” whispered Nicholas. “Not to put undo pressure on you, but…”

He took the blank card out of his side deck.

“If you can beat this guy, this may be the battle of Order against Chaos that will awaken The True Master.

“You beat that jerk with Diabolos. You can beat this guy.”

Olga turned to Baou.

“All right, horn-head,” she said. “I’m sending you back where you came from.”

“Good luck!” laughed the Fiend.

“Game on!” they shouted.

(Olga: 8,000) - - - - - - - - - - (Baou: 8,000)

“I’ll start this show,” chuckled Baou, drawing his first card.

He grinned as he looked at his opening hand.

“I throw down a facedown card,” he said, “and then summon Anchor Knight. All hands on deck!”

A reversed card appeared, and then an intimidating creature materialized. It looked like a man made of steel, with a spherical torso, anchors for arms, and a ship’s steering wheel on its back. (1,500/600)

“I’ve seen worse than that,” remarked Olga.

“Oh, really?” asked Baou.

He discarded three cards from his had – a Terraforming, a Little Chimera, and an Ultimate Baseball Kid.

“Well, for each card that I just discarded,” he continued, “my Knight gets to go postal, and clobber you for 600 points of damage.

“Go! Anchors away!”

Anchor Knight swung its right arm, and the anchor shot forward, attached to a chain. The left one followed, and it made three swings at Olga. She screamed as the heavy anchors plowed into her three times.

She fell to her knees.

(O: 6,200) - - - - - - - - - - (B: 8,000)

“That’s just a sample,” chuckled Baou. “It’s your move.”

Olga slowly got up. She growled and drew a card.

“I summon Sunlight Unicorn!” she shouted.

A sunbeam fell from the sky, and a beautiful unicorn descended, landing on the ground. It was pure white, with a sapphire-blue mane and beard. (1,800/1,000)

“How cute,” said Baou. “When do the Keebler Elves show up?”

“Yeah, yeah,” growled Olga. “Popular media has mutilated the unicorn’s image, making them into cutesy, sappy, girly creatures. If you read the original folklore, you’d see that they could be as ferocious as tigers, especially when defending the unspoiled forests.

“And Sunlight Unicorn has a powerful effect. Once per round, I get to check the top card on my deck. If it’s a Spell Card, I get to add it to my hand. Anything else, and it goes to the bottom of my deck.”

She took the top card of her deck.

“Well, what do you know?”

She turned it forward. It was The Shallow Grave.

“All right!” she shouted. “Show Anchor Knight just how cute you can be!”

Sunlight Unicorn lowered its head, and charged at Anchor Knight, using its horn like a lance. It speared the Warrior, and Anchor Knight exploded into a burst of flames and scrap metal.

(O: 6,200) - - - - - - - - - - (B: 7,700)

“Good effort!” laughed Baou. “Pointless, but good…”

He discarded the UFO Turtle in his hand. An anchor burst out of the ground, and entangled around Sunlight Unicorn’s legs, causing it to trip. Anchor Knight pulled itself out of the ground. (1,500/600)

“But I destroyed it!” gasped Olga.

“But by discarding a card,” replied Baou, “I can activate its other effect, and bring it back in Defense Mode.”

“Ooh…” muttered Olga. “I end my turn.”

Baou drew a card.

“I move it back to Attack Mode,” he said, as Anchor Knight stood up. “And then play the Field Spell, Molten Destruction.”

There was an explosion, and a volcano erupted behind him. Like the name suggested, the Field Spell caused destruction. The streets overflowed with burning, molten lava.

“Since my Knight happens to be a Fire Monster,” said Baou, “this Field Spell gives him a boost.”

(2,000/200)

“A Fire Monster?” asked Olga. “A Fire Monster who fights with anchors? That doesn’t make sense!”

“Well, uhm, uh…” muttered Baou. “Uhm… Okay… It doesn’t make sense to me either. But I go with what works. Anchor Knight, attack! Buster anchor!”

Anchor Knight threw its anchor forward, and Sunlight Unicorn screamed before it was blown away.

“Next, my facedown card activates,” continued Baou, as his Trap Card lifted. “Violent Salvage. With Anchor Knight on the field, I get back the top three cards from my Graveyard.”

UFO Turtle, Little Chimera, and Ultimate Baseball Kid slipped out of his discard slot, and he took them.

“The catch is, I’m not allowed to use them.”

“Then what…” stared Olga.

Then it sunk in.

Baou quickly discarded them again, and Anchor Knight glowed. Olga screamed as the anchor hit her in the chest again.

(O: 4,200) - - - - - - - - - - (B: 7,700)

“Olga!” screamed Nicholas.

“I’m fine…” muttered Olga.

She got up. She drew a card.

First thing’s first, she thought, looking at it.

“I play Mystical Space Typhoon!” she shouted. “Let’s put out this fire!”

A tornado tore through the field, and the lava cooled, and then turned to dust. Anchor Knight fell to (1,500/600)

“Next,” said Olga, “I summon Hysteric Fairy.”

She played a new card, and the fussy-looking, bespectacled Fairy appeared, holding its tome. (1,800/500)

“Attack Anchor Knight!” shouted Olga.

Hysteric Fairy adjusted its glasses, and shot a beam of light at the Anchor Knight. The Fire Warrior exploded again.

“Crud…” muttered Baou. “I have no cards to discard…”

“That’s the idea,” said Olga. “I’ll throw a card facedown, and end my turn.”

A facedown card appeared.

(O: 4,200) - - - - - - - - - - (B: 7,400)

Baou grumbled, and made a draw.

He set the card on his Disk, and a facedown Monster appeared.

“I end my turn,” he said.

“Not before I activate this,” said Olga, as her facedown card lifted. “Scapegoat!”

Four puffy, multicolored sheep appeared next to Hysteric Fairy.

“My draw,” said Olga, drawing a card.

Fire Monsters aren’t known for their high Defense Scores, she thought. This might work.

“I use Hysteric Fairy’s effect,” she said. “By sacrificing two Monsters, I gain 1,000 Life Points. So, I’ll sacrifice all four Sheep Tokens to use that effect twice.”

The four Scapegoats vanished, and Olga glowed with energy.

“Next, I summon Absorbing Kid from the Sky.”

In a burst of light, the pudgy, winged kid appeared. (1,300/1,000)

“Now my Kid attacks your Monster! Go, absorption force!”

Absorbing Kid inhaled deeply. Masked Dragon appeared on the facedown card. It turned to fire, and the Kid swallowed it.

“Thanks to Absorbing Kid’s effect, I gain 300 Life Points for each Level your Dragon had. I believe it was Level Three.”

“And thanks to Masked Dragon’s effect,” said Baou, “I get to summon another weak Dragon. And no-one ever uses a Masked Dragon without packing two extras.”

A second Masked Dragon appeared in Defense Mode. (1,400/1,100)

Hysteric Fairy blasted a beam from its eyeglasses, and the second Masked Dragon exploded.

Baou gestured, and a third Masked Dragon appeared. (1,400/1,100)

“I end my turn,” said Olga.

(O: 7,100) - - - - - - - - - - (B: 7,400)

Baou growled and drew a card.

Then he grinned.

“Time for a recharge,” he said. “I play Coins from Heaven!”

He played the card, and a light flashed overhead. He drew six cards, and Olga drew two.

“Now…” chuckled Baou, “let’s use them, shall we?

“I play a second Molten Destruction!”

In another explosion, burning lava covered the streets again. Masked Dragon rose to (1,900/700)

“Next, I sacrifice Masked Dragon…”

The Dragon vanished in a plume of smoke.

“…to summon an old favorite of mine… Twinheaded Beast!”

The creature that appeared looked like a huge, fiery centaur, with two bestial heads, each with a flaming mane. It held fire in the palms of both of its hands. (1,700/1,900) –> (2,200/1,500)

“Good lord…” muttered Nicholas.

“And guess what?” continued Baou. “This charming creature gets to attack twice.

“Attack her Kid!”

Twinheaded Beast threw a fireball at Absorbing Kid from the Sky. The Fairy exploded, and Olga cringed in pain.

“AND her Hysteric Fairy!” shouted Baou.

The Beast threw a second fireball, and Hysteric Fairy burst.

(O: 5,800) - - - - - - - - - - (B: 7,400)

Baou chuckled.

“That’s enough for one turn,” he said. “But next round, he’s coming after you.”

Olga drew.

She looked at the powerful Monster.

Baou is awfully clever, she thought, but… Maybe he can be tricked.

“I play Monster Reborn,” she said.

She played the card, and the holy ankh appeared. Sunlight Unicorn appeared again, sitting on its hindquarters in Defense Mode. (1,800/1,000)

“Then, The Shallow Grave,” she continued, playing another Spell Card. “Now, we must each summon a Monster from our Graveyards in facedown Defense Mode.”

Two facedown Monsters appeared, one on each side of the field.

“Now, I use Sunlight Unicorn’s effect.”

She looked at the top card on her deck.

“Aw… crap…” she said.

“Let me guess,” chuckled Baou. “You’re playing a Fat Fairy Deck, and that card was one of the fattest.”

Olga didn’t reply as she placed it on the bottom of her deck. “Fat Fairy” was a term in game slang for a Level Seven or Eight Fairy that could be Normal Summoned. Most Fairy duelists used Gellenduo to summon them.

The card she had just put on the bottom of her deck was Splendid Venus, which fit the profile, but frankly, she hated that term.

“I end my turn,” she growled.

Baou laughed as he drew a card.

“You don’t fool me, Olga,” he said. “I was paying attention… That facedown Monster can only be Hysteric Fairy or Absorbing Kid, and both of them have weak Defense Scores.

“I flip my Anchor Knight to Attack Mode.”

His facedown Monster flipped up, and Anchor Knight appeared again. (1,500/600) –> (2,000/200)

“Now, I summon Molten Zombie.”

In a burst of flames, and hulking, lumbering brute that appeared to be made of lava appeared. (1,600/400) –> (2,100/0)

“Molten Zombie, Anchor Knight, destroy her Monsters!”

Anchor Knight threw its anchor at the facedown Monster. Hysteric Fairy appeared on the card, and shattered.

Molten Zombie belched a cloud of flaming gas at Sunlight Unicorn, and the equine Fairy was burned up.

“Twinheaded Beast…”

“Hold it right there!” shouted Olga. “You fell right into my trap! When I have two or more Monsters on the field, and all of them are destroyed in the same Battle Phase, I get to summon this from my hand!

“Tualatin!”

She threw a card on her Disk, and a huge creature appeared in an explosion of light. It looked like a cross between an angelic knight and a jet plane, with pure silver armor. (2,800/2,500)

“How’s THAT for a Fat Fairy?”

“Eh, nothing I can’t handle,” replied Baou, frowning.

“Oh?” said Olga. “Tualatin has a powerful effect. When it’s summoned like this, I get to name one Attribute. Then, every Monster on the field that matches the named Attribute is wiped out.”

“HUH?” gasped Baou.

“Think I’ll name…” muttered Olga. “Fire.”

Tualatin glowed with radiant energy. Baou cringed, as Anchor Knight, Molten Zombie, and Twinheaded Beast burst into explosions of embers.

“You also are not allowed to Normal Summon or Special Summon any Fire Monsters until Tualatin is no longer on the field,” continued Olga.

Baou growled. He looked at the cards in his hand.

“Yes!” shouted Nicholas.

He held up the blank card.

“Did you see that? Did you?”

The card made no verbal response. But it was glowing dimly in the weak light.

Baou placed two cards in his Disk.

“I set two cards facedown, and end my turn!” he shouted, as two facedown cards appeared.

“You’re all sizzle,” said Olga.

She drew a card.

“…and no steak!

“I play the Sanctuary in the Sky. Time for a change of locales.”

She fit the card into her Field Slot, and the molten wasteland faded away. It was soon replaced by the cloudy paradise in the sky, with the ancient stone temple looming behind Olga.

“Even if you manage to summon something,” she said, “I’m not hurt at all from any battle involving Fairies here.

“But I can still hurt you.

“Tualatin, attack him directly! Triangle Force!”

Tualatin put its hands together, and formed a blazing energy triangle. It gestured, and the projectile blasted at Baou, knocking him over.

(O: 5,800) - - - - - - - - - - (B: 4,600)

“I set a Monster in Defense Mode, and end my turn,” said Olga.

A facedown Monster appeared next to Tualatin.

“My draw…” growled Baou.

He laughed out loud when he saw what the card was.

“I play Brain Control!” he laughed. “I’ll pay 800 Life Points to take your Tualatin!”

The fiendish brain appeared over the field. Waves of mental energy poured from it, and Tualatin was pulled over to Baou’s side.

“You’re gonna sacrifice my Tualatin!” screamed Olga.

“Yes, but not in the way you think,” replied Baou. “But first thing’s first… Attack her Monster!”

Tualatin fired its Triangle Force at the facedown Monster, and Radiant Jeral appeared on the card. It shattered into green triangles.

“Next, my facedown cards activate,” said Baou. “First, DNA Transplant.”

His first facedown card lifted.

“Now, I name one Attribute, and all Monsters on the field become that Attribute. I name Fire.

“Next…”

His second facedown card lifted.

“Spiritual Fire Art – Kurenai. Now, I sacrifice one Fire Monster, and my opponent takes damage equal to that Monster’s Attack Score.

“And since I changed Tualatin to Fire…”

Olga gasped. Tualatin turned into a huge ball of fire, and it shot at her. She screamed as it plowed into her, knocking her over.

(O: 3,000) - - - - - - - - - - (B: 3,800)

“Burn, baby, burn,” chuckled Baou, taking a Spell Card. “Next, I play Blasting Vein. I’ll destroy my DNA Transplant card, and draw two cards.”

Fiery cracks appeared in the Trap Card, and it burst into a shower of embers. He made two draws.

“Now that Tualatin is gone, I’ll summon Tenkabito Shien.”

There was a galloping of hooves, and a Samurai warrior strode onto the field on a coal-black horse. He was dressed in the rich clothing of nobility, had a neatly-trimmed topknot and goatee, and carried a large nodachi. His eyes burned like embers. (1,500/1,000)

Aw, man… thought Nicholas. How can I convince The True Master if Baou uses THAT card? It’s like a Samurai turning traitor!

“Finally, I’ll Equip him with the fiery Salamandra.”

He played the Equip Spell, and Shien’s sword blazed with fire. (2,200/1,000)

“And that’s all!”

* * * * * * * * * *

In Xanadu, Daala nervously watched the clock.

Nine o’clock would be here before she knew it, but before that happened, one last incredibly important plan would have to be overseen.

She dialed her cell phone.

“Is Brron still asleep?” she said into it.

“Still sleeping like a very, very ugly baby,” replied the Shadow Tamer on the other end.

“Good,” replied Daala. “If he so much as starts having night terrors, let me know.”

She hung up.



Continued…

[Dark Sage]

Continued from last post:



“I’m not gonna let you win, Baou…” grumbled Olga, making a draw.

She looked at the Spell Card, and then played it.

“I play Akashic Record. Now, I get to draw two cards. However, if either of them has been used already, I lose both of them.”

She made two draws, and looked at them.

“Fortunately,” she said, turning them forward, “both are new.”

She set a card on her Disk.

“I’ll set a Monster, and that will be all.”

Baou made a draw.

Hmm… he thought. This might come in handy…

He set two cards in his Disk, and two facedown cards appeared.

“Shien, attack her Monster!” he commanded.

Tenkabito Shien galloped forward and made a slash with his blade. The twin Fairies of Gellenduo appeared on the card, and held fast. (1,700/0)

“Sorry to ruin your plans,” said Olga, “but Gellenduo can’t be destroyed in battle.”

“In that case,” said Baou, “my turn is over.”

Olga drew a card.

She felt a warm light emitting from the card as she looked at it. Ever since Yumi and the others had gone to Xanadu, this card seemed to have more power than it had before.

“Gellenduo has another effect,” she said. “When it’s sacrificed to summon a Light-Attribute Fairy, it can count as two sacrifices.

“So I sacrifice it…”

Gellenduo vanished.

“To summon Guardian Angel Joan!”

A beam of light fell from the clouds, and in a flourish of shimmering motes, Guardian Angel Joan descended. (2,800/2,000)

“Ho boy…” muttered Baou.

“Attack Tenkabito Shien!” shouted Olga. “Divine Flame Strike!”

Joan cast a mighty divine smite from her palms, and Tenkabito Shien was blasted out of existence.

“And when Joan crushes an enemy, I gain Life Points equal to his Attack Score!”

“Don’t celebrate too soon,” said Baou.

Then Olga noticed that he had activated his Trap Card.

“Dark Healer?” asked Olga. “What does that do?”

“I added it to my deck when I knew I would be dueling a Fairy duelist,” explained Baou. “It’s a Continuous Trap whose effect will activate each time you increase your Life Points. The amount you get each time will be cut in half.

“Where does the other half go, you may ask? It’s for my benefit… But it is transformed into the ability to draw one card.”

He quickly made a draw.

Olga frowned. She looked at the other cards in her hand.

“I end my turn!” she shouted.

(O: 4,100) - - - - - - - - - - (B: 3,800)

Baou drew another card.

“I play my Pot of Avarice.”

He played the card, and took Ultimate Baseball Kid, Tenkabito Shien, Anchor Knight, Molten Zombie, and Twinheaded Beast from his discard slot. He shuffled them into his deck, and drew twice.

“Time to get serious,” he said, “I play the Spell Card, Arms Hole.”

The Spell Card appeared on his side of the field.

“Now, by sending the top card from my deck to the Graveyard…”

He took a card off his deck and discarded it.

“I get an Equip Spell back…”

A card slipped out of his discard slot.

“Like my Salamandra. Of course, in exchange for that, I can’t Normal Summon this turn. But I can play Monster Reborn to summon UFO Turtle in Defense Mode.”

He played the card, and the fiery, mechanical turtle appeared. (1,400/1,200)

“Next, I activate my facedown card. The Transmigration Prophesy.”

His facedown card lifted. Monster Reborn and Molten Destruction slipped out of his discard slot. He combined them with his deck, and reshuffled.

“Next, I play Golden Sarcophagus.”

The Spell Card appeared, and the golden chest rose out of the ground.

He took a card out of his deck and looked at it.

Monster Reborn. In just two rounds, he’d be able to use it again.

It lowered into the chest, and the chest closed. Then it sank into the ground.

“And I end my turn.”

He’s up to something, thought Olga, drawing a card, and I don’t like it…

“I set two facedown cards,” she said, as two reversed cards appeared.

“Then I attack with Joan!”

Joan cast her searing light, and UFO Turtle was reduced to slag.

Baou chuckled.

“Now you gain 700 Life Points,” he said, “and I get to draw one card.”

He made a draw.

“And I also get to summon another weak Fire Monster. Like another UFO Turtle.”

A second of the fiery Attribute searchers appeared. (1,400/1,200)

Olga sighed.

“My turn is over,” she said.

(O: 4,800) - - - - - - - - - - (B: 3,800)

Baou grinned as he drew a card.

“I Equip Salamandra to UFO Turtle,” he said.

He played the card, and UFO Turtle rose to (2,100/1,200)

“And now…” he said, playing a card, “I sacrifice it, along with every other card in my hand…”

He discarded his hand, and UFO Turtle erupted into a huge bonfire.

“…to summon the Infernal Incinerator!”

The creature that appeared was hideous. It looked like a cross between a giant, six-legged lizard, and some bestial demon. Its hide was scaly and red, and it was covered with spikes and spines. (2,800/1,800)

“It isn’t just a pretty face,” continued Baou, “it gains 200 Attack Points for each Monster on your side of the field.”

(3,000/1,800)

“Attack Joan! Demon Hell burner!”

With a roar that sounded like a blast furnace rupturing, the Fiend blasted a wave of flame at Joan, engulfing her in it and reducing her to ashes.

“HA, HA, HA, HA!” laughed Baou. “Oh, I’m going to get a medal for this!”

Olga sadly watched as Joan fell into the Graveyard.

She hung her head.

“What do I do?” she whispered.

“Don’t give up, Olga!” urged a voice.

Olga lifted her head.

She looked at her Disk, and saw that her discard slot was glowing.

“J… Joan?” she whispered. “Is that you?”

“It’s another ‘me’,” said the voice. “I’m using this card to try to talk to you, because I think you need it.

“And you can’t just throw down your cards and give up yet. You don’t know what’s at stake!

“Baou is only the beachhead. He’s just a scout for the greater army. If you lose here, he’ll have a positive report to bring back to his commander. They’ll have much more confidence when the real invasion starts. That’s bad. Very bad.

“On the other hand, if he’s beaten, they’ll come with more caution. You might have a better chance.

“Baou may have a powerful Monster, but you have a stronger one. If you keep going, I have faith that you will use it to overcome him.”

The glow stopped.

Olga looked at Baou.

“It’s my move!” she shouted.

At least I hope so… she thought, looking at the two cards in her hand. I have one Monster, one Spell Card…

…and two facedown cards… But I can’t do much except stall with any of them…

She drew a card.

“I play my own Pot of Avarice!” she shouted, playing it.

Sunlight Unicorn, Hysteric Fairy, Absorbing Kid from the Sky, Tualatin, and Radiant Jeral slipped out of her Disk, and she added them to her deck and shuffled. She drew twice.

She was shocked when she saw what one of them was.

“Father…” she whispered.

It was the card…

The card her father had given her…

The rarest card in her deck… The card he had pulled so many strings to get for her when she had become interested in dueling…

It was the card that held her father’s soul.

She looked at Baou as she added it to her hand. Her eyes narrowed.

“I remove two Light Monsters in my Graveyard from play,” she said, “to summon Soul of Purity and Light!”

Two cards slipped out of her discard slot, and a winged, feminine form made of silvery mist appeared in front of her. (2,000/1,800)

“Then, I play Celestial Transformation. Now, I can Special Summon a Fairy, so long as I cut its Attack Score in half.”

Dunames Dark Witch appeared on the field. (1,800/1,050) –> (900/1,050)

“Don’t forget,” said Baou, “my Infernal Incinerator gains more Attack Points.”

Infernal Incinerator grew to an Attack Score of 3,200.

“Oh, really?” replied Olga. “Well, I sacrifice both my Monsters…”

Dunames Dark Witch and Soul of Purity and Light vanished.

“To summon Neo-Parshath the Sky Paladin!”

The clouds parted, and a majestic form flew down. It was a giant, winged centaur, covered with gold armor, his wings attached to a gold frame. He held a long sword in one hand, and a golden shield in the other. (2,300/2,000)

“Now, my facedown card,” continued Olga, as one of her Trap Cards lifted. “Aegis of Gaia! Now, I gain 3,000 Life Points!”

“Have you forgotten my Dark Healer?” asked Baou. “That gain is cut in half, and I get to draw a card.”

He made one draw.

(O: 6,300) - - - - - - - - - - (B: 3,800)

Perfect! he thought, looking at it. My Heavy Storm. Now I can tear down this accursed Field Spell.

Then he looked at Neo-Parshath.

“HUH?” he gasped.

(4,700/2,000)

“How’d he get so strong??” he shouted.

“That’s his effect,” replied Olga. “When the Sanctuary is in play, and I’m ahead on Life Points, he gains Attack Points equal to the difference.

“Neo-Parshath, destroy his Infernal Incinerator!”

Neo-Parshath flew at the demon, and made a great slash with his sword. The fiery demon howled, and then exploded. Baou braced himself from the flaming debris.

(O: 6,300) - - - - - - - - - - (B: 2,100)

“I’m still standing!” laughed Baou.

I’ll get Monster Reborn from my Sarcophagus next turn, he thought. And with Heavy Storm, I’ll blow away both the Field Spell and Aegis of Gaia, and that oversized Fairy will be reduced to its base Attack Score!

“I activate my other Trap!” shouted Olga.

“Huh?” said Baou.

Olga’s last Trap Card lifted.

“Miraculous Descent!” she exclaimed. “Now, I get to bring back one Fairy that’s been removed from play!”

Guardian Angel Joan appeared in another blinding light. (2,800/2,000)

“Oh… no…” said Baou.

“Attack him directly!” ordered Olga. “Divine flame strike!”

Joan flew at the Guardian, and blasted her holy flames. The Fiend screamed, and was propelled backwards.

(O: 6,300) - - - - - - - - - - (B: 0)

Guardian Baou chuckled as he lay on his back.

“Not bad…” he laughed. “Not bad… Guess I won’t be getting a medal after all…

“But you can be sure that you’ll be on our army’s hit list when the main force comes! They’ll be going after the strong ones first!

“You won this battle… The war has only started…”

Then he burst into globules of light.

“Olga, look!” shouted Nicholas.

He ran up to her, holding the card.

“You did it, Olga!” he gasped. “It’s changing!”

Slowly, a picture formed on the card, then Level stars, then statistics, then effect text.

Nicholas started to read the writing on the card. He wasn’t the easiest Monster to summon if you wanted to make full use of his effect, but if you pulled it off, he was incredibly powerful.

Olga nodded.

“Let’s do it, bro,” she said. “Let’s hunt us some Duel Spirits…”

* * * * * * * * * *

With Zane leading the way, Yumi and company wandered down a large, torch-lit hall of the castle.

The whole place was strange. It seemed to have a mechanical theme of sorts, not unlike the Infernal Clock. But they had not had to deal with any guards.

Zane walked up to a large set of double doors.

“Here,” he said. “Unless they’ve been moved, the Elemental Heroes are in here.”

He took the keys, and unlocked the door. He carefully pushed the door open.

Inside the room was a vast computer room, with a giant mainframe on every wall. And the four Elemental Heroes – Avian, Burstinatrix, Clayman, and Sparkman – were indeed inside. They were prisoners, held in capsules not unlike the one that the Goblin used to hold Penelope.

All four of them took notice when the duelists entered. They rushed up to them.

“Who are you?” asked Burstinatrix, nervously.

“Let’s just say, Joan sent us,” said Chelsea, looking at the controls for the capsules.

“Bad news people,” said Zane. “These digital locks are far more complex than the ones on the Goblin’s capsule. It could take an hour before I cracked all four.”

“He’d find you before then,” sobbed Burstinatrix. “He’s a madman…

“Ever since we were captured, he’s forced us to serve in his deck. Daala sends him to the Twelve Dimensions when he needs a duelist to handle someone she can’t negotiate with.”

“That’s monstrous!” exclaimed Yumi. “Someone working for Daala is using an Elemental Hero Deck?”

“Who is this guy anyway?” asked Erik.

“That would be me,” said a voice at the other end of the room.

“No…” sobbed Burstinatrix. “He’s already here…”

Everyone looked…

It was someone they had seen before, Ren particularly. He could never forget him, as his father had seen him as well. It was a man dressed in a black outfit that resembled armor. Over his head was an egg-shaped helmet with one slot for an eye, the left one. The right side of the helmet was bronze, while the other half was black.

“The Phantom Duelist?!” shouted Ren. “You’re running this place?”

“Mmm, yes,” said the figure, “but I don’t use that name any more, Ren. I’m quite tired of it. It was a rather cheesy pseudonym…

“You know, I have a more proper name… I never told it to you or your father… I might as well reveal it, since it makes no difference now…

“Colonel Slade Wilson, aka Deathstroke the Terminator.

“Realm Lord of the Frozen Wastes, a new title I recently added.

“And believe me… Things are going to be very different from here on in…”

* * * * * * * * * *

SUNLIGHT UNICORN (Monster Card)

Card Specs

Type: Fairy/Effect
Attribute: Light
Level: 4
ATK: 1,800
DEF: 1,000

Card Description: Once per turn, you can look at the top card of your deck. If it is a Spell Card, add it to your hand. If not, place it at the bottom of your deck.

Note: “Sunlight Unicorn” was first used by Ruka in an episode of “Yu-Gi-Oh 5D”. Possibly, this card will be released as a real card in “Crimson Crisis”.



AKASHIC RECORD (Spell Card)

Normal Spell

Image: A dinosaur skull lying with a few bones.

Card Description: Draw two cards from your deck. If a copy of either card has been used previously in the duel, remove both from play.

Note: “Akashic Record” was first used by Jesse (possessed by Yubel) in the “Yu-Gi-Oh GX” episode “The Ultimate Face-Off (Part Two)”. Creative credit goes to the writers of that episode.



ANCHOR KNIGHT (Monster Card)

Card Specs

Type: Warrior/Effect
Attribute: Fire
Level: 4
ATK: 1,500
DEF: 600

Card Description: Discard one card from your hand to inflict 600 points of direct damage to your opponent. This effect may be used three times per turn, during your turn. If this card is destroyed as a result of battle and sent to the Graveyard, you may discard one card from your hand to Special Summon it in face-up Defense Position.



VIOLENT SALVAGE (Trap Card)

Normal Trap

Image: Anchor Knight amid the waves of the ocean, plunging its fist into the waves.

Card Description: You may only activate this card when an “Anchor Knight” is face-up on your side of the field. Take the top three cards on your Graveyard and add them to your hand. These cards cannot be set, summoned, or activated.

Note: “Anchor Knight” and “Violent Salvage” were first used by The Masked Knight of Anger in the multi-part “Yu-Gi-Oh GX” episode “Triple Play”. Creative credit goes to the writers of that episode.



DARK HEALER (Trap Card)

Continuous Trap

Image: Nurse Reficule the Fallen One lurking behind a visibly nervous Hysteric Fairy.

Card Description: The effect of this card activates whenever your opponent activates an effect that increases his/her Life Points. Reduce the amount of Life Points gained by your opponent by half. Then, draw one card from your deck.


Lords of Chaos

The myth of Zargon the Returner

The following story was until recently completely unknown, until an ancient tome was recovered from a destroyed caravan led by a harvester devil bringing important documents to a lord of Hell. Whoever destroyed the caravan is not known, but whoever did so killed the harvester devil and his servants and took anything they perceived as valuable, which apparently did not include the books and documents. The book was a tome of confidential files headed for an infernal safe house. Apparently, this Lord of Chaos is one that the devils wanted to keep secret.

Everyone knows the story… Of how Lucifer and his army were polluted by the evil energies of the demonic forces, turned against Heaven, and were cast into Hell. Not many know, however, that Hell existed before this event. And Hell was not unpopulated at the time.

Before Lucifer’s fall, the place that would be called Hell was known as Baator, and it was the home of foul creatures who can simply be called ancient baatorians. Their ruler was a vile creature called Zargon. He was a true monster, a tentacled, one-eyed, horned thing, and his kingdom was a disgusting place overrun by rivers of slime.

When Lucifer and his rebellious host fell, they set about claiming the territory for their own, and were no strangers to fighting creatures like this. They destroyed most of the ancient baatorians, and enslaved others. A very small number survived, and fled to deeper parts of Baator. It is said they went into hibernation – only foolish devils go looking for them today, for it is said that they may have grown stronger in their eons-long sleep.

Zargon himself survived, and fled to the Abyss, arriving in a layer whose lord had recently been assassinated in a coup. He quickly used his own powers to overthrow the ones who had done so, and took over himself, turning the layer into a fetid swamp of slime and filth. He decided that if he could not rule Baator, he’d ally himself with the creatures who opposed the new rulers of it.

Zargon is neither demon nor devil, but over the millennia, he has grown in power, and become a mad force of Chaos. He has become a true Elder Evil, and seeks the same goals as any of them: destruction of all he comes across. He has made very few allies over the centuries; only demons who are able to survive the most dangerous layers of the Abyss are able to approach him. His minions include not only such demons, but other disgusting creatures, beings of ooze and muck who hail from a more primordial time.

Zargon is not as powerful as others who dream of the goals he has set. But he still clings to them, planning for a time when he will reveal himself to mortals, and flood the world with his vile slime. Still, some who know of Zargon wonder if there may be more to him than simply a destructive force. A being who predates Lucifer’s fall may well know secrets of the origin of the universe, and with such secrets may come unimaginable power…



Coming up next:

The Realm Lord stands revealed! But how did Slade go from duelist assassin to minion of Daala? Since when does Slade work for anyone but himself anyway? Next chapter, he explains everything, and then challenges Yumi to an all-out battle, which may be her toughest fight yet. It’s all coming up in “The Dark Half”, coming soon.

[Dark Sage]

Author’s note:

This is another chapter where I use Japanese names for a certain group of cards. Mostly for dramatic effect than for anything else.



The story behind the man who we’re facing now goes back to my father’s time.

In the first Duelatopia, he faced Ren’s father, using a Mask Deck. He beat him good, humiliating the young Clive Marris.

Fast-forward nineteen years. Ren met him when we attended Duelatopia, and he hadn’t seemed to have aged a day. Ren was only too happy to duel him again to avenge his father, and faced a new deck, a Demon Matador Deck. Ren beat him this time, and that was the last we saw of him until now.

I had assumed that this man, The Phantom Duelist, was nothing more than some duelist assassin with a flair for the dramatics. But now he has shown up working for Daala, as Lord of the Frozen Wastes. He’s even told us his real name.

There’s more to him than we once believed. Looking him in the eye, the only eye I can see due to his helmet, I see a dark soul… One that hides many secrets…

I have a feeling that he’s held back his true strength up to now. And now, with his true name revealed, his true power will come forward…

I’m in for the fight of my life…

CHAPTER FIFTY



The Dark Half

The four Elemental Heroes slunk back in fear as the masked man held up a small remote and pushed a button on it.

Then, the four Duel Spirits turned into grains of light and vanished.

“HEY!” shouted Yumi. “Where did they go?”

“Take it easy,” replied the masked man. “They’re okay… I don’t want to kill them just yet…”

He held up four Duel Monsters cards – the four Monster Cards depicting the four Heroes.

“Let them go, Deathstroke, or Slade, or whoever you are!” demanded Yumi. “Or so help me, I’ll…”

“Patience, Yumi,” he replied. “It’s a trait I had to learn long ago…”

“So, Deathstroke, huh?” asked Ren. “Not exactly the most subtle name… And the Terminator? Arnold Schwarzenegger would want a word with you if he wasn’t dead.”

The man’s eye narrowed.

“I used that name long before that silly movie was ever released,” he said, “so if anyone ever owed anyone royalties, he owed them to me.

“But you can just call me Slade. Now that all pretenses are done away with, there’s no need for formalities any more. I suppose you have questions…”

“Who… are… you?” snarled Yumi. “We thought you were just some duelist for hire, but clearly there’s something more…”

Slade looked at her.

“Yes…” he said. “A lot more…”

He crossed his arms.

“I’m much older than you might believe, you know…” he said. “I was out and about long before your father ever met me, Ren. Long ago, when I was in the U.S. military, I volunteered for a top-secret super-soldier program.

“I underwent experimental testing, that altered my chemical, biological, and even genetic structure. It made me stronger, faster, and almost impossible to harm. One scientist said I had also gained the ability to use ninety percent of my brain capacity, this being a time when it was thought that most humans only used ten percent of it. But whatever the case, I had become smarter, becoming a combat and tactical genius like none other.

“Most folks didn’t see another benefit I had acquired. I only had to sleep two hours out of every twenty-four. And I only had to eat one meal a day. The reason was, my metabolism had greatly slowed, and my body was making much greater use of my energy intake. And as I didn’t find out until much later, this included the side effect of aging much slower than the average man, greatly increasing my organ longevity. Even as I passed the age where most men retire, my eyesight and hearing never faded, my blood pressure remained perfect, and my muscles didn’t deteriorate. I was nearly immortal.

“After I was ousted from the military for defying orders, I became a mercenary and assassin. I became one of the best. You know how it goes… The old good-guy-bad-guy thing…

“But eventually, I learned something the hard way. Immortality is a gift that humans were never meant to have.

“The world changed, and I didn’t. My old enemies retired, and I found myself fighting their protégés. My allies retired or went to jail, and I was forced to make deals with new ones. I wondered if this would happen when a third generation appeared. I got sick of it. I threw down my weapons, and quit for good, hoping to find some sort of reason to exist.

“Becoming a duelist for hire helped, but not as much as I’d hoped. It was like a watered-down version of what I had used to be. I almost envied your grandfathers, Yumi, who dueled in real Shadow Games. I figured that such dangerous contests might at least make a duel more meaningful.

“You think I’m crazy, don’t you? You think no-one in their right mind would want to duel in a Shadow Game. Well, trust me, I’m sure that a Shadow Game is no different than many of the other dangerous situations that I’ve been in.

“I was at the point of despair. I kept working as a duelist assassin, accepting jobs from idiots like Rasputin just to make an income so I could eat… Not that I had to eat that much… I had used every deck strategy under the sun… Monarchs, Dragons, Archfiends, Ancient Gears… I got bored with them all…

“And then… I met Daala…

“Daala showed me a whole world behind the veil, one where she can change the world into something wonderful, something that will give me the reason to exist that I was looking for.

“I came fully out of retirement. I’m done working for dark powers now…”

He glared at the small group.

“I’m ready to become one again…

“I’ve created my most powerful deck. I’ve already defeated and enslaved the Elemental Heroes, and if you want to save them…”

He produced a deck, and shuffled the four cards into it.

“It’s your move, my friend.”

“I’ll take you on!” shouted Ren.

“Oh, that’s very flattering, Ren,” replied Slade, “but I’m through dueling sidekicks. This time, I insist on dueling the Queen of Games herself. After all, there’s no glory in winning unless you triumph over the best.”

He produced a Disk from his back (which, oddly, was standard-issue) and slipped it on his left arm.

“Fine…” said Yumi. “And if I win, you let those four go?”

“I suppose,” said Slade. “But beware…

“With them in my deck, I’ve taken down some of the most powerful duelists in the Twelve Dimensions. Lorelei the Symphonic Arsenal and Mazera DeVille are but two powerful Duel Spirits who refused to deal with Daala. They regretted it once they faced this deck.”

“I’m not afraid of you,” said Yumi, lying.

“You might be once you see my Deck Lord,” replied Slade. “He’s someone that your grandfather might remember from the first time he encountered Marik, the time he faced Bandit Keith when Keith was Marik’s mind slave…”

A bonfire of black flames appeared behind him, and a hideous Fiend appeared in it. It looked like sort of a bulky, humanoid crocodile, covered with a bony exoskeleton and horns all over, with huge claws. It wore a purple cape with a high collar.

“Zera the Mant?” exclaimed Erik.

“What the heck does a Ritual Fiend have to do with Elemental Heroes?” asked Chelsea.

“Uhm…” said Zane. “I believe… Not a thing…”

“And there are far better Ritual Monsters than that,” added Sam.

“True, he’s only a fan card nowadays,” replied Slade, “but he fits my needs, with a Deck Lord ability I can use to my advantage.”

Yumi gestured, and Dark Magician Girl appeared behind her.

“Let’s stop stalling!” she shouted.

“Game on!”

(Slade: 8,000) - - - - - - - - - - (Yumi: 8,000)

“Mokey Mokey,” said a voice beside Ren.

Ren looked down, and the little Fairy was floating beside him.

“Quiet down, little guy!” he whispered. “If he sees you, he might decide to make s’mores…”

Yumi quickly drew her first card.

Perfect! she thought. I drew Mirror Force in my opening hand! And I have Old Vindictive Magician too. This will help me get an early lead…

“I set a Monster, and a facedown card,” she said.

A hidden Monster and a reversed card appeared.

“Your move…”

Slade’s one good eye narrowed. He drew a card.

“I use my Deck Lord Power,” he said, as Zera the Mant started to glow with dark energy.

“Already?” said Ren.

“It’s an Extraordinary Power called Dark Alchemist,” continued Slade. “I get to take a specific Spell Card from my deck.”

A Spell Card slipped out of his deck, and he took it.

“Also, when I choose to use it, it cannot be countered or negated.

“I choose to use it NOW. I play Dark Fusion.”

“Dark Fusion?” gasped Ren.

“I don’t like the sound of that…” said Chelsea.

They didn’t like the look of it either. The card’s art depicted a very nervous-looking Avian and Burstinatrix, as a fiendish, shadowy form loomed over them.

“It’s a special type of Fusion card,” explained Slade. “It can only be used to summon Fiend-Type Fusion Monsters.

“That makes no sense!” shouted Chelsea. “The Hero Fusions aren’t Fiends!”

“How little you know…” said Slade. “I use it to fuse Elemental Heroes Avian and Burstinatrix…”

The two Heroes appeared in front of them. Then, both of them gasped as they erupted in flames.

“What are you doing to them?!” shouted Yumi.

“You’ll see…” said Slade.

The two pillars of flame merged into one pillar, forming a humanoid shape.

“I summon…” announced Slade, “Evil Hero Inferno Wing.”

Yumi stepped back as the creature appeared. It was clearly feminine, dressed in red shorts, a halter top, and a long cape. She had large, black, feathered wings, talons on her feet, and large claws. She had spiky hair, and punk glasses underneath it.

She made an evil smile at Yumi. (2,100/1,200)

“Mokey Mokey!” shouted the Fairy.

“An Evil Hero?” gasped Ren.

“So Dark Fusion turns two superheroes into a super-villain?” asked Chelsea.

“Sure seems that way,” replied Sam.

“Your Inferno Wing is nothing more than a cheap copy of Flame Wingman!” shouted Yumi.

“Not at all,” replied Slade. “She’s far more powerful than that loser. But anyway, since she was summoned using Dark Fusion, normally, she’d be immune to all targeting effects on the round she was summoned.”

At least my Mirror Force will still work, thought Yumi. It doesn’t target.

“But, my Deck Lord has another power,” continued Slade. “It’s called Invincible Evil. It makes a Monster immune to ALL card effects on the round it’s summoned with Dark Fusion.”

“Say WHAT?” shouted Yumi.

“Inferno Wing,” ordered Slade. “Attack her Monster with infernal burst!”

Inferno Wing grinned, and put her hands together, forming a ball of white-hot flames. She threw it at the facedown card. Old Vindictive Magician briefly appeared before being burnt to a crisp.

Then Yumi clutched her chest and screamed.

“You already see one advantage Inferno Wing has over Flame Wingman,” said Slade. “She inflicts trampling damage. And one other thing…”

Yumi looked up to see Inferno Wing standing over her. The Evil Hero grinned, and pointed her claw.

Yumi screamed as a blast of flames covered her. She fell to her knees.

“When Inferno Wing destroys one of your Monsters,” continued Slade, “you lose Life Points equal to that Monster’s Attack or Defense Score, whichever is greater. So you lose 600 more Life Points.”

Two facedown cards appeared behind Inferno Wing.

“I’ll end with two facedown cards, and then you can make your move. That is, if you can find the strength to stand.”

(S: 8,000) - - - - - - - - - - (Y: 5,900)

Yumi struggled to her feet.

“Sorry, Slade,” she said, “but you won’t keep me down that easily…”

She drew a card.

“I play The Shallow Grave,” she said, playing a card. “Now, we both must Special Summon a Monster from our Graveyards in facedown Defense Mode.”

A facedown Monster appeared on both sides of the field.

“Are you really that anxious to lose 2,100 more Life Points?” asked Slade.

“Not a chance!” replied Yumi. “I’m sacrificing my Monster…”

The facedown Monster vanished.

“…to summon Chaos Command Magician!”

In a burst of energy, the powerful Chaos mage appeared, holding aloft his scepter. (2,400/1,900)

“All right!” shouted Chelsea.

“Attack!” ordered Yumi. “Chaos Magic! Send Inferno Wing back to Hell!”

Lightning flashed, and Chaos Command Magician fired a burning blast of multicolored light. Inferno Wing screamed, and then burst in an explosion of fire and smoke.

“He got her good!” cheered Ren.

“And I’m willing to bet that Evil Heroes are just as much NOMIs as Elemental Hero Fusions,” added Zane. “We won’t be seeing her again.”

“But you will be seeing someone new, thanks to my Trap Card,” said Slade.

One of his facedown cards lifted.

“Activate, Hero Signal.”

A spotlight with an odd signal in it shot out of the card and hit the ceiling.

“Since my Monster was destroyed, I get to Special Summon an Elemental Hero from my deck, up to Level Four.”

Clayman appeared, crouching in Defense Mode. (800/2,000)

Yumi looked at the rest of her hand.

“I’ll play one more card, and that will be all,” she said.

A second facedown card appeared.

(S: 7,700) - - - - - - - - - - (Y: 5,900)

Slade drew a card.

“I’ll simply set a card of my own, and that will be all,” he said.

Another facedown card appeared on his side.

Yumi drew another card.

“I summon Magician’s Valkyria!” she exclaimed.

In a flash of light, Valkyria appeared.

“I hate to do this, Clayman,” she shouted, “but you’ll thank me later! Chaos Command Magician, attack!”

Chaos Command Magician pointed his scepter.

“Activate, Negate Attack,” said Slade.

His facedown card lifted, and the Spellcaster’s bolt was deflected by an invisible shield.

“In that case,” said Yumi, “I end my turn…”

Slade made a draw.

“I play… Pot of Greed,” he said.

The evil jug appeared with a laugh, and he made two draws.

“I’ll use one of these right away,” he continued. “Mystical Space Typhoon.”

He played the card, and the cyclone sped towards Yumi’s first facedown card. Her Mirror Force lifted up and shattered.

“Next,” said Slade, “I play Reinforcement of the Army. Now I can add Sparkman to my hand.”

A card appeared in his hand.

“Now, I use my Dark Alchemist ability again…”

A second Dark Fusion appeared in his hand, and he quickly played it. Sparkman appeared on the field, and he and Clayman were consumed in flames, just as Avian and Burstinatrix had been…

“I summon Evil Hero Lightning Golem,” said Slade.

The flames formed into one again, and then into a hulking shape. He looked similar to Thunder Giant, but with more emphasis on metal in the armor, and a more pronounced lightning theme. His eyes glowed with electrical energy. (2,400/1,500)

“So this is Thunder Giant’s evil twin?” asked Yumi.

“Yes,” replied Slade. “But unlike that weakling, Lighting Golem can destroy any Monster once per round, and I don’t have to discard a thing.

“Since I know that effect won’t work on Chaos Command Magician… Lightning Golem, take out Valkyria.”

Magician’s Valkyria stepped back in fear as Lightning Golem reached for her, his hand crackling with electricity…

“Not so fast!” shouted Yumi.

A dome of energy formed around Valkyria, and Lightning Golem was pushed backwards.

“Huh?” said Slade.

“I used my own Deck Lord power,” said Yumi. “You see, Slade, ever since Dark Magician Girl absorbed King Dragun’s power, she’s become infused with the power of the Core, and she’s been able to manifest the more benign powers of Chaos. This is basically our way of giving the finger to Shogarr.”

Dark Magician Girl giggled.

“It’s called a Chaos Shield,” continued Yumi. “If I pay 500 Life Points, then for one time only, any Spellcaster has the same ability as Chaos Command Magician.”

Slade looked at Yumi.

“I still have Lightning Golem’s normal attack!” he said.

“No you don’t,” replied Yumi, as her facedown card lifted. “Activate, Threatening Roar!”

A roar echoed over the field.

“Threatening Roar doesn’t affect your Monsters at all,” said Yumi, “so it can keep your Golem from attacking.”

Then I end my turn,” said Slade.

(S: 7,700) - - - - - - - - - - (Y: 5,400)

“This doesn’t make sense!” shouted Chelsea. “Since when are the villains stronger than the heroes?”

“Actually, Chels,” said Ren, “in popular media, nine times out of ten, that’s the case. The villains usually are more powerful than the heroes. I mean think about it… If the heroes were more powerful, they’d defeat the villains too easily, and it would make a pretty dull story.”

Yumi drew a card.

She set it in her Disk, and a facedown card appeared. Then Valkyria knelt and shielded herself in Defense Mode.”

“There,” she said.

Slade made a draw.

“My Golem’s effect may be ineffective due to your Deck Lord power,” said Slade, “but I can keep forcing you to pay to use it. Lightning Golem, destroy Valkyria.”

Lightning Golem reached for Valkyria again.

“I pay 500 Life Points again!” shouted Yumi.

Lightning Golem was pushed backwards again.

He turned to Slade and frowned.

“Fine then,” he said. “Attack! Hell lightning!”

Lightning Golem fired a burst of burning lightning at Valkyria. Yumi’s voice couldn’t be heard as her facedown card flipped up, and Draining Shield covered her.

“Well…” said Slade. “Seems you are not one to be taken lightly… I have to end my turn…”

(S: 7,700) - - - - - - - - - - (Y: 7,300)

Yumi drew a card.

She played it, and the Pot of Greed appeared on her own side of the field. She made two draws.

His deck is strong, she thought, but it does have a weakness… If I took away the Elemental Heroes, there’d be no more Evil Heroes.

Let’s see how far Slade is willing to go to protect them…

“I move Valkyria to Attack Mode,” she said.

Valkyria stood up.

“Valkyria, attack his facedown Monster! Magic illusion!”

Valkyria fired her burning blast. Burstinatrix appeared on the facedown card, and was blown to pixels.

“Now, I play Magical Dimension,” continued Yumi, as the Quickplay Spell appeared. “I sacrifice Valkyria…”

Valkyria vanished.

“…and Special Summon Kycoo the Ghost Destroyer!”

In a burst of dark energy, Kycoo appeared, chanting his dark spell. (1,800/700)

“Now, I use the second effect of Magical Dimension to destroy Lightning Golem!”

Lightning Golem groaned, and then exploded in a burst of sparks.

“Chaos Command Magician, attack Slade directly!”

The mage cast his Chaos Magic. Slade shielded himself with his arm, and strained under it.

“Kycoo, spell of banishment!”

Kycoo called lightning to his hands, and threw it at Slade. The masked man staggered backwards.

(S: 3,500) - - - - - - - - - - (Y: 7,300)

“Now I activate Kycoo’s effect!” exclaimed Yumi. “I get to remove two Monsters in your Graveyard from play. And I choose to take away Burstinatrix and Clayman!”

“Oh no you won’t!” shouted Slade.

His facedown card lifted.

“I activate Hero’s Rule 2!” he exclaimed. “This Trap Card foils any attempt to manipulate a Graveyard, and destroys the card that tries to do so!”

Kycoo screamed, and then exploded into pixels.

“Did you really think I’d let you disarm me so easily, Yumi?” asked Slade.

Yumi chuckled.

“Actually,” she said, “no. No, I didn’t.”

“Huh?” asked Slade.

“You called Flame Wingman and Thunder Giant losers and weaklings,” she said. “But I think you’re more afraid of these Heroes than you lead on.”

“WHAT?” exclaimed Slade, sounding angry for the first time. “I’m not afraid of them! I’m not afraid of anything!”

“You were proud of your victories over Lorelei the Symphonic Arsenal and Mazera DeVille…” said Yumi. “You owe those victories to the Evil Heroes… But you owe them to the Elemental Heroes!

“I wonder… I just wonder… What would happen if those four managed to somehow escape? Where would you be, Slade? You’d be nowhere, that’s where. Your deck is nothing without them.

“That’s how it goes… Villains just can’t survive without heroes…”

“I’m perfectly capable of dueling without them!” said Slade, sounding a little irked. “And it’s still your move!”

Yumi looked at the two cards in her hand.

She took one of them, and set it in her Disk. A facedown card appeared.

“I’m done,” she said.

Slade drew a card.

“I play my O-Oversoul,” he said, as a Spell Card appeared. “Now, I can bring Burstinatrix back from the Graveyard.”

Burstinatrix appeared, hovering over Slade’s side of the field. (1,200/800)

“Maybe you were right,” said Slade, as he took another card from his hand. “Maybe I have to show them more respect… After all, they had some very powerful weapons when they came trying to take this castle… Weapons that I confiscated for my own use.

“Like this one, the Spell Card, Burst Impact. When Burstinatrix is on the field, it lets her destroy every Monster except herself.”

“HUH?” said Yumi.

Burstinatrix held out her hand, and a fireball formed in it. It grew… And grew, and grew, and grew, until it was bigger than she was.

Then she threw it, and Chaos Command Magician screamed before shattering into pixels.

“Also, you lose 300 Life Points for each Monster that was destroyed,” continued Slade.

“So I noticed,” muttered Yumi.

“Odd…” said Slade. “And now she’s forced to attack the one who would be her savior… Such irony…

“Burstinatrix, attack her directly. Burstfire attack.”

Burstinatrix flew over the field, with fire in her hands.

“I activate my own hero card!” shouted Yumi, as her facedown card lifted. “A Hero Emerges! Now, you have to choose a card in my hand! If it’s a Monster, I get to Special Summon it!”

“All right!” laughed Erik. “Yumi has only one card in her hand!”

“Slade will have no choice but to pick that one,” replied Zane.

Magician’s Valkyria appeared on the field. (1,600/1,800) Burstinatrix backed off and landed.

“The attack is called off,” said Slade. “I end my turn.”

(S: 3,500) - - - - - - - - - - (Y: 7,000)

Yumi drew a card.

Just what I needed, she thought.

“Valkyria, attack Burstinatrix!” she shouted.

Valkyria cast her magic illusion. Burstinatrix didn’t move or react in the slightest, even when it hit her. She burst into shards.

Yumi placed the card she had drawn on her Disk, and a facedown Monster appeared.

“It’s your move,” she said.

(S: 3,100) - - - - - - - - - - (Y: 7,000)

Slade drew a card, and looked at the three cards in his hand.

Man, this guy has a serious game face, thought Yumi.

“I’m almost glad you did that, Yumi,” said Slade. “Because now, since I have no Monsters on my side of the field, I can Special Summon Evil Hero Hell Brat.”

He played a card, and a cackling laughter echoed over the field. A Fiend appeared that looked humanoid and reptilian, with claws, a long tail, and two sets of fan-shaped wings, one set on his back, and one set growing out of his cowl. He had a nasty grin. (300/600)

“Since that was a Special Summon,” continued Slade, “I can sacrifice him, to summon an Evil Hero who is totally independent of the Elemental Heroes…”

Hell Brat vanished.

“I summon Evil Hero Malicious Edge.”

A new Fiend appeared. If Hero Monsters were based on existing comic book characters, this one seemed to have been taken from the same mold as Wolverine, but looked far more sinister, wearing black, leather, studded armor that was covered with spikes, with flared shoulder-guards. (2,600/1,800)

“Wait a second!” shouted Sam. “That guy’s Level Seven!”

“True,” said Slade, “but he can be summoned with one sacrifice if my opponent controls at least one Monster. And unlike the previous two, he isn’t a Fusion of two Elemental Heroes, so he doesn’t have their morals submerged inside him to hold him back in the slightest.

“And he has another effect as well. Like Inferno Wing. He inflicts trampling damage.

“Attack her facedown Monster. Needle burst.”

Malicious Edge leapt up, and pointed, shooting a shower of spikes at the facedown card. Morphing Jar appeared, and was blown to dust.

“ERGH!” shouted Yumi, holding her chest.

(S: 3,100) - - - - - - - - - - (Y: 5,000)

She slowly drew five cards. Slade discarded the one card in his hand, and made five draws. He looked them over.

“I end my turn,” he said. “And since I did, another effect of Hell Brat activates, and I get to draw another card.”

He made a sixth draw.

Yumi slowly made a draw.

She looked at Skilled Dark Magician in her hand.

Setting him in Defense Mode would be worse than putting him in Attack Mode, she thought.

“I summon Skilled Dark Magician,” she said.

In a flourish, the black-robed sorcerer appeared. (1,900/1,700)

“Then I move Valkyria to Defense Mode.”

Valkyria knelt, and shielded herself.

“And I end my turn.”

Slade drew a card.

“I play The Warrior Returning Alive,” he said. “Now Sparkman returns to my hand.”

A card slipped out of his discard slot.

“Now… I think I’ll summon him.”

In a flash of light, Sparkman appeared. (1,600/1,400)

“Next, I Equip him with Spark Blaster.”

Sparkman held out his hand, and a large, space-age pistol appeared in it.

“Spark Blaster is a special weapon that only Sparkman can use. I think he may have invented it. Anyway, I can use it a total of three times, and each time, I can change the battle position of a Monster.

“So here’s once.”

Sparkman fired a blast of electricity from the Blaster, and Valkyria gasped. She stood up into Attack Mode.

“Twice…” said Slade.

Sparkman fired again, and Skilled Dark Magician cringed. He knelt in Defense Mode.

“Next,” said Slade, taking a card from his hand, “I play Premature Burial, to bring back the Monster I discarded when Morphing Jar was flipped. Evil Hero Hell Gainer.”

He played the card, and a new Fiend appeared. This one had a bony, rocky, armored carapace, a tail, and was covered with horns. (1,600/0)

Then, he vanished in a ripple of light.

“Where’d he go?” asked Ren.

“Hell Gainer possesses the ability to travel two rounds into the future,” said Slade. “And when he does that, another Fiend on the field gains the ability to attack twice per round.”

“Oh no…”said Chelsea.

Malicious Edge leapt up, and fired his needle burst at Valkyria. She screamed and shattered. Yumi sweat and held her chest. Then he fired another burst at Skilled Dark Magician, and he shattered as well. Yumi held her chest again.

“Sparkman, attack Yumi directly,” ordered Slade. “Static shockwave.”

Yumi screamed as Sparkman fired a blast of electricity, striking Yumi.

(S: 2,300) - - - - - - - - - - (Y: 1,500)

“Now that that’s done,” continued Slade, “I’m going to use the last charge of Spark Blaster… On Sparkman himself, to move him into Defense Mode.”

Sparkman fired again, and the sparks surrounded him. He knelt and shielded himself. The Spark Blaster shattered into shards.

“I set one card facedown,” continued Slade, “and end my turn.”

A facedown card appeared.

Yumi sweat heavily as she drew a card.

Okay… she thought. Exactly when did I lose control here?!

“I throw down three facedown cards!” she shouted, as three cards appeared in front of her in flashes of light.

“Then, I play Monster Reborn! I’ll bring Valkyria back.”

Valkyria appeared again, crouching in Defense Mode. (1,600/1,800)

“I end my turn.”

“You never learn, do you?” asked Slade, drawing a card.

“Malicious Edge, destroy her again.”

The Evil Hero leapt into the air again.

“I activate… Call of the Haunted!” shouted Yumi.

One of her facedown cards flipped up, and a coffin appeared on her side of the field. It opened, and Yumi’s other Valkyria stepped out. (1,600/1,800)

“Yumi’s Valkyria lock!” exclaimed Erik.

“She just might have a chance!” replied Sam.

“Wonderful,” said Slade, as Malicious Edge landed. “I’ll end my turn there.”

Yumi drew a card.

She quickly set it, and another facedown card appeared.

She nodded.

She didn’t attack Sparkman, thought Slade. What is she up to?

He drew a card, and looked at it. It was his second Malicious Edge.

Well, it’s her problem. Hell Gainer will be back momentarily. I can sacrifice Sparkman to summon this, and then use Hell Gainer’s effect again. Then I’ll have two Malicious Edges that can attack twice.

“It’s my second Standby Phase since Hell Gainer made its jaunt,” said Slade, “so now it returns.”

Hell Gainer appeared in a shimmering light. (1,600/0)

“Now…” he continued taking a card from his hand.

“That was just what I was waiting for, Slade,” said Yumi, as one of her facedown cards lifted.

“Common Sacrifice?” said Slade, looking at it.

“That’s right,” said Yumi, “since you have three Monsters, I can sacrifice your two weaker ones.”

Slade stepped backwards in shock, as Hell Gainer and Sparkman vanished into grains of light.

“And I get to summon a Level Seven or higher Monster,” continued Yumi. “So let’s all hear it for Cosmo Queen!”

In an explosion of energy, the Queen of the Galaxy appeared. She frowned at Slade. (2,900/2,450)

Slade’s eye narrowed.

“My turn isn’t done, Yumi,” he said. “I play a facedown card, and a facedown Monster.”

A concealed Monster and a facedown card appeared.

“Then, I play Coins from Heaven.”

A bright light flashed on the ceiling, and gold coins fell. Slade quickly drew four cards, and Yumi drew five.

“I set a second facedown card, then move Malicious Edge to Defense Mode, and end my turn.”

Another facedown card appeared, and Malicious Edge knelt and shielded itself with its claws.

Yumi quickly drew a card. The Valkyria in Defense Mode quickly moved to Attack Mode.

“Cosmo Queen, turn Malicious Edge into cosmic dust!”

Cosmo Queen blasted her cosmic nova, and the Evil Hero exploded into particles.

“Valkyria, attack the facedown Monster!”

The first Valkyria cast her magic illusion, and a second Hell Brat appeared on the card. It was blown to pieces.

“Second Valkyria, attack Slade directly!”

The second Valkyria aimed her staff at Slade.

“I don’t think so,” replied Slade. “Activate… Sakuretsu Armor.”

One of his facedown cards lifted, and a plane of shimmering force appeared around him. Valkyria screamed and shattered into pixels.

“What?” said Ren. “HUH? He could have destroyed Cosmo Queen… But he decided to use that on Valkyria?”

“Maybe…” said Zane. “Maybe he wanted Malicious Edge to be destroyed. I’m taking a wild stab here, but maybe, just maybe, there’s an Evil Hero version of Miracle Fusion…”

“Mokey Mokey,” said the Fairy.

“It’s no use trying to talk to me,” said Ren. “I can’t understand a word you’re saying…”

Slade slyly looked at Zane and then at Ren. He noticed the Mokey Mokey, but if he even cared, he didn’t show it.

“I set a Monster in Defense Mode,” said Yumi, “and my turn is over.”

A facedown Monster appeared.

Slade drew a card.

“Perfect,” he said. “I use my Dark Alchemist power to get my third Dark Fusion.”

Zera the Mant glowed, and the Spell Card appeared in his hand.



Continued…

[Dark Sage]

Continued from last post:



“Next, I play Dark Factory of Mass Production. This lets me add Burstinatrix and Clayman to my hand.”

Two cards slipped out of his discard slot.

“Just how many ways does he have to recover those Heroes?” asked Erik.

“I’d say… a lot,” replied Sam.

“Now, I play Dark Fusion again,” continued Slade.

Clayman and Burstinatrix appeared on the field, and erupted in fire again.

“I summon… Evil Hero Hell Sniper.”

Another Evil Hero formed out of the two, this one a bulky Fiend in red armor, with a large laser cannon on his right hand. He knelt in Defense Mode. (2,000/2,500)

“So long as he’s in Defense Mode,” continued Slade, “he can do this every round.”

Hell Sniper blasted flames from his cannon, striking Yumi. Yumi screamed and fell to her knees.

(S: 2,300) - - - - - - - - - - (Y: 500)

“At least that was your last Dark Fusion…” groaned Yumi.

“Yes and no,” replied Slade.

One of his two facedown cards lifted.

“I activate the Trap Card, Hidden Book of Spell. Now I get to take two Spell Cards from my Graveyard, and add them to my deck.”

Two Dark Fusions slipped out of his discard slot. He placed them on his deck.

“Then I reshuffle,” he said, as he shuffled. “So I can indeed use Dark Fusion again, if that becomes necessary.

“I set one more card facedown, and it’s your move…”

Another facedown card appeared.

Yumi drew a card.

Let’s hope his facedown card isn’t something that will stop my attack, she thought.

“Cosmo Queen, attack!” she shouted.

“I activate De-Fusion!” shouted Slade.

Hell Sniper vanished into two orbs of light, and the orbs formed into Clayman (800/2,000) and Burstinatrix (1,200/800) in Defense Mode.

“Seems I’m safe from a direct attack this turn,” said Slade.

Yumi frowned. Cosmo Queen fired her blast, and Clayman shattered into pixels. Then Valkyria cast her spell, and Burstinatrix shattered.

“For someone who’s trying to save them,” said Slade, “you have a funny way of showing it.”

“Save it, Slade,” said Yumi. “They’re Duel Monsters, they know it comes with the job description. But I know that by attacking, I’m hurting you.”

“Indeed…” said Slade, as he drew a card.

He looked at Yumi with an evil look.

“And I’m ending this now, Yumi…” he said. “I just drew Foolish Burial.”

He played the card, and then took his deck, spreading the cards out.

“Now, which Monster should I cast into the grave?”

He chose a card.

“Ah… Granmarg the Rock Monarch!”

He quickly discarded it.

“What’s the point?” asked Ren.

“Because as your friend surmised,” replied Slade, “Evil Heroes do indeed have their own version of Miracle Fusion… And I’m going to use it to summon one of the mightiest of the Evil Heroes.

“This Evil Hero is a Fusion of any Fiend and any Rock. And its Attack Score is equal to the combined Attack Scores of the Monsters I fuse to summon it…

“And to summon it… I play Dark Calling!”

An evil-looking Spell Card appeared on his side of the field. Granmarg and Malicious Edge appeared behind him.

“By removing Granmarg and Malicious Edge in my Graveyard from play, I can Fusion Summon Evil Hero Dark Gaia!”

The two Monsters burst into flame, and combined into a vortex of energy. There was a roar, and a sound like a volcano erupting. A Fiend that was fifteen feet high rose next to Slade, a creature made of rock and lava, with wings, horns, and claws. (5,000/0)

“MOKEY MOKEY!” screamed the Fairy.

It got up, and sped out of the room as fast as it could.

“Five-thousand Attack Points?” shouted Sam.

“And by the way,” continued Slade. “Any Monster summoned with Dark Calling is assumed to have been summoned with Dark Fusion. So your facedown cards really don’t worry me right now…

“And Dark Gaia has a special effect of its own… When it attacks, all your Monsters in Defense Mode switch to Attack Mode, and their Flip-Effects are negated.

“Dark Gaia… End this! Attack Magician’s Valkyria with Malevolent Catastrophe!”

“NO!” screamed Chelsea.

Dark Gaia raised its hand, and a burning, flaming ball of fire appeared in it. Yumi’s facedown Apprentice Magician flipped into Attack Mode quickly. (400/800)

Yumi backed up… The Evil Hero hurled the ball like a burning meteor. Yumi’s friends could barely make out a Trap Card being activated just as the impact hit, causing an explosion that shook the whole room…

(S: 2,300) - - - - - - - - - - (Y: 0)

* * * * * * * * * *

In Daala’s throne room, she was watching, and she laughed with glee.

“Finally!” she laughed, as she started to type on her computer. “Finally one of my men does something right…

“Well, best get this done with… Not gonna make the same mistake I did with Sam… Yumi isn’t getting away now that I have the chance…”

She typed in the command.

“Huh?” she said. “Error message?”

She typed in some other commands.

“Huh?” she said. “Joan’s dictum is still protecting Yumi? But how?”

She looked back at the screen. A look of puzzlement appeared on her face.

Due to all her equipment readings, the duel was still in progress. No winner had been recorded yet.

“Okay, that’s the why…” she muttered. “But that doesn’t explain the how… I clearly saw her Life Points fall to zero… Darn smoke… I can’t even see the playing field…

“Better check the record of the duel.”

She typed in some commands. The play-by-play of the turn appeared.

“Slade Fusion Summoned Dark Gaia… Da-da-da-da-da… Slade attacked Valkyria with Dark Gaia… Da-da-da-da-da… Apprentice Magician switched to Attack Mode… Yumi took 3,400 points of damage… Yumi activated…”

Then a look of shock appeared on Daala’s face.

Then she laughed. She threw herself on her couch and laughed hysterically. She laughed so hard, she nearly rolled onto the floor.

“Ho boy…” she chuckled. “Man, I didn’t see THAT coming!

“You are a stubborn one, Yumi…

“You just don’t know when to quit.”

* * * * * * * * * *

Meanwhile, Slade wasn’t finding the situation funny at all. He was arguing with his Deck Lord.

“What do you mean you can’t?” he said to Zera, angrily.

Zera the Mant shrugged and shook his head.

“I won the duel, so you’re supposed to absorb her Deck Lord!” he said, getting frustrated. “So do it already!”

“Better take another look, Slade,” said Yumi’s voice through the smoke. “It ain’t over till it’s over, and it ain’t over yet.”

“Your Life Points are zero, Yumi,” said Slade, as the smoke started to clear. “That pretty much means it’s over…

“Wait a second… Where did your Dark Magician come from?”

It was true. Dark Magician was standing there. (2,500/2,100)

“Uhm, I’m confused…” said Ren.

“What else is new?” asked Sam.

“Why is Yumi still here?” asked Erik.

“Because,” said Yumi, “I knew this duel would likely be my toughest to date. So I included in my deck the rarest Trap Card my family possessed. I’ve been saving this for a special occasion.

“As soon as your attack hit, I activated it. A powerful Trap called Relay Soul. This card literally saved my grandfather’s life in his duel against Dartz. It let me Special Summon a Monster to the field from my hand – such as Dark Magician – the instant my Life Points hit zero.

“Now, my Life Points may be gone, but I can continue this duel, so long as he remains on the field.”

(S: 2,300) - - - - - - - - - - (Y: X)

Slade’s eye narrowed.

“And they say the bad guys don’t play fair…” he growled.

“What goes around comes around,” scowled Yumi.

She sighed.

“He summons a Monster with five-thousand Attack Points that’s immune to card effects, and he’s complaining about how fair my cards are…”

Slade looked at the three cards in his hand.

“It’s still my move!” he shouted. “I activate Reckless Greed!”

His last facedown card lifted.

“I have to skip my next two Draw Phases, but I get to draw two cards now.”

He made two draws.

“And I’m still ending this now! I play Offerings to the Doomed!”

He played the card, and a beam of energy shot at Dark Magician.

“I knew you’d do that,” said Yumi, “so I set another Trap for protection…”

Her last facedown card lifted.

“Mystical Refpanel!”

A beautiful feminine form with feathered wings flew out the Trap Card, holding a spherical mirror. She held it up, and the beam was caught in the mirror.

“Now I can redirect the effect of your Spell Card from my Monster to yours.”

The fairy aimed the mirror, and the beam shot out of it, towards Dark Gaia.

“I can’t catch a break here…” muttered Slade.

Dark Gaia frowned, and held out its hand. It simply caught the beam, and it was deflected.

“You may have saved your Dark Magician,” growled Slade, “but you forgot… On the round my Monster is summoned, it is immune to all card effects, including my own.

“I have to end my turn Yumi, but next turn, my Dark Gaia will still be here, and it will still have 5,000 Attack Points.”

Yumi drew a card.

“Let’s face it,” said Slade, “the more you struggle, the more I can…”

“Swords of Revealing Light!” shouted Yumi.

Slade stepped back in shock as the glimmering Swords crashed down around him.

“Swords of Revealing Light?!” he gasped. “You… you drew Swords of Revealing Light?! That was the luckiest draw I have ever…”

“You gotta hand it to Yumi…” said Sam with a sigh. “She can pull a solution out of her ass at the bleakest times.”

“I set another Monster, and end my turn,” said Yumi, as a facedown Monster appeared. “Don’t forget, you can’t draw this turn due to Reckless Greed.”

Slade looked at the four cards in his hand, which were Dark Triad, Magical Mallet, Chthonian Polymer, and Evil Hero Malicious Edge. He didn’t meet the conditions to use Dark Triad right now, and if he used Magical Mallet, he’d have to get rid of it or Malicious Edge, or both. Only a fool would use it to only swap one card.

Damn, he thought. Damn, damn, damn.

Oh well… Those Swords won’t last forever…

“In that case, I pass for this turn,” he said.

Yumi closed her eyes, and drew a card. She opened them and looked at it.

“I flip my facedown Monster into Attack Mode!” she shouted. “Magician of Faith!”

In a flash of light, Magician of Faith appeared. (300/400)

“I’ll use Magician of Faith’s effect to recover Monster Reborn, and then play it,” she said.

The Spell Card appeared in her hand. She quickly played it, and the glowing ankh appeared. Chaos Command Magician appeared again. (2,400/1,900)

“Next,” said Yumi, “I sacrifice Magician of Faith and Apprentice Magician…”

The two female mages vanished.

“For Dark Magician of Chaos!”

In a burst of darkness, the even stronger Chaos mage appeared. (2,800/2,600)

“Now I get a Spell Card back again,” continued Yumi. “I choose Monster Reborn again.

“Now, I play it again!”

The ankh appeared again, and Valkyria appeared once again. (1,600/1,800)

“An army of Spellcasters!” shouted Ren.

“Pathetic!” growled Slade. “None of them can hold a candle to Dark Gaia!”

“Oh, really?” said Yumi, taking another Spell Card. “We’ll see about that…

“I play another of my grandfather’s favorites… The Spell Card, Necromancy!”

The ground in front of Slade began to rumble, and he backed up. Then Avian burst out the ground, and knelt in Defense Mode. (1,000/1,000)

“Avian?” he gasped.

Then Burstinatrix leapt up, and also knelt in Defense Mode. (1,200/800)

“Burstinatrix?” he shouted.

Then Clayman followed. (800/2,000) Finally, Sparkman came last. (1,600/1,200)

“What is going on?” demanded Slade.

“Simple,” said Yumi. “Necromancy summons four Monsters from your Graveyard to your side of the field in Defense Mode. And now, the Elemental Heroes are going to help me take down that abomination!”

“And just how are they going to do that?” said Slade, with a scowl.

“I’ll show you!” shouted Yumi. “Valkyria, attack Avian with magic illusion!”

Valkyria fired her spell, and Avian shattered.

“Chaos Command Magician, attack Burstinatrix with chaos magic!”

Chaos Command Magician fired his multicolored light, and Burstinatrix exploded.

“Dark Magician of Chaos, attack Clayman! Scepter strike!”

Dark Magician of Chaos slammed his scepter to the ground, and the shockwave tore towards Clayman, blowing him into pixels.

“Dark Magician… Dark… Magic… Attack!”

Dark Magician cast his dark spell, and Sparkman burst into triangles.

“Is there a point to this?” asked Slade, with a hint of annoyance in his voice. “This looks more like target practice than any real strategy.”

“I have to agree with Slade,” said Chelsea. “What the Hell is Yumi doing?”

“Wait…” said Zane. “Take a look at Dark Gaia.”

Everyone looked at the huge Evil Hero. It was groaning, and holding a burning wound in its chest. (2,600/0)

“WHAT?” shouted Slade.

“When a Monster that was summoned by Necromancy is destroyed,” explained Yumi, “another Monster loses 600 Attack Points. I destroyed four such Monsters, so Dark Gaia loses 2,400 Attack Points.

“Cosmo Queen… Destroy Dark Gaia with cosmic nova.”

Cosmo Queen put her hands together, and formed her dark matter. She hurled it, and Dark Gaia groaned as it hit it. Cracks appeared over its rocky hide, and then, it exploded into a burst of smoke and soot.

(S: 2,000) - - - - - - - - - - (Y: X)

Everyone on Yumi’s side cheered.

“Dark Gaia is vanquished,” said Yumi. “With that Slade, I end my turn. Remember, you still can’t draw due to Reckless Greed, and you’re still a prisoner of my Swords for two rounds.

“Care to give up?”

“Never!” shouted Slade.

He held a Spell Card forward.

“I play Dark Triad! Now, I take three Evil Heroes that are Level Five or higher, and return them to my deck.”

Inferno Wing, Lightning Golem, and Dark Gaia slipped out of his discard slot.

“Then, I reshuffle, and draw twice.”

He shuffled his deck, and made two draws. He looked at the two cards, which were Monster Reincarnation and Evil Blast.

“Next, I play Magical Mallet. I’ll reshuffle three of the cards in my hand.”

He took Chthonian Polymer, Monster Reincarnation and Evil Blast, and shuffled them into his deck, then made three draws.

Time to go for broke, he thought, looking at the new hand. I’ve never had to summon my strongest Monster before, but there’s a first time for everything.

“I use Dark Alchemist one last time,” he said.

Another Dark Fusion appeared in his hand.

“Next,” he said, holding up a Spell Card, “I play Twister. I’ll pay 500 Life Points to destroy your Swords.”

A raging windstorm erupted in the center of the room, and the Swords were blown away.

“Next,” he said, “I’ll pay half of my remaining Life Points to summon my Deck Lord. Zera the Mant, move to the field.”

Zera the Mant nodded, and lumbered in front of Slade. (2,800/2,300)

(S: 750) - - - - - - - - - - (Y: X)

“Is he crazy?” asked Erik. “Cosmo Queen will make a purse out of that guy!”

“Not quite,” said Slade. “My Deck Lord will have the advantage once I make a slight adjustment to him…”

The Dark Fusion card appeared on the field.

“To summon the mightiest Evil Hero, I have to fuse Malicious Edge and another Fiend who must be at least Level Six.

“So I fuse together Zera and Malicious Edge in my hand…”

Malicious Edge appeared on the field, and both erupted into flames…

“…to summon Evil Hero Malicious Devil!”

A frightening figure stepped out of the fire. Clearly, there was nothing in this Fiend’s appearance at all to even suggest a hero, or even an anti-hero. He was thin, almost gaunt, and dressed in studded black leather, covered with spikes. His cowl had a plume made of blades, and he wore bladed claws on his wrists, and bladed shoulder pads. He had huge, dark wings that reached a twenty-foot span. (3,500/2,100)

“Ho boy, Yumi’s doomed…” moaned Ren.

“Not yet, she isn’t,” replied Zane. “Yumi has Valkyria on the field, so Malicious Devil can’t attack any Spellcaster but her.”

“Then that’s what I’ll do!” said Slade. “Attack Magician’s Valkyria with Soul Rend!”

Valkyria screamed as Malicious Devil slashed at her with his wicked claw, nearly tearing her in half. She shattered into shards.

“By the way, Yumi,” said Slade, “Malicious Devil has a powerful effect. During your turn, any attacks you make must be directed towards him, and should you enter your Battle Phase at all, all your Monsters must attack.”

“I can still skip my Battle Phase, Slade!” shouted Yumi.

Slade placed a card in his Disk, and a facedown card appeared.

“We’ll see about that,” he said. “And by the way, for added protection, I’m giving him an Equip Spell.”

He played his last card.

“It’s called Zombie Lineage. Now, if you try to destroy him with a card effect, the Equip Spell is destroyed instead.

“And it’s your move…”

Yumi drew a card.

Double Spell… she thought. Hmm…

“Trap activate,” said Slade.

“Huh?” said Yumi.

“It’s called Battle Mania,” said Slade. “This forces all your Monsters to attack this round. I’m afraid that skipping your Battle Phase is no longer an option.”

Yumi grit her teeth, and looked at the cards in her hand.

“Search your deck from now until Judgment Day…” said Slade. “No Monster in it can defeat my Devil.”

Yumi looked at him. She grinned.

“Maybe not, Slade!” she laughed. “But… There’s a Monster in your deck that certainly can!”

“HUH?” gasped Slade.

“I use another of my Deck Lord abilities!” shouted Yumi. “Remember what I said before? Power of the Core. Giving the finger to Shogarr!

“It’s called Chaos Life, and once per duel, it lets me Special Summon a Monster from either Graveyard without paying a dime. So long as its Attribute is either Light or Dark.”

“Wait…” said Slade. “What the heck do you plan to…”

In a flash of light, Sparkman appeared next to her Spellcasters. (1,600/1,200)

“WHAT?” shouted Slade. “Why did you summon him to your side of the field?”

“I’ll show you!” said Yumi. “I play Double Spell! I toss one Spell Card…”

She discarded Hand Control.

“And I can use your Spark Blaster!”

Sparkman held up his hand, and the Blaster appeared in it.

“This can’t be!” shouted Slade.

“It is!” laughed Yumi. “Sparkman, move Malicious Devil from Attack Mode, where he’s strong, to Defense Mode, where he’s not so strong!”

Sparkman fired the weapon. Malicious Devil groaned, and knelt, covering himself with his wings and shielding himself with his claws.

“You wanted an attack?” asked Yumi. “Here’s an attack… Dark Magician… Dark Magic Attack!”

Dark Magician fired a beam of dark magic from his scepter, and Slade was thrown backwards as Malicious Devil exploded in a flaming blast.

Slade slowly crawled to his knees… His cards spilled on the ground.

“Beaten…” he gasped.

He slowly started to glow with red energy. Then he vanished into a burst of smoke.

Yumi ran up to the Disk and the dropped cards.

In four bursts of energy, the four Elemental Heroes appeared. They looked at their hands.

“She… She won…” gasped Burstinatrix.

“We’re free!” laughed Sparkman.

Zane slowly bent over the rest of the discarded cards. He picked up the Evil Hero Monsters.

Then they burst into flames. Zane dropped them, as the Evil Heroes were quickly reduced to ash.

In the meantime, the four Heroes were crying, and hugging Yumi.

“Easy, people, easy…” said Yumi. “Don’t crush me…”

“Good going, Yumi!” laughed Chelsea, slapping Yumi on the back. “I can’t believe how you stood up to him! Man, I would have been scared out of my skin, but not you! You were as cool as a cucumber!”

Yumi’s hand trembled a little. She looked at the Relay Soul card.

One simple Trap had saved her from Shogarr’s grasp. She wasn’t as cool as Chelsea thought. She had been more scared than she had been in a very, very long time. She had been petrified.

Had the Pharaoh been as scared when he had fought Dartz, and was forced to use this very card? She had no way of knowing…

Relay Soul was an incredibly powerful Trap Card…

And she hoped beyond hope, that she would never be in a situation where she would have to use it again.

And another thing had saved her skin… The huge ego that Slade had, which all villains seemed to have. He wanted to show the power of his best Monster, so he had attacked Valkyria. If he hadn’t done that, she wouldn’t have had any free space in her Monster Zone, and wouldn’t have been able to summon Sparkman.

Slade likely never realized how big a mistake on his part it was, but if he hadn’t made it, he would have won.

Yumi shivered. Then she placed the Relay Soul card in her Side Deck.

She turned to Zane.

“Zane, can you get the Fab Four organized and set up shop here?” she asked.

“Not what I’m used to,” said Zane, “but I can try…”

* * * * * * * * * *

The sun was setting as the five friends exited the castle.

“Six Realms down…” sighed Sam. “That’s all of them… At long last… Now we can take the fight to Daala.”

“That’s what you think,” said someone in front of them.

They all looked up.

“DAALA!” they shouted.

It was indeed Daala, leaning casually against an ice wall.

“What do you want, Daala?” asked Yumi. “You’re in big trouble, in case you didn’t know it.”

“Joan is in bigger trouble,” said Daala. “Remember the four Apocalyptic Monsters?”

“Yeah,” said Ren. “Joan has them.”

“Wrong,” said Daala. “They have Joan.

“You remember dueling Ruin, Ren? She mentioned Demise, right?”

“What?” said Yumi. “Where’s Demise?”

“After I had failed to breech the walls of Joan’s temple for the hundredth time,” explained Daala, “I got an idea. I made a deal with Ruin and Demise. The deal was as follows: I’d free their spirits and restore their bodies, and in return, they’d help me take down Joan.

“Now, both of them claim that they can see the Apocalypse in their dreams; I’m not sure if they’re right or not, or whether they’re just crazy. If I had to guess, I’d say they were crazy. But I used their descriptions to design those four cards.

“Then, since Demise was the stronger of the two, he used a powerful procedure that split his physical body into four parts, becoming four separate Duel Spirits, bonding one to each card. He would then wait until the four cards were brought together in one place, at which point he would begin the process of assuming his true form again, a process that would take about a day on his own. In the meantime, Ruin would serve as my executioner, and would deal the killing blow once Demise brought her in.”

She looked at her watch.

“As you likely already guessed, it was my plan all along for you to confiscate those cards… With them in enemy hands, they’d all be in one place inside Joan’s temple. Demise, King of Armageddon will be pulling himself together shortly…”

“Joan has those cards in foolproof containment capsules!” shouted Erik. “He’ll never escape!”

“I know all about those capsules,” said Daala. “I use them myself, frequently. I know that they have to be set to the prisoner’s exact Type, Attribute, and Level, or else they’re worthless as prisons.

“Well, I have to be running along… Ta-ta…”

She ran down the pathway.

“Let’s get her!” shouted Ren.

“WAIT,” said Yumi.

She paused.

“Joan has those containment capsules set to hold the Apocalyptic Monsters… Each one is Fiend-Type, Dark-Attribute, and Level Ten…”

She paused.

Then the realization hit.

“Demise is Fiend-Type, Dark-Attribute, and Level Eight! Once he assumes his true form, he’ll break out in a second!”

“That was Daala’s plan all along…” muttered Sam, pulling out her cell phone.

She quickly started to dial.

“What are you doing?” gasped Chelsea.

“I’m calling Joan to warn her!” replied Sam. “What do you think I’m doing?

“Damn! The line’s dead! Daala thought of everything!”

“Okay…” said Erik. “Somehow… We have to cross the whole tundra very, very, very fast. And since Joan won’t know to use her own Interdimensional Matter Transporter, we can’t get there with ours.”

“Well…” said Yumi, “this is the Realm of Wind, right?”

Her eyes started to glow…

* * * * * * * * * *

Five minutes later, Simorgh, Bird of Divinity soared across the sky of the Frozen Wastes, followed by three Rocs from the Valley of Haze. Yumi and Sam were perched on Simorgh’s back, while Ren, Chelsea, and Erik were riding the other three Winged Beasts. All five of the humans were holding on for dear life.

“Not so high!” screamed Ren. “Not so high!”

“Don’t look down!” screamed Chelsea. “Whatever you do, don’t look down!”

“Hang on, Joan!” shouted Yumi, “We’re coming!”



COMMON SACRIFICE (Trap Card)

Normal Trap

Image: Sasuke Samurai, Freed the Brave Wanderer, and Marauding Captain, standing in an ominous shrine.

Card Description: You can only activate this card during your or your opponent’s Main Phase, when your opponent controls three or more face-up Monsters. Tribute the two Monsters your opponent controls with the lowest ATK. Then, Special Summon a Level Seven or higher Monster from your hand.

Note: “Common Sacrifice” was first used by Jaden in the “Yu-Gi-Oh GX” episode “The Power Within (Part One)”. Creative credit goes to the writers of that episode.



MYSTICAL REFPANEL (Trap Card)

Normal Trap

Image: A fairy holding a spherical mirror with a hooded face inside it.

Card Description: You may activate this card when your opponent uses a Spell Card whose effect targets your side of the field. Switch the target of that Spell Card to a target on your opponent’s side of the field.

Note: “Mystical Refpanel” is a Japanese card that has not yet been released in the United States. (Its name in Japan is “Fairy Mirror”; “Mystical Refpanel” is the name that was used in the anime.)



NECROMANCY (Spell Card)

Normal Spell

Image: A shadowy sorcerer casting a spell in a graveyard crawling with zombies. (This was the card that the art for “Zombie Master” was based on.)

Card Description: Select up to four Monsters at random from your opponent’s Graveyard and Special Summon them to your opponent’s side of the field in face-up Defense Position. When a Monster Special Summoned by this card is destroyed, decrease the ATK of a Monster on the field by 600.

Note: “Necromancy” was first used by Yugi in the original anime episode “Clash in the Coliseum (Part Three)”. Creative credit goes to the writers of that episode.



RELAY SOUL (Trap Card)

Normal Trap

Image: A hand handing a smoking, glowing orb to another hand.

Card Description: This card can be activated when your Life Points reach zero and you have at least one Monster in your hand. The duel is not ended at this time. Special Summon one Monster from your hand, disregarding any summoning requirements. You may continue the duel until this Monster is removed from the field, at which point you lose.

Note: “Relay Soul” was first used by the Pharaoh in the original anime episode “A Duel With Dartz (Part Three)”. Creative credit goes to the writers of that episode.



BURST IMPACT (Spell Card)

Normal Spell

Image: Elemental Hero Burstinatrix in the middle of a fiery explosion.

Card Description: You may activate this card when you have an “Elemental Hero Burstinatrix” face-up on your side of the field. Destroy all Monsters on the field except for “Elemental Hero Burstinatrix”. The owner(s) of the destroyed Monsters take direct damage equal to 300 for each of his/her Monsters that was destroyed by this effect.

Note: “Burst Impact” was first used by Jaden in the “Yu-Gi-Oh GX” episode “Amnael’s Endgame (Part One)”. Creative credit goes to the writers of that episode.



ZOMBIE LINEAGE (Spell Card)

Equip Spell

Image: A lady vampire in a white gown holding her hand out to a handsome young man.

Card Description: Equip only to a Monster you control. The Equipped Monster gains 500 Attack Points during your Battle Phase only. If the Equipped Monster would be destroyed by a card effect, you can send this card to the Graveyard to negate the destruction.

Note: “Zombie Lineage” was first used by Skull Knight in “Yu-Gi-Oh GX” episode “What Lies Beneath (Part Two)”. Creative credit goes to the writers of that episode.



DARK TRIAD (Spell Card)

Normal Spell

Image: The shadowy forms of Inferno Wing, Lightning Golem, and Malicious Edge standing in a dark fog.

Card Description: Select three “Evil Hero” Monsters in your Graveyard that are Level Five or higher and return them to your deck. Then reshuffle your deck, and draw two cards. If, when you play this card, you have no cards on the field and this is the only card in your hand, draw one additional card.



Yumi’s Deck Lord: “Dark Magician Girl”: “Soul Circle”: Once per duel, you may draw one card for each Monster in your Graveyard. You cannot draw more cards with this ability than the hand size limit allows. (Greater Power) “Chaos Shield”: If a face-up Spellcaster-Type Monster is targeted by a Monster Effect, you may pay 500 Life Points to negate the effect. (Greater Power) “Chaos Life”: Once per duel, during your turn, you may Special Summon one LIGHT or DARK Monster from either Graveyard. If the Special Summoned Monster is destroyed, it is removed from play. (Greater Power)



Slade’s Deck Lord: “Zera the Mant”: “Dark Alchemist”: Once per turn, during your turn, you may take one “Dark Fusion” from your deck and add it to your hand. When you choose to activate the card searched for by this effect, it cannot be countered or negated. (Extraordinary Power) “Invincible Evil”: A Fusion Monster summoned via “Dark Fusion” cannot be affected by any card effects during the turn it is Fusion Summoned (as opposed to only targeting effects). (Intermediate Power)



Lords of Chaos

The Agony of Kyuss, The Worm that Walks

The following story can be found in the libraries of any practitioner of magic. Kyuss’s name is legendary in arcane lore, and his story serves as a warning to those who would seek power that they cannot control.

Scholars of forbidden lore claim that Kyuss lived in an ancient era, long before the oldest kingdoms of the modern day. Exactly where his home nation existed is debatable, as no land is eager to claim him as its own. It was a time of great evil, when humanity dabbled in blasphemous practices and worshipped dark gods. Kyuss was either a mortal necromancer of considerable ability or an evil god’s high priest.

The most common theory says that Kyuss was so wicked that his own decadent society exiled him, casting him out for performing forbidden experiments and spreading ominous prophesies. Rather than languishing as an outcast, he became a prophet, and drew to himself followers who clamored to hear his grim words. He spoke of an impending time that he referred to as The Age of Worms, a prophecy that may have seemed like that of the typical doomsayer, if it hadn’t come from one with such raw power over the dark forces. They saw him as the gods’ servant, if not a god in his own right, and believed if they curried his favor, he would shelter them from the horrific age that he promised would come.

Kyuss eventually discovered the ruins of a civilization that was more ancient still. The structures that remained bore many strange writings, depictions of human sacrifice, and six-armed tyrants ruling over all. Kyuss claimed this site for his own, and commanded his followers to rebuild the city from the wreckage.

Although he ruled as god and king, his disturbing visions and his own discontentment urged him to seek greater power, to find some way to transcend the mortal flesh and become a true god. His path was clear when his followers discovered ancient metal plates, which held terrible secrets, but also confirmed every terrible word he had spoken. Or so he believed.

Through these inscriptions, he discovered the incantations that would let him acquire true divinity, but at a terrible price – the lives of his entire congregation. But no price was too high for this prophet. One bloody night, he instructed his priests to round up every last follower and slaughter them all. And when they were finished, Kyuss murdered the murderers. With his hands stained with the blood of thousands and their screams still ringing in his ears, he turned to a great obelisk that his servants had pulled from the earth and intoned the words to begin the transformation. When he was finished, he stepped into the stone, fusing with the vile rock…

But then, his plans fell apart. He gained his divinity, but lost it in the same instant. He was now neither mortal nor god… He was something far worse…

Kyuss had apparently been double-crossed by a dark force whose might he never comprehended. His visions of The Age of Worms were nothing but lies, and his prophesies were false. The dark entity had granted him great power, but had imprisoned him, limiting his ability to use it. Why? Clearly, as evil as Kyuss was, there were far greater forces of evil influencing the world.

Since then, Kyuss has beat against the bonds holding him, wanting nothing more than release. He was driven mad from his imprisonment long ago, although some would say he was never sane to begin with.

In the rare times he experiences lucidity, Kyuss, or the Worm that Walks, as he is now called, can extend his influence beyond his prison. He does have great power that he retained from that vile ritual, even if he didn’t achieve godhood. Vile undead creatures and monstrous vermin have been blamed on him over millennia. Necromancers often contact him through dark rituals, attempting to make deals in exchange for power. Their side of the bargain is always aid in discovering a means to locate Kyuss’s prison and free him from it.

It is not known what Kyuss would do if he ever broke free. Considering his power and the atrocities he committed even before he gained it, it likely would not be benign…



Coming up next:

Yumi and party make it to the temple, only to find that they have come too late to stop Demise’s attack. Now, Guardian Angel Joan must take a more active role in leadership, and face the powerful demon, with everything on the line. It’s Light versus Darkness, Order versus Chaos, Good versus Evil. It’s three conflicts in one, and opposites do NOT attract! “Contradiction” is coming up next.

[Shuppet Master]

This was a pretty tense chapter. I knew Slade would use the Supreme King's cards after he had the Elemental Heroes imprisoned. And now it's going to be a nasty battlefield in the temple. I sure hope Joan wins, but I have a feeling she won't.

I'm sorry for not commenting on the last chapter, I was busy. Keep up the good work!

[Mystic_clown]

Well, I can certainly say it's good to see the Evil Heroes being used in a fanfic, though I'm surprised no reference to Jaden was used, since he was the original wielder of them. I'm not really sure though that using a DC comics villian was such a good idea though.

[Dark Sage]

The Merkants are not the only sect I remember in my long, ageless life. Another one that comes to mind is a now-disbanded cult that once arose in the Dimensions called the Opposition.

The Opposition’s creed was quite straightforward. They would support no idea except their own, and oppose every idea, philosophy, creed, and system except their own idea.

This group showed no favorites. If they were active on Earth today, they would rally against the NRA one day, only to speak out against PETA the next. Any group foolish enough to help them oppose the group they were currently opposing, thinking they had found allies for their cause, would quickly find the Opposition taking blows against them as well.

Why did the Opposition do such a thing? It was not because they were anarchists who wanted to tear down the establishment. Not at all. They wanted to help the establishment.

You see, the Opposition believed that adversity made people stronger. Want to make a cause noticed? Let the people who believe in it fight for it. By opposing a belief, it is strengthened, they said. Thus, the Opposition believed that what they were doing was for everyone’s good.

The Opposition lasted a great deal longer than most folks thought it would, but it still didn’t last. It made a lot of enemies, as you might imagine, and eventually, it made one who was too powerful. It seemed that their presumption wasn’t quite right. Too much opposition to a belief, and it will be crushed. Which is just what happened to theirs.

The foe I am facing may well be my ultimate opposition. As a lord of the Higher Plane, I represent Good, Law, and Light. This creature opposes all three concepts.

It’s time I stopped being a spectator… And I can… I’ve faced opposition this strong before… It’s how I became strong myself.

Duel…

CHAPTER FIFTY-ONE



Contradiction

Guardian Angel Joan paced back and forth in the common room of the temple. Her brow furrowed with worry, despite the fact that she knew Yumi had defeated Slade, the Frozen Wastes were secure, and the Elemental Heroes were free.

One thing she was worried about were the cards Slade had used. She had absolutely no idea where they had come from. As far as anyone knew, the Evil Hero cards had vanished into the darkness from whence they had come when Jaden’s dark side could no longer dominate him.

But she would figure that out later. More importantly, Daala had cut all the communication systems in Xanadu, and that was never good news.

Every time this happened, it meant one of her most powerful duelists was a target of either Daala herself or a member of her mysterious inner circle. And each time that happened, Joan’s side lost a powerful member. She sadly remembered the defeats of Alexis, Syrus, Tyranno… And so many others… Each time, it started with the communications going dead, preventing her from sending help.

Then she heard a crash. The lights started to dim.

She turned her head.

The silent alarm!

She had never heard it before, but she had trained every day for the day when it would go off… An enemy had breached the walls of the temple.

She walked towards the source of the alarm, and as she did, her left arm glowed, and a silvery Duel Disk appeared on it. She knew this would happen eventually… As much as she had worked to fortify the temple, she knew that it would only be a matter of time before Daala found a flaw.

She cautiously peeked her head around a corner. The vault. Its door was torn open.

She looked inside, but didn’t go in.

“No!” she gasped.

The four capsules had shattered, and the four cards depicting the Apocalyptic Monsters were charred ashes.

A shiver ran down her spine. Four enemies? She didn’t know if she even had a chance.

She closed her eyes and concentrated…

Not four… she thought. Just one… It’s…

Her eyes opened wide.

“By Shinato’s name!” she exclaimed.

Fear crept into her bones as she made her way back to the main room, carefully looking over her shoulder at every five feet. He wasn’t going to ambush her…

She walked into the room.

“I’m not playing hide and seek!” she shouted. “Show yourself, Demise!”

A fiendish laughter echoed through the hall.

“As you wish…” said a deep voice.

Joan flinched a little, as the tall, hulking form appeared out of the shadows. It was a seven-foot-tall demon in black armor, his face a fiendish-looking skull with downward-curving horns. He gripped a huge battle-axe in both hands.

“Like the Trojan Horse,” said Joan, with a frown. “You were too careful… You didn’t disguise yourself as one Duel Spirit and let yourself be identified, but as four separate ones. Four Duel Spirits of higher Levels than yourself, so that your true form could break out of any restraint that I secured them in.”

“It wasn’t the first time I divided myself into more than one entity,” said Demise. “When the Supreme King started to subjugate Dark World, I saw an opportunity.

“Yes, he was a ruthless tyrant after my own heart, but I was still planning to overthrow him. So to conceal myself, I split myself in two, taking the form of Skilled Dark Magician and Skilled White Magician. In those forms, I swore allegiance to his cause.

“All went well until that meddling Aster Phoenix pushed me to my limits, and forced me to assume my true form. I got sloppy, and was beaten by his Bloo-D. Fortunately, Ruin had stayed hidden in the shadows, and was able to find where I was. Few prisons can hold us for long, especially when one of us is free. The two of us were planning our next scheme within a week.”

“And you were beaten at that one by Cosmo Queen,” said Joan, closing her eyes. “And now you took the form of the Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse. I cannot imagine a less fitting disguise…”

“Huh?” asked Demise. “I’d say they were quite fitting for one who wants to bring about ultimate doom!”

“Didn’t you even take time to sit down and read Revelations?” asked Joan. “The Horsemen are supposed to be servants of the Almighty, sent to bring about the end times so that He can pass final Judgment upon humanity. They were divine messengers, not demons. Maybe servants of a wrathful God, but still servants of God, whom a beast like you had no right to imitate.”

Demise chuckled.

“That’s all well and good, Joan,” he said. “But it hardly matters now… I’ve left those four bodies behind, and I’m my own handsome self again. All my true powers are restored, and I can duel with my own hands. Once I defeat you, your little insurrection will be at an end…”

Then both of them heard shouts.

“Joan, we’re here!” screamed Yumi’s voice.

The five teenagers rushed into the main room, quite out of breath.

“Oh, we’re too late!” gasped Ren.

“No, you’re just in time!” exclaimed Demise, lifting his axe. “I was actually hoping you’d come… My darling Ruin is suffering in the wild jungles of Carceri because of what you did, and even I don’t know how to help her find a way out! Do you know what Carceri is like? Hot, humid, with mosquitoes the size of rats. And you don’t want to know how big the rats are!”

“Fortunately, the snakes keep them in check,” replied Joan. “The Great Prison is a deserving fate for such a sadist.”

“But business before pleasure, I always say…” snarled Demise.

He slammed his axe to the ground, and a circle of dark flames surrounded him and Joan.

“That will provide us with a decent-sized arena,” he growled. “You can’t get out, and your allies can’t get in. Once I defeat you, your own dictum will no longer be able to protect you, and once Daala deals with you, it will no longer protect any member of the rebellion.”

His axe turned to dark energy, forming an Anarchist Disk on his left arm.

“You have to defeat me first,” replied Joan.

“Not a problem!” replied Demise. “I have a feeling that you’ve stayed hidden in this temple for so long, your actual dueling skills have slipped!”

“We’ll see, won’t we?” said Joan.

“Joan, we’re still here!” shouted Chelsea. “Even if all we can do is give you support, we’re still here!”

Both Disks activated. No catch phrase was shouted… They simply drew five cards and stared at each other…

(Joan: 8,000) - - - - - - - - - - (Demise: 8,000)

“Prepare to lose,” said the King of Armageddon, making his first draw.

He looked at his opening hand.

It seems that necklace Daala put on Brron is doing the job perfectly, he thought. I got just the deck I wanted…

“I’ll start by playing a powerful, yet unpredictable Spell Card,” he said. “It’s called Dangerous Machine Type-6.”

He fit the card into his Disk, and with a rumble and a burst of sparks, a huge machine rose behind him. It looked like an electrical generator, with the numbers one through six on its face.

“What the heck?” asked Erik. “Is he playing a Gamble Deck?”

“I don’t think so,” said Yumi. “I doubt he’d hedge a duel this important on luck.”

“Next,” continued Demise, “I’ll summon Zure, Knight of Dark World.”

In a burst of shadowy energy, a Fiend that they had last seen in Gansley’s hands appeared. It was a tall, ugly demon, with shark-like teeth, grey skin, and upward-curving horns on the side of his head. His body was decorated with bones, and he wore a blue fur cape. He held a longsword. (1,800/1,500)

“NO!” shouted Sam.

Poor Sam… thought Yumi. Ever since her bad experience with her own Dark World Deck, these Fiends have rubbed her the wrong way.

“And that will do for now,” said Demise.

Joan drew a card.

“I summon…” she said. “Jain, Lightsworn Paladin!”

A flash of light appeared on Joan’s side of the field, and a beautiful form stepped out of it, a knight who was the polar opposite of the one on Demise’s side of the field. It was a female Warrior, clad in decorated, glowing plate armor and a flowing red cape, holding a radiant shield and a sword of pure light. (1,800/1,200)

“A Lightsworn?” asked Ren.

Demise chuckled again.

“Who’s that, Joan of Arc?” he asked. “Some sort of reference to your name? Our Monsters have equal Attack Points, in case you didn’t notice. If she attacks, they’ll both die.”

“Actually,” said Joan, “my Monster has an advantage over yours. When she battles an enemy, she gains 300 Attack Points.

“Show him, Jain! Attack Zure with crusader’s blade!”

Jain let out a battlecry and charged at Zure. Her Attack Score rose to 2,100 as she slashed at the Fiend in the chest. Zure groaned and dropped his sword, and then shattered into shards.

(J: 8,000) - - - - - - - - - - (D: 7,700)

“Fine, you win round one,” muttered Demise. “But Zure was just a decoy to lure you out, and I’m far from finished.”

“And my turn isn’t finished,” said Joan. “I set one card facedown, and then play the Field Spell, Realm of Light.”

A facedown card appeared, and then she placed a card in her Field Slot.

The common room of the temple faded away, and changed to an outdoor city scene. Huge, soaring cathedrals of ancient design surrounded the duelists and the spectators, with incredibly beautiful architecture. However, for a place called Realm of Light, it wasn’t illuminated at all. It was night, and the city was dark.

“Some Realm of Light,” chuckled Demise. “They’d better have a word with their electrician.”

“I end my turn,” said Joan. “And that means another of Jain’s effects activates, causing me to send two cards from the top of my deck to the Graveyard.”

She took two cards from her deck, looked at them, and discarded them.

“HUH?” gasped Sam. “What kind of stupid effect is that? Your own Monster causes you to lose cards?”

“She’s not the only one who does,” replied Joan. “But this does have benefits. For example, every time cards go from my deck to the Graveyard, one of the thousand lamps in the Realm of Light is lit…”

A lamp in the city lit.

“And for each lamp that is lit, all Monsters with the word ‘Lightsworn’ in their names gain 100 Attack Points.”

Jain rose to (1,900/1,200).

“Then it’s my move,” said Demise.

He drew a card.

“My Dangerous Machine now picks a number…”

Dangerous Machine Type-6 sparked and whirred. The numbers glowed, until finally, only the four remained lit.

“Four,” said Joan, with a grin. “That means I get a free draw.”

She drew a card.

“You’ll need it,” replied Demise. “As for me, I play Pot of Greed.”

He played the card, and drew twice.

“Next, I play the powerful Card of Safe Return,” he said, as a Spell Card appeared. “This lets me draw once whenever a Monster is Special Summoned from my Graveyard.”

“And with Dark World Decks,” said Sam, “that happens an awful lot of the time.”

“Now, I play the Spell Card, Dark World Lighting!” shouted Demise. “Now, I can wipe out one facedown card.”

Lightning flashed, and a bolt fell from the sky, blowing Joan’s Draining Shield to pieces.

“Now I have to discard one card from my hand,” continued Demise, discarding a card. “But that benefits me, because I just discarded Sillva, Warlord of Dark World. By doing so, he’s summoned to the field.”

In a burst of shadow, a new Fiend appeared. It was an atypical demon, with horns, wings, and claws, dressed in silver armor and carrying a sword. (2,300/1,400)

“I get to draw once, due to Card of Safe Return,” he said, drawing a card.

“Now, I Normal Summon Beiige, Vanguard of Dark World.”

Another Fiend appeared, this one with a skull-like face and ropy skin, dressed in bone armor. He held a spear. (1,600/1,300)

“So, Joan…” asked Demise. “Have you been exercising while hiding in this temple, or have you let yourself go soft? Let’s find out.

“Sillva, attack Jain! Dark silver stream!”

Sillva slashed his sword down, and Jain let out a cry before shattering into shards of light.

“Attack her directly, my Beiige!”

The Vanguard lunged at Joan.

“JOAN!” screamed everyone.

Joan made almost no reaction at all as the Fiend stabbed her in the chest with its weapon.

(J: 6,000) - - - - - - - - - - (D: 7,700)

Ren laughed nervously.

“Joan’s not soft!” he laughed. “She’s hard as steel!”

“So she is…” growled Demise. “But her ability to take it and her ability to beat me are two different things.”

Two facedown cards appeared in front of him.

“I’ll end with these…”

Joan drew a card.

“I summon Lyla, Lightsworn Sorceress,” she said.

She played a card, and another radiant being appeared in front of her. It was a woman dressed in a flowing white gown with gold trim, a gold tiara, and holding a gold scepter. (1,700/200) –> (1,800/200)

“I end my turn,” said Joan. “And since Lyla is on the field, I send three cards from my deck to my Graveyard…”

She took three cards from her deck and discarded them. Another lamp lit in the city, and Lyla’s Attack Score rose to 1,900.

“This is insane!” shouted Chelsea. “Joan’s Monsters are forcing her to mill her own deck!”

“I’m even more confused as to why she didn’t attack Beiige with Lyla,” said Erik. “Is she afraid of those facedown cards?”

Demise drew a card.

The Dangerous Machine started again, and the lights flashed. They stopped on the three.

“That means I get to draw a card now,” he said, making a draw.

He looked at it, and added it to his hand.

“Now, I activate the Trap Card, Fine.”

One of his facedown cards lifted up.

“This lets me discard two of my cards.”

He chose two cards, and then discarded them.

“And THAT lets me activate THIS!”

His other Trap Card lifted.

“Forced Requisition?” gasped Yumi.

“What does that do?” asked Ren.

“That’s bad…” said Yumi. “From this point on, every time he discards a card from his hand, Joan will have to discard one from hers.”

“But I benefit more,” continued Demise. “One of the two cards I discarded was Broww, Huntsman of Dark World. This lets me make another draw.”

He drew a card.

“The other one was Gren, Tactician of Dark World. When discarded, he destroys one Spell or Trap Card.

“So say goodbye to your Realm of Light!”

An incredibly thin, almost gaunt Fiend appeared, wearing spectacles and holding a tome. It raised a hand, and fired a blast of darkness at the heart of the city. An explosion rocked the Realm of Light…

But, when the smoke cleared, the city still stood.

“Impossible…” gasped Demise.

“The Realm of Light has a sturdier foundation than most Field Spells,” said Joan. “If you try to destroy it, I can protect it by extinguishing two of its lamps.”

Lyla fell to an Attack Score of 1,700.

Demise clenched his fists.

“You have no facedown cards!” he shouted. “So it’s curtains for her! Sillva, destroy her!”

Sillva rushed at Lyla…

Then, Necro Gardna appeared between them. He punched Sillva in the face, and the Fiend was thrown backwards.

“HUH?” said everybody.

“Necro Gardna is an uneasy ally of the Lightsworns,” said Joan, as the Dark Warrior vanished. “The self-milling effect has several upsides.”

“I set one Monster in Defense Mode and end my turn!” shouted Demise.

A facedown Monster appeared.

“Then I draw,” said Joan, drawing a card.

“Your Forced Requisition is a powerful card for your deck, Demise,” she said. “How little you knew that my means of eradicating it was staring you in the face even as you activated it.”

“Huh?” asked Demise.

“By switching Lyla from Attack to Defense Mode,” continued Joan, “I can destroy your Trap Card.”

Lyla knelt and shielded herself, and glowed with an aura of light. The Forced Requisition card was blasted to pieces.

“Maybe so…” growled Demise. “But to do that, you had to move her to Defense Mode, where she’s weak.”

“She’s not staying around,” replied Joan. “I sacrifice her…”

Lyla vanished.

“To summon one of the more powerful Lightsworn… Celestia, Lightsworn Angel!”

This time, the burst of light that appeared on Joan’s side of the field was far more intense. A beautiful form flew out of the Realm of Light. She was clearly an angel, dressed in plate armor similar to Jain’s, with glorious, feathered wings, and long, blue hair tied in a long ponytail. She held a glowing two-handed sword. (2,300/200)

“Now, I activate Celestia’s effect,” said Joan. “When she’s summoned by sacrificing another Lightsworn, I can send four cards from my deck to the Graveyard, and she can destroy two cards on the field.”

She discarded four cards, and Celestia started to glow with even more intense light. Sillva and Beiige cringed in pain, and then shattered into pixels.

“My Realm gains another lamp,” continued Joan.

Celestia grew to an Attack Score of 2,400.

“And also, one of the cards I just discarded was Wulf, Lightsworn Beast. When he goes directly from my deck to the Graveyard, he’s summoned to the field.”

In another flash of light, a radiant Beast-Warrior appeared. He had a wolf-like head and shining, white fur. He was dressed in a pure white breastplate, shorts, and a breechcloth, all with gold trim, and carried an ornate halberd. (2,100/300) –> (2,200/300)

“Wulf, destroy his facedown Monster.”

Wulf snarled, and made a chop with his weapon. A reptilian, simian Fiend with red skin appeared on the card, and shattered.

“You destroyed Scarr, Scout of Dark World,” said Demise. “Now I get to add any Dark World Monster that’s Level Four or less to my hand.”

He took a card from his deck and looked at it.

“But will it protect you from Celestia?” asked Joan.

The Angel flew at Demise and made a slash with her sword across the Fiend’s armor. Demise let out a shout and took a step backwards.

(J: 6,000) - - - - - - - - - - (D: 5,300)

“Joan’s not doing half bad,” said Erik.

“But if this self-milling keeps up,” replied Sam, “she might deck herself out.”

“Don’t worry, children,” said Joan. “My deck had forty-five cards to start with. It makes up for that problem.”

“Who are these Lightsworn, anyway?” asked Ren. “Some army of defenders for the Higher Plane?”

“No,” chuckled Joan, taking a card from her hand. “The Lightsworn are indeed an army of the Higher Plane, but they specialize in offensive tactics. They’ve stormed Pandemonium more times than you can count, and most evil races fear their coming.

“To end my turn, I’ll play Pot of Avarice.”

She played the Spell Card, and five cards slipped out of her discard slot. She shuffled them into her deck, and drew twice.

“Makes sense that she would have that,” said Erik.

“My move,” said Demise, drawing a card.

The Dangerous Machine whirred again, and electricity flashed. It landed on the four.

“That means I get to draw again,” said Joan, drawing.

“Fine!” shouted Demise. “At this rate, I will deck you out!

“I summon the avatar of the Spirit whom we have to thank for providing me with this deck… Brron, Mad King of Dark World!”

In a burst of shadowy flames, Brron appeared. However, he was fast asleep, and still restrained by his straitjacket.

“WAKE UP!” shouted Demise.

Brron shook his head, and came to.

“Eh?” he said. “Demise? I was having the best dream… Heh, and you were in it too!”

“Spare me the details, Brron,” said Demise. “You’re still asleep. But I’ve transported your dream self here. And you’re going to help me finish off Joan.”

Brron looked at Joan and her two Lightsworn.

“Eh, I have no idea what’s going on…” said the Mad King. “But if you say so…”

He flexed his muscles, and ripped out of the straitjacket. (1,800/400)

“Next,” continued Demise, as a Spell Card appeared on the field, “I’ll activate Shrink, to cut your Angel down to size.”

Celestia glowed with a dark aura, and her Attack Score fell to 1,250.

“Attack!” shouted Demise. “Lunatic lunge!”

The Mad King let out an insane laugh, and threw himself at Celestia. With one swipe of his claw, she exploded into globules of light. Joan cringed a little.

“Now I activate Brron’s effect,” continued Demise. “When he dishes out damage, I get to toss one of my cards…”

He discarded one of his remaining two cards.

“And since the card I discarded was Goldd, Wu-Lord of Dark World, he’s summoned to the field.”

In another burst of shadow, another demon appeared. He looked similar to Sillva, except that his armor was – naturally – gold, and he held a battle axe. (2,300/1,400)

“I get to draw once due to Card of Safe Return,” said Demise, drawing a card, “and my Battle Phase continues. Goldd, attack Wulf with dark gold rush!”

The Wu-Lord slammed his axe down, and a blast of gold energy blasted towards the Beast-Warrior. Wulf howled, and then shattered.

(J: 5,350) - - - - - - - - - - (D: 5,300)

“The scores are almost even,” chuckled Demise. “I’ll set this facedown, and take a break.”

He played his last card, and a facedown card appeared.

“Come on, Joan!” shouted Ren. “Show this ugly freak!”

“Who’s ugly?” said Brron, turning to him.

“Not you, I meant Demise,” replied Ren. “But yeah, you’re pretty ugly too.”

Joan drew a card.

“I play Solar Recharge!” she exclaimed, as a Spell Card appeared.

A bright light flashed above her head.

“First, I discard one Lightsworn Monster from my hand…”

She discarded Ehren, Lightsworn Monk.

“Then I get to draw twice…”

She made two draws.

“And then, I send the next two cards on my deck to the Graveyard…”

She discarded two more cards from her deck.

“Another lamp in my Realm is lit…

“Then, I summon Lumina, Lightsworn Summoner.”

In another flash of light, a new Lightsworn appeared. It was a young woman with short, blond hair and richly tanned skin, dressed in a white halter top and skirt combination, with a tiara on her head. (1,000/1,000) –> (1,200/1,000)

“Not the strongest I’ve seen,” chuckled Demise.

“Not bad considering that she’s Level Three,” replied Joan, “and considering her powerful effect. I discard one card…”

She discarded her copy of Exchange of the Spirits.

“…and I get to Special Summon a Lightsworn from my Graveyard, up to Level Four. I choose to summon Garoth, Lightsworn Warrior.”

A new Lightsworn appeared, and this one was definitely a male. He was a muscular Warrior, whose armor resembled a cross between that of a celestial knight and a barbarian, if such a thing were possible. His black hair was long and wild. He carried a decorated pole-axe. (1,850/1,300) –> (2,050/1,300)

“Garoth, wipe that smile off that ugly creature’s face!” shouted Joan. “Attack Brron!”

“Hey, wait a minute…” said Brron.

The Warrior made a slash with his axe, and the Mad King exploded.

“Looks like he’s going to be having nightmares,” scowled Joan. “I set one card…”

A facedown card appeared.

“Then I end my turn, and due to Lumina, I have to send three cards from my deck to the Graveyard…”

She discarded three cards.

“This activates Garoth’s effect. Whenever I discard cards due a Lightsworn’s effect, his effect requires me to discard two additional cards. Once I’ve done that, for each of them that are Lightsworns, I get to draw one card.”

She took two cards off her deck and looked at them.

“However, neither of them are Lightsworns…”

She discarded them.

“Since I discarded cards due to Lightsworns’ effects twice, my Realm gains two more lamps, and my two warriors gain more power.

Garoth grew to an Attack Score of 2,250, while Lumina grew to 1,400.

(J: 5,350) - - - - - - - - - - (D: 5,050)

Continued…

[Dark Sage]

Continued from last post:



“Is anyone keeping track?” asked Chelsea. “How many cards does Joan have left in her deck?”

“Well, if she did indeed start with forty-five cards…” said Yumi. “I believe… Nineteen. She’s going through her deck fast, but she can still manage it. I think she has yet to summon her ace.”

“How do we know her ace isn’t in her Graveyard?” asked Erik. “She might have discarded it.”

“She likely has Monster Reincarnation,” replied Sam. “In fact, I’d wager she has three copies of it.”

Demise drew a card. The Dangerous Machine started to whir again. It started to spark and shudder. Finally, it landed on the one.

“HA!” laughed Ren. “Now you have to discard a card in your hand!”

“Actually,” said Demise, “doing so would be my pleasure.”

“Huh?” said Ren.

“Because,” replied Demise, “the only card in my hand is my second copy of Beiige.”

He discarded it.

“And when he’s discarded, he’s summoned to the field.”

Beiige appeared in a burst of shadow. (1,600/1,300)

“And best of all, I get one draw, due to Card of Safe Return.”

He drew a card.

“That’s why he played Dangerous Machine in the first place!” shouted Yumi. “Dangerous Machine Type-6 has six outcomes, but the only one that’s truly debilitating to the user is the one result.

“But with a Dark World Deck, even the one result can become a benefit!”

“Now, I’ll play my own Pot of Avarice,” continued Demise, as he played the card.

He played the card, and Zure, Gren, Broww, Sillva, and his first Beiige slipped out of his discard slot. He reshuffled them into his deck, and drew twice.

“Now to clean up,” he said. “Beiige, attack Lumina!”

Beiige charged, and speared the Lightsworn Summoner in the naval. She gave a cry and shattered.

“Goldd, destroy her Warrior!”

Goldd slammed his axe down, and the dark gold rush blasted towards Garoth. He exploded into triangles.

“It’s your move…” he said, crossing his arms.

(J: 5,100) - - - - - - - - - - (D: 5,050)

Joan drew a card.

“It’s time to show you just what this self-milling effect can accomplish,” she said. “I activate my Trap Card…”

Her facedown card lifted.

“Glorious Illusion. This Trap lets me raise one Lightsworn from my Graveyard, so long as I send two cards to the Graveyard for each round that it remains on the field.”

Jain appeared in a burst of light. (1,800/1,200) –> (2,200/1,200)

“But that won’t be happening, because Jain won’t be staying. I sacrifice her…”

Jain smiled broadly before she vanished into motes of light…

“…to summon Gragonith, Lightsworn Dragon!”

The Dragon that appeared was smaller than most Dragons, but also more beautiful than most. It was covered with a coat of pure, white fur, had white, feathered wings, and a mane of shining, golden hair. It was covered with the same gold trim as all the Lightsworns before it. (2,000/1,600)

“I’ve seen stronger Level Six Monsters,” chuckled Demise.

“Fool,” said Joan. “Gragonith can be one of the mightiest of the Lightsworns if used at the right time. For each Lightsworn with a different name now resting in my Graveyard, Gragonith gains 300 Attack Points. And due to the discarding effects of every Lightsworn that has come before him, nine different Lightsworn now reside there.”

(4,700/1,600)

“It’s a celestial Shadow Ghoul!” shouted Ren.

“Don’t forget…” replied Joan. “He gains 400 more Attack Points from my Field Spell…”

(5,100/1,600)

“Fifty-one hundred…” gasped Demise.

“And by the way…” added Joan. “Defending is pointless against Gragonith, because he inflicts battle damage via attacking Monsters in Defense Mode.”

“I think we’ve found her ace!” laughed Erik.

“Gragonith…” exclaimed Joan, “attack Beiige with radiant burning beam!”

The Lightsworn Dragon blasted a bolt of pure, burning light from its jaws, striking the Vanguard of Darkworld and eradicating him in an explosion that threw the King of Armageddon off his feet. Yumi and her friends cheered.

(J: 5,100) - - - - - - - - - - (D: 1,650)

“I end my turn,” said Joan, “and due to Gragonith, I send three cards from my deck to my Graveyard…”

She discarded three cards.

“And my Field Spell gains another lamp, so Gragonith becomes even stronger…”

(5,200/1,600)

“And to think we were worried,” laughed Chelsea. “Joan is kicking some serious A!”

Demise angrily drew a card.

The Dangerous Machine started to glow, spark, and shudder again. Then it landed on the six.

“Looks like your Machine is about to go boom,” laughed Ren, as the Dangerous Machine started to sizzle and smoke.

“I activate Emergency Provisions!” shouted Demise, as his facedown card lifted. “I’ll sacrifice it before that happens!”

The Dangerous Machine vanished into grains of light.

“I set two cards facedown and end my turn!” he said, as two facedown cards appeared. “Do your worst!”

(J: 5,100) - - - - - - - - - - (D: 2,650)

“Your wish is my command,” said Joan, as she drew a card. “Sorry, Demise, but your Traps are about to become worthless…

“I play the Spell Card, Cold Wave!”

“Yeah!” shouted Ren. “Joan is gonna win!”

“No she isn’t…” chuckled Demise. “I was hoping she’d do that…”

One of his facedown cards lifted.

“In response to your Cold Wave, I activate Dark Deal!”

“NO!” screamed Sam.

Everyone looked at her.

“What does that do?” asked Erik.

“Something bad…” gasped Sam.

“I’ll tell you what it does…” chuckled Demise. “I give up 1,000 Life Points. Then, Joan’s Cold Wave’s effect is negated, and then changed, given a new effect. Now, its effect causes her to select a card from my hand at random, and discard it.”

Joan’s eyes narrowed.

“You only have one card in your hand!” she growled.

“Well…” chuckled Demise. “Then I guess you’re stuck with this one…”

He discarded the card, and a bonfire of pitch-black flames and choking smoke erupted on Demise’s side of the field.

“It can’t be…” gasped Sam.

“Oh, but it is…” laughed Demise. “The avatar of the true ruler of Dark World, the only aspect of the legendary Colorless left in existence…

“I summon Reign-Beaux, Overlord of Dark World!”

From out of the inferno, the diabolic Overlord appeared. He was seven feet tall, and muscular, with a skull-like face with ram’s horns. Four colored gemstones were embedded in his chest, and vast, fiendish wings sprouted from his back. He held a long sasumata with a golden blade. (2,500/1,800)

“I get to draw once due to Card of Safe Return,” said Demise, drawing a card, “and since he was summoned by your card’s effect, his own effect activates. I can either destroy all your Monsters, or all your Spell and Trap Cards.

“I think I’ll destroy… Your Monsters.”

A wave of black fire shot towards Joan’s side of the field, and Gragonith roared. The Dragon was blown to shards.

“No…” gasped Yumi.

“It’s still my move, demon!” shouted Joan.

She played a card, and a defensive Monster appeared facedown.

“That will do,” she said.

(J: 5,100) - - - - - - - - - - (D: 1,650)

Demise made a draw.

“Now let’s have some fun…” he said. “I summon Broww, Huntsman of Dark World.”

In another burst of energy, a new Fiend appeared. This one had the same bone armor and a fur cloak, and had two arms, one normal-sized and the other ogre-sized. He carried a box and arrow. (1,400/800)

“Goldd, destroy her last Monster.”

Goldd slammed his axe down, and the gold rush blasted towards the facedown card. An old man in priestly vestments holding a leather-bound tome appeared kneeling on the card, and was blown to pieces.

“So much for Aurkus…” muttered Joan.

“Broww, attack her directly!” ordered Demise. “Black arrow!”

Broww aimed his bow and fired, striking Joan in the chest. Joan flinched a little and held the wound.

“Now, attack, my Reign-Beaux!” shouted Demise. “Wave of destruction!”

The Overlord twirled his sasumata and fired a burning bolt of black energy, hitting Joan dead center. For the first time, Joan screamed…

She fell to her knees…

(J: 1,200) - - - - - - - - - - (D: 1,650)

“Why don’t you just stay down?” asked Demise. “Your best Monster has been crushed, and mine is still standing strong.”

“Don’t listen to him, Joan!” shouted Ren.

“I don’t intend to…” muttered Joan.

Sweat was falling down her face, but she slowly stood up.

“Anything else?” she asked.

“Oh, you are a plucky one…” chuckled Demise.

He placed a card in his Disk and a facedown card appeared.

“Now I’m done…”

Joan drew a card from her deck, which was now definitely starting to thin.

“I play a second Pot of Avarice,” she said, playing the card.

“You’re allowed to have two copies of that?” asked Erik.

“I think you’re allowed to have three,” replied Yumi. “No one is dumb enough to waste space in a deck with multiple copies… But with a deck like Joan’s it makes perfect sense.”

Five cards slipped out of Joan’s Graveyard. She shuffled them into her deck, and then drew twice.

“All right, demon,” she said. “I play the Spell Card, Charge of the Light Brigade!”

“Charge of the Light Brigade?” chuckled Demise. “If I remember human history correctly, that was the name of a British cavalry charge during the Crimean War… One that ended in disaster.”

“And I suppose you’re an expert on events that led to massacres, Demise?” asked Joan. “This Spell Card will lead me to something that its reckless namesake could never have achieved… Victory.

“It works as follows. First, I send three cards from my deck to the Graveyard.”

She discarded three cards.

“Once I’ve done that, this Spell Card works just like Reinforcement of the Army for Lightsworns, letting me search for one that’s Level Four or lower. My deck may have only thirteen cards left, but I’m relatively certain that the one I need is there!”

She looked at the remaining cards in her deck.

“And it is!” she said, taking a card. “I’ll set it in Defense Mode!”

A facedown Monster appeared.

“I throw down a facedown card, and end my turn,” she said, as a single facedown card appeared. “This duel is not over yet!”

“No, but it might as well be,” chuckled Demise, drawing a card.

Hmm, Nightmare Wheel… he thought, looking at it. Could come in handy…

One of his facedown cards lifted.

“I activate The Forces of Darkness,” he said. “Now, I get back two Dark World Monsters from my Graveyard.”

Two cards slipped out of his discard slot.

“Now I’ll summon one. You remember Brron, don’t you?”

In another burst of shadow, Brron appeared again.

“Ah, good to be back!” he cackled. (1,800/400)

“Now let’s finish this,” said Demise. “Goldd, destroy her Monster!”

Goldd slashed with his axe, and the blade of gold energy tore towards the card. A large wolf with pure white fur wearing shoulder guards and leg guards like the armor of the previous Lightsworns appeared on the card and shattered.

“That was Ryko, Lightsworn Hunter,” said Joan. “And his Flip-Effect lets me destroy any one card on the field.”

Ryko appeared again, in a spiritual form made of pure light. He pounced and tackled Reign-Beaux, knocking him over. The Overlord struggled, but one bite to the throat, and the demon shattered into triangles.

Demise stepped back in shock.

“Then,” said Joan, “I have to discard three cards from my deck…”

She discarded three cards.

Demise looked at his facedown card.

Curses… he thought. My facedown card is Gateway to Dark World… But since I already summoned this turn, I can’t use it!

Oh well… As if I really needed it…

“Brron, attack her directly!”

Brron rushed at Joan, bearing his claws.

Joan’s facedown card lifted up, and Negate Attack appeared. Brron was thrown backwards.

“Oh, I see…” muttered Demise. “You’re hanging on to dear life, stalling and hoping for a miracle. Well trust me, it isn’t going to happen!”

He looked at the Nightmare Wheel card. He fit it into his Disk, and it appeared facedown.

“Just move!”

Joan drew a card.

She looked at the Trap Card.

“I activate my Spell Card,” said Demise, as one of his facedown cards lifted. “Gateway to Dark World! Now I can bring one Dark World Monster back from my Graveyard!”

Reign-Beaux appeared in another burst of black fire. (2,500/1,800)

“So tell me, Joan,” he asked, “did you draw the miracle you were hoping for?”

“I’m a lord of the Higher Plane, Demise,” replied Joan. “I make my own miracles.”

She placed a card on her Disk.

“I summon the King of Rubble.”

In a dark shadow, an ominous-looking Monster appeared. Seated on a throne made from a chipped-away boulder that was floating in the air, he had glowing red eyes below a crown that was made of scrap metal, and was dressed in a tattered, purple robe. (0/0)

“Huh?” asked Demise.

“I know, I know,” said Joan. “You’re thinking, zero attack points. But King of Rubble has a powerful effect if summoned at the right time.

“If I have at least thirty cards in my Graveyard, and right now I have thirty-two there, I can activate a Trap Card from my hand every round.

“The Trap Card I choose to activate is… Beckoning Light.”

She threw the card in her Disk, and King of Rubble’s eyes glowed. The Trap Card appeared on her side of the field.

“Now, I toss every card in my hand…”

She discarded her two cards.

“And for each card I discarded, I get to recover a Light Attribute Monster from my Graveyard. With most of my deck there, I have much to choose from.”

Two cards slipped out of her discard slot.

Fine, thought Demise. Summon Gragonith again if you’re somehow able to. I’m prepared for it this time.

“Yumi and her friends were wrong, by the way,” said Joan, ominously. “Gragonith was never my ace card…”

“She has someone even stronger?” gasped Ren.

“How is she gonna summon it?” asked Erik. “She already made her summon for this turn…”

“And even if she could make another,” said Chelsea, “she only has one Monster to sacrifice…”

The lights of the Realm of Light all went dark.

“What’s going on?” asked Demise.

“I’m about to summon the mightiest resident of the Realm of Light…” said Joan. “The ancient guardian of this city who answers the call of the Lightsworn only in the most dire emergencies…

“He can only appear when at least four different Lightsworn are in my Graveyard, and I have more than enough… Appear before me…

“Judgment Dragon!”

A literal explosion of light erupted, and this time, it was blinding. The Dragon that appeared was no less beautiful than Gragonith, but he was far larger, and far more intimidating. He was covered with feathers that seemed to have been sculpted out of pure silver, with vast, feathered wings, and a face that reflected timeless wisdom. (3,000/2,600)

“I’m not afraid of that!” shouted Demise.

He was about to activate his facedown card…

“You will be once you hear about his effect,” said Joan. “I pay 1,000 Life Points, and he destroys every card on the field except himself.”

Demise stopped short.

“He does?” he shouted.

Judgment Dragon started to glow.

“Wait!” shouted Demise. “Stop!”

There was no stopping it. The glow continued to intensify, until it became overwhelming. King of Rubble was blown into shards of rock. Demise’s Trap Card was burned to a cinder, and the buildings around them were turned to ash. The four Dark World Fiends screamed, and then they erupted in light from the inside out. Their armor and weapons fell to the ground, smoldering, and then disintegrated. Demise himself was thrown to the ground.

“Your Dragon is nothing but a thief, Joan!” screamed Demise, looking up. “He stole that move from me!”

“Well, Demise,” said Joan, “to paraphrase one human actor, do you know what the difference is between Judgment Dragon and you? My Dragon makes it look good.

“I think I’ve proven that my skills have not slipped. And I must say, I enjoyed this more than I thought I would. If the risk wasn’t so great, I would gladly duel Daala’s forces more often. Before I end this, I have a message for Daala, whom I know is watching.

“If she wants to challenge me, she can come to this temple, and I’ll gladly let her in. But only her, and only if she first agrees to wager the Crown of Xanadu.

“Judgment Dragon… Attack directly! Ultimate divine light!”

Judgment Dragon breathed a blast of divine flames at the King of Armageddon, and he screamed in agony…

(J: 200) - - - - - - - - - - (D: 0)

The barrier holding Joan in shattered.

“Begone, demon…” she said, her eyes glowing in anger. “Go and join your beloved in the prison of Carceri…”

Demise screamed again, and then vanished in a burst of smoke and soot.

His cards fluttered to the ground like dead leaves, and then vanished.

“All right!” cheered Ren.

As Joan’s allies ran up to her, they had no idea that two Duel Spirits had been watching the duel the whole time. Through dimensional magic, they were viewing it from the Astral Plane, unseen, and unheard.

One of them was Celestia, Lightsworn Angel, and the other was Goldd, Wu-Lord of Dark World.

“That’s a shame,” said Celestial. “I suppose it was inevitable, really…”

“Ah, what are you gonna do?” asked Goldd. “It’s all Brron’s fault. Folks have a low opinion of Dark World ever since he ruled the place. Personally, I don’t even think Colorless exists.”

“I hope he doesn’t,” sighed Celestia. “You folks are having enough trouble just keeping order in that place without the citizens believing in urban legends. Besides, even if Colorless does exist, he’ll never come unless another copy of the Super Polymerization card is created.”

“And we don’t want that…” muttered Goldd.

“Indeed,” said Celestia. “One attempt was quite enough. If I were you, I’d make a deal with Ha Des.”

“We’ve considered it,” sighed Goldd, “several times. Once we’re desperate enough, we just might…”

He sighed.

“So… Wanna go for a drink?”

Celestia sighed herself.

“Fine, fine,” she said, “but we’re going to my bar. That Lower Planar ale they serve at your place could burn a hole in my armor…”

Goldd laughed.

“As if the Elysium honey mead that they serve at your place is any less strong!” he replied.

They turned and vanished.

* * * * * * * * * *

Daala was sitting at her dinner table. Skull Knight was sitting at the other end (he had been invited – usually Daala ate alone).

“So what’s the move now, milady?” asked Skull Knight. “Will you actually challenge Joan?”

“I’m considering it,” replied Daala. “It seems the only way to get rid of her at this point…”

Alexis walked up, and silently placed a tray with a bowl of soup in front of her.

“Thank you Alexis,” said Daala.

“We have other things to do tonight first,” said Daala, spooning it into her mouth, “and…”

She made a face.

“Alexis!” she said. “This is cold!”

“It’s vichyssoise, milady,” said Alexis, in a dull monotone.

“Huh?” asked Daala.

“It’s supposed to be cold,” replied Alexis, in the same monotone. (She had been brainwashed a long time ago.)

“Oh…” said Daala.

She tasted it again. She looked at her watch. It was almost eight o’clock.

“Skull Knight…” she said. “After dinner, you will escort me to a place where I have an appointment…

“I’m going back to the Core…”

Skull Knight gulped.

* * * * * * * * * *

Yumi and her friends were hugging Joan.

“Now, now, children, calm down,” she said. “We have more to do, and bigger problems,”

“We’ve secured all six Realms,” said Sam.

“Yes,” said Joan, “but still I worry. Daala’s power to manipulate Chaos is great, as proven by Slade’s cards. Industrial Illusions never created the Evil Heroes.”

She sighed.

“When Jaden Yuki was dominated by his dark side, the Supreme King, his deck was corrupted, and formed the Evil Heroes, dark parodies of his Elemental Heroes. They vanished when Jaden’s benign personality regained control.

“How Daala managed to recreate them, I have no idea.”

She waved her hand, and a trapdoor opened in the floor.

“But we still have much to do… Behold, the portal!”

The tall, crystal spire she had been working on last night rose out of the floor. It glowed with light.

“At midnight,” said Joan, “my patron will arrive from the Higher Plane, and it will draw power from all six Realms, and open a gateway that will enable my army and Freed’s army to access the Core itself!”

“So what’s the plan?” asked Yumi.

“While our rank and file troops deal with whatever army Daala has,” said Joan, “you five, along with Sheena, Jesse, Mako, Aster, Atticus, and Zane will storm Daala’s palace itself, liberate her prison, and deal with her inner circle.”

“And I’ll confront Daala herself,” added Yumi.

“Hopefully,” said Joan. “I just wish we had time to search for this Testament… But my research has failed to find its location…”

There was a ringing noise.

“A visitor?” she mused.

Yumi cautiously opened the door to the outside, and everyone looked out.

Vita was standing there, and three Mokey Mokeys were floating around her head.

“Vita?” asked Yumi.

“You want the Testament?” asked Vita. “Follow me…”



KING OF RUBBLE (Monster Card)

Card Specs

Type: Rock/Effect
Attribute: Earth
Level: 1
ATK: 0
DEF: 0

Card Description: Once per turn, if you have 30 or more cards in your Graveyard, you may activate a Trap Card from your hand.

Note: “King of Rubble” was first used by Yusei in an episode of “Yu-Gi-Oh 5D”. Creative credit goes to the writers of that episode.



Lords of Chaos

The Quandary of Dagon, Sage of the Abyss

Thanks to the Queen of Chaos, the obyrith race is truly a race in decline in the Abyss, dominated completely by the younger race of demons. However, some traces of their power still remain. Dagon is one of these traces.

An ancient demon, Dagon was a being with power over water, and considerable might. Resembling a giant cross between a sea serpent, mollusk, and shark, he could command every aspect of his ocean realm in the Abyss, causing fierce gales, storms, and even hurricanes on his whim. When the Queen rallied the obyrith lords against the Wind Dukes of Aaqa, he was one who refused her call, and he was so powerful, she decided not to raise her tentacles against him. When her armies were decimated in the sacred Vale, Dagon knew he had made a wise choice.

Today, due to his advanced age and flawless memory, Dagon is held as an oracle and seer among demons. They come to him with offerings in return for knowledge of the Abyss that only he can provide, knowledge that predates the current race. Dagon has built a mighty power base with these offerings, keeping himself secure from any attempts to strike against him by any forces of Law that threaten his kind.

Mortals too often contact Dagon, hungering for the vast knowledge of ancient times that he can tell. However, mortal conjurers must be cautious, and have wills of steel to make the attempt, because dealing with obyriths is never safe. More than one demonologist has been driven mad by trying to commune with Dagon.

There is another factor that makes Dagon invaluable to demons. Oftentimes, a demon is born, or otherwise created, that is recognized as exceptional. Usually, this happens with only a minimal amount of fanfare. However, sometimes, when an exceptional demon is born, Dagon will take notice, and send a command to the demon’s parents – or whoever was responsible for its birth – to bring it to his domain. Few demons are foolish enough to refuse.

Once there, Dagon takes one look at the young demon, and speaks to it, stating a prophesy. These words supposedly foretell an important fact about the demon’s future, and often speak of terrible situations for someone involved. No one has ever doubted Dagon’s words, for his prophesies in these situations have always come to pass eventually. How they come to him is a mystery, but like most prophesies, they must be studied and interpreted right, or they may lead to disaster…



If ever there was a good time to end a chapter, that was it.

Coming up next, we finally learn Vita’s secret. Why is this fic called “Soul of Silicon”? Prepare to find out! And Yumi is challenged in part one of a two-part test to receive the divine aid that the Testament consists of. “The Soul” is coming soon.

[Shuppet Master]

Interesting chapter, and it looks like we're going to get some answers to some mysteries.

I was going to use the Lightsworn in a one-shot, but I am a bit busy with working on a joint-fic with Mystic_Clown.

[Dueler King]

Great Job once again.

This may be a dumb question: What is a globule? You've used it a few times in this story an I can't figure it!

Anyways, great chapter once again.

[Shuppet Master]

Globule is sort of another term for drap or droplet. It basically means a blob of liquid matter of undetermined size, usually small.