Yu Gi Oh! Dark Messiah

[envoy of time]

Well despite what everyone says I thought it was an okay chapter.When I saw the unfamiliar field card I immediately thought it was Mausoleum of the Dead Emperor.I Kinda miss the rule were if you use Your partners monster as a tribute you both can use it.Dark Emissary was an interesting character,I too was expecting Dark Guardian.I look to the next chapter With great expectation.

[Dark Sage]

I spent a long time writing this chapter. It went through a LOT of revisions. And I spent a good amount of time worrying about it too.

I ended up with the longest chapter to date, and the longest duel. A major character went through a major change, and I don't know if it ever will be reversed.

Will this chapter be successful or not? Only time can tell...

[B][I]Everyone loses a duel every once in a while…

But I lost a duel to someone who really didn’t play fair. He used a counterfeit version of a Monster who can best be described as a force of pure evil. He used a powerful Card of Sin, and did who knows what else…

Let me tell you something…

No one makes a fool out of a member of the Majors family and gets away with it.

He might think his strategy is indestructible…

I think otherwise. And I’m gonna prove it.




[B][size=3]CHAPTER THIRTY-TWO



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Sunday, October 4th, 2106, 12:10 AM



Jason and Trisha rushed into the infirmary…

…and saw Sersei feeding Russell something from a bowl that looked like Jell-O.

“Hey guys…” he mumbled. “When did Sersei become a nurse?”

“Russell!” shouted Trisha. “You’re all right!”

“Yeah…” he said. “I suddenly come to, and find this crazy chick hugging and kissing me…”

Sersei sighed.

“Russell…” muttered Jason, “she helped get you back…”

As Jason started to explain it, Sersei slowly walked out the door.

She paused for a minute. A tear appeared in her eye…

“Sersei!” called Russell’s voice.

She turned and saw him.

“Uh… thank you…” he said.

She gave a small smile.

“So, uhm…” he said. “You want to do something on Friday after class?”

“Uh… Sure…” she said, nervously.

“I’ll call you…” he said.

And then he took her face in his hands, and kissed her.

Deeply.

He turned back towards his two allies, leaving her dazed and stunned.

“What happened to the bastard who did this to me?” he asked, angrily.

“Russell, don’t even think about it!” snapped Trisha. “We’ll deal with the Puppeteer when we’re prepared!”

“Right,” said Jason. “Now we’d all better get some sleep…”



[B]* * * * * * * * * *


In his dorm room, Russell found it hard to sleep. He simply stared at the ceiling, while very unpleasant thoughts passed through his mind.

Anger predominated his mind… It turned into rage…

At around three in the morning, he slammed his fist into his mattress.

He turned on his light. He picked up a piece of paper on his bedside table – the excuse note that Dr. Artemis had written for him for tomorrow.

Then he picked up The Claw of Hermos that was right next to it.

He got up, and took his blazer off his chair. He looked in the pocket…

There it was… That Mysterious Puppeteer card that the Puppeteer of Death had tossed to them before he had made his entrance. Russell still wasn’t sure why he had pocketed it rather than just throwing it aside. Maybe he just couldn’t bring himself to throw away a Warrior Monster. A dumb-looking Warrior, but still a Warrior.

He walked to his computer. He turned it on and placed the Monster Card next to the mouse.

He gripped the mouse, and clicked on the folder that said “Old Projects”. Then he clicked on the file that said “Freshman Final Paper”.

An essay with a list came on the screen – a decklist. He rubbed his chin.

“Prepared, huh?” he muttered. “Being prepared might be a good idea…”

He started making adjustments to the list, deleting some cards and replacing them with others.

The last one he added, under Spells, was The Claw of Hermos.

He highlighted the list, and hit the Print command.

Placing the printout aside, he took the Mysterious Puppeteer and picked up a thumbtack. He tacked it to the wall over his bed.

Then he crawled back into bed and fell into a deep sleep.



[B]* * * * * * * * * *


At ten AM on weekdays, the Card Shack on campus didn’t have many customers. Most students had classes.

That’s what Vicky – the owner – liked about this part of the day. The place had a television behind the counter, and she was free to watch her soaps. And since deliveries came on Wednesdays, she was certain she’d be undisturbed until classes broke for lunch.

She was a little surprised when Russell walked in.

“Oh, hi Russell!” she said nervously, changing the channel. “I was just watching… uh, the news.”

“Sure Vicky…” sighed Russell.

He whispered to her:

“Don’t worry, my mom watches them too, although I think it’s only to drive my dad nuts…”

“So, what can I do for you?” she asked, blushing.

Russell handed her a sheet of paper.

“I need some specific cards,” he said. “I don’t care how much they cost.”

Vicky looked at the list.

“Uh huh…” she said. “Uh huh… Well, most of these are easy, but this one…”

She scratched her chin…

“This one I’m going to have to order, Russell,” she said. “And it might take a few weeks.”

“Weeks?” he asked, clearly disappointed.

“Well, it’s not exactly a common card…” she said with a sigh.

“Well, give me the rest of what’s on this list…” he said, taking out his credit card.

Fortunately, he thought, this is a trading card game, emphasis on the word “trade”…



[B]* * * * * * * * * *


At lunch, he was talking to Sean Kishore.

Sean looked at the Spell Card he was holding.

“Well, Russell,” he said. “I’ll admit, I never actually use this… it’s not like I ever need to…

“But it’s a very rare card, and I can’t trade it for just anything…”

“Well,” said Russell. “I happen to have something that any Fire Duelist would envy…”

He held a card up.

“The Sacred Phoenix of Nephthys?” said Sean in shock. “That’s like…”

“Super rare…” said Russell. “And if it will cement the deal…”

He placed another Monster Card on the table – The Hand of Nephthys.

“She may not truly be a Fire Monster,” he added, “but she’ll make summoning the big guy incredibly easy.”

“I think I’m getting more out of this than you are,” said Sean.

“Let’s just say that it’s vital that I have that card,” said Russell, somberly. “As for the Phoenix and the Hand, I don’t need them, I don’t want them, so I’ll trade them.”

“Well, okay…” muttered Sean, “but just what are you going to use this for?”

They swapped cards.

“I mean, it isn’t like you’re going to duel someone who’s packing… Obelisk the Tormentor…”

“Not Obelisk…” said Russell, getting up. “His evil twin…”

Sean looked confused as Russell left.



[B]* * * * * * * * * *


Russell sat at his computer and logged onto the internet.

Then he paused. He looked at the school-issue Ra Yellow blazer he was wearing. He frowned.

He got up and removed it.

“Dumb yellow jacket…” he muttered. “I look like Dick Tracy wearing it!”

He tossed it in with the dirty laundry, and then went to his closet.

He took a long, black trenchcoat off of a hanger.

He nodded, and then put it on.

Then he sat back at the computer.

He typed in the command to send an e-mail. Then he typed in the address, “Puppeteer2B”.

He typed in the following message:


To the Puppeteer of Death:

I’m not through with you by a long shot. And your counterfeiting job sucks wastewater. I’ve taken direct attacks from a Queen’s Double that hurt worse.

And your costume is stupid too.

I’ll meet you for a rematch on the top of the Freedom Tower. Unless everyone in your organization are a bunch of cowards, you’ll be there.

- Russell


He clicked Send.

He took the deck of cards next to him, and gave it a thorough shuffle. Then he strapped a belt around his waist, and placed the deck into a holder.

He strapped his Disk on his arm.

Then he took his pocket knife out of his back pocket, and flicked open the largest blade. He looked at the Mysterious Puppeteer on the wall.

With a violent throw, he hurled the knife, and it impaled the card.

“Once more… with feeling…” he muttered, clenching his fist.



[B]* * * * * * * * * *


“Russell? Russell?”

Trisha knocked on the door to his room.

“He’s got to be in there…” said Jason.

He took a credit card out of his wallet.

“Hate to do this Russell, but you’ve been acting distant all day…”

He jimmied the lock open.

They opened the door, and to their regret, he wasn’t there.

Jason looked and saw the card on the wall, with a knife through it.

“Not a good sign…” he said.

“The computer’s on…” said Trisha.

Jason looked at it.

He took the mouse, and clicked on “Old Messages”.

“Nothing here…” he said, looking them over.

He clicked on “Sent Messages”.

“Oh… no…” he muttered, as the list came on.

His hand shook, as he clicked on the last one.

“Trisha…” said Jason. “Pray that we aren’t too late…”



[B]* * * * * * * * * *


New York was a city that, in its history, had changed its skyline a few times…

For the longest time, the Empire State Building was the tallest building in the city. This structure was the symbol of New York, so much that the state itself was called The Empire State.

But eventually, the Empire State Building had to place second, when the even grander World Trade Center towers were built. For years, these two monoliths became a new symbol of the grandeur of New York.

But one horrible day, that would forevermore be known simply as 9/11, a vicious terrorist attack struck at the very heart of the city, and toppled the World Trade Center. It was the darkest day in the city’s history…

But New Yorkers were resourceful. They coped… they moved on… they survived… And reluctantly and by default, the Empire State Building took back its role as the tallest building in the city… For a while, that is…

To prove that their spirit could not be killed, New York eventually erected a new complex even bigger than the World Trade Center on the demolished towers’ site, and named it the Freedom Towers. Proof of triumph of good over evil… light over darkness.

Russell stood on the open-air observation deck as the sun went down, and looked over the city…

Could light triumph over darkness again? He hoped so… That’s why he had picked this spot.

Clouds started to gather, covering the sky…

Russell took a small object out of his pocket – a toothpick. He bit down on the end of it…

“Not a very fast learner, are you?” said a voice.

Russell didn’t turn around. He knew who was there. He didn’t respond at first.

“Nice coat,” said the Puppeteer. “Why the sudden change?”

“That’s on a need to know basis,” growled Russell. “And you don’t need to know.”

He paused.

“I couldn’t just let you alone,” he continued. “For all I knew, you could be working on copies of Uria and Hamon, and we can’t have that…”

He turned to face the Puppeteer.

“So let’s make a deal, Puppeteer of Death,” he said. “I’m willing to ante my rarest card against yours. In other words, my Claw of Hermos, against your false Sacred Beast…

“The winner gets to take it from the loser’s cold, soulless hand!”

“It’s a bet!” snapped the Puppeteer. “And this time, I’ll finish you off once and for all!”

“Don’t count on it,” said Russell. “I’m going to finish what Yugi started in Duelist Kingdom, and send your sorry ass to Hell… Your boss is going to realize that sending you here tonight was a mistake.”

Under his mask, the Puppeteer grinned.

If only he knew, thought the specter, the Master doesn’t even know I’m here. I snuck away to face him. Once I regain Russell with Hermos to boot, I’ll finally be at the top of the organization.

They heard a “ding”, and the elevator opened.

Jason and Trisha rushed out. Trisha gasped for breath.

Well… thought the Puppeteer, this is REALLY my lucky day…

“Russell,” stammered Trisha, “pardon me for being so blunt… But are you frickin’ CRAZY?”

“Russell, after all that Sersei, Trisha, and I did to save you…” said Jason, “you’re going to duel him again? We’re not going to let you!”

“Oh, but he will,” said the Puppeteer. “And once I’m done with him, you two are next! None of you are leaving this time!”

“Guys…” said Russell. “We’ve been friends for a long time. So please don’t take this the wrong way…

“Mind your own business.”

They looked shocked.

“I told Cassius when I dueled him that no-one tells me what to do, and that means everyone, including you two. I don’t need advisors or guardian angels.

“I take orders from one person… me.”

He loaded his deck into his Disk.

“Besides… If it will make you feel better, I’m using my Freshman Final Project…”

“But Russell…” protested Trisha.

“Wait…” said Jason.

He paused.

“Russell…” he slowly said. “We won’t stop you. Show this costumed bastard how it’s done…”

“Jason he…” said Trisha.

“What the heck is wrong with my costume?” asked the Puppeteer, angrily. “I’m not the one who looks like Bogart!”

“Let him duel…” said Jason, ignoring the comment.

Russell and the Puppeteer stared at each other…

The Disks activated…

“Ready… battle!” shouted Russell.

Lightning flashed…



[B](Russell: 8,000) (Puppeteer of Death: 8,000)


They both drew the top five cards off their decks. Russell paused, and moved his tongue, slowly moving the toothpick from the right side of his mouth to the left.

“I insist…” he said, “make the first move…”

“You’re too kind…” said the Puppeteer, drawing a sixth card.

Under his mask, he grinned as he looked at his first hand.

There, he thought. Both Raviel and the Seal in my opening hand. Lucky me…

Of course, it wasn’t really luck…

That upstart brother of Trisha thought he was a big deal because he knew how to trick shuffle so that all the good cards in his opponent’s deck wound up at the bottom…

But I know a better way to trick shuffle, and make sure that the best cards in MY deck wind up on TOP every time.

There was never any doubt… After all, I hold the key to the Master’s success in my hands. I’ll never give any of my opponents a snowball’s chance of beating me.

He flicked his Field Slot open.

“I play… The Seal of Orichalcos!” he shouted.

Lightning flashed again, as the cursed Seal formed.

“Surprise, surprise…” said Russell.

“You’re calm now, but that will soon change,” said the Puppeteer. “I place one card facedown…”

He set a card, and it appeared.

“Next, I summon Kuriboh.”

He played a card, and the tiny Fiend appeared.



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“Then, I play the Spell Card known as Multiply,” he continued, playing another card. “By sacrificing Kuriboh, this lets me create a Kuriboh Token in Defense Mode on every available space. And since I’m playing the Seal, that means I get nine of them.”

Kuriboh vanished, and then nine Kuribohs appeared, five in the front, and four in the back! (300/200 x9) –> (800/200 x9)

“Kuri! Kuri!” they squeaked.

“Why did he do that?” asked Trisha. “Those Tokens can’t be sacrificed…”

“Heh, heh,” laughed the Puppeteer. “That’s only true for a Tribute Summon. Raviel is always a Special Summon. And when a Monster is Special Summoned by sacrificing Monsters, a Monster that normally can’t be used as a sacrifice will do the job just fine.

“For example, if I played Scapegoat and turned those tokens into Fiends using DNA Surgery, they’d work too.

“But anyway… I end my turn…”

Russell drew a card.

Since I didn’t summon Raviel right away, thought the Puppeteer, I might fool him into thinking I haven’t drawn him yet.

Russell placed a card in his Disk.

“I place one card facedown,” he said.

A facedown card appeared.

“And then I summon… Queen’s Knight!”

He played the card, and the beautiful female knight appeared. (1,500/1,600)



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“Take out one of his Kuribohs!” he shouted.

Queen’s Knight frowned.

She gave one of the little Fiends a kick, and it blew into a burst of fluff.

“I’ll end my turn there…” he said, staring at his foe.

The Puppeteer drew a card.

It ends now… he thought. First I’ll summon Raviel… Then I’ll use his ability to absorb one token, bringing his Attack Score to… 5,300. Next, I’ll crush his Queen, bringing his Life Points down to 4,200…

And finally, I’ll activate my facedown Trap, Ring of Destruction, using it on Raviel. Raviel will be destroyed, of course, but he’ll lose 5,300 more Life Points, and this duel will be over.

“I sacrifice three of my Kuriboh Tokens to summon Raviel, Lord of Phantasms!” he shouted.

Lightning flashed again, and three of the Kuribohs vanished…



Continued…

[Dark Sage]

Continued from last post:



The gigantic Lord of Phantasms arose, and roared! (4,000/4,000) –> (4,500/4,000)



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“Now, Raviel, absorb the power of another Kuriboh,” he commanded.

Raviel’s claw grabbed one of the Kuribohs, and the Beast glowed, growing to 5,300 Attack.

“Ready or not, Russell, here it comes,” he said. “Raviel… attack Queen’s Knight. Shivering scraper.”

“I can’t watch…” muttered Trisha, closing her eyes.

Raviel closed in on Queen’s Knight with its gargantuan claw…

“Sorry, pal…” said Russell with a grin, “but I was ready! I activate… Magic Cylinder!”

His Trap Card lifted.

“It throws your shivering scraper in reverse! So enjoy the 5,300 points of damage that are going to pound into you!”

A wave of energy pushed Raviel back, and the Puppeteer screamed as he was hit by a tremendous backlash! He flew against the wall of the Seal with an audible splat!



[B](R: 8,000) (P: 2,700)


“You can look now…” said Jason with a grin.

The Puppeteer gasped for breath… His eyes bugged out of his head…

“Hurts, doesn’t it?” asked Russell with a smile. “Good.”

He was expecting that all along! thought the Puppeteer, in panic. If I activate Ring of Destruction on Raviel now, I’ll lose!

He got up.

I could use it on his Queen’s Knight…

No! I can’t afford to lose any more Life Points! I have to get rid of it…

“To end my turn…” he muttered, “I’ll play Emergency Provisions…”

He played the card, and the Trap Card was consumed.

“Ring of Destruction?” asked Russell. “Looks like your big plan was a big flop…”

Good thing this is Raviel’s twin and NOT Uria’s, thought Jason.

“I still have Raviel,” muttered the Puppeteer.

“Not for long…” said Russell.



[B](R: 8,000) (P: 3,700)


He drew a card.

“You’ve lost more than half your Life Points in one turn,” he said. “And now your strategy is going to come tumbling down.

“I play… Reinforcement of the Army, to bring King’s Knight to my hand…”

He got the card from his deck.

“Now I’ll summon King’s Knight…”

King’s Knight appeared. (1,600/1,500)

“And I’ll follow with Jack’s Knight!”

Jack’s Knight appeared next to him. (1,900/1,000)



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The three Knights glared angrily at Raviel. Lightning flashed again…

“What are they going to do, stab it in the foot?” asked the Puppeteer. “And don’t forget, since you Normal Summoned a Monster, I get to create one Phantasm Token.”

A mini-Raviel appeared next to the real one. (1,000/1,000) –> (1,500/1,000)

“I’m so scared,” said Russell, sarcastically. “As for what they’re going to do, they’re going to destroy Raviel.”

“I’d like to see them try it,” answered the Puppeteer.

Russell chose a card from his hand.

Thanks for the card, Sean… he thought.

“I play… Brave Attack!” he shouted, playing the Spell Card.

Lightning flashed.

“What does that do?” asked Trisha.

“Glad you asked, Trisha,” said Russell. “Queen’s Knight, attack!”

Queen’s Knight leapt up, and slammed her sword into Raviel’s chest! The great Beast cringed…

Queen’s Knight fell to the ground in pain and slumped over. She shattered into pieces…

“So much for her…” chuckled the Puppeteer.

“I’m not half done!” answered Russell. “King’s Knight, attack!”

King’s Knight leapt up, just as Queen’s Knight did, and slashed at Raviel with his blade!

He fell to the ground and fell to his knees. He dropped his sword, and then shattered.

“Heh,” laughed the Puppeteer. “This is pathetic. Your attempts can’t hurt my Beast.”

“Take another look…” said Russell. “If you ask me, it seems to be in a LOT of hurt.”

The Puppeteer looked up.

“Huh?” he said.

The Lord of Phantasms clearly was in pain. It was clutching its chest, and smoke was pouring from two deep wounds…

“What’s happening?” shouted the Puppeteer.

“That’s the magic of Brave Attack,” said Russell. “My Knights won’t survive this assault, but the Spell Card lets them attack as a team, adding their Attack Scores together for one powerful assault.

“So, Queen Knight’s 1,500 Attack, plus King Knight’s 1,600, plus Jack Knight’s 1,900…”

“That’s five-thousand…” gulped the Puppeteer, turning pale.

“Congratulations, you can add,” answered Russell. “And that’s more than enough to take down your Sacred Beast. Jack’s Knight, finish it off!”

Jack’s Knight glowed with blue fire. He leapt up, and slashed at Raviel with his sword…

Raviel groaned, and an unearthly moan echoed all over the building. Cracks appeared all over its hide…

Then it shattered into bits.

Jack’s Knight fell on one knee, and bowed his head… Then he shattered too.



[B](R: 8,000) (P: 3,200)


Jason and Trisha started to cheer…

“It’s your move…” said Russell.

“Well…” said the Puppeteer, drawing a card. “It seems you were able to form a bit of a strategy this time… No matter…”

He played a card.

“I play… Card of Sanctity…”

“Figures…” said Russell.

He drew three cards, and his opponent drew five.

“Next, I’ll pad my points,” said the Puppeteer. “I’ll sacrifice my four Kuriboh Tokens and my one Phantasm Token by playing Token Thanksgiving.”

He played the Spell Card, and all the Fiends on his side of the field vanished.

“And for each, I gain 800 Life Points…”



[B](R: 8,000) (P: 7,200)


“Next, I’ll summon Newdoria in Defense Mode, and end my turn.”

A thing, lanky, gangly Fiend in an outfit studded with spikes appeared. It crouched in Defense. (1,200/800) –> (1,700/800)



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Russell drew.

He actually thinks I don’t know Newdoria’s effect? he thought. I’m not stupid…

“I place two cards facedown, and that will do,” he said, playing the cards.

Two facedown cards appeared.

“No Monsters at all?” screamed Trisha, in shock. “He’s crazy!”

The Puppeteer drew a card.

Well… he thought. I just drew one of my Giant Germs…

“I place one Monster in Defense Mode…” he said.

A facedown Monster appeared.

“And I’ll move Newdoria into Attack Mode.”

Newdoria rose up.

“Attack Russell directly,” ordered the Puppeteer.

Newdoria lunged forward and slashed at Russell with its claw. Russell’s teeth clamped on the toothpick.

He grinned.

A low rumble of thunder groaned, and the first drops of rain started to fall. Apparently, the Seal of Orichalcos, while powerful, was no match for the power of Mother Nature… The raindrops fell through the Seal’s dome, not hindered in the least.

“You know…” said Russell, oblivious to the rain, “after taking a hit from Raviel, that barely hurt at all…

“And you made a mistake there pal. It won’t be the last.”



[B](R: 6,300) (P: 7,200)


“My move…” he said.

He drew a card.

“I summon Warrior Dai Grepher in Attack Mode.”

Grepher appeared, holding his powerful broadsword. (1,700/1,600)



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“Oh…” said Jason. “Now I get it…”

“Grepher…” said Russell. “Attack Newdoria!”

The two Monsters charged at each other! Newdoria slashed at Grepher with his claw; Grepher slashed at Newdoria with his sword…

Both Monsters burst into pixels.

“Why’d he do that?” asked Trisha.

“When Newdoria is destroyed in battle, one Monster on the field is destroyed,” said Jason. “And the effect is not optional. So by kamikazeing Grepher against it, its effect will destroy the Puppeteer’s other Monster!”

Giant Germ appeared on the facedown card, and then a misty claw reached towards it and grabbed it, pulling it into the afterlife.

“And I’m not done…” said Russell. “I activate Call of the Haunted…”

One of his facedown cards lifted.

Jack’s Knight reappeared. (1,900/1,000)

“…and my Battle Phase continues, so now I’m able to attack you, pal. Jack’s Knight, attack the Puppeteer directly with knave’s blade!”

A furious thunderbolt crashed down as Jack’s Knight leapt up, and slashed at the evil minion with his sword. The Puppeteer toppled over.



[B](R: 6,300) (P: 5,300)


“I end my turn,” said Russell.

The Puppeteer stared at him, and drew a card.

“I play Pot of Greed…” he said.

He played the card, and the evil jar appeared. He drew two cards.

“Perfect…” he said. “I play Monster Reincarnation.”

He played the card, and discarded a card. A card slipped out of his discard slot.

“So welcome back, Raviel…” he said.

“Next, I play Monster Reborn, to bring back Newdoria…”

He played the card, and Newdoria appeared again. (1,200/800) –> (1,700/800)

“Then, I’ll play… Spell Reproduction… I’ll discard two other Spell Cards…

He discarded Evil Fog and Fiend’s Sanctuary.

“…to play Monster Reborn again.”

He played the card, and the ankh appeared again. Kuriboh appeared. (300/200) –> (800/200)

“And then… I’ll summon Gil Garth.”

He played another card, and the metal Fiend with his huge scimitar appeared. (1,800/1,200) –> (2,300/1,200)



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“And finally,” he continued. “I sacrifice my three Fiends to summon Raviel yet again.”

The three Fiends were consumed, and the Lord of Phantasms arose once more. (4,000/4,000) –> (4,500/4,000)

A roar echoed over the city…

“Not again…” muttered Trisha.

“So you see?” said the Puppeteer. “You’re right back where you started…

“Raviel, crush his Jack’s Knight!”

Raviel lunged forward…

“Activate… Ready For Intercepting!” shouted Russell.

His Trap Card lifted, and Jack’s Knight transformed into a facedown card. Raviel’s claw smashed down, flattening him.

The Puppeteer growled.

“It’s your move…” he said.

Russell drew a card.

“I place a Monster in Defense Mode,” he said.

A facedown Monster appeared.

“That’s all for my move,” he said. “And you had to use up every card in your hand to summon Raviel that time. I doubt you can do much to hurt me.”

“We’ll see,” said the Puppeteer.

He drew a card.

The rain turned from drizzle to driving pour as he looked at it…

Even though he was wearing a mask over his mouth, it was clear he was frowning.

“Raviel, attack!” he ordered.

Raviel lunged forward. Big Shield Gardna appeared on the card, and was smashed.

“Guess your Big Shield just wasn’t big enough,” said the Puppeteer. “Your move…”

Russell drew.

“Time for my Plan B…” he said.

“Plan B?” gasped the Puppeteer.

Russell took a card.

“There’s a story behind my next Monster…” he said, as thunder rolled. “As you know, Freed the Matchless General is a general, but no one in an army ever starts out as a general. Even Freed started small. Before he became an officer in charge of a regiment, he was just a soldier, a good soldier, and he was known as Freed the Brave Wanderer.

“And now I summon Freed as he was when he was young… Freed the Brave Wanderer, rise up in Attack Mode!”

A beam of light pierced the clouds, and the rain halted for an instant, as a figure appeared in a flash. The Warrior who appeared looked a lot like Freed, only younger, and a bit more radiant.

He glared at Raviel as rain bounced off his armor. (1,700/1,200)



http://www.ideal808.com/images/ioc-0141.jpg


“Pathetic,” said the Puppeteer. “Here comes another Phantasm Token…”

Another token appeared. (1,000/1,000) –> (1,500/1,000)

“And just how is he going to stand up to Raviel? He isn’t even as strong as the real Freed.”

“Maybe you should do some research,” said Russell. “I’m activating Freed’s effect. By removing two Light Attribute Monsters in my Graveyard from play…”

Queen’s Knight and King’s Knight slipped out of his discard slot.

“…Freed can destroy any Monster who’s stronger than he is.”

“WHAT?” shouted the Puppeteer.

“Freed, wipe out Raviel!” ordered Russell.

Freed the Brave Wanderer swung his sword forward, and a ray of light blasted forward. Raviel groaned again, as a blinding aura of light surrounded it… The light started to seep into its hide, and it fell on one knee… It started to sizzle and smoke…

Then it fell to both knees, and was blasted into shards of rock!

The Puppeteer stared in disbelief.

“Your big, bad brute bit the dust again,” mocked Russell. “Now, Freed, show him how you got your name! Attack the token! Blade of the Brave!”

Freed leapt up, and split the Phantasm Token down the middle. It shattered.



[B](R: 6,300) (P: 5,200)


“YAY!” shouted Trisha.

“Is it beginning to sink into your dense, cobweb-filled skull yet what my Freshman Final Project was?” asked Russell. “I composed a deck that I believed could be used to defeat the Sacred Beasts. I got an A+ on the project… I never thought I’d use this deck for real, but it seems to be working…

“You saw Plan A and Plan B, and I have a Plan C and Plan D ready if Raviel comes back again…

“So why not bring it back again? I’d just love to blow it to pieces again. It’s fun.”

Okay… thought the Puppeteer, getting scared. I am NOT gonna be the one to explain to the Master how I lost the Raviel card! Oh, why didn’t I pack an escape route of my own?

He drew a card.

Yes!

“I play Pot of Avarice!” he said, playing a Spell Card. “Now I can shuffle five Monsters from my Graveyard into my deck, and then draw twice.”

Five cards fell out of his discard slot. He took them and started to shuffle. Then he made two draws.

“Nuts…” said Trisha. “Now Raviel is back in his deck…”

Actually, it’s back in my hand, thought the Puppeteer, thanks to my trick shuffling…

He played a card.

“I play the very rare card called Vase of Unholy Blight,” he said. “I remove one Dark Attribute Monster in my deck from play…”

He showed them a Giant Germ.

“Then I reshuffle again…”

He reshuffled.

“And then I draw three times!”

He drew three cards.

“Finally, I summon Dark Elf in Attack Mode.”

With a cackle, a woman best described as Mystical Elf’s evil twin, with black hair dressed in a dark dress appeared. (2,000/800) –> (2,500/800)



http://www.ideal808.com/images/mrd-113.jpg


“Huh?” asked Russell. “She’s no Fiend! And if you attack with her, she’ll cost you 1,000 Life Points.”

“Who said I had to play only Fiends?” replied the Puppeteer. “Who said I was going to attack with her? I’m using her as an offensive wall. And with 2,500 Attack Points, you only have a few Monsters in your deck that can defeat her.”

Russell paused.

Truthfully, he thought, in this version of my deck, I only have two – Gearfried the Swordmaster and Arcana Knight Joker. Most of the big guns were taken out to make room for Effect Monsters to act as giant killers.

And he left out something… If he summons Raviel again, he can sacrifice that Elf to pump up its Attack Score to 7,000!

He drew a card.

“I switch Freed to Defense Mode…” he said.

Freed knelt in Defense.

“…and place another Monster in Defense Mode.”

A facedown Monster appeared.

The Puppeteer drew a card.

“Eh… I pass for this turn…” he grunted.

Russell drew.

“I will too…” he said.

His foe drew again.


Continued…

[Dark Sage]

Continued from last post:



He fit three cards into his Disk.

“First, I place three cards facedown,” he said.

They appeared.

“Next, I play a Spell Card called Gryphon’s Feather Duster. This Spell destroys all the Spells and Traps on my side of the field – except the Orichalcos of course – and I gain 500 Life Points for each.”

A fierce wind blew over the field, and the three Trap Cards lifted up…

They were Statue of the Wicked cards.

They shattered.

Three Wicked Tokens rose up, and glared at Russell. (1,000/1,000 x3) –> (1,500/1,000 x3)



[B](R: 6,300) (P: 6,700)


“You remember this trick, right?” asked the Puppeteer. “I sacrifice my Wicked Tokens…”

The Tokens were consumed by fire, and vanished in clouds of steam...

“And Raviel, welcome back one more time…”

The Lord of Phantasms rose again. (4,000/4,000) –> (4,500/4,000)

“Man…” muttered Trisha. “No matter what Russell does, the thing just keeps coming back!”

“Attack Freed the Brave Wanderer!” shouted the Puppeteer.

Raviel lunged forward, and smashed Freed.

“No way I’m letting you use his effect again,” he muttered. “I place my last card facedown, and end my turn.”

Another facedown card appeared.

“Don’t give up, Russell!” shouted Jason, as Russell drew. “He has no cards in his hand, and you have seven now!”

Russell placed a card on his Disk, and a facedown Monster appeared next to the first one.

He waved his arm to signal the end of his turn.

The Puppeteer drew a card, and looked at it.

“Attack his first facedown Monster!” he shouted.

Raviel lunged forward.

A woman with long, red hair, in dark armor, holding a katana appeared kneeling on the card…

She stared defiantly at Raviel as he swung down with his claw…

With one smash, she was crushed.

“Gotcha again, loser…” said Russell, with a smile.

“What do you mean?” asked the Puppeteer. “Your Warrior was killed!”

“Your Monster isn’t gonna look so pretty either in a few seconds…” answered Russell.

Raviel howled, as if in incredible pain! Smoke started to pour from cracks in its hide… Its eyes glazed over…

And then it blew into bits for the third time.

“What happened?” screamed the Puppeteer.

He looked at disbelief at the stones and debris that made up the Fiend Lord’s remains…

“The Monster it just destroyed was a Warrior named Getsu Fuhma,” answered Russell.

Getsu Fuhma’s ghost appeared behind him. She crossed her arms, and grinned.



http://www.ideal808.com/images/ioc-0891.jpg


“Getsu Fuhma lost her parents and brothers to creatures of darkness when she was a child,” explained Russell, “so when she got older, she swore an oath in her own blood, that she would destroy such creatures, even if she had to die in the attempt. In game terms, any Fiend or Zombie that she battles is automatically destroyed, even if she loses the battle.”

The ghost vanished.

The Puppeteer growled.

“Know what the problem is, pal?” asked Russell. “Your deck has a failing strategy. It depends too much on just one powerful Monster, so it isn’t as hard to defeat as you might think.

“You forgot one of Seto Kaiba’s most important rules… Never base your whole strategy around one powerful card.”

The Puppeteer burst out laughing…

“What’s so funny?” asked Russell.

“Kaiba said that?” asked the Puppeteer. “Well, it seems he was not only an egotist, he was a hypocrite!”

“WHAT?” shouted Jason. “How dare you make such an accusation!”

“But it’s true…” replied the Puppeteer. “You need not look further than his duels in the first Battle City…

“During that tournament, Kaiba relied on Obelisk the Tormentor for everything. It seemed he simply couldn’t win unless he summoned his precious God Card. He even neglected his poor Blue-Eyes White Dragons in favor of that card.

“If you ask me, he was addicted to it. Rich men love powerful things, it deludes them into thinking that they make them more powerful.

“If I had been Kaiba, I would have thanked Yugi for taking it away from him. If by some chance he had won that fateful battle and gotten Slifer as well, his ego would have made him think that he was just as much a god as those cards…

“And he would have crashed and burned trying to win Ra from Marik, and his last thoughts might have been the realization that he had become drunk with the power, and that Obelisk was the one responsible for it all.”

There was a long pause.

“If you weren’t in that Seal, buddy,” said Jason, “I’d make you eat that silly hat of yours.”

“Well, I’m in here, and you’re out there,” answered the Puppeteer. “So drop dead.”

He turned to Russell.

“Now where were we?” he said. “Ah yes… I believe it was your turn. You won’t defeat it so easily next time.”

Russell drew.

“I activate… Multiple Destruction!” exclaimed the Puppeteer.

His Trap Card lifted, showing the image of three cards on fire.

“Now, both players must discard their whole hands, and draw five new cards,” he explained. Of course, it costs me 200 Life Points for every card I have to discard, but since I only have one card in my hand, it barely matters.”

They discarded their hands, and drew five.

Crap… thought Russell. My Exile of the Wicked card was in that hand…



[B](R: 6,300) (P: 6,500)


“Very well,” said Russell. “I flip Axe Raider into Attack Mode…”

Axe Raider appeared, holding aloft his axe.

“And next, I summon Gearfried the Iron Knight…”

Gearfried appeared, holding his blades aloft. (1,800/1,600)

“Neither of them can destroy your Elf, so I’ll end my turn.”



http://www.itstimetoduel.com/cardpictures/TP3-006.jpghttp://www.itstimetoduel.com/cardpictures/BPT-012.jpg


The two Warriors glared at the Puppeteer as he drew. Rainwater dripped down their faces…

His eyes opened wide.

“You really think that there’s no way to summon a Sacred Beast from the Graveyard?” he asked. “Well, you’re about to be proven wrong. I have in my hand a card that Kagemaru himself had in his deck, but never used…”

He played the card.

“I play Revival of the Beast. For the cost of 1,000 Life Points, this card does indeed allow me to Special Summon a Sacred Beast from the Graveyard, so long as I Equip it with this card…”

With a rumble, the Lord of Phantasms rose out of the floor, its eyes glowing with evil light. (4,000/4,000) –> (4,500/4,000)

“Of course,” he repeated, “I can’t attack with it on the round I play this card… But Dark Elf can. Dark Elf, wipe out his Axe Raider! Dark curse!”

Dark Elf cackled, and cast a sinister spell. Axe Raider cringed, and shattered into pieces.



[B](R: 5,500) (P: 4,500)


“That cost you more Life Points than it did me!” snarled Russell.

“Do I tell you how to duel?” asked the Puppeteer. “Make your move.”

Russell drew a card.

“I switch Gearfried to Defense Mode…”

He turned his card, and Gearfried knelt.

“And place another Monster in Defense Mode.”

A facedown Monster appeared.

“I end my turn.”

The Puppeteer drew a card.

“I summon someone who I put back in my deck with Pot of Avarice,” he said. “You remember Gil Garth, right?”

The sinister metal Fiend appeared. (1,800/1,200) –> (2,300/1,200)

“Heh, heh…” chuckled the Puppeteer. “Your Big Shield Gardna is already in your Graveyard! Your facedown Monster can’t possibly have a Defense that could beat Dark Elf’s Attack. I’ll have Gil Garth destroy Gearfried, have her destroy it, and attack you directly with Raviel!

“Gil Garth, attack the Iron Knight with doom blade!”

Gil Garth flew forward, and cut Gearfried down.

“Dark Elf, wipe out his facedown Monster!”

Dark Elf fired her dark curse…

Obnoxious Celtic Guardian appeared on the card, and blocked the attack! (1,400/1,200)

“Heh, heh…” muttered Russell. “Obnoxious Celtic Guardian can’t be killed in battle by Monsters who have 1,900 Attack Points or more. Gil Garth and Dark Elf are too powerful, and Raviel is WAY too powerful!”

“No… way…” muttered the Puppeteer. “How could you be that lucky?”

“Puppeteer…” said Russell, “you cheat and deceive using unfair tactics. Up from the point this duel started, I’m not just the Chosen of Hermos…

“I am Retribution. And like I said, I intend to finish what Yugi started a century ago… For fouling Duel Monsters by using that evil card, and cheating on top of it, you are going to suffer for it!”

This time, lightning seemed to fill the entire sky…

“Cheating, me?” asked the Puppeteer. “I didn’t…”

“Save it!” shouted Russell. “I know you rigged your first hand, so don’t lie on top of it. Hermos was watching you trick-shuffle. He told me right before the duel started.”

There was a long pause.

“He’s got an unbreakable defense, but Raviel is still there…” said Jason.

“Don’t worry,” said Trisha. “If Russell keeps this up, he might deck this creep out…”

She’s got a point… thought the Puppeteer, nervously. I never expected this duel to last this long…



[B](R: 5,500) (P: 3,500)


“Is it my turn yet?” asked Russell.

“I’ll place a card facedown and end my turn,” cursed the Puppeteer, as a facedown card appeared. “So I’m a cheater… I’d like to see you stop me. As you can see, the Seal doesn’t seem to care…”

As Russell drew, he glanced at the facedown card.

He looked at his cards.

He looked at the Puppeteer’s facedown card.

Hope this works… he thought.

“I move Obnoxious Celtic Guardian to Attack Mode…” he said.

The Warrior stood up.

“And now I’ll summon… Exiled Force!”

The disheveled band of warriors stepped out. (1,000/1,000)

Another Phantasm Token appeared.

Fire appeared in the Puppeteer’s eyes.

“But don’t worry,” said Russell, “I’m not going to use Exiled Force’s effect…”

He took another card.

“I play… The Claw of Hermos!”

Lightning flashed, and with a roar, the gargantuan form of Hermos flew towards the Freedom Tower, circled it, and appeared next to Russell!

“And now, Hermos will bond with Exiled Force, to form the Armor of the Exiles!”

Hermos and Exiled Force vanished, and Obnoxious Celtic Guardian stretched out his arms. His splendid green and brown armor was replaced by fancy, red, leather armor, stained with ancient symbols.

“I can’t believe you fell for it again…” said the Puppeteer with a laugh. “I activate my Card of Sin… the Legendary Dragon slayer… Orichalcos Absorption!”

His Trap Card lifted.

“Not again!” screamed Trisha.

“Yes, again!” laughed the Puppeteer, “and again, and again! And as you know, for the price of half my Life Points, it lets me sacrifice your meddling elven warrior, taking his fancy new duds with him…”

Obnoxious Celtic Guardian vanished.

“…and then permanently adds his base Attack Score to one of my Monsters…”

Raviel glowed, and rose to an Attack of 5,900.

“Russell, dear child…” said the Puppeteer. “You’re about to lose your soul… again.”

“Heh, heh, heh, heh…” laughed Russell.

He laughed softly.

“HA, HA, HA, HA, HA, HA!”

“What?” asked the Puppeteer.

“No, loser… YOU are!” said Russell, with a wicked expression. “You did exactly what I wanted you to do, you big idiot!”

“What do you mean?” asked the Puppeteer. “You’re defenseless, and…”

And then, Raviel, Dark Elf, Gil Garth, and the Phantasm Token vanished into nothing!

“WHAT?” screamed the Puppeteer. “What happened?”

“I knew you’d use your Legendary Dragon-slaying card when I used The Claw of Hermos,” laughed Russell. “In fact, I was counting on it the whole time!

“And so did Hermos, so he told me just how to use the card. Armor of the Exiles has an effect that is activated when my opponent sacrifices the Monster it is Equipped to.

“When you do that, all Monsters on your side of the field… Are removed from play. Gone.

“So what now, Puppeteer? Even if you have Dimension Fusion, a Sacred Beast can’t be summoned with that card. The way I see it, there’s only one way to retrieve Raviel this time…

“You must find a way remove two more cards from play, and then play Miracle Dig. I doubt you even have that Spell Card in your deck.

“It’s your move… Let’s see how long you last without the card that you’re addicted to. It’s gonna be a very painful withdrawal…”



[B](R: 5,500) (P: 1,750)


Jason and Trisha hugged each other.

“He’s gonna do it!” cried Trisha.

The Puppeteer drew a card.

“I place a Monster in Defense Mode, and end my turn,” he said.

A facedown Monster appeared.

Russell drew.

“I summon Command Knight in Attack Mode.”

He played the card. Command Knight appeared. She raised her blazing sword, and steam rose from it as the rain hit it. (1,200/1,900) –> (1,600/1,900)

“Attack! Burning blade!”

Command Knight’s sword burned with fire, and she charged, her feet splashing over the watery arena floor…

She swung…

A spooky-looking grim reaper appeared on the card, and blocked the attack with its scythe. (300/200) –> (800/200)



http://www.ideal808.com/images/yugioh-dr1-en024.jpg


“Meet my Spirit Reaper,” said the Puppeteer. “Not the strongest Monster, but it can’t be destroyed in battle.”

“In that case, I end my turn,” said Russell. “You’ll run out of cards soon enough.”

The Puppeteer paused.

“Ugh…” he muttered, drawing a card. “Where was I?”

He held his head, as if dizzy.

“Seems to me that Dr. Death is getting a nasty headache,” said Jason.

“It’s that Card of Sin he used,” answered Trisha. “I’m guessing it was one of the most powerful ones they have. He expected to win on the round after he used it… But since he hasn’t, having used it is taking a mental toll.”

“We’ll soon see, Russell,” continued the Puppeteer. “I must admit, you’ve pushed me to my limit. Therefore, I must use my absolute last resort…

“First, one card facedown…”

A facedown card appeared.

“Then, I play this!”

Lightning flashed as he held up the last card in his hand…

“It’s another Card of Sin… If I was in charge of naming them, I’d call this one, Last Monster Standing. However, the one who created it decided to call it… Orichalcos Lifeline!”

He played the card, and it appeared. It was an image of a frightened woman reaching for someone who was pulling her away from hands who were trying to drag her into a grave… However, the one saving her was a demon of some sort, so she wasn’t in the best situation.

“This Continuous Spell Card is incredibly complex, so listen closely,” said the Puppeteer. “First, it can’t be destroyed unless the Seal itself is destroyed, which means, basically, it can’t.

“Before you think this gives me an advantage, I have to end my turn after the effect of this card resolves, meaning I can’t attack.

“Now that that unpleasant part is out of the way… This card lets me Special Summon any Monster that I have summoned during the course of the duel, and I can ignore any restrictions on Special Summoning. Guess who I’m bringing back…”

Raviel, Lord of Phantasms appeared out of the shadows, now looking incredibly angry. (4,000/4,000) –> (4,500/4,000)

“Oh, please…” said Russell. “A card that powerful has to have a catch…”

“It has lots of catches!” interrupted the Puppeteer. “Let me finish!”

“Sorry…” said Russell.

“Thank you!” said the Puppeteer. “Ergh, now what was I about to say? Oh right, the catch. Next, my opponent, meaning you, can also summon whatever Monster you want, no matter where in your Disk it is, and you can also ignore any Special Summoning restrictions.”

Russell looked at him. He raised an eyebrow.

“Even Fusion Monsters?” he asked.

“Yes, even Fusion Monsters!” replied the Puppeteer. “Now get on with it!”

“Then I choose my most powerful creature…” said Russell. “Arcana Knight Joker!”

With a brilliant burst of light, the powerful Knight appeared next to Command Knight. (3,800/2,500) –> (4,200/2,500)



http://www.ideal808.com/images/le8_jp001.jpg


“Uh… Okay…” said the Puppeteer. “Not… exactly what I expected…”

He looked at Joker nervously…

“Anyway,” he continued, with a quiver in his voice, “now, these two Monsters are our lifelines, so to speak… You see, my Card of Sin has drastically changed the rules of the duel…

“Life Points don’t matter anymore. Whoever loses the Monster that was summoned by this card first, automatically loses.

“And now that you know the rules…

“…I end my turn…”

He held his head again.

“This is crazy!” whispered Trisha. “Raviel has 300 more Attack Points than Joker!

“And with Spirit Reaper on the field, he can increase its Attack to 5,300. How can Russell win this?”

“He’ll have to… try…” said Jason.

Russell drew a card.

He looked hard at the Puppeteer’s facedown card.

“I play two cards facedown,” he said, “and end my turn…”

Two facedown cards appeared.

The Puppeteer drew a card.

A combination of rainwater and sweat dripped from his face…

Arcana Knight Joker? he thought. I was expecting Gilford the Legend. Where on earth did he get a Monster THAT powerful? It might even be able to defeat Raviel in battle…

He looked at the card he had drawn.

This is going to hurt me more than Raviel could ever hurt him, he thought, but I don’t have a choice…



Continued…

[Dark Sage]

Continued from last post:


“I play… this!” he shouted.

“Another Card of Sin?” gasped Russell. “That has GOT to be illegal!”

“All of them are illegal…” muttered the Puppeteer. “Did you really think these were approved by Industrial Illusions? Call it unfair if you like, but I don’t care. I’m not letting you win.

“This one is called Orichalcos Polymer.”

He played the card. It looked sort of like Polymerization, but with the Seal in the background, and the two creatures were more demonic.

“Now, watch…” said the Puppeteer.

Spirit Reaper flew up in front of Raviel…

Then it turned into black goo, and was absorbed into the great Beast’s chest.

“Yuck…” said Trisha.

“What did you do?” asked Russell.

“I doubt I’ll need to tell you,” said the Puppeteer. “Raviel, attack Arcana Knight Joker! Shivering scraper!”

Raviel reared up to attack…

“Go, facedown cards!” shouted Russell, as his Trap and Quickplay lifted. “Rush Recklessly and Reinforcements! Now, Joker gains 1,200 Attack Points!”

Jason and Trisha cheered as Joker rose to an Attack of 5,400! He leapt up and slammed his sword into Raviel’s chest, and the Beast crashed to the ground…

But then, to everyone’s shock, Raviel slowly got up…



[B](R: 5,500) (P: 850)


“What?” gasped Russell. “He should have destroyed it…”

“Ordinarily, he… he would have,” said the Puppeteer, stuttering. “But I used Orichalcos Polymer… to bond Spirit Reaper with Raviel. Now, Raviel gained one of Spirit Reaper’s effects – he can’t be destroyed in battle.”

“You gotta be kidding…” muttered Russell.

“Make your move…” groaned the Puppeteer.

Russell looked at him.

This is hurting him more than he realizes it! he thought. I can hear his heart beating like some runaway jackhammer! If this keeps up, his heart is likely to explode!

And there’s more… The storm…

Every time he’s revived this creature, the storm has gotten more violent, more furious! Some higher force is getting angrier and angrier the longer this goes on…

And I have a sinking sensation…

That I’M not the one it’s angry at…

“Don’t get too cocky…” he said. “Don’t forget, you’re almost out of cards…

“And you’ve used three Cards of Sin so far. I can tell that the toll it must be taking on you must be maddening… This duel might well end with an artery in your head blowing.

“Oh, I’d just love to see that.”

“You let me worry about that…” groaned the Puppeteer, wiping his brow. “You worry about him.”

He pointed at Raviel.

Russell drew a card.

“I play Pot of Greed…” he said.

He played the card, and then drew twice.

He looked at them.

Gearfried the Swordmaster and… he thought. And…

He looked at the Trap Card.

He looked hard at the Puppeteer’s facedown card.

“I place one card facedown,” he said, placing a card in his Disk.

A facedown card appeared.

“And I Equip Joker with Fusion Sword Murasame Blade.”

Joker’s sword vanished, and the enchanted blade appeared in his hand. His attack rose to 5,000.

“Your move,” he said.

“I draw…” said the Puppeteer.

He drew a card.

“Eh…” he growled, waving his hand.

Russell made a draw.

This is tricky, he thought. That facedown card of his is clearly something deadly… He wouldn’t bluff with stakes this high…

And I just know that of the few cards he has left, he has something he can use to destroy Joker. Any Monster at all could raise Raviel’s Attack Score to over 5,000… and if I summoned anything, he’d get one automatically.

I’ve got to be very careful. My facedown card might just work, if he’s set up his strategy the way I think he has…

“I pass as well…” he said.

The Puppeteer wiped the sweat from his brow and clutched his head. His hand shook as he drew a card.

“Heh, heh…” he chuckled. “I summon… my second Newdoria… in Defense Mode.”

The gangly Fiend appeared again. (1,200/800) –> (1,700/800)

“Ugh…” groaned the Puppeteer. “Let’s see… I could sacrifice it… to power up Raviel, but unfortunately… I’m running out of Monsters. So just in case that facedown card of yours is a Negate Attack or worse…”

He played the other card in his hand. It was a Spell Card with a dramatic picture of Command Knight throwing herself in front of an arrow that had been fired at Freed.

“I play Martyrdom,” he said. “During the… Battle Phase of the round… I use this card… I can direct the attack of one of my Monsters against one of my own.

“So… Raviel… Crush Newdoria!”

Raviel’s claw formed into a fist…

“No…” gasped Trisha. “Does that count as destroyed in battle?”

“It most certainly does…” muttered the Puppeteer.

Raviel’s fist squashed the smaller Fiend flat.

“…which means I can activate its effect…”

A ghostly hand reached for Arcana Knight Joker… He stepped back in horror…

“Do you even know about Joker’s powers?” asked Russell, taking a card from his hand. “If he’s targeted by a Spell, Trap, or Monster effect, I can save him by discarding a card of the same type. And I just happen to have a Monster Card right here…”

He discarded Gearfried the Swordmaster.

“So your Monster’s effect is negated. Oh well…”

The ghostly hand dissipated. Joker breathed a sigh of relief, and wiped his forehead.

The Puppeteer made no response. He muttered something incomprehensibly and waved his hand.

“That was a close call…” muttered Trisha. “Why would anyone even design a Spell Card like that?”

“Can you even ask?” replied Jason. “There’s a ton of Monsters who you benefit from if they’re destroyed in battle. Sangan, Pixie Knight, all the Attribute searchers, Masked Dragon, anything with a flip-effect…

“But now the Puppeteer may be up the creek. He said himself, he’s running out of Monsters.”

Russell drew a card.

“I’ll just pass this turn,” he said. “Let’s see you beat me now…”

The Puppeteer drew.

He gasped for breath…

“I… summon… Giant Orc…” he stammered…

The huge ogre holding his bone club appeared. (2,100/0) –> (2,600/0)

“And next… I use… Raviel’s effect!”

Raviel grabbed Giant Orc, and the smaller Fiend vanished. Raviel’s Attack rose to 7,100.

“No…” pleaded Trisha.

“Raviel… ATTACK!” screamed the Puppeteer.

The huge Fiend reached forward…

“Not so fast, Puppeteer,” said Russell. “I’m going to take my last gambit… You’d better hope that your facedown card is just a bluff…”

His facedown card lifted.

“I activate… Reverse of Reverse! This Trap Card allows me to take the facedown card you most recently set on the field, and activate it as mine…”

The Puppeteer turned pale…

His facedown card vanished, and reappeared on Russell’s side.

It slowly lifted…

…and the light from Mirror Force shone all over the field!

“I thought so,” said Russell. “And since it’s too late to call off your attack…”

Raviel moaned once again, as the overpowering light shone on it. Like something out of Hell itself, it let out an unholy scream…

And then, it shattered into pixels.

Arcana Knight Joker stood triumphantly.

“Your Lifeline has been beaten,” said Russell. “You lose…”

Apparently, something shattered in the Puppeteer’s head. He collapsed to his knees, and his cards spilled on the floor…

What he said next was not recognizable. Only low, wet gasps came out.

Finally, he spoke in a weak voice.

“No…” he gasped. “How could I… lose…

He fell flat on the floor.

“How could I lose with a Sacred Beast…”

“It wasn’t even a Sacred Beast,” answered Russell. “It was nothing more than a cheap imitation.

“It couldn’t have held a candle to the real thing.

“When you get to Hell, tell them Russell Majors sent you…

“Cease fire!”

And then something strange happened…

Rather than the usual lightshow, the Seal of Orichalcos shattered into pieces!

The Puppeteer of Death sat up, and screamed. He dropped his Duel Disk, and held his head…

And then he seemed to explode into pieces more violently than any Monster who had perished during a duel.

Joker and Command Knight grinned, and then faded away.

Russell took some slow, deep, gasping breaths… Trisha and Jason went up to him.

“How did you know that Trap would work?” asked Jason.

“Common sense,” said Russell. “He likely knew that I was able to increase Joker’s Attack, so he played a Trap that would destroy him if I attacked, in which case, he’d have won.”

“What do you suppose happened to him?” asked Trisha.

Russell took the toothpick from his mouth and then flicked it away.

He went up to the dropped Disk. It looked like it had been torched, and most of the cards were singed. The ones that weren’t were a soaked mess.

He picked up the counterfeit Raviel card, which was dry and unharmed.

“Don’t know, don’t care,” he answered. “But let’s see if he’s a threat any more without this…”

He took a lighter of his pocket, and held the card to the flame. It only smoldered at first, but eventually, it caught fire.

As the card burned, lightning flashed more than ever, and thunder roared. It seemed like some force of evil was screaming in agony as the evil thing died… But certainly, the storm was fighting a losing battle…

And as the last of the counterfeit card crumbled into ash, the rain stopped and the clouds parted, revealing the night sky, with the full moon peacefully looking down.

“So…” said Jason. “Now what?”

Russell looked at the moon. He didn’t answer. He held himself, as a chill went through him.

“Uh, why the black coat?” asked Trisha.

Russell looked at her.

“I like this coat…” he muttered.



[B]* * * * * * * * * *


The Puppeteer was on his knees in a dark chamber, and he was dreading what was about to happen.

He wasn’t facing Fortunado… Fortunado was standing behind him, as were the Three Swordsmen.

In front of him was a dark figure on a throne made of obsidian. Only the figure’s eyes could be seen – shining points of silvery light.

“The Puppeteer of Death,” said the figure. “Quite an intimidating title for such an abysmal failure…”

The figure’s voice was like the buzz of a hive of hornets at their angriest.

It stared at him.

“I gave you custody of my most potent weapon… I enhanced your ability to create specters, I let you have access to three powerful Cards of Sin, two more than anyone else is allowed at one time… And how do you repay me?

“First, despite the great power you were entrusted with, you prove incapable of summoning anyone who is capable of winning a Shadow Game. Then you lose the Chosen of Hermos.

“And now, that Chosen has made a fool out of you by challenging you to a duel that you accepted without permission, which any of us could have seen as an obvious trap, and as a result, Raviel’s doppelganger has been slain…”

The eyes glared at him.

“I specifically said that you were not to face one of them again until we had enough power to create a second doppelganger! What were you trying to prove?”

“I thought…” muttered the Puppeteer.

“You wanted to prove you were superior to them and to your colleagues by not only defeating one of the Chosen,” interrupted the figure, “but by doing so twice. Russell may have defeated you, but your ego did so first.”

The figure’s eyes glowed brighter.

“Raviel is the most powerful of the Sacred Beasts,” continued the figure. “That is why I used a considerable amount of energy to create its doppelganger first. Now that it is dead, completing the doppelgangers of Uria and Hamon will be impossible… What we have so far will now never be more than novelty cards.

“And the plan to obtain the true Sacred Beasts is doomed to darkness.

“You’re no more than the same pathetic failure who tried to defeat Yugi with a cheap copy of Kaiba so long ago… I see now that bringing you back to the mortal plane was a mistake.”

The figure rose off the throne.

“It cannot be accepted, Puppeteer,” said the figure. “Time to give the devil his due…”

“Oh, this is gonna be great…” muttered Sebastian.

Two dark hands with long, silvery fingernails reached towards the Puppeteer…

“Your excellence, wait!” he pleaded. “There’s still one thing I can do that could benefit you… I’ve been researching a way to summon a far more powerful specter…”

The figure paused.

“Keep going,” hissed the voice.

“Well…” muttered the Puppeteer. “He’s hard to describe, see he was…”

The figure’s hand pressed against his forehead. The Puppeteer felt like acid was burning his brain as his thoughts were sorted though.

“Hmm…” snarled the figure. “I truly doubt that is indeed possible, but on the off chance that it is, perhaps you still have minute value… Very well… One more chance. It will be your only concern while we prepare our alternate plan.

“You have two weeks…

“Cassius… Sebastian… Cleo… Take this fool to his workshop and lock him inside. He is not to leave until he finishes this project, if he indeed can.”

“You heard her!” said Sebastian, grabbing the Puppeteer. “On your feet!”

“Remember, Puppeteer, two weeks,” said the figure. “Not one second more. If that specter has not arrived by that time, I won’t begin to describe the agony you will suffer.”

The Swordsmen left, leaving Fortunado alone with the figure.

“Fortunado,” said the figure, “since our original plan was ruined, we must turn to the alternative…”

“Indeed…” said Fortunado. “I only expect what I was promised…”

“And you’ll get it,” said the figure. “If it goes as planned, in little over a month’s time, the Dark Messiah will rise…

“We’ll be waiting…

“You will get the biggest blockbuster of all time…

“And I’ll get what I’ve wanted for over ten millennia…”

There was a pause.

“In the meantime, Fortunado, we have more concerns. The three original Swordsman are still plotting, and they are getting more knowledgeable. I trust you have not forgotten that they must be dealt with.”

“Already taken care of,” said Fortunado. “Tomorrow night, I’m sending a specialist to deal with them. This time I’m going to take down their leader.”

“Raphael?” asked the figure. “It seems risky… In all his career, his record was only marred by one loss.”

“True,” said Fortunado. “But this individual has studied him, and knows of several clever counters for his particular technique. Plus he has a rare card that will ruin his strategy.

“Trust me… There will be no-one to stop us this time!”


Monday, October 5th, 2106, 10:38 PM



BRAVE ATTACK (Spell Card)

Card Specs

Type: Spell
Attribute:
Level: –
ATK: –
DEF: –

Image: A suit of armor without a helmet holding a sword. Several Duel Monsters cards hover above it.

Card Description: Choose one face-up Monster on your side of the field that is in Attack Position. Add the ATK of all other face-up Monsters on your side of the field to that of the chosen Monster. The chosen Monster is the only Monster who may attack during the turn you use this card. After the chosen Monster attacks, destroy all face-up Monsters on your side of the field.

Note: “Brave Attack” was first used by Yugi in the anime episode “A New Evil”. All creative credit goes to the writers of that episode.



MULTIPLE DESTRUCTION (Trap Card)

Card Specs

Type: Trap
Attribute:
Level: –
ATK: –
DEF: –

Image: Three Duel Monsters cards on fire.

Card Description: You must have at least one card in your hand to activate this card. Both players discard all the cards in their hands and draw five cards from their respective decks. The user of this card pays 200 Life Points for every card he discards due to this effect.

Note: This version of “Multiple Destruction” is a fanfiction version of a card that was used by Bakura in the anime episode “Showdown in the Shadows”. All creative credit goes to the writers of that episode.



REVIVAL OF THE BEAST (Spell Card)

Card Specs

Type: Spell/Equip
Attribute: –
Level: –
ATK: –
DEF: –

Image: Shadowy silhouettes of the three Sacred Beasts in a blasted wasteland.

Card Description: You may activate this card when you have “Uria, Lord of Searing Flames”, “Hamon, Lord of Striking Thunder”, and/or “Raviel, Lord of Phantasms” in your Graveyard. Pay 1,000 Life Points. Special Summon one of the above named Monsters from your Graveyard in Attack Position, disregarding Special Summoning requirements, and Equip it with this card. The Special Summoned Monster cannot attack or use its effect on the round you activate this card. If this card is removed from the field, the Monster it is Equipped to is removed from play.



REVERSE OF REVERSE (Trap Card)

Card Specs

Type: Trap
Attribute:
Level: –
ATK: –
DEF: –

Image: Two kids dueling, with your perspective coming from the eyes of the one in the foreground.

Card Description: Take the facedown card your opponent has on the field which he most recently set, and activate it as your own. The taken card is destroyed if you cannot use it at this time.

Note: “Reverse of Reverse” was first used by Yugi in Yu-Gi-Oh! The Move: Pyramid of Light. All creative credit goes to the writers, director, and producer of that movie.



MARTYRDOM (Spell Card)

Card Specs

Type: Spell
Attribute:
Level: –
ATK: –
DEF: –

Image: Command Knight throwing herself in front of an arrow that has been fired at Freed.

Card Description: During the Battle Phase of the round that this card is activated, you can designate a Monster on your side of the field as the target of an attack by one of your other Monsters. Battle damage, if any, is inflicted to your Life Points. You cannot declare an attack against your opponent’s Monsters or against your opponent directly during the round you use this card.



ORICHALCOS LIFELINE (Spell Card)

Card Specs

Type: Spell/Continuous/Card of Sin
Attribute:
Level: –
ATK: –
DEF: –

Sin: Envy

Image: A demonic creature pulling a scared woman away from hands trying to drag her into a grave.

Card Description: This card cannot be destroyed or removed from the field as long as “The Seal of Orichalcos” is in place. So long as this card is in effect, neither player loses the duel if his Life Points reach zero. Special Summon any Monster that you have summoned during the duel, ignoring any Special Summon requirements. Your opponent then Special Summons any Monster from his hand, deck, Graveyard, or Fusion Deck he desires, ignoring any Special Summon requirements. If either Monster summoned by this card is destroyed or otherwise sent to the Graveyard, the owner of the Monster loses the duel. After you use this card, end your turn.



ORICHALCOS POLYMER (Spell Card)

Card Specs

Type: Spell/Card of Sin
Attribute:
Level: –
ATK: –
DEF: –

Sin: Greed

Image: Similar to the art on “Polymerization” for the anime in the original series, with the Seal of Orichalcos in the background, and the two creatures more demonic and fiendish.

Card Description: Remove one Effect Monster on your side of the field from play. Another Monster on your side of the field gains the effect of the Monster you removed from play. If the removed Monster has more than one effect, choose one.



ARMOR OF THE EXILES (Spell Card)

Card Specs

Type: Spell/Equip
Attribute:
Level: –
ATK: –
DEF: –

Card Description: This card is descended by playing “The Claw of Hermos” and offering one “Exiled Force” as a Tribute. The effect of this card is activated after your opponent offers a Monster Equipped with this card as a Tribute, and the results of the Tribute are resolved. Remove all Monsters on your opponent’s side of the field from play.



[B][I]Coming up next:

If you thought Beowulf was a deadly foe, next chapter, you’ll meet someone who is even deadlier – a duelist who might well be Raphael’s ideal foe. And one of only three duelists ever to defeat the Pharaoh without cheating may have finally met his match.

Don’t miss “Rite of Spirit”, coming soon.

[Master of Paradox]

Ladies and gentleman, from this point on, Russell will be played by Teddy Savalas.

First and foremost, a complaint I've heard you lodge in the past: it cheapens the effect of the duel if the opponent's cheating. Partially because it makes them seem weaker, and partially because it makes it clear who'll win (has a cheater ever won in a Yu-Gi-Oh fic? Not counting the Puppeteer's first victory, because we didn't know he was cheating).

And secondly, there were a few typos you should've caught - among others, Bogie spelled his last name with one "g".

But aside from that caveat, this chapter has successfully achieved the effect you were going for. You managed to make the repeated resurrection of Raviel seem like it would actually happen, which is impressive in itself. I didn't find myself thinking any of the moves were either 1) stupid or 2) anvilicious, which is rare at best.

And the Puppeteer going off on Kaiba made me grin. He's too popular in a Malfoy sort of way, in my opinion, so seeing him take a hit was a treat.

I now have something I'll have to surpass with this next chapter I'm planning. It will not be easy.

Heh... I know something about this next chapter, and all I'll say is that my friend will like it...

[Dark Sage]

MoP meant Telly Savalas. As I told him, I based Russell's new look and attitude on Savalas's character, Kojak.

In case you didn't know, before NYPD Blue and similar shows were ever concieved, Kojak was the original tough and gritty police detective. He was the kind of cop who, while he didn't break the rules, would gladly bend them - to him, the end justified the means.

Just so you know.

[Pokemasterkatie]

I consider this chapter VERY successful! That was just damn cool to read out loud.:D The storm added to the drama and story, and left a clear picture of the duel. Awesome.

[Shuppet Master]

*applauds* Awesome chapter, Brian! I liked how you did that.

[Blademaster]

Wow... I don't know what to say... That was incredible!

There's too much to comment on, and I have no idea what the Puppeteer is up to, who'll be dueling Raphael, what's gonna happen to our 3 Heroes...

Keep it up, DS - this story is starting to get real interesting...

-Blade

[Mystic_clown]

First of all, great duel. Way to bring Raviel back form the dead so many times, although the constant revival had me going JUST DIE ALREADY! by the end of the chapter.

My only gripe is with Russel. When you said he wouldn't be the same again, I was expecting a bit more then this. Apart from some (rather lame) trash-talking earlier on and showing off a bit of anger, he hadn't seemde to have changed much, especially with that whole 'I'm retribution' bit.

But nonetheless, good chapter. Hmm,a cheater winning a duel huh? Maybe I can put that in "The Six Avatars" sometime.

[jkBAKURA]

Dark Sage, you definately accomplished your goal with this one. I don't know what to start with.

First off, Russel's new additude. Although a bit over the top at times, it was a nice change to have the hero be the one in control this time around. In fact, the duel was a complete rout for the first several turns, and the no-nonsence additude was to be expected, now that Russel knew now what he was capable of.

As for the PoD's focus on one monster, it was no different then Marik's focus on Ra, or Zane's focus on Cyber Dragons. The recursian was at least done in defferent ways. (unlike Marik's excessive use of Monster Reborn)

Russel's planned techniques were beautifuly worked, and like the Amanda chapter, shows his unique talent for dominating an opponent he's uniquely prepared for.

All in all, I do have one major complaint. Unlike Marik and Zane, who draw their trumps honestly (if sometimes with a rediculous ammount of luck) the trick-shuffel didn't work. Indeed, it would have made the PoD an even more intimidating opponent if he was able to search Raviel out with a minimum fuss.

Best chapter to date, and a huge emotional ride. What a rush.

As for the next chapter, it's hard to do Raphael justice in a duel. I've seen it both done extremely well, and extremely poorly. (the latter using a traditional Guardian deck with Arsenal Summoner and the like, completely ignoring Raphael's anti-graveyard policy) There are a lot of expectations coming up, and after something like this, I have confidence that we won't be disapointed.

[Dark Sage]

Let me explain the whole cheating thing...

The Puppeteer was entrusted with a card that, if it were lost, would ruin the primary plan of the organization. (I won't say what that ultimate plan was yet.) Thus, he was not going to give anyone a chance of actually beating him if he could help it. This was a time when "win at all costs" was a major understatement. So playing fair wasn't as option.

Russell's anti-Sacred Beasts Deck was something he never expected to encounter. He didn't know this time that summoning Raviel in the first place was a bad idea. And don't forget, he snuck away to duel him against orders from his superiors.

And he paid for it dearly. He's still around, but he'll have to do something big to redeem himself.

[Inferno_Dragon]

Before commenting on this chapter, I want to make a comment on a previous chapter that I didn't get to or I forgot to.


“I should have put Hand Control in that deck…” muttered Cassius, “like I wanted to!”

Fortunado grabbed hold of his throat.

“Uh, boss, I can’t breathe…” he gasped.

“That’s because I’m choking you, you moron,” growled Fortunado. “When I said no, I meant no! The whole idea of that scene was for Russell’s fall from grace to be his fault. So he had to have used the Seal on his own.

Now, I thought this whole scene was familiar and then it hit me. I had seen something like this in another fanfic by Dark Sage.

From the Yu-Gi-Oh: The Thousand Year Door Part One - Chapter Eighteen (From Whom the Bell Tolls.)


“Well, it’s an old trick used by high rollers and card sharks,” explained Peten, “I trimmed the edges on the card to make it slightly smaller… so when Andy cut my deck, it fell on top! So I was sure…”

The Shadow Queen grabbed him by the neck and slammed him against the wall!

“I can’t breathe…” he gasped.

“That’s because I’m choking you, you moron!” she yelled.

“I thought you’d be pleased…” he gasped.

“In other words,” cursed the Queen, “you cheated!”

Enough of that, I have to say that this chapter was pretty interesting. The whole revival of Ravial was interesting throughout the duel, but what was more interesting is that Russel had a deck to counter the Sacred Beasts.

I mean every monster has a weakness. Yami Yugi stated that with his duel against Strings. In the first episode, Kaiba thought he was unbeatable until Yami Yugi stopped him with Exodia. The Exodia Duelist who tried to beat Yugi found out that Exodia can be beaten. The same goes for the Egyptian God cards. Although I kind of feel bad for the Puppeteer (who knows how much stress and pain it would do on a person's body), he deserved it.

On last thing about this chapter;


Then he paused. He looked at the school-issue Ra Yellow blazer he was wearing. He frowned.

He got up and removed it.

“Dumb yellow jacket…” he muttered. “I look like Dick Tracy wearing it!”

He tossed it in with the dirty laundry, and then went to his closet.

He took a long, black trenchcoat off of a hanger.

This might just me but that long, black trenchcoat kind of reminded me of Chazz Princeston's new attire when he returned back to Duelist Academy.

[Pokemasterkatie]

This might just me but that long, black trenchcoat kind of reminded me of Chazz Princeston's new attire when he returned back to Duelist Academy.
Manjoume is probably the most popular character in GX...Black Thunder is awesome.:D

[Shuppet Master]

And since Dark Sage is a big fan of Manjyoume, I wouldn't be surprised if he gave one of his characters thesame look as the Thunder. :)

[Dark Sage]

To answer your question, yes, I am a big fan of Manjyome Jun, and just as he adapted a new, darker look after having a spiritual awakening and becoming Manjyome Thunder, Russell has done something similar.

[Dark Sage]

What happens when one of the greatest duelists in history comes face-to-face with his polar opposite? Answer: A true clash of the titans!

Hello folks. It’s time for a new chapter, and believe it or not, this was a chapter that almost didn’t happen. I’ll explain.

The chapter where Alister fought Beowulf was originally planned to star not Alister, but my favorite member of the trio, Raphael. Why? Well let’s look at this incredibly complex character.

Raphael was never a bad guy, in my opinion. He was just someone who fell in with the wrong crowd. Even Joey could have related, perhaps. (If you read the Manga, you’d understand.). And Raphael had a very strange strategy as a duelist. Forget the fact that his Monsters were the Guardians, very hard Monsters to even summon. You see, a great deal of Raphael’s strategy depended on never letting one of his Monsters be sent to his Graveyard. And until his second duel with Yugi, he was the only duelist in history to have never let one end up there in his whole career.

Why attempt such a difficult feat? Well, when Jaden Yuki and Chazz Princeton were still trick-or-treating, Raphael possessed a power that they would come to have – the ability to see the strange creatures called Duel Spirits. We don’t know for sure if Raphael was the first human to possess this power, but he may well have been. He saw the Guardians as if they were people. And they were more than just his cards… They were his family, replacing the family that had been tragically lost. As a result, he couldn’t bear to see any of them perish during a duel, and would do anything in his power to prevent it.

A noble goal, but unfortunately, it makes writing a chapter where he duels incredibly difficult.

I’ve read many fanfics (you have to read these yourself to write them), and seen many where the Three Musketeers have appeared, and Raphael has dueled in many of them, but almost all of these authors have neglected Raphael’s true strategy, doing things he never would have done, such as using Arsenal Summoner as an expendable flip-effect Monster to get a Guardian into his hand. That’s just wrong, in my opinion.

With this chapter, I wanted to stay true to the real Raphael, and to write the outline, I got help. A fan who wanted to remain anonymous helped write part of this outline, and once he did, it all fell into place. It still was rather difficult, but I believe I have captured the true essence of Raphael – every nuance, every card he used, and I even managed to include a few of the Guardians that he didn’t use in the anime.

So enjoy this chapter, and judge for yourself.

[I][B]In many ways, I feel very sorry for Alister and Valon. All through this whole mess over the past century, they’ve only had two others that they could speak to… Me, and the other.

I’ve been a great deal luckier. They don’t know about this, but a few friends that I had when I was alive managed to stay around even in this strange state that I’m in.

That doesn’t mean I fully understand it. I never knew how they first came. I’m not exactly sure what they are. They aren’t around all the time, and I don’t know where they are when I don’t see them.

But ever since I lost my real family, they’ve taken the place of my siblings…

…and mother, in one case…

Which leads us to how I’m at a spot now. My “sister” has lead me to a spot in New York that most would consider hallowed ground, and she seems frightened, as if danger was lurking here…

As a duelist, I’ve tried my hardest to protect them… But deep down, I know that the only way they could truly die is if I ceased to exist…

The only problem is…

…that might just happen.




[B][size=3]CHAPTER THIRTY-THREE



http://www.ideal808.com/images/yugioh-dr1-en048.jpg



Tuesday, October 5th, 2006, 4:21 PM


Dr. Artemis’s hand fell on a set of papers stapled together.

Now how did that get there? she thought.

As she sipped her coffee she looked at it. The Forbidden/Limited list.

She sighed. This thing was changed twice a year. Pot of Greed and Mirage of Nightmare had been on and off this list so often, she just knew they were going to be illegal on the next one.

At least the super-broken cards had stayed on this list after being made illegal decades ago. Raigeki had been illegal since Battle City, and Harpie’s Feather Duster had gone on it quickly too. Chaos Emperor Dragon had put on it after the Grand Prix… Strangely, although Kaiba owned a copy of this card, he requested that it be outlawed. Some people thought that he was afraid of it, although any card that could scare someone who had used Obelisk must have been pretty scary.

Black Luster Soldier – Envoy of the Beginning had been put on the list ten years after that, and this time, it was at Yugi’s request. Apparently, he thought this rare card had been cursed, and only he had been able to use it safely. And when someone stole it when his deck was put on display, he decided to take steps so that such a powerful card could never be used again.

She looked over the list. First came the Forbidden List, then the Limited, then the Semi-Limited.

Then a list of Special Conditions. These had also been established after the Grand Prix. You could have some cards in your deck if you didn’t have others.

She looked at one:

If you have one or more copies of “Butterfly Dagger – Elma” in your deck or side, you may not have any of the following cards in your deck or side deck: “Gearfried the Iron Knight”, “Magical Marionette”, “Royal Magical Library” and/or “Morale Boost”.

It was a rule designed to prevent three instant win combos, which involved Equipping the Dagger to Gearfried, which you could do as many times as you wanted to do in the same turn. Magical Marionette could be used to destroy every Monster on your opponent’s side of the field, and then grow as strong as you desired… Royal Magical Library would let you draw all the cards you wanted (a OTK if you used Exodia), and Morale Boost gave you 1,000 Life Points and then decreased them by 1,000 each time, a combo you could use with Fire Princess.

Since you could take control of your opponent’s Gearfried, all four of these cards were off limits if you wanted to use this Equip…

Artemis shook her head…

It would have been easy to keep the Dagger itself on the Forbidden List…

But someone in authority had felt sorry for one Monster…



[B]* * * * * * * * * *


Ask a social science expert what the social differences between humans and animals are, and they’d give you a long list of differences. Intelligence isn’t the only one.

The ability to use tools and fire is a big one. Other examples are the fact that they mate for life (we share that one with wolves, elephants, and a few others), the fact that we don’t tend to abandon our young (again, we share that with a couple), and that we war against our own kind (one difference where animals are superior).

Then there are subtle differences, like the one where humans do something with their dead. Almost all animals just leave their dead to decay.

Humans of all cultures have some ritual or procedure when a person dies. Some simply cremate the body, but it’s still better than letting it rot. Most cultures inter the deceased in tombs depending on the wishes of them or their families.

It can be amazing how much time has been put into some cemeteries with special purposes. In France, Normandy was built to house those who perished in D-Day. Arlington National Cemetery was built for heroes of the American armed forces.

One nobleman of India built the Taj Mahal as a tomb for the woman he had loved.

New York City had its landmark in this area… It was called Marble Cemetery. Ever since 1830, it had been the most serene and beautiful resting place in the city, known for splendid headstones and mausoleums, tucked among peaceful trees and shrubs.

Right now, it’s most recent visitors were three souls for whom finding rest had long been a problem…

“Raph, you want to explain to us why we’re here?” asked Alister.

“Yeah, I mean, it ain’t like we know anyone who’s buried here,” added Valon.

Raphael held his head. He was truly embarrassed when he tried to explain these instances, because he knew he sounded nuts. He couldn’t tell them the truth…

“Something is… leading me here…” he muttered.

That was no lie.

The “something”, or rather someone, was a hundred feet in front of him. She was slowly walking, at times stopping to make sure they kept up.

Alister and Valon couldn’t see her, but Raphael could see her quite plain. She was a delicate young woman, with chestnut eyes and short red hair cut in bangs. She wore an elaborate outfit that consisted of a halter and short skirt, sewn with royal finery. A tiara crowned her head, and a silken train flowed from her arms. A very fancy dagger was strapped to her belt.

She paused again, with a look of worry on her face. She urged him on.

Elma, please… thought Raphael. What’s wrong?

The spirit finally stopped at a stone bench and sat down. She motioned for him to come near.

“What?” he whispered, as he sat down.

Elma’s musical voice spoke in his ear.

“He’s coming as we speak,” she whispered. ”Don’t underestimate him. Don’t be too proud…

“Beware. His deck holds great danger…”

She vanished into sparkles of light.

Raphael stood up.

“Guys…” he muttered. “I think one of Beowulf’s friends is coming, and I think I might have to take care of him.”

“Oh, please…” replied Valon. “And you’re worried? Your win-loss record is 112-1-0! Lest we forget, you were the giant-killer!”

“I’d really rather you not bring that up,” snapped Raphael.

He paused.

“Yeah, I beat the Pharaoh,” he said, “but lest all you forget, the way I did it was… underhanded.”

“What do you mean?” asked Alister. “I didn’t see any way you…”

“Alister…” muttered Raphael, “I remember every single move of that first duel… Every turn, play by play, has been branded into my mind… And I know how it went down…

“I used Exchange when the only card in my hand, the only one he could have taken, was the Seal. I forced him to take it in order to temp him.

“It may not have been cheating… But now that I look back, I think it was a… dirty trick.

“You know how some duelists use Snatch Steal so they can sacrifice their opponent’s Monster rather than waste one of theirs? Completely doing away with the 1,000 Life Point gain to their opponent that Snatch Steal would grant? If you use it that way, it’s just like Change of Heart, an illegal card. Is using Snatch Steal in this way legal? Sure. Is it sporting? Definitely not…

“Now multiply that times about a billion…”

There was a long pause.

“So that was the reason,” said a voice.

They turned around, and saw a dark figure leaning against the side of a monument.

“So that’s why the one man who defeated the King of Games kept the duel a big secret,” said the figure, “rather than go public and bask in the glory that was rightfully his. He thought that the only reason he won was because he played dirty…

“Well, if you don’t like to play dirty, it’s a wonder you had so much success…”

Raphael looked at him.

“Whoever you are, buddy, I’ll give you one chance,” he warned. “Simply walk away, and stop this before it starts. You have no idea what I’m capable of…”

The figure walked into the light, and Raphael raised his eyebrow.

He was a burly man, about age thirty, wearing worn jeans and a red plaid shirt – a typical manual laborer’s outfit, all of it dusty. He was slightly muscular…

But his face was incredibly sallow. He looked like he never got any sun. His long black hair was messy and seemed like it hadn’t seen a comb or shampoo in ages.

An Orichalcos Disk was on his arm.

“And to think I wasted time all my life believing that good hygiene would make me a success,” said Alister, sarcastically.

“I don’t mind a little dirt,” said the man. “No one should be ashamed of clothes made dirty from an honest day’s work…

“You may call me Digger.”

“An interesting title, I’ll admit,” said Raphael. “I have a feeling that it has something to do with the reason why you can see us…”

A grin appeared on the minion’s dirty face.

“Well,” he said, “I used to work in construction, as a simple ditch digger. No one ever finds out who the world’s best ditch digger is, but I was pretty good at it. I could do a very hard job very fast, and I didn’t mind… Honest, hard work…

“Then, someone told me that I could make four times as much money working for a mortuary…”

“As a gravedigger…” added Raphael.

“Yep,” said Digger, nodding. “Wanna know what the best job in the world is that no one ever talks about? Undertakers and morticians have existed ever since man became civilized. People have always needed people to bury the dead. And it’s one job where job security is never an issue! A mortuary is never going to run out of customers unless folks find some way to become immortal!”

“He’s got a point…” said Valon.

“Unfortunately…” muttered Digger, “as well as it paid, I didn’t think I made enough, and I got… ideas. I knew that some of these guys who my boss was arranging plots for had a few good things interred with them, so on a whim I snuck into the cemetery one night and…”

“NO!” gasped Raphael.

There was a long pause.

“You… you turned to grave robbing?” he whispered.

“For a while… yeah,” answered Digger.

Raphael narrowed his eyes. This man had said it as if it had been no big deal…

“That’s a blasphemy…” said Raphael, with a scowl.

“Who cares?” asked Digger, closing his eyes. “I’m glad it was a blasphemy. Do you know why? Because eventually, one old woman who was a relative of someone whose grave I ransacked suspected me of doing so, even though she couldn’t prove it. She threw a curse at me, and apparently it stuck.

“Ever since then, I’ve been able to see undead spirits who couldn’t rest. Like those whose tombs have been defiled, I suppose. I think the old bat’s goal was to make me see them and be consumed by guilt.

“She was a fool. When I see them, all I do is laugh at them. I couldn’t care less.”

Raphael was now very angry.

“And now Fortunado hired you because of that ‘talent’ just like he did with Beowulf,” he said. “Well, if you want to duel, fine! Taking down someone so sadistic would be a pleasure!”

He raised his arm.

“You like dirt? I’ve got some heavy-duty detergent…”

Raphael concentrated, and just like Alister had, his left arm glowed, and a Disk appeared on his arm. Then a deck of cards appeared on it.

He looked at Digger, and in a multitude of flashes of light, five Monsters appeared next to him (two to his left, three to his right) and cast angry glares at Digger. One was Elma, one was a mermaid of some sort, one was obviously a Fiend, and the other two were brutish creatures that were hard to identify.

They nodded, and then vanished.

“I’ll give you one last warning…” repeated Raphael. “You do NOT know what I am capable of…”

“I beg to differ!” said Digger, placing his own deck in his Disk. “I know your style, Raphael. I’ve prepared for your strategy, and I’ve prepared for the most dangerous parts. I can handle Aitos, and I can even handle Dreadscythe!”

“Dreadscythe?” said Raphael, disgusted. “I burned that horrible thing ages ago! It was more of a curse than anything I’m under now!

“If anything, that monstrosity that dared call itself a Guardian was the embodiment of my dark side, which made me join the Orichalcos in the first place. It was a part of me that I couldn’t leave behind fast enough.”

Digger shrugged.

“Well, one less thing to worry about, I suppose,” he said, as his Disk activated. “It’s time to duel…”

“Bring it,” answered Raphael.

Both of them snatched the top five cards off of their decks…



[B](Raphael: 8,000) (Digger: 8,000)


“So…” muttered Valon. “What sort of cards do gravediggers use?”

“I don’t even wanna know…” answered Valon.

“Well, let’s see,” said Digger, looking over his cards. “Think I’ll… place one Monster in Defense Mode…”

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

“…and a couple of facedown cards.”

He fit two cards into his Disk, and two facedown cards appeared.

“And that will be good to start.”

Raphael drew a sixth card.

Three Monsters to start, he thought, two of which I can summon right away. Not bad, considering how few Monsters I use…

This one should do to start…

“I summon… Maha Vailo in Attack Mode!” he shouted.

A flash of lightning stuck, and a tall woman in a blue robe and a peaked hat floated into the arena. Flared wings were on her back, and her white hair was tied in long braids. (1,550/1,400)



http://www.ideal808.com/images/db1-en009.jpg


“Maha Vailo, attack!” shouted Raphael. “Sacred lightning!”

Lightning crashed down, and the sorceress caught it in her hands… Then she hurled it forward!

A man in a toga with golden feathered wings appeared on the card, and shattered.



http://www.ideal808.com/images/db1_en052.jpg


“Okay… That was unexpected…” muttered Alister.

“Thank you,” said Digger, taking his deck. “When Shining Angel is defeated, I get to summon a Light Monster with a low Attack Score from my deck. Now let’s see…”

He chose a card from his deck.

“Why not another Shining Angel?”

He played the card, and a twin of the first Angel appeared in Attack Mode. (1,400/1,100)

“Interesting,” said Raphael. “I’ll place these three cards facedown, and end my turn.”

Three facedown cards appeared behind Maha Vailo.

Digger drew another card.

“I’ll move Shining Angel into Defense Mode,” he said, turning the card.

The Angel knelt, and covered itself with its wings.

“Next, I’ll place another Monster in Defense Mode.”

Another facedown Monster appeared.

“And that will be all.”

“You think I’m falling for that?” asked Raphael, drawing a card.

Perfect, he thought.

“Watch… this…” he said.

He placed a card on his Disk.

“I summon the mighty Grave Protector in Defense Mode,” he said.

The ground rumbled, and a very hideous-looking Fiend burst out of the ground. It looked like it was made of dirt covered with mold. Its wrists and ankles had broken chains attached to them with shackles. It crouched and shielded itself in Defense. (0/2,000)



http://www.ideal808.com/images/ast-077_1.jpg


“Well, I… see the ‘protector’ part,” said Valon. “But…”

“It has a powerful effect,” answered Alister. “So long as it’s on the field, any Monster that’s destroyed in a battle doesn’t go to the Graveyard, its shuffled back into its owner’s deck.”

“And I’m not finished,” said Raphael. “Now I Equip Maha Vailo with this… Gravity Axe!”

A fancy axe fell from the heavens, and Maha Vailo caught it.

“So long as Gravity Axe is on the field,” said Raphael, “the battle positions of Monsters can’t be switched. And the Axe also raises the user’s Attack Points by 500.

“And due to her own effect, Maha Vailo gains 500 more Attack Points for every Equip she has.”

Maha Vailo rose to 2,550 Attack.

“Even better,” continued Raphael, “since Gravity Axe is on the field, it enables me to summon its owner. And due to the effect of this particular Monster, he can be Special Summoned to the field if he’s the only card in my hand, which he just happens to be…”

He threw his last card on his Disk.

“Therefore… Come forth… Guardian Grarl!”

With a roar, a huge, hulking form erupted out of the ground. He was a seven-foot-tall ogre dressed in patchwork armor, with a face that suggested a cross between a lizard and a Neanderthal, and grey, scaly skin. He held a large axe that looked exactly like the one Maha Vailo now had. (2,500/2,000)



http://www.ideal808.com/images/dcr-0071.jpg


“Whoo-wee!” laughed Digger. “You are one ugly one, aren’t you?”

Raphael gave him an angry look. Grarl looked rather angry too…

“Ooh, you’re in for it now, mate!” warned Valon.

“Rule number one about Raphael,” added Alister. “Do NOT insult his Guardians!”

“Maha Vailo, destroy his Angel!” shouted Raphael.

Maha Vailo shot her sacred lightning, and the second Shining Angel was eradicated.

“And your searcher has to go to the Graveyard in order to search,” added Raphael. “Thanks to my Grave Protector, that didn’t happen.

“Grarl, attack his facedown Monster! Axe slash bash!”

Grarl rushed forward and charged at the card. A Keldo appeared on it. Grarl swung his weapon down and smashed it to pieces.



http://www.ideal808.com/images/dcr_077.jpg


“Fairies, huh?” asked Raphael. “I never would have guessed…”

“Fairies are only one part of my strategy,” said Digger. “You have no idea what is waiting for you.”

He drew a card.

“To make sure those facedown cards don’t get in my way,” he said, “I play a Spell Card called Security Breach.”

He played the card, and a computerized box with the word “Active” in computerized letters on a screen appeared in the air in front of him.

“To use it, I simply have to discard one card…”

He discarded another Keldo.

The word “Active” vanished, and a warning light buzzed.

”Warning… warning…” said a voice. ”Security system deactivated. Attempting to restore…”

“What this means is,” continued Digger, “for this round, your facedown cards can’t be activated. The system will restore itself when I end my turn, but it might be too late for one of your Monsters by then…

“Next, I play Cost Down.”

He played another Spell Card.

“Now, by discarding another card from my hand…”

He discarded another card into his discard slot.

“This five-star Monster in my hand is downgraded to three. And I summon it now… Meet Divine Dragon Excelion!”

In a beam of light, a beautiful oriental dragon with silvery-white scales and a serpentine body with small claws appeared. Its gorgeous mane of fur fluttered in the wind. (1,500/900)



http://www.ideal808.com/images/soi_en0331.jpg


“And, just by summoning him,” added Digger, “I get to give him one of three effects. I’ll choose the one that grants him 1,000 more Attack Points.”

Excelion rose to 2,500.

“Hold on one second,” interrupted Raphael. “You may think I don’t keep up with times, but I do.”

“Pardon?” asked Digger.

“I’ve seen and studied almost every card that has been produced in the last hundred years,” said Raphael, “and I know that Excelion gets NO effects unless you have at least one other Excelion in your Graveyard. And you don’t!”

“Do I?” asked Digger. “Think about it for a minute…”

Raphael paused…

“You discarded one to play Cost Down…” he muttered.

“Yep,” said Digger. “A good way to combo.

“Now, on to business. I activate one of my own facedown cards, Deal of Phantom.”

A Trap Card lifted, and a ghostly phantom in a cloak appeared, and caressed Excelion.

“This raises one Monster’s Attack Score by 100 for every Monster in my Graveyard for one round,” he continued. “Sure, it’s only three-hundred more…”

Excelion rose to 2,800 Attack.

“…but that’s good enough. Say bye-bye to Maha Vailo! Excelion, attack! Divine blast!”

Excelion shot a blast of pure light, hitting Maha Vailo in the torso! She screamed, and shattered into bits.



[B](R: 7,750) (D: 8,000)


“Perhaps you forgot the effect of my Grave Protector,” said Raphael, shuffling his deck. “He’ll make it harder for you to get rid of any of my Monsters permanently.”

“Then by all means, make your move…” said Digger.

”Security system restored,” said the machine, as it vanished.


Continued…

[Dark Sage]

Continued from last post:



Raphael drew a card.

“I play Card of Sanctity!” he declared, playing a card.

A flash of light lit up the sky, and coins fell from above.

They both drew a full hand of six cards.

“And I got lucky,” he said, playing a Spell Card. “I play Guardian Treasure. Now, I’ll discard my other five cards…”

He discarded his hand.

“…then draw two…”

He made two draws.

“…and for as long as this card is on the field, I can twice during my Draw Phase.”

“Uh, Raph…” said Valon, “not that I’m complaining, but how can you still have that card?”

Raphael glared at him.

“You know…” he said, annoyed, “sometimes I wonder that myself.”

He looked at the two cards.

No Monsters, he thought, but at least I can protect Grave Protector. After all, something has to protect the protector…

He played a card.

“I Equip Grave Protector with Rod of Silence,” he said.

A crystal rod with a flared end fell from the sky, and Grave Protector caught it.

“This boosts its Defense by 500 points,” he continues, “and makes him immune to any Spells that target.”

Grave Protector’s Defense rose to 2,500.

“That’s enough for my turn…”

Digger drew a card.

“Well, this card is ironic,” he said with a small chuckle. “I pay Pot of Charity…”

He played the card, and his first Shining Angel slipped out of his discard slot. He drew three more cards.

“Not bad,” he said, looking at the nine cards in his hand. “Time to say goodbye to your Guardian…”

He played a Spell Card, and then discarded one card…

“I play Lightning Vortex!”

Thunder rumbled overhead, and a fierce storm started to rage…

“Not so fast, pal!” shouted Raphael. “I activate Guardian Force!”

One of his Trap Cards lifted, and a beam of pure energy shot from the card, causing the storm cloud to quell and disperse into harmless mist.

“This Counter Trap can negate any Spell Card without me paying a dime,” explained Raphael, “so long as I have no Monsters in my Graveyard.

“Did you really think you could defeat me with a card that simple? You aren’t the first of my opponents who tried to use Lightning Vortex. You’re more like the twelfth. And just like the last eleven times, it didn’t work.”

Digger looked annoyed…

“It’s still my turn…” he grumbled.

He chose another card.

“I’ll summon a little guy called Skull Servant, in Attack Mode…” he said.

He played the card, and a small skeleton in a ragged purple robe appeared in an aura of darkness. (300/200)



http://www.ideal808.com/images/db1_en101.jpg


Raphael raised his eyebrow.

“Next,” said Digger, “I’ll play the Spell Card, Mass Driver…”

He played a card, and a huge cannon with a tubular barrel appeared on his side of the field.

“This card lets me sacrifice my Monsters to blast you for 400 points of damage for each,” he said. “So, I’ll sacrifice my Skull Servant…”

Skull Servant melted into dark energy, and was absorbed into the Mass Driver.

“Fire!” shouted Digger.

The weapon fired a blast of red energy, hitting Raphael in the chest. He grunted…

“That will end my turn,” said Digger.



[B](R: 7,350) (D: 8,000)


Raphael drew two cards.

I don’t have anything that can defeat Excelion yet, he thought. But that doesn’t mean I can’t make this guy sorry…

He played a card.

“I Equip Grarl with this,” he said, “Shooting Star Bow.”

A silvery, fancy bow appeared in the air in front of Grarl. His axe vanished, and he took it.

His Attack Score fell to 1,500.

What is he doing? thought Digger. Doesn’t he realize that Grarl is weaker than Excelion now?

“This Equip may weaken the user,” said Raphael, “but it also lets him attack directly. Grarl, attack with shooting star shot!”

Grarl pulled back the bow and a silvery arrow appeared in it. He fired, and Digger cried out in pain as it hit him.

“It’s your move…” muttered Raphael.



[B](R: 7,350) (D: 6,500)


Digger drew a card.

Well, he thought. I might be able to take out his whole side now, but first thing’s first…

“I play Silent Doom,” he said, playing a card. “Now I’ll bring back my Skull Servant in Defense Mode…”

Skull Servant appeared, and shielded itself.

“Next, I’ll activate my facedown card,” he said, as his facedown Spell Card lifted. “Inferno Reckless Summon. Now I can summon my other two Skull Servants from my deck.”

Two more Skull Servants appeared, these ones in Attack Mode. (300/200)

“Of course, you are now able to summon all copies you have of a Monster you have on the field…”

“I decline…” muttered Raphael.

I couldn’t if I wanted to, he thought. My deck doesn’t have any duplicate Monsters.

“Now to use Mass Driver again!” laughed Digger. “Fire one!”

One of the Servants in Attack Mode was absorbed into the weapon, and it fired at Raphael again.

Raphael held his chest, and stared at Digger.

“Fire t…” started Digger.

“I activate a Trap!” interrupted Raphael. “Limit Tribute!”

Another of his Traps lifted.

“So long as this Continuous Trap is active,” he said, “both of us are only allowed to sacrifice one Monster per turn. So you won’t be sacrificing those other two Zombies…”

Digger frowned.

“Excelion, attack Grarl!” he shouted.

Excelion blasted his beam of pure light…

“I activate another Trap!” shouted Raphael. “Self Tribute!”

The last Trap lifted.

Grarl shielded himself, and staggered back as the beam hit him, but he survived.

“By paying 1,000 Life Points,” said Raphael, “I can keep a Monster from being destroyed in battle.”

“And it cost you another 1,000 from the battle itself!” laughed Digger. “This is almost too easy.

“I’ll end by placing another Monster in Defense Mode…”

A facedown Monster appeared.



[B](R: 4,950) (D: 6,500)


“We’ll soon see about that…” said Raphael, drawing two cards.

He looked at them.

“Since I have Shooting Star Bow on the field,” he said, I can now summon Guardian Ceal to field!”

He played the card, and a bonfire appeared on the field. A hulking creature with a wolf’s head with red scales in leather armor, holding a bow similar to the one Grarl had stepped out of the flames. (1,700/1,400)



http://www.ideal808.com/images/dcr_006.jpg


“Ceal, attack the Skull Servant in Attack Mode!” ordered Raphael. “Blazing bow!”

An arrow of pure fire appeared in Ceal’s bow, and he fired a shot, blowing the Skull Servant to pieces. Digger grunted…

“Now, Grarl attacks your other Servant…” continued Raphael.

Grarl fired his own bow, and the last Skull Servant blew to pieces.

“I’ll end my turn there,” he said.



[B](R: 4,950) (D: 5,100)


“Very well…” said Digger, drawing a card. “First I’ll play Emergency Provisions to dispose of my Mass Driver…”

He played the card, and a huge mouth appeared on the field, and devoured the huge weapon.

“Next,” he said, “I’ll sacrifice my Divine Dragon Excelion for… another Divine Dragon Excelion!”

The Dragon on the field vanished into sparkles of light, and was replaced by an identical one. (1,500/900)

“Why’d he do that?” asked Valon. “What difference does it make?”

“With Excelion, it makes a big difference…” answered Alister.

“Indeed,” said Digger. “Now that I have two Excelions in my Graveyard, this one gets two effects. First it gains 1,000 Attack Points, like the last one. Second, it gains the ability to attack a second Monster if it destroys one first.

“So… Excelion, attack Guardian Ceal!”

Excelion blasted a beam of energy again…

…and then it was halted by an invisible barrier.

“What?” said Digger, in surprise. “How did you stop it this time?”

Raphael smirked.

“Remember when I discarded five cards to play Guardian Treasure?” he asked. “One card I discarded was a very useful Spell Card called Rescuer From the Grave. When this card exists in my Graveyard, I can remove five cards there from play, and negate an attack.”

“Fine…” muttered Digger. “But I don’t think you have enough to do that again…

“I’ll place two cards facedown, and end my turn…”

He played two cards, and they appeared facedown.

“I’m not exactly keeping track,” said Valon. “How many cards does he have left in his Graveyard?”

Alister did a quick count.

“He had eight,” he answered. “And he just removed five from play. More than likely, he kept Gravity Axe and Rescuer itself… But he doesn’t have enough to do it a second time…”

Raphael drew two cards.

Finally… he thought.

“I summon Backup Gardna in Defense Mode,” he stated.

He played the card, and a muscular, feral-looking Beast-Warrior appeared. It had a mane of wine-red hair, sharp claws and teeth, and its only clothing was a loincloth. It crouched in defense. (500/2,200)

“Now I activate Backup Gardna’s special ability…” said Raphael. “It lets me transfer an Equip Card from one Monster to another. So I’ll move Shooting Star Bow from Grarl to Ceal.”

The Bow vanished from Grarl’s hands, and then appeared in Ceal’s. Grarl regained his full Attack Score.

“And now I activate Ceal’s ability,” continued Raphael. “By destroying one Equip Card he’s holding, he can destroy one Monster.

“Ceal, wipe out Excelion!”

The bow crumbled, and Ceal threw a flaming spear forward. Excelion howled, and was consumed in flame.

“Now that that’s done with,” continued Raphael, “Ceal, wipe out his last defense!”

Ceal lifted his bow and fired at the facedown Monster. Another Shining Angel appeared on the card, and was blown to pieces.

“Grarl, attack him directly!”

Grarl lifted his axe…

“I activate… Chaos Barrier Field!” shouted Digger, as his Trap lifted. “This forces your Monster to attack your weakest Monster, meaning Grarl’s attack is redirected towards Grave Protector.”

Grarl turned, and slammed his axe into the Fiend, who fended it off with the Rod.

“Fortunately,” continued Digger, “Grarl’s Attack and that thing’s Defense are equal, so no damage is done.”

“Indeed,” said Raphael. “I’ll set two cards facedown, and end my turn.”

He played two cards, and they appeared.

Digger drew a card.

“I play Pot of Greed,” he said, playing the card. “Now, I’ll draw twice…”

He drew two cards, and looked at them.

“Heh, heh, heh, heh, heh…” he laughed.

“I play… Monster Reborn!” he shouted. “And I’ll bring back the Skull Servant that I used my Mass Driver on…”

Skull Servant appeared again.

“Next,” he continued, “I’ll activate my facedown card, The League of Uniform Nomenclature.”

A weird-looking Trap with the image of three grinning Ojama Yellows lifted up.

“This Trap can be triggered when I have a Normal Monster that has two stars or less on my side of the field,” he said, “and it lets me Special Summon the other two copies from my deck.”

I knew what it did… thought Raphael, now annoyed.

The other two Skull Servants appeared. (300/200 x3)

“Next…” he said, “I play Thunder Crash!”

He played the card, and the three Skull Servants shattered. A bolt of lightning blasted forward and struck Raphael. He winced.



[B](R: 4,050) (D: 6,100)


“That was pathetic…” he growled.

“Then try this…” said Digger. “I summon King of the Skull Servants!”

He played a card, and a ghostly form rose up in front of him. It was a tall, skeletal form dressed in a long, blue robe.



http://www.ideal808.com/images/tlm-en032.jpg


“This guy’s Attack Score is 1,000 for every Skull Servant and additional King in my Graveyard,” said Digger. “And guess what? I discarded another King to play Lightning Vortex!”

(4,000/0)

“King of the Skull Servants…” ordered Digger, “attack Guardian Ceal with blazing skull!”

The Zombie held out his hand, and a burning skull appeared in its claw…

“I activate… Absolute End!” shouted Raphael.

One of his facedown cards lifted.

“This Trap Card turns your attack on my Monster into a direct attack on me!”

Digger stared in shock.

“You’re crazy!” he shouted.

“I can’t watch…” said Valon, covering his eyes.

King of the Skull Servants hurled the skull…

A great explosion erupted around Raphael…

“Heh, heh, heh…” laughed Digger. “Well… If you care for your Monsters so much that you’d choke down an attack that powerful and lose almost all your Life Points to save them, be my guest!”

The smoke started to clear…

Raphael was still standing, with a smirk on his face…



[B](R: 4,050) (D: 6,100)


“What?” gasped Digger.

Raphael pointed. He had triggered the other Trap.

“It’s called Spirit Barrier,” he said. “This keeps me from losing Life Points in a battle so long as I have at least one Monster on my side of the field. I didn’t feel a thing.

“You see, Digger, just as I protect them, they find ways to protect me…

“And I think I finally see what makes you tick… Excelion, King of the Skull Servants… your whole strategy is the exact opposite of mine.

“While I won’t send any Monsters to the grave, your Monsters all benefit from other Monsters being there. You consider your lesser Monsters as fuel for the greater ones.

“And that’s just sad…”

“Sticks and stones,” said Digger, placing his last card in his Disk.

It appeared in front of him.

“Fine,” said Raphael, drawing two cards. “Have it your way…

“I use Gardna’s ability to transfer Rod of Silence to Ceal,” he said.

The Rod vanished from Grave Protector’s hands, and appeared in Ceal’s.

“Now I’ll use Ceal’s effect again. Ceal, destroy King of the Skull Servants!”

The Rod shattered. Ceal hurled his flaming spear, and the Zombie was burned to ashes.

“Ceal, Grarl, attack him directly!”

Ceal aimed his bow, and Grarl flew forward with his axe.

“I activate Dark Wall of Wind!” shouted Digger.

His facedown card lifted, and a dark tornado surrounded him. Grarl was thrown back, and Ceal’s arrow was deflected.

“Well, it’s still my turn…” said Raphael, playing a Spell Card, “and I play Purity of the Cemetery.”

A Spell Card appeared.

“Now, every time you start your turn, you’ll lose 100 Life Points for every Monster in your Graveyard. And if memory serves me correctly, you have eight of them there so far.

“Next, I play Fairy of the Spring.”

He played a Spell Card, and a phantom form with wings holding two blades appeared behind him.

“This lets me retrieve one Equip Spell Card from my Graveyard. I can’t use it this turn, but it may come in handy.”

A card slipped out of his discard slot. He looked at the Rod of Silence.

“It’s your move…”

“I draw one card…” said Digger.

He drew. He groaned as the Purity card glowed.



[B](R: 4,050) (D: 5,300)


“I suggest you end this while you still can,” warned Raphael. “The Seal hasn’t been played yet, after all, and the only card you have is the one you just drew.”

“True…” said Digger. “But this one card is a great one!”

He played the card.

“I play Turnabout Treasure!” he laughed.

“Okay, now I’m really confused…” said Valon.

“It’s an incredibly rare card,” explained Digger. “This Spell can only be used when I have no cards on my side of the field and it’s the only one in my hand. When those conditions are right I get to draw one card for every card on my opponent’s side of the field.

“And it seems you have four Monsters, two Spell Cards, and two Trap Cards, meaning I get to draw…”

“…eight cards?” gasped Alister.

“You got it!” laughed Digger, making multiple draws.

My secret weapon… he thought looking at one of the cards. Just what I need to put this has-been in his place… But let’s play some others first…

“I play Premature Burial,” he said, playing a card. “I’ll pay 800 Life Points to bring back my King of the Skull Servants.”

The Zombie lord appeared. (4,000/0)

“But don’t worry,” he continued, “I don’t intend to attack with it. I’ll instead play Mystik Wok to sacrifice it and boost my Life Points.”

The Spell Card appeared, and the King vanished.



[B](R: 4,050) (D: 8,500)


“And now, a card you’re quite familiar with…”

His field slot opened…

“I play The Seal of Orichalcos!”

In a flash, the dark circle formed around the field, and Valon and Alister were thrown backwards.

“Uh… hang in there, mate…” said Valon, picking himself up. “It’s… nothing we haven’t seen before…”

“Yeah…” said Valon. “And every time I see it now, I get a little more sick of it…”

“So now what, Digger?” asked Raphael. “I have four Monsters on my side of the field, and you have none…”

“In one second…” said Digger, holding up a card, “you won’t have any either… I see no facedown card that could be another Guardian Force…”

“What?” said Raphael. “You’re only allowed to have one copy of Lightning Vortex in your deck.”

Digger’s eyes narrowed.

“This is a different card…” he said, with an evil smile.

“Dark Hole and Raigeki are illegal…” said Raphael with a sneer.

“Keep going…” said Digger.

Raphael looked at him.

“What are you intending to use?” he asked. “Some sort of Card of Sin?”

“No…” said Digger. “It’s a perfectly legitimate card made by Industrial Illusions. Very rare… and very dangerous in the right hands…”

He played a Spell Card.

“I play… Cemetery Change…”

The card appeared on the field, and the ground started to shake…

“It costs me 1,000 Life Points, but it’s so worth it…” said Digger in a sinister voice.

To Raphael’s utter horror, the ground erupted in a series of explosions, and the four Monsters in front of him bellowed…

Then they shattered into bits…

“And destroying every Monster on the field is only the first effect…” continued Digger, with an evil smile.

Both the discard slots on their Disks glowed with fiery energy…

“Now, every card in my Graveyard switches places with every card in yours,” he said.

They glowing stopped…

“Of course…” mentioned Digger, “your Purity of the Cemetery card goes away, because your Graveyard is no longer… pure.”

The Spell Card shattered.

Raphael’s only apparent response to this was an angry glare. He looked at Digger.

He clenched his right fist…



Continued…

[Dark Sage]

Continued from last post:


“What has he done…” muttered Alister.

“Well, let’s see…” answered Digger. “I believe I’ve found a way to defeat this has-been!

“And it’s still my move…”

He placed a card on his Disk.

“I summon Mudora in Attack Mode…”

In a flash of light, an earthen fighter in Egyptian garb holding a scimitar appeared. (1,500/1,800) –> (2,000/1,800)



http://www.ideal808.com/images/dcr-0761.jpg


“Normally, it would gain 200 Attack Points for every Fairy in my Graveyard,” he continued, “but I don’t have any. Two bad you had Grarl and Ceal out and not Elma, eh?”

Raphael glared at him again…

“Anywhoo…” continued Digger. “I play Rush Recklessly to give it a small boost…”

He played a card, and Mudora went up to 2,700 Attack.

“Attack directly!” he shouted. “Kopesh slash!”

Mudora flew at Raphael.

He didn’t flinch in the slightest as the sword hit him.



[B](R: 1,350) (D: 7,500)


“Oh, I get it…” said Digger with a grin. “Speechless, huh? I’d be speechless too if my whole strategy had just been blown to Hell…”

There was a long pause.

Finally, Raphael spoke.

“I really hope…” he said with a growl, “that you enjoyed that…

“Because this duel is far from over, and when it’s done, I’m sending your sorry ass to Hell!”

He drew two cards off of his Disk.

“Now he’s done it...” said Valon. “He’s made Raph MAD!”

“Listen to me, you sadistic son of a bitch,” shouted Raphael, “my anger is centered in my cards, and I’m going to unload all of it on you in the worst way possible!”

He played a Spell Card.

“I use my own Emergency Provisions, to send my Spirit Barrier and Limit Tribute to the grave and gain 2,000 Life Points!”

He played the card, and the mouth appeared and devoured the two cards.

“Then I play… Monster Reborn!”

He played the card, and the holy ankh appeared.

Digger’s Graveyard glowed, and a mote flew out of it…

Backup Gardna appeared, crouching in Defense Mode. (500/2,200)

“So now, one of my Monsters is back where he belongs…” said Raphael. “On hallowed ground…”

He took another card from his hand.

“Next, I Equip Gardna with the card I got from Fairy of the Spring… Rod of Silence!”

The Rod fell from the sky, piercing the Seal, and Gardna caught it. His Defense went up to 2,700.

“And that lets me summon someone new…” he continued. “Come forth… Guardian Kay’est, in Attack Mode!”

A waterspout shot up on his side of the field, and a lovely mermaid appeared out of it, her long tail bearing sparkling scales, holding a rod like Gardna’s. She wore a blouse made of golden silk. (1,000/1,800)



http://www.ideal808.com/images/dcr_009.jpg


She angrily glared at Digger.

“Now, I’m safe from you unless you can summon a Monster who has more than 2,200 Attack Points,” said Raphael. “It won’t be able to beat Gardna’s Defense, and Kay’est can’t be attacked at all, due to her effect. And she’s immune to Spells too.”

“You’ll still lose in the end…” said Digger.



[B](R: 3,350) (D: 7,500)


He drew one card.

He was clearly disappointed.

“I’ll play a Monster in Defense Mode…” he muttered.

A facedown Monster appeared.

“Your move…”

Raphael drew twice.

“I’m turning this around…” he said. “I play… Double Spell!”

He played the card.

“Now, by discarding one other Spell Card…” he said.

He made one discard.

“I can duplicate one Spell Card in your Graveyard. And I choose… Gravity Axe!”

In a flash of light, the Gravity Axe appeared in Gardna’s hands.

“That ends my turn…” he said, somberly.

What is he up to? thought Digger. There’s no way he could summon Grarl again…

He drew a card.

“I’ll place another Monster in Defense Mode, and end my turn…” he said.

A second facedown Monster appeared.

Raphael drew two cards.

“Well…” he said. “I may have only copied Gravity Axe, but it may as well be the real thing. I play Spell Reproduction!”

He played a Spell Card.

“Now, by discarding two other Spell Cards…”

He made two discards.

“…I can replay any Spell Card in my Graveyard a second time. And I choose Monster Reborn!”

The ankh appeared again, and a hulking form appeared in front of him.

“Grarl, welcome back…” he muttered.

(2,500/2,000)

Grarl and Kay’est turned to each other and nodded.

“Next…” he continued, “I’ll use Gardna’s effect to transfer the Axe to Grarl…”

The Axe vanished, and Grarl hefted a much fancier axe. (3,000/2,000)

“Grarl, attack Mudora!” shouted Raphael.

Grarl charged and made a savage chop at the sand Fairy. It exploded into dust.



[B](R: 3,350) (D: 6,500)


“It’s your move…” muttered Raphael.

Digger frowned as he drew.

“HA!” he laughed. “I play a powerful Spell Card. It’s called simply… Reprocessing Plant.”

He played the card, and it showed the image of Cyber Commander looking over metal scrap being sorted on an assembly line.

“I have to pay 2,000 Life Points, and in return, every Spell and Trap Card in each Graveyard except this one is returned to the decks of the original owners… Placed at the bottom of what we have left, of course.”

The Graveyards glowed, and several cards appeared in front of the two of them. Raphael and Digger took them, and placed them under what remained of their decks.

“Sadly, that didn’t help any Monsters,” added Digger. “I’ll set a third Monster in Defense, and end my turn…”



[B](R: 3,350) (D: 4,500)


“One, two…” said Raphael, making two draws.

He played a card.

“I play… Pot of Greed!” he announced.

The wicked jar appeared, and then shattered. He made two more draws, giving him a hand of four.

He grinned as he looked at them.

“I Equip Backup Gardna with a new Equip…” he said. “Butterfly Dagger!”

Like a dart from above, a delicate, dagger made of silver pierced through the dome of the Seal, and landed by Gardna. He looked at it strangely.

“And that lets me summon its owner to the field…” he continued, as clouds started to cover Marble Cemetery. “I summon you… Guardian Elma!”

A sparkle of fairy dust cascaded down from the heavens, and a beautiful woman appeared, dancing a fancy pirouette. She was dressed like some Fairy princess… Identical to the spirit that had led him to this place. (1,300/1,200)



http://www.ideal808.com/images/dcr_005.jpg


She frowned angrily at Digger…

“This is crazy…” muttered Valon. “Every draw he’s making is giving him exactly what cards he needs…”

“Truly…” said Alister, “there’s a higher force at work… Digger made someone else besides Raphael angry…”

“And once again…” continued Raphael, “I’ll use Gardna’s effect to arm Elma with her Dagger…”

The Butterfly Dagger vanished, and appeared in Elma’s hand. Her Attack rose to 1,600.

“Grarl, attack his facedown Monster on the far left!” shouted Raphael.

Grarl charged with his axe…

A Masked Dragon appeared on the card, and it was smashed it bits.

“Thank you…” chuckled Digger. “By sending Masked Dragon to the grave, I get to summon another weak Dragon from my deck, like another Masked Dragon!”

A second Masked Dragon appeared, in Defense Mode. (1,400/1,100) –> (1,900/1,100)



http://www.ideal808.com/images/sod-en0261.jpg


“Then Elma attacks your second one!” replied Raphael. “Elma, attack with Fouette passé!”

Elma danced towards the Dragon, and then did a perfect split, driving her dagger into its ribs. It shattered into bits.

Digger took a third card from his deck, and a third Masked Dragon appeared.

“I end my turn…” said Raphael.

Digger drew a card.

He made a slight smirk.

“I’m passing for this turn…” he said.

Raphael made two draws again.

“Now, let’s complete the set…” he said.

He discarded one card.

“I discard one card from my hand, to arm Gardna with Wicked-Breaking Flamberge!”

He discarded a card, and placed a Spell Card in his last available slot. Another weapon fell from the sky. This one was a nasty-looking sword made of dark metal, with a long hilt.

“I always wondered…” muttered Valon. “What is a Flamberge?”

“I guess it’s a… very big sword…” answered Alister. “Bigger than a scimitar, not quite as big as a claymore.”

“And that lets me summon this guy…” said Raphael, revealing a card. “The black sheep of the Guardians… Appear before me… Guardian Baou!”

He threw a card on his final spot in his Monster Zone, and a dark shadow appeared on the field. A thin, skeletal Fiend with ragged, shock-white hair and leathery, bat-like wings stepped out. (800/400)

His eyes glowed with anger as he looked towards Digger…



http://www.ideal808.com/images/dcr-008.jpg


“And once more…” continued Raphael. “I’ll transfer Baou’s Flamberge to him, which increases his Attack Score by 500 points!”

The huge sword vanished, and reappeared in Baou’s hand. He spun it around like it was no heavier than a feather. (1,300/400)

“Five Monsters…” laughed Digger. “Oh, whatever will I do…”

Raphael grit his teeth in rage…

“Baou, demolish his last Masked Dragon!” shouted Raphael. “Breaking blade break!”

The demon flew forward and sliced the Dragon in twain! The pieces shattered.

“And when Baou destroys a Monster in battle,” said Raphael, “his Attack Points rise by 1,000!”

Baou glowed with black fire… (2,300/400)

“Grarl, attack the facedown Monster on the left!” shouted Raphael.

Grarl leapt to attack, and a Troop Dragon appeared on the card. It was smashed to pieces.

Digger placed a card on his Disk, and a new Troop Dragon appeared. (700/800) –> (1,200/800)



http://www.ideal808.com/images/lod-042.jpg


“Frustrating, isn’t it?” he asked.

“Elma… Kay’est,” said Raphael. “Destroy his Troop Dragons!”

Kay’est sang a lovely song, and a sonic wave blasted towards the Troop Dragon, shattering it. A third one appeared. Elma drove her dagger into it, and it burst.

“Your move…” said Raphael.

Digger drew.

“I place one card facedown, and that will be all,” he said, playing a card.

A facedown card appeared.

Raphael drew two cards.

He looked at them.

“Grarl, attack the last facedown Monster!” he shouted.

Grarl leapt forward with his axe…

A small squirrel formed on the card, and was sliced in half.



http://www.ideal808.com/images/db1-en51.jpg


“Thanks a bunch…” laughed Digger. “That was a Nimble Momonga. Now I gain 1,000 Life Points, and get to summon two more!”

Two more facedown Monsters appeared.

“Oh, really?” asked Raphael. “I have news for you… When a Monster wielding Baou’s Flamberge destroys a Monster, that Monster’s effect is rendered… invalid!

“Baou, take out another Momonga!”

Baou made a savage swipe with his Flamberge, and another of the squirrels was cut in half.

“And now, Baou becomes even stronger…” continued Raphael.

Baou rose to an Attack of 3,300

“Kay’est, destroy the last one! Siren’s song!”

Kay’est sang her lovely melody again, and the last Momonga shattered.

“And now…” said Raphael, “Elma attacks you directly!”

Guardian Elma danced towards her foe, and did a split again, driving her dagger into Diggers stomach. He shouted in pain…



[B](R: 3,350) (D: 4,900)


“It’s your move…” muttered Raphael.

Digger drew a card.

“Well, it’s about that time…” he said with a chuckle.

His facedown card lifted.

“I activate Call of the Haunted, to revive one Momonga,” he said.

A Nimble Momonga reappeared. (1,000/100) –> (1,500/100)

“And then…” he said. “I sacrifice it…”

The Nimble Momonga was consumed in a dark shadow…

“To summon… Shadow Ghoul!”

A hideous-looking Monster arose. It resembled nothing less that some giant, rotting horse, with four taloned legs, two clawed arms, and numerous bumps on its face that suggested eyes. The stench of the grave wafted over the cursed arena, and it glared at Raphael and his small army with a dead glare. (1,600/1,300)



http://www.ideal808.com/images/mrd-090.jpg


“Well, that’s certainly a surprise,” muttered Raphael, sarcastically. “That Monster fits you Digger… What better Monster for a ghoul who robs graves than a real ghoul?”

“You can insult me all you like,” laughed Digger, “because I don’t care. And in addition to the 500-point bonus that the Orichalcos grants to this loveable creature, it gains 100 Attack Points for every Monster in my Graveyard…

“That includes Ceal and Grave Protector, by the way…”

(3,300/1,300)

“Oh… but wait…” he said. “He has exactly the same Attack Score as Baou! What will I do?

“I know…”

He played a Spell Card.

“I play Heavy Storm!”

A fierce wind blew across the field! Raphael’s Guardian Treasure card blew to pieces, then the Rod of Silence in Gardna’s hands shattered, then Elma’s Dagger shattered, then Grarl’s Axe blew to bits, and finally, Baou’s sword blew to pieces as well!

The Guardians looked dumbfounded. Grarl fell to an Attack of 2,500, Elma to 1,300, Baou to 2,800, and Gardna’s Defense fell to 2,200.

“And without those…” said Digger, “there’s no way to summon them again once they’re gone!

“You try so hard to protect them? Well protect them from this! Shadow Ghoul, attack Guardian Elma with green vapor shroud!”

Elma gasped in fear… The Ghoul roared, and then shot a blast of green energy at the Fairy…

And then it was halted by an invisible barrier…

“What?” said Digger, in surprise. “There were no Traps left on the field! There wasn’t even anything you could have chained!”

Raphael grinned, and held up five cards…

Three Skull Servants, and two Kings of the Skull Servants.

“Remember my Rescuer From the Grave?” he asked. “I used it to remove these five cards from play, and negate the attack.”

“WHAT?” shouted Digger. “Impossible! My Cemetery Change transferred that card from your Graveyard to mine, and then my Reprocessing Plant card put it back in your deck!”

“Can you show me the rule where it says I’m only allowed to have one copy?” asked Raphael. “I discarded my second one in order to play Double Spell.

“I must admit… I never dreamed I’d ever use it to remove Monsters from play… Up until now, I always used it to remove Spells and Traps. But that is hardly a requirement for that card.”

He tossed the five cards aside.

“Fine…” growled Digger. “Make your move… See if you can defeat my Ghoul…”

“I draw one card this time…” said Raphael.

He drew.

“No, this one is no good,” he said. “I pass for this turn.”

“Ergh!” shouted Digger, drawing a card. “Shadow Ghoul, attack Elma again!”

The Ghoul shot his green vapor shroud forward, but the barrier blocked it again.

Raphael held up the three Divine Dragon Excelions, Keldo, and Pot of Greed…

“You can’t do it forever!” shouted Digger.

“I doubt that will be a problem…” said Raphael.

“I’ll place one Monster in Defense Mode, and end my turn…” muttered Digger.

A facedown Monster appeared.

Raphael drew one card.

NO! he thought. Not this card…

He paused.

This was what I used to force the Pharaoh to play the Seal… Why didn’t I burn it along with Dreadscythe…

He paused.

Perhaps if I use it to defeat the Orichalcos rather than serve it… One good deed will at least begin to atone for all the bad ones…

“I place two cards facedown…” he said, playing two cards.

Two facedown cards appeared.

“And now I play… Shrink!”

He played the Spell Card, and Shadow Ghoul fell to half its size! (1,650/650)

Digger gasped…

“Baou, destroy the Shadow Ghoul!” shouted Raphael.

Guardian Baou flew forward with his sword, and cleaved the Ghoul in half!

Baou’s Attack rose to 3,800.

“Grarl, take out his last defense!”

Grarl charged towards the facedown card. Keldo appeared on the card, and was smashed to bits.

“Kay’est, Elma… Attack directly!”

Kay’est sang her lovely song, and Digger cringed as the sonic waves tore through him…

Then Elma leapt up, and kicked him in the teeth.



[B](R: 3,350) (D: 1,450)


“Very good…” muttered Digger. “But I’ll still have the last laugh…”

He drew a card.

“I have a Monster even better than that Ghoul, and unlike him, I don’t have to sacrifice a thing…”

“Wait a second…” said Valon.

“He doesn’t mean…” said Alister.

“Oh, I do…” said Digger, with an evil grin.

He placed a card on his Disk.

“I summon the dreaded Chaos Necromancer!”

With a chilling laugh, a dreadful-looking Fiend appeared in front of him. It was thin and gaunt, with red skin, and clothing that suggested royalty. It had sharp teeth, pointed ears, and glowing eyes under a mane of tangled black hair. (0/0)



http://www.ideal808.com/images/ioc-017.jpg


“To make up for his nonexistent Attack and Defense Score,” said Digger, “he gains 300 Points for both scores for every Monster in my Graveyard, and that balance now has two more due to your last move. Add the 500-point bonus that the Orichalcos gives him, and… Well… See for yourself…”

(5,000/5,000)

“Five-thousand?” shouted Valon and Alister, together.

“When this attack hits,” shouted Digger, “you lose! Chaos Necromancer, attack Guardian Elma with curtain-call catapult!”

The Necromancer threw up his arms, and prepared to cast a mighty spell…

“Sorry to ruin your plans…” said Raphael. “Activate Trap Card! Crystal Seal!”

His Trap Card lifted, and Chaos Necromancer was encased in a block of crystal.

“Humph!” said Digger. “A desperate attempt! I know how that card works! All I have to do to free my Monster is raise or lower his Attack Score. And since that would happen if a Monster is added to or removed from my Graveyard, that will hardly be difficult. And need I remind you… You’re almost out of cards!”

True, thought Raphael. But the two cards in my hand are my best…



Continued…

[Dark Sage]

Continued from last post:



“I believe it’s my move…” he said.

He drew. He looked at the Spell Card.

Very well, he thought. This was exactly what I needed to teach this fool and whoever sent him a painful lesson…

“I just drew Soul Release,” he said. “With this, I can remove from play up to five cards in my Graveyard… Or yours.

“However… I will only remove one. Namely, your Call of the Haunted.”

He played the card, and the Trap fell out of Digger’s discard slot.

“What’s the point?” asked Digger.

“Next,” he said. “I’ll activate my last Trap… I only used this Trap as a true last resort…”

His facedown card lifted. It showed the image of the six Guardians fleeing from a dark shape.

“It’s a rare card called Guardian Retreat,” he said. “Now, every Guardian on my side of the field returns to my hand.

“So come on back, everyone!”

He took the cards off his Disk, and Elma, Kay’est, Grarl, and Baou vanished.

“HA, HA, HA!” laughed Digger. “All their weapons are gone! You can’t summon them again!”

“True…” said Raphael. “But there’s still someone who I can summon…”

Thunder flashed.

“Wait…” said Digger. “You don’t mean…”

Raphael took a card from his hand…

“I Equip Backup Gardna with Celestial Sword!” he shouted.

The clouds parted, and a gleaming, shining sword that could only have been forged in Heaven itself fell, piercing the Seal and landing in Gardna’s hands. He bowed his head.

“You dug a lot of graves in your time, Digger, but in this duel, you only dug your own. By attacking with that Ghoul, you let me activate Rescuer From The Grave twice, and remove from play all the Monsters you put in my Graveyard with Cemetery Change.

“And while you contaminated my Graveyard, it now has no Monsters again, so my most powerful cards will now function as normal. And my most powerful Guardian can now be summoned with no sacrifice.”

He held up his last card, and lightning started to flash! The wind bellowed! The trees of Marble Cemetery shook as the sky grew dark…

“Descend, mighty seraphim of the Higher Plane!” shouted Raphael. “I summon… [B]Guardian Aitos!”

He threw the card on his Disk…

At first nothing seemed to happen. In fact, the storm gave way to an eerie, dead calm…

Then a beam of light pierced the clouds, and a form flew out of the sky…

From a distance, it looked like some great bird with white feathered wings, but as it approached, it became clearer that it had a more human shape…

It was an angel…

She had lovely feathered wings, along with a feathered headdress shaped like a hawk’s head. Her clothing suggested that of a Native American, leather and splendidly sewn. Her face showed both power and wisdom at the same time. She looked very young, but a glance in her eyes showed a spirit that was eternal…

She flew through the Seal, and landed beside Raphael…

(2,500/2,000)

“No…” muttered Digger. “I…”

He paused.

“What’s the matter?” asked Raphael. “I thought you were prepared for her?”

“I thought…” muttered Digger, “…if you had Monsters in your Graveyard… The only way you could bring her out… Was to sacrifice your Monsters… And you wouldn’t…”

“You failed!” snapped Raphael.

He paused.

“One hundred years ago…” he said, “this Monster’s appearance meant victory for the Orichalcos so many times… Well, this time, she’s going to hand it a defeat…

“I use Gardna’s effect to transfer Aitos’s Sword to her!”

The Celestial Sword vanished, and appeared in Aitos’s hands…

“Any Monster armed with this Equip gains 300 Attack Points for every Monster in my opponent’s Graveyard,” started Raphael. “And while that may be true for Aitos…”

Aitos rose to an Attack of 7,000.

“…when Aitos hold her own weapon, I can drive the point home even harder. By sending it to the Graveyard, I can remove the Monsters in your Graveyard from play, from the top down, until I reach a Spell or Trap…

“Of course… Since I didn’t remove Reprocessing Plant from play, that means Ceal and Grave Protector will be spared. Your Monsters, however…”

Aitos’s Sword shattered. Digger’s Disk started to shake…

Then Monsters started to fly out! Keldo came first, and was absorbed into Aitos. Then came Shadow Ghoul, then three Nimble Momongas, then three Troop Dragons, then three Masked Dragons, and finally, Mudora…

Aitos started to glow with golden fire!

“And now, the base Attack Scores of all those Monsters are added to that of Aitos!” continued Raphael.

Aitos’s Attack fell to 2,500…

And then skyrocketed… to 16,100!

Digger slunk back in fear…

Then, to add insult to injury, the Crystal Seal shattered, and Chaos Necromancer fell to an attack of only 1,100.

“Ah, yes…” muttered Raphael. “Only two Monsters in your Graveyard now…”

He looked up.

“Here’s a message to whomever sent this bastard,” he said, “because I know you’re watching. Let the return of Aitos serve as a sign… That the Orichalcos will fall, just like it did one hundred years ago…

“Guardian Aitos… Attack Chaos Necromancer with holy smite of Heaven!”

Thunder rolled again, and two swords of pure light appeared in Aitos’s hands. She spread her wings and flew forward, trailing motes of golden light…

As she stuck the Fiend, reality itself seemed to explode in a burst of pure light…



[B](R: 3,350) (D: 0)



[B]* * * * * * * * * * *


In the dark chamber, the dark figure screamed…

It fell off the throne of obsidian…

“Such… power!” it gasped.

It slowly got up. It held its head.

“This is bad…” it said. “Those three are dangerous. I don’t dare send anyone to make a third attempt…

“But what will they do if left alone?

“What will they plan?”



[B]* * * * * * * * * *


Raphael stood over Digger’s soulless body.

He turned his head over his shoulder.

“It’s safe to come out now…” he said.

Valon and Alister crept out from behind the large tombstone they had taken cover behind when the storm started that proceeded Aitos’s arrival.

“Is she gone?” asked Valon, scared.

“Yeah…” sighed Raphael.

That was a lie. She was standing right next to him.

He was holding Grave Protector… And Guardian Ceal.

After about a minute, Ceal appeared in front of him.

“I…” muttered Raphael. “I’m sorry… I never knew he would have used such an awful card…”

Aitos put her hand on Raphael’s shoulder.

”Raphael…” she said. ”In the game of Duel Monsters, no strategy is foolproof. No deck is without a weakness. No plan is perfect unless you are cheating. Do not blame yourself.

“Take pride in one thing…

“That cur did his hardest to destroy what worked for you for so long…

“But you found a way to defeat him anyway. Ceal will forgive, if you forgive yourself.”

Ceal came up, and offered his hand.

Raphael looked him in the eye, and then took it…

“So now what do we do?” asked Valon.

Raphael paused again.

“I’ve been giving that some thought,” he said.

He turned, and they walked towards the exit to the Marble Cemetery.

Aitos and Ceal followed. Then Elma, Baou, Kay’est, and Grarl appeared and followed as well.

Taking this odd phenomenon as if it was commonplace – after all, it was to him – Raphael continued.

“I doubt that Puppeteer guy will show up with Raviel gone,” he said. “So pretty soon, those three clowns are sure to want to duel the Chosen again. Before they do… We have to have a talk with one of them…”



[B]* * * * * * * * * *


That Friday at five o’clock…

Sersei was nervous. Russell had told her to meet her near the main gates.

She was startled as two hands covered her eyes.

“Surprise!” said Russell’s voice.

“Russell?” she said, nervously.

“Sersei…” he said. “Trisha and Jason told me about the whole thing with Cleo. I want to tell you two things…

“One, you are the craziest girl I have ever met…

“And two…”

He hugged her.

“Thank you… If you hadn’t done it, I might still be in that horrid place…

“But don’t you ever do that again, you hear? Or I’ll kick your butt!”

“Promise…” she said.

He looked in her eyes.

“Come on,” he said. “I know this great restaurant… You like Italian?”

“All except veal,” she replied. “Veal’s bad.”

“I know a place that makes great fettuccini Alfredo,” said Russell. “And the garlic bread is to die for if you don’t mind spending twenty minutes brushing your teeth the next morning.”

“By the way…” said Sersei, looking at the trenchcoat, “I like your new look… It makes you look so… mysterious…”



[B]* * * * * * * * *


Several hours later…

Russell was often surprised how things could change.

Before this week, Sersei’s style intimidated him, with the Monsters in her deck.

Now…

He was tired, but he wasn’t about to fall asleep yet. His arms were around her, and she was sleeping peacefully with a smile on her face.

She had lost her soul once in that horrid arena, and she risked losing it again to save him. He almost wished there was a way for her to give it to him, so that the folks he was fighting couldn’t steal it if they ever came looking for her again.

He put his head on her chest and heard her heart beat steadily…

After a few minutes, he was asleep too.


Friday, October 9th, 2006, 11:23 PM



BACKUP GARDNA (Monster Card)

Card Specs

Type: Beast-Warrior/Effect
Attribute: Dark
Level: 4
ATK: 500
DEF: 2,200

Card Description: This brute’s looks are deceptive. He is not a good fighter, and he doesn’t even like holding weapons. Once per your turn when this Monster is face-up on your side of the field, you can remove an Equip Spell Card Equipped to one Monster on your side of the field and Equip it to another Monster on your side of the field.



GUARDIAN FORCE (Trap Card)

Card Specs

Type: Trap/Counter
Attribute: –
Level: –
ATK: –
DEF: –

Image: A blast of raw, magical energy.

Card Description: You can activate this Trap when you have no Monsters in your Graveyard. Negate the activation of your opponent’s Spell Card and destroy it.



LIMIT TRIBUTE (Trap Card)

Card Specs

Type: Trap/Continuous
Attribute: –
Level: –
ATK: –
DEF: –

Card Description: So long as this Trap remains active, both players may only Tribute one Monster per turn.



SELF TRIBUTE (Spell Card)

Card Specs

Type: Spell/Quickplay
Attribute: –
Level: –
ATK: –
DEF: –

Card Description: You can activate this card when a Monster on your side of the field would be destroyed as a result of battle. Pay 1,000 Life Points to prevent the Monster from being destroyed. Battle damage still applies.



RESCUER FROM THE GRAVE (Spell Card)

Card Specs

Type: Spell
Attribute: –
Level: –
ATK: –
DEF: –

Image: A pious man in a robe, holding a staff up high, while standing atop a stone monument.

Card Description: When this card is in your Graveyard and your opponent declares an attack, you may remove five cards in your Graveyard from play to negate the attack. This effect may be activated multiple times. This card may be included in the five removed cards.



PURITY OF THE CEMETERY (Spell Card)

Card Specs

Type: Spell/Continuous
Attribute: –
Level: –
ATK: –
DEF: –

Image: The image of a bearded, hooded man looking over a serene cemetery.

Card Description: Destroy this card if you have any Monster Cards in your Graveyard. Your opponent loses 100 Life Points during each of his Standby Phases for each Monster he has in his Graveyard.



CRYSTAL SEAL (Trap Card)

Card Specs

Type: Trap/Continuous
Attribute: –
Level: –
ATK: –
DEF: –

Image: A purple gemstone with a feminine face inside it.

Card Description: Choose one Monster on the field. The chosen Monster cannot attack, and cannot be used as a Tribute. This card is destroyed if the ATK of the chosen Monster is raised or lowered.



CELESTIAL SWORD – AITOS (Spell Card)

Card Specs

Type: Spell/Equip
Attribute: –
Level: –
ATK: –
DEF: –

Image: Aitos’s face behind two crossed swords.

Card Description: Increase the ATK of the Monster Equipped with this card by 300 for every Monster in your opponent’s Graveyard. When this card is Equipped to “Guardian Aitos”, you may send this card to the Graveyard to remove the Monster Cards in your opponent’s Graveyard from play from the top down until you reach a Spell or Trap Card. Then, add the base ATK of each Monster removed from play to “Guardian Aitos”.



GUARDIAN AITOS (Monster Card)

Card Specs

Type: Fairy/Effect
Attribute: Wind
Level: 8
ATK: 2,500
DEF: 2,000

Card Description: The rarely seen Queen of the Guardians. She is a benevolent monarch of the Higher Planes. This Monster cannot be Normal Summoned, Flip-Summoned, or Special Summoned unless you have a “Celestial Sword – Aitos” on your side of the field. If you have no Monster Cards in your Graveyard, this Monster may be Normal Summoned or set with no Tributes.

Note: The proceeding nine cards were used by Raphael at various times in “Waking the Dragons”. All creative credit goes to the writers of the anime.



GUARDIAN RETREAT (Trap Card)

Card Specs

Type: Trap
Attribute: –
Level: –
ATK: –
DEF: –

Image: The six Guardians fleeing from a dark shape.

Card Description: Return all Monsters on your side of the field with the word “Guardian” in their names to your hand, except for "Celtic Guardian", "Winged Dragon, Guardian of the Fortress #1", "Winged Dragon, Guardian of the Fortress #2", "Guardian of the Labyrinth", “Guardian Angel Joan”, “Gate Guardian”, and “Dark Guardian”.



SECURITY BREACH (Spell Card)

Card Specs

Type: Spell/Quickplay
Attribute: –
Level: –
ATK: –
DEF: –

Image: Cliff the Trap Remover working on a security box with a pair of wire cutters.

Card Description: Discard one card from your hand. On the round when you activate this card, your opponent cannot activate facedown Trap and Spell Cards.



TURNABOUT TREASURE (Spell Card)

Card Specs

Type: Spell
Attribute: –
Level: –
ATK: –
DEF: –

Card Description: You can activate this card when you have no cards on your side of the field, and this is the only card in your hand. Draw one card for every card on your opponent’s side of the field.

Note: “Turnabout Treasure” will be used by Kenzan in the second season of “Yu-Gi-Oh GX”. All creative credit goes to the writers of that episode.



CEMETERY CHANGE (Spell Card)

Card Specs

Type: Spell
Attribute: –
Level: –
ATK: –
DEF: –

Image: Two hands moving handfuls of cards towards each other.

Card Description: Pay 1,000 Life Points. Destroy all Monsters on the field. Then, switch the cards in your Graveyard with the cards in your opponent’s Graveyard.

Note: “Cemetery Change” will be used by Chazz in the second season of “Yu-Gi-Oh GX”. All creative credit goes to the writers of that episode.



CHAOS BARRIER FIELD (Trap Card)

Card Specs

Type: Trap
Attribute: –
Level: –
ATK: –
DEF: –

Image: A black silhouette of a man with his hands on his head, with a red sphere to his right and a blue sphere to his left. A red arrow points from the red sphere to the blue sphere.

Card Description: Activate this card when you have no Monsters on your side of the field, your opponent declares an attack, and has more than one Monster face-up on his side of the field. Redirect the attack towards the Monster on your opponent’s side of the field with the lowest ATK. Then, end the Battle Phase.

Note: “Chaos Barrier Field” was used by Noah in the multi-part anime episode “Noah’s Final Threat”. All creative credit goes to the writers of that episode.



DARK WALL OF WIND (Spell Card)

Card Specs

Type: Spell/Quickplay
Attribute: –
Level: –
ATK: –
DEF: –

Image: A man being buffeted in a dark tornado.

Card Description: You can activate this card when you have no Monsters on your side of the field. During the round this card is activated, all Battle Damage and Effect Damage to your Life Points are reduced to zero.

Note: “Dark Wall of Wind” was used by Marik in the multi-part anime episode “The Darkness Returns”. All creative credit goes to the writers of that episode.



REPROCESSING PLANT (Spell Card)

Card Specs

Type: Spell
Attribute: –
Level: –
ATK: –
DEF: –

Image: The Cyber Commander looking over metal being processed on a factory belt.

Card Description: Pay 2,000 Life Points. Take all Spell and Trap Cards from each Graveyard, and place them at the bottom of the owners’ decks in any order the owners desire.



[I][B]Coming up next:

An old student comes to the Academy, and she has a message for the three Chosen Ones… But only if one of them can meet a two-part challenge. Who is this strange duelist, and what is the answer to her riddle? Find out in a chapter called “Question”, coming up next.

[Mystic_clown]

*claps* Bravo, bravo! I loved how you portrayed Raphael in this. By the way, what was the card Raphael was afraid of? Was it Aitos? Because I never really saw her as evil.

[Shuppet Master]

Great chapter, Brian. You outdid yourself yet again. Raphael was one of my favorites. :D

I sort of remembered how he used his deck to keep monsters from his graveyard, and it was sort of like how Mako revived Legendary Fisherman instead of his big-beater, because the card reminded him of his dad and he refused to believe his dad was dead. Great job.

I think the opponent was really interesting, too bad we didn't see cards like Disciple of the Forbidden Spell, but Excelion was just as good. I recall a story where Syrus battled Camula and let Vampire Lady hit him and discard two monsters from his play, and they were both Excelion. :)

Keep up the good work, and I can't wait to see who this old student is.

[Dark Sage]

Mystic Clown,


The card he was afraid of was Crystal Seal. As you recall, that's the card he used to force the Pharaoh to play the Seal of Orichalcos.

He would never be afraid of Aitos - she became almost his mother after he lost his real one.

[envoy of time]

Great chapter.I always liked Raph and how he treated his monsters.The arival and attack of Aitos just blew me away (and aparently the head hancho behind this whole plot.)And as for Russle it's the coat chicks dig the coat.

[Master of Paradox]

Well... that was boring...

Perhaps I'm still getting over my Guardian burnout after "Sister of Anansi", but this chapter left me feeling empty. There was no way you were going to toss the old Swordsmen at this point in the plot, so there was absolutely no suspense. Digger's deck felt more like a concept than a theme (there is a difference; it's about the same as the difference between using a card and playing it) - he bounced all over the place. And the final move was as subtle as killing a fly with a cannon.

And is it just me, or have your characters started swearing more in the last few chapters? At least this time it made sense, unlike, say, Sersei yelling, "Hey, bitch!" out of nowhere...

Speaking of Sersei, I'm still not buying her relationship with Russell. It came out of nowhere four chapters ago and doesn't feel right.

I'm afraid, in the end, there was nothing I liked about this chapter. Aside from all my other complaints, it felt like filler.

Your description of next chapter is so vague that I can't guess what's coming, so I have no comment.

[Blademaster]

Heh heh heh... That's our Master of Paradox! :D

I have to say, this chapter was pretty good... Raphael's deck is different from a normal Guardian Deck, I think; you portrayed it perfectly, DS.

However, I do have to agree with Paradox in that the Digger's deck seemed a little... Eh, I dunno... Excelion was pretty good, and KotSS is always nice, but something just seemed... off... I dunno.

Back on the plus side, though, the abundance of anime and made-up cards made me smile... I personally love made-up cards and think my own story needs more of them, so long as they aren't deu ex machines... I misspelled that, didn't I? :confused:

Anyway, I might have a slight idea about who's coming back next time, but... Well, wait and see, I guess...

Until next time, adios! :wave:

-Blade

EDIT: Heh, whoops... got a couple of characters mixed up... Sorry. :heh:

[jkBAKURA]

OK, I might as well come clean. I was the one who submitted a few ideas of the outline. I was paying back a debt, as he helped be tremendously with a chapter of my own. But I still say Dark Sage should get most of the credit.

The list of suggestions for Digger included Excelion, King of the Skull Servants, Mudora, and Cemetary Change. (keep in mind that at no point during the chapter did any of Raphael's monsters actually go to HIS graveyard.)

The original intent behind the Cemetary Change included the Dragon Stall earlier in the chapter. Raphael plows through the Dragons, only to run into a Buster Blader when they end up in Raphael's graveyard.

As neither one of us really made a complete outline beginning to end, things like the KoSS and Mudora may not have quite gotten up to their full potential, fine if one is going for realism, but the dramatics didn't quite get to the red zone. I found myself wishing that Grave Protector was one-sided on more then one occasion.

I also would like to note that Invented no cards for this chapter. Those were all DS. I'm glad to know that the chapter was popular, if maybe a bit forced into the story, but I couldn't let Raphael not get his ten minutes of fame.

So, I take partial responsibility for what could have been better, and am humble enough to re-direct attention back to the author for what worked.

[Dark Sage]

It's a bit early for a new chapter, but this is one chapter I am especially proud of. Besides, it starts the new "arc" of this story, so to speak.

Read on. And yes, the character of Amethyst is based on someone I know, who's true name I won't reveal. I will say however, that she's a wonderful person, and that she's a duelist too.

[B][I]I’ve been through so much doom and gloom lately, the duel I’m in right now is almost a relief.

My opponent doesn’t want to steal my soul, and she isn’t using any cursed cards… She even seems like a decent sort.

But that doesn’t make it any easier.

She knows a secret that we have to know, and she’ll only share that knowledge if I win this duel AND find out a personal secret about her on my own.

Doing both is proving harder than it would seem… Because she’s a good duelist…

…and as for what she wants me to figure out… I’m clueless.




[size=3][B]CHAPTER THIRTY-FOUR



http://www.ideal808.com/images/yugioh-dr1-en053.jpg



Saturday, October 10th, 2106, 9:37 AM



“Hear this, Chosen Ones… When midnight strikes and the tenth of November turns into the eleventh, the Black Moon will shine, and not even you three will be able to stop me…”

“That’s what this Fortunado guy told us,” said Trisha, as they walked into the library, “so basically, we have one month before the end of the world… Or whatever he was referring to…”

“We should be able to find something,” said Russell. “Unless it was a lot of hot air…

“I mean, why do the villains always have to make speeches, anyway? It’s like that all the time. I think they just like talking about themselves.”

He took a toothpick out of his pocket and clenched it between his teeth. Then he sat down at the computer and cracked his knuckles.

He started typing.

“We’ll just log onto the Virtual Almanac,” he said, “and cross-reference November 10th with ‘Black Moon’.”

He typed some things in.

”Searching…” said the search engine.

“Here we are…” said Russell.

They looked at a reference.

[B]The Black Moon: A phenomenon believed to accompany the Wiccan event called The Reckoning. Exact details unknown. Possibly a lunar eclipse.

“Okay…” said Jason. “We’re getting somewhere… Cross-reference ‘Wicca’ with ‘The Reckoning’.”

“Can’t you ever say ‘please’?” sighed Russell.

He started to type.

Eventually something came up on the screen.

They looked at the entry.

[B]The Reckoning: A belief held by Wicca, that an event happens every millennia where a force of evil and a force of good meet in mortal combat, and the result will change the outcome of history.

Russell frowned. Jason and Trisha shivered.

“Is there a Wiccan website?” asked Jason.

“Buddy, there’s a website for everything,” replied Russell. “Just give me a few minutes…”

Fifteen minutes later, he had found something.

“Here, guys,” he said. “This is the website owned by a Wicca practitioner who records the history of the religion…”

“Isn’t Wicca another name for a witch?” asked Trisha.

“There are a lot of misunderstandings about them,” said Jason, “many of which are simply not true.

“One train of thought says they worship the Devil. The truth is, they don’t… They don’t even believe in the existence of Satan or some supremely evil being.

“Another belief is that they cast evil spells. The truth is, they aren’t supposed to. They believe in something called the Three Times Rule. It states that if you hurt someone with magic, you suffer three times as much.”

“HA!” laughed Russell. “Whoever thought THAT up was certainly wrong! Or if it is, our problem should take care of itself.”

He continued to type.

“Basically,” said Jason, “most Wicca are just honest folk who have a religion that’s… different, as most pagan beliefs are. And since it’s older than Christianity by several thousand years, possibly even older than Judaism, it can hardly be called improper.”

“Yeah, but it’s… weird…” added Russell.

He finally found what he was looking for.

“Here we are…” he said. “A journal entry translated into English, written by someone named Sir Issac. Translated to the modern calendar, this entry was written on November 12th, 1106 AD…”

They stared at each other.

“We’re close to the one-thousand year anniversary of whatever this records!” gasped Trisha.

“Let’s take a look here…” said Russell

He read the footnotes.

“According to the description, Issac was a knight of the First Crusade… He certainly wasn’t a Wicca…”

He started to read.


[I]This to remember how we, the faithful Knights in service of our Lord, destroyed the tyrant of this town, Malay Crom, thus ending the abominable Reign of the Abomination.

At daybreak, we moved to free the city with just a small army, led by the loyal knights who had accompanied me from back home. A great uprising of the town population, however, having long suffered under Crom’s iron fist, supported us. This is good, for it is just to rebel against evil.

The citizens opened the main gate for us, and we swept like a righteous storm into the streets, bringing death to the minions of evil. After most of the day, the entire town was free, and Malay Crom, his entire army decimated, took refuge in his dark palace. We paused to rest, as the sun set, and the full moon rose, casting a soft glow over the town…

And then, a dark shape blotted out the glow of the moon, plunging the land into darkness, and we knew that the battle had only begun.

We broke down the doors of the palace, undaunted, where the chambers were filled with gloom that seemed magically alive and filled with the hideous screams and howls of demons. Only the bravest could follow me all the way to the great hall, where the tyrant was waiting for us.

“Who are you, fool?” he asked, pointing his finger at me.

“The Lord has decreed that evil and chaos shall no longer reign here!” was my answer.

Then, the dark wizard’s horrible ally came loomed out of the darkness – standing the height of three men, the hulking demon Malastus was a chimeric creature with the head of a boar, arms like that of a bear, and a grotesquely fat torso. Two pathetically small, feathered wings, the purpose of which I could not fathom, graced its back. The fight was glorious and terrible. All my companions fell before the demon was finally destroyed by the power I channeled. Engulfed by holy fire, the horrible demon was blasted out of existence.

With the focus of his power defeated, Malay Crom, now little more than a madman, slipped down from his seat like an empty bag. He tried to get up to run, but was swiftly struck down by my longsword. The hour of retribution had come.

With the wizard’s death, the cloak of fear and darkness that hung over the palace was lifted, and a mob of furious people rushed in to loot and destroy all they could. Exhausted and grieving over the deaths of my companions, I could do little more than watch how much the reign of the evil sorcerer had filled every heart with hate and desire for vengeance. The next morning, the body of Malay Crom was burned in the same place where his minions had executed so many innocents over the past three years.

Now, the time has come to restore a benign government in this town, with the hope that the tragic days of the Reign of the Abomination are gone forever.

Glory to God Almighty


They were speechless for a minute.

“Issac seemed like one tough guy,” said Russell.

“A battle between pure good and ultimate evil…” said Jason. “One thousand years ago… Wizards, demons, knights, crusaders… Before Duel Monsters ever existed…”

“And it’s been one thousand years since,” said Trisha. “A new Reckoning is about to occur, and the side of Evil has chosen the Orichalcos as its weapon, along with Duel Monsters…”

“And the only way we have a chance…” muttered Russell.

He took The Eye of Timaeus out of his pouch.

“…is to find the Dark Messiah… in the next thirty-one days.”

“People, am I the only one who has half a brain here?” asked Russell, starting to type. “That stupid Puppeteer told us that Yugi found a way to destroy the Seal!”

He hit a key, and the Industrial Illusions website came up. He clicked onto the database.

“That means that somewhere in here, among thousands and thousands of cards that have been created since the game has been invented, there exists one that can smash that blasted Field Spell. The one that Yugi used. Somehow, we have to find out what it is…”

“Students?” said a voice.

They looked up and saw Dr. Peters.

“Uh, yes?” asked Jason.

“Dr. Artemis requests your presence,” said Peters, “and she used the words ‘right now’.”

They looked at each other in worry…

“Was she angry?” asked Russell.

“She looked more… annoyed,” answered Peters.

Trisha gulped.

The only thing worse than Dr. Artemis when she was angry was Dr. Artemis when she was annoyed…



[B]* * * * * * * * * *


The three current Swordsmen of the Orichalcos were standing in the dark chamber, as the shadowy figure loomed above them on its throne of obsidian.

“Listen closely,” said the figure, “as you know, thanks to the Puppeteer’s royal screw-up, our original plan has been ruined.

“Thus, we must go to our alternate plan.

“I’m going to require you three to duel the Chosen Ones again… However, while one or two of them can lose, and I’d reward the ones who could do so, at least one must survive.

“If necessary, we’ll Seal them and then let Trisha and Jason go free after they have learned their place. But we cannot take them permanently yet.

“They must survive until they find the Dark Messiah.”

“Pardon me for asking,” said Cassius, “but you want the Dark Messiah to come out of hiding?”

“Indeed, Cassius,” said the figure. “They may not know it, but an ultimate confrontation with him is the ultimate plan.

“Now, you must prepare the next assaults carefully, and not recklessly as you did before. Strike when they are least expecting it, and coordinate your attacks carefully.

“I will tolerate no more mistakes. If you lose in your attempt, I will not spare you.”

They gulped.

They turned to leave.

Fools, thought the figure. They actually think that they’re going to make it through the Reckoning with their souls intact… Their chances of actually defeating the Chosen Ones is slim at best...



[B]* * * * * * * * * *


When the three students walked into the office, Twinky currently was standing beside the Chancellor with a coffee pot.

This had to be big.

They saw that Artemis had another visitor. Sitting on the couch was a young woman who looked to be about twenty-five or so. She was wearing a blue, low-cut halter covered with a jacket and a short skirt, and flats on her feet. Her long hair was dyed purple, and she had big, sea green eyes.

“Uh, Dr. Artemis?” asked Trisha. “You wanted to see us?”

The chancellor took a big swig of coffee, and then held out the cup for Twinky who started to refill it.

“Not particularly,” she said, “but due to the current situation, I have little choice.”

The young woman stood up and held out her hand.

“Hello,” she said. “I’m Dr. Amethyst Malone, M.D.”

“M.D.?” asked Jason, shaking.

“Monster Doctor,” replied Amethyst. “I’m a former student…

“And I want to duel one of the Dragons’ Chosen Ones.”

The three of them looked at Artemis.

“This was not my idea…” answered Artemis.

“Any particular reason?” asked Russell, in an annoyed tone. “We have enough trouble fending off guys who want to kill us to worry about people who want to do it for research.”

“Well…” said Amethyst, sitting down, “I know what you want. I know you’re looking for the Dark Messiah…

“I can help with information, but I won’t give it for free…”

They looked at her.

“You see students,” she continued, “I don’t actually know where the Messiah can be found. I’m one of three messengers, and I can lead you to the second.

“I have two conditions for you to receive my help. The first is, one of you has to duel me, and win.”

“And the other?” asked Jason.

Amethyst smiled.

“One hundred years ago, the patriarch of my family was a great duelist,” she said. “He dueled two members of the Trinity on separate occasions. He may have lost both duels, but both of them were close.

“Before the last blow of this duel lands, you must figure out who he was.”

“I can give you one hint, if you want… He was one of the few opponents they had who had as much honor as a duelist as they did.”

“Well, that does kind of narrow it down…” muttered Russell.

“Wait a second…” said Jason. “I watched most of their public duels, I don’t remember any duelist named Malone…”

“His only child was a daughter,” answered Amethyst. “When she eventually married, she didn’t choose to keep her maiden name.”

Dr. Artemis leaned her head on her hand.

“This is totally up to you three,” she said. “But I fear I cannot help you with this. Amethyst is working independently.”

“I expect nothing in return should you fail,” said Amethyst, “but you will have to find the second messenger on your own.”

The three students looked at each other.

They held up their fists. They shook them.

Jason’s and Russell’s hands opened, paper. Trisha’s two fingers jutted out, scissors.

“I’ll take you on,” said Trisha. “But it would likely be better for us and the whole world if you’d just tell us your information…”

“I’m afraid I can’t,” said Amethyst. “Ancient rules dictated by the force behind the Dark Messiah say that a challenge must be made by each messenger. We have little choice.”

“Get ready and go to the Arena,” said Artemis. “I’m going to have a chat with the… M.D.”

As they left, Artemis held out her cup for another refill, and stared at Amethyst.

“These cryptic visits are getting to be tiresome, Amethyst,” she said. “After you graduated, you said your plans were secret, but these secrets are getting annoying.”

“There’s one secret I don’t like keeping,” answered Amethyst, crossing her arms.

Artemis sighed.

“Amethyst,” she said, “you must not, under any condition, tell anyone that you were a member of Exodia Gold! If the students knew that the much-rumored fourth level truly existed, we’d never hear the end of it. We’d be swamped with requests for information about the requirements from students who didn’t stand a prayer of getting in.

“And if they knew, they’d do God knows what to try to fulfill the most important requirement.

“Besides…”

She paused.

“Exodia Gold might see all its empty slots filled soon. Those three will be nominated, and possibly others…

“They and several other students have recently fulfilled that requirement…”

“You mean…?” asked Amethyst.

“Yes…” said Artemis. “The requirement that says a candidate must have, at least one time, been lured into a Shadow Game… And emerged victorious…”

Amethyst shivered.

“That’s right…” said Artemis. “You still remember how you were forced to fulfill that requirement, and how a lucky topdeck saved you. I do not under any conditions want students to go looking for Shadow Duelists!

“The results could be dire…”



[B]* * * * * * * * * *


Cleo combed her hair as she looked in her mirror.

She looked at herself, staring her own reflection in the eyes.

“The Master is getting tense, isn’t she?” she asked.

This was a game she often played with herself – discussing things with herself as if she were two people. It wasn’t much of a stretch. For most of her life, she was the only person she had to talk to.

“I know,” she replied. “We’re getting closer to the big day, and not much progress has been made. If you ask me, she must be starved. All she’s had to eat are the souls of the dregs we’ve sent after them.”

“And they don’t taste very good, most likely,” she replied.

“That dumb Puppeteer got what was coming to him,” she added. “I could have sensed that Russell’s e-mail was a set-up from a mile away. Why did the Master trust him with Raviel anyway?”

“Oh, did you want to use it?”

“Good grief, no! That thing is dangerous!”

“Well, there you go. Likely, she gave it to him because he was the only one who was stupid enough to use something so dangerous. I mean, using a counterfeit Sacred Beast is like the Duel Monsters equivalent of throwing rocks at a hornet’s nest.”

“Anyway…” she replied. “I have to duel Jason again, but she doesn’t want all of them Sealed. Maybe there’s a way to teach him a lesson without even using the Seal.”

She paused.

“Without using the Seal…” she muttered. “Now there’s an idea…”



[B]* * * * * * * * * *


Trisha stood in the floor of the Arena while Jason and Russell tried to calm her.

“I hope you can do this, Trisha…” said Jason.

“It should be easy,” she replied. “I just have to look at the theme of her deck, and remember which of the Trinity’s old sparring partners used that theme.”

“A misconception, as you’ll soon learn,” said Amethyst, as she walked in. “My family’s patriarch had a powerful deck theme, but it is one that I did not adapt.

“If you were chosen by Critias, Trisha, you must have a great deal of untapped power hidden inside you. You must call upon it… Take every subtle hint, and see if you can identify who my ancestor was…

“And if you can, and win this duel as well, your job will become much easier…”

Russell and Jason sat down in the front row, and saw that Dr. Artemis was already there.

“You came?” asked Jason. “I didn’t know you intended to…”

“I always like seeing a good duel,” answered Artemis. “I just hope Trisha isn’t in over her head… Amethyst was one of my best.”

Trisha and Amethyst handed each other their decks and they started to shuffle.

“Uh…” said Trisha. “You don’t even have a Disk, pardon me for saying so…”

Amethyst smiled as she took back her deck.

She took something out of her pocket that looked like a cell phone, and clipped it to her bracelet…

She tapped a button, and the device quickly expanded and unfolded, forming into a wafer-thin Disk.

“A Pocket Disk…” muttered Jason.

He was envious… Students weren’t allowed to use those, but apparently, there was nothing that said a guest couldn’t.

Amethyst placed her deck in the Disk.

“Nervous?” she asked. “Why? The outcome of this duel will only affect your entire career…”

“Funny…” said Trisha. “Game… start!”



[B](Trisha: 8,000) (Amethyst: 8,000)


“I’ll even let you move first,” said Amethyst, drawing five.

“Why thanks…” said Trisha, drawing six.

She looked over her cards.

Not bad… she thought.

“I’ll start by playing Graceful Charity,” she said, playing a card.

He played the card, and the angel appeared.

She drew three cards, and considered…

After a minute, she discarded Mighty Guard and Soul Release.

“Now I’m starting with my favorite,” she said. “Nanobreaker, in Attack Mode!”

She played the card, and the lovely, female android appeared, holding aloft her sword. (1,600/1,800)



http://www.ideal808.com/images/een-en018.jpg


“That’s my turn for now,” she said.

Amethyst drew a card.

“I play the Spell Card, Magical Mallet,” she said, holding up a card. “This allows me to take whichever cards I choose from my hand, shuffle them into my deck, and then draw the same number.

“And I choose to do so, with all five of my cards!”

She removed her deck, placed her hand in it, and quickly shuffled.

Then she replaced it, and drew five new ones.

“Very well,” she continued. “I’ll place a Monster in Defense Mode, and end my turn.”

A facedown Monster appeared.

Trisha drew a card.

She smirked.

“I summon Cyber Phoenix in Attack Mode,” she said.

In a burst of flames, the metal phoenix appeared, slowly flapping its wings and hovering in the air. (1,200/1,600)



http://www.ideal808.com/images/eoj_en009.jpg


“And so long as he’s on the field,” she said, “my Machines are immune to all Spells and Traps that target.

“Now I’ll have Nanobreaker attack your facedown Monster! Go! Nano-blade!”

Nanobreaker flew forward…

A Spellcaster in an exotic blue dress with purple hair in a ponytail, holding a staff topped with a crescent moon appeared on the card. She cringed before she was cut down.



http://www.ideal808.com/images/db1-en163.jpg


“You just flipped my Magician of Faith,” said Amethyst. “Now I get to retrieve one Spell Card from my Graveyard. Of course, there’s only one there…”

A card slipped out of her discard slot, and she held up the Magical Mallet.

“Well, I’m hardly done,” said Trisha. “Cyber Phoenix, attack her directly!”

Cyber Phoenix opened its beak and fired a flamethrower at Amethyst. She crossed her arms as it closed in on her…

To the shock of everyone watching, she didn’t even flinch as the flames hit her.



[B](T: 8,000) (A: 6,800)


“Uh, yeah…” muttered Trisha. “I’ll… end my turn there…”

Amethyst drew a card.

“Since I got Magical Mallet back,” she said, holding it up, “I’ll use it again. Once again, I’ll reshuffle all five of my cards.”

“What the Hell is she doing?” asked Russell. “Why does she keep resetting her hand?”

“I’ve seen something like this before…” answered Jason. “This is just a hunch, but… I think that somewhere in Amethyst’s deck is a card that plays a very important part of her strategy…

“…and she’s looking for it…”

Amethyst drew five more cards.

“Next, I play Pot of Greed,” she said.

She drew two more.

“And finally,” she said, “to protect myself, I summon Dark Elf in Attack Mode.”

She played the card, and the dark twin of Mystical Elf appeared. (2,000/800)



http://www.ideal808.com/images/mrd-113.jpg


Trisha got nervous.

“Something wrong?” asked Amethyst.

“The three of us…” replied Trisha. “We had a bad experience with a duelist who used that Monster…”

“No kidding,” said Russell, under his breath.

Trisha drew a card.

Get a grip, Trisha, she thought. It’s a perfectly useful way to form an offensive wall. She isn’t going to use the Seal…

“I summon Mechanicalchaser in Attack Mode,” she said.

She played a card, and the machine hunter appeared, brandishing its blades. (1,850/800)



http://www.ideal808.com/images/db2-en093.jpg


“That will end my turn,” she said.

Amethyst drew a card.

“All right, Trisha,” she said, “I’ll place two cards facedown…”

She placed two cards in her Disk. They materialized.

“And since you seem to like Machines so much, I believe I’ll summon one of my own…”

She showed her the card.

“It’s a guy called Fusilier Dragon the Dual-Mode Beast. This is a seven-star Monster, but its effect lets me summon it with no sacrifice, so long as I cut its Attack and Defense Scores in half.”

She placed a card on her Disk, and in a burst of energy, a huge Machine rolled forward. It looked for all practical purposes like a mechanical Dragon on tank treads, with laser cannons were its eyes would be, and two more guns sprouting from its torso.

Small bursts of energy flew from it, and sparks started to fly. It appeared to be broken. (2,800/2,000) –> (1,400/1,000)



http://www.ideal808.com/images/rds-en0311.jpg


“What?” asked Trisha. “Since you did that, it’s no stronger than a Celtic Guardian.”

“Yes, and that’s 200 Attack Points strong enough to destroy your Cyber Phoenix,” added Amethyst. “Fusilier Dragon… attack Cyber Phoenix with shadow fission laser!”

The Dual-Mode Beast blasted its cannons, and Cyber Phoenix was blown to shards.



[B](T: 7,800) (A: 6,800)


“I forgot to mention…” said Trisha. “When Cyber Phoenix is destroyed in battle, I get to draw one card…”

She drew.

Mystical Space Typhoon, she thought. Might be useful…

“It’s your move,” said Amethyst.

“Indeed,” said Trisha. “First I draw…”

She drew.

“Then I’ll attack! Nanobreaker, attack the Dual-Mode Beast!”

Nanobreaker raised her sword and leapt forward.

“You always should look before you leap, to quote a cliché,” said Amethyst.

One of her facedown cards lifted, showing the image of Dark Ruler Ha Des suffering from some horrible disease.

“WHAT?” shouted Russell.

“That’s Skill Drain!” shouted Jason.

“Exactly!” said Amethyst. “For the low, low price of only 1,000 Life Points, this Continuous Trap strips all Effect Monsters on the field of their effects.

“But Fusilier Dragon doesn’t care… In fact, he actually likes it, because without his effect, his Attack and Defense are restored to full power!”

The sparking and bursts on the Machine stopped…

(2,800/2,000)

“And might I add, it’s too late for Nanobreaker to call off her attack…”

Nanobreaker’s sword struck the huge Machine…

…and it broke in two with a snap.

Nanobreaker looked at the remains of the sword with a confused look. Then she noticed that the larger Machine was taking aim at her…

With four powerful blasts, she was atomized.

Trisha growled.

“And by the way, Trisha,” said Amethyst, “Dark Elf benefits from this Trap too. With her effect gone, I don’t have to pay Life Points to order her to attack.”

Dark Elf smirked at Trisha with an evil grin.

“It’s still my turn, Amethyst!” shouted Trisha.

She turned a card on her Disk.

“First, I’ll move Mechanicalchaser to Defense Mode…”

Mechanicalchaser shielded itself.

“Next, I summon Battle Footballer in Defense Mode…”

Battle Footballer appeared and crouched. (1,000/2,100)



http://www.ideal808.com/images/dcr_001.jpg


“Next I play… Monster Reborn!”

She played the card, and Mighty Guard appeared, also kneeling in Defense Mode.

“Then I’ll summon two more, by playing Machine Duplication!”

She played another Spell Card, and two more Mighty Guards appeared. (500/1,200 x3)



http://www.ideal808.com/images/rds-en0021.jpg


“Finally, I’ll place three cards facedown.”

She fit three of her four remaining cards into slots, and three facedowns appeared.

“That will end my turn.”

I'll give her a big surprise... she thought.



[B](T: 6,600) (A: 5,800)


“Well, Trisha seems able to defend herself for now,” said Russell.

“True, but she had to use all the cards in her hand but one,” replied Jason. “Let’s hope those facedowns are good ones.”

“My draw…” said Amethyst.

She drew a card.

“And my Quickplay activates!” shouted Trisha, as one of her facedowns lifted.

“Mystical Space Typhoon! Say goodbye to your Skill Drain!”

The cyclone shot forward.

“I activate my Counter Trap…” said Amethyst.

“Counter Trap?” gasped Trisha.

Amethyst’s other facedown card lifted.

“Judgment of Anubis!” exclaimed Amethyst.

“Not that…” gasped Jason.

“Yes, that,” answered Amethyst. “This deadly Trap can be activated when you try to destroy one or more of my Traps or Spells with a Spell Card. For the cost of one card…”

She discarded another Magician of Faith.

“…this not only foils your attempt, but destroys one of your Monsters.”

A frightening spectral jackal appeared above her… The Mystical Space Typhoon died down to nothing.

“Anubis, destroy!” she commanded.

The jackal howled, and Mechanicalchaser exploded in a flaming burst! Trisha fell on her behind from the impact.

“Even worse… for you,” she continued, “the Attack Points of that Monster now come out of your Life Points.”



[B](T: 4,750) (A: 5,800)


“You don’t play a Skill Drain deck, Trisha,” she said, “without taking precautions to protect the key part of your strategy.”

“Well, you certainly can’t blame me for trying…” muttered Trisha.



Continued…

[Dark Sage]

Continued from last post:



“Then my turn continues,” said Amethyst, taking a card from her hand. “I summon an evil goddess whose name is known and feared as Nuvia the Wicked.”

She played a card, and a frightening form floated out of the ether. It looked like a fiendish face with a woman’s face in the center, with a spiny, trailing tail, and two clawed arms. Her eyes glowed with evil light. She didn’t make a sound… She just stared at Trisha in stony silence. (2,000/800)



http://www.ideal808.com/images/lon-013.jpg


“You’re clearly starting to get the picture, Trisha,” said Amethyst. “Normally, Nuvia would die if I Normal Summoned her, and even if she was Flip-Summoned or Special Summoned, her Attack Points would go down by 200 for every Monster my opponent controls…

“She just loves Skill Drain…

“Fusilier Dragon, attack Battle Footballer! Shadow fission laser!”

Fusilier Dragon blasted Battle Footballer to bits.

“Dark Elf, attack with dark curse!”

Dark Elf cast a wicked spell, and one Mighty Guard was blown up.

“Nuvia, attack with wicked gaze!”

Nuvia’s eyes glowed red… twin beams of energy shot out, and destroyed another Mighty Guard.

“Your move…” said Amethyst.

Trisha drew a card.

“I summon Green Gadget in Defense Mode,” she said.

Green Gadget appeared, shielding itself. (1,400/600)



http://www.ideal808.com/images/le6_jp001.jpg


“Don’t forget,” said Amethyst, “with Skill Drain out, it loses its effect.”

“I know! Just move…” mumbled Trisha.

Amethyst drew.

“I summon Flash Assailant in Attack Mode,” she said.

She played the card, and a new creature leapt down from the ceiling. It was a fiendish bandit in pantaloons and a scarf with an eyepatch, holding a dagger.

He licked the blade eagerly. (2,000/2,000)



http://www.ideal808.com/images/db1_en048.jpg


“Four Monsters?” gasped Trisha.

“Good, you can add,” said Amethyst. “Let’s see how well you can subtract. Dark Elf, attack the Green Gadget.”

Dark Elf cast her Spell, and Green Gadget blew into shards.

“Nuvia, take out the last Mighty Guard.”

Nuvia stared, and the last Guard was blown up.

“Her last Monster is gone…” gasped Russell.

“I activate my facedown card!” shouted Trisha. “Go, Hyper-Refresh!”

Her facedown card lifted.

“I can add and subtract,” she added, “and I can multiply too. And since I now have no Monsters on my side of the field, and the combined Attack Scores of yours is greater than my Life Points, my Life Points get multiplied by two.”



[B](T: 10,500) (A: 5,800)


Amethyst smirked.

“Not bad…” she said. “But my Battle Phase continues. Fusilier Dragon, attack her directly!”

Fusilier Dragon roared. It aimed its guns and a crosshairs appeared on Trisha…

“I activate… Nutrient Z!” shouted Trisha.

Her other facedown card lifted…

Trisha screamed as the blasters fired directly into her torso.

She gasped for breath, and slowly got up… Smoke poured from her chest.

“That hurt…” she muttered, catching her breath. “But thanks to my Trap, I gained 4,000 Life Points before losing 2,800, for a total gain of 1,200.



[B](T: 11,700) (A: 5,800)


“You have no more Traps left,” said Amethyst, “but my Flash Assailant still has an attack. Flash Assailant, attack directly with flash dagger!”

Flash Assailant sped forward in a blur. Trisha screamed again as he stabbed the dagger into her torso.

He cackled as she collapsed on her stomach.



[B](T: 9,700) (A: 5,800)


She slowly got to her feet…

“My… move…” she said.

She drew a card.

I’m ahead on points, but she has me outnumbered four Monsters to none, she thought. Maybe this will help…

“I play Card of Sanctity!” she shouted.

She played the card, and a bright flash lit up the arena. They both drew until they had six cards.

Trisha looked at one of them.

Mirror Force, she thought. I just might win this…

“I summon Robotic Angel in Defense Mode,” she said.

She played the card, and the mysterious, faceless angel appeared, folding her arms over her chest. (0/2,000)

“Next, I play Silent Doom. I’ll use it to revive Battle Footballer in Defense Mode.”

She played the card, and Battle Footballer appeared.

“Finally, I’ll play a card facedown, and that will be all.”

She fit a card into a slot, and it appeared.

“Now that was a smart move!” exclaimed Russell. “She has two Monsters in Defense Mode with at least 2,000 Defense. Amethyst can’t destroy both of them this turn!”

“Oh, no?” asked Amethyst.

She drew a card.

“I summon Zombyra the Dark in Attack Mode,” she said.

In a burst of shadow, a dark superhero wearing a black costume, a cape with a high collar, and a demonic, skull-like mask flew onto the field. (2,100/500)



http://www.ideal808.com/images/db2-en010.jpg


“I’ve been wrong before…” muttered Russell.

“This guy is powerful,” said Amethyst, “but without Skill Drain he’d lose 200 Attack Points after each attack and could never attack directly. I’ll gladly let him attack you once he takes care of your defenses.”

She chose a card from her hand.

“Of course,” she continued, “with your earlier stunt with those facedown cards, I’m not taking any chances.”

“I play Mystical Space Typhoon!”

She played the card, and Trisha watched in horror as her Mirror Force was blown away…

“Mirror Force…” muttered Amethyst. “Figures…”

“It was worth a shot…” answered Trisha.

“Worth a shot?” asked Amethyst, as if she was talking down to her. “Trisha, you can’t hope to succeed with such obvious maneuvers. You realize I couldn’t have used Heavy Storm or Giant Trunade… My Skill Drain would have been demolished. So if you had put the Mirror Force and one or two more cards facedown as decoys that might have saved you a lot of pain on this round.

“Sadly you didn’t… So you have to suffer for it…”

Trisha bowed her head… That was a good point…

“Zombyra…” ordered Amethyst, “attack Robotic Angel with super powered punch!”

Zombyra the Dark flew forward, and socked the robotic seraphim, blowing her to shards.

“Fusilier Dragon, destroy Battle Footballer.”

Fusilier Dragon aimed its cannons, and blasted Battle Footballer for the second time.

“Flash Assailant, Nuvia, Dark Elf… Take her down.”

Trisha wailed in agony as she was stuck by two dark spells and another slash from a dagger.

She fell to her knees. Smoke rose from her body…



[B](T: 3,700) (A: 5,800)


“I’ve never seen Trisha take a beating like this…” muttered Russell. “What is she made of?”

“I don’t know,” replied Jason, “but now it’s going to take a miracle. Amethyst not only has a full field of five Monsters, all of them are ones with 2,000 Attack Points or more that she summoned without so much as a sacrifice… Monsters that would have nasty drawbacks normally, but thanks to that Skill Drain, have fit the definition of ‘broken’.”

“I know…” said Dr. Artemis. “Amethyst was the best in the school five years ago, and she crushed anyone who challenged her with this strategy. No one could stand up to it…

“And I hate to say this, but her favorite Monster has yet to come out.”

Trisha slowly caught her breath and stood up.

There’s got to be some method to this madness, she thought. And I have to find out who her ancestor was…

Two of her Monsters are Fiends… Marik liked Fiends... The duels could have taken place after he was… cured.

Same goes for Bakura… Naw, he was a pathetic duelist when the Evil Spirit wasn’t controlling him.

Face it, most of the “great duelists” that those three faced were nothing more than scoundrels…

“Are you going to move or not?” asked Amethyst.

Trisha drew a card.

“I play… Pot of Greed,” she said.

She played the card. The jar appeared, and she drew twice.

“I summon Machine King Prototype in Defense Mode,” she said.

Prototype, appeared, crouching in defense. (1,600/1,500)



http://www.ideal808.com/images/soi-en012.jpg


“Now, I place three cards facedown,” she said.

She played three cards, and they appeared.

“Over to you.”

Amethyst drew.

She looked at the powerful Monster. She added it to her hand.

“Flash Assailant… attack!” she shouted.

The Fiend zoomed forward.

“I activate… Negate Attack!” exclaimed Trisha.

Her Trap Card lifted, and the Assailant slammed into an invisible wall.

“Now with just one Trap, your attack has been foiled, and your Battle Phase ends,” she said.

“Then my turn ends as well,” said Amethyst. “But you’ve only bought one turn.”

Trisha looked at her deck.

All I need is the right Monster… she thought.

She drew a card.

She grinned.

“You know, Amethyst…” she said. “I hate being on the defensive…”

She turned the card on her Disk.

“I move Machine King Prototype… to Attack Mode!”

Prototype stood up.

“Has she gone mad, you ask? Well, no… Because now I Equip him with Cannon of the Machine King!”

She played a card. The huge Cannon fell from the ceiling, and Prototype caught it. He crouched on one knee, aiming it.

“It cost me 1,000 Life Points to arm him with this weapon, but it will let him attack all of your Monsters at once.”

“I see one thing wrong with that,” said Amethyst. “He’s still weaker than all of them.”

“Not for long…” said Trisha.

Another Trap Card lifted.

“I activate… Elemental Blight! Now, by removing one Monster in my hand from play, all Monsters with the same Attribute as the one I’m removing lose 1,500 Attack Points for one round. All five of your Monsters are Dark Monsters, in case you didn’t notice...”

She held up a card.

“…and I’m removing Dekoichi the Battlechanted Locomotive!”

Amethyst paled…

A wave of energy covered the field, and all her Monsters looked sick. Fusilier Dragon fell to an Attack of 1,300, Zombyra fell to 600, and the other three fell to 500.

“Machine King Prototype…” ordered Trisha. “Attack with pulverizing plasma blast!”

Machine King Prototype fired a mighty blast from his weapon, and a massive explosion erupted on Amethyst’s side of the field! She flew back and stumbled off the arena floor.

Only ashes were left where the five Monsters had stood.



[B](T: 2,200) (A: 1,200)


Amethyst coughed…

Jason and Russell started to cheer.

“I end my turn, Amethyst,” said Trisha. “And the tide of this battle is turning.”

“No it isn’t,” replied Amethyst. “I have just what I need right now, to finish you off… You die on this turn…”

Jason got nervous…

“She’s speaking figuratively, moron,” said Russell.

Although, even he was a little worried.

Amethyst drew a card. She added it to her hand, and then played one.

“I summon the most powerful four-star Monster ever created,” she stated. “Giant Kozaky.”

She played the card, and a rumbling sounded. A giant creature that looked like a crazy robot of some sort, with a saucer-shaped body and built to look like it was dressed in a white shirt and a tie, rolled into view in front of her. It had claws, a drill, a hammer, and other odd tools, and a leering expression on its metal face. (2,500/2,400)



http://www.ideal808.com/images/crv_en022.jpg


“That thing is as strong as the Dark Magician…” gasped Jason. “It’s a four-star Monster?”

“I’ve never heard of a Machine called Giant Kozaky…” muttered Trisha.

“That’s because it isn’t a Machine, it’s a Fiend,” answered Amethyst. “As you might expect, as the most powerful four-star Monster ever made, Giant Kozaky has the deadliest drawback. I’ll explain.

“If you have it on the field with no regular Kozaky – and regular Kozaky is a weak, one-star Monster with 400 Attack Points and no effect – this thing explodes, and takes 2,500 of your Life Points with it.”

“It seems to me that it’s a very dangerous Monster, even for a Skill Drain Deck,” replied Trisha. “What if I was somehow to destroy that Skill Drain now? You’d lose!”

“You misunderstand,” said Amethyst. “I’m not going to attack with Giant Kozaky…”

She held up a Spell Card.

“I’m going to give it to you. I play… Creature Swap…”

She played the card, and it appeared.

“This card would normally require us each to choose a Monster and trade them. But since we each have only one Monster…”

Giant Kozaky and Machine King Prototype vanished, and appeared on the opposite sides.

“And now…” said Amethyst, taking another card from her hand. “I’ll play Emergency Provisions, to get rid of my Skill Drain!”

“NO!” screamed Jason.

“It’s going to blow up in Trisha’s face!” screamed Russell. “You know, if it weren’t Trisha, this might actually be kind of cool…”

Amethyst played the card, and the Skill Drain card started to vanish.

“Not so fast!” shouted Trisha. “I still have one more facedown card…”

Her last facedown card lifted.

“This facedown card was a decoy, as you suggested, but you made it work. It’s my Mystik Wok. Now, I can sacrifice Giant Kozaky before it explodes.”

Giant Kozaky vanished into sparkling light. Trisha started to glow.

“Even better, instead of losing 2,500 Life Points, I gain that many. And it feels good!”



[B](T: 4,700) (A: 2,200)


“This duel is far from over,” she said.

Amethyst started at her for a minute.

“Ingenious, Trisha,” she said. “You are the first duelist ever to avoid perishing when I used that combo. I take back what I said… Certainly, your skills as a duelist are incredible.

“But my Battle Phase hasn’t started yet. Machine King Prototype, attack her directly.”

Trisha cringed as she was hit in the chest by the Machine’s weapon.

Attacked by my own Monster… she thought, perspiring. That was low…

“I’ll end my turn,” said Amethyst.



[B](T: 3,100) (A: 2,200)


Trisha drew.

“I summon a second Mechanicalchaser in Attack Mode,” she said.

A new Mechanicalchaser appeared. (1,850/800)

“Sure, Prototype gains 100 more Attack Points, but that’s not quite enough. Prototype, don’t hold this against me…

“Mechanicalchaser, attack!”

Mechanicalchaser flew forward, slashing at Prototype with its blades. The smaller robot exploded.



[B](T: 3,100) (A: 2,050)


“Your move…” said Trisha.

Amethyst drew a card.

“I’ll place two cards facedown, and that will be all,” she said.

She fit two cards into her Disk, and they appeared.

“HA!” laughed Russell. “I think she’s bluffing!”

Trisha drew a card.

“I summon Red Gadget in Attack Mode,” she said.

Red Gadget appeared, putting up its fists. (1,300/1,500)



http://www.ideal808.com/images/le6_jp002.jpg


“And since your Skill Drain is gone, my Monsters gain back their effects, meaning I get to add Yellow Gadget from my deck to my hand…”

She got what she needed from her deck.

“Mechanicalchaser, attack Amethyst directly!”

Mechanicalchaser flew at Amethyst…

“Activate… Draining Shield!” she shouted.

Her Trap lifted, and a dome of force appeared around her. Mechanicalchaser jammed its blades into it, and the energy flowed into her. She glowed.

“Okay…” muttered Russell. “I guess she wasn’t bluffing…”

“Red Gadget, you attack!” shouted Trisha.

Red Gadget flew forward, and it was more successful. It punched Amethyst upside the face



[B](T: 3,100) (A: 2,600)


Amethyst wiped her face.

“You’re treading on dangerous waters, Trisha,” she warned. “If both of your attacks had gone through, you would have won…

“But you still would have failed, because you haven’t yet met my other condition, remember? You must figure it out before the last blow of this duel lands…”

She drew a card.

“Not that it matters much, because you are going to lose this duel.”

She waved her hand, and her other Trap lifted. It was another Skill Drain.

“It costs me 1,000 Life Points again, but I’m quite willing,” she said, “because I just drew my favorite Monster.

“You know… This guy caused my family’s patriarch a great deal of trouble… But I’ve grown to like him a lot.

“I summon Panther Warrior in Attack Mode!”

With a growl, a tall panther-man in exotic armor and a cape holding a scimitar and a shield appeared. He growled, and lifted his weapon menacingly. (2,000/1,600)



http://www.ideal808.com/images/ct2_en006.jpg


Trisha raised an eyebrow.

“Normally,” said Amethyst, “this guy couldn’t attack unless I sacrificed another Monster first, but Skill Drain removes that handicap.”

“So attack then,” said Trisha. “I’ll survive…”

“Barely…” said Amethyst, with a smirk.

She took another card from her hand.

“My deck has two copies of Boar Soldier, two copies of Indomitable Fighter Lei Lei, and two copies of this guy… Six Beast-Warriors. So I included a special Spell Card in my deck…

“The Equip Card, Fate’s Guidance!”

She played the card.

“Any Beast-Warrior Equipped with this card can ignore your Monsters and attack you directly,” said Amethyst. “Guess what kind of Monster Panther Warrior is.

“Panther Warrior… Attack Trisha!”

Trisha screamed as the Beast-Warrior flew forward and slammed his sword across her torso.



[B](T: 1,100) (A: 1,600)


She slowly got up… Sweat poured down her face…

This duel obviously beat her previous record of number of direct attacks she had taken in one duel, and all but one of them so far had at least 2,000 Attack Points behind it…

…but through the soreness and pain, she was thinking hard.

Panther Warrior gave this guy a lot of trouble? she thought. This was Joey’s Monster…

Let me think…

Joey first used Panther Warrior in the first Battle City… In his duel against Weevil Underwood… But Weevil defeated it pretty easily.

In Joey’s next duel, he…

A light flashed in her head… An image of an arena that had been turned into an ocean, where this Beast-Warrior was a David to an incredible Goliath…

“I know who you are!” she shouted.

Amethyst raised her eyebrow.

“Your family’s patriarch… is Mako Tsunami!” shouted Trisha. “He lost his bid for Battle City because of this Monster when he dueled Joey, and it destroyed both his Fortress Whale and Legendary Fisherman! That’s what you meant by how it gave him so much trouble!”

Amethyst closed her eyes and smiled.

“Clever, Trisha,” she said. “You picked up on the subtle hints. Although, I expected you to also take my looks into consideration… My family has had the same facial features for a long time. The same eyes, the same dimples, the same smile…

“However, you still must win this duel, and I just made it harder. It’s your move now…”

Trisha drew a card. She looked at the green-bordered card.

“Fine,” she said. “This ends now… You made a mistake by attacking me directly instead of attacking my Monsters… Because despite your Skill Drain, they’re still Machines.”

She took the card she had just drawn.

“I play Limiter Removal!”

She played the card, and Red Gadget and Mechanicalchaser glowed with blue flames! Red Gadget shot up to an Attack of 2,600, and Mechanicalchaser rose to 3,700.

Amethyst bowed her head…

“Red Gadget, attack the Panther Warrior!” shouted Trisha.

Red Gadget socked Panther Warrior hard, and the Beast Warrior burst into triangles.

“Mechanicalchaser, attack Amethyst directly!” she yelled.

The robot flew forward. Amethyst screamed this time, as it slashed at her with its blades.

She fell over.



[B](T: 1,100) (A: 0)


“Game over, Amethyst…” muttered Trisha.

The two Machines vanished in plumes of flame.

Dr. Artemis got up and clapped.

“Congratulations, Patricia,” she said. “Considering all the direct attacks, it was a great duel.”

Amethyst slowly got up.

“Yes…” she said with a smile. “And I guess I have to fulfill my end of the bargain.”

She reassembled her deck, and then her Pocket Disk retracted.

She and Trisha sat down.

“I take it you guys like parties?” she asked.

“Do we ever,” answered Jason.

“Well,” said Amethyst, “the second messenger will be showing up in two weeks, when you hold your annual Halloween party.”

The three students paused.

That was actually going to be held a week before Halloween, on the 24th…

“Look for a dark lady with blonde hair,” said Amethyst. “And one who isn’t a bad duelist either. When you think you know who it is, give her a gift…

“A card… A female Monster. She’ll tell you what she knows then.

“By the way, I’m personally of the ‘school’ of duelists who thinks that D.D. Assailant is female, but I don’t know if she’s the same.

“That’s what I know. I wish you all the best of luck.”

“That’s it?” asked Russell, annoyed again. “Trisha went through all that pain for that?”

“That’s a lot, actually,” said Trisha. “We’d have missed something valuable otherwise.”

She got up.

“Well, Amethyst,” she said. “It was a great duel. If you ever want a rematch…”

Amethyst smirked.

“I’ll think about it…” she said. “I have to be going now… The duties of an M.D. are many and numerous.”

She got up, and turned to leave.

“Well guys…” said Trisha. “Not much else to do but prepare for Halloween…

“And hope it isn’t as hard as this was…”

“There is one thing we can do…” replied Jason.



[B]* * * * * * * * * *


Four hours later.

Trisha was on the computer in the library.

“Any luck yet?” asked Russell, as he and Jason went up to her.

“Well…” said Trisha. “I tried to look for a legal card that was truly indestructible. After a lot of searching, I only found one legal card that supposedly is: This one.”

She brought an image up on the screen. It was a Spell card.

They looked at it. The image on the Spell Card was that of an outdoor altar, looking vaguely Greco-Roman, surrounded by cloudy mists.


ALTAR OF MISTS

Continuous Spell

Card Description: This card cannot be destroyed by card effects. On your third Standby Phase after playing this card, destroy this card and remove it from play, and then search your deck for one Ritual Spell Card and add it to your hand.


“Anyway,” said Trisha, “I figured that if there was indeed a card that could destroy this before the three turns were up, then maybe it would work on the Orichalcos…

“But then I saw the rulings…”

She scrolled down. They looked at them.

“In other words, there isn’t a card that can destroy it…” muttered Russell.

“Not even the duelist who played it could destroy it if he wanted too,” answered Trisha.

There was a long pause.

“Maybe Yugi used a custom card…” said Jason. “A sort of anti-Orichalcos.”

“That sounds ridiculous…” said Russell.

“Yes, but it’s the only thing that makes sense,” answered Jason. “And unfortunately, Yugi’s cards are in storage in some Swiss bank account somewhere…

“There must be another solution…”


Saturday, October 10th, 2106, 3:49 AM



FATE’S GUIDANCE (Spell Card)

Card Specs

Type: Spell/Equip
Attribute: –
Level: –
ATK: –
DEF: –

Image: Two Samurai about to ambush each other from behind the corners of a building.

Card Description: This card can be Equipped to a BEAST-WARRIOR-Type Monster. The Equipped Monster may attack your opponent directly.

Note: “Fate’s Guidance” will be used by Atticus in a future episode of “Yu-Gi-Oh GX”. All creative credit goes to the writers of the episode.



Amethyst’s Skill Drain Deck

A Skill Drain Deck is a difficult strategy to pull off. Until you draw one of the Trap Cards that is key to your strategy, the Monsters in it are difficult to use. Fortunately for Amethyst, she has ways to both find the Trap Cards fast, and hold her opponent off while she does. Magical Mallet can achieve the former, and she has a good chance of having Dark Elf, Panther Warrior, or Indomitable Fighter Lei Lei to provide an offensive wall.

With the exception of Fusilier Dragon, all of her Monsters are four-star (she once tried using Ultimate Obedient Fiend, but it just wasn’t her). This makes it easy for her to fill her side of the field with incredibly powerful Monsters that benefit from Skill Drain, and pound her opponent into submission. It isn’t exactly subtle, but it works.

Giant Kozaky combined with Creature Swap and Emergency Provisions is a clever combo that usually gets the job done. She can often use it to deliver the finishing blow.

The best part of this strategy is, Skill Drain not only empowers her Monsters, it usually weakens her opponents’. Without being able to use effects, her opponents have few options unless they can rely on raw power. Of course, no strategy is foolproof, but this one comes close.



[B][I]Coming up next:

Halloween…

Trick or treat… smell my feet…

…give me something good to eat…

The school holds a party, and it’s crashed by a girl who just wanna have fun. Jason gets into a duel with a powerful opponent… What will be the outcome?

Don’t miss “The Emperor’s Holiday”, coming soon.

[Pokemasterkatie]

Damn--I nearly got that riddle. I guess you could say Weevil had quite a bit of pride as a duelist(mainly due to his title), but it went over his head and would be classified as arrogance.:p There was also Joey himself to consider(he's never beaten Kaiba OR Yugi...though it would not count in the manga), but he's way too much of a recognized duelist.XD As I read Amethyst's appearance again, the sea-green color eyes was a big clue.

Skill Drain decks are tricky to run indeed; but I bet they're quite fun.:)

[Shuppet Master]

Pretty interesting chapter. I see Exodia Gold IS real, but it's a closely guarded secret. Trisha sure took a beating. Ouch.

Can't wait for the next chapter.

[Master of Paradox]

My exact train of thought: "Her patriarch dueled two out of the three majors... only child was a daughter... wait... Crystal... Amethyst... Brain, you crafty little-!"

So yes, I figured it out before the duel ever started.

I have to say I like this chapter more than the last one, and quite so. For starters, I've always admired Skill Drain decks (as seen when Ogre dueled in TTB). I wouldn't say that Amethyst used it better than he did, but since your duels are usually longer than mine, we got to see more of one, and it was quite the experience. In addition, this duel managed the trick of maintaining some sort of tension, which can be tough in YGO fics.

If Amethyst is anything to go by, incidentally, the real-world counterpart must be nice to know.

Interesting opening segment, as well. Can't say I liked the Three Swordsmen bits so much, but at least it confirmed that the Big Bad is a female. (That makes the ratio of female to male villains in your stories 3 to 2...)

My only real problem with this chapter is a personal one: because I wrote that TTB chapter mentioned above, I'd seen most of the moves before, which slightly blunted my interest. But that didn't hurt things too bad.

Also, you should be careful not to outrun your timeline, but I know you well enough that it's not a danger.

This next chapter should be... neat is the only word that comes to mind. I look forward to it.

[Dark Sage]

I will reply to this response.

Yes, the Big Bad is a female. However, this time, I really had no choice. The reason for this will be revealed when she appears in person, and then perhaps you will understand.

Second, since Amethyst's real-life counterpart has given me permission, I will tell you who she is. Her name is Ashley, and we have been going out for a year (I do have a social life). In contrast to Amethyst, Ashley has short, brown hair and brown eyes... However, she does play a Skill Drain Deck most of the time.

Ashley uses some of Amethyst's strategies; she has three copies of Magical Mallet and two Magicians of Faith. However, most of her Monsters are better. She depends mostly on Lei Lei, Chainsaw Insect, Goblin Attack Force, Goblin Elite Attack Force, and Giant Orc. She does have Zombyra and Fusilier Dragon, however.

The Giant Kozaky combo is something she tried once... However, she was never lucky enough to have all three of the right cards in her hand, so she eventually gave it up.

When she saw this chapter, she said she'd love to have Fate's Guidance. Well, to tell you the truth, so would I.

So now you know.

[Pokemasterkatie]

Second, since Amethyst's real-life counterpart has given me permission, I will tell you who she is. Her name is Ashley, and we have been going out for a year (I do have a social life). In contrast to Amethyst, Ashley has short, brown hair and brown eyes... However, she does play a Skill Drain Deck most of the time.
I thought so--your girlfriend. How sweet.:)

[Blademaster]

Well, this was something of a turning point... Exodia Gold has been confirmed, the main villian/the Black Moon prophecy have been exposed a bit more, and a new plan is in the works - on both sides. Nice work.

I will say the duel wasn't too exciting, simply because I'm not a big fan of Skill Drain decks, but I was glad to see Giant Kozaky finally appear - just him/Kozaky and Creature Swap is quite a combo, but in a Skill Drain deck... very useful.

Now, next time is a Halloween-type chapter, eh? I can't wait... :rolleyes:

Until then...

-Blade

[Perfect Chaos]

Hey there guys

Yeah, I'm still in India, but I managed to get a chance to catch up on Dark Messiah. I'm not up for reviewing ALL the chapters that I have missed, so I'll just anew with this one.

Amethyst was a very interesting character, and the riddle stumped me greatly. Still, I'm not sure I see the relationship between her and Mako. Ah well.

Yeah, that has to be one of the worst beatings Trisha ever took in a duel. But I'm glad she went through that type of duel that didn't involve her soul on the line or some other danger involved.

I look forward to the next chapter

-Sean

[Dark Sage]

Hi, everyone! It has been a while.

I just got Yu-Gi-Oh GX Duel Academy, and I'm hooked on it. The game is a lot of fun. The only bad part is, the opponents don't have many of the cards they do on the show. (IMOHO, the hardest opponent I've faced yet is Alexis, but she doesn't use the Cyber Girls in this game. She does, however, use a lot of tough Fairies, including Shinato and Zerato.)

Anyway, it's time for a new chapter... Halloween-style...

[B][I]Halloween…

You have to love a holiday that combines ancient Celtic rituals with bite-sized Snickers bars.

It was once called All Hallow’s Eve, and was believed to be the last day of the year when ghosts and spirits could roam the earth before the winter chill sealed them in their graves. Nowadays, it’s a holiday merely for play, where folks dress up in scary costumes, people bob for apples and children go for tricks or treats.

I want to enjoy myself tonight, as I do at every Halloween party, but I know I have to keep an eye out…

An eye out for a dark lady with blonde hair.

She’ll take us one step closer to solving our problems…




[B][size=3]CHAPTER THIRTY-FIVE



http://www.ideal808.com/images/lon-087.jpg



Wednesday, October 21, 2106, 4:27 PM


Dr. Peters had four objects on his desk.

From left to right, they were: a glass case full of ants, a gas canister that was connected to the case via a tube, a small tank of water, and a holder that held a test tube holding several small stones.

“I have here on my desk,” he said, “an incredibly lethal poison, and an incredibly volatile explosive.”

He motioned to the gas canister.

“This is the poison. Breathing a small amount would be lethal to most animals. Watch as I introduce a small amount to this colony of ants.”

He turned on the canister, and then quickly turned it off. The ants fell dead.

He then motioned to the test tube.

“This is the explosive,” he said. “Ounce for ounce, it is much more powerful and volatile than standard TNT. Watch as I place a very small amount in water…”

He took a pair of tongs and lifted one of the stones out of the tube. He dropped it in the tank of water.

Sparks flew, then a small explosion, and then a burst of flame erupted out of it.

Eventually the flames died down, and he put the objects away under the desk.

“The poison is called chlorine,” he continued, once he had finished. “The explosive is called sodium.”

He walked in front of the desk, and reached in his pocket.

“When these two elements combine, we get sodium chloride, also known as…”

He took a salt shaker out of his pocket.

“…salt. A valuable substance that is necessary for survival, and has been used as a food preservative for centuries. This combination is a necessary part of life.

“Why do I bring this up? Ever since Duel Monsters has started, combining Monsters, also known as Fusions, has been a vital part of the game. It started with the old fashioned Polymerization… Then, someone added Fusion Gate…

“Then specialized Fusion cards came out. Dragon’s Mirror, Power Bond, Miracle Fusion, Future Fusion, Overload Fusion, and many others.

“While Fusions may not be a part of every deck, they form one of the foundations of Duel Monsters.

“And that is the focus of the chapter which we will be starting tomorrow.

“Before I dismiss, as you know, the big Halloween party will be held this Saturday at nine PM. Those of you who wish to gain extra credit by helping, report to Dr. Macader. He’s in charge.”

Trisha held her head…

Dr. Macader planned a party like Godzilla planned a trip to Tokyo…

Big.



[B]* * * * * * * * * *


As Trisha left class, June called to her.

“Hey Trisha, what sort of costume are you wearing?” she asked.

“I am not about to tell you, June,” she answered with a grin.

As she walked back to her room, she smiled broadly.

She walked in, and took a box out of her closet.

Everyone will expect me to go as Nanobreaker, she thought. But this will surprise everyone.

As she walked back into the common room, she saw Old Ben sitting on a couch, reading a hardcover book.

Trisha was quite surprised when she saw what the title was:

Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland

“Who’d have thought?” said Trisha with a smirk. “The Strongest Left Hand In The Land a fan of Lewis Carroll?”

“Yeah…” muttered Ben. “You found me out… I’ve become rather attached to this book…”

He took a photograph out of the front of the book and handed it to Trisha.

She looked at it. It was a photo of an adorable, blonde-haired girl, about eight-years old, with a smile that would melt your heart.

Written on the photo were the words:


To Ben,

Keep reaching for the top. Never let anything stand in your way.

- Nichole

February 12th, 2096


Trisha looked at it for a minute.

“Who was this?” she asked. “She’s precious…”

“My biggest fan,” answered Ben.

He sighed.

“When I was a boxer, I fought a lot of charity tournaments,” he said, “including one big one where I represented the American Leukemia Fund. This little girl was only eight at the time, and she came to watch, because, well, she benefited from that charity. I won the tournament and earned a lot of money for it, and she started showering me with letters and homemade gifts… It was touching.

“I had to meet her in person, and, well… I became sort of like a big brother. She didn’t have anyone else… She just needed someone who cared.”

He picked up the book.

“She loved this book… Alice in Wonderland. She never got tired of me reading it to her. The story of a young girl who follows a White Rabbit into a fantasy world and has so many strange adventures…”

He sighed.

“Whatever happened to her?” asked Trisha.

“Didn’t I tell you she had leukemia, Trisha?” asked Ben.

There was a long pause.

“She was never scared…” he said, sadly. “Up to the end, she was never scared. The last time I saw her, she gave me this, and made me promise to always keep it to remember her…

“One year later, I had to give up boxing… So she only knew the boxing Ben and not the dueling Ben.

“You know, sometimes I wonder what we could have done if she had survived… If the remission had lasted. I could have taught her the game… I’m sure she would have been a natural.”

“Oh?” asked Trisha. “What sort of deck do you think she’d play?”

Ben looked at the book.

“Dunno…” he said. “Maybe Fairies… Or Spellcasters…”

Trisha put her hand on his shoulder.

“I’ll keep it a secret,” she whispered.



[B]* * * * * * * * * *


One hour later, Sean Kishore was in the main room, opening a box that had come in the mail.

Oh, good, it’s here, he thought, looking at the costume. My mom sure can sew…

“So Sean,” said Russell, walking in, “how’s it feel to be a year older?”

Sean blushed a little.

“How’d you know it was my birthday?” he asked.

“I keep track of things,” said Russell. “You shouldn’t get so hung up on birthdays. You should be happy to have them. You ever hear about Methuselah?”

“Uh… rings a bell somewhere…” said Sean.

“According to the Bible,” said Russell, “he was a guy who lived to be nine-hundred and sixty-nine years old. Bet it was hard to get him a gift every year.”

Sean chuckled.

“So, going to the party?” asked Russell.

“Wouldn’t miss it for the world…” muttered Sean, stashing the box behind his back.



[B]* * * * * * * * * *


Sebastian sat on a couch, watching TV.

He flipped the channels. Even in the year 2106, there was rarely much good on, at least not until primetime.

As he surfed the channels, he searched his mind, as he had ever since he had dueled Trisha. That duel had wiped his mind clean of a painful memory, and as far as he was concerned now, that lover who had loved him and then betrayed him had never existed.

His plan had done the job… The pain in his heart had been purged. But somehow, he felt… weird.

He noticed a magazine that Cassius had left on the coffee table – Playboy. Even in this day and age, Hugh Hefner’s brainchild had never lost popularity.

He frowned and picked it up. He opened and leafed through it.

He looked at one of the pictorial sections.

Now there’s a decent rack… he thought.

He frowned.

“Oh, what am I doing!” he growled, tossing it away. “This is sleazy even for me!

“If I want Trisha ever to accept the situation that is to come, I can’t cheat on her, even with magazines.”

He took a box of cards off the table and looked through them.

He found one…

Nanobreaker.

“Trisha…” he said, “next time we duel, you won’t be so lucky. You will be mine.

“But I swear to you, you won’t find it so bad after a while…

“You might even grow to like it…”



[B]* * * * * * * * * *


Dr. Macader promised everything for the party – live music, catered food, the whole nine yards. And of course, dueling was allowed if a challenge was accepted.

Jason had a plan to get someone to duel him, and he had asked his mom to send him something. They knew they had to look for this “dark lady”, but they were going to have fun.

Jason was escorting Trisha, of course, and Russell had asked Sersei – she couldn’t say yes fast enough. Jason and Trisha were glad that Russell finally had a girlfriend, although Trisha was worrying what would happen at the inevitable time that she and Sersei dueled again.

Finally, at 8:30 on Saturday, Jason put the finishing touches on his costume.

Most of the costume had been easy. He had gone to the biggest suit rental place in Manhattan and asked to rent a purple tuxedo. They were able to get him one in his size (technically it was “violet”), and he combined it with a formal shirt, tie, and a purple derby hat that he had gotten in a costume store. The costume store had also supplied the long, pale, blonde wig, fake pointed ears, and red contacts.

Using the mirror, he used a powder puff to spread orange stage makeup on his face.

Finally, he slipped his Disk on his arm and picked up a box that was tied shut with a string.

“Perfect,” he said. “If you’re going to go to a party dressed as a Duel Monster, you might as well go as one who has a sense of style.”

He walked out to Trisha’s room where she said she’d meet her, and knocked on the door.

“Two minutes, Jason!” she called.

Only a minute and a half later, she came out.

Her hair was covered by a purple wig, tied in a ponytail. She wore a blue tunic tied with a golden belt, covering a shirt with loose purple sleeves, and wore silken pants and pointed slippers. She was holding a staff topped with a crescent moon.

“Magician of Faith…” said Jason. “Nice…”

“Hmm…” she answered with a smile. “I wouldn’t have expected the Witty Phantom. You sure are handsome for a Fiend. What’s in the box?”

“This is my key to getting a duel tonight,” he said. “Shall we?”

They clasped arms.

He paused.

“Strange…” he said.

“What?” she asked.

“These costumes,” he answered. “It’s almost as if there’s some… synergy between them. As if… As if these two Monsters went together in some way in another place and time…

“Eh, don’t worry about it. Let’s find Russell and Sersei.”



[B]* * * * * * * * * *


As they walked out, Russell and Sersei were waiting.

Russell’s costume made sense – he was dressed as Marauding Captain, in a suit of armor that might look real from a distance, but was revealed as carefully made papier-mâché up close. A sword was slung on his back. (The real Captain carried two swords, but Russell needed his hands free.)

Sersei was naturally dressed as Harpie Lady, an image of the Cyber version. Her exotic look was punctuated by a whip coiled and hooked to her belt.

“Not bad, guys,” said Jason. “That a real sword, Russell?”

“Yeah,” he replied. “Making swords is impossible unless you’re a blacksmith. But fortunately, my dad collects them. He had someone bring me one yesterday.”

“Well everyone,” said Sersei, “let’s par-tay!”

Little did they know, someone was above on the roof watching them. She giggled.

Halloween… she thought. I love this time of year! It’s one of the few times of year I can come out and play…



[B]* * * * * * * * * *


A Lord of Dragons stood at the door to the auditorium to welcome everyone in. Orange and black streamers hung in a room that was surrounded by jack o’lanterns lit with flickering candles. And amid the music of the band that had just started to play, it seemed the floor was full of Duel Monsters.

A White Magical Hat danced with a Witch of the Black Forest. Near them, a Roboyarou passed by with his date, a Mystical Elf. An Unfriendly Amazon shared punch with Zombyra the Dark.

The group of four looked around. They saw a few people they knew.

Ansel was naturally dressed as Musician King. Next to him was Malvolio, dressed in the ominous clothing that identified him as Mataza the Zapper.

Nadia and Randy were together, instantly recognizable. Randy’s costume was Avian, while Nadia’s was St. Joan.

Amanda was dressed as Chaos Command Magician, a reversal of genders, possibly. Ami was Raging Flame Sprite, naturally.

Sean was dressed in an elaborate costume that depicted Mr. Volcano. His date was Fire Princess.

Silver and Karen were also together. Silver was dressed as Different Dimension Master, and Karen as Doriado.

Jack was dressed as Green Phantom King… His date, naturally, was Queen of Autumn Leaves. Russell noticed a Vampire Lord and a Vampire Lady nearby…

He looked carefully. Yes, the Lord was Nathan, but he couldn’t tell who his date was.

Even a few staff had gotten in on the festivities. The Buster Blader stood by one end of the auditorium, and while he was clad completely in armor, the metal arm identified him as Old Ben.

And standing quietly in one corner was the imposing form of The Agent of Judgment – Saturn. Even in costume and makeup, Dr. Artemis exuded as much authority as ever. She was serving as chaperone, and the fact that she had chosen a divine being who was also a judge sort of drove the point home.

The band was named Driving Rain (Dr. Macader had said that the lead singer was a duelist), and to fit the occasion, they were also in costume, as Water Monsters. The lead singer was a Mermaid Knight (propped up on a cushioned pedestal, since her costume disabled her legs); the drummer was an Aqua Madoor; a Sea Serpent Warrior of Darkness and a Water Magician were on bass; and a Deepsea Warrior played keyboards.

“Hello everyone!” announced the lead singer. “Welcome to a night of spooky fun… Where we won’t only be enforcing the scary… But the comedy!”

The she started to sing as a lightshow started. The students started to dance.



[B][I]Something familiar,
Something peculiar,
Something for everyone:
A comedy tonight!

Something appealing,
Something appalling,
Something for everyone:
A comedy tonight!

Nothing with kings, nothing with crowns;
Bring on the lovers, liars and clowns!

Old situations,
New complications,
Nothing portentous or polite;
A tragedy tomorrow,
Comedy tonight!

Something convulsive,
Something repulsive,
Something for everyone:
A comedy tonight!

Something aesthetic,
Something frenetic,
Something for everyone:
A comedy tonight!

Nothing with gods, nothing with fate;
Weighty affairs will just have to wait!

Nothing that's formal,
Nothing that's normal,
No recitations to recite;
So, open up the curtain:
Comedy tonight!

Something erratic,
Something dramatic,
Something for everyone:
A comedy tonight!

Frenzy and frolic,
Strictly symbolic,
Something for everyone:
A comedy tonight!

Something familiar,
Something peculiar,
Something for everybody:
Comedy tonight!

Something that's gaudy,
Something that's bawdy –
Something for everybawdy!
Comedy tonight!

Nothing that's grim.
Nothing that's Greek.
She plays Medea later this week.
Stunning surprises!
Cunning disguises!
Hundreds of Monsters out of sight!

Pantaloons and tunics!
Courtesans and eunuchs!
Funerals and chases!
Baritones and basses!

Panderers! Philanderers!
Cupidity! Timidity!
Mistakes! Fakes!
Rhymes! Crimes!

Tumblers! Grumblers!
Bumblers! Fumblers!

No royal curse, no Trojan Horse,
And a happy ending, of course!
Goodness and badness,
Panic is madness –
This time it all turns out all right!
A tragedy tomorrow,
Comedy tonight!


So intense was the music, very few people noticed when a Dark Magician Girl wandered in.

She looked around, and quickly started to attract attention. Eventually, she motioned to Malvolio, and the two started dancing to the music. Everyone started watching her.

Artemis’s eyes narrowed.

So… she thought. The duel world’s biggest party animal returns… Sigh… Asking her to leave would make everyone hate me…



[B]* * * * * * * * * *


“So,” said Jason, “you see any sign of a ‘dark lady’?”

“Well, I have some suspicions,” said Russell. “We have quite a few Dark Monsters around. You seen where Sersei went, by the way?”

Jason pointed to the refreshment table.

Sersei and the Dark Magician Girl were drinking from the punch bowl and laughing.

“Say, Russell,” said Sersei, as he came up. “I have a bet with DMG here… You think this punch is made with Kool Aid or Hi-C?”

Russell took some and tasted it.

“Mmm, I’d say Hi-C,” he said.

He looked at the table.

There wasn’t quite enough food to feed an army – he should know – but there was a lot. There was almost every type of hors d’oeuvre they could possibly have – mozzarella sticks, cocktail weenies, stuffed mushrooms, finger sandwiches, buffalo wings…

But even more attention had been given to the sweets. On another table were cupcakes frosted to look like jack o’lanterns, fudge brownies, candied apples, five kinds of chips with four kinds of dip, and one of the major staples of Halloween – large bowls full of small individually wrapped Snickers, Milky Ways, Almond Joys, Skittles, Starburst, and every other candy you could think of.

“So much junk,” commented Russell. “It’s gonna be a miracle if someone doesn’t end up sick. Someone always gets sick at these parties, come to think of it.”

Dark Magician Girl smiled sweetly. Russell looked at her strangely. He noticed that she had a Duel Disk on her arm.

She picked up a cupcake.

“I for one am glad for it all,” she said. “Where I come from, treats like this are almost impossible to get…”

Russell didn’t doubt it. She seemed to have a figure like a supermodel.

Sersei looked over her costume…

One which exposed a great deal of cleavage and thigh. She shook her head.

You know… she thought. If I was the Dark Magician’s apprentice, I would hope I could score a more dignified outfit…

“So…” she asked. “You didn’t have anyone to bring?”

“Eh, I have someone who’s sort of a boyfriend,” she replied, “but he’s always busy… He has a very demanding job…”

“I see…” muttered Sersei.

She looked at her strangely.

The music finally stopped.

“Thank you!” said the Mermaid Knight. “We’re gonna take a little break now, but we’ll be back later…”

“That’s my cue…” said Jason. He went up to the stage and whispered something to someone near it.

After a minute, the Mermaid gave him the microphone.

“Hey everyone,” he called out. “I have here in my hand, my mother’s homemade chocolate-chip and macadamia nut cookies…”

He held up the box he had brought.

“…and anyone who can defeat me in a duel me will get them!”

Murmurs broke out among the crowd.

“Ooh…” moaned Sersei.

“What’s wrong?” asked the Dark Magician Girl.

“I love those cookies…” groaned Sersei. “He shared them once before… But I’ll never beat him…”

Dark Magician Girl rubbed her chin.

“Anyone?” asked Jason.

“I’ll take that challenge!” said a sweet voice.

He turned and saw Dark Magician Girl smiling sweetly.

“On one condition,” she continued. “If I win, you give them to Sersei.”

“Very well, I’m jack with that…” said Jason.

He started to shuffle his deck.

“So, uh… what’s your name?”

She giggled.

“Tell you what,” she said. “Beat me, and I’ll tell you.”

“Deal,” he said.

Russell picked up the microphone and Trisha stood behind him.

“Hello, ladies and germs, hope you’re having a good time,” he announced. “Looks like an official challenge has been made! So it seems we can stop with the dancing and see some good old-fashioned violence.”

“Nice…” muttered Trisha.

“In one corner, dressed as one who presides over death and looks sharp doing so, Jason ‘Glad I’m Not Still His Roommate Because He Hogs The Bathroom’ Conrad.”

“Real funny, Russell,” snapped Jason.

“And in the other corner,” continued Russell, “dressed as someone who has technically always come second, but will be first in most duelists’ books… uh, I don’t know her name, but… uh…

“Looks like I talked myself into a corner.”

Trisha grabbed the microphone.

“It’s time to duel, people!” she shouted.

“Get your game on!” shouted Jason.

The Disks activated.



[B](Jason: 8,000) (Dark Magician Girl: 8,000)


“Ladies first,” said Jason.

She giggled.

“No, I insist, you go first,” she answered.

“Are you sure?” he asked.

“Positive,” she answered.

Jason drew a sixth card.

“Well… okay…” he said.

He placed a card on his Disk.

“I’ll summon Peten the Dark Clown in Defense Mode,” he said.

Peten appeared on the field. (500/1,200)



http://www.ideal808.com/images/ep1-en005.jpg


To Jason’s surprise Peten tipped his hat and made a polite bow to his opponent before crouching in Defense.

Hmm, he never did that before, he thought. Well, next round, I’ll sacrifice him or the next Peten to summon my more powerful Monster…

“Over to you,” he said.

Dark Magician Girl drew her first card.

“Well…” she said. “I think I’ll… place this Monster in Defense Mode, and end my turn.”

She put a card on her Disk, and a facedown Monster appeared.

Jason drew a card.

“I’ll sacrifice Peten to summon Luster Dragon #2!” he exclaimed.

Peten shattered, and the powerful Dragon appeared. (2,400/1,400)



http://www.ideal808.com/images/db2-en165.jpg


“Yeah…” said Russell. “Look’s like Jason is about to take this duel by the horns.”

“Luster Dragon…” continued Jason, “attack with emerald flame!”

Luster Dragon shot forth a blast of fire…

A weird creature with red skin and eyes all over its body appeared on the facedown card, and was burned up.



http://www.ideal808.com/images/db1_en152.jpg


Dark Magician Girl giggled.

“Uh oh!” said Trisha. “That was Big Eye. Now Dark Magician Girl gets to look at the top five cards on her deck and rearrange them any way she chooses.”

“And I know just how I want them!” said Dark Magician Girl, looking at them.

She placed them back on her deck.

“Well, it’s your move then,” said Jason.

She drew a card.

“I’ll place a Monster in Defense Mode again,” she said.

Another card appeared facedown.

“Back to you!”

Jason drew another card.


Continued…

[Dark Sage]

Continued from last post:



Well, it’s my old friend Vorse Raider… he thought.

He placed a card on his Disk.

“I summon Vorse Raider in Attack Mode,” he said.

The sinister Beast-Warrior appeared, hefting his axe. (1,900/1,200)



http://www.ideal808.com/images/ct2_en003.jpg


“All right,” said Jason, “attack the facedown Monster!”

Vorse Raider charged…

The Monster appeared on the card. It was a woman shrouded in fire, in a blue formal dress and a fancy hairdo with a white streak.



http://www.ideal808.com/images/lon-035.jpg


“Huh? Who’s that?” asked Russell.

“She’s the Lady Assailant of Flames,” answered Dark Magician Girl with another giggle. “So now I get to remove the top three cards on my deck from play, and she gets to blast you!”

She took the three cards off her deck, and flames appeared in Lady Assailant’s hands… Her eyes glowed…

She shot a stream of fire forward, hitting Jason.

Vorse Raider’s axe finally hit, and she shattered.

“Well, that was strategy,” said Russell. “Thanks to Big Eye, she knew exactly what cards she was removing from play.”

“Yeah, but now she’s at Luster Dragon’s mercy!” added Trisha.

“You got that right,” said Jason. “Luster Dragon, attack directly!”

Luster Dragon blasted his breath weapon forward. Everyone gasped as Dark Magician Girl was engulfed in flames.

But she was still smiling when it stopped.

“Giggle, giggle,” she laughed. “Not bad.”



[B](J: 7,200) (DMG: 5,600)


“What are you made of?” asked Jason, in wonder.

“Strong stuff,” she answered. “Anything else?”

“This is feel-good violence,” said Russell. “Come on you sissies! Don’t make me come down there!”

“Actually, I do have another move,” continued Jason. “I play this, the Continuous Spell Card, Future Fusion.”

He played the card, and then took his deck.

“I take fusion material Monsters from my deck,” he explained, “like two of my Cyber Dragons, and send them to Graveyard…”

He discarded the two cards.

“And in just two of my turns, I’ll be able to Special Summon the resulting Fusion Monster, meaning Cyber Twin Dragon!

“That will be my turn.”

“Meh…” said Russell. “He could have sent all three of them there to summon the big guy… Don’t tell me he’s wimping out.”

“Maybe he wants to save one Cyber Dragon for later,” answered Trisha.

Exactly, thought Jason. And since the Fusion Monster would be destroyed if Future Fusion were destroyed, playing this card is always risky. I can’t afford to lose all three Cyber Dragons.

Besides, I’m already winning… Cyber End would be overkill.

Dark Magician Girl drew a card. She added it to her hand.

“I play the Spell Card, Soul Release,” she said, “to remove Big Eye and Lady Assailant of Flames from play.”

She played the card, and then chose another one.

“Now, since five of my cards have been removed from play,” she continued, “I can play this, Miracle Dig, to return three of them to my Graveyard.”

She played the card.

“Now, I’ll play Monster Reborn, to revive a Monster I just put in there, in Defense Mode. Magician’s Valkyria!”

In a burst of light, a female figure appeared, kneeling in defense. She looked somewhat like Dark Magician Girl, but brunette, with fancier raiment, and a more elaborate staff. (1,600/1,800)



http://www.ideal808.com/images/Le5_005.jpg


“And finally,” she said. “I’ll summon a second Valkyria in Defense Mode!”

She played the card, and an identical twin of the first Valkyria appeared.

“Uh oh…” said Russell. “I think I see her strategy now…”

“What?” asked Trisha.

“Magician’s Valkyria has an effect like Marauding Captain, only with Spellcasters,” answered Russell. “When one’s on the field, the opponent can’t attack any Spellcasters except her.”

“So with two on the field, Jason can’t attack at all!” exclaimed Trisha.

“Well, at least they aren’t strong enough to defeat Luster Dragon and Vorse Raider.”

Dr. Artemis crossed her arms.

After so many years, she thought, still the same basic strategy. Jason will have his work cut out for him…

Jason took the situation in, and drew a card.

“Think I’ll pass for this turn,” he said.

Dark Magician Girl drew a card.

“I play the Spell Card, Curse of Fiend!” she exclaimed.

An ominous mist formed over the field, and a series of torches lit.

“When this card is played, all Monsters in Defense Mode move to Attack Mode…”

Her two Valkyria stood up.

“…and vice versa!”

Vorse Raider and Luster Dragon crouched in Defense Mode.

“Now go!” she shouted. “Bright rainbow blast!”

The two Valkyria shot beams of multicolored light and Jason’s two Monsters were blasted to pieces.

“Ugh…” said Jason.

“Giggle, giggle,” laughed Dark Magician Girl. “It’s your move…”

Jason drew a card.

“You know what this means,” he said, “Future Fusion now activates!”

Cyber Twin Dragon appeared in a flash of light! It roared! (2,800/2,100)



http://www.ideal808.com/images/crv_en035.jpg


Everyone applauded.

“I may not be able to attack right now,” he added, “but your Valkyria can’t defeat him.”

Dark Magician Girl giggled again.

“Oh no?” she asked.

She drew a card.

“I play a Spell Card,” she said. “Magicians Unite!”

The Spell Card appeared, showing the image of two cloaked mages in front of a stained glass window.

The two Valkyria nodded to each other. One of them tossed her staff to left hand, and the two of them linked arms.

“What’s happening?” asked Jason.

“Magicians Unite can be played when I have more than one Spellcaster on the field,” she replied. “It lets them attack as a team, with an Attack Score of 3,000!”

“Oh… no…” muttered Jason.

The two Valkyria fired a mighty spell, and Cyber Twin Dragon exploded in a powerful blast!

Everyone in the room cheered. It was hard to see who was on who’s side.



[B](J: 7,000) (DMG: 5,600)


“Well, uh… Jason’s in the lead…” said Russell.

“Maybe not for long…” added Trisha.

“I’ll place one card facedown, and end my turn,” said Dark Magician Girl, placing a card into her Disk.

A facedown card appeared.

Jason drew a card.

Des Feral Imp… he thought. Let’s see them get past this…

“I’ll place a Monster in Defense Mode, and end my turn,” he said.

A facedown Monster appeared.

“My draw!” laughed Dark Magician Girl.

She drew a card.

“Mmm, not the best, but I can still use it…”

She took the other card from her hand.

“I play Pot of Greed…”

She played the card, and the grinning jar appeared.

“And I’ll chain my facedown card, Serial Spell!”

Her facedown card lifted.

“Now, I’ll discard the card I just drew, and it lets me play Pot of Greed twice!”

A second Pot of Greed appeared, and the two of them shattered as she drew four cards.

Sheesh… thought Jason. Clearly, this girl is no amateur…

“Now let’s play some!” she giggled. “I play Premature Burial to bring back Lady Assailant of Flames.”

She played the card, and the Pyro reappeared. (1,500/1,000)

“And now I’ll sacrifice to her to summon…”

She laughed again, as Lady Assailant vanished.

“Well… Take a look! It’s someone who’s been in front of you the whole time!”

To everyone’s shock, a Spellcaster who seemed to be an exact copy of the duelist appeared in front of her! (2,000/1,700)



http://www.ideal808.com/images/le5_002.jpg


“How cute,” said Russell. “She’s using the same Monster she’s dressed as!”

“Uh, Russell?” said Trisha. “Isn’t this a little… odd?”

“What do you mean?” asked Russell.

“Dark Magician Girl has always been an incredibly rare card,” said Trisha. “Most of the known copies have been owned by rich collectors. Very few duelists were actually known to regularly use one – one was the King of Games himself.”

“I see…” said Russell. “This is weird…”

Dark Magician Girl took another card from her hand.

“Next, I’ll Equip her with this,” she said, playing it. “Magic Formula.”

A large spellbook floated onto the field, and opened. The Dark Magician Girl on the field perused over the pages.

“I love curling up with a good book, and so does she,” said the duelist, “because it gives her 700 more Attack Points!”

(2,700/1,700)

“Now go!” yelled the duelist. “Dark burning blast!”

The Dark Magician Girl cast her dark spell, and Des Feral Imp appeared before it was blown to pieces.

“Well…” said Jason, nervously. “When Des Feral Imp bites the big one, I get to take one card from my Graveyard and shuffle it into my deck…”

He showed her a Cyber Dragon, and then shuffled it into his deck.

“Okay…” he said. “I guess you can finish…”

He closed his eyes…

“Valkyria…” she laughed, “attack directly!”

The two Valkyria fired their spells and an explosion centered on Jason.



[B](J: 3,800) (DMG: 4,800)


For a few seconds, all Jason could hear were little birds flying around his head…

“I’ll place a card facedown and end my turn,” she continued.

She played her last card, and a facedown card appeared.

This is bad, thought Jason. Since Dark Magician Girl is a Spellcaster, those Valkyria protect her from an attack too, even if I could summon a stronger Monster…

He drew a card.

“I play… Magical Mallet!” he exclaimed. “Now, I’ll reshuffle all six of my cards back into my deck, and redraw six again.”

He shuffled the cards into his deck, and then drew six.

“All right…” he said. “First, I’ll place down one facedown…”

He played a card, and a facedown card appeared.

“Then, a Monster in Defense Mode.”

A facedown Monster appeared.

“That will end my turn.”

“All right!” laughed Dark Magician Girl.

She drew a card.

“Valkyria number one, attack!”

The first Valkyria flew forward…

Ancient Lamp appeared on the card! (900/1,400)



http://www.ideal808.com/images/sp2-en001.jpg


“Gotcha!” shouted Jason, as the Lamp glowed. “Now I can redirect her attack towards your Dark Magician Girl!”

The first Valkyria’s eyes glazed over. She aimed her staff at the stronger Spellcaster…

The Dark Magician Girl on the field looked surprised. She defended herself with her own magic, and the Valkyria was blown away.

“Humph…” said Dark Magician Girl. “You… Attack Ancient Lamp!”

Her twin aimed her staff…

“I activate… Negate Attack!” shouted Jason.

His Trap Card lifted, and the Spellcaster’s blast was deflected.

“Sigh… It’s your move…” she said.



[B](J: 3,800) (DMG: 3,700)


“Well,” said Jason, drawing. “Now that I can attack again…”

He placed a card on his Disk.

“I use Ancient Lamp’s ability to Special Summon La Jinn the Mystical Genie of the Lamp.”

Smoke poured out of the Lamp, and it formed into La Jinn. (1,800/1,000)



http://www.ideal808.com/images/l3_07.jpg


“And next… I’ll sacrifice both my Monsters…”

La Jinn and Ancient Lamp vanished…

“To summon Tyrant Dragon!”

Everyone gasped again, as the huge Fire Dragon appeared! (2,900/2,500)



http://www.ideal808.com/images/lod-0341.jpg


“And since your Trap likely won’t work on him,” he continued, “attack her Magician’s Valkyria! Imperial inferno!”

Tyrant Dragon roared, and shot a stream of flame towards Valkyria…

“Sorry, Phantom,” said the duelist. “But this Trap affects my own Monsters. I activate Covering Fire!”

Her Trap lifted…

The stronger Spellcaster leapt behind the weaker one, and they both aimed their staffs. Valkyria’s Attack rose to 4,300.

With two powerful blasts, the fire was deflected, and Tyrant Dragon was blasted to pieces.

Everyone was dumbfounded…

“Giggle, giggle…” laughed Dark Magician Girl. “Gotcha!”

“Yeah, you ‘got’ me…” muttered Jason. “It’s your move…”



[B](J: 2,300) (DMG: 3,700)


She drew.

“All right sweetie…” said Dark Magician Girl, “let’s finish this!”

The Dark Magician Girl flew towards him, scepter first…

He howled as the powerful spell ripped through him.



[B](J: 0) (DMG: 3,700)


“Well, looks like we have a winner…” said Russell. “Eh… It was his own fault…”

He looked offstage.

“And folks can have more opportunity to duel later. Here’s Driving Rain again!”

The Deepsea Warrior carried the Mermaid Knight back to her pedestal, and she took the microphone.

“Don’t forget our, deal, Phantom,” said Dark Magician Girl. “Sersei gets those cookies now…”

Jason grinned.

I hope she doesn’t get fat on Russell… he thought.

“That was fun everyone,” said the Mermaid. “Now let’s mash!”

The music started again.



[B][I]I was working in the lab, late one night,
When my eyes beheld an eerie sight,
For my monster from his slab began to rise,
And suddenly to my surprise,

He did the Mash!
He did the Monster Mash.
The Monster Mash!
It was a Graveyard smash.
He did the Mash!
It caught on in a flash.
He did the Mash!
He did the Monster mash.

From my laboratory in the castle east,
To the master bedroom where the vampires feast,
The ghouls all came from their humble abodes,
To get a jolt from my electrodes.

They did the Mash!
They did the Monster Mash.
The Monster Mash!
It was a Graveyard smash.
They did the Mash!
It caught on in a flash.
They did the Mash!
They did the Monster Mash.

The zombies were having fun;
The party had just begun;
The guests included the Wolf Man,
Dracula, and his son.

The scene was rockin', all were digging the sounds,
Igor on chains, backed by his baying hounds,
The coffin-bangers were about to arrive,
With their vocal group, "The Crypt-Kicker Five".

They played the Mash!
They played the Monster Mash.
The Monster Mash!
It was a Graveyard smash.
They played the Mash!
It caught on in a flash.
They played the Mash!
They played the Monster Mash.

Out from his coffin, Drac's voice did ring;
Seems he was troubled by just one thing;
He opened the lid, and shook his fist;
And said, "Whatever happened to my Transylvania twist?"

It's now the Mash!
It's now the Monster Mash.
The Monster Mash!
And it's a Graveyard smash.
It's now the Mash!
It's caught on in a flash.
It's now the Mash!
It's now the Monster Mash.

The zombies were having fun;
The party had just begun;
The guests included the Wolf Man,
Dracula, and his son.

Now everything's cool, Drac's a part of the band,
And my Monster Mash is the hit of the land,
For you, the living, this Mash was meant too,
When you get to my door, tell them Boris sent you.

Then you can Mash!
Then you can Monster Mash.
The Monster Mash!
And do my Graveyard smash.
Then you can Mash!
You'll catch on in a flash.
Then you can Mash!
Then you can Monster Mash.



[B]* * * * * * * * * *


An hour later, another duel was in progress, Silver had challenged Karen…

And right now, he was getting royally trounced.

He had Dimensional Fissure active and D. D. Survivor on the field, but Karen had Doriado in Defense Mode, Equipped with Heart of Clear Water.

“I summon Element Dragon!” she shouted.

Element Dragon appeared on the field.

“Not only does Doriado’s Fire nature make him stronger than Survivor, but her Wind nature lets him attack twice!

“Attack D.D. Survivor! Blazing breeze!”

The Dragon shot a cloud of flame that burned up D.D. Survivor.

“Now, attack directly!”

Silver winced as the strong direct attack plowed into him.

“Oh yeah?” he said. “Well, since my Dimensional Fissure just removed D.D. Survivor from play, he comes right back as you end your turn…”

A portal opened, and Survivor came out.

“My move…” he said, drawing.

“I summon D.D. Assailant in Defense Mode.”

Assailant appeared, crouching in Defense.

Dark Magician Girl and Sersei were watching the duel very closely, while Jason, Trisha, and Russell were watching Dark Magician Girl.

“You sure it’s her?” asked Trisha.

“A ‘dark lady’ with blonde hair?” asked Jason. “How close can you get?”

“I flip Aussa the Earth Charmer into Attack Mode!” shouted Karen, as Aussa appeared on the field. “Now I can brainwash D.D. Assailant!”

Aussa cast her spell, and D.D. Assailant was drawn over to Karen’s side.

“Now, Element Dragon, attack twice!”

Element Dragon wiped out D.D. Survivor, and then attacked directly.

“D.D. Assailant, you attack too!”

Assailant slashed at Silver with her cleaver, reducing his Life Points to zero.

Russell wasn’t paying attention. He walked up to Dark Magician Girl.

“Hey,” he said. “I have a little gift for you…”

“Oh?” she asked.

He handed her a Duel Monsters card.

It was the Getsu Fuhma he had used against the Puppeteer.

She looked at it. For the first time all night, she looked serious.

“Well…” she muttered. “Let’s have a talk, you, me and your two friends. Let’s all go outside…”

They walked out, into the night air.

She sat down on one of the many benches around a monument, and sighed.

“You figured out that I was the second messenger,” she said. “I want to thank you for such a fun duel…”

“Don’t mention it…” answered Jason. “I’m still sore…”

“Anyway,” continued the Dark Magician Girl, “I can’t lead you to the Dark Messiah, but I know who can…”

“Just give us a name,” said Trisha.

“Patience,” said Dark Magician Girl. “Listen… Outside of Rye is the Briarwood Reservation Casino. Now, it’s different than most Native American-owned casinos… Sure, you can play slots, blackjack, roulette, craps, and all the average stuff…

“However, they have a special attraction. You’ll notice that many of the dealers and cocktail waitresses have Disks. These employees will duel the guests if you desire and you wager against their odds. Each duelist has odds assigned to him or her, based on how good he or she is.

“Go there… Ask for their best duelist. You can wager as much money as you want…

“But wager one other thing as well… Your darkest secret against your opponent’s. If you win, your opponent will be forced to tell you.”

She paused.

“I’m afraid that’s all I can help you with,” she said. “Now go back, enjoy the rest of the night, and who knows?

“Maybe I’ll meet you again next year… And maybe we can duel again…

“Thanks for the card.”

She got up and slowly walked away…

She vanished into the darkness.

A Witty Phantom, Marauding Captain, and Magician of Faith looked at each other…

“So, a casino,” muttered Jason. “Hopefully, this will be the last leg…”



[B]* * * * * * * * * *


“Please, boss?” asked Cleo.

“No…” growled Fortunado.

“Please, boss?” she repeated.

“If I said no the first time,” he answered, “do you really think I’ll say yes the second time?”

“No…” she said. “But you might say yes the forty-third time. Please, boss?”

“Argh…” he said. “All right! But don’t say I didn’t warn you…”

He went to a painting on the wall, and moved it aside, revealing a safe.

He turned the dial back and forth and opened it.

Inside the safe were two objects: a single Duel Monsters card in a plastic case, and a leather gauntlet with the Eye of Wdjat on the palm.

“Cleo, listen closely,” he said, taking them out. “Jaden Yuki’s heirs would not sell these even when I offered astronomical amounts. They feared that they’d be used for evil. I had to hire a group of… eh, thugs to steal them. All but one of them was caught, and most of the things they stole were reclaimed. However, the one who escaped managed to keep these.

“So do NOT lose them! I mean that.”

He handed them to her.

“Oh, I won’t…” said Cleo. “Jason will expect the Orichalcos next time…”

She fit the glove on her hand.

“…but he’ll get a big surprise instead…”


Sunday, October 25th, 2106, 12:02 AM



MAGICIANS UNITE (Spell Card)

Card Specs

Type: Spell
Attribute: –
Level: –
ATK: –
DEF: –

Image: Silhouettes of two cloaked mages in front of a stained glass window.

Card Description: You can activate this card when you have two or more SPELLCASTER-Type Monsters on your side of the field. The ATK of one SPELLCASTER-Type Monster on your side of the field becomes 3,000 for the remainder of the round. No SPELLCASTER-Type Monsters except the one you use this effect on can attack during the round you use this card.



MAGIC FORMULA (Spell Card)

Card Specs

Type: Spell/Equip
Attribute: –
Level: –
ATK: –
DEF: –

Image: A spellbook glowing with energy.

Card Description: This card can only be Equipped to “Dark Magician” or “Dark Magician Girl”. Increase the ATK of the Equipped Monster by 700. When this card is sent from the field to your Graveyard, gain 1,000 Life Points.

Note: “Magicians Unite” and “Magic Formula” are Japanese cards that have not yet been released in the United States. “Magicians Unite” was used by Pharaoh Atem in the anime episode “The Final Duel (Part 4)”



[B][I]Coming up next:

Russell gets caught in a duel where the toss of a coin or the roll of a die can change the outcome dramatically. Will he roll snake eyes or double boxcars?

It’s a chapter called “Gamble”, naturally, coming soon.

[Inferno_Dragon]

Good chapter, Dark Sage. Although it did sort of remind me of the episode where Jaden duels the Duel Monster Spirit of Dark Magician Girl, it was interesting. But I thought you said that Dark Magician Girl (the card) would never appear in this fanfic. Were you bluffing so we would never expect it coming?

Anyways, the Halloween Party was pretty interesting. At least no one did a Jaden and combined their costumes like Jaden did.

So the heroes are going to a casino, huh? I think that will be an interesting duel.

Keep up the good work!!!!

[Master of Paradox]

[quote=Inferno_Dragon ]

Actually, all he ever said was that the Dark Magician (not the girl) or the Blue Eyes White Dragon wouldn't appear unless Yugi or Kaiba, respectively, showed up. (He hedged his bets by having Arkana use the former.)

Is it just me or was this the shortest chapter yet? Even with two (frankly unnecessary) musical sequences, it didn't even make three posts. That still makes it longer than most of mine, but by your standards it's kind of disappointing.

And Inferno Dragon pointed another thing out: this felt a lot like the GX "Cosplay Duel" episode. Normally I'd let it slide - what else are you going to do with the DMG? - but after copying "A Spirit Summoned" for the Loki chapter, this is bordering on unacceptable.

The sequence with Sebastian felt like an attempt to remind us he's not dead... although I can't criticize, since I've done similar things. (And I did get a sense of foreboding from the Cleo scene.)

In truth, I don't dislike this chapter so much as I wish there was more to it. It was over before I could even find anything to comment on.

But I can't help but smile at the SR: 15 homage.

[Pokemasterkatie]

Heh, I caught that as well--Witty Phantom and Magician of Faith.^_^

And I wanna be there right now(hey, Ami made a cameo!)! The candy~*drools*

But I sort of have to agree. It was kind of lackluster, but it did advance the plot.

[Shuppet Master]

Well, Brian told me about this whole thing, and I didn't expect Jason to lose so easily, but it seems that Duel Spirit had gained a few tricks since her last duel. And for those of your whining and complaining about the shortness of the chapter, you must remember that the duel she had with Jaden was just as short.

The loss was acceptable since it wasn't a life-or-death duel, and now we're going to see a gamble deck again. (Isn't it obvious with the fact that it takes place in a casino and the teaser?) Great job, Brian.

[Mystic_clown]

Hmm, it was alright, but not great compared to others. There were a couple of segments htat really were unnessacary, such as Artemis referring to the DMG as the academy's biggest party animal (she didn't seem that wild to me) and that little bit about the actual card (when I read that, I thought maybe she was Yugi's descendant or something).

Hmm, this chapter does seem shorter, but I'm not complaining.

Nice CSR: 15 and Simpsons homages.

[Blademaster]

Heh... Not bad, not bad...

OK, the Shadow Realm: Fifteen references were cool, I love the Monster Mash (Though I actually liked the Mandate of Heaven variation better, hehe.), and I was glad to see Karen return, along with a lot of the other user characters.

The duel itself wasn't too exciting, I'll admit, but Future Fusion was a nice addition. And I never knew Magic Formula worked that way... huh. Go figure.

Anyway, not much else to say, though I'm interested in seeing just what 'gamble theme' is gonna appear next time, as well as what Cleo is up to...

-Blade

[Shuppet Master]

And I never knew Magic Formula worked that way... huh. Go figure.

You were thinking about how Yugi used it, back in the old days, when the effect was "Equip this card to any Spellcaster-type monster, increase its attack by 500." Sort of a pumped-up Book of Secret Arts. But when the Dark Magician Girl used it, it was similar to its Japanese counterpart, Textbook of Dark Magic(or whatever its name was), which stats "Equip this card to a Dark Magician or Dark Magician Girl, increase its attack by 700. If it is destroyed, you get 1000 life points."

[The_Missing_Link]

The chapter was alright, nothing special. I liked the Fifteen reference, although it seemed out of place

And what happened to Russell's new personality? Even after the chapter where he woke up, his whole mentality didn't seem to change much. This chapter, he sounded and acted like his old self

[Dark Sage]

TML asks a valid question. I'll try to explain, because Russell's new attitude is complicated.

Russell has basically become Retribution. His purpose now is not just to oppose evil, but to punish it. If you aren't deserving of punishment, he's basically just a smart alec. In other words, he isn't a threat unless you oppose him. Other times, he can still be civil.

But to the forces of evil, he will show no mercy.

It's a little like a flip side of how Kaiser has become in the second season of GX. Ryo has become incredibly selfish and uncaring, adopting a "win at all costs" attitude, but he isn't a threat to you unless he's your opponent. To anyone else, he's indifferent. This multiple outlook is similar to how Russell works, in a way. To innocents, he's basically harmless. To those who deserve it, he's relentless.

[Shuppet Master]

For those of you who only know the dub, Brian is talking about Zane. :D

I'm STILL waiting for the new season of Yu-Gi-Oh GX to show up. They said it'd start airing this month, but... :rolleyes:

[Pokemasterkatie]

I'm STILL waiting for the new season of Yu-Gi-Oh GX to show up. They said it'd start airing this month, but...
August 22, SM.:)


It's a little like a flip side of how Kaiser has become in the second season of GX. Ryo has become incredibly selfish and uncaring, adopting a "win at all costs" attitude, but he isn't a threat to you unless he's your opponent.
And in turn, Ryo has become one of the most evil *bleep* I've ever seen in an anime. JUST LOOK AT WHAT HE DID TO SHO/SYRUS, DAMMIT!;___;

[Dark Sage]

A lot of folks didn't seem to like my latest chapter.

Well here's a confession - I didn't like it much either.

See, I wanted the second messenger to be a spirit, but I wanted a friendly, nonthreatening one. The only way I could think of to do this was to bring in DMG.

I didn't like the chapter, so I'm putting up the new one now.

Read it. And come by tomorrow when you can participate in where this story goes... With a poll!

[B][I]As much as I admire the members of the Trinity, I don’t agree with all of them in their tastes. Joey Wheeler is an example. He had a lot of cards that relied on luck and chance… Dice rolls, coin flips, and simply trying to guess from hidden possibilities.

I’d never choose to rely that much on luck. According to the laws of probability, a coin flip always has a fifty percent chance of being called right. Not the best odds. Dice rolls are random as well, their outcomes always tricky.

As you can probably guess, I’d never make a habit of coming to a place like this. But now it’s necessary. And I’m facing a formidable foe…

I have to hope my luck is better than hers, because if it isn’t, our quest will have hit a dead end.




[B][size=3]CHAPTER THIRTY-SIX



http://www.ideal808.com/images/db1_en172.jpg



Sunday, October 25th, 2106, 9:10 AM


The next morning, after having slept off a night of dancing and sugary sweets, the three friends were sitting at the Spring of Rebirth at the Ra Dorm’s promenade.

“So,” asked Russell, “how the heck are we going to get to Rye?”

“I called a taxi shuttle service,” answered Jason. “They said that they could take us from Manhattan to the casino for one-hundred and fifty dollars. One way.”

“Three hundred dollars round trip?” gasped Trisha. “I am not gonna be the one to explain to my folks why I spent a hundred bucks to go to a casino!”

“My parents warned me about casinos,” grumbled Russell. “They hate gambling. They didn’t even like state lotteries.”

“Who wants to go to a casino?” asked a voice.

They turned around and saw Ansel, dressed in his casual clothes.

“Uh, hi Ansel,” said Jason. “We heard about a casino in Rye where you can duel and wager money.”

“Briarwood?” answered Ansel. “Hey, my folks love that place.

“Tell you what, I have nothing to do today… I’ll drive you there.”

“You have a car?” asked Jason.

Ansel held up a set of keys.

“My folks are in Aruba for the week,” he said. “It’s a business trip for dad, and a free vacation for mom. Anyway, mom lent me her wheels…”

His eyes narrowed.

“Just don’t eat in it, drink in it, or smoke in it,” he warned, “or she’ll be madder than that Berserk Gorilla my last opponent used.”



[B]* * * * * * * * * *


Even in the year 2106, Cadillac was the favored brand of car for those who could afford it…

And for those who wanted to look sharp and had enough money, the Cadillac Platinum Plexus was one of the best cars out there. In these times, the best cars didn’t even use gasoline, as electric engines had been perfected fifty years ago, and this one got great mileage and made almost no noise. It had excellent control, had many options… And best yet, it was made for comfort. The seats were relaxing, with plenty of leg room.

“So,” asked Ansel, as they drove onto the highway, “why the sudden interest in betting on dueling?”

“Let’s just say it’s a long story, Ansel,” said Jason. “It’s just something we have to do. I don’t know how we can repay you for taking us… This means a lot.”

“Tell you what,” answered Ansel, “if you win any money gambling, you spend some of it on the place’s buffet, your treat. I like the food in these places.

“Just sit back and relax. You like music?”

He placed music disk into a slot on the dashboard, and an old song came on.



[I][B]A long, long time ago,
I can still remember,
When that music used to make me smile…
And I knew if I had that chance,
I could make those people dance,
And maybe they’d be happy for a while…
But February made me shiver,
With every paper I’d deliver,
Bad news on the doorstep,
I couldn’t take one more step…
I can’t remember if I cried
When I read about his widowed bride,
But something touched me deep inside…
The day… the music… died…


A tear fell down Russell’s cheek.

“I love that song…” he said.



[B]* * * * * * * * * *


Cassius lay on his bed, staring at the ceiling.

Something wasn’t right…

He looked at the wall. The portrait of his father was there.

When the heck did I put THAT back up? he thought.

He stared at it.

“Bee in your bonnet, son?” said his father’s voice.

“If you must know,” growled Cassius. “I’m planning to duel Russell again, and I don’t think he’s going to fall for the same trick twice.”

”Then form a new strategy,” said the voice. ”One that is foolproof…”

“And you’d be an expert in foolproof strategies?” he asked. “Once he gets Hermos out, he can’t be stopped.”

”Well…” said his father’s voice. ”Perhaps you could find a way to keep him from using Hermos.”

Cassius looked at him.

“Keep him from using Hermos…” he thought. “Hermos can merge with any Monster to form an Equip Spell Card…”

He considered.

“Cursed Seal of the Forbidden Spell might work…”

”Are you certain that Hermos is a Spell?” asked his father. ”No green border on the card, you know. I don’t think he fits into any category.”

“Prohibition then?” muttered Cassius.

”Too fragile,” said his father. ”One Mystical Space Typhoon and you’re in trouble.

“But… I do know that any card Hermos creates counts as a Spell.”

There was a pause.

”Good gracious, son, look at your cards!” shouted the voice. ”The answer is right in front of you.”

Cassius took out his cards and leafed through them.

Then he stood up.

“Dad…” he muttered. “You are a clever bastard…”

He took the portrait off the wall.

“I’m glad you’re dead!”

He threw the painting under his bed again.

“Oh, that was a good one,” he said with a laugh. “I’m glad you’re dead… But he did have a good idea… Next time I see Russell…

“Hermos is going out first…”



[B]* * * * * * * * * *


It was only noon when the four students walked into the main casino of Briarwood, but the place was bustling.

They looked around. Like Dark Magician Girl said, a few of the dealers and some of the waitresses did indeed have Disks on their arms.

This was going to be tricky.

Ansel motioned to one of the waitresses.

“Could I get a bottled water, please?” he asked.

“Guys,” said Jason, as they walked over to the counter. “How much cash can you spare?”

Russell took out his wallet.

“Fourteen dollars,” he said.

“Eight dollars,” said Trisha, taking money out of her purse.

“And I have eight too,” said Jason.

Russell let out a sigh.

“Well, since I’m putting in the most,” said Russell, “I’d best be the one who duels.

“I don’t like it, but maybe I can humiliate these high rollers.”

That seemed to make sense, so they gave Russell the money. He walked up to the changer on the counter.

“Thirty dollars in chips, please,” he said.

The changer took the money, and handed him a cup full of plastic chips.

“Going to try your luck at craps?” he asked.

“No,” said Russell. “I was interested in dueling.”

“Oh…” said the changer.

He turned aside.

“Lou!” he called.

A short man hurried up. He was wearing a formal vest and suit and pants, and a green bookie’s visor. He looked about in his late fifties, with a bulbous nose and small eyes.

“Lou,” said the changer. “One of these kids wants to duel one of our duelists.”

“Oh?” said the man. He turned to them.

“Well kids,” he said, “I’m in charge of that. Anyone in particular?”

“I want your best duelist,” said Russell. “And when I say best, I mean best. Period.”

Lou slowly took a large cigar out of his pocket, and bit off the end.

“Really?” he said, lighting it. “I warn you, our best duelist has thirty-to-one odds.”

“Call me a sucker for a challenge,” answered Russell.

“Well then,” said Lou, with a smirk, “I guess if you want to blow some money, you might as well do it style…”

He chuckled.

“Heh, heh… This way.”

While they were doing that, the waitress handed Ansel his water, and he gave her a five-spot. He quickly ran to join them.

Lou led them to the blackjack tables, where one was dominated by an impressive dealer.

It was a woman, blonde, blue-eyed, and busty, with hair that was bobbed in “roaring twenties” style, wearing a low-cut casino-style outfit.

She currently had a ten revealed on the table.

She grinned as she revealed the other one, showing it to be another ten. The players groaned and tossed the cards down.

“Frenchie!” said Lou. “Enough of that for now. Someone here wants to duel you.”

Frenchie gave them a sweet smile and walked up to them.

“Well, that’s my job,” she said, taking a deck of cards. “Who’s the one who wants to duel my Casino Deck?”

Casino Deck? thought Trisha.

“That would be me…” said Russell, his eyes narrowing.

“Mmm, okay handsome,” she purred. “Then place your wager. As Lou no doubt told you, I’m thirty-to-one.”

“I bet thirty dollars,” said Russell, placing the chips on the table beside him. “And also…”

He paused.

“The loser must tell the winner his or her darkest secret.”

Everyone looked surprised.

“Well!” exclaimed Frenchie. “That’s certainly new! And I love trying new things…

“So, you wager thirty dollars, and your darkest secret. I’m game with that…”

Lou motioned to another waitress.

“Get these kids some drinks…” he muttered.

Frenchie looked at him intently as she placed her Disk on her arm. She was all smiles on the outside, but her heart sank into gloom…

I knew this would happen eventually… she thought. The guy in the cloak told me it would. Of all the dealers in all the casinos in all the world…

Why did it have to happen to me?

Russell took a toothpick from his pocket.

He glared at her as his teeth clenched on it…



[B]* * * * * * * * * *


“Hey everyone!” shouted someone at the slots. “Frenchie is dueling!”

That seemed to elicit a big reaction so a lot of folks left what they were doing, and gathered around the open space where Frenchie and Russell faced each other.

“Since I’m one who lives by chance most of the time, hon,” said Frenchie, “we’ll let a toss of the coin decide who goes first.”

She held up a gold coin that had the image of the Eye of Wdjat on the front.

“This is heads…”

She turned it around, revealing a side with a circle.

“…this is tails.”

She tossed it.

“Call it!”

“Heads!” shouted Russell.

The coin fell to the ground.

It was tails.

“Then I’ll make the first move,” said Frenchie with a grin, as their Disks activated.

“Very well,” said Russell, drawing five cards. “Ready… battle!”

“I like your style…” she purred.



[B](Russell: 8,000) (Frenchie: 8,000)


Russell looked at his cards.

What luck, he thought. I drew Freed on my opening hand!

“Okay, hon,” said Frenchie, drawing her first card. “As they say in this business, it’s time to ante up!”

She played a card. It showed the image of a fiendish, cloaked hand holding a Skull Servant card.

“And that’s exactly the name of the Spell Card I’m throwing at you, Ante!”

The card appeared.

“Okay… how does that work?” asked Russell.

“Each of us chooses one card from their hand,” explained Frenchie, “and the one whose card has the least number of stars has to discard it, and gets blasted for 1,000 points of damage. Spells and Traps count as zero stars. Got it?”

Russell paused.

He nervously took Freed from his hand. Frenchie took a card from hers.

They showed them to each other.

Russell groaned. Her Monster had six stars, one more than Freed had. (It was called “Maximum Six”; Russell was certain he had seen it somewhere before, but where?)

“Ha, ha!” laughed Frenchie. “Looks like we found something you’re bad at!”

The Ante card glowed, and shot a beam of light, hitting Russell! He groaned again.

He slowly discarded Freed.



[B](R: 7,000) (F: 8,000)


“Nuts,” said Trisha. “That’s not good. Losing one of his most powerful cards might cost him.”

“Continuing my turn,” said Frenchie, “I’ll summon a big guy named Abare Ushioni in Attack Mode.”

She played a card, and in a flash of light, a large, very angry-looking bull with a red hide and strange symbols on its skin appeared. It had three glaring eyes and sharp teeth. It growled and then swished its tail. (1,200/1,200)



http://www.ideal808.com/images/yugioh_fet_en_026_1.jpg


“Holy cow…” muttered Ansel.

“You had to say it…” replied Trisha.

“Now, I activate his effect,” said Frenchie, taking another coin. “I toss a coin and call it. If I call right, you lose 1,000 Life Points. If I call wrong, I lose 1,000 Life Points.

“Exciting, isn’t it?”

“Don’t worry, Russell!” shouted Jason. “You have a fifty-fifty chance!”

“That may be true,” said Frenchie, “but of all my cards, I’ve had the most luck with this guy… I’ve never lost the toss on this Monster.”

“Never?” asked Russell. “I find that hard to believe…”

“Heads!” shouted Frenchie, tossing the coin.

She caught it and flipped it on her wrist.

Russell groaned again. It was heads…

“And it seems my perfect record with him still stands!” laughed Frenchie.

Abare Ushioni’s three eyes glowed, and it shot three rays at Russell. He cringed as they hit him.

“I’ll place one card facedown, and end my turn,” said Frenchie.

A facedown card appeared.



[B](R: 6,000) (F: 8,000)


“About time!” said Russell, drawing.

That oversized hamburger is rather weak, he thought, looking over his cards. That facedown is likely a Trap to protect it. But if I don’t attack, she might sacrifice it to summon that six star Monster she has.

I have to risk it.

“I summon… Obnoxious Celtic Guardian!” he shouted.

He played the card, and the elven Warrior appeared, holding aloft his sword. (1,400/1,200)



http://www.ideal808.com/images/ct1-en006s.jpg


“Turn that bull into prime rib!” he shouted. “Silver blade slash!”

Obnoxious Celtic Guardian charged…

“I activate my Trap,” exclaimed Frenchie. “Go… Fairy Box!”

Her facedown card lifted, and a colorful box resembling a whack-a-mole appeared. Loony music started to play, as cylinders with stars on them popped in and out of the top.

“What the heck?” asked Russell.

“Ever play whack-a-mole?” asked Frenchie. “This might not look impressive, but it can be deadly.”

“Now I get to toss a coin again, and if I’m right, your Warrior’s Attack Score will be reduced to zero!”

She tossed the coin.

“Tails!”

She grabbed it and flipped it on her hand.

It was tails.

Abare Ushioni growled, and slammed its horns into the Guardian. He shattered.

“Wow… This gal has pretty good luck,” said Ansel.



[B](R: 4,800) (F: 8,000)


“By the way,” said Frenchie, casually tossing the coin, “I can use the effect of Fairy Box each time you attack, so long as I pay 500 Life Points each turn.”

“I can’t do anything else,” said Russell. “It’s your move.”

Frenchie drew a card.

She grinned.

“First I’ll pay 500 Life Points to keep my Fairy Box for now,” she said.

“Next, I’ll play an incredibly rare Continuous Spell Card,” she continued. “It’s called Lethal Stakes.”

She played the card, and it appeared. It showed an ominous picture of Sand Gambler and Goddess Whim playing blackjack, with Terrorking Archfiend as the dealer.

“Let me explain how this complex Spell works, hon,” she said. “On each of our turns, before we begin our Battle Phases, we can wager our Life Points, in increments of 100. If we successfully damage our opponent more than the amount we wagered, we gain Life Points equal to the wager. If we do less, we lose Life Points equal to the wager.

“Got it?”

“Yeah…” said Russell. “It… sounds interesting, I guess...”

Frenchie held the coin up.

“Well,” she said, “I could use Abare Ushioni’s effect again…”

She tossed the coin casually, and then grabbed it.

“But while my record with him is perfect, a clever gambler knows never to take risks when she doesn’t have to, and right now, I really don’t have to. That’s the first rule of gambling.

“So, I’ll wager 1,100 Life Points on Lethal Stakes, and unless you have a Kuriboh in your hand, that’s a wager I can’t lose!”

Eleven glowing blue chips fell in front of her.

“Abare Ushioni, attack Russell directly!

“Pamplona pound!”

Abare Ushioni snorted and steam shot from its nostrils. It charged and rammed into Russell’s stomach! He struggled to keep his footing.

“Looks like I won that wager, hon,” she said.

The glowing chips were absorbed into her body, and she glowed.

Russell groaned and clutched his stomach.



[B](R: 3,600) (F: 8,600)


“Russell’s in trouble…” moaned Trisha.

“He passed ‘trouble’ last turn,” said Jason. “He’s getting to the point where it becomes overwhelming.”

“To complete my turn,” said Frenchie, “I’ll play another Continuous Spell Card. It’s called Dangerous Machine Type-6.”

She played the card, and with a rumble and a blast of sparks, a large and frightening machine rose up behind her. It looked like some sort of cross between a clock and an electric generator, with the letters one through six on its face. Sparks flew from it, as if it was ready to explode.

“That does look dangerous,” said Trisha.

“One guy I dueled used this card against me once…” said Ansel. “On every one of her Standby Phases, it will choose a number between one and six at random, and depending on the number, it could hurt or help either duelist.”

Russell drew a card.

Attacking it with that Fairy Box in play is too risky, he thought. I’ll defend for now…

“I place one card facedown,” he said, “and then summon Axe Raider in Defense Mode.”

A facedown card appeared, and Axe Raider appeared, kneeling and holding his weapon in his lap. (1,700/1,150)



http://www.ideal808.com/images/db2-en092.jpg


“That’s all I can do.”

Frenchie drew a card.

All the eyes in the room turned to the Dangerous Machine, as its numbers started to glow. Finally, the number one lit up red.

Frenchie frowned.

“Eh, that’s means I have to discard a card…” she muttered.

A card in her hand glowed, and she discarded it (it was Goddess of Whim).

“Well, at least we know it’s possible for her to miss…” said Jason with a shrug.

“I’ll neglect to pay for Fairy Box, so it’s destroyed,” continued Frenchie.

The Fairy Box burst into pixels.

“Next,” she said, “I’ll sacrifice Abare Ushioni to summon someone better…”

The large bull vanished.

“I summon Maximum Six!”

A large, hulking creature appeared on her side of the field. It was a ten-foot-tall, muscular ogre with purple skin, blonde hair tied in a long ponytail, and six arms, each with huge biceps. The Roman Numeral for six was tattooed on his chest. His only clothing was a loincloth. He stood up erect and proudly flexed his muscles. (1,900/1,600)



http://www.ideal808.com/images/vb6_001.jpg


“When you play poker,” said Frenchie, “you have to worry about cheaters who hide cards up their sleeves. I wouldn’t want to play cards with this guy… He has six sleeves!”

Lou groaned.

“That joke was funny for about two minutes,” he said. “Frenchie, try getting a new one, okay?”

Frenchie seemingly ignored the remark. She continued:

“But I love him anyway, because when he’s summoned…”

Her hand glowed, and a large die formed in it.

“…I get to roll one die, multiply its result by 200, and add it to his Attack Score.”

She threw the die, and it rolled…

It came up a three.

“Not bad,” said Frenchie, as Maximum Six’s Attack rose to 2,500.

“Since you’re defending, I won’t bother making a wager. Maximum Six, attack with sextuple slugging!”

Maximum Six leapt forward, and clobbered Axe Raider with all six fists, and he shattered.

“Don’t worry, Russell!” shouted Jason. “She only has one card left in her hand! You can come back!”

“That’s rubbish,” replied Frenchie. “I’ll place that last card facedown, and end my turn.”

She placed the card in her Disk, and it appeared.

Russell drew.

“I activate my Trap Card!” exclaimed Frenchie.

Her facedown card lifted.

“Fire Darts!”

“Okay, this one I don’t know about,” said Ansel.

A flame appeared in Frenchie’s right hand, and then a fiery crossbow appeared in it.

“What?” asked Russell.

“Fire Darts can only be activated when I have no cards in my hand,” said Frenchie. “When I activate it, I roll three dice, and the number I get… Well, that’s how many arrows this thing gets.

“Each shot costs you 100 Life Points, so hope I roll low.”

Three dice flew forward.

One came up five, the second one six, and the third one five.

Russell groaned as Frenchie aimed the weapon at him.

Can my luck get any worse? he thought.

Frenchie pulled the trigger, and a series of fiery blasts shot at Russell, striking him in the chest!



[B](R: 2,000) (F: 8,600)


The crossbow vanished in a burst of flame.

“It’s still my move, Frenchie,” he stated, holding his chest.

He placed a card on his Disk.

“Command Knight in Defense Mode!”

Command Knight appeared, crouching in Defense. (1,200/1,900) –> (1,600/1,900)



http://www.ideal808.com/images/ct1-en003s.jpg


“That ends my turn…” he said.

Frenchie drew a card. The Dangerous Machine whirred again…

It landed on the three.

“That means I get to draw one card,” she said, drawing.

She looked at it.

“I’ll place it facedown…”

Another facedown card appeared.

“…and then I’ll attack with Maximum Six!”

The ogre rushed forward, and flattened Command Knight.

“Your move…”

Russell drew.

“I play Pot of Greed…” he said, playing it.

The jar appeared, and he drew two cards.

Finally… he thought, looking at them.

“Thanks a bunch!” laughed Frenchie. “Since you did that, I can activate the Trap I put down last turn.

“This one’s name says it all… Gamble!”

Her Trap lifted, showing the image of a hand tossing a coin over a table with cards scattered on it.

“Uh oh…” said Ansel. “I know about this one too. It can only be used when your opponent has six or more cards in his hand, and you have two or less. She flips a coin again, and if she calls it right, she gets to draw until she has five.”

“And if she calls it wrong?” asked Russell.

“Her next turn is skipped,” replied Ansel.

“Will you shut up?” groaned Russell. “I knew what it did, okay?”

Frenchie produced another coin.

“It’s heads!” she shouted, tossing it.

She caught the coin on her wrist.

Russell slapped his forehead in frustration… It was heads.

Frenchie grinned, and drew four cards.

“You know something, Frenchie?” he asked, getting annoyed. “I’m starting to think you could make more money by just patronizing these places rather than working here.”

“Been there, done that,” replied Frenchie, looking over her new hand. “Being a card shark was fun for a while, but no one can live on gambling alone. No matter how lucky you are at games of chance, you still need the one thing that’s reliable… A paycheck.

“And these places can afford to pay their dealers very well… Plus I get free medical and dental.”

“Indeed,” said Russell, scowling. “Well, you obviously thought that with 2,500 Attack Points, Maximum Six could have protected you if you had missed on that Gamble card. You were wrong. Let me show you a little trick that all Warrior duelists know.

“I play Premature Burial, to bring back the guy I discarded when you played Ante…”

He played the card.

“Freed the Matchless General!”

General Freed appeared, bravely facing Maximum Six. (2,300/1,700)



http://www.ideal808.com/images/lod-016.jpg


“Of course,” continued Russell, “any Equip Card that is Equipped to Freed is destroyed…”

Premature Burial shattered.

“…however, due to the technicality of that effect, Freed is not destroyed, so except for it costing me 800 Life Points, Premature Burial is like Monster Reborn for Freed.

“Next, I’ll summon Warrior Dai Grepher in Attack Mode…”

He played a card, and Grepher appeared, holding aloft his sword. (1,700/1,600)



http://www.ideal808.com/images/lod-020.jpg


“And now I’ll use your Lethal Stakes card and wager 600 Life Points, which is the maximum that I can.”

Six of the glowing chips appeared next to him.

“What?” laughed Frenchie. “But he can’t even defeat Maximum Six!”

“Forget about my facedown card?” asked Russell.

His facedown card lifted.

“The Trap Card, Reinforcements. This will raise Freed’s Attack Score to 2,800!”

Freed glowed, and his Attack Score went up.


Continued…

[Dark Sage]

Continued from last post:


“Freed, attack Maximum Six!” he shouted. “Blade of the battle-scarred!”

Freed leapt up, and slashed his sword across Maximum Six’s chest. The ogre doubled over in pain, and let out a groan, and then shattered into pixels.

“And now…” continued Russell, “Warrior Dai Grepher attacks you directly! Go! Steel blade slash!”

Frenchie shrieked as Grepher slashed at her with his blade. She stumbled backwards and fell on her tuckus.

“Looks like I won my wager,” said Russell. “Bad luck for you.”

The chips were absorbed into him, and he glowed.

“And it’s good luck that I didn’t miss that coin toss,” she muttered, getting up.



[B](R: 1,800) (F: 6,600)


“Well, Russell just got a shot at her,” said Trisha. “And he has Freed on the field.”

“But she’s still in the lead,” added Jason. “Way in the lead.”

Frenchie drew a card. The Dangerous Machine shook again, and this time landed on the two.

“Ha, ha!” laughed Frenchie. “That means you discard one card!”

A card in Russell’s hand glowed. He frowned, and discarded Big Shield Gardna.

“Now then,” said Frenchie, “I’ll summon the Sand Gambler in Attack Mode.”

In a shimmering light, a new Monster appeared. He looked like a handsome gentleman in an old fashioned suit, with a pencil-thin moustache. He placed his left hand in his pocket and started to casually toss a coin with his right hand. He smirked at the two Warriors. (300/1,600)



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“Oh no…” muttered Ansel.

“What?” asked Russell. “I have a feeling you’re gonna tell us?”

“This creature can be very dangerous if her luck holds out…” muttered Ansel.

“Well, what?” asked Trisha.

“She tosses a coin… this time, three times,” answered Ansel. “If she gets three heads, all of Russell’s Monsters are destroyed. But three tails, and all of her Monsters are destroyed.”

“So here we go!” said Frenchie, tossing her coin.

She caught it and slapped it on her wrist.

Heads.

She tossed it, caught it and slapped it again.

Heads.

“Third time’s the charm…” she said, tossing it.

She slapped it on her wrist once more.

She frowned.

Tails.

Sand Gambler put his hand on his chin and shook his head…

“In that case,” said Frenchie, “I’ll place one card facedown, and end my turn.”

A facedown card appeared.

Russell drew a card.

Talk about a bad hand, he thought. That facedown card worries me. If I make a wager, and it’s something that can block my attack, I’ll be in dangerous waters…

He paused.

Man, she has a poker face!

“I wager 900 of my Life Points on Lethal Stakes,” he said. “Grepher, attack Sand Gambler!”

Grepher raised his sword. Nine of the blue chips appeared next to Russell.

“I activate my Trap!” exclaimed Frenchie, as her Trap Card lifted. “Hallowed Life Barrier.”

Three figures, looking somewhat like the Waboku priestesses, but clothed in purple, appeared and surrounded Frenchie. She glowed with soft light.

“Now, for the cost of only one card…”

She discarded a card.

“All damage dealt to me this round is reduced to zero.”

Grepher’s sword slammed into Sand Gambler, blasting him away, but it didn’t hurt Frenchie at all.

Russell shook his head.

“I have no choice…” he said. “I have to end my turn.”

“And you lost that wager, hon…” said Frenchie.

The chips in front of Russell exploded, and he cringed.

“Know why?” asked Frenchie. “Because you forgot the first rule of gambling that I told you before… Never take risks when you don’t have to.”



[B](R: 900) (F: 6,600)


This is madness! thought Russell. I have to win this duel to find the Dark Messiah, and such important information is being left to chance? To random rolls and tosses? This isn’t how it should be!

This isn’t how it should be at all. Such vital information shouldn’t be wagered on against your luck…

Frenchie drew a card.

The Dangerous Machine spun again, and sparked even more. It landed on a four.

Frenchie frowned.

“That means you get to draw one card,” she said.

Russell drew a card.

Gilford the Legend, he thought.

“Now I’ll play my own Pot of Greed,” said Frenchie.

She played the card, and drew two cards.

“And now…” she said, “I’ll play another copy of Ante!”

She played the card. Trisha and Jason gulped.

“You remember how this works, right?” she asked.

“Indeed,” said Russell. “And if I lose, I’m toast.”

“Exactly,” said Frenchie, with a smile.

They both chose cards.

Frenchie held up a six-star Blowback Dragon.

Russell grinned and flipped Gilford the Legend around.

“Eight stars?” gasped Frenchie.

She shrieked as she was shocked by energy from the card.

She grunted, and discarded the card.

“Your luck’s starting to run out,” muttered Russell.

But personally, he knew that that had been one of the closest calls ever. If the Dangerous Machine hadn’t landed on four, he wouldn’t have gotten a free draw, and Gilford wouldn’t have been in his hand…

And the only other Monster he had right now was Warrior Lady of the Wasteland – she had only four stars.

He trembled.



[B](R: 900) (F: 5,600)


“We’ll see,” she said. “I summon Slate Warrior in Attack Mode.”

She played the card, and the alien-looking Fiend with a blank face and a gold breastplate appeared. (1,900/400)



http://www.ideal808.com/images/tp8-en003.jpg


“Next, I’ll play a Spell Card,” she said, “Graceful Dice!”

She played the card, and a small teddy bear with wings holding a die appeared. It tossed the die. It rolled.

It came up a five.

Slate Warrior’s stats rose to (2,400/900).

“My luck hasn’t run out yet, hon,” said Frenchie. “Slate Warrior, attack the General with fist of slate!”

Slate Warrior flew forward and punched Freed in the face. He groaned, and then shattered.

“I end my turn…”



[B](R: 800) (F: 5,600)


Slate Warrior’s Attack fell back to 1,900.

“Crud,” said Trisha. “Russell lost Freed again, and now Frenchie has a 1,900-Attack Point beatstick on the field.”

“Even worse,” said Jason, “if he does manage to destroy Slate Warrior, the Monster who does so will be weakened.”

Russell paused.

I have Gilford the Legend, he thought. But he can’t be Special Summoned, and I’d have to trade two Monsters for him. I’d better get a good draw.

He drew.

He looked at the card strangely. It had been a long time since he actually had used it. For some reason, he rarely ever drew it.

“I shift Grepher into Defense Mode,” he said.

Grepher knelt in Defense.

“And then, I’ll place another Monster in Defense Mode.”

A facedown Monster appeared.

“That will end my turn,” he said.

Frenchie drew, and the Dangerous Machine started to whir again.

It landed on a six.

“Oh no…” muttered Frenchie. “Not THAT one!”

The Dangerous Machine Type-6 started to spark and shake…

Then it exploded in a fiery burst!

“Well… So much for that…” she said with a sigh.

She played a card.

“I play… Roll of Fate,” she said. “Now I get to roll a die again…”

A white die appeared in her hand. She threw it.

It landed on the five.

“Perfect,” she said. “Now I get to draw five cards…”

She drew five times.

“Of course, now I have to remove the next five cards from my deck from play.”

She took the next five, and placed them in the Removed From Play slot in her Disk.

“Well, hon,” she said, “it’s been a great duel… So great, that I’m going to end it on a high note that I don’t often do…

“I’m going to finish you off with my strongest Monster…”

She paused.

“Some say that gambling is a sin…” she said, softly. “Except, of course, when churches hold fund raisers with casino themes…”

A lot of people laughed at that remark.

“Is it any wonder then,” she asked, “that the Monster that represents the greatest gamble of all is a Fiend?”

“What are you up to?” asked Russell, narrowing his eyes.

Frenchie played a card.

“I play the Ritual Spell Card, Contract With The Dark Master!” she exclaimed.

Everyone gasped…

“Now, I’ll sacrifice Slate Warrior and another Monster…”

A Roulette Barrel appeared on the field. Both Monsters were shrouded in dark flames and slowly consumed…

A cocoon made from dark, wiry ribbons formed on the field. It started to swell…

“…and I summon… Dark Master Zorc!”

The lights dimmed in the whole room… The cocoon burst.

A shadowy shape rose up. It looked like a cross between a Fiend and a Zombie, with black skin, and wiry hair. It bore wicked claws, and its eyes glowed red… It seemed to be creating the darkness rather than simply residing in it.

A haunting laughter echoed through the whole hall. (2,700/1,500)



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Lou looked incredibly nervous. He slowly downed the glass of scotch he was holding.

“Where’d she get that card?” gasped Trisha.

“Bought it with her Christmas bonus,” muttered Lou. “Last year. We can afford to give out pretty big bonuses. I don’t like it when my duelists lose, but…”

He gulped.

“…that guy even creeps me out. And you’re talking to someone who was in the service during the war…

“It’s kind of like that thing was once real… In one way or another… I know it doesn’t make sense, but…”

“Kinda defeats the purpose of Christmas…” muttered Trisha.

“Let me explain how Zorc works,” said Frenchie, as she waved her hand.

A black die appeared in her hand.

“I roll one die… And on a roll of one or two, he can wipe out all your Monsters. Three or four, and he can destroy one. A six, and all my Monsters are destroyed.”

“The odds are way in her favor…” muttered Trisha.

“Russian roulette…” mumbled Ansel.

“What?” asked Trisha.

“It’s like Russian roulette,” he answered. “Her chances of losing are slim, but if she does lose, she’s dead.”

“Guys…” said Jason, “perhaps you don’t realize it… Zorc has 2,700 Attack Points, and Russell has only 800 Life Points left! If he has to take a direct attack from that thing, he loses!”

All will have been for naught… thought Russell, looking at the hideous creature. All we’ve worked for depends… On the roll of a die…

Frenchie tossed the die… It rolled.

It landed on a five.

Okay… muttered Russell. So I survive for one more turn.

“Zorc, wipe out Grepher!” she commanded.

Zorc simply raised his hand, and Grepher winced in pain.

Then he was simply consumed in dark flames! Everyone watched in horror as he was immolated from the inside out!

“Now, attack his facedown Monster!”

Zorc breathed black flames at the facedown Monster…

Warrior Lady of the Wasteland appeared on the card. She shrieked before she was incinerated.

“Heh, heh,” said Russell. “Since you destroyed Warrior Lady of the Wasteland, her effect activates, and I get to summon an Earth Warrior with 1,500 Attack points or less from my deck. Go, Hero Kid!”

One Hero Kid leapt up and did a somersault. (300/600)



http://www.ideal808.com/images/soi-en005.jpg


“And since he was Special Summoned,” continued Russell, “here come two more.”

The Kid’s two brothers appeared next to him, crouching in Defense Mode.

“And what are they going to do?” asked Frenchie. “I’ll end my turn.”

Russell drew a card.

A Trap Card… A very common one.

Then he looked at the evil creature in front of him…

“Okay…” he said. “I’ll move the Hero Kid who’s in Attack Mode, to Defense Mode…”

The standing Hero Kid knelt.

“And then, I’ll place three cards facedown.”

He threw three cards into his Disk, and they appeared, one behind each Kid.

“And I’ll end my turn…”

Let’s hope that for this roll, my luck is better than hers… he thought. Let’s hope it holds out one more time…

Frenchie drew a card.

The die formed in her hand again. She threw it…

It landed on a four.

Zorc raised his hand, and one of the Hero Kids burst into flames.

“Zorc, take another one out!” she shouted.

Zorc shot forth dark flames again.

“I activate… Negate Attack!” said Russell.

His facedown card lifted, and the flames stopped short.

“All right, fine,” said Frenchie. “But this duel will be over soon…”

“I agree,” said Russell, drawing a card. “Prepare to eat the floor.

“I activate Call of the Haunted, to bring back Freed.”

Another facedown card lifted, and Freed reappeared. (2,300/1,700)

“Now, Monster Reborn, to bring back Axe Raider.”

He played the card, and Axe Raider appeared on the ankh. (1,700/1,150)

“Next, I’ll Equip him with Fusion Sword Murasame Blade…”

He played the card. Axe Raider’s axe vanished, and the powerful blade appeared in his hands. His Attack went up to 2,500.

“Finally, I’ll sacrifice my two Hero Kids to summon Gilford the Legend!”

The two Kids vanished, and Gilford arose, holding his huge sword. (2,600/2,000)



http://www.ideal808.com/images/sd5-en001.jpg


“Neither of them are strong enough,” said Frenchie. “You should have Equipped that Sword to Gilford!”

“We’ll see,” said Russell. “I activate my last Trap…

“Go, Miracle Kids!”

The Trap Card lifted.

“Now, for each Hero Kid in my Graveyard, your Monster loses 400 Attack Points.”

The ghosts of the three Kids flew out of the card laughing, and flew at Zorc! The Fiend lord roared in rage, and tried to swat them aside, but they clung to him and glowed with bright energy! The demon groaned, and his Attack fell to 1,500.

“Good lord…” muttered Lou. “Dark Master Zorc… taken down by kids?”

“Freed, destroy Dark Master Zorc!” shouted Russell.

Freed leapt forward, and with one swipe of his sword, cleaved the Fiend in half. The remains shattered. The spirits of the three Kids flew away, laughing heartily.

“Axe Raider, Gilford, attack directly! Combination attack!

“Smash her good!”

Frenchie screamed as the two Warriors charged at her! They slammed their swords into her and she was thrown backwards!



[B](R: 800) (F: 0)


“Cease fire…” muttered Russell.

Frenchie groaned. The darkness started to clear up.

Lou wasn’t so happy either.

“Ho boy,” he muttered, motioning to a girl who was a carrying a tray of chips. “Serves her right for using that awful card… I really should tell her to get rid of it…

“Let’s see… Thirty-to-one odds, thirty dollars wagered…”

He went up to Russell and handed him nine golden chips.

“Don’t lose those,” he warned. “Each is a one-hundred dollar chip. If you want to test your luck any more, you can exchange them for some smaller ones.”

“No,” said Russell, “we’re going to cash in. But I think Frenchie owes us something else.”

Frenchie got up.

“I know…” she muttered. “My darkest secret…”

“Hey,” said Russell, “no hard feelings. It was a good duel. At least it didn’t backfire on you like most Gamble Decks tend to do. Once we cash in our chips, we’re going to go to the buffet. Why don’t you join us, and you can tell us there?”

“Well…” muttered Frenchie. “I could use some strong coffee…

“Lou, I’ll be taking my lunch break.”



[B]* * * * * * * * * *


Despite all the great amount of food that was available in the buffet restaurant, Frenchie seemed content with a simple cup of black coffee.

“It’s strange that you should want to know my darkest secret,” she said. “You see, the one who told this told me that I shouldn’t tell until someone challenged me for it.

“I guess now is the time.”

She motioned for the waitress with the coffee pot.

“Are you sure you don’t want anything else?” asked Trisha. “We have everything here.”

“You’re very kind, but no,” she said. “You see, it all happened about three months ago. My boyfriend and I were drifting apart. I just know he was cheating on me.

“He was a duelist too, but even though I have a powerful Fiend in my deck, I never liked his cards. He played a Dark World Deck, full of… hideous creatures.”

“I played against a guy who used Dark World Fiends once,” said Ansel. “I agree with you… They are butt-ugly. And all of their powers are activated when they’re discarded. A Hand Control Deck’s worst nightmare.”

“You can already tell that a lot of cards in my deck would have benefited him even if he lost the roll…” continued Frenchie. “Ante, the Dangerous Machine… With Dark World Fiends, making your opponent discard is NOT a good idea.

“One night, he called me, saying he wanted to apologize. He invited me to our special spot for a friendly duel, promising me an unforgettable night afterwards… I saw no harm in that…

“A part of me wanted to believe that he was sincere… That we could start over… That we would be happy again…”

A tear fell down her cheek.

“But a few rounds into the duel, he played a horrible Field Spell…”

Her hand shook as she sipped the coffee.

“The Seal of Orichalcos…” said Jason with a growl. “That was shortly before we came across it. They must have been doing test runs of some sort…”

“Maybe those slimes we’ve been tangling with want their recruits to prove loyalty,” added Trisha. “How else can you prove it by taking the soul of your girlfriend?”

“Before I knew it,” continued Frenchie, “I was dueling for the worst stakes ever. My deck relies so much on luck, and I had to pray that it held out. I didn’t dare use Ante or the Dangerous Machine this time, and it seemed that those cards were in my hand for the longest time, completely useless…

“My Life Points were in triple digits, and he used Card Destruction to summon four of his Fiends. My only Defense was my Abare Ushioni in Defense Mode, and my Fairy Box. I won the first toss, and fortunately, his Life Points were too low for him to risk attacking with his others. Unfortunately, I didn’t have enough Life Points to keep the Fairy Box for more than that round.

“My only chance was Abare Ushioni’s effect… I made the toss…

“…and I won…”

She paused. She removed the Abare Ushioni card from her deck, and looked at it for a minute.

“Strange…” she said. “You know, I was scared to make the toss at first… I had never missed with him, but I knew there was a first time for everything. If I missed this time, I would have been the final time. But then… Someone urged me, telling me that I wouldn’t miss. I could have almost sworn that the urging was coming from the card itself… As if the Monster himself was telling me not to give up…”

She put the card back.

“I must have cried for an hour after it was over,” she continued. “But then, out of the darkness, a man came to comfort me… A strange old man… I never got his name, but I’ll never forget his face.

“He reminded me of Gandhi, only not as gaunt. He wore a fancy robe that was all black with a red sash.

“His soothing words calmed me down, and he told me that I wouldn’t face that horrible card again. But others, unfortunately, would. He told me he was the leader of a special sect who resided in a secret monastery, located deep under the city…

“At the right time, he would unleash the holy power of the Dark Messiah, and the Orichalcos would be defeated.”

“What else did he say?” asked Jason, getting excited. “How do we get to this monastery?”

Frenchie paused.

“He told me,” she continued, “that the path would be open to the ones chosen by the Dragons once the current Swordsmen were utterly defeated.

“Once that happened, Timaeus, Critias, and Hermos could reveal an entrance to a series of abandoned sewers from Grand Central Station. From there, the monastery would be easy to find by the ones holding those cards.”

She sighed.

“I’m afraid that’s all I know…” she muttered.

“Thank you,” said Trisha. “You’ve given us more than enough.”

As Frenchie left, they looked at each other.

“The first step is obvious,” said Russell, clenching his fist. “We have to hunt down those three goons and take them out. Take them out hard! Show them as much mercy as they’ve shown us and who knows who else.”

“We’ll go to class for now,” said Jason, “and assuming they don’t come for us, we’ll start looking for them on Friday afternoon.”

Ansel had been listening to this whole thing mostly in silence.

“Is there anything I can do?” he asked.

“If you know any good prayers,” replied Trisha, “say some for us…”

She raised her glass of soda.

“Here’s to the utter defeat of the Orichalcos,” she said.

They clinked their glasses together.

Russell looked through the money he had won.

“The bill for this food will be about sixty dollars,” he said. “That leaves two-hundred and eighty for each of us. I suggest we spend it on strengthening our decks…”



[B]* * * * * * * * * *


As the car started to drive back to New York City, thunder rolled.

“Uh oh…” said Ansel. “Rain. We’ve been getting so much lately…”



[B]* * * * * * * * * *


At ten o’clock that night, Raphael and Valon waited outside the Ra Dorm.

Alister slowly walked out, with a disappointed expression on his face.

“Any luck?” asked Valon.

“No…” muttered Alister, sitting down. “I wasn’t able to communicate with her, and try as I might, I couldn’t do it with my cards again. I think that each of us are only allowed to give a gift once…”

“Swell…” muttered Raphael. “That leaves you and me, Valon. One of us will have to give one of them their deck…”

“Hold the phone, guys,” said Alister. “Both of you have strategies that are… hard to use, to say the least.”

Raphael and Valon looked at each other. They couldn’t deny that.

“Then it all comes down to whoever’s strategy is less hard,” said Raphael. “And I hate to say it, but I don’t think it’s mine…”

“True…” muttered Alister. “Your whole strategy depended on never sending a Monster to the Graveyard, and you were the only duelist in history who could do that.”

“I know,” answered Raphael. “I really don’t think any of these kids can manage that.”

“And your Guardians are hard enough to summon to begin with,” said Valon.

He took his deck out and leafed though it.

“It’s up to me then…”


Sunday, October 25th, 2106, 10:17 PM



LETHAL STAKES (Spell Card)

Card Specs

Type: Spell/Continuous
Attribute: –
Level: –
ATK: –
DEF: –

Image: Sand Gambler and Goddess of Whim playing blackjack with Terrorking Archfiend as the dealer. They’re using blue lights rather than chips.

Card Description: During each player’s Battle Phase, they may declare an increment of 100. If during that Battle Phase they deal damage to their opponent’s Life Points totaling more than the declared number, they gain Life Points equal to the declared number. If they deal damage to their opponent’s Life Points totaling less than the declared number, they lose Life Points equal to the declared number. The declared number must be at least 100 and cannot be greater than double the declaring player’s current Life Points.

Note: “Lethal Stakes” was created by Master of Paradox for his fanfic “Yu-Gi-Oh! Tilting the Balance”. All creative credit goes to him.



MAXIMUM SIX (Monster Card)

Card Specs

Type: Warrior/Effect
Attribute: Earth
Level: 6
ATK: 1,900
DEF: 1,600

Card Description: When this card is successfully Tribute Summoned, roll one die. Multiply the result by 200, and add the result to this card’s ATK for as long as it is face-up on the field.



DANGEROUS MACHINE TYPE-6 (Spell Card)

Card Specs

Type: Spell/Continuous
Attribute: –
Level: –
ATK: –
DEF: –

Image: A machine looking vaguely like a clock, with six numbers on its face, sparkling with electricity.

Card Description: During each of your Standby Phases, roll one die. Activate one of the following effects according to the result of the roll: 1 – Discard one card from your hand at random. 2 – Your opponent discards one card from his hand at random. 3 – Draw one card. 4 – Your opponent draws one card. 5 – Destroy one opposing Monster. 6 – This card is destroyed.

Note: “Maximum Six” and “Dangerous Machine Type-6” are Japanese promotional cards that have not yet been released in the United States. Both were used by Joey in the multi-part anime episode “Down in Flames”.



ROLL OF FATE (Spell Card)

Card Specs

Type: Spell
Attribute: –
Level: –
ATK: –
DEF: –

Image: A beautiful woman’s portrait on the right, and a dark-haired man’s portrait with his eyes closed on the left. A die separates the two portraits.

Card Description: Roll one die. Draw a number of cards equal to the result of the roll. Then, remove from play the same number of cards from the top of your deck.

Note: “Roll of Fate” was used by Joey in the multi-part anime episode “Down in Flames”. All creative credit goes to the writers of that episode.



Frenchie’s Casino Deck

Frenchie has lived in a world of card sharks and high rollers for a long time, first as a gambler and later as a blackjack dealer. She’s had tremendous success in games of chance of all types, so as a duelist, it would make sense that cards dependent on luck and risk would populate her deck.

Frenchie has a few average beatsticks, like Slate Warrior and Gemini Elf (good to combo with Graceful Dice and Skull Dice) but most of her Monsters are ones whose effects are activated with coin tosses and dice rolls. Abare Ushioni is one of her favorites, because she can honestly say she has NEVER lost the toss with this Monster. Most don’t believe her when she claims this, but it is actually true. Despite this, she doesn’t think she is invincible, and as she said, she won’t take risks when she doesn’t have to.

Many more Monsters fill in the gaps. Dice Jar, Roulette Barrel, Maximum Six, Blowback Dragon, Sand Gambler, Time Wizard, and Goddess of Whim are all prevalent in her deck. She also keeps quite a few gambling-inspired Spells and Traps, including two copies of Ante and one each of Sixth Sense, Fire Darts, Fairy Box, and Gamble.

Dark Master Zorc doesn’t see much use. As useful as this card is, she would agree with Ansel that it’s too much like Russian roulette, a gamble that even she would never take.

Surprisingly, Frenchie’s deck does not contain any copies of Second Coin Toss or Dice Re-Roll. In real gambling, a player is NOT allowed a second chance when he loses, and she feels that these two cards are cheating. Perhaps Frenchie simply considers herself a gambler first and a duelist second, which is why she has set such restrictive rules for herself.



[B][I]Coming up next…

Russell finds Cassius and demands a rematch, which Cassius is all too happy to give him. But the outback outlaw has switched tactics, and won’t go down as easy this time. And his plan to cripple Hermos is one that has spelled doom for many duelists.

The next arc starts in a chapter called “Magic Jammer”, coming soon.

[The_Missing_Link]

I pictured Frenchie as the one from Grease but with a different style of hair

This was better than the last one but you always know those who play gambling decks always lose to the heroes so you know the outcome already. I also didn't like how Russell trembled since it conflicts with his new personality but you said it was complicated so I'll take your word on it

[Shuppet Master]

I really don't like gamble decks one, but you made Frenchie's deck a little less reliant on constantly using those effects. Great chapter, and it looks like we're going to have a rematch with the Three Swordsmen again. Their fate is sealed. :)

[jkBAKURA]

Interesting. Considering Cassius's deck, there's both the Swordsman level monsters, and Horus to deal with Spell cards Hermos may produce. Now I see why you gave that particular Dragon to Russel.

As for the chapter, it was nice to see that Gilford the Legend has not been forgotten. Frenchie herself wasn't my favorite character to appear, but you did make an incredible duel as far as a Gamble deck goes. Unlike Jade or Mary, this one seemed to at least have a reasonable amount of reality in the coin-tosses and die rolls. (Plus, in some cases any other result would have resulted in the duel ending way too quickly)

I kind of hoped for an appearance from Gattling Dragon, and I can't say I'm suprised by Leathel Stakes, but don't get me wrong, the chapter is a welcome addition.

As for next time, it seems you've come up with a better way to create tension in the Duel, unlike last time, which will always seem like a rather weak attempt. Hopefully, it will create what the rivalry was intended to be in the first place.

I'll be waiting as usual

[Blademaster]

Interesting indeed, JK.

The Gamble Deck was just what I expected, and a few things about the casino staff annoyed me (Yeah, Zorc is a pretty creepy Monster, but come on, Lou...), but otherwise the chapter wasn't too bad - the whole 'secret sect of the Dark Messiah' part was interesting...

Somebody in card production screwed up, though - the Roman numeral for 5 is 'V,' not 'X.' Technically, the number tattooed on (Or carved into, considering the color) Maximum Six's chest is 11, not 6 (Think of the 10th Friday the Thirteenth, Jason X, if you don't believe me.). Little things like that are more distracting to me than the bigger ones, as weird as that sounds...

I don't know for sure what's coming next time, but depending on the Ban List in this story, and the fact that Cassius has supposedly changed his strategy, it could be one of 3 things... Hmmm...

-Blade

[Dark Sage]

Hello everyone...

See the poll on another thread. Vote!

EDIT by mistysakura: Polls don't need a separate topic, so I've merged the topics into one.

[Dark Sage]

Hello everyone...

Time to give everyone a chance to participate in this fanfic... with a poll!

You know by now that Russell, Trisha, and Jason are on the right track to the Dark Messiah.

But let me explain a secret about the Dark Messiah. It is not one person. "Dark Messiah" is a title.

Every thousand years, during each Reckoning, one hero has been given a blessing where he has been chosen as the champion who will oppose the evil in the great comflict. This hero is the Dark Messiah.

Now, that blessing will go to one who is already blessed, one who holds one of the Legendary Dragons...

But as much as they'd like to share, Russell, Trisha, and Jason cannot. There can only be one Messiah.

Who will it be?

This poll will be up until midnight, August 23rd. Until then, vote for who you want to recieve the blessing. Choose who you want to hold the power of the Dark Messiah.

But be careful...

The one who gains this power will become a mighty weapon of light... But he or she may have to pay a price if it is desired...

Cast your vote now!

[Inferno_Dragon]

Interesting Duel, Dark Sage. It does kind of remind me of the duel between Alexis and Pierre. Of course, Pierre's duel was nearly as exciting as Russel's duel against Frenchie. But what I can't wait is to see Cassius's duel.

Keep up the good work!!!

[Shuppet Master]

Well, it looks like Jason's winning the poll, which sucks - I really wanted Trisha to win. Of course, if Jason wins, he'd probably be like the man he idolizes, Seto Kaiba.

[Dark Sage]

I should probably mention that the poll is not only being held here. I'm also holding it on fanfiction.net, as soon as I get another chapter up. I'm going to add the votes together from each result.

So don't take the poll here at face value. It's still anyone's game.

[Blademaster]

Heh, I'm voting for Trisha... Dark Messiah Trisha VS. the big, bad, ultra-villianess.

SUPER CATFIGHT!!!! :dance: :dance: :dance: :dance: :dance: :dance: :dance:

[Pokemasterkatie]

...I wish I thought of that before I voted Jason...:(

Nice duel. Gamble decks are fun~

...So, when are you updating Pokémonese, nya? *pokepoke*

[Dark Sage]

I decided to put up the new chapter quickly... But only so those on fanfiction.net can get a chance to participate in this poll we are having.

Don't expect an update on who is winning from me untill the poll is truly over. In fact, don't expect to know who the winner is until the power is truly unleashed. I'm holding this poll on two sites to keep it secret from everyone.

Anyway, without further ado.

[B][I]Somewhere under this city lies a secret monastery, and in this place lies the power of the Dark Messiah.

We have to find this place. We have to get that power. We need it to fulfill the prophecy and win this war…

But three obstacles stand in our path… Their names are Cassius, Cleo, and Sebastian. They must be utterly defeated before the path to the monastery opens.

Well, no problem. We beat them before, and this time we know their strategy. We can beat them again.

Yeah, right… I wish it were that simple.

But this “Fortunado”, whoever he is, didn’t choose them as his Swordsmen because they were pushovers.

The next phase is starting, and I doubt it will be easy.




[B][size=3]CHAPTER THIRTY-SEVEN



http://www.ideal808.com/images/sd2-en0261.jpg



Sunday, October 25th, 2106, 10:39 PM


As the storm raged down, and sheets of rain fell down on the city, Fortunado lounged in an armchair.

He was slowly munching on salted mixed nuts (except the Brazil nuts, which he hated) and staring out the window.

He looked at the bowl of nuts in disgust as he chewed on a pecan.

“Am I eating just because I’m bored?” he asked to no-one in particular.

He threw the bowl over his shoulder.

“No… I’m eating because I’m nervous. Those three kids are going to come looking for my men soon, and it wouldn’t hurt to add to my forces…

“Cassius!”

Cassius ran into the room.

“What took you so long?” asked Fortunado.

“Uh…” started Cassius.

“Never mind,” said Fortunado. “Does your mother still have the Scepter of Bound Divinity?”

“Uh, yeah…” he replied.

“Well, steal it from her again,” ordered Fortunado.

“We can’t use it to bring Loki to the mortal world again,” replied Cassius. “His jailers will have tightened his chains tenfold after what happened. They’ll make sure he won’t escape again.”

“True,” said Fortunado, “but Loki is far from the only deity who has gotten in trouble with his colleges. More divine beings have committed crimes of some sort, and have been punished by being locked away in celestial prisons…

“And some of these places haven’t learned about Loki yet, and they won’t have taken the same precautions.”



[B]* * * * * * * * * *


At the same time, Dr. Artemis was going over her most prized books.

She held out her coffee cup, and Twinky rolled up.

“Cream, two sugars,” she muttered.

As Twinky filled it, she turned to a page in an old book and rubbed her chin.

“Those three are getting closer and closer,” she muttered. “This is usually the part where the ground falls out from under your feet.

“That Frenchie woman told them about some sort of monastery under the city… I know I read about that in here somewhere…”

She turned to a page.

“Here we are…” she said. “No information on the actual monastery or who’s in it, but here’s a prediction…”

She read:

Three warriors will be chosen by dragons, and will seek the sacred ground out. To find it, each will be tested by a challenge to test the power of light inside them.

The first challenge: Proof of Order. Only by proving superiority of Law over Chaos will the Chosen pass.

The second challenge: Test of the Soul. Only by proving superiority of one’s soul over the skill of one who has none will the Chosen proceed.

The third challenge: Days of Past Reckoning. Only if they are blessed by the one who came before them, will they prove their worth.

Dr. Artemis paused.

“No mention of Duel Monsters specifically, but it falls into place.

“That third one… What does that mean? Sir Issac? But he’s been dead for a thousand years. Will his spirit help one of them if they’re worthy?”

She sighed and closed the book.

“Guess we’ll find out.”



[B]* * * * * * * * * *


As the thunder rolled, Trisha tossed and turned in her sleep.

“Machine King Prototype in Attack Mode,” she mumbled in her sleep. “And two cards facedown… Go ahead and attack me, Sebastian…”

Valon appeared next to her bed.

“Trisha…” he said, nudging her gently. “Wake up, Trisha…”

Trisha woke up in a start.

She looked at the intruder.

“Get back…” she warned. “I can scream loud enough for Old Ben to hear, and he can flatten you good…”

“Turn on your light, Trisha,” said Valon with a grin. “I realize that a man who breaks into a woman’s bedroom at night is usually a rapist, but… well…”

Trisha turned on the light, ready to scream her lungs out if he moved a step closer.

She didn’t recognize the young man, but she was startled when she saw that she could see right though him.

“Who are you?” she asked. “Are you some sort of…”

She reached out with her hand and it passed through him.

“…GHOST?”

“Don’t be afraid!” urged Valon. “I just want to talk!”

Trisha paused.

“Can you… sit down?” she asked.

“Of course I can sit down,” said Valon with a laugh.

“Then, uh, there’s a chair right there…” she said.

“As for who the Hell I am,” said Valon, taking the chair, “my name is Valon, and I’m a duelist like you are… And the reason I’m ghost is, well, I’m cursed…”

He sat down, and a long story followed. Trisha found herself hanging on to every word…

“I’m sorry,” said Trisha. “It must be awful. But why are you telling me?”

“I know you like Machine Monsters,” replied Valon.

He handed her a deck of cards.

“Take a look at these Machines.”

Trisha took the deck and skimmed through the cards.

“Uhm… they’re… odd…” she said.

“Well, they’re yours now,” said Valon. “I’m cutting my ties with my deck, and handing it over to you.”

“I can’t do that!” shouted Trisha. “These are yours!”

“The deck is useless to me now,” said Valon. “Keep it or sell the cards. They’re very valuable, especially as a set.

“But I ask for one humble favor. I can’t give much in return, except the cards and the unending thanks of myself and the two friends of mine who are in the same condition…”

“What?” asked Trisha.

“When you face Sebastian next,” he said. “Use this deck to pound the crud out of him. But before you do, dedicate the battle to me, Raphael, and Alister.

“We’ll be there on the sidelines supporting you. This is the only way we can finally rest.

“Of course…”

He sighed.

“If you study the cards and decide that they’re too hard to use, just forget the whole thing. I won’t force you.”

Trisha started looking at the cards.

“I can’t promise I will,” she said, “but I’ll try…”

Valon smiled.

“Good luck…” he said.

Slowly, he vanished.



[B]* * * * * * * * * * *


The next day in class, Dr. Peters was showing a film of some clips of the first Battle City with the sound turned off. The three Egyptian God Cards dominated most of the scenes.

The class gasped in fright as Yugi ordered a direct attack with Slifer against Bakura, and the evil spirit grinned madly before collapsing.

“As you can see…” muttered Peters, “the Egyptian God Cards were not simply… cards. They were divine forces that if left unchecked, could lay waste to cities. Many duelists dreamed of owning these cards before they were lost, but only certain duelists could handle the incredible power they possessed.

“If you didn’t know how to control one of them, it may well have consumed you.

“Pegasus learned soon after he created them that these cards were a mistake. He had them locked away, and hoped they’d never see daylight again.”

He turned off the film.

“It is sad to say, but this was not the only… mistake that Pegasus made in his long career. While creating Duel Monsters, he unleashed forces too horrible for anyone to ever dream of controlling.

“What I’m about to say is… all rumor and speculation…

“On one of his many trips to Egypt, he uncovered a tomb of one participant of the ancient Shadow Games, and found vivid descriptions of a Shadow Beast of unheard of power. A demon that was like a god to other demons.

“He thought this creature would make a perfect addition to his game. He did more research, and eventually created the prototype…

“It all fell apart when it was playtested. When the summoned Monster attacked the opposing Monster, both duelists were knocked out by the backlash, and fell into a coma that they couldn’t wake up from for a week. And when they did wake up, it took them hours to stop screaming, as if the thing had caused the darkest of nightmares.

“Horrified at what had happened, Pegasus tried to burn the card. But to his horror, it wouldn’t burn…

“He decided to seal it away forever, better than he had with the God Cards. He personally delivered it to the most secure bank in Switzerland, and arranged to have it locked in a safe deposit box in their deepest vaults. He left orders stating that no-one, absolutely no-one, not even him, under any condition whatsoever, was ever allowed to take it.”

Dr. Peters paused.

“We can assume this card was a Fiend, but we don’t know what it looks like, what it can do, or anything about its vital statistics…

“But this name was mentioned once about the forbidden card…

“Wicked God Dreadroot.”

The class went silent.

Russell rubbed his chin.

Interesting… he thought. I know it’s impossible but… I have to say… I’m curious…



[B]* * * * * * * * * *


When class was over, Trisha made a beeline for the VR Pods in the library.

“Ms. Nichols,” she said to the director. “I need a virtual duelist… One who isn’t too hard.”

“Why the sudden interest?” asked Ms. Nichols.

“I, uhm…” answered Trisha. “I built a new deck, and I need to try it out.”

Before I wager my soul on how good it is… she thought.



[B]* * * * * * * * * *


On Friday afternoon, Russell sat on a bench shuffling his deck.

Trisha and Jason walked up to him from opposite directions.

“Ready?” asked Jason.

“Let’s get ‘em,” answered Trisha.

They walked to the front gate.

“So, where do we start looking?” she asked.

Russell paused.

“I just had a… vision…” he said.

He concentrated.

“Cassius…” he said. “He’s at Rockefeller Center… I don’t know how I know, I just know.”

“Then let’s go…” said Jason.



[B]* * * * * * * * * *


It wasn’t winter yet, but the ice skating rink at Rockefeller Center was open and enjoying good business. Children skated around, while teenagers holding hands with their girlfriends danced on the ice.

Cassius sat on a bench eating one of the three slices of pizza he had gotten from a vendor.

Slowly he paused. His ears perked up.

He grabbed his whip, and lashed it behind him, knocking out of the air the card that someone had thrown at him.

He got up, and picked up the now-torn card.

“Dragon Capture Jar?” he thought. “Someone’s taunting me, and he’s gonna regret it…”

“Am I?” said a familiar voice.

He turned and saw Russell with his two allies behind him.

“Well, Russell, I hoped you show up eventually,” he said. “I owe you for the humiliation you doled out to me. By the way, nice coat.”

“Then what else remains to be said?” asked Russell.

He placed the toothpick in his mouth and clamped his teeth on it.

“Let’s end this between us once and for all. I’m not scared of your Armed Dragons…”

Cassius took his deck and started to shuffle it.

What he doesn’t know is that there’s no Armed Dragon in this deck, thought Cassius. I’ll have him begging for mercy before long… And he won’t get it…

They loaded their decks into their Disks.

Raphael, Valon, and Alister appeared behind Trisha and Jason.

“It’s starting…” said Raphael. “We can only hope…”

“Ready… Battle!” shouted Russell.



[B](Russell: 8,000) (Cassius: 8,000)


“So,” he continued, drawing five cards, “will you go fist, or should I?”

“You decide that,” answered Cassius. “I can be generous when I want to be.”

“Then by all means, you go first,” said Russell.

Cassius drew a sixth card.

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

A facedown Monster appeared.

“Now make your move.”

“I will!” replied Russell, drawing a sixth card. “And I summon Axe Raider in Attack Mode.”

Axe Raider appeared in front of him. (1,700/1,150)



http://www.ideal808.com/images/db2-en092.jpg

“Attack his facedown Monster!” he shouted.

Axe Raider swiped at the facedown card. A fiendish-looking treasure chest appeared on the card, and shattered.


http://www.ideal808.com/images/sod-en0091.jpg


“That was a Dark Mimic LV 1,” said Cassius. “Since you flipped it, I get to draw one card.”

He drew.

He looked at it.

“Then I end my turn,” said Russell.

Cassius drew again.

“Then the road to your demise begins… I play the Seal of Orichalcos!”

His Field Slot opened, and he threw the card inside.

The Jason and Trisha were thrown back, as the evil pentagram formed around them. Valon and Raphael reached out and caught them.

“What?” said Jason, turning around.

They saw nothing…

Cassius’s eyes glowed as the Seal etched on his forehead.

“Surprised?” he asked. “I’m not taking the Emperor Palpatine approach any more. I’m doing something more along the lines of Count Dooku or General Grievous.”

“You’ll still lose…” warned Russell.

“Want a bet?” asked Cassius, choosing another card. “I play the Spell Card, Level Down!”

“Level Down?” asked Russell. “I know what Level Up! does, but Level Down?”

“Level Down! lets me downgrade the star level of any leveled Monster in my hand by two,” explained Cassius. “Thus, the six-star Monster in my hand becomes a four-star Monster for this turn, letting me summon it with no sacrifice.

“So… I summon Horus the Black Flame Dragon LV 6!”

The birdlike, golden Dragon that Sean Kishore was so fond of appeared, and the Seal branded to its forehead. (2,300/1,600)



http://www.ideal808.com/images/sod-en0071.jpg


“THAT wasn’t in your deck last time!” shouted Russell.

“I know…” said Cassius with a sinister smile. “I’m full of surprises, Russell…

“Of course, Horus’s Level 6 form is immune to all Spell Cards… Even the Seal can’t break that rule. But his 2,300 Attack Points easily beats your Axe Raider’s 1,700.”

“Horus… attack his Monster with black flame blast!”

Horus shot a burst of fire at the Warrior. Axe Raider screamed and was burnt to a crisp.



[B](Russell: 7,400) (Cassius: 8,000)


“No…” gasped Trisha. “On the round where that Monster wins a battle…”

“…it can evolve into something stronger…” interrupted Cassius, taking a card from his deck. “Horus the Black Flame Dragon LV 8!”

Horus grew into a much bigger Dragon, with a wider wingspan. As the Seal branded to it, it glared at Russell.



http://www.ideal808.com/images/sod-en0081.jpg


“And his Level 8 form IS affected by the Seal,” continued Cassius.

(3,000/1,800) –> (3,500/1,800)

“You’re one in a million, Cassius,” growled Russell. “In Egyptian myth, Horus was a valiant crusader who defended the weak and the oppressed, and fought against tyranny. And you have the nerve to combine his avatar with the Orichalcos?”

“I’d like to see you try to stop me!” answered Cassius. “Especially since so long as he’s on the field, I can negate any Spell Cards that you try to play.

“And by the way… that includes any Equip Spell you create with The Claw of Hermos. Why do you think I made this Monster my weapon of choice? I prepared in advance this time.”

“No…” gasped Trisha. “He’s right… He’s put Hermos out of commission!”

“Just try beating me now…” dared Cassius.

“I place one card facedown, and end my turn…”

A facedown card appeared.

Russell drew a card.

“I summon Command Knight in Defense Mode,” he stated.

Command Knight appeared in front of him and knelt. (1,200/1,900) –> (1,600/1,900)



http://www.ideal808.com/images/ct1-en003s.jpg


“Then I place one card facedown…” he said.

He fit a card into his Disk, and a facedown card appeared.

“Your move…”

Cassius drew.

“I summon The Dragon Dwelling in the Cave in Attack Mode,” he said.

The sleepy, rocky Dragon appeared, but woke up a little. It seemed a bit surprised at being called to attack.

Then it grinned a sinister grin… (1,300/2,000) –> (1,800/2,000)



http://www.ideal808.com/images/lod-037.jpg


He paused.

“So…” muttered Russell. “Aren’t you going to attack?”



Continued…

[Dark Sage]

Continued from last post:



“Don’t insult my intelligence, Russell,” said Cassius, “I see that facedown card perfectly clearly. And I know that Traps are Horus’s greatest weakness.

“Pity if something were to happen to it, such as this…”

He took a card from his hand.

“I play Giant Trunade!”

He played the card, and the whirlwind flew across the field, blowing Russell’s facedown card and Cassius’s facedown card off the field.

“Not only is Horus safe now,” said Cassius, “but the card that I blew back to my own hand was one you’ll remember from our first duel…”

He turned the card around.

“Treasure Map?” asked Russell.

“Yes,” replied Cassius. “So now I get to draw twice, so long as I discard one card.”

He drew two cards.

“And once again, since Treasure Map is now worthless, that’s what I’ll discard.

“You can thank your friend Jason for helping me come up with this strategy, by the way… His duel with Alphonse showed me that Giant Trunade has no effect on the Seal.

“Thank you so much, Jason!

“Now then… I’ll attack with Horus! Attack Command Knight! Dark fire inferno!”

Horus blasted its flame, and Command Knight screamed before she was incinerated.

“Dragon Dwelling in the Cave…” he ordered. “Attack directly! Noxious gust!”

The Dragon breathed out a squall of foul wind, and Russell screamed…



[B](Russell: 5,600) (Cassius: 8,000)


“That will end my turn…” said Cassius.

Russell drew a card.

“Gearfried the Iron Knight in Defense Mode,” he said.

Gearfried appeared, crouching in Defense. (1,800/1,600)



http://www.ideal808.com/images/bpt-012.jpg


“And I’ll place this facedown again…” he muttered.

The facedown card reappeared.

Cassius drew a card.

“I sacrifice The Dragon Dwelling in the Cave,” he said.

The Dragon vanished.

“To summon… heh, heh, heh…”

He placed a card down.

“Jinzo!”

Jinzo appeared, its optic sensors glowing red. They glowed even more as the Seal bonded to it. (2,400/1,500) –> (2,900/1,500)



http://www.ideal808.com/images/db1-en067.jpg


“Beginning to see my strategy now?” asked Cassius. “With these two Monsters on the field, you can’t play any Spell OR Trap Cards. And you can’t win with Monsters alone!”

Russell was silent.

“Jinzo, attack Gearfried with cyber energy shock!” shouted Cassius.

Jinzo formed a ball of black energy in its hands, and hurled it forward, blowing Gearfried to pieces.

“Now, Horus… Attack Russell directly!

“Dark fire inferno!”

Horus shot an inferno of flame, and Russell screamed as flames engulfed him!



[B](R: 2,100) (C: 8,000)


“Blimey, he got nailed!” gasped Valon.

“He still has a chance, doesn’t he?” asked Alister, getting scared.

“I’d like to say I think he does…” said Raphael, “but one thing my mother taught me, God rest her soul, was that lying comes back to haunt you.”

“Why not just give up, Russell?” asked Cassius. “I don’t want to have to do that again. After all, you’ve lost almost 6,000 Life Points, and I’m still at full strength.”

Russell was silent for a minute, as smoke rose from his bent form… He could honestly say, he had never taken a direct attack that powerful before…

He didn’t like it.

Then he straightened up, and took the toothpick out of his mouth, and then flicked it at Cassius. It bounced off the outlaw’s chest.

“No…” he growled.

He drew a card. He looked at it.

He smirked…

“Monster in Defense Mode…” he said.

A facedown Monster appeared.

“And I end my turn…” he said, smugly.

Cassius drew a card.

“Well, you can’t play any Spell Cards,” he said, “but I sure can… I play Pot of Greed!”

He played the card, and the wicked jar appeared. He drew two cards, and it shattered.

He looked at the two cards he had drawn.

There, he thought, looking at the very common Spell Card. Now my three-Monster combo will be complete…

“So what is that facedown Monster?” he asked. “Something with some nasty flip-effect, I’ll bet. Well, it’s not gonna work…”

He played a card.

“I play Polymerization… To fuse Lord of Dragons with Divine Dragon Ragnarok!”

The Dragon and the Spellcaster appeared on the field. They swirled into a vortex of light…



http://www.itstimetoduel.com/cardpictures/SDK-041.jpghttp://www.itstimetoduel.com/cardpictures/LOB-EN059.jpghttp://www.itstimetoduel.com/cardpictures/FET-EN002.jpg


And then King Dragun arose! (2,400/1,000) –> (2,900/1,000)



http://www.ideal808.com/images/fet-en036.jpg


“So long as King Dragun is on the field,” said Cassius, “both he and Horus are protected from all card effects that target. I now have the ultimate Horus Lockdown!

“Face it, it’s over!”

“NO!” screamed Trisha.

What do you think now, dad? thought Cassius. I’m going to be more of a success than you could ever have dreamed of being!

“King Dragun…” he shouted, “destroy his last defense! Flaming scourge!”

King Dragun raised his rod, and blasted flame at the facedown card…

And then, Obnoxious Celtic Guardian appeared on the card, and blocked the blast with his sword!

He was unharmed, as steam rose from his blade. (1,400/1,200)



http://www.ideal808.com/images/ct1-en006s.jpg


“Thought you had me, did you big guy?” asked Russell with a grin. “Obnoxious Celtic Guardian can’t be destroyed by Monsters who have 1,900 Attack Points or more, and all three of your Monsters are far too powerful!”

“That was brilliant!” thought Raphael. “Now that Lord of Dragons and The Dragon Dwelling in the Cave are in Cassius’s Graveyard, with the 500-point boost of the Seal, I’ll wager that ALL the rest of his Monsters are simply too strong to destroy that guy!

“He might have a chance…”

“A mere annoyance…” said Cassius. “I end my turn…”

“Thank goodness he didn’t have Nobleman of Crossout in his hand…” muttered Trisha.

“I was trying very hard not to think of that…” muttered Jason.

Nobleman of Crossout? thought Cassius. DAMN! I knew I had forgotten something…

Russell drew.

“I summon my second Command Knight in Defense Mode,” he said.

Command Knight appeared, and knelt. (1,200/1,900) –> (1,600/1,900)

“And you can’t attack her so long as another Monster is on my side of the field,” he continued. “Who has who in a lock?”

“Big deal!” shouted Cassius. “You’ll never defeat my Horus Lockdown!

“And it’s a temporary defense at best. All I need to do is draw my Monster Reborn or Premature Burial, and I can bring back Lord of Dragons. Even with the Seal, his Attack Score will be low enough to destroy your elf.”

“I seem to remember that this exact strategy was defeated at one time in the past,” answered Russell.

“True…” said Cassius. “Joey Wheeler defeated it using Gilford the Lightning. But to use his effect, you must sacrifice three Monsters. And while you can easily summon a third one, I’ll never let it survive long enough.

“It’s my move!”

He drew.

“And I choose to pass…”

Russell drew a card.

“I summon Queen’s Knight in Defense Mode,” he said.

Queen’s Knight appeared, crouching in Defense. (1,500/1,600) –> (1,900/1,600)



http://www.ideal808.com/images/een-en004.jpg


“That’s all for now.”

Cassius drew.

“Horus, attack Queen’s Knight!” he shouted.

Horus shot his black flame. Queen’s Knight screamed as she was burned up.

Sorry, Queen’s Knight, thought Russell, as he discarded her card, but maybe you can help again later.

“My move…” he said.

He drew a card.

“I summon King’s Knight in Defense Mode.”

King’s Knight appeared. He knelt and placed his sword on his knee. (1,600/1,500) –> (2,000/1,500)



http://www.ideal808.com/images/een-en006.jpg


“That will end my turn,” he said.

Cassius drew a card.

“You just keep setting them up,” he said, “and I’ll keep knocking them down. Horus, take out King’s Knight!”

Horus shot forth his black flame, and King’s Knight was incinerated.

“This isn’t a duel…” muttered Jason. “This is target practice for Cassius. I don’t know what Russell can do…”

“Yes…” said Cassius. “What can you do?”

“Your strategy has one tragic flaw,” said Russell, narrowing his eyes. “With Jinzo on the field, you are forbidden from activating any Traps as well. That’s the downside of using Jinzo that everyone who uses it knows.

“So, if I were to summon someone who could destroy Horus, you’d be powerless to stop me.”

“HA, HA, HA, HA!” laughed Cassius. “Destroy Horus? With the Seal, he has 3,500 Attack Points.

“The strongest Monster that can be Normal Summoned is a tie between one of Kaiba’s Dragons and Ultimate Tyranno. Even if you had one, and you don’t, it couldn’t defeat Horus without help. And while there are stronger Monsters in the game, they all need to be Special Summoned.

“And you simply can’t Special Summon something with more Attack Power than this without Spells or Traps.”

Russell looked at his deck.

“Any time, pal…” he whispered.

He drew.

He looked at the card… He grinned wickedly.

“Guess again, loser…” he said with a smile. “See, you aren’t the only one who can plan in advance. I was expecting Dragons when I came here… Not Horus, I’ll admit, but I was still expecting Dragons. So I added a guy to my deck for just this occasion… One that makes even the Blue-Eyes White Dragons tremble in fear!

“The greatest dragon-slayer of all time…”

“Wait…” muttered Cassius. “You’re not talking about…”

“I sacrifice Command Knight…” said Russell.

Command Knight vanished into light.

“AND Obnoxious Celtic Guardian…”

The Guardian followed.

Thunder started to roll…

“To summon the mighty… [B]Buster Blader!”

In a flash, a powerful Warrior clad in violet plate armor and a full-head helmet, holding a huge sword leapt up, and struck a heroic pose! (2,600/2,300)



http://www.ideal808.com/images/bpt-008.jpg


“WHAT?” screamed Cassius. “You never had him in your deck before! You must have gotten him when we weren’t looking!”

“So, you’ve been watching us?” asked Russell. “Actually, Cassius, I’ve had this card for a very long time… But I only take him out for special occasions. Like when I wanted to kick your ass.

“And by the way, as you know doubt know, he gains 500 Attack Points for every Dragon on your side of the field and in your Graveyard. Two of them are in plain sight, and three more are in your Graveyard!”

Buster Blader lifted his sword, and it glowed, as he drew energy from the two Dragons in front of him…

Then the spirits of Divine Dragon Ragnarok, The Dragon Dwelling in the Cave, and Horus the Black Flame Dragon LV 6 appeared, and he absorbed them as well.

(5,100/2,300)

“No fair!” screamed Cassius.

“Why?” asked Russell, angrily. “Is there a rule now that says only the bad guys are allowed to have rare and powerful cards? If there is, I must not have caught that in the rulebook.”

Cassius seethed in anger.

“Buster Blader…” ordered Russell, “destroy Horus with blade buster attack! Cut him in half!”

Buster Blader glowed with golden light. He leapt up, and brought his sword down on the Black Flame Dragon! It roared, and then exploded into a burst of flame!

The flash lit up the dimming evening…

Flames showered to Earth as the mighty Warrior landed, and turned towards King Dragun, as if to say, “You’re next.” The fused Monster shuddered.

Trisha and Jason cheered. Behind them, the three phantoms cheered as well.



[B](R: 2,100) (C: 6,400)


He defeated Horus without Hermos… thought Cassius, in fear. Impossible… Inconceivable…

Why didn’t someone tell me he had that accursed Warrior in his deck?

“Your move, Crocodile Dumb-Dee,” said Russell.

“Oh, you’re gonna regret that…” growled Cassius, drawing.

Level Modulation? he thought, looking at it. If I use that to bring back Horus, he’d just kill it again!

“I’ll move Jinzo and King Dragun into Defense Mode,” he said.

King Dragun curled up in his coils and Jinzo crouched in Defense.

Russell drew.

“Well,” he said, “now that Horus is in your Graveyard, I can use all the Spell Cards I want!

“Like this one… The Warrior Returning Alive. I’ll use it to return Command Knight to my hand.”

He played the card, a card slipped out of his discard slot.

“Now, Command Knight, welcome back…”

He played the card, and Command Knight reappeared. (1,200/1,900) –> (1,600/1,900)

She nodded to Buster Blader, and his Attack rose to 5,500.

“Command Knight,” he ordered, “attack Jinzo with flame blade!”

Command Knight’s sword burned with fire, and she swiped at Jinzo. The android sparked and exploded.

“Now for the last one,” said Russell. “Buster Blader, attack King Dragun!”

Buster Blader leapt up, and with a swipe of his mighty sword, cleaved King Dragun in two. The remains shattered into dark shards.

“Your move, pal…” said Russell, “and you have no Monsters left… Your so-called lock has failed miserably.”



[B](R: 2,100) (C: 6,400)


Cassius paused. He was worried now.

This better be a good draw… he thought, or that superpowered Buster Blader will be able to attack ME next turn!

He drew.

“I play… Graceful Charity!” he shouted. “I don’t think I need to tell you what that does…”

He drew three cards.

He paused.

He discarded two Masked Dragons from his hand.

“Are you nuts?” asked Jason. “You just made Buster Blader even stronger!”

Buster Blader rose to an Attack of 6,600.

“And now I’ll make him weaker,” said Cassius. “See this card?”

He showed him a card.

Soul Release.

“A common card,” he continued. “I’m sure you know that it can remove from play five cards from either your Graveyard or mine…”

He played the card.

“And I choose to use it on mine, removing from play five of my Dragons. That means your Warrior loses 2,500 Attack Points.”

Buster Blader fell to an Attack of 4,000.

“Next, I’ll play Spell Reproduction…”

He played the card, and then discarded Level Modulation and The Graveyard in the Fourth Dimension.

“This lets me play Soul Release a second time.”

Buster Blader fell to 3,000 ATK.

“I don’t get it,” said Valon. “Even without those Dragons, Buster Blader’s Attack Score is still through the roof. What is Cassius planning?”

“Now,” said Cassius. “I summon… Silent Magician LV 4.”

He played a card, and in a flash, a small girl dressed in space-age clothing carrying a staff appeared.



http://www.ideal808.com/images/ntr-en001.jpg


She looked around in fear. As the Seal started to bond to her, she looked ready to cry…

Then she fell under the spell, and her eyes glowed with an evil light. (1,000/1,000) –> (1,500/1,000)

“Please…” said Russell. “I know how she works… She gains 500 Attack Points every time I draw, right? And when she reaches a certain point, you can evolve her into her big sister. Well, she won’t last long enough to reach that point…”

“Have you forgotten what kind of deck you’re dealing with?” asked Cassius.

He took one of the last two cards in his hand.

“I play… Level Up! This lets me evolve her instantly, into Silent Magician LV 8!”

“Another eight star Monster?” gasped Jason.

The small Silent Magician vanished…

And then a taller form appeared. She looked pretty much like an adult form of the LV 4 version, with a fancier staff.



http://www.ideal808.com/images/ntr-en002.jpg


She started to cringe. Russell couldn’t help but stare… She was trying to resist the Seal!

But it was no use. She bowed her head, and then lifted it again, with evil in her eyes. (3,500/1,000) –> (4,000/1,000)

“Now…” said Cassius, “Horus will be avenged! Silent Magician, attack the Buster Blader with cosmic flux!”

Silent Magician shot a blast of energy from her staff that looked like a black burst full of stars and moons. Buster Blader was thrown back, and shattered to pieces.



[B](R: 1,100) (C: 6,400)


“And by the way…” said Cassius. “Your Spell Cards won’t work on her.”



Continued…

[Dark Sage]

Continued from last post:



“True,” said Russell, drawing a card, “but unlike Horus, she can’t stop me from playing them.

“I play Premature Burial.”

He played the card.

“I’ll use it to bring my first Command Knight back from the grave.”

The ankh appeared, and the first Command Knight appeared, next to her twin. (1,200/1,900)

Both Command Knights rose to an Attack of 2,000.

“My Magician is twice as strong as they are,” said Cassius.

“Perhaps,” said Russell. “But due to Command Knight’s ability, I have you in a lock again!”

“He’s right…” said Alister. “Command Knight is protected from an attack so long as at least one other Monster is on the field. So the first one protects the second…”

“And the second one protects the first!” laughed Valon. “Well, that’s just what I would have done… Well, if Warriors were my thing… And they aren’t… Uh, yeah…”

Cassius frowned as he drew.

His eyes lit up.

“I’ll place one card facedown, and end my turn,” he said.

Russell drew a card.

“I play MY Graceful Charity,” he said.

He played the card, and then drew three cards.

He paused.

He discarded Gearfried the Swordmaster and Armed Changer.

“Now…” he said. “I sacrifice both Command Knights…”

The two Knights vanished…

“And summon Gilford the Lightning.”

The powerful Gilford appeared. (2,800/1,400)



http://www.ideal808.com/images/ct2_en001.jpg


“Next,” he said, “I’ll play… Monster Reborn. And I’ll bring back a Monster from your Graveyard, one that I don’t think was a willing recruit…”

The holy ankh appeared, and Silent Magician LV 4 appeared. (1,000/1,000)

“That has to be the dumbest move I have ever seen,” said Cassius. “You should have used Monster Reborn first, and then sacrificed all three Monsters so that you could have used Gilford’s effect. Now you have two Monsters who can’t come close to beating my Magician.”

“I was thinking more long term…” said Russell, taking another card.

He played it.

“I play The Claw of Hermos!”

He played the card, and the sky darkened. The wind around Rockefeller Center picked up, and the immense form of Hermos flew out of the sky, and dove through the Seal!

“Hermos, merge with Silent Magician to form… the Solar Blaster!” shouted Russell.

Silent Magician LV 4 and Hermos formed into two globes of light, and they merged together…

In a flash, a huge, futuristic cannon appeared, and Gilford grabbed the hilt. He fell down on one knee and pointed it forward.

“When the Solar Blaster is used by a Light-Attribute Monster,” said Russell, “he gains 1,500 Attack Points when battling a Dark-Attribute Monster. And I happen to know that since you’re playing the Seal, any Monster you summon is Dark.”

Gilford aimed the huge weapon at Silent Magician LV 8. She sighed, and bowed her head.

“Gilford, put her out of her misery,” said Russell. “Solar blast!”

Gilford’s Attack rose to 4,300. He pulled the trigger, and fired a blast of pure light. Silent Magician was blown into shards.



[B](R: 300) (C: 6,100)


“So now what, Cassius?” asked Russell. “Any Monster you summon will be facing a Monster with 4,300 Attack Points.

“But just in case…”

He fit two cards into his Disk, and two facedown cards appeared next to the one that had been there unused since Cassius had summoned Jinzo.

“Your move…”

“You haven’t won yet…” warned Cassius.

He drew a card.

He looked at it and the other card in his hand…

This card… he thought. I can use it to summon my most powerful Monster…

But… That Monster… It’s cursed… Everyone who has used it has come to horrible ends…

He stared at the card.

“What is the freakin’ holdup?” asked Russell.



[B]* * * * * * * * * *


On her throne of obsidian, the dark figure watched with disgust.

“Okay…” she sneered. “Time for a chat…”

As Cassius looked at the card he had drawn, the voice of the Master entered his mind.

”Cassius!” shouted the Master. ”What IS the holdup? Use that Spell Card, and summon your ultimate weapon.”

Cassius started to sweat.

But… Your excellence… he thought. The card… It’s dangerous… I never dared use it before… The curse…

”Curse?” scowled the Master. ”You’re talking nonsense. Need I remind you that you have no Monsters to summon, and your facedown card won’t help you unless you use that card. Unless you do, you will lose.

“I will not spare you, Cassius, especially if the reason you lost was because you were scared of your own card.

“So either play it… Or end up just as your pathetic father was… A failure…”

“A failure…” whispered Cassius. “I’ll show you who’s a failure!

“I activate my facedown card…”

The facedown card lifted.

“Return From The Different Dimension! It’s worth paying half my Life Points to bring back five of the Dragons I removed from play…”

A spiraling portal appeared, and two Masked Dragons, The Dragon Dwelling in the Cave, Divine Dragon Ragnarok, and King Dragun flew out.

“Big deal,” said Russell. “None of them can defeat Gilford…”

“Want to know what card I drew?” asked Cassius. “Do you?”

He played the card.

“I play… Dragon’s Mirror!”

“Dragon’s Mirror?” gasped Trisha.

“It’s a Polymerization substitute,” said Jason. “It lets the user remove fusion material Monsters from his field and Graveyard from play to summon the Fusion Monster, so long as the Fusion Monster is a Dragon.

“But none of those Dragons are used in any fusions except Ragnarok… He brought them all back just to summon a second King Dragun?”

“How little we know…” said Cassius, with an evil smile.

A large mirror with a frame decorated with a draconic theme appeared. The five Dragons were sucked into it.

“The Dragon I’m summoning is among the most powerful beasts in the Duel Monsters universe! A card so rare, you can count on one hand the number of known copies… A Dragon from Hell itself…

“And he’s summoned by fusing five Dragons of ANY variety!”

The mirror shattered in a burst of glass…

A glowing five-pointed star appeared in the center of the Seal.

“I summon the mighty… [B]F.G.D.!”

An aura of pure darkness rose, and grew to giant size…

A Duel Monster that looked even bigger than Raviel loomed out of the darkness. Its scaly skin was a sickly yellow, and it had a wingspan of at least two-hundred feet. Worse, it had five horrible heads… one yellow with a crown of electricity, one black and scaly, one blue and metallic, one green and fiendish, and one that appeared to be made of fire.

It let out a great roar!

(5,000/5,000) –> (5,500/5,000)



http://www.ideal808.com/images/Gb7_001.jpg


“That stands for Five God Dragon, in case you were wondering,” he said with a smirk.

“Boy, he’s a big one…” muttered Russell.

“Still not scared?” asked Cassius. “Why don’t we do the math, shall we? Your Monster has 4,300 Attack Points. Mine has 5,500, a difference in my favor of 1,200. And you have 300 Life Points left!

“Oh, what’s that? You’re counting on those Trap Cards to protect you, right? Well, guess again…”

He played the last card in his hand.

“I play Hordeguarder. For the small price of 800 Life Points, all Dragons on my side of the field become immune to Traps for the round I play it.”

“Try to get out of this one! F.G.D., attack Gilford with Pentecost Holocaust!”

The great beast’s five heads shot forth a blast of flame, a gust of wind, a bolt of lightning, a ray of ice, and a beam of pure darkness. Gilford the Lightning screamed and was blown to bits.

“You are beaten…” said Cassius.

Through the smoke, he saw Russell in silhouette…

…and as it cleared, he grinned at him.



[B](R: 100) (C: 2,250)


“Man…” muttered Russell. “Talk about activating a facedown card just in time…”

“WHAT?” shouted Cassius. “But my Hordeguarder…”

“The facedown I activated wasn’t a Trap, Cassius,” he said. “It was Emergency Provisions. I used it to send my facedown Reinforcements to the grave just before your attack hit, so I gained 1,000 Life Points before I lost any.

“This isn’t over yet…”

“You don’t know when to quit, do you?” scowled Cassius. “You’re more persistent than the headaches I get whenever I eat ice cream. But you’ve far from won…

“You think you can beat F.G.D. Well, maybe this will show you its true might. The King of Games himself faced this beast on two occasions, and while he defeated it, he had help both times, the first time from Kaiba, and the second time from Joey. If he had been alone either time, he’d have met his doom.

“YOU, however, stand against it alone.

“And by the way, each time he needed a Fusion Monster of his own to defeat it. In your whole deck, you have only ONE of the Monsters you need to create one of the fusions he used, and I’m pretty certain you don’t have the Fusion Monsters themselves.”

“Don’t give up, Russell!” shouted Trisha. “You’ll think of something.”

“Fat chance,” said Cassius. “Let me also share with you F.G.D.’s special ability: it’s immune to almost all attacks. Monsters of the Fire, Earth, Wind, Water, and Dark Attributes simply can’t attack it. Only Light Monsters are able to muster the courage to attack it, and seeing as I just deep-sixed your most powerful Light Monster…

“Well, it’s been nice knowing you…”

Russell looked at his deck.

Twenty – one cards left in my deck, he thought. One more than half. And only two of those cards are ones that could take down quintuple-ugly over there…

A little more than ten to one. Not good odds.

His hand moved towards his deck.

I have to believe… Believe that my cause is more favored them him. That the higher powers approve of what I’m doing. It they do… Then I will draw one of them.

He drew a card.

He smiled.

“I activate my facedown card,” he said. “Call of the Haunted!”

His last facedown card lifted, and Buster Blader leapt out. (2,600/2,300) –> (3,100/2,300)

“Weren’t you listening a minute ago?” asked Cassius. “That guy is an Earth Monster, so this is the one Dragon who isn’t afraid of him. Besides, since I used Dragon’s Mirror, the total number of Dragons on my field and Graveyard is one.”

“He’s not going to attack your Dragon…” said Russell, taking another card. “I’m going to take it down the same way I did Raviel. In a way, while you thought using a mega-powerful Monster would help you win, using one that strong will now only lead to your doom.”

He played it.

“I summon Freed the Brave Wanderer in Attack Mode.”

In a flash of light, Freed’s younger self appeared, holding a longsword. (1,700/1,200)



http://www.ideal808.com/images/dr2-en014.jpg


“And now…” said Russell, “by removing two Light Monsters from play…”

Queen’s Knight and King’s Knight fell out of his discard slot.

“He can destroy any Monster who’s stronger than he is.”

“Wait… No…” gasped Cassius.

“You have no Trap Cards on the field to protect your Dragon…” said Russell, as Freed started to glow with radiant light. “You thought that the biggest Monsters with the most destructive power were the best, Cassius. But you should have taken a tip my father always said…

“Play with fire, you’ll get burned.”

The irony of that last statement didn’t seem to sink in, as the F.G.D. roared and an aura of light started to surround it. It cringed for a few seconds, and then burst into shards.

“So much for that,” said Russell. “You’re finished! Buster Blader, take him down!

“Take him down hard…”

Buster Blader leapt up, and slammed his sword into Cassius. The outlaw fell backwards.



[B](R: 100) (C: 0)


Cassius slowly got up. He coughed, and coughed up blood…

The Seal started to glow… It started to contract…

“Anything to say, you monster?” asked Russell.

Cassius just stared at him.

“I’ll take that as a no…” said Russell. “Cease fire…”

Cassius collapsed, as the Seal claimed him.

Sweat poured down Russell’s face as he gasped for breath.

“Well guys…” he muttered, “one down…”

“And two to go…” said Valon. “I think things are going to get better from this point…”



[B]* * * * * * * * * *


In the dark throne room, its occupant brooded on its throne of obsidian.

Then she perked up.

“Hmm…” she said. “Coming…”

A ball of light flew into the chamber. The dark figure pulled it close and swallowed it.

“Well, Cassius,” she said, “you did well while you could. And I must say when all was said and done, you might have still been a failure…

“But that was quite a spectacular way to fail.

“Rest comfortably…”



[B]* * * * * * * * * *


Trisha removed the F.G.D. from Cassius’s Disk.

This card… she thought. Very powerful, and yet…

She shivered.

There’s something… evil about it. As if in another place and another time, this creature truly existed…

She closed her eyes…

Suddenly, a frightening scene appeared in her mind’s eye… It was a full scale war, where powerful knights rode dragons as steeds. On the side of light were beautiful dragons with scales of gold and silver, while on the side of darkness were uglier ones, whose scales matched the colors on the F.G.D.’s five heads.

Looming in the shadows above the evil army was a fiendish form…

“Takhisis…” she whispered.

“Huh?” asked Jason. “Who’s Takhisis?”

Trisha paused.

“I dunno…” she said, holding the card. “It’s a name that just popped into my head…”

And then the F.G.D. card vanished into flame!

They all gulped.



Friday, October 30th, 2106, 6:12 PM



HORDEGUARDER (Spell Card)

Card Specs
Type: Spell/Quickplay
Attribute: -
Level: -
ATK: -
DEF: -
Image: A dragon nesting on a pile of golden coins and other treasure.

Card Description: Pay 800 Life Points. On the round you activate this card, DRAGON-Type Monsters on your side of the field are not affected by Trap Cards.



LEVEL DOWN! (Spell Card)

Card Specs

Type: Spell
Attribute: –
Level: –
ATK: –
DEF: –

Image: A set of level stars with two of them being blasted to pieces.

Card Description: Choose one Monster in your hand with “LV” in its name. During the round you activate this card, the chosen Monster’s star level is downgraded by two.

Note: “Level Down!” will be used by Chazz in a future episode of “Yu-Gi-Oh GX”. All creative credit goes to the writers of the episode.



SOLAR BLASTER (Spell Card)

Card Specs

Type: Spell/Equip
Attribute: –
Level: –
ATK: –
DEF: –

Card Description: This card is descended by activating “The Claw of Hermos” and offering one “Silent Magician LV 4” or “Silent Magician LV 8” as a Tribute. This card can be Equipped to any Light Attribute Monster. When the Monster Equipped with this card battles a Dark Attribute Monster, increase the ATK of the Equipped Monster by 1,500 during the damage step.



[B][I]Before anyone asks, the villain hiding in the shadows is NOT Takhisis. But that doesn’t mean that Trisha’s vision does not mean anything.

Coming up next…

Trisha finds Sebastian and challenges him to a rematch. But can Trisha succeed when the deck she is using is one of the hardest themes to master? She hopes so, because she’s not only fighting for her own soul, but those of three cursed phantoms…

Don’t miss “Armor Exe”, coming soon.

[Master of Paradox]

A vast improvement from the previous Cassius duel, I'll start by saying. For starters, the outcome felt much less contrived than previously.

To be frank, I've never liked Level decks, mostly because I've never beaten Level decks. (I still bear scars from that Horus/Ground Collapse/Ojama Trio deck I faced in Hutchinson.) Mixing a Level deck with a Dragon deck works for the purposes of fanfiction, but I couldn't help but think such a deck would fall apart in the real world. However, it worked well for this story.

Unlike the first duel with Russell and Cassius, which was mortally wounded by the "temptation" angle, this duel was fun to read throughout. It, too, had its problems, however: after Russell destroyed Horus, it never felt like he was in danger again. Even against the F.G.D., we had no need to fear what would happen.

And was it wise to bring out Freed the Brave Wanderer again so soon after the Puppetmaster?

All that aside, this was one of your better chapters. Sheer curiosity has me interested in the next one...

P.S.: Five seconds Googling gave me the necessary information about Takhasis, revealed one of your plot threads, and answered a personal question. This should be interesting if you pull it off right.

[Blademaster]

Eh... In all honesty, I wasn't too impressed by this duel; I really don't know why... Maybe it's because Russell's deck is one I see extrememly often, maybe it's because LV Monsters only leave so many possibilities open, or maybe it's something else - I dunno.

Still, the chapter itself wasn't bad - I figured out what that 'three challenges' thing meant pretty easily, but I have no idea who/what Takhasis is... Maybe I should check.

Anyway, now that Trisha has an Armor theme, I'm interested in how she's gonna use it - the only Armor duelists I've ever seen are Valon himself and The Lieutenant (insert proud smile here), neither of whom were too friendly at the time - it'll be quite interesting to see one of the good guys using an Armor theme, and a girl, no less.

Let the barrage of Samus jokes begin...

-Blade

[Shuppet Master]

It's not Takahasis, it's TAKHISIS. I think Brian took ideas from my story, which is fine with me because it's a rotting corpse by now. I apologize to everyone for being so late in finishing it up. Brian, I apologize for moping on your thread and promise not to do it again.

Holding the poll on two sties? Pretty sneaky. I may try that with my future Pokemon project...heh heh heh... :D

Great chapter, Brian.

[Dark Sage]

I thought I'd put up the new chapter of this fic...

But I also wanted to ensure fans of "Pokemonese" that a new chapter was being written. It will be up within a week.

I also want to encourage folks to review. I'm not getting that many reviews lately.

But anyway, read, and enjoy.

[B][I]Cassius has gone down, and now I have to do the same to Sebastian.

But it’s different in my case. I won’t only be fighting for my soul, but those of three others who have been suffering for so long. One of them was kind enough to give me his deck… the key to his soul as a duelist… and if this duel is won in their names…

…they’ll finally be free.

But there’s a problem. I have studied these very strange cards, and they work using a very complicated strategy. This is truly an expert-level deck. I’ve only had about a week to prepare, and I’ve only used it in duels with virtual duelists.

I wish I had more time to practice…

…before I had to bet my life on it…




[B][size=3]CHAPTER THIRTY-EIGHT



http://www.ideal808.com/images/yugioh-dr1-en130.jpg



Friday, October 30th, 2106, 6:25 PM


The dark figure sat on her throne, looking at the F.G.D. card that she had claimed.

She had to reclaim it… The card’s spirit had evil on its mind, but if Trisha had held it too long, she might have learned more.

The figure frowned. With a wave of her hand, the card caught on fire.

She tossed it down as it crumbled into ash.

“If there’s one thing I don’t need,” she said, “it’s a reminder of all the big mistakes I’ve made. And Takhisis was one of the biggest.

“So, Cassius is out… good. I don’t care for Dragons anymore anyway…

“I suppose I could warn Sebastian about Trisha’s new deck…”

She considered for a minute…

“No, it’s more fun this way…” she thought. “I’d actually benefit more if he loses. If he wins, Trisha might accept his offer, and I’d have to make good on his little condition. Foolish if you ask me…

“If Trisha wins, more for me…”



[B]* * * * * * * * * *


Leaving Cassius’s body behind for the authorities to find, the three students walked towards the subway. It was getting dark, but they weren’t about to stop.

Suddenly Trisha held her head. She concentrated.

“Guys…” she said. “It’s working for me too… I sense Sebastian.”

“Where?” asked Jason.

She concentrated for a minute.

“Times Square… Buying a sandwich… Pastrami and Swiss on rye… with mustard…”

She paused.

“I think I can follow the path to him. Let’s go…”

“Let’s hope he isn’t a very fast eater,” added Russell.



[B]* * * * * * * * * *


As they rode the subway for what would be a short ride, Raphael, Valon, and Alister appeared across from them.

“It all comes down to this,” said Valon, “after all these years…”

“I know…” muttered Raphael.

“You don’t seem excited,” said Valon.

Raphael paused.

“Let’s just say I’m not too confident about Trisha’s chances of winning,” he replied.

“What do you mean?” asked Valon, somewhat offended. “Are you saying I used a poor deck? The only duel I lost was to Joey!”

Raphael held his head in his hands.

“Valon,” he said, “what I’m about to say is hard to sugarcoat. The only reason you were so successful with that deck is because you used the Seal.”

Now Valon was really offended.

“Are you suggesting for one second,” he angrily said, “that I needed that accursed Field Card to win? That I couldn’t win without it?”

“In most cases, yes!” answered Raphael.

He paused.

“The problem with your Monsters, Valon,” he explained, “if that while you can summon a lot of them at once, they don’t last very long. Most of them are destroyed once they attack or use their effect.

“But when you used the Seal, that really wasn’t a problem, was it? Why? Because you could have had up to ten of them on the field at once!

“Trisha won’t have that advantage, unfortunately. And there’s no legal card that she could have gotten that would have let her exceed the five-Monster limit. So she’s limited to a maximum of five Monsters. Without the benefit the Seal gives them, those cards will be very hard to use with any amount of success by any duelist.”

There was a long pause.

“He has a point…” said Alister. “So what do we do?”

“If you want my advice,” said Raphael, “we pray… Pray that Trisha’s skill as a duelist is enough to overcome that handicap.

“Because if she can’t win, we may be cursed to walk the earth until the end of time…”

Valon paused.

“Do you believe in the Heart of the Cards?” he asked.

“I plead the fifth,” answered Raphael.

“Well,” said Valon, “Whether Trisha has it or not, she has something else…

“She has a Heart of the Forge.”

They looked at him.

“What exactly does that mean?” asked Alister.

“I’ll tell you later,” he replied. “If she wins.”

And then he was quiet.



[B]* * * * * * * * * *


The lights of Times Square were just beginning to illuminate the evening, and Sebastian was standing in front of the huge billboard – which even in this age advertised Coca-Cola, a beverage which had never lost popularity – as the three students approached him from behind.

“So,” he asked, without turning around, “what took you guys so long? I expected you about ten minutes ago.”

“The subway stalled,” replied Trisha.

He looked over his shoulder at her.

“I must say, I underestimated you three,” he said, offhand. “Why wait for us to put our next plan into motion when you can make your own? Turned the hunters into the hunted, or so you thought…”

He turned to face them.

“You have some nerve… Our actual plan was going to be epic.”

“Well, sorry to disappoint you,” said Trisha. “You can either duel me here, or we’ll follow you anywhere you go. This is going to stop, Sebastian… It’s going to stop tonight.”

“I’ll gladly duel you, Trisha,” said Sebastian, taking his deck. “And don’t think it will be the same as it was last time…”

Trisha grinned wickedly.

“Oh… I can guarantee that!” she answered.

Alister looked at Trisha hard.

“Good luck…” he said.

Trisha turned, and she saw the three of them plainly.

“This is dedicated to the three of you…” she muttered, as she placed her deck in the holder. “Valon… Alister… Raphael… This duel is in your name…

“I will win…”

“If you’re through talking to yourself,” said Sebastian, “let’s start this!”

“Game start…” shouted Trisha, activating her Disk.

“Game over, soon,” replied Sebastian, activating his.



[B](Trisha: 8,000) (Sebastian: 8,000)


“I insist, love,” said Sebastian, “you make the first move…”

“Thank you…” said Trisha, drawing a sixth card. “Just STOP calling me ‘love’!”

She looked over her cards.

“All right…” she said. “I set one Monster in Defense Mode…”

She placed a card on her Disk. A facedown Monster appeared.

“And that ends my turn.”

“Very well…” said Sebastian, making his first draw.

His Field Slot opened.

“No…” gasped Jason. “Not already…”

“I play The Seal of Orichalcos!” shouted Sebastian.

The arena was lit up, as the unholy circle formed around them.

Well, that’s a surprise… thought Trisha. Let’s just hope he doesn’t play that same trick with the Mustering, or I’ve had it…

Sebastian grinned wickedly, as the Seal appeared on his forehead.

“Don’t worry, love,” he said, “I still intend to make my offer once this over…”

“I’ll save you time,” answered Trisha. “My answer is already no.”

“We’ll soon see,” said Sebastian, taking a Spell Card. “I play Foolish Burial.”

He played a Spell Card.

“This card lets me take any Monster I want from my deck, and discard it into my Graveyard,” he said, taking his deck.

He found what he needed, and discarded it.

He put the deck back.

“And next,” he said, “I’ll play Monster Reborn, to summon the guy I just put in there.”

He played the card, and the holy ankh appeared.

Gorg the Strong appeared, hefting his mace.

His eyes glowed as the Seal branded to him. (1,800/1,500) –> (2,300/1,500)



http://www.ideal808.com/images/yugioh-dr1-en222.jpg


“Interesting strategy…” muttered Russell, nervously.

“Gorg, take out her facedown Monster!” ordered Sebastian. “Whammer hammer!”

Gorg flew forward…

A Giant Rat appeared on the card. Gorg smashed it to bits.



http://www.ideal808.com/images/mrl-079.jpg


“HUH?” said Jason. “She never had that in her deck before…”

“I have it now,” said Trisha. “And you’re in trouble Sebastian, because since you killed my Rat, his effect activates.”

“Please,” muttered Sebastian. “No Earth Monster in your deck with 1,500 Attack Points or less could threaten Gorg…”

“Well…” said Trisha. “The Monster I’m searching for is very weak as far as Attack Points go… In fact, it could not be weaker!”

She placed a card on her Disk.

“I summon… Psychic Armor Head!”

A glow surrounded her head, and a blue, space-age helmet with a visor covering the eyes appeared over her head. (0/500)

“What in the world…” asked Sebastian.

“Uh, Trisha…” said Jason. “You want to fill us in?”

“It was a gift from a friend,” she said. “Sorry I didn’t tell either of you, but I couldn’t risk this guy finding out about it.

“So Sebastian, anything else before I make my move?”

Sebastian looked hard at the strange helmet she was wearing…

“Actually, I’ll place one card facedown,” he answered.

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

“I’ll end my turn there…”

“Very well,” said Trisha, drawing a card. “Now allow me to explain. Psychic Armor Head is something that is known as an Armor Monster, a type of Monster that is actually Equipped to the duelist… And this particular one is the motherboard that controls all other Armor Monsters.

“For example, without it, I couldn’t play this Spell Card… Armor Gravitation.”

She played the Spell Card, which showed the image of a full suit of armor in an orange sunburst. Then she took her deck.

“Now I can Special Summon four other Armor Monster from my deck, so long as they’re all four stars or lower.”

She chose four cards, and put the deck back. Then she threw the cards on her Disk.

Trisha’s body started to glow with a blue aura…

“So, I summon Trap Buster Armor!”

A blue, armored gauntlet appeared on her left arm. (0/0)

“Next, Big Bang Blow!”

A similar gauntlet, made of white metal, appeared on her right arm. (0/0)

“Next, Over Boost!”

Her legs glowed, and blue and silver armor covered them. (0/500)

“And finally, Active Guard.”

She glowed more brightly, and a breastplate covered her chest and mid-section, seemingly shaped to fit a female body. (0/0)

“And my Active Guard gains 500 Defense Points for every piece of Armor I have. Not too shabby…”

(0/2,500)

“Not too bad…” commented Valon.

“Wow…” said Russell.

“Heh, heh, heh,” said Sebastian. “That’s very pretty… You look like Samus Aran in blue. But your new threads have a grand total of zero Attack Points.”

He was thinking inside, however.

Didn’t the boss mention something like this once? he thought.

Trisha looked at Gorg, and a female AI voice spoke in her ear.

”Analyzing…” it said. “Dark Scorpion – Gorg the Strong. Effect Monster. Type: Warrior. Attribute: Dark. Star Level: Five. Threat Level: Minimal. Termination is imminent.”

“With this deck, Attack Points don’t always matter,” said Trisha, lifting her right arm. “Take the effect of my Big Bang Blow. With just one attack, I can wipe out all Monsters on the field, and inflict damage to both duelists equal to the combined Attack Scores of the destroyed Monsters.

“So…”

Her right fist glowed…

And she flew at Gorg in a blur, fist first!

“You like armor?” asked Sebastian. “I got armor! I activate Sakuretsu Armor!”

His Trap Card lifted.

”Hazardous device detected,” said the AI. ”Activating defensive feature…”

Then the Trap Card shattered!

Trisha’s fist hit Gorg, and a fierce explosion threw Sebastian against the wall of the Seal.

Trisha was pushed back too, and her armor shattered into pieces.



[B](T: 8,000) (S: 5,700)


“My Trap…” muttered Sebastian.

“…didn’t work,” answered Trisha, “didn’t you hear that my left gauntlet was called Trap Buster Armor? It can negate and destroy any Trap that would harm an Armor Monster.”

“Wait…” said Sebastian. “You said we’d both take damage, you liar!”

“And I would have, if not for my Active Guard,” answered Trisha. “It absorbs all effect damage I would take, so it protected me from Big Bang Blow’s effect right before it was destroyed.

“I’ll end my turn by placing one card facedown.”

A facedown card appeared.

“Ha! She’s doing great!” laughed Valon. “Just the combo I would have done!”

“Quiet,” said Raphael. “What are you trying to do, jinx it?”

Sebastian grumbled and drew a card.

“I summon Cliff the Trap Remover in Attack Mode,” he said.

The bespectacled thief appeared, brandishing his dagger. (1,200/1,000) –> (1,700/1,000)



http://www.ideal808.com/images/yugioh-dr1-en133.jpg


“And since your armor was destroyed,” he continued, “he can go straight for you! Scorpion slash!”

Cliff pounced with his dagger.

“I activate my Trap…” said Trisha, as her facedown card lifted. “Magnet Armor!”

The Trap showed the image of metal shrapnel in an explosion.

“This lets me Special Summon one Armor Monster from my Graveyard for one round,” she said, “so I’ll summon Active Guard in Defense Mode!”

The metal breastplate appeared on her chest. (0/500)

Cliff looked confused. Then he stabbed with his dagger, and the armor shattered.

“All right, you won that round…” said Sebastian. “I end my turn…”

Trisha drew a card.

“First, I’ll activate the effect of Psychic Armor Head,” she said. “During any of my Standby Phases that it’s in my Graveyard, I can Special Summon it back to the field…”

The helmet materialized on her head again. (0/500)

“Next, I’ll play the Spell Card called Full Armor Gravitation,” she said.

She played the card, and it appeared much the same as Armor Gravitation, only with a red sunburst.

“Now I get to look at the top ten cards in my deck,” she explained, “and summon all the Armor Monsters from them that I can. I discard the rest.”

“Ten cards?” gasped Russell. “That’s a quarter of her deck!”

“Trisha, be careful!” shouted Jason. “If you’re decked out, you lose!”

Trisha took the top ten cards.

She started to glow again.

“So…” she said. “Here comes another Over Boost…”

The leg armor appeared again. (0/500)

“…another Active Guard…”

The breastplate appeared again. (0/0) –> (0/2,500)

“…Jet Gauntlet…”

A white metal gauntlet with a flared wrist appeared on her left arm. (0/1,500)

“…and finally, Buster Knuckle.”

A another gauntlet appeared on her right arm. It was knobbed, with no fingers or palm at all. (0/1,000)

“And Buster Knuckle gains 200 Attack Points for each piece of Armor I have,” she continued.

(1,000/1,000)

She discarded the other six cards.

“It still isn’t enough to take out Cliff,” said Sebastian.

“Moving right along, I’ll play this,” said Trisha.

A card flew out of her left hand and stuck to the Buster Knuckle like a magnet. She motioned, and it slipped into her Disk.

“It’s an Equip called Data Brain,” she said, “which gives my Psychic Armor Head an extra feature.”

She played the card, and what appeared to be a futuristic headphone set appeared on the helmet.

“And, I’ll end my turn with two cards facedown.”

She played two cards, and two facedown cards appeared.

“My draw…” said Sebastian.

He drew a card.

“I play Pot of Greed…”

He played the card, and the jar appeared in front of him.

The AI spoke in Trisha’s ear.

”Analyzing Spell Card,” it said. ”Pot of Greed. Type: Normal Spell. Rarity: Very common. Effect: Draw two cards from your deck.”



http://www.ideal808.com/images/sd2-en0171.jpg


“Analysis complete.”

Sebastian drew two cards. He grinned.

“Time to peel that suit off of you and get at the soft part underneath!” he laughed. “I play the Spell Card, Acid Rain!”

He played the card, and filthy clouds started to form overhead…

“This card destroys all Machines on the field, as you’re no doubt aware…”

“Oh no you don’t…” said Trisha.

One of her facedown cards lifted. It was a Quickplay showing the image of Marauding Captain taking a blow from a fiendish creature.

“I activate My Body as a Shield,” she stated. “For the price of 1,500 Life Points, this card negates and destroys any card that destroys Monsters. So my armor is safe.”

The clouds faded away.



[B](T: 6,500) (S: 5,700)


“By the way Sebastian,” added Trisha, “even without this armor, I’m not soft.”

“So you avoided that Spell,” he replied. “Well, if your Data Brain makes your helmet more powerful, I’d best get rid of it. Cliff, attack the Psychic Armor Head!”

Cliff the Trap Remover flew forward…

“I don’t think so…” said Trisha.

She blocked with her left arm… Her Jet Gauntlet glowed…

And then Cliff screamed! The Jet Gauntlet and the Dark Scorpion shattered into bits!

Buster Knuckle fell to 800 Attack.

“What happened?” shouted Sebastian.

“When a Monster attacks Jet Gauntlet,” said Trisha, “I can sacrifice it to destroy the Monster.”

“I told him to attack the Psychic Armor Head, not that!” shouted Sebastian.

“All Armor Monsters have one thing in common,” said Trisha. “If you attack one, I can redirect the attack to another one. I’m controlling five Patricians of Darkness here, Sebastian, and your Dark Scorpions are truly in the dark, because they’ll basically be striking blind!”

Sebastian frowned.

“Now you tell me…” he growled. “I end my turn.”

The Buster Knuckle gauntlet retracted, and Trisha’s hand became free.

“Okay…” he said, taking her deck. “I’m using another useful ability of Psychic Armor Head. By forfeiting my normal draw, I can instead search my deck for any Armor Monster…”

“Just like Freed can do with Warriors!” laughed Russell. “I love this new deck!”

Trisha got what she wanted and added it to her hand.

“Next, I’ll activate Data Brain’s effect,” she said. “While you used Pot of Greed, it analyzed the card. So now, I can destroy the Data Brain to duplicate that card.”

The Data Brain shattered, and a beam of light shot from the helmet’s visor. What seemed to be a virtual, video game image of the Pot of Greed appeared in front of Trisha.

She drew two cards, and it fizzled out of view.

“Now, I’ll summon a replacement for Jet Gauntlet,” she continued. “Advanced Shield.”

A gauntlet with a hexagonal shield in place of a fist appeared on her left arm. (1,000/0)

Also, Buster Knuckle went back up to 1,000 Attack. It covered Trisha’s hand again.

“Next, I’ll activate my facedown card,” she continued, “the Trap Card, Rare Metalmorph!”

The Trap lifted, and her Buster Knuckle became silver and shiny.

“This increases the Attack Score of one Machine by 500 Points.”

(1,000/1,000) –> (1,500/1,000)

“And since you’re defenseless,” said Trisha. “I can make a direct attack against you. Consider yourself fortunate that only one Armor Monster may attack per round.”

She lifted her right arm.

“Buster Knuckle jaw-buster!”

She rushed forward in a blur, and slammed her fist into Sebastian’s face! He toppled over.

“I’ve been wanting to do that for a long time…” said Trisha with a grin.



[B](T: 6,500) (S: 4,200)


“You’re one tough lady…” muttered Sebastian. “Well, I like my women like that…”

He drew a card.

“I summon Chick the Yellow in Attack Mode.”

Chick appeared, holding up his mallet. (1,000/1,000) –> (1,500/1,000)



http://www.ideal808.com/images/dcr_026.jpg


“However,” he continued, “since I learned from my mistakes, I’m not going to attack at all this round. I’m simply going to end my turn.”

“Then I’ll draw…” said Trisha, drawing a card.

“Then I’ll play my own Pot of Greed.”

She played the card. The jar appeared on her side of the field again, and she made two draws.

“First, I’ll switch my armor’s offensive properties to defensive.”

“Uh, I think that means she’s switching them all to Defense Mode…” said Jason.

“Now, I’ll sacrifice my Psychic Armor Head…” she continued.

The helmet vanished.

“To summon Double Cloth Armor, in Attack Mode.”

She started to glow with red energy, and then a full suit of futuristic metal armor colored crimson formed over the blue armor. (0/0)

“Of course,” she said, in a voice that sounded amplified, “this Armor Monster can’t attack on the round I summon it, so I’ll end my turn.”

“That was genius…” muttered Valon. “She knows that she can easily summon the Psychic Armor Head from the Graveyard, so it’s the perfect one to use as a sacrifice.”

Sebastian drew a card.

Can’t attack on the round it’s summoned? he thought. Why would she attack at all? It has the same Attack Score as most of the others – zero. But it’s a Tribute Monster…

It must do something terrible when it attacks! I have to attack it first!

He placed a card on his Disk.

“I summon Meanae the Thorn in Attack Mode,” he said.

The lovely, leggy, female member of the Dark Scorpions appeared, brandishing her whip. (1,000/1,800) –> (1,500/1,800)



http://www.ideal808.com/images/dcr_061.jpg


“Meanae, attack the Double Cloth Armor!” shouted Sebastian. “Thorn whip!”

Meanae leapt up and slashed downward with her whip…

Then she screamed and was thrown backwards. She shattered into pieces.

Then the Double Cloth Armor shattered, leaving the blue armor underneath.

“Heh, heh…” said Trisha. “When Double Cloth Armor battles another Monster, both of them bite the big one, and not only don’t I take any damage, but you lose Life Points equal to half that of your Monster that was destroyed!”



[B](T: 6,500) (S: 2,550)


Sebastian was now very angry.

“Chick, attack the Advanced Shield with mallet mash!”

Chick leapt up with his weapon…

Trisha blocked with her Buster Knuckle, and the mallet hit it instead. The Gauntlet shattered.

“Your move…” growled Sebastian.

“I draw one card,” said Trisha, drawing.

She added the card to her hand.

“Then I’ll Special Summon Psychic Armor Head…”

The helmet reappeared. (0/500)

“And I’ll summon a replacement for Buster Knuckle… Burning Knuckle!”

A new gauntlet appeared on her right arm. This one was made of black metal with a white fist. (0/1,000)

“Not only does it gain 200 Attack Points for every Armor Monster I have,” she said, “but any Monster it battles loses Attack Points equal to its Attack Points.”

(0/1,000) –> (1,000/1,000)

“I’ll make sure not to attack it…” said Sebastian.

“You misunderstand my intentions,” said Trisha. “Burning Knuckle punch!”

The gauntlet was shrouded with flames. She rushed towards Chick the Yellow, and socked him in the stomach with the Burning Knuckle!

The gauntlet was smashed to pieces, and Chick clutched his stomach in pain. His Attack fell down to 500.

“Clever…” said Sebastian. “But Chick’s effect still applies. I’ll use the one that lets me see the top card on your deck and decide whether to put it on the top or the bottom…”

A card appeared in front of him.

Extinction Fist? he thought. Better look at this one close…

He read the text.

He grinned.

“Eh, I’ll keep that on top,” he said.

“Well then, it’s your move,” said Trisha.



[B](T: 6,000) (S: 2,550)


Heh, heh, thought Sebastian, drawing. If she draws that card, she’ll discover that with my deck, it’s absolutely useless!

“I’ll move Chick into Defense Mode,” he said.

Chick crouched and shielded himself.

“And then I’ll summon Don Zaloog in Attack Mode.”

The King of Thieves appeared, brandishing his rapiers. (1,400/1,500) –> (1,900/1,500)



http://www.ideal808.com/images/db2-en228.jpg


“Attack the… Psychic Armor Head!” he ordered.

Don slashed with his blade. Trisha shielded herself with the Advanced Shield, and it was smashed to pieces.

“It’s your move now…” said Sebastian.

Trisha drew a card.

Extinction Fist? she thought. Nuts, I really should have replaced this card… I doubt he has any Fusion or Ritual Monsters…

But I might as well put it on the field…

“First I place one card facedown,” she said.

She played a card, and a facedown card appeared.

“Next, I’ll play both Monster Reborn and Premature Burial, to bring back two Armor Monsters that I discarded when I played Full Armor Gravitation…”

She played the two Spell Cards.

“Buster Pile… And Black Hole Shield.”

Two more gauntlets appeared on her arms. The right arm seemed to be armed with a lethal rocket launcher. (0/0) The other was a streamlined gauntlet colored white. (0/0)



Continued…

[Dark Sage]

Continued from last post:



“Buster Pile is one of the most powerful Armor Monsters,” she said. “With one attack, it can obliterate one of your Monsters, and blast away 500 of your Life Points in the process!

“Buster blow!”

She flew towards Don Zaloog, and with one mighty punch, blew him to bits!



[B](T: 5,200) (S: 2,050)


“Make your move,” she demanded.

Sebastian frowned, and drew a card.

“I play Graceful Charity…” he said.

He played the card, and drew three cards.

And then he snickered.

He discarded Mustering of the Dark Scorpions, and Retreat of the Dark Scorpions.

“I place three cards facedown on the field,” he said.

Three facedown cards appeared.

“Then I’ll play Premature Burial, to bring back Don again.”

Don Zaloog reappeared.

“And now, I’ll sacrifice Don Zaloog and Chick the Yellow, to summon my most powerful creature… He’s no Scorpion, but he’s certainly Dark…”

The two Dark Scorpions vanished.

“I summon… Invader of Darkness!”

A large, dark form appeared on the field. It was a tall, ominous figure clothed in a dark cloak. His face and arms seemed golden and metallic. His eyes sparkled with pinpoints of light, and then glowed evilly as the Seal bonded to him. (2,900/2,500) –> (3,400/2,500)



http://www.ideal808.com/images/ioc-1111.jpg


The AI sounded in Trisha’s helmet.

”Analyzing… Invader of Darkness. Effect Monster. Type: Fiend. Attribute: Dark. Star Level: Eight. Threat Level: Severe. Proceed with caution.”

“And by the way,” said Sebastian. “When this guy is on the field, he can negate your Quickplay Spell Cards. That means no Mystical Space Typhoon, no Rush Recklessly, no Emergency Provisions… You get the idea.

“Invader of Darkness, attack the Buster Pile! Dark blast!”

Invader of Darkness shot a beam of pure blackness at Trisha.

“Oh no you don’t!” shouted Trisha. “I activate the effect of Black Hole Shield!”

She lifted her left arm, and the gauntlet shattered. A vortex of black energy appeared in front of her, and Invader of Darkness’s attack was absorbed by it.

“By sacrificing it, I can create a shield of raw anti-matter, which reduces the battle damage from your attack to zero.”

The anti-matter dissipated.

“Then it’s your move…” said Sebastian.



[B](T: 5,200) (S: 1,250)


Attack me, Trisha, he thought. It will be your last mistake…

Trisha drew.

“I’ll use the effect of Buster Pile to destroy Invader of Darkness!” she exclaimed.

She raised her fist, and rushed towards the Fiend.

“You took the bait, hook, line, and sinker!” shouted Sebastian.

One of his facedown cards lifted, and he discarded a card.

“I activate… Divine Wrath!”

Thunder rolled, and lightning struck the gauntlet, blasting it to pieces. Trisha screamed and held her hand in pain.

“It negates the effect of your Buster Pile and destroys it,” said Sebastian, with a smirk.

“I… I… end my turn…” said Trisha, nervously.

Sebastian drew a card.

“Then I’m gonna take you apart!” he said. “I summon Familiar Knight in Attack Mode!”

The dark knight appeared, holding his blade. (1,200/1,400) –> (1,700/1,400)



http://www.ideal808.com/images/ep1-en006.jpg


“Familiar Knight, attack that blasted Psychic Armor Head!” shouted Sebastian.

The Knight charged.

“Oh no you don’t…” said Trisha. “I’ll redirect the attack towards Active Guard!”

Familiar Knight struck her breastplate, and it shattered.

“Invader of Darkness, you destroy it!” ordered Sebastian.

The Fiend shot his beam of blackness, and this time Trisha made no objection. The helmet was blasted to pieces.

She staggered back from the impact…

“Your move…” said Sebastian.

Trisha panted for breath as she drew a card.

“First, I Special Summon Psychic Armor Head once more…” she said.

The helmet appeared on her head again. (0/500)

“I’m getting really sick of that thing…” muttered Sebastian.

“Don’t give up, Trisha!” shouted Jason.

“Yes!” yelled Valon. “Don’t give up!”

“Now I play… Armory,” she said, playing a card.

Her Over Boost vanished.

“I shuffle one Armor Monster back into my deck, reshuffle, and draw another card,” she said.

She shuffled what was left of her deck, and drew one card.

“And I couldn’t have asked for better!” she shouted. “I play… Phoenix Gravitation!”

She played the card, showing the image of a flaming phoenix in flames.

“Now I can Special Summon four Armor Monsters from my Graveyard!

“So, I’ll summon the set that started the whole thing! Active Guard, Over Boost, Big Bang Blow, and Trap Buster Armor!”

In a blue flame, the suit of armor formed over her…

“This is it!” shouted Russell. “If the effect of Big Bang Blow works, Sebastian will lose 5,100 Life Points, and Trisha will win!”

“She has her Trap Buster Armor…” said Jason. “She’s won!”

The Big Bang Blow glowed, and Trisha flew at the two Monsters…

A fierce explosion consumed the whole cursed arena…

When the blast subsided, only ashes remained of Invader of Darkness and Familiar Knight. Trisha’s armor shattered into shards…



[B](T: 5,200) (S: 1,250)


“What?” said Trisha. “But you…”

A small figure was in front of him.

“White Magician Pikeru?” asked Trisha.

It was, and she was holding her staff, which was glowing with soft light.

Sebastian grinned, and pointed to a Trap Card that he had activated, showing the image of Pikeru casting an eldritch spell.

“It’s called Pikeru’s Circle of Enchantment,” said Sebastian. “This Trap doesn’t affect your Monsters at all, so your Trap Buster couldn’t counter it. When this is activated, effect damage that I would have taken for the rest of the round is reduced to zero.”

Pikeru smiled, and vanished.

Trisha stared in disbelief for a minute…

She looked at herself. She had no cards in her hand, and none on the field except Extinction Fist…

“I have no choice…” she muttered. “I have to end my turn…”

“Then I’ll move…” said Sebastian.

He drew a card.

His third Trap lifted.

“I activate Call of the Haunted,” he said, “and bring back Invader of Darkness.”

The dark Fiend reappeared. (2,900/2,500) –> (3,400/2,500)

“Try protecting yourself now,” he said with an evil grin. “Invader of Darkness, attack her directly!”

Invader of Darkness shot forward an even stronger beam of dark energy, hitting her in the chest! Trisha screamed and was thrown against the wall of the Seal.

She slumped down to the ground.



[B](T: 1,800) (S: 1,250)


“It’s almost over…” said Sebastian. “You may be able to summon your Psychic Armor Head again, but I could easily destroy it. If I draw another Monster on my next turn, you’ll be finished with one more attack. Your only hope is a miracle draw.”

Trisha got up, and stared at him.

She slowly drew a card.

“Will this do?” she asked, showing it to him.

Sebastian gulped.

She played the card.

“I play The Fang of Critias!”

Lightning flashed again. From out of the night sky, Critias flew down, and flew through the Seal!

Trisha’s facedown card lifted.

“Critias, merge with Extinction Fist to form Devolution Drake!” she shouted.

The Dragon and the Trap Card combined into two pools of light, and then formed into a beautiful Dragon with sky-blue scales and a sail down its back. (2,000/2,000)

“That’s not strong enough!” laughed Sebastian.

“Oh?” asked Trisha. “Well, just by summoning him, I can destroy all Monsters that were originally summoned via sacrifice, and then Special Summon to your side the Monsters you used as sacrifice to summon them!”

Invader of Darkness shattered, and then Don Zaloog (1,400/1,500) –> (1,900/1,500) and Chick the Yellow (1,000/1,000) –> (1,500/1,000) appeared in its place.

“Devolution Drake, attack Don Zaloog!” ordered Trisha.

All the spectators cheered as the Dragon shot a beam of pure energy, vaporizing Don.



[B](T: 1,800) (S: 1,250)


“I’ll end my turn there…” said Trisha.

Sebastian gulped as he drew a card.

“I move Chick into Defense Mode…” he said.

Chick knelt in Defense.

“This isn’t over yet, Trisha!” he cursed. “The Monsters in your deck are all too weak to finish me off with a direct attack!”

Trisha drew a card.

“Weak, huh?” she said. “I’ll show you weak…”

She played a Spell Card.

“I play… Autonomous Action Unit!”

An Equip Card with the image of several hi-tech soldiers with guns appeared in front of her.



http://www.ideal808.com/images/yugioh-dr1-en087.jpg


“I may have to pay 1,500 Life Points again to play this card,” she said, “but now I can Special Summon one Monster from your Graveyard.”

Invader of Darkness appeared on her side of the field. (2,900/2,500)

“So how’s that for weak?” she asked. “Devolution Drake, destroy Chick the Yellow!”

The Dragon breathed its energy breath, and Chick fell for the last time.

“Invader of Darkness, attack him directly!”

Sebastian screamed, as the Fiend’s beam of dark energy struck him.

He fell to ground, a crumpled mess…



[B](T: 300) (S: 0)


“Done in… by my best card…” he muttered. “How…”

As the Seal started to glow, he cast an angry glare at Trisha.

“Game over…” said Trisha. “Maybe now you’ll learn when a girl says no, she means no.”

“You’ll regret this!” he shouted. “You defeated me, but the Orichalcos will consume you! You will perish at the hands of…”

“Say hi to Cassius when you see him, will you?” said Trisha.

And then the Seal closed around him, and he collapsed.

Trisha caught her breath… She looked at Sebastian’s comatose body…

Then she was startled, as five forms appeared. First Chick the Yellow appeared over him, then Meanae the Thorn. Cliff the Trap Remover and Gorg the Strong came next. Finally, Don Zaloog appeared.

He nudged Sebastian with his foot, and then shook his head.

The five Dark Scorpions looked at Trisha. They smiled. Don walked up to her and the other Scorpions followed…

“Trisha,” said the bandit, ”we can’t thank you enough for freeing us from that… jerk. Serving the Orichalcos was the worst experience we ever had.

“We know you might be frightened by the curse that has claimed everyone who has taken this deck. But since you aren’t a killer, we can finally be free of it. Feel free to do with the cards as you wish. They won’t hurt you.

“Thanks again… We won’t meet again, I’m afraid…”

The five Scorpions smirked…

And then they vanished.

She stared for a minute.

Jason and Russell came up to her as she rebuilt her deck.

“Uh… I like your new look…” said Jason.

Trisha reassembled the deck.

“I’m pretty sure this was a one-time thing,” answered Trisha. “Nanobreaker and Perfect Machine King are still my favorite Monsters. But I wanted to do it to help out some guys who were having some problems.”

She turned to Valon, Alister, and Raphael, and smiled. They smiled back.

Then she walked up to Sebastian. She started to gather his cards.

Well, she thought, as she looked through them, five Duel Spirits are free… The question is, are three human spirits free as well?



[B]* * * * * * * * * *


“I knew she could do it!” exclaimed Valon. “I knew she was the best Machine duelist ever!”

“Now can you tell us what you meant by Heart of the Forge?” asked Alister.

“Best Machine Duelist ever,” repeated Valon. “She was born to use them. Will of iron, nerves of steel… She can use any Machine Monster like an expert. It’s in her blood.”

“So, did she do it?” asked Alister. “Are we free?”

“I don’t know…” said Raphael. “I don’t… feel any different…”

“Aw…” said Valon. “Maybe that Beowulf guy just… lied to us…”

And then, everything seemed to brighten…

A light appeared in front of them. A sense of joy and love came from it.

”Come,” said a gentle voice.

“To… to where?” asked Alister.

”To where you should have gone a long a long time ago,” said the voice. ”Many are waiting for all three of you… Do not keep them waiting any longer.”

Tears appeared in their eyes…

They walked towards the light…


Friday, October 30th, 2106, 7:37 PM



PSYCHIC ARMOR HEAD (Monster Card)

Card Specs

Type: Machine/Effect
Attribute: Earth
Level: 4
ATK: 0
DEF: 500

Card Description:This card is considered an Armor Monster. Only one Armor Monster on your side of the field can attack per turn. You can only have one “Psychic Armor Head” on your side of the field at one time. If this card is the target of an attack, you may redirect the attack to another Armor Monster on your side of the field. If this card is in your Graveyard during your Standby Phase, you can Special Summon it. During your Draw Phase, you can forfeit your normal draw to search your deck for one Armor Monster.



DOUBLE CLOTH ARMOR (Monster Card)

Card Specs

Type: Machine/Effect
Attribute: Earth
Level: 6
ATK: 0
DEF: 0

Card Description: This card is considered an Armor Monster. Only one Armor Monster on your side of the field can attack per turn. This card cannot attack on the turn it is summoned. If this card battles an opposing Monster, destroy the opposing Monster and deal damage to your opponent equal to half the destroyed Monster’s ATK. Then, destroy this card.



TRAP BUSTER ARMOR (Monster Card)

Card Specs

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

Card Description: This card is considered an Armor Monster. Only one Armor Monster on your side of the field can attack per turn. If this card is the target of an attack, you may redirect the attack to another Armor Monster on your side of the field. Negate the effects of Trap Cards that would target an Armor Monster or that would destroy a Monster as part of its effect.



BIG BANG BLOW (Monster Card)

Card Specs

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

Card Description: This card is considered an Armor Monster. Only one Armor Monster on your side of the field can attack per turn. If this card is the target of an attack, you may redirect the attack to another Armor Monster on your side of the field. During your Battle Phase, you can offer this card as a Tribute to destroy all Monsters on both sides of the field, and deal damage to both players equal to the combined ATK of the destroyed Monsters.



OVER BOOST (Monster Card)

Card Specs

Type: Machine/Effect
Attribute: Earth
Level: 4
ATK: 0
DEF: 500

Card Description: This card is considered an Armor Monster. Only one Armor Monster on your side of the field can attack per turn. If this card is the target of an attack, you may redirect the attack to another Armor Monster on your side of the field.



ACTIVE GUARD (Monster Card)

Card Specs

Type: Machine/Effect
Attribute: Earth
Level: 4
ATK: 0
DEF: 0

Card Description: This card is considered an Armor Monster. Only one Armor Monster on your side of the field can attack per turn. If this card is the target of an attack, you may redirect the attack to another Armor Monster on your side of the field. Increase this card’s DEF by 500 for each Armor Monster on your side of the field. Negate all damage done to your Life Points by Monster effects and Spell Cards.



BURNING KNUCKLE (Monster Card)

Card Specs

Type: Machine/Effect
Attribute: Earth
Level: 4
ATK: 0
DEF: 1,000

Card Description: This card is considered an Armor Monster. Only one Armor Monster on your side of the field can attack per turn. If this card is the target of an attack, you may redirect the attack to another Armor Monster on your side of the field. This card gains 200 ATK for every Armor Monster on your side of the field. If this card is destroyed by an opposing Monster, the opposing Monster loses Attack Points equal to the ATK this Monster had when it was destroyed.



JET GAUNTLET (Monster Card)

Card Specs

Type: Machine/Effect
Attribute: Earth
Level: 4
ATK: 0
DEF: 1,500

Card Description: This card is considered an Armor Monster. Only one Armor Monster on your side of the field can attack per turn. If this card is the target of an attack, you may redirect the attack to another Armor Monster on your side of the field. If this card is attacked by an opposing Monster, you can offer this card as a Tribute to destroy the attacking Monster.



BUSTER KNUCKLE (Monster Card)

Card Specs

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

Card Description: This card is considered an Armor Monster. Only one Armor Monster on your side of the field can attack per turn. If this card is the target of an attack, you may redirect the attack to another Armor Monster on your side of the field. This card gains 200 ATK for every Armor Monster on your side of the field.



ADVANCED SHIELD (Monster Card)

Card Specs

Type: Machine/Effect
Attribute: Earth
Level: 4
ATK: 1,000
DEF: 0

Card Description: This card is considered an Armor Monster. Only one Armor Monster on your side of the field can attack per turn. If this card is the target of an attack, you may redirect the attack to another Armor Monster on your side of the field.



BUSTER PILE (Monster Card)

Card Specs

Type: Machine/Effect
Attribute: Earth
Level: 4
ATK: 0
DEF: 0

Card Description: This card is considered an Armor Monster. Only one Armor Monster on your side of the field can attack per turn. If this card is the target of an attack, you may redirect the attack to another Armor Monster on your side of the field. When this card attacks an opposing Monster, destroy the opposing Monster (skip the damage step) and inflict 500 points of damage to your opponent’s Life Points.



BLACK HOLE SHIELD (Monster Card)

Card Specs

Type: Machine/Effect
Attribute: Earth
Level: 4
ATK: 0
DEF: 0

Card Description: This card is considered an Armor Monster. Only one Armor Monster on your side of the field can attack per turn. If this card is the target of an attack, you may redirect the attack to another Armor Monster on your side of the field. You may offer this card as a Tribute to reduce the Battle Damage done by all opposing Monsters to zero for the remainder of the turn.



MAGNET ARMOR (Trap Card)

Card Specs

Type: Trap
Attribute: –
Level: –
ATK: –
DEF: –

Image: Metal shrapnel in an explosion.

Card Description: Special Summon one Armor Monster from your Graveyard. At the end of the turn, destroy the Special Summoned Monster.



EXTICTION FIST (Trap Card)

Card Specs

Type: Trap
Attribute: –
Level: –
ATK: –
DEF: –

Image: A fist shattering rock.

Card Description: You can activate this card when your opponent attacks with a Fusion Monster or Ritual Monster. Destroy the attacking Monster, and Special Summon the Monsters from his Graveyard that he fused or used as a Tribute to summon it to your opponent’s side of the field. Then, end your opponent’s Battle Phase.



ARMOR GRAVITATION (Spell Card)

Card Specs

Type: Spell
Attribute: –
Level: –
ATK: –
DEF: –

Image: A full suit of armor in an orange sunburst.

Card Description: You can only use this card if “Psychic Armor Head” is on your side of the field. Special Summon up to four Armor Monsters of four stars or less from your deck. Then, reshuffle your deck.



FULL ARMOR GRAVITATION (Spell Card)

Card Specs

Type: Spell
Attribute: –
Level: –
ATK: –
DEF: –

Image: A full suit of armor in a glowing red sunburst.

Card Description: You can only use this card if “Psychic Armor Head” is on your side of the field. Look at the top ten cards in your deck. Special Summon as many Armor Monsters among them as you can. Discard the remaining cards to the Graveyard.



DATA BRAIN (Spell Card)

Card Specs

Type: Spell/Equip
Attribute: –
Level: –
ATK: –
DEF: –

Image: A space-age helmet.

Card Description: This card can only be Equipped to “Psychic Armor Head”. If your opponent activates a Spell Card while this card is Equipped, you can, during your next Main Phase, destroy this card to copy the effect of that Spell Card. If this card is sent to the Graveyard by a Spell Card used by your opponent, copy the effect of that card during your next first Main Phase. The effects of all cards copied end during your End Phase.



PHOENIX GRAVITATION (Spell Card)

Card Specs

Type: Spell/Quickplay
Attribute: –
Level: –
ATK: –
DEF: –

Image: A phoenix amid flames.

Card Description: You can only use this card if “Psychic Armor Head” is on your side of the field. Special Summon four Armor Monsters of four stars or less from your Graveyard.

Note: The proceeding eighteen cards were used by Valon in several episodes of the “Waking the Dragons” arc. Creative credit goes to the writers of the episode.


ARMORY (Spell Card)

Card Specs

Type: Spell
Attribute: –
Level: –
ATK: –
DEF: –

Image: A suit of Armor Monsters hanging on a metal wall.

Card Description: Return one Armor Monster on the field to your deck and reshuffle. Then, draw one card.



FOOLISH BURIAL (Spell Card)

Card Specs

Type: Spell
Attribute: –
Level: –
ATK: –
DEF: –

Image: A hand holding a shovel coming out of a grave.

Card Description: Take one Monster Card from your deck and discard it to your Graveyard. Then, reshuffle your deck.

Note: “Foolish Burial” is a Japanese card that has not yet been released in the United States.



DEVOLUTION DRAKE (Monster Card)

Card Specs

Type: Dragon/Effect
Attribute: Light
Level: 7
ATK: 2,500
DEF: 2,500

Card Description: This Monster is descended by activating “The Fang of Critias” and offering one “Extinction Fist” as a Tribute. When this Monster is summoned, destroy all face-up Monsters on the field that were originally summoned via Tribute, (except this one). Then, Special Summon the Monster(s) that were used as Tribute to summon the destroyed Monster(s) to the original owners’ sides of the field.



[B][I]I think I may have made a fanfiction first – namely, I had a character use an Armor Deck WITHOUT giving her a made-up card that let her use more than five Monsters at once.

Coming up next:

Only one member of the Swordsmen remains, and Cleo is not going down without a fight. Not only is Jason in for quite a fight, but one the likes of which he’s never seen before.

Don’t miss “Nightmare’s Steelcage” coming soon.

Oh, and you might think you know what’s coming up… But it will have a surprise twist that I doubt you can anticipate.

[Master of Paradox]

Ummm... crap, I hate being negative after midnight. Especially in this situation.

It's not your fault, after all, it's entirely the fault of the cards, but there wasn't a single moment in this chapter that didn't feel exactly like Blademaster's Lieutenant duel in Yu-Gi-Oh 3.0... or, for that matter, any other Armor duel. There's nothing new you can do with Armors, even if you restrict yourself to five on the field at once.

(Hell, I really don't recall Valon himself ever having more than five at once, but the last time I saw those episodes was a long time ago, so I'm likely wrong.)

On a related note, Devolution Drake didn't impress me. And I consider it cheating to make a Dragon Fusion out of a show/created card. (This includes that Aitos bow thing from the show, just so you don't think I'm unfair - I found that a very unsatisfying resolution to those episodes.)

As for Sebastian... well, as much as I love the Dark Scorpions, this chapter felt like he'd pitched all his support out the window. In fact, on a second read-through, he never had more than two out at once. The Invader of Darkness, while rarely used in fanfiction, didn't fit his theme, either.

And while I'm complaining... no, I'll let that one slide. Best not to get into issues of theology when I'm running on 3 hours of sleep in the last 48.

In sum: I'm disappointed. This chapter had such potential. It used almost none of it.

...but I'm starting to regain some enthusiasm for Amazons, thanks to my apprentice, so I look forward to next chapter.

[Blademaster]

OK, 3 things I wanted to mention:

1. Trisha used Monster Recovery while Invader of Darkness was still out; Monster Recovery, I believe, is a Quick-play Magic Card.

2. When Trisha used Phoenix Gravitation, your description was 'a flaming phoenix in flames,' which is a little odd.

3.

[B][I]I think I may have made a fanfiction first – namely, I had a character use an Armor Deck WITHOUT giving her a made-up card that let her use more than five Monsters at once.


Forgive my oversensitivity, but I was a little insulted when I read that...

Anyway, Sebastian got pummeled pretty good in that duel, didn't he? Serves him right, the idiot...

I'm glad Alister, Valon, and Raphael finally got to... move on, shall we say? They've certainly had it coming for a long time.

Now, it's a battle of Amazons VS. Dragons (and more) next time, eh? This could be interesting...

Until then, ciao.

-Blade

[Dark Sage]

1. Trisha used Monster Recovery while Invader of Darkness was still out; Monster Recovery, I believe, is a Quick-play Magic Card.

I didn't know that. I'll change it.



2. When Trisha used Phoenix Gravitation, your description was 'a flaming phoenix in flames,' which is a little odd.

It's true! I've seen the picture on Janime.



3.
Quote from: Dark Sage on August 16, 2006, 11:50:58 PM
I think I may have made a fanfiction first – namely, I had a character use an Armor Deck WITHOUT giving her a made-up card that let her use more than five Monsters at once.


Forgive my oversensitivity, but I was a little insulted when I read that...


I will not apologize. I've seen it done so many times, it has become a cop out. The Armor Deck is supposed to difficult, and the Orichalcos made it easier. Using a legal card to use more than five of them should not happen.

[Shuppet Master]

Jason's deck isn't dragons, it's a Kaiba deck with Cyber Dragons. Get it right.

Oh, and I agree with Paradox, which is why I never made a duel in Anansi with the Armor monsters. They were too difficult to use for me. Still, I like how Trisha was able to beat the living crud out of Cassius with zero-attack monsters. The fact that each Armor can redirect attacks to another makes them deadly.

[Blademaster]

Jason's deck isn't dragons, it's a Kaiba deck with Cyber Dragons. Get it right.

'Get it right?'

(sigh)

I said Amazons VS. Dragons, as in CYBER Dragons. And Kaiba's deck was primarily Dragons in some form - Luster DRAGON, XYZ DRAGON Cannon, Spear DRAGON, etc., so excuse me for not saying the whole thing.

EDIT: Sorry... I'm just kinda frustrated right now - personal issues, y' know? :(

[jkBAKURA]

Woah, it's unlike me to hold off on reviewing, but it's been a rediculously busy end of the summer for me.

First, the Cassius rematch. Perfectly nasty use of stratagy, to the point of a diobolical lockdown. The only real complaint I have is the fact that so many Level groups won't be appearing, as well as the unused support. I'll forgive the Brave Wanderer reappearing so soon. It wasn't like much else could have been done in the current situation. It was what the rivalry should have been in the first place.

As for the latest instalment, I have to say that it's impossible not to make a comparison to Blademaster's use of the Armor monsters, and unfortunately, it seemed like he was able to do far more with them. Sebastion seemed far underpowered, and I got the feeling you probably had trouble writing the duel in such a way that Tricia wasn't whaled upon. Thus the lack of monsters, and even less Dark Scorpion support, I have to wonder what his Hand consisted of most of the time that was so useless. You barely managed to even include all five scorpions.

Most of these things are not your fault. It's the difficulty of writing an Armor duel, and I give you major points for having the courage to try. Major points for using cards Vallon was shown to have used, but never played, such as My Body as a Shield, and Autonomous Action Unit. I did dock a point for Giant Rat though.

I'm sure this chapter was a nightmare to write, and I feel bad I didn't enjoy it more. With these two duels leaving just a few things lacking, I seriously hope that neither Cassius or Sebastion are gone for good. The former especially has almost taken the same mysterious appeal that first drew my attention to Raphael.

I'll still be waiting. Cleo has had two matches already, and this one could be the best yet.

[Pokemasterkatie]

-Oh yes. All hail Samus Aran. Can't wait til SSBB.:D

-Didn't watch much of Waking the Dragons, but I know enough to realize this is probably a first for YGO fanfiction. Nice work, DS.:)

-I agree 100% about Patrician of Darkness--this is one of Bakura's main cards in Nightmare Troubadour(The other being Vampire Lord.X(), and is a pain to kill in the midgame unless it's alone.

-Eek; Invader of Darkness is pretty damn dangerous, considering everyone uses a good amount of Quickplays. High Attack makes it even moreso unless someone like Russell gets in a Miracle Kids combo late game.

-*sweatdrops at the Pokémonese comment* Well, that's good. Sorry for the rudeness, but I had to do something...the Doremi spell proves that I'm really pathetic sometimes, nyaa~-_-;

[Shuppet Master]

I'm sorry for whaling on you, Blade. I know you were saying stuff about the Cyber Dragons, and that's the common confusion between Cyber Dragons and real dragons. My bad.

[Dark Sage]

Actually, Jason will not use any Cyber Dragons in the next chapter.

Master of Paradox should like that.

[Mystic_clown]

2. When Trisha used Phoenix Gravitation, your description was 'a flaming phoenix in flames,' which is a little odd.

It's true! I've seen the picture on Janime.

It's not the description, it's your choice of wording. It's a bit, um, unusual.

I have to agree with others about the duel. Invader of Darkness, as much of a cool card it is, doesn't really fit with the Dark Scorpions. And the actual lack of Scorpion cards actually made him appear WEAKER then in the last duel.

Then again, you were probably focusing on the armour aspect of the duel and I praise you on that, since Valon is one of my favourite characters.

EDIT: Does anyone remember that spectre the puppeteer mentioned a few chapters back? Anyone got any guesses as to who (or what) it is? I know there's very little chance of this, but I'm partially hoping it's one of the Tenma bros. (if anyone here has read "Yu-Gi-Oh R" and looked back a few chapters in htis, you'll understand why I came up with this theory).

Anyone who has on idea what I'm talking about, PM me and I'll tell you.

[Dark Sage]

I'd like to remind everyone who can... Watch Yu-Gi-Oh GX, second season starting today!

Today, today, today!

And now that that's in your head...

On with the next chapter!

[B][I]One thing about this whole thing that I have to admit is, it never gets boring.

I came here expecting Cleo to attack bearing her claws, and she is, pretty much…

But something else has happened that I didn’t expect.

It seems that the Orichalcos is not only an evil force, it is a chaotic force. That means, the only thing I can rely on when facing its minions is, I can’t rely on them.

And perhaps sometimes, I can’t even rely on THAT.

An old saying says that the only absolute in life is the fact that there are no absolutes.

Well, maybe not…

I’m quite absolutely sure that the situation I’m in is not going to end up pretty.




[size=3][B]CHAPTER THIRTY-NINE



http://www.ideal808.com/images/sd6-en0311.jpg



Friday, October 30th, 2106, 8:05 PM


In one of the common rooms on the Slifer Dorm, Randy and Nadia were engaging in a tabletop duel, and Randy was in a bad situation.

He had Wildedge on his side of the field, and Miracle Fusion and Bubble Blaster in his hand, but Nadia had two Pikerus, two Currans, and Fire Princess, as well as Gravity Bind.

He could win if his next draw was Avian – he’d be able to summon Wild Wingman and destroy the Gravity Bind. But that was about it.

He made his draw.

He frowned.

“I fold, sis, you’d win next turn anyway,” he said.

She grinned.

“So, what’s the whole story behind those two?” he asked, out of curiosity. “What is it with Pikeru and Curran?”

“It’s a long story, Randy,” she said. “But we have time…”

She took all the cards off the table except Fire Princess, and then took a card from a box next to her. She set it aside Fire Princess. It was Darkfire Soldier #1.

“Long ago, Fire Princess ruled a kingdom in the world of Duel Monsters,” she said. “She was a feared sorceress who practiced the magic of Fire, and using it, she could drain the power from her enemies while strengthening that of her allies at the same time.

“Darkfire Soldier was her beloved royal consort, a powerful warrior of Fire. His skills in magic were small, but he would protect her at all costs.

“One day, Fire Princess came to her husband with joyous news – their love had been fruitful, and a child would soon come to them. Darkfire Soldier was nervous… The thought of a son or daughter scared him, because he knew of the dangerous Trial that his wife had undergone to gain her crown. He resolved that he would find a way to help his offspring… But how?

“Doing research, he found a reference to a temple located in a strange place where, supposedly, a great power of the element of Fire existed. He went alone to find the place… And nothing was seen of him for a month…

“When he returned, he was in terrible shape. Scars covered him, and even worse, his flesh seemed to be running like molten wax! Fire Princess was horrified. Her husband told her he didn’t have much time left, and told her to listen carefully… He placed three scepters before her.

“His research had lied. No powers of Fire existed in that terrible temple; it was a den of Chaos, a raw combination of Light and Darkness. He had foolishly entered its inner sanctum, and it had horribly cursed him. But he managed to escape with his life, and with the three scepters.

“One bore the power of Light. The other bore the power of Darkness. The other was a magical artifact of Chaos, which could be used by forces of Light and Darkness combined.

“He told his wife that when the child was born, to teach him or her one of the three forces, and when it came time for the Trial, the corresponding scepter would help. Then he gasped, and ran off.

“She told her servants to follow, but they came back to report it was too late. The curse had eventually run its course, transforming him into a mindless abomination that lashed out at everything in its path. People who encountered him and lived started to call him – or it, as they might as well now – the Lava Golem, a cursed engine of destruction.

“Long after giving birth, Fire Princess sought out the thing that her husband had become to try to end his misery. But it was no use – its draining power was now even greater than hers. All she could do for him now was mourn.

“But when she did give birth, she got a surprise – twins. Two twin girls, whom she named Pikeru and Curran. She couldn’t neglect either of them or show a favorite, but fortunately, her husband had brought enough to share.”

She placed Pikeru and Curran’s cards on the table.

“Thus, when the twins got older,” she continued, “she had Pikeru tutored in magic of Light, the power of healing – the part of Fire Princess’s ability to heal her allies. Curran was taught the magic of Darkness, which reflected her mother’s ability to sap the life of her foes while doing so.

“But Fire Princess remembered her husband’s horrible fate, so she gave strict orders to their tutors that neither Pikeru nor Curran were ever to learn Chaos magic. Such skills were too dangerous.

“But that left one problem. Since no Darkness existed in Pikeru and no Light existed in Curran, the sisters repelled each other and couldn’t mix. Neither ever had kind words for each other, and got into fights and quarrels often. Soon, their mother believed she was the only thing keeping them from actually engaging in combat.”

Then she placed the Trap Card called A Rival Appears! on the table.

“Once it happened. No one knew who struck first, but at one point the two sisters’ quarrel turned into a duel of spells and fists. They soon found that they were equally matched, and the fight ended with both of them collapsing from exhaustion. Their mother found them, and once they gained their strength back, she ordered them thoroughly spanked to discipline them. The soreness in their behinds prevented another outright fight, but they still would despise each other for the longest time.

“Finally, the same oracle that gave the Trial to Fire Princess told her that the time had come. But when she discovered what awaited them, she thought that the two scepters of Light and Darkness may not be enough. The ogre that her daughters would be charged with defeating was incredibly powerful…

“Fearful that her daughters might perish, she gave Pikeru the one that represented Light, gave Curran the one that represented Darkness…

“…and then entrusted to both of them the one that represented Chaos. She told them that in a time of crisis, they could combine their powers for even greater power.”

“Casting hateful looks at each other, they went…”

She placed Trial of the Princess on the table.

“And true to their mother’s fears, the Trial proved incredible daunting. Having no options remaining, they had to cooperate. Again, the one who suggested it is not known, but the other agreed.

“They cast the spell of Chaos, and they won.”

Nadia paused. She placed Princess Pikeru and Princess Curran on the table.

“We can only assume what kind of life Princess Pikeru and Princess Curran had after that.”

“Wait…” said Randy. “That strange Trap Card… Sisters of Chaos? Is that the spell?”

Nadia smirked.

“Maybe…” she said.



[B]* * * * * * * * * *


“We can’t stop now, guys,” said Trisha. “Cleo is the only one left…”

“Jason…” said Russell. “Trisha and I were able to sense Cassius and Sebastian. Can you do the same to find Cleo?”

“I could try…” answered Jason.

He concentrated.

“Wait… I see her…” he said.

He concentrated again.

“Queens… a construction site… the industrial area…”

He paused for a minute.

“…and she’s dueling.”

“Lovely,” said Trisha. “Some poor guy’s probably trapped in that awful arena as we speak, and there’s nothing we can do about it.”

“We’d best find her before she finds another one,” said Jason. “It’s going to end… It’s going to end tonight.”



[B]* * * * * * * * * *


One hour later…

In a vacant lot in an industrial area of Queens that had been cleared for construction, Amazoness Swords Woman’s weapon slashed into a hapless duelist.

Cleo frowned as he collapsed.

“You call that a duel?” she asked. “I’ve seen preschoolers who had better decks.”

She looked around at the five unconscious duelists around her.

“Pathetic…” she muttered.

“Good lord…” said Jason’s voice.

Cleo turned and saw him.

“About time,” she said, rather upset. “I figured you’d get here pretty soon…”

“Did you…” said Russell, in anger. “All of them?”

“They’re only unconscious, Russell,” answered Cleo. “You think I’d waste the Seal on this gutter trash? I just had to blow off some steam…

“But I will use it on you once I finish Jason. My lover is gone, thanks to you…”

“You and Cassius were an item?” asked Russell. “So he was a lover AND a fighter…”

“Only before he used the Seal,” replied Cleo.

Jason frowned at her.

“Romance before killing…” he said. “I heard that’s the style of some matadors…

“I’m not going to let you get away so easily this time, Cleo… And I’m not afraid of the Seal…”

“The Seal?” asked Cleo.

She held up a card and flipped it around towards him.

“The Seal of Orichalcos…” she muttered. “Clearly a powerful card…”

She slipped it into a pouch on her belt.

“…let’s keep it out of this duel, shall we?”

“What?” asked Jason in surprise. “You aren’t going to use it?”

“No,” said Cleo. “I don’t want to imprison your soul, Jason…

“I want to beat it to a pulp and tear it apart.

“Trust me, you have no idea of the horror I have waiting for you…”

As she activated her Disk, Jason noticed that the glove she was wearing was glowing with a soft golden light.

He stared, getting a little nervous…

“All right…” he said, as his own activated. “Get your game on…”



[B](Jason: 8,000) (Cleo: 8,000)


They pulled the top five cards off their decks.

“I insist,” said Cleo. “You go first…”

Jason was about to object, but then noticed the card in his hand.

He took the next card off his deck.

“I’ll summon D.D. Warrior Lady in Attack Mode,” he said.

In a flash of light, the sexy, female Warrior in her silvery leotard appeared, holding her glowing sword. (1,500/1,600)



http://www.ideal808.com/images/sd5-en011.jpg


“That’s enough for now,” he said.

“Very well…” said Cleo, making her first draw.

“And now the real fun begins!” she said, opening her Field Slot.

“Hold it!” shouted Jason. “You said you wouldn’t use the Seal!”

“This isn’t the Seal,” replied Cleo. “This is something… different…”

She fit the card into the slot.

“It isn’t quite as deadly as the Seal, but you’ll find it just as… captivating…

“I play Amazoness Arena!”

With an ominous groaning noise, the ground shook. Two large contraptions started to rise out the ground on either side…

Then Jason realized what it was… It was two halves of a huge, dome-shaped, iron cage!

As he watched, the cage closed around them, trapping the two duelists inside.

“What’s going on, Cleo?” asked Jason. “What’s the point?”

“Shadow magic, Jason,” replied Cleo. “A type more recent than the Orichalcos, but deadly nonetheless.

“Let me explain how this Field works. By activating this card, both players gain a 600-point boost to their Life Points…”



[B](J: 8,600) (C: 8,600)


“…a necessary buffer to prepare for the brutal pain that is to follow. In this Arena, every time two Monsters battle each other, the effect can be activated, and both players can spend 100 Life Points to inflict the same amount on his or her opponent.”

“That’s it?” asked Jason. “I was expecting something more intense.”

“How’s this for intense?” said Cleo. “This Arena is a sacred place where a duelist’s very soul can battle that of his opponent. You spend the 100 Life Points to enable yours to attack… And the 100 you lose is what happens when it is injured.

“Let me give you a sample…

“I summon Amazoness Paladin.”

Amazoness Paladin appeared, holding her sword aloft. (1,700/300) –> (1,800/300)



http://www.ideal808.com/images/mfc-059.jpg


“Attack the D.D. Warrior Lady!” she shouted.

Paladin ran forward and slashed at the female Warrior with her blade. Warrior Lady gave a cry and fell over, and then blew into colored lights.

“Oops!” said Jason. “Maybe you forgot… When D.D. Warrior Lady battles, I can activate her effect, and remove both her and the Monster who she battled from play.”

Paladin gave a look of horror…

And then she slowly vanished into nothing.

“Well, it still activates the Arena’s effect…” said Cleo. “Let me show you how it works…”

Russell and Trisha looked on in surprise, and as a ghostly, translucent form, resembling Cleo in exact detail, appeared in front of her…

Then, to their shock, another spirit, this one resembling Jason, appeared in front of him!

The two spirits flew to the top of the Arena…

“Cleo” punched “Jason” in the face, and he recoiled…

“Jason” quickly recovered, and punched “Cleo” back.

The spirit forms flew back down, and Jason held his head.

“You see?” said Cleo. “Hurts, doesn’t it? We’ll soon see just who’s will is stronger in this type of contest…”

“Yeah, we’ll see…” muttered Jason.



[B](J: 8,100) (C: 8,400)


“Be careful Jason!” shouted Trisha. “She’s on her home turf!”

“My turn,” said Jason.

He drew a card.

“And I summon La Jinn the Mystical Genie of the Lamp in Attack Mode.”

He played a card, and La Jinn appeared, frowning like a thunderstorm. (1,800/1,000)



http://www.ideal808.com/images/ske-009.jpg


“And since your last move left you defenseless,” he said, “La Jinn, attack her directly!”

La Jinn threw up his arms, and shot bolts of lightning from his fingertips, striking Cleo! She screeched and fell over.

She lay on the ground for a few seconds, with smoke rising from her…

“Not bad…” she said, getting up.



[B](J: 8,100) (C: 6,600)


“That’s my move for now…” said Jason.

Cleo drew a card.

“I summon Amazoness Blowpiper in Attack Mode,” she said.

She played the card, and the teenage savage leapt up, holding her wooden blowgun. (800/1,500)



http://www.ideal808.com/images/mfc-062.jpg


“She can’t defeat La Jinn,” said Jason.

He paused.

“Unless…”

“That’s right,” replied Cleo, playing a Spell Card, “I play Amazoness Spellcaster.”

La Jinn and Blowpiper glowed, and La Jinn’s Attack fell to 800, and Blowpiper’s rose to 1,800.

“Attack!” shouted Cleo. “Poison dart sting!”

Blowpiper put her weapon to her lips, and fired a sharp spire at La Jinn. He groaned as it hit him, and he burst into shards.

“And now…” continued Cleo, as her soul form appeared, “round two…”

“Bring it!” answered Jason as his own appeared.

They flew up to the top of the Arena again. This time Jason was the first to strike, ramming his fist into Cleo’s torso. Cleo responded by kicking him in the groin.

As they fell back down, they stumbled backwards.



[B](J: 6,900) (C: 6,400)


“And to think I used to think ‘hitting like a girl’ was a bad thing…” said Russell.

“Where did you get this card?” asked Jason, panting.

Cleo smirked. She lifted her hand that had the strange glove.

“It was made by the employer of one of Jaden Yuki’s old enemies,” she replied. “He knew a few things about how to create the Shadows…”

“The Shadow Riders…” gulped Trisha.

“Exactly…” said Cleo. “As each of the Shadow Riders fell, the one who defeated them took their Shadow Charm into custody. Jaden defeated five of them in the crisis, so he collected five Charms…

“My employer hired some guys to steal them from his family, but their security was too tight. Most of them were caught, and only one got away… But he got away with one of them. And fortunately, it was the one that worked perfectly with my deck!”

“Lovely…” replied Jason. “First the Orichalcos, now Shadow Charms. I’m really glad that the Millennium Items were lost…”

“Give us time,” answered Cleo. “I’ll end my turn with one card facedown.”

She played a card, and it appeared behind Blowpiper.

Jason drew a card.

Not bad… he thought.

“I play the Spell Card, Brain Control!” he exclaimed, playing a card.

The fiendish brain appeared on the field.

“I’ll pay 800 Life Points, and Blowpiper becomes mine.”

Ripples of psionic energy flowed forward, and Blowpiper’s eyes glazed over. She slowly floated over to Jason’s side of the field.

“Now, I’ll sacrifice her…” he continued.

Blowpiper vanished…

“To summon Luster Dragon #2!”

With a growl, the huge, emerald Dragon appeared, and spread its wings! (2,400/1,400)



http://www.ideal808.com/images/db2-en165.jpg


“Luster Dragon, attack…” he started.

“I activate my facedown card!” shouted Cleo. “Enemy Controller!”

Her Quickplay lifted, and a large video game control pad appeared in front of her.

“Go!” she shouted. “A! B! A! Left! Right! Up! R! E!

“Your Dragon moves into Defense Mode!”

Luster Dragon curled up in Defense.

“All right, you escaped that one,” said Jason. “I end my turn.”



[B](J: 6,100) (C: 6,400)


Cleo drew.

“I summon Amazoness Fighter,” she said.

The muscular Amazon appeared, and flexed her biceps. (1,500/1,300)



http://www.ideal808.com/images/mfc-060.jpg


“Crud,” said Russell. “Her Attack strength is just enough to beat that Dragon’s Defense strength.”

“At least the Dragon is in Defense Mode,” said Trisha.

“That won’t save him from the Arena…” added Russell.

“Fighter, attack the Dragon!” commanded Cleo.

Fighter leapt up with her hands together, and brought them down on the huge Dragon, squashing it flat.

Jason looked at her.

“Well,” he said. “Rematch…”

His soul form flew out of him. Cleo’s flew up to greet him…

“What?” said Russell, surprised. “Jason activated the Arena’s effect?”

Indeed he had. And as the two forms met, he punched Cleo in the eye, hard! Cleo responded by hitting him in the chin.

They fell back to earth.

“Whoa… nice one…” muttered Cleo.



[B](J: 5,900) (C: 6,200)


“Having second thoughts, Cleo?” asked Jason with a smirk. “Don’t stop now… This duel is just getting interesting!

“In fact, I ought to thank you… This is much better than that rotten Orichalcos card. This is actually quite… Invigorating!”

Cleo stared at him.

“And it’s my move…”

He drew a card.

“I summon The Dragon Dwelling in the Cave in Defense Mode.”

He played the card, and the rocky Dragon appeared, crouching in Defense. (1,300/2,000)



http://www.ideal808.com/images/lod-037.jpg


“And I’ll turn it over to you…”

Cleo drew a card.

“I play Pot of Greed,” she said.

The evil jar appeared, and she drew two cards.

Nice, she thought. I’ve got just what I need for a lethal combo…

“I summon Amazoness Tiger in Attack Mode,” she said.

She played the card, and with a roar, the Beast leapt onto the field beside Fighter. Fighter reached down and stroked her head. (1,100/1,500) –> (1,900/1,500)



http://www.ideal808.com/images/mfc-063.jpg


“Even with her boost,” said Jason, “she can’t destroy my Dragon.”

“Nonetheless,” said Cleo, “I’m ordering her to attack.”

Amazoness Tiger rushed forward. The Dragon made a swipe with its claw, and batted her aside.

“Why’d she do that?” asked Trisha.

“Why else?” replied Russell. “So she could activate the Arena.”

The two soul forms grabbed each other by the necks. First Jason forced Cleo down, then she forced him down, then they tore themselves from each other…



[B](J: 5,700) (C: 5,900)


Cleo stumbled a bit.

“Invigorating enough for you?” she asked. “Now I’ll play a Quickplay Spell Card… Amazoness Tamer!”

She played a card, and an Amazon appeared beside Tiger, holding a whip.

“I can activate this card whenever Amazoness Tiger attacks a Monster and fails,” she explained. “It gives her 400 more Attack Points, and a second chance.”

The Amazon lashed the whip. Tiger roared, and her Attack rose to 2,300…

She pounced, and The Dragon Dwelling in the Cave was smashed into pebbles.

“Well…” said Jason. “Better put up your dukes…”

This time the confrontation was more like a tackle. Jason squeezed Cleo in a bear hug, and she winced… then she slammed her palm into her face, and he let go…

As they landed, Cleo held her ribs.



[B](J: 5,500) (C: 5,700)


“This too much for you, Cleo?” asked Jason.

Cleo glared at him.

She pointed at Jason…

Fighter ran up, and kneed him between the legs! Jason screamed and fell to his knees.

“A simple ‘no’ would have sufficed…” he gasped.



[B](J: 4,000) (C: 5,700)


“Your move, Jason,” she said. “And unless your next Monster can repel an attack from my Tiger, you’re gonna be giving out your commands in soprano.”

“Cleo!” shouted Trisha. “Forget Russell! If Jason loses, I’m taking you down!”

“I’ll beat all of you!” laughed Cleo. “I’ll feed all three of you to…”

She stopped short.

“Uh, forget you heard that,” she quickly said.

Jason got up and looked at his hand.

Nuts, he thought. The only Monster I have right now that I can summon is Saggi… Not exactly the king of Monsters. And even if I summoned someone, I can’t attack anyone on her side before I get rid of the Tiger…



Continued…

[Dark Sage]

Continued from last post:


He drew a card.

“I summon Saggi the Dark Clown in Defense Mode,” he said.

With a cackling laughter, Saggi appeared and knelt in Defense. (600/1,500)



http://www.ideal808.com/images/db2-en039.jpg


“Then I’ll throw down a facedown, and end my turn.”

He played a card, and it appeared behind Saggi.

“Now let me get this straight,” said Cleo, drawing, “you’re standing up to my Tiger and my Fighter with a clown? Well… It’s your funeral!

“Amazoness Tiger, attack his clown!”

Tiger pounced…

“I activate Draining Shield!” shouted Jason.

His Trap Card lifted, and a dome of force appeared around him. Amazoness Tiger looked shocked and tried to break free, as energy flew into Jason. Finally, she tore herself loose.

Cleo frowned.

“Fighter, you attack Saggi,” she said.

Here we go again… thought Jason.

Fighter charged at Saggi, and he responded by jumping up and headbutting her in the torso. He chuckled as she stumbled backwards.

“Let’s go…” said Jason.

Their soul forms flew into the air…

Jason drove his fist into Cleo’s gut. She punched him full in the face.



[B](J: 5,700) (C: 5,500)


“The scores are close…” muttered Trisha.

“Hang in there, Jason!” yelled Russell. “Don’t give up!”

“Why would I give up?” asked Jason. “I haven’t had a duel this intense in years!”

Ergh, he’s enjoying this! thought Cleo, getting angry. Maybe this was a bad idea…

“My move…” said Jason, drawing a card.

He drew a card.

“I’ll place a card facedown, and end my turn…”

A facedown card appeared.

Cleo drew a card.

“Tiger, let’s try this again…” she said with a grin.

Tiger leapt at Saggi…

“I activate… Attack Guidance Armor!” shouted Jason.

The Trap Card lifted. The fiendish armor flew forward, and clamped over Amazoness Fighter!

Tiger was pulled towards Fighter, and came down on her, smashing her flat.

Cleo glared at him…

Her soul form appeared…

They flew at each other… Cleo kicked him in the ribs, and Jason punched her hard in the face.



[B](J: 5,500) (C: 5,300)


“My… move…” muttered Jason, drawing a card.

He drew.

“I play… Silent Doom!” he exclaimed. “I’ll use it to bring back La Jinn in Defense Mode.”

He played the card, and La Jinn appeared, shielding himself in Defense (1,800/1,000)

“And now I’ll sacrifice both my Monsters…”

Saggi and La Jinn vanished…

“To summon Tyrant Dragon!”

With a mighty roar, the huge Fire Dragon appeared in front of him! It blasted flame through the roof of the Arena and into the sky! (2,900/2,500)



http://www.ideal808.com/images/db2-en151.jpg


“Attack Amazoness Tiger!” shouted Jason. “Imperial inferno!”

Tyrant Dragon blasted fire, and Amazoness Tiger was incinerated in a fiery cloud!

“One more?” asked Trisha.

“One more,” replied Russell.

“One more!” agreed Jason.

The two grappled. Jason caught his foe in a headlock and started pounding his fist into her face. Cleo threw her head back and slammed it into his face.

Both duelists were starting to perspire.



[B](J: 5,300) (C: 3,700)


“Your move…” said Jason.

Cleo drew a card…

“I summon… Amazoness Girl… in Defense Mode…” she panted, playing a card.

The young, scantily clad Amazon appeared, huddling in Defense. (300/300)

She cowered in fear when she saw the Dragon.

“That’s all I can do…” she said.

“Hmm…” said Jason, drawing.

“Well, whaddaya know,” he said. “It’s my old pal Vorse Raider. Attack Mode!”

His favorite Monster appeared, hefting his axe. (1,900/1,200)



http://www.ideal808.com/images/ct2_en003.jpg


“I seem to remember how your Amazoness Girl works,” said Jason. “If one is destroyed, you get to summon another one.

“So, with my Dragon’s ability to attack twice, on this round, I could activate the Arena three times.

“Or, you could choose not to use her effect, and take a direct attack from Vorse Raider. It’s your choice.

“Tyrant Dragon, attack!”

Tyrant Dragon blasted its flame, and Amazoness Girl was blown to nothing.

Jason’s fist slammed into Cleo. She responded in kind.

Jason wiped his mouth, as a second Girl appeared.

“Attack a second time!” he shouted.

Tyrant Dragon attacked, and the second Amazoness Girl followed her sister to the Graveyard.

Cleo hit Jason first this time, and he quickly responded with a blow to her teeth.

Both of them stopped to catch their breaths, and the third Amazoness Girl appeared.

“Vorse Raider…” he ordered, “attack…”

Vorse Raider swung his axe, and cut her in twain.

This time there was some definite weakness in Cleo’s punch. Jason paused, as if unsure, and then hit her back hard.



[B](J: 4,700) (C: 3,100)


As the soul-forms returned to their bodies, something strange happened…

The flames started to pick up where Tyrant Dragon’s last attack had struck… They spread to the steel bars of Amazoness Arena…

And then the Arena itself caught on fire! Flames started to spread!

“Cleo…” asked Jason. “What’s happening?”

“I… don’t know…” she said, in panic. “I… I really don’t know! It wasn’t supposed to do this!”

She stared at Jason, and then at the ground.

“Nothing is worth this…” she muttered. “I’m going to quit while I still can…”

She slowly raised her right hand and moved it towards her deck.

“She’s giving up?” gasped Trisha.

“Unbelievable…” said Russell. “So what do we do with one that we bring in alive?”

Cleo’s hand hovered over her deck…

There was a long pause. The flames burned fiercer…

“Hee, hee, hee, hee…” giggled Cleo.

She closed her eyes.

And then she opened them, and Jason wished she hadn’t. Her pupils were now gone, and they glowed with red light!

“Somehow…” said Trisha, “I’m not sure yet if we’re going to…”

And then something even worse happened…

The Seal of Orichalcos appeared on Cleo’s forehead…

…and then, with a glow of evil light, the actual Seal appeared inside Amazoness Area!

“What?” gasped Jason. “Cleo… How? How can you…”

“You’re talking to the wrong, person, Chosen One,” said a voice coming from Cleo’s mouth.

It was female, but it definitely was not Cleo. It was far more sinister.

“I don’t believe we’ve met yet, Chosen of Timaeus,” she said. “I can’t tell you who I am yet, but I decided to get involved personally for a change.

“I’m disappointed in Cleo. She once showed great potential, but it seems that she turned into nothing more than a quitter, so she will be punished. I’ve consumed her soul, and taken over her body for now. I will be taking over for her in this duel from this point.”

“You… You evil… Who are you?” yelled Jason.

“That’s for me to know, and you to find out,” said the demon. “But I will tell you, I am not one to be trifled with or underestimated.”

“How did you play the Seal?” asked Jason. “I didn’t even end my turn, and two Field Cards can’t exist on the field at once!”

“You are a fool,” she replied. “The Seal of Orichalcos is far more than just a card. I possess powers unlike anyone you, the Trinity, or even Dartz ever dreamed of. I can create the Seal simply by willing it into existence, with no puny card required. So Amazoness Arena remains, and I can benefit from both effects.

“But its effects remain the same. So since you now truly have no means of escape unless I allow it, and I won’t unless you defeat me, you have no choice but to finish this duel.

“Cleo may be gone, but this is not over…

“In fact, I’d say it’s just starting.”



[B](Jason: 4,700) (?: 3,100)



“I believe… it is my move…” said the creature.

She drew a card.

“I will play the Spell Card, Graceful Charity,” she said, playing it. “Though it may be truly ironic for one like me to use a card with the word ‘charity’ in its name, this card is always useful.”

She drew three cards. Then she discarded Pride of Tribe and Sacred Sword of the Amazons.

“Now, to make this even more painful, I play a Spell called Magic Reflector.”

She played the card, and it materialized, showing the image of a spindly robotic spider.

“The Spell Card itself does not remain on the field for long…”

It shattered.

“But when it leaves, it leaves behind a tiny electrode on Amazoness Arena, which will protect it from one attempt to destroy it. Thus, if you were to use Dust Tornado, Mystical Space Typhoon, or even Heavy Storm, the Arena would survive the first time.

“Next, I will use the combo that Cleo was unable to use in your last encounter with her. I first summon Amazoness Paladin.”

A second Paladin appeared. Her eyes glowed, as the Seal bonded to her. (1,700/300) –> (2,300/300)

“Then, I remove her from play, to summon Amazoness Princess.”

Paladin vanished, and Princess appeared. (2,100/1,800) –> (2,600/1,800)

“And finally,” she said, playing one of the last two cards in her hand, “I remove Princess from play, to summon Amazoness Queen!”

Princess vanished, and the most regal of the Amazons appeared, holding her mighty scimitar. Her eyes glowed evilly as the Seal bonded to her forehead. (3,000/3,000) –> (3,500/3,000)

“That’s… not good…” said Russell.

“Amazoness Queen,” said the creature, “attack his Tyrant Dragon with sacred scimitar slash.”

The Queen made a dramatic pose, and then leapt up, cleaving the huge Dragon in two.

“And let’s not forget the effect of Amazoness Arena…”

Jason’s soul form appeared as it did before, but the one that came out of Cleo’s body was a shadowy shape with a shifting form, and two sharp claws.

They flew towards each other. Jason punched at the figure, but it seemed about as effective as punching smoke. Then the figure clawed him in the chest…

And he screamed…

His soul form fell back to his body.

“That… hurt!” he shouted, gasping for breath.

He looked at his chest… His shirt had been torn, and there were claw marks on it!

“Cleo’s soul was brittle, like alabaster,” said the creature. “Mine is as strong as diamond. The first one was merely slightly painful. The second blow will be twice as agonizing. The pain will continue to double in intensity until it is too much for you, and you will collapse in agony, causing me to win by default. And then you will suffer the same fate as Cleo.”

She licked her lips.

“It is your move.”



[B](J: 3,900) (?: 2,900)


Jason drew a card.

“I summon Ryu-Kishin Powered in Defense Mode…” he said.

The rocky gargoyle appeared, and crouched in Defense. (1,600/1,200)



http://www.ideal808.com/images/db2-en056.jpg


“And, I’ll move Vorse Raider to Defense Mode too.”

Vorse Raider crouched in Defense Mode, and held his axe in his lap.

“That’s all I can do.”

The thing in Cleo’s body drew a card.

“I play Amazoness Charm,” she said, playing a Spell Card. “Since I have an Amazon on my side of the field, this Spell Card lets me move your Monsters to Attack Mode, even though they gain 200 Attack Points in the process.”

Jason’s Ryu-Kishin Powered stood up, and its Attack rose to 1,800. Vorse Raider did too, and his Attack rose to 2,100.

“Amazoness Queen,” she said, “attack the Ryu-Kishin Powered!”

Amazoness Queen leapt up, and smashed the gargoyle into pebbles.

“And next, the Arena activates,” she continued.

Jason’s soul and the evil shadow flew towards each other. Jason vainly tried to punch the creature, but it seemed pointless. She swiped with her claw, and he hollered!

His soul flew back to his body, and he fell to one knee, sweating like a pig. He groaned. A new claw mark was on his chest, crossing the one he had gotten last time.



[B](J: 2,000) (?: 2,700)


“JASON!” shouted Trisha. “Say something!”

“Something…” he muttered.

“Old jokes will not save you, Chosen One,” said the creature. “You won’t be able to withstand it if I attack you a third time. Why not just give up? I’ll be merciful and quick.”

“Pardon me for saying this, but…” said Jason, getting up.

He drew a card.

“I don’t believe you.

“I play Pot of Greed.”

He played the card, and drew two cards.

“I play Premature Burial, to bring back Luster Dragon #2…”

The card appeared, and Luster Dragon reappeared. (2,400/1,400)

“And now…

“I play The Eye of Timaeus!”

Lightning flashed, and from out of the night sky, Timaeus descended. He flew into the Arena, not hindered by the flaming bars, and glared angrily at the creature.

“And now…” said Jason, “I combine Timaeus with Vorse Raider to form Blood Vors Dragon!”

The Dragon and the Beast-Warrior formed into orbs of light and darkness, and combined in a flash…

…and stood revealed, as a huge Dragon with black scales, a sail on its back, and multiple horns on its head.

“Let me explain how this guy works,” said Jason. “I take the strongest Monster in my Graveyard – that would be Tyrant Dragon – and the strongest Monster in yours – that would be Amazoness Fighter – and I combine their Attack Scores and Defense Scores to form Blood Vors Dragon’s Attack and Defense Scores.”

(4,400/3,800)

“Fitting that I should combine Vorse Raider with Timaeus,” he said. “Vorse Raider is the one who introduced me to him.”

“You’re a fool,” said the demon. “Your Dragon may destroy my Queen, but when it does, I’ll activate the Arena one last time, and the pain will overpower you!”

“No it won’t,” said Jason. “Because this time, I won’t be alone. Timaeus is going to be backing me up.

“Blood Vors Dragon, attack with mega-breath!”

Blood Vors Dragon blasted a beam of dark energy, and Amazoness Queen screamed as her very flesh started to melt and run! She collapsed, and then shattered into bits.

Jason’s soul form emerged, but he now glowed with golden light. He threw himself at the shadowy form…

It clawed at him, but this time, it barely hurt at all. Then he threw a punch, and this time it hit with a crunch so solid he could feel it in his teeth.

“ARGH!” shouted the creature. “How dare you?”

“Now let’s finish this,” said Jason. “Luster Dragon, attack directly! Emerald flame!”

Luster Dragon breathed a stream of blazing fire, and the creature staggered backwards.



[B](J: 1,000) (?: 0)


Jason paused to catch his breath.

“Well…” he muttered, clutching his chest. “that’s game…”

“Heh, heh, heh…” laughed the creature. “Indeed, it is, but don’t think you’ve won. You only defeated me because I had to use Cleo’s pathetic cards.”

She took Cleo’s cards from the deck holder and discard slot, and then tossed them aside as if they were trash…

“If you meet me in my true body, it will be different, Chosen One,” she said. “And you will…

“The Seal cannot consume me… Unlike the others you’ve seen, I have complete power over it. We will meet again…”

The Seal vanished, and so did Amazoness Arena. Jason’s Monsters disappeared…

The glow vanished from Cleo’s eyes, and her soulless body fell to her knees, and then collapsed.

Jason looked long and hard at Cleo.

“Well…” he said. “Things have gotten even more complicated…”

Russell and Trisha came up behind him.

“Yeah…” said Trisha. “Who was that?”

“I think we may have met the true conspirator…” mumbled Russell.

Jason paused again.

“We can’t concern ourselves with that right now,” he said, taking deep breaths. “We’ve finished the condition.

“The three Swordsmen have been completely defeated. First we’ll get some antiseptic and bandages… Then we’ll get some sleep…

“Then tomorrow we’ll go to Grand Central Station…

“…and we’ll try to find our way to the monastery.”



[B]* * * * * * * * * *


A figure was watching him from a secluded place, holding his chin in worry. Four figures stood behind him.

“Poor Jason…” he muttered. “He can bandage those scars on his chest, but they won’t fade unless the one who did it to him falls…

“It has truly entered a new stage. Soon, the Darkness will be met by the Light…”



[B]* * * * * * * * * *


In Dr. Artemis’s office, her phone rang.

She was surprised when she saw the number. She picked it up.

“Mayor Barna?” she asked. “I was wondering when I’d hear from you…”

“Yeah, Andorra,” answered the mayor. “Listen, I’m not sure how much good this will do, but I’ve tracked down this Fortunado guy.”

“Do tell,” muttered Artemis.

“His real name is Robert Fitterman,” said Barna, “he was once a duelist of no small skill, and yes, he is a movie producer who holds some clout in Hollywood.

“Although lately, he’s been getting a bad rap. His last three films were all colossal box-office flops. You ever see Garden of Delights last year?”

“Biggest waste of ten bucks I ever spent,” replied Artemis.

“Well, apparently, he’s the guy behind these Orichalcos duels,” said Barna. “Why, I have no idea.”

“Well?” asked Artemis. “Aren’t you going to have him arrested?”

“Well… that’s kind of a sticky-wicket, Andorra,” answered Barna. “First of all, we have no witnesses who have actually seen him doing something illegal. Second, well, I don’t know if he even has done anything that’s illegal. If this were the Renaissance, we could charge him with witchcraft, but right now… I mean, will the police believe that a Hollywood executive is channeling dark magic? Kind of hard to believe, if you get my drift.”

“What about assault?” asked Artemis. “What about kidnapping? So far, two of my students have had their souls snatched, and it was a miracle that they got them back.”

“Well, that’s another prickly pear,” she answered. “It’s pure speculation on our part. I’m afraid that the law has no jurisdiction here.

“Besides, people with this much money own cops, as much as I hate to say.

“And frankly, Andorra, even with legit police, if I started telling them stories of cursed artifacts and demons, they’d think I was crazy, and for a politician in my position…”

“Yeah…” growled Artemis. “Just like in the movies… The police never believe the good guys until it’s too late…

“Fine. But what about as a duelist? What about the Council? You know they do what they can to prevent Shadow Games.”

“Yes, I already called them,” said Barna. “And here’s where it gets worse. They said they’ve been investigating Fitterman for some time already and are still doing so, but have yet to find any proof of illicit dueling. He must be quite good at covering his tracks.

“Besides, I think that Fitterman may be a pawn. The true conspirator might be someone else entirely.”

“Is there any way you can help?” asked Artemis. “At least tell me what sort of deck he has…”

“That, I know,” replied Barna. “He used to use a Warrior Deck. But he may well have changed it since he stopped dueling in public.

“Keep your eyes open. I’ll keep my eye on him, and we’ll try to get him on something.

“And tell your students to be careful. I doubt his new trend of movies have happy endings.”

Artemis hung up the phone.

“A Warrior Deck…” she muttered. “Somehow, I doubt it’s the same type Russell uses…”


Friday, October 30th, 2106, 9:56 PM



AMAZONESS ARENA (Spell Card)

Card Specs

Type: Spell/Field
Attribute: –
Level: –
ATK: –
DEF: –

Image: Amazoness Swords Woman under a dome-shaped steel cage.

Card Description: This card can only be played during a Shadow Game. When you activate this card, both players gain 600 Life Points. After two Monsters engage in battle, each player can spend 100 Life Points to inflict 100 points of damage directly to his or her opponent.



AMAZONESS TAMER (Spell Card)

Card Specs

Type: Spell/Quickplay
Attribute: –
Level: –
ATK: –
DEF: –

Image: An Amazon lashing a whip.

Card Description: You can activate this card during the Battle Phase when your “Amazoness Tiger” attacks a Monster and does not destroy it. Add 400 to that “Amazoness Tiger’s” ATK for the remainder of the Battle Phase, and it may attack a second time in the same Battle Phase.



AMAZONESS CHARM (Spell Card)

Card Specs

Type: Spell
Attribute: –
Level: –
ATK: –
DEF: –

Image: Amazoness Swords Woman with a gentle expression holding her hands in a beckoning fashion.

Card Description: You can only play this card when you have a face-up Monster on your side of the field with the word “Amazoness” in its name, or who is named “Amazon Archer”. Switch all opposing Monsters who are in face-up Defense Position to Attack Position and increase their ATK by 200.

Note: “Amazoness Arena”, “Amazoness Tamer”, and “Amazoness Charm” were used by Taniya in the “Yu-Gi-Oh GX” episode, “Duel Distractions (Part Two)”. All creative credit goes to the writers of that episode.



BLOOD VORS DRAGON (Monster Card)

Card Specs

Type: Dragon/Effect
Attribute: Dark
Level: 7
ATK: ?
DEF: ?

Card Description: This card is descended by activating “The Eye of Timaeus” and offering one “Vorse Raider” as a Tribute. Add together the base ATK of the Monster in your Graveyard with the highest base ATK, and the base ATK of the Monster with the highest base ATK in your opponent’s Graveyard at the time this Monster is summoned to get the base ATK of this card. Add together the base DEF of the same two Monsters to get this card’s base DEF. On your second Standby Phase after summoning this card, destroy this card.



[B][I]Coming up next:

Beneath the streets, beneath the subways, beneath all of Manhattan, the Monastery of the Messiah waits. The Chosen Ones are determined to find it, but Fortunado is determined to delay them.

An obstacle appears, in a chapter called “Chaos End”, coming soon.

[Blademaster]

Ehhhhhh... in all honesty, I never thought I'd have anything in common with Master of Paradox, but I am just sick to death of the Amazoness Monsters.

Two other things I wanted to mention:

1. Much as I hate to reveal any of my story's secrets, I myself made a card that combines Pikeru and Curran before I even knew Sisters of Chaos existed (Well, not 'existed,' but... you know what I mean.); I'm using that in a later chapter of 3.0, and it has nothing to do with Sisters of Chaos or Fire Princess. I hope you don't mind...

2. As I've said before, minor little mistakes often annoy me more than big ones for whatever idiosynchric reason, and this one has shown up more than a few times: the Enemy Controller codes are a little screwed up. I don't care that they're different from the show; what I can't shrug off is that they seem to be machanically impossible. Enemy Controller has 8 buttons on it: Up, Left, Down, Right, A, B, C, and Start. I doubt those spikes at its corners are buttons, considering how sharp they look, but even if they are some demonic version of L and R buttons, there are no X, Y, Z, or E buttons on Enemy Controller.

Now, onto the positive stuff:

-Jason's side of the duel was pretty impressive, considering his three primary weapons weren't used at all.

-I was expecting the Death Ring (Arena, for dub-only folks), but not the Marik-esque mind-control stuff. Nice little twist there...

-I can't write a Chaos duel for jack, but I certainly enjoy reading 'em; it looks like I'll be able to next time.

All in all, not the best of the 3 Swordsman duels, but still a good chapter regardless; I'll be awaiting the next one, as always. :wave:

-Blade

[Mystic_clown]

I have to agree with Blademaster, I'm so sick of those damn amazons. That's why it was so gratifying to see them pounded into the ground. Was there really any point of the two spirits fighting eachother? Sure, it was a bit humorous at first, but was it really necassary (I've only seen one or two episodes of GX so please don't hurt me).

Also, was Piraku and Curran's backstory really needed? It just seemed like a bit of filler to me.

But overall, not a bad chapter.

[Shuppet Master]

Great work, Brian! I can't say much else. The strange demon devouring Cleo's soul mid-duel was just freaky.

[Master of Paradox]

Mystic_clown: In the GX episode where Amazoness Arena showed up, they did indeed show those fights every single time. And yes, it got just as repetitive then, too.

I would've reviewed this last night (for those who don't know, I'm an insomniac), but I decided to try actually sleeping for once. I woke up at 11 A.M. this morning. So much for that...

That's it for the Three Swordsmen, at least for now. Good riddance. This entire block of chapters was mediocre at best. This chapter isn't as poor as Sebastian's was, but it definitely could have done better.

First, as Mystic_clown said, I rather doubt we needed the "story time" at the beginning of the chapter. Items like that merely prove their writer didn't have enough actual plot to stretch the chapter to their preferred length. And to be honest, it didn't sound right, either. (How could two Fire monsters have Light and Dark kids? Reason #546 monsters in the CSR don't procreate...)

Moving on to the actual duel: It's a dead horse, but I'll flog it anyway - Amazons are so tired out they're on the verge of collapse. However, I appreciate how you managed to 1) pare away most of the original support and 2) use Taniya's cards. That spiced things up a little.

Wow, Jason uses a lot of dragons... This reminds me of one of the weaknesses of the Kaiba-style deck. How many tribute monsters does he actually use? You'd think by now he would draw an opening hand of nothing but tributes and magic/traps...

The duel itself was only average, and frankly, true to the show or not, you could have binned a few of the Arena fights. Stuff like that leads only to people holding the "down" key. (And just once I want to see the Enemy Controller use the Konami code.)

The twist with Cleo's possession did come as a surprise, I will admit... but then the duel ended three turns later. To use a line I overused in early TTB, big overture, little show.

All in all, average. Better than the last couple, but nothing spectacular.

I wonder what the next chapter will be like... I can make a few guesses, and most of them involve the end of this story arc.

[jkBAKURA]

Aww. After all of the negative reactions, I'll give you a few reasons to be proud of this chapter.

After two previous duels, as opposed to Sebastian and Cassius's one each, this one still seemed to have enough to keep me interested. Not that I'm screaming for Cleo to return, and I'm not sad to see her go. Unlike the others, it seemed her character got to go through her entire arc and wasn't cut off early.

One nice piece of this one was you didn't overbroaden the Amazon support, and used what had already been established, making it seem like the same character reappearing rather then someone else using the same deck theme. Tanyia fans also have something to praise.

I'll admit I was looking forward to the duel so much I kind of skipped over the opening on the first readthrough. It may have worked better as a closer rather then an opener.

As for Jason, Nice use of moves (I hadn't expected Saggi to show up again) but it kind of came off like you diliberately avoided Cyber Dragons at all costs, and maybe you did. But with so many slots devoted to them and their support, I'd have expected him to at least draw something.

In any case, a worthy sendoff to the character, that did indeed work better then the other two rematches. (although I have trouble choosing between Cleo and Cassius) One was a new Deck Theme you had to work around, and the other was set up as a Counter combo. Once you took the specific changes out and just used the characters, it made it a much more natural read.

Well, now that those three are gone (for now?) the story is once again unpredictable. I doubt that "Chaos End" means a Chaos theme. Even if I didn't know your feelings about the theme, the title seems to refer more to an event.

As usual, we'll have to wait to find out.

[Shuppet Master]

Sorry to go off-topic, but did anyone watch the premiere of the new Gx season? PM me so we don't get D.S. mad for going off-topic.

[Dark Sage]

Hello everyone!

Just a reminder... The poll closes at midnight tonight! If you have not voted, do so ASAP!

This is your one and only chance to decide the path of the Dark Messiah!

[Dark Sage]

Well, the poll is officially over.

The results on this website: eight votes for Jason, six for Trisha, two for Russell.

Did Jason win?

Not telling. I still have to tally in the votes from fanfiction.net.

I know who won, but you won't until the decision is made.

[Dark Sage]

It's time for a new chapter.

And after this chapter, this fic is going to take a break for a few weeks, while I work on my other fanfics. After all, I have to make a few changes now that I know who the Dark Messiah will be.

So read, and stick around for the contest!

[B][I]I’ve seen almost all of this city there is to see…

But I never thought I’d see what was under it.

Deep in the bowels under the city lie a secret place, where we will find the Dark Messiah, hopefully. But if what Dr. Artemis said is true, the path will be hard and difficult. Each of us will have to face the tests that have been put before this place by a prophecy.

I’m facing one right now, in fact.

I kind of wonder if this was how Old Ben felt when he had to face the God of Tricksters. Looking into the eyes of my opponent, I see pure evil in a divine form. This is the being who was ultimately responsible for starting the first war fought by humans, according to the story. If I lose, not only is our journey over, but we become her toys.

I’d like to have confidence in myself, but in this situation, I guess anything is possible.




[B][size=3]CHAPTER FORTY



http://www.ideal808.com/images/ioc-036.jpg



Saturday, October 31st, 2106, 10:32 AM


“It’s a little early for gin,” muttered Fortunado, mixing a martini, “but I need something to calm my nerves.”

He picked up the Scepter of Bound Divinity. Cassius’s mother hadn’t come looking for it, so he could use it freely for now.

He checked a monitor, which honed in on Grand Central Station…

“There they are…” he said.



[B]* * * * * * * * * *


Grand Central Station had grown considerably in the past hundred years. The huge train station that connected New York to the rest of the East Coast was just as bustling as ever. The expression “as busy as Grand Central Station” was still just as true as it ever was.

Russell, Jason, and Trisha looked around.

“How’s your chest?” asked Trisha to Jason.

“The cuts have scabbed over,” muttered Jason. “But it’s still a little tender.”

“Too bad you aren’t in the army, Jason,” muttered Russell. “After what happened, you’d have been eligible for about four medals, including the Purple Heart.”

He paused.

“So now what?” he asked.

Trisha took out The Fang of Critias and held it up. It glowed softly.

Jason took out The Eye of Timaeus, and the glow brightened.

Russell took out The Claw of Hermos, and the glow brightened even more.

Then, a door materialized in front of them. No one else seemed to see it, but it was there, connected to nothing, and made of old wood.

Jason tried the handle, and it opened. A dark stairway led down.

Slowly, Jason entered the door, and they made their way down the old stairway. The walls were concrete, and a dry, musty smell surrounded them. Jason and Russell took flashlights out of their backpacks as they descended, and they finally came to a stop in an old tunnel.

They seemed to be in a very old sewer that had long been abandoned. Crumbling stonework made up the walls, and damp spots pooled in the floor. The stink of rotted asbestos filled the air.

“Not exactly the best spot for a holy shrine,” muttered Trisha.

“What an interesting smell we’ve discovered,” said Russell, with a scowl.

Jason opened the slip of paper that Dr. Artemis had given him. He shone his flashlight on it.

“The first challenge,” he said. “Proof of Order. Only by proving superiority of Law over Chaos will the Chosen pass.”

He paused.

“What does that mean?” he asked. “Is someone going to challenge us with a Chaos Deck? Maybe one with…”

He gulped…

“Gren Maju Da Eiza?”

He shivered…

He had faced that chimeric Fiend once before, facing a duelist who used a powerful Trap called Skull Lair. This Continuous Trap could destroy his opponent’s Monsters if he removed his own cards from play… And even worse, every time he used it, it paved the way for his “star”, who would be stronger with every card that had been removed.

Fortunately, one clever Spell/Trap combination let Jason win the duel at that point… But it had been a close call.

A very close call.

Russell moved his flashlight back and forth.

“Uh, guys…” he said. “If we have to face Chaos, that might be a good spot…”

A brick wall was on the far side of the chamber…

And on it was painted a mural of one of the most dreaded Monsters in the game…



http://www.ideal808.com/images/ioc_025_1st.jpg


They shuddered as they went up to the brick wall.

“Don’t worry guys,” said Trisha. “That card isn’t legal any more. At least to those who play fair… And besides, there are only ten confirmed copies in existence.”

Jason touched the wall…

…and then it crumbled, falling in a heap. A bright light shone from inside.

They walked in, and were surprised to see a beautiful temple, composed of white marble with pillars and stone murals. Lighting came from burning braziers. Two statues flanked a large altar, depicting a man in Spartan-like armor with a shield and spear.

“Sort of… Greco-Roman,” said Russell. “Those statues…”

“Those,” said a female voice, “are depictions of the Ares, the God of War, the greatest of the Olympians.”

They turned, and watched as a beautiful woman entered. She was blonde and blue eyed, and had a gorgeous figure. She wore a halter and mini-skirt that resembled a toga in style, along with golden sandals and a laurel crown.

Russell was about to say something, but Jason beat him to it.

“Greatest of the Olympians?” he asked. “Hardly. He was a cold-blooded killer who represented violence for violence’s sake.”

“Hmph,” said the woman. “Well, I owe him one. He was the only one who voted to acquit me at my trial. Sadly… majority ruled.”

They looked at her.

“Who are you?” asked Jason.

“You may call me Eris,” she said.

“Eris…” muttered Jason. “The Goddess of Discord?”

She nodded.

“I was…” she started.

“We know who you are,” said Russell, his eyebrows narrowing. “You were the one who caused the crisis that led up to the Trojan War, the first war among men.”

“True,” said Eris, nodding. “In my own defense, starting a war wasn’t my intent… I just wanted to crash a party, get a few of the goddesses to fight each other… Have them pull each other’s hair, rip their clothes to shreds, and that is what happened at first.”

She giggled.

“You should have seen it! Nowadays, folks will pay money to see things like that!

“But I loved the end result anyway. It caused such wonderful chaos… Both on mortal soil and Olympus!”

“So, they finally threw the book at you,” replied Russell, with a grin. “Good. What did you do for them to require a trial?”

“Not that it’s any of your business,” answered Eris, with a frown, “but ten years ago, I stole one of Zeus’s thunderbolts to try to start chaos like the world had never seen. You see…”

“Ten years ago…” interrupted Jason. “June 15th?”

“Why yes,” she answered.

“What happened then?” asked Russell.

“The blackout of 2096,” answered Jason. “A lightning bolt struck Niagara Falls, killing the power to New York City. This dame obviously was responsible – she hoped to cause chaos.

“Well, she failed. New Yorkers coped, and they made it through the crisis admirably.”

“No murders, no looting, no fires,” said Eris shaking her head. “A waste. And I was punished anyway, not just for stealing – that was the minor part of the offense – but for meddling with the affairs of humans, which had become taboo since ancient times. They chained me into a flaming pit, and I’ve been there since… Roasting like a pig on a spit…

“Do you have any idea… what it’s like to be immortal… and be forced to suffer pain like that?”

She clenched her fists and her eyes started to glow with fiery light.

“Uh oh…” muttered Trisha.

Then Eris smiled sweetly.

“You can imagine my joy when the chains broke this morning, and a portal opened to here!

“Now I’m free to play again, and three new playthings just walked into my new temple!”

“She means us…” muttered Russell, nervously.

“Let’s have some fun…” laughed Eris. “What should I do first? Maybe turn you into donkeys? Or sheep? Maybe half of both!”

Her hand glowed.

“Eris wait!” shouted Jason.

She lowered her hand.

“You want to have fun?” he asked. “Well, how about a wager?”

“A wager?” she asked.

Jason raised his Disk.

“Before any hexes or curses, I’ll duel you,” he said. “I win, you let us go. You win…”

He got nervous.

“…you can ‘play’ with us as much as you want…

“…forever.”

“Jason, for our sake…” muttered Russell, angrily, “I sure hope you know what you’re doing!”

“Interesting, interesting…” pondered Eris. “Come to think of it, I haven’t had a chance to get into a good tussle in a long time…

“In the old days, I hung onto Ares as he rode his chariot onto the battlefield. Most of the time, I just watched, reveling in the glory of Chaos at its best…

“But there were times that I got so excited that I had to join in the fight, and I leapt off his chariot, grabbed a fallen weapon and just waded in swinging… Pure joy…”

“You only did that because you were immortal,” said Trisha with a frown. “You wouldn’t have dared if you could have actually been hurt.”

Eris shrugged.

“Very well…” she said, “I accept your challenge and your wager…”

“Jason’s trying the same thing that Ben did with Loki,” whispered Trisha. “It seems these dark entities are just too proud to resist a challenge.”

“Yeah,” said Russell, “but let’s hope it works. If I remember my mythology right, the Greek pantheon is a lot more careless and frivolous than the Norse. They might not have even noticed her escape yet…”

Eris stepped up on the altar. Jason didn’t exactly like this, because she was in a position to look down on him (and she was taller than him to begin with). She gestured, and a Disk that seemed to be made of pure gold appeared on her arm.

“All right…” said Jason, as his Disk activated. “Get your game on…”



[B](Jason: 8,000) (Eris: 8,000)


“I’d say ladies first,” said Jason, “but you can go first anyway…”

Eris smirked, and drew her sixth card.

She smirked again, and showed Jason a Spell Card.

“This is The Tree of Discord,” she said, “and from its branches grow the fruit of pure Chaos…”

She played the card, and behind her, a large tree sprouted. It had a silvery trunk, emerald-green leaves, and golden apples growing from its branches.

“As a result,” she continued, “so long as this Continuous Spell Card is in play, all cards that would normally go to my Graveyard are removed from play.”

“Why would you banish all of your own cards?” asked Jason.

“I have my reasons,” answered Eris, with a grin. “This card has another effect, but we’ll get into that later.

“Next,” she continued, “I play a second Continuous Spell Card, a powerful one called Purity of the Cemetery.”

The card that appeared looked ominous. It showed the image of a robed deity holding a hand over a peaceful cemetery.

“What does that do?” asked Jason.

“You’ll find out later,” she answered. “Next, I’ll place one card facedown…”

A facedown card appeared.

“…and finally, I’ll summon The Unfriendly Amazon in Attack Mode.”

She placed a card on her Disk. A tall woman in a grey battle-dress with her hair in a ponytail, holding a scimitar appeared. She gave Jason a stern look. (2,000/1,000)



http://www.ideal808.com/images/lon-031.jpg


“But don’t let her name fool you,” said Eris with a chuckle. “She can actually be quite friendly once you get to know her!

“Anyway, I’ll end my turn there.”

This is odd, thought Jason. The Unfriendly Amazon is destroyed if her controller doesn’t sacrifice a Monster during her Standby Phase, and Eris doesn’t have any others…

He drew a card.

“I activate my facedown card!” exclaimed Eris. “Go, Scapegoat!”

The card lifted, and the four fluffy sheep popped out.

So that’s it, thought Jason, looking at his hand. No way I can beat her Amazon in one move…

“I’ll throw down one facedown,” he said, fitting a card in a slot, “and then summon Saggi the Dark Clown in Defense Mode.”

A facedown card appeared, and then Saggi materialized in front of it. He cackled, and then crouched in Defense Mode. (600/1,500)



http://www.ideal808.com/images/db2-en039.jpg


“Your move…” he said.

Eris drew a card.

“I’ll sacrifice one Scapegoat to keep my Amazon for now,” she said, as the red sheep vanished.

“Next, I’ll summon Aeris in Attack Mode.”

She played the card, and a tall figure appeared. It was a man in a toga with a Spartan’s helmet with a full beard, carrying a spear and a shield. (1,800/1,400)

“Attack his Clown, Aeris!” she commanded.

Aeris flew forward, and drove his spear into the clown, blasting him into black globules.

“Amazon, attack Jason directly!”

The Unfriendly Amazon leapt at Jason with her sword.

“I can’t watch…” muttered Trisha.

Jason’s facedown card flipped up…

The Amazon’s sword was jammed in a glowing forcefield, and energy flowed into Jason. She struggled to free it, and then staggered back.

“Draining Shield,” he said with a smile.

“An annoyance,” she answered with a frown. “Your move…”



[B](J: 10,000) (E: 8,000)


“At least we know she isn’t going to be summoning one of the Envoys,” said Russell. “You’d have to remove a Light Monster and a Dark one from your Graveyard, and that Tree is going to make sure that nothing ever goes to her Graveyard for her to remove.”

“That still doesn’t mean she doesn’t plan to summon…” started Trisha.

She gulped.

She was pretty afraid of that Chaos Fiend too…

Jason drew a card…

…and then he felt a small twinge of pain in his chest.

“What the…” he muttered.

“My Purity of the Cemetery card is working,” said Eris, with a smile. “You see, this card would be destroyed if a Monster is ever sent to my Graveyard… But so long as it’s in effect, every time you start your turn, you’ll lose 100 Life Points for every Monster in yours.”

Jason glared at her.

“And thanks to your Tree of Discord, no Monsters will ever reach your Graveyard!” he exclaimed.

She nodded.

“Talk about a dirty trick,” said Russell.

“At least Jason is ahead…” replied Trisha.

Jason looked at the card he had drawn. Mirror Force.

Jason placed a card on his Disk. A facedown Monster appeared.

“Now, I’ll throw down one facedown,” he said.

A facedown card materialized.

“It’s your move…” he said.



[B](J: 9,900) (E: 8,000)


Eris drew a card.

“I’ll sacrifice another Scapegoat to keep my Amazon,” she said, as the blue sheep vanished, “Then I’ll summon Chiron the Mage in Attack Mode.”

She played a card, and in a flash of light, a powerful-looking centaur wearing a breastplate and helmet walked up to her side of the field. He carried a ruby-tipped staff. (1,800/1,000)



http://www.ideal808.com/images/fet_en021.jpg


“Oh no…” muttered Trisha. “I’ve heard of this guy…”

“Now to activate his effect,” said Eris. “By discarding one Spell Card…”

She held up a Magical Mallet, and it vanished.

“…he can destroy one Spell or Trap Card!”

Chiron aimed his staff and it glowed. A beam of pink energy shot from the weapon, and Jason’s Mirror Force blew into particles.

“Lovely…” he said.

“Now I’ll attack your Monster with my Unfriendly Amazon!” she exclaimed.

The Amazon leapt up, and made a downward slash with her sword. Sangan appeared on the card, and was cut in half.

“Thank you,” said Jason. “Since he was destroyed, I get to take a Monster from my deck who has 1,500 Attack Points or less…”

He took his deck and looked through it…

He found Mage of the White Dragon and added the card to his hand.

“How nice,” said Eris. “Next, I’ll attack you with Chiron and Aeris!”

Aeris leapt at Jason, and stabbed him in the stomach with his spear. Jason screamed in pain.

He was barely able to catch his breath when energy from Chiron’s staff surrounded him, and he felt like the air around him was burning…

That really hurt… he thought. I should have known…

…this is another Shadow Game…



[B](J: 6,100) (E: 8,000)


“Your move,” said Eris. “And you were right… This is fun!”

“I draw one card…” said Jason, drawing.

“…and you lose 200 more Life Points,” added Eris.

Jason felt another twinge of pain.

“I play Pot of Greed,” said Jason, playing the card.

He drew two cards.

“I summon Mage of the White Dragon in Attack Mode,” he said, playing the card.

The sorcerer in ancient Egyptian clothing appeared, holding his scepter aloft.

“Now I’ll activate his effect…” continued Jason.

He discarded Cost Down and Kaiser Glider.

A white mist appeared next to the Mage, and the intimidating form of a Blue-Eyes Spirit Token appeared. (0/0)

“Now I’ll throw down one facedown and end my turn,” he said.

A facedown card appeared.



[B](J: 5,900) (E: 8,000)


“Jason is taking a big risk,” said Trisha. “That facedown card is clearly something to protect that token…

“But if the card in Eris’s hand is a Spell Card, or she draws one now, Chiron can destroy that facedown card, and Jason will take a big hit.”

Eris smirked as she drew.

Then she frowned.

“I’ll sacrifice another Scapegoat,” she said, as the yellow sheep vanished, “and then place a Monster in Defense Mode.”

A facedown Monster appeared.

“Amazon, attack that Token!”

The Unfriendly Amazon leapt at the Spirit Token…

“I activate… Negate Attack!” shouted Jason, as his Trap Card lifted.

The Amazon slammed into an invisible shield. She gave a cry and fell on her behind.

“In that case,” said Eris, “my turn is over…”

“Indeed,” said Jason, drawing a card.

He groaned again, as the twinge of pain struck him.

“Blue-Eyes Spirit Token…” he commanded, “attack The Unfriendly Amazon! White spirit lightning!”

The Spirit Token roared, and its Attack shot up to 3,000! It blasted a beam of white lightning, and the Amazon screamed. She was eradicated.

“Next,” he said, “I’ll move my Mage into Defense Mode…”

He turned the card, and Mage of the White Dragon crouched in Defense.

“And then, I’ll sacrifice my Spirit Token for a Dragon with more substance… Luster Dragon #2.”

The Blue-Eyes Spirit Token faded away, and the large, winged Dragon of Wind appeared. (2,400/1,400)



http://www.ideal808.com/images/db2-en165.jpg


[B](J: 5,600) (E: 7,000)


“I’ll end my turn there,” he said.

Eris drew a card.

“First, I’ll move Chiron and Aeris into Defense Mode,” she said.

Aeris knelt and crouched behind his shield. Chiron sat on his hindquarters and lowered his staff.

“Then, I’ll flip my facedown Monster into Attack Mode,” she said. “Meet The Immortal of Thunder!”

Her facedown Monster flipped, and a tall, elderly, robust man appeared. He was dressed in a red tunic and had a white beard, and carried a golden staff tipped with a lightning bolt. (1,500/1,300)



http://www.ideal808.com/images/db2-en059.jpg


“And by Flip-Summoning him, I gain 3,000 Life Points,” she continued.

“Yeah,” called Russell, “but you’ll lose 5,000 of them when he leaves the field, stupid!”

“Only if he goes to the Graveyard…” corrected Trisha. “That won’t happen while her Tree of Discord is play. With her strategy, a Monster that was once useless becomes very useful.”

“Immortal of Thunder…” she ordered, “attack Mage of the White Dragon! Thunder clap!”

The Immortal raised his staff to the ceiling, and lighting flashed. Mage of the White Dragon screamed, and was electrocuted.

Kaiba, thought Jason, discarding the card, wherever you are, I’m sorry…

“I’ll place a card facedown, and end my turn,” said Eris.

A facedown card materialized.



[B](J: 5,600) (E: 10,000)


Jason drew a card again, and the twinge of pain happened again, a tiny bit more intense than before.

He looked at his card.

“I play… Monster Reborn!” he exclaimed, playing the card. “And I’ll bring back someone I discarded to use my Mage’s effect.”

The ankh appeared, and a form of pure light started to materialize.

“Meet my Kaiser Glider!”

The creature that appeared resembled a cross between a Dragon and a sphinx, with feathered wings, sculpted out of pure gold. Its eyes were pure orbs of light. (2,400/2,200)



http://www.ideal808.com/images/dcr-051.jpg


“Kaiser Glider, attack The Immortal of Thunder!” he shouted. “Golden blast!”

Kaiser Glider shot a beam of pure light at the Thunder Monster, and he was vaporized.

“Guess he wasn’t very immortal,” said Jason. “Luster Dragon, attack Chiron the Mage with emerald flame!”

Luster Dragon reared up, and shot a blast of flame, roasting the centaur to ashes.

“Figures…” said Jason. “Dragons were notorious for preying on horses…”



Continued…

[Dark Sage]

Continued from last post:



“I can destroy your Dragons,” said Eris. “In fact, I have a Monster in my hand right now who’s powerful enough to do so.”

“But how would you summon it?” asked Jason, fitting his last card into his Disk.

A facedown card appeared.

“You’d likely need a Monster that would require two sacrifices. Your Graveyard is empty, so the old trick of Special Summoning one from there and then sacrificing both your Monsters won’t work.”

And if she destroys Kaiser Glider, he thought, its effect will send her Monster back to her hand.



[B](J: 5,200) (E: 9,100)


Eris drew a card and added it to her hand.

“I play a Spell Card,” she said. “Dimension Distortion.”

She played the card, and an odd image appeared. It looked like several fiendish creatures made of blue energy.

“I’ve… never heard of that one…” said Jason, in surprise.

“This card can only be used when my Graveyard is empty, and it is,” said Eris. “Now, I get to Special Summon one of my Monsters that has been removed from play…”

A strange portal appeared in front of her. The Unfriendly Amazon leapt out.

“Now I’ll sacrifice her and Aeris…”

The Warrior and the Fairy vanished…

“To summon Artemis, Lady of the Hunt!”

A tall, female figure appeared. It was a woman with wild, green eyes, a feral expression, and chestnut-brown hair tied in ponytails that were tied together in front of her chest. Her only clothing was a bikini made of – apparently – deerskin, and she was barefoot. She carried a bow and a quiver of arrows. She glared at Jason with a look that suggested it would hurt her face to smile. (2,500/2,000)

“Never exactly got along with Artemis,” said Eris. “She’s always so holier than thou with her protector of nature speeches and her dumb obsession with staying chaste. But still, this card is pretty useful.

“Artemis, attack the Luster Dragon! Bow of the huntress!”

Artemis drew back her bow, and fired! The arrow sailed through the air, and struck Luster Dragon in the chest! He groaned, and fell to the ground with a crash, shattering to bits.

“I activate my Trap!” shouted Jason, as his facedown card lifted. “Flat LV 4!”

The image on the card showed Axe Raider, and above him were the words “LV 1, LV 2, LV 3” written in small letters, and then “LV 4” written in big letters.

“Since my Monster was destroyed, we can now each Special Summon a four-star Monster from our decks, and I choose Vorse Raider!”

Vorse Raider appeared next to Kaiser Glider, lifting his mighty axe. (1,900/1,200)



http://www.ideal808.com/images/ct2_en003.jpg


“Very well…” said Eris. “I summon someone who’s much cuter… Dunames Dark Witch.”

In a flash of light, a beautiful, young Fairy in a red dress with golden wings appeared. She smiled a sweet smile. (1,800/1,050)



http://www.ideal808.com/images/tp8-en004.jpg


Aw, man… thought Jason. How the heck do I attack someone that adorable?

“My turn is over,” said Eris.



[B](J: 5,100) (E: 9,100)


Jason paused…

He drew a card. The twinge of pain from Eris’s Purity of the Cemetery card came again, a little more intense than the last time.

Four Monsters in my Graveyard so far, he thought. Not as bad as it could be, but it could be worse…

“I’ll throw down one facedown,” he said, playing the card he had just drawn.

A facedown card appeared.

“Vorse Raider, destroy her last Scapegoat!” he shouted.

Vorse Raider leapt up, and cleaved the small sheep in half.

“Kaiser Glider…”

Dunames Dark Witch never stopped smiling.

Jason covered his eyes.

“Oh, attack Dunames Dark Witch, but do it quick!” he shouted, looking away.

Kaiser Glider blasted its golden ray, and a pitiful scream echoed through the temple.

“Not bad, Jason,” said Eris. “I didn’t think you had the guts. But I think you’re bluffing.”

“Am I?” he said.



[B](J: 4,700) (E: 8,500)


Eris drew a card.

“Oh yes, your Kaiser Glider’s effect…” she said. “Well why don’t I take care of that…”

She played a card.

“His effect won’t be a problem,” she said, “once I Equip Artemis with Sacred Shield Aegis.”

Artemis held out her arm and it glowed. A round, steel shield with the visage of the mythic Medusa appeared on her arm.

“This powerful Equip will protect her from one Monster effect,” explained Eris. “So your Kaiser Glider’s effect will be worthless.”

“And now… Artemis, attack the Kaiser Glider!”

Artemis pointed her free hand, and it glowed with energy…

“Sorry, Eris, but you thought I was bluffing, and now you’re gonna pay,” said Jason. “I activate… Tyrant’s Wing!”

His Trap Card activated, showing the image of a dragon on a hill, spreading its wings.

“This Trap can be used when a Dragon is attacked, and then it becomes an Equip Card,” he explained. “Now Kaiser Glider gains 400 Attack Points from it, and the same multiple-attack power of a Tyrant Dragon!”

Kaiser Glider shot up to 2,800 ATK. As Artemis cast her spell, the Dragon shot a scorching beam of energy, striking the Lady of the Hunt! She screamed, and was vaporized.

Eris stared at him.

“Very clever…” she said. “Your move…”



[B](J: 4,700) (E: 8,200)


“Eris is totally defenseless!” shouted Trisha.

“Not the best place to be…” added Russell.

Jason drew a card. He felt the same twinge again.

I’ll save this… he thought, looking at it.

“Kaiser Glider, attack directly!” he shouted.

Kaiser Glider let forth its golden blast, striking the Goddess of Discord in the chest! She staggered back.

“Vorse Raider, you too,” he continued.

Eris screamed as the Beast-Warrior slashed at her with his axe. She fell on one knee.



[B](J: 4,300) (E: 3,500)


She glared at Jason with a look of anger.

“This isn’t fun anymore…” she said, slowly. “Never before has anyone below Zeus’s status dared to strike me…

“Once we finish this duel, you won’t believe how much I’ll enjoy torturing you!”

“If you win…” said Jason. “You seem to be in serious trouble. My turn is over.”

Eris drew a card.

“I’ll place one card facedown,” she said.

A facedown card appeared.

“And then I’ll summon Inpachi in Attack Mode.”

She played her last card. A huge humanoid figure made out of wood appeared, with blocky limbs and the number 18 on its chest. (1,600/1,900)



http://www.ideal808.com/images/yugioh-dr1-en003.jpg


“Ever hear of the story of the Wicker Man?” asked Eris. “They say that during festivals, some cults cremated the bodies of executed criminals by building effigies like this one, placing the bodies inside them, and setting fire to them. But legend said that if one of the bodies belonged to an innocent man who had been wrongly convicted, his spirit would take vengeance, animating the flaming creature and using it to kill everyone in sight!”

The three students shivered.

“I never saw it happen myself,” said Eris, with a grin, “but it would have been a good show…”

“Yeah…” said Jason, drawing a card. “I’ll bet…”

He held his chest as the pain came again.

“And that is the most obvious Trap I have ever seen. I play… Card of Demise…”

He played the card.

“Now I get to draw five cards, but I must discard them after five turns.”

He drew five times.

“Next, to be safe, I’ll throw down two facedowns…”

Two facedown cards appeared.

“And that will end my turn…”



[B](J: 3,900) (E: 3,500)


Eris drew a card.

“I play Chaos Greed,” she said, playing a card. “Since I have no cards in my Graveyard, this lets me draw twice.”

She drew two cards.

“Hmm…” she said.

“Time to activate the other effect of The Tree of Discord,” she said. “I play Emergency Provisions, to send it and my other card to the Graveyard.”

She played the card, and the Tree and her facedown card (revealed to be a Mirror Wall) vanished.



[B](J: 3,900) (E: 5,500)


“In case you’re wondering,” she said, “that card keeps my cards from ending up in the Graveyard, but if it goes there itself by my own hand, I get to draw three cards.”

She drew three cards.

She smirked.

“Well, Jason…” she said, looking at them. “It’s been a fun duel, but now it must end…”

She switched cards on her Disk.

“I sacrifice Inpachi…”

The wood spirit vanished.

“For Golden Homunculus!”

In a burst of golden flames, a hulking form appeared. It looked like a statue made of pure gold, with a grim face, shining in the light of the temple. It was at least eighteen feet high and eight feet wide! (1,500/1,500)



http://www.ideal808.com/images/wc6-en001.jpg


“Your Rock doesn’t scare me!” shouted Jason. “Don’t forget, you just sent your Inpachi to your Graveyard, so your Purity of the Cemetery card is gone!”

The Spell Card shattered.

“Rock?” asked Eris. “First of all, it’s a Warrior. Second, I don’t need Purity of the Cemetery any more. This Monster gains 300 Attack and Defense Points for every one of my cards that has been removed from play. And over the course of this duel, thanks to my Tree of Discord, I have removed a total of ten.”

The images of all the cards she had played appeared, and were absorbed into the massive, golden Warrior. It glowed with golden light, and its scores started to go up…

(4,500/4,500)

“Forty-five hundred attack points?” gulped Trisha.

“That’s bad…” said Russell. “It’s even worse than Gren… This one has a score to start with.”

“I knew you were up to something…” muttered Jason. “Tell me something… Isn’t it a bit strange for a Goddess of Chaos to have a deck that builds up to a long-term strategy?”

Eris started to say something…

Then she paused…

“Hmm, I guess it is,” she said. “Ah well… If anyone asks, I’ll lie. Golden Homunculus, attack the Vorse Raider with flaming gold rush!”

An aura of golden flames surrounded the huge Warrior, and it roared…

“Not so fast, Eris!” shouted Jason. “I activate… Ring of Destruction!”

One of his facedown cards lifted, and a ring of grenades appeared around Golden Homunculus’s neck. It grunted in surprise, and tried to pull it off…

“That’s the dumbest move I’ve ever seen!” laughed Eris. “We’ll both lose 4,500 Life Points! Look at the scores… I’ll have 1,000 left, but you’ll have zero!”

“I won’t lose any!” replied Jason. “Time for a classic Seto Kaiba combo!”

His other facedown card lifted.

“I activate Ring of Defense!”

A green pinwheel appeared in front of him, and started to spin.

“This Quickplay Spell will protect me from all damage from Trap Cards. It works great with Ring of Destruction. So you lose your Monster, and your Life Points take a serious blow!”

With a fierce eruption of energy, Golden Homunculus was blown into shards of rock, sending the evil chaos goddess tumbling onto the floor of her temple. Pieces of burned gold and raw flames flew in all directions, but all of it that would have hit Jason was blown back by the spinning pinwheel.



[B](J: 3,900) (E: 1,000)


Ironic… he thought. That was exactly how I beat that guy with Gren Maju Da Eiza…



[B]* * * * * * * * * *


”Fortunado!” said an angry voice.

“Uh, yes?” he asked.

“Do all gods lose their talents when folks stop worshipping them?” asked the voice. ”Eris’s edge has just been destroyed, and she is only one-thousand Life Points away from defeat!”

“Take a look at the cards in her hand,” answered Fortunado.

There was a pause.

”I see,” said the voice. ”But are you sure even they will be enough?”

“With the way you’re so upset,” replied Fortunado, “I’d say you want Eris to win.”

“True, I don’t,” said the voice. “But I also don’t want the Chosen to have too easy a time. They must be at the height of their strength when they finally confront us.”

“Trust me,” said Fortunado, “this duel is far from over…”



[B]* * * * * * * * * *


“Your Monster has been blown into teeny-tiny pieces,” said Jason, “you have only a thousand Life Points left, and you have no Monsters on your side of the field. So now what?”

Vorse Raider and Kaiser Glider hungrily eyed Eris.

“Patience, people,” said Jason.

“It’s still my turn, Jason,” said Eris. “I will play two cards facedown…”

She fit two cards into her Disk, and they appeared.

“And that ends my turn.”

“Very well!” said Jason, drawing a card.

Those facedown cards are a concern, he thought, but if I took a chance, I could end this.

“Vorse Raider…” he shouted, “attack her directly!”

“Fool!” shouted Eris. “It’s time to take this duel to a greater level…”

One of her facedown cards lifted.

“Take us to… [B]Macro Cosmos!”



http://www.ideal808.com/images/eoj_en057.jpg


And before the three students knew it, the temple seemed to melt away, and they were falling though a dark void!



[B]* * * * * * * * * *


“Where on Earth am I…” muttered Jason, as his eyes adjusted.

He looked around.

Then he screamed…

“Make that where off the Earth am I!” he shouted.

His Monsters were still in front of him, Eris was still there… His two friends were still there (both too scared to move)…

But the whole arena had changed in a big way. To all sides, above, and below, were the stars, dotted here and there by wispy nebulae and cosmic phenomenon. The planets of the solar system moved through the ether, and the light from the sun shone in the background.

“AH!” shouted Eris. “It is as it should be… The fools in Olympus sought to place me in chains, but now I’m higher than Olympus could ever grow! I’m a goddess among the gods!”

“Where are we?” demanded Jason.

“I told you,” said Eris. “My Trap Card transported us to Macro Cosmos, a place where the raw power of the universe itself can be tapped!

“Let me explain… Both of us are far from any burial grounds, so any cards that would normally be sent to either Graveyards are removed from play now.

“And Macro Cosmos has another effect… It lets me summon this guy from my deck…”

A flame appeared in front of her…

“I summon Helios the Primordial Sun!”

The creature than appeared was a tall being, whose body seemed to be made of white wrappings – where it wasn’t covered, there was nothing. Its head was a globe of fiery energy.



http://www.ideal808.com/images/wc6-en002.jpg


“And Helios’s Attack and Defense Score is 100 for every Monster that has been removed from play during the course of the game,” continued Eris.

(500/500)

“Please…” said Jason. “That’s pathetic. Vorse Raider… Renew your attack!”

Vorse Raider lifted his axe.

“Fool…” said Eris. “I activate my other facedown card…”

Her facedown card lifted, revealing a Quickplay with the image of the planets lined up.

“Planet Alignment!” she shouted.

The celestial bodies behind her started to shift.

“This can only be activated when this specific Trap and Monster combination is on my side of the field,” she stated, “but its power is tremendous, moving entire planets! The massive cataclysm wipes out all opposing Monsters and deals 300 points of damage to your Life Points!”

Beams of piercing light stabbed into Vorse Raider and Kaiser Glider, and they bellowed before they shattered!

“I activate Kaiser Glider’s effect!” shouted Jason. “Helios returns to your hand!”

Helios vanished, and the card appeared in Eris’s hand.

Jason looked at the cards in his hand.

“And it’s a good thing I didn’t summon this turn yet,” he said. “I summon Peten the Dark Clown in Defense Mode.”

Peten appeared, and gave a fearful look at his surroundings. He knelt in Defense Mode. (500/1,200)



http://www.ideal808.com/images/ep1-en005.jpg


“I end my turn,” he said.



[B](J: 3,600) (E: 1,000)


Eris drew a card.

“I summon Helios the Primordial Sun back to the field…” she said.

She played a card. Helios reappeared.

“He wasn’t a NOMI?” asked Jason.

“No,” said Eris. “And since Macro Cosmos removed your two Monsters from play, he gets stronger…”

(700/700)

“He’s too weak to beat Peten’s Defense,” noted Jason.

“This Monster may be too weak,” she replied, “but now I can sacrifice him to call forth his big sister… Helios Duo Megistus!”

Helios vanished, and a new Monster appeared. This one was similar to the first, but larger, stouter, and broader, with a torso that suggested it was female. Its head was an orb that shone brighter than the previous one.



http://www.ideal808.com/images/wc6-en003.jpg


“Duo is twice as good as her little brother,” said Eris, with a smirk, “because her Attack and Defense is 200 for every Monster that’s been removed from play. That includes the first Helios, by the way, since Macro Cosmos removed him from play when he was sacrificed.”

(1,600/1,600)

“Attack Peten the Dark Clown!” shouted Eris. “Solar singer!”

Helios Duo Megistus glowed with an aura of fire, and blasted a white-hot beam at the jester.

Whoever said that in space no one can hear you scream was a liar. Peten’s scream was definitely audible.

“Great…” muttered Trisha. “Since Peten won’t go to the Graveyard now, Jason can’t use his effect…”

“Even worse, with each Monster she strikes down, that thing gets stronger…” added Russell.

Duo rose to (1,800/1,800)

“Your move…” said Eris.

Jason drew a card.

“I’ll throw down one facedown,” he said. “And summon Winged Kuriboh in Defense Mode.”

A facedown card appeared, and the small, furry Fairy appeared with a squeak. (300/200)



http://www.ideal808.com/images/dp1-en005.jpg


“Heh, heh…” laughed Eris. “Nice try, but his effect only works if he goes to your Graveyard, remember?”

She drew a card.

“I activate my Trap!” shouted Jason. “Call of the Haunted!”

His Trap Card lifted.

“Macro Cosmos may be able to prevent my cards from going to my Graveyard,” he said, “but it didn’t wipe my Graveyard out, and I still have a few Monsters there. So let’s welcome back Luster Dragon!”

Luster Dragon #2 reappeared, and roared. (2,400/1,400)

“And even if you destroy Kuriboh, my Dragon will still outrank your sun goddess!” he warned.

“He won’t outrank my next guy!” laughed Eris. “I sacrifice Helios Duo Megistus…”

Duo vanished in a plume of flame.

“To summon the eldest sibling of the Helios family… A being born in the heart of a supernova… Helios Tris Megistus!”

This time, the Monster that appeared, wasn’t one form, it was three. Each looked smaller than Helios the Primordial Sun, but was the same basic shape, and the three were identical, like triplets. They shone more brightly then ever.



http://www.ideal808.com/images/e06-jpb01.jpg


“Let me guess…” groaned Jason. “This one has 300 Attack and Defense for every Monster removed from play…”

“Yes, and that includes Helios Duo Megistus,” added Eris.

(3,000/3,000)

“Helios Tris Megistus,” she ordered, “attack Winged Kuriboh with phoenix flare!”

The three beings blazed with fire, and a huge, flaming bird flew towards Winged Kuriboh, immolating it in a practical inferno.

Helios Tris Megistus rose to (3,300/3,300)

“Now…” she said. “I’ll activate its ability… And have it attack your Luster Dragon!”

Jason gasped, as the flaming bird flew forward again. Luster Dragon roared, as it was consumed in white-hot fire!



[B](J: 2,700) (E: 1,000)


The creature’s stats rose to (3,600/3,600)


Continued…

[Dark Sage]

Continued from last post:




“So…” said Eris. “What will you do now? How can you defeat… the sun?”

Yeah, how? asked Jason to himself, looking at his cards. The only Monster I have that’s powerful enough to destroy it is Cyber End Dragon, and I have no way to summon it…

He looked at his hand of cards…

Tyrant Dragon, Rush Recklessly, and Attack Deflector Unit, which could be of no use in this situation…

He looked at Helios Tris Megistus.

What are the limits of that thing’s power? he thought. If I summon a Monster and it destroys it, is she allowed to attack me with it?

He slowly reached for his deck.



[B]* * * * * * * * * *


In her office, Dr. Artemis was thinking hard…

And then… something inside her made her get up.

She walked to the window…

It was a rather nice day. The sun was breaking through the clouds, casting life-giving light on the city…

Something new had just happened, but it wasn’t the evil and doom she often felt…

It was something good.

Something wonderful…



[B]* * * * * * * * * *


Jason drew a card…

“I play… Graceful Charity!” he exclaimed.

He played the card, and the beautiful angel flew out of the void. He drew three cards.

Cyber Dragon, Dust Tornado, and…

His eyes almost popped out of his head when he looked at the last one.

How did this get in my deck? he thought in surprise.

It glowed shinier than any holofoil he had ever seen. It had the green border of a Spell Card, but with gilded edges. No symbol was next to the word “Spell Card”, so it obviously a Normal Spell, but under those two words were the following three words:

“Card of Virtue”

A Card of Virtue? Thought Jason. What is going on?

He read the text on the card.

How did I get this?

”Jason…” said a voice in his head.

He paused.

”Who are you?” he answered.

”I’m the one you are looking for Jason,” said the voice. ”Or rather, I’m the source of his power.”

Jason paused again.

”The Dark Messiah?” he asked. ”But…”

”There’s little time to explain,” said the voice. ”This is one of many Cards of Virtue. Just as Cards of Sin exist to serve Evil, Cards of Virtue exist to fight it. I can only bring a few to bear for now, but once my full power returns, all of them will be available.

“This is the most help I can give you at this point. Now use it, and defeat this creature who lives only for chaos and destruction…”

Jason discarded Rush Recklessly and Dust Tornado.

“I’ll summon Cyber Dragon in Attack Mode,” he exclaimed.

He played the card, and metallic serpent appeared in a flash of light. (2,100/1,600)



http://www.ideal808.com/images/crv_en015.jpg


“So what?” said Eris. “My Monster is far stronger.”

“I was getting to that,” said Jason. “I play…”

He played the last card in his hand.

[I]”Sol’s Searing Orb!”

“What?” said Eris.

“What?” asked Trisha.

“What?” added Russell.

The dark void of Macro Cosmos lit up, and the blinding light of the true sun appeared behind Jason!

…Faith…

“Here’s how Sol’s Searing Orb works,” explained Jason. “I choose one Light-Attribute Monster on my side of the field. During the round that I activate this card, that Light Monster can defeat any Monster in battle, no matter how powerful it is

“You asked how I was going to defeat the sun? Well… I’m going to fight fire with fire!

“Cyber Dragon… Attack Helios Tris Megistus with ultimate solar strident blast!”

Cyber Dragon glowed like it was a miniature sun himself, and pure light appeared in its jaws! It almost appeared as if a look of terror appeared on the faces of Helios Tris Megistus…

Then, with one blast of fiery light, Helios Tris Megistus burst in an explosion of cosmic flame!

Cyber Dragon let out a puff of smoke, apparently exhausted.

“Of course,” said Jason, “since your Monster had 1,500 more Attack Points, I lose 1,500 Life Points. But it’s a small price to pay to defeat something that powerful.

“I’ll throw down one facedown…”

He fit Attack Deflector Unit into his Disk, and it appeared.

“And I’ll end my turn…”

Cyber Dragon stopped glowing.



[B](J: 1,300) (E: 1,000)


Eris drew a card.

“I play Pot of Greed!” she shouted.

She played the card, and drew twice.

She looked at them.

“Both go facedown…” she said, placing them in her Disk.

Two facedown cards appeared.

“Your move.”

Jason drew.

“Cyber Dragon…” he shouted. “Attack her directly!”

Cyber Dragon roared.

“I activate… Grand Convergence!” yelled Eris.

Her facedown card lifted.



http://www.ideal808.com/images/eoj_en046.jpg


Suddenly the whole Macro Cosmos seemed to be coming apart. The planets, moons, and even stars started to shift.

Jason saw that even Eris’s body was starting to warp, like something was pulling her apart. He heard her voice, which was now haunting and sinister.

“This powerful Spell warps the very fabric of the space-time continuum,” she cackled, destroying every Monster on the field, and dealing 300 points of damage to your Life Points!

Cyber Dragon roared, and then it was literally pulled apart before it shattered.

As soon as it started, the Convergence stopped, and Eris grinned.



[B](J: 1,000) (E: 1,000)


Jason looked at the card he had just drawn. Slowly, he placed it in his Disk, and it appeared.

“The scores are tied…” gasped Trisha. “Both of them have no Monsters…

“It could go either way!”

“That ends my turn…” said Jason. “And since five rounds have passed since I played Card of Demise…

“Later pal…”

He discarded Tyrant Dragon.

Eris drew a card. It was just a Spell that she couldn’t use right now.

“Time for the final blow,” she said. “I activate my last Trap…”

The Trap Card in front of her lifted.

“Return From The Different Dimension!”

A swirling portal appeared over her…

“No…” gasped Trisha.

“It costs me half my Life Points,” she said, “but since I only have 1,000, who cares? Now I can bring back all the Monsters I can that have been removed from play, and I have some great ones…”

Five Monsters flew out of the portal. First came The Unfriendly Amazon (2,000/1,000), then Aeris (1,800/1,600), then Chiron the Mage (1,800/1,000), then Dunames Dark Witch (1,800/1,050), and finally, Artemis, Lady of the Hunt (2,500/2,000).



[B](J: 1,000) (E: 500)


“You’ve used up Mirror Force, Negate Attack, Call of the Haunted…” laughed Eris. “Your facedown cards can’t possibly stop all five of them.

“Attack him directly, Artemis!”

Artemis loaded her bow.

“This Trap doesn’t need to stop them all,” said Jason. “Actually, this was a bluff, but you made it work…”

The facedown card he had just set lifted.

“I activate Attack Guidance Armor!”

The metal breastplate with a fiendish face on the front appeared.

“Let’s see how it looks on your Unfriendly Amazon,” he said.

The Unfriendly Amazon screamed, as the armor flew towards her, and then clamped over her chest!

“A nice fit,” said Jason. “And this Trap draws Artemis’s attack away from her target and towards your Amazon.”

Artemis struggled as she started to lose control of the bow. The Amazon gave a look of fear…

Finally, Artemis turned and fired, blasting The Unfriendly Amazon to pieces.

Eris stared in disbelief…

“Well…” said Jason. “That’s game!”



[B](J: 1,000) (E: 0)


The spacescape of Macro Cosmos fell away, and the temple returned. Eris fell to her knees…

“How could I… lose…” she muttered.

“I have to say…” said Jason. “It was a good duel…”

Eris looked up with fire in her eyes.

Her hands glowed, as she prepared to cast a powerful spell…

“A good duel…” she growled. “I’ll turn you to stone…”

And then a golden glow surrounded her…

“What?” she said. “No… NO!”

All of a sudden, golden chains appeared on her arms and legs. First they forced her hands behind her back, then they forced her to her knees. They watched as she was hog-tied by the golden bonds.

Slowly, a light started to form behind her. It grew into a golden portal of light. A tall form started to emerge.

It was the most beautiful woman the three students had ever seen. She had green eyes and blonde hair that cascaded down to her waist. She was dressed much more decently than Eris was, her clothing partially a long, silken toga, and partially armor, perfectly shaped to fit a female form. She wore a Spartan helmet on her head, carried a spear in her right hand, and a round shield in her left, on which was the image of the mythic Medusa. Obviously, it was the true Aegis. A short sword was slung to her side.

They guessed who it was immediately. The three of them knelt.

“Great Athena, Goddess of Wisdom…” said Jason, bowing his head.

Athena smiled.

Eris started to say something, but quickly, the older goddess took a large piece of wool from her toga and jammed it into her mouth.

“Silence!” she ordered.

She turned to the students.

“I appreciate the gesture, children,” she said, “but kneeling is optional for mortals in these times. We no longer have the right to such reverence.”

She walked up to Jason.

“Jason, I can’t thank you enough for occupying this… criminal,” she said. “And had you not forced her to use that Macro Cosmos card, we might not have located her before she had caused an incredible amount of trouble…”

“What do you mean?” asked Jason.

“Macro Cosmos is a very powerful card, even in a normal game of Duel Monsters,” said Athena. “Eris foolishly used it in a Shadow Game, and in doing so, unleashed incredible power reserved only for senior Shadow Duelists. We took notice immediately.

“But you not only survived the assault of Helios and his elder siblings, you defeated them… And it is clear to me that Timaeus chose well, or that Card of Virtue would never have come to you.”

“You know of Timaeus?” asked Jason.

“Just as the Olympians and their kin once ruled over mortals as gods,” said Athena, “those Dragons are like gods to Duel Monsters. They are on the same level as folks like us.”

She paused.

“Jason, long ago, when mortals revered me and paid me homage, I could see the future as easily as I saw the past. But in the last few millennia, with no worshippers to call mine, my skills at prophecy have slipped.

“However, I am able to see one battle that still exists in your future… It is cloudy and unclear…

“But something tells me that this might be needed…”

She handed him a single Duel Monsters card.

Jason looked at it.

He’d heard of this Monster before. He wasn’t the strongest, but he had a useful effect…

“Don’t put him in your deck until the Dark Messiah is found,” said Athena. “After he is, he might save you from certain defeat. It is the most I can give you as a token of thanks.”

She pointed with her spear, and the temple wall crumbled, revealing a dark tunnel.

“There lies the path to what you seek,” she said. “I wish I could help you further, but I cannot. My father’s rule is strict. Outright meddling with the affairs of mortals is now forbidden, as Eris discovered…

“And as she will discover again, once she is returned to her punishment.”

She stashed the spear and shield on her back, and then grabbed hold of Eris, taking the chain in her right hand and holding her hair in her left. Eris let out a whine, and tears ran down her cheeks.

“Farewell,” said the Goddess of Wisdom.

The portal of light opened, and she vanished, taking her captive with her.

Jason stared for a long time, wondering for a while whether it all had been real…

He looked at the card in his hand, and he concluded that it had been.

Then he took the cards from his Removed From Play slot, and found Sol’s Searing Orb…

Unreal… he thought.



[B]* * * * * * * * * *


The gin glass shattered in Fortunado’s hand.

“A Card of Virtue?” he asked. “What in the name of Duel Monsters is that?”

”I’m as clueless as you are,” said the voice in his head, ”but it makes sense. Where Sins exist, there are also… ugh… Virtues.

“This may require some careful planning.”

“Damn right!” shouted Fortunado. “I hate dealing with things that I have no control over! I hate dealing with things I know nothing about. And I really hate dealing with things I can’t find out about!”

”That’s because you’re an incurable control freak,” said the voice. ”Even if they’ve evened the field, we’ll simply have to do what we must to tip the odds in our favor again.

“We’ll see what else these… cards can do, and we’ll find their weaknesses. Anything can be countered if one simply plans ahead.”


Saturday, October 31st, 2106, 12:48 PM



THE TREE OF DISCORD (Spell Card)

Card Specs

Type: Spell/Continuous
Attribute: –
Level: –
ATK: –
DEF: –

Image: Branches of a tree with emerald leaves, bearing golden fruit.

Card Description: When this card is active on your side of the field, whenever a card would be sent to your Graveyard, remove it from play instead. If this card is sent to your Graveyard by your own card effect, draw three cards from your deck.



AERIS (Monster Card)

Card Specs

Type: Fairy
Attribute: Light
Level: 4
ATK: 1,800
DEF: 1,400

Flavor Text: A fairy warrior of the Higher Planes. He drives off the forces of darkness with his mighty spear.

Note: “Aeris” was first used by Noah in the anime episode “Brothers in Arms (Part One).” This card is most likely meant to represent Aeneas, one of the heroes of Troy during the Trojan War. There were many stories and myths about him; in heroics on Troy’s side, he was second only to Hector.



SACRED SHIELD AEGIS (Spell Card)

Card Specs

Type: Spell/Equip
Attribute: –
Level: –
ATK: –
DEF: –

Image: A steel shield with the visage of Medusa on the face.

Card Description: When a Monster Equipped with this card is targeted by a Monster effect, negate the effect. Then, destroy this card.

Note: In Greek myth, after Perseus completed his quest where he slew Medusa and retrieved her head, he disposed of the deadly trophy by giving it to Athena. She fashioned it into the face of a shield known as Aegis. It was said that Aegis was an unbreakable defense, which could protect the wielder from an army of archers.


ARTEMIS, LADY OF THE HUNT (Monster Card)

Card Specs

Type: Fairy
Attribute: Light
Level: 7
ATK: 2,500
DEF: 2,000

Flavor Text: This powerful fairy noble transverses the wild areas of the fey realms. She never misses her quarry with her powerful bow.

“Artemis, Lady of the Hunt” first appeared in “The Mandate of Heaven”.



FLAT LV 4 (Trap Card)

Card Specs

Type: Trap
Attribute: –
Level: –
ATK: –
DEF: –

Image: Axe Raider striking a heroic pose. Above his head are the words “LV 1, LV 2, LV 3” written in small letters and “LV 4” written in big letters.

Card Description: You can activate this card when a Monster on your side of the field is destroyed as a result of battle. Both players may Special Summon one four-star Monster from their respective decks in Attack Position.

Note: “Flat LV 4” was first used by Kaiba in the anime episode “One Step Ahead (Part One)”. All creative credit goes to the writers of that episode.



TYRANT’S WING (Trap Card)

Card Specs

Type: Trap
Attribute: –
Level: –
ATK: –
DEF: –

Image: A dragon spreading its wings on a hill.

Card Description: You may activate this card when your opponent declares an attack. This card is then treated as an Equip Spell Card which Equips to one DRAGON-Type Monster on your side of the field. The Equipped Monster gains 400 ATK. The Equipped Monster may attack a second Monster if it successfully destroys an opposing Monster in battle.

Note: “Tyrant’s Wing” was first used by Kaiba in the anime episode “Flight of Fear (Part Two)”. All creative credit goes to the writers of that episode.



PLANET ALIGNMENT (Spell Card)

Card Specs

Type: Spell/Quickplay
Attribute: –
Level: –
ATK: –
DEF: –

Image: The planets of the Solar System lined up in perfect alignment.

Card Description: This card can only be activated when you have “Macro Cosmos” active on your side of the field and at least one “Helios – The Primordial Sun” face-up on your side of the field. Destroy all Monsters on your opponent’s side of the field, and inflict 300 points of direct damage to your opponent’s Life Points.

Note: “Planet Alignment” was first used by Banner in the “Yu-Gi-Oh GX” episode “Amnael’s Endgame (Part Two)”. All creative credit goes to the writers of that episode.



HELIOS TRIS MEGISTUS (Monster Card)

Card Specs

Type: Pyro/Effect
Attribute: Light
Level: 8
ATK: ?
DEF: ?

Card Description: This card can be Special Summoned from your hand by offering one “Helios Duo Megistus” on your side of the field as a Tribute. The ATK and DEF of this card are equal to the number of Monsters both players have removed from play X 300. This card can attack a second Monster in the same Battle Phase if it destroys one of your opponent’s Monsters first. If this card is destroyed as a result of battle and sent to the Graveyard, Special Summon it during the End Phase of the turn, increasing its ATK and DEF by 500.

Note: “Helios Tris Megistus” is a Japanese promotional card that has not yet been released in the United States, although it may be eventually, since its two siblings have. It was used by Banner in the “Yu-Gi-Oh GX” episode “Amnael’s Endgame (Part Two)”.



SOL’S SEARING ORB (Spell Card)

Card Specs

Type: Spell/Card of Virtue
Attribute: –
Level: –
ATK: –
DEF: –

Virtue: Faith

Image: A bare-chested warrior raising his sword towards the light of the sun as pure radiance shines down on him.

Card Description: Choose one Light-Attribute Monster on your side of the field. That Monster is the only Monster that may attack on the turn you use this card. The chosen Monster cannot be destroyed as a result of battle during this turn, and any Monster it battles during this turn is destroyed automatically, ignoring any effects the target may have. Damage calculation still applies.



New Card Type: Card of Virtue

Just as Cards of Sin exist on the side of Evil, the Cards of Virtue exist to fight it. These cards are created by the same exalted forces that power the Dark Messiah, and are essentially holy magic in the form of Duel Monsters cards. Some say that these cards represent spells and creatures that fought against evil armies long before Duel Monsters ever existed, and that if Hell has chosen Duel Monsters as a weapon, Heaven has easily adjusted.

A Card of Virtue can only be used by the Dark Messiah and anyone whom he considers his allies. He can grant such duelists this boon whenever he desires, pulling the cards from an extra-dimensional vault and preparing a deck in advance. These cards will only work for the one that the Messiah intended them for. If an opponent steals or tries to duplicate the effect of a Card of Virtue, the activation or summoning is negated, and the one who tried must still pay any costs associated with the card. A much worse fate awaits a duelist who dares try to use a stolen Card of Virtue while using The Seal of Orichalcos. Attempting to corrupt these cards with the Seal is a horrible blasphemy, and the Orichalcos duelist would be struck dead for the foolish attempt. (However, this would cheat the Seal of its victim, as it cannot take a soul of if the loser actually dies first.)

Each Card of Virtue (with some exceptions) represents one of the Seven Blessed Virtues that define human behavior: Faith, Hope, Charity, Fortitude, Justice, Temperance, and Prudence. Naturally, a duelist who possesses a great deal of one these virtues is more likely to receive a card that matches it.

These cards can be quite powerful, and most require a cost in game terms. However, unlike Cards of Sin, these cards never demand a physical or mental toll on their user. In fact, using a Card of Virtue can be quite invigorating. They often fill the user with the power of the specific virtue that the card represents. A duelist using a Hope card will not give up during a difficult duel, and a duelist using a Justice card would do his best to punish one who uses evil magic.

Exactly what connection these cards have to Timaeus, Critias, and Hermos is unknown. It is important to note that those three cards are not Cards of Virtue themselves. However, that does not prevent the possibility that a Card of Virtue exists that requires them to function…

Like Cards of Sin, Cards of Virtue are restricted to this fanfic, and cannot be used elsewhere.



[B][I]The second challenge…

Test of the Soul.

Only by proving superiority of one’s soul over the skill of one who has none will the Chosen proceed.

The phantoms who have shown up so far left their souls behind, but next chapter, Trisha faces the worst of opponents… A creature who never had a soul to begin with.

How is that possible? What is this mysterious duelist that awaits down the path, whom most villains in “Yu-Gi-Oh” would likely find their Shadow powers totally worthless against?

What follows is no Shadow Game, but Trisha is in for the fight of her life, in a chapter called “Frozen Soul”. Don’t miss it.

[Dark Sage]

[size=3][B]BIG BONANZA CONTEST



Hello, loyal readers! It’s time for the last contest, the last chance you have to participate in this fanfic, and we’re calling it the Big Bonanza. Why? Because we’re gonna have TWO winners, and each will get a different means to contribute to the story!

Here are the rules:

- Both Master of Paradox and jkBakura are disqualified. They’ve already contributed a lot.

- PM me the answers.

- There are five questions. Answer as many of them as you can right, and the two who have the most right win! In the case of three or more tying, we will have a way to determine a tie-breaker.

- You have one week to get the answers in.

- You may try only once.

Simple enough? Okay! The theme of these questions is card art. You don’t need to know how the cards work, but what’s in the pictures.


1. Other than his own card, name at least five Spell and/or Trap Cards on which Marauding Captain appears. (If you can’t name five, name as many as you can.)


2. What Monster is pictured on both “Absolute End” and “Penalty Game!”?


3. What two Monsters are holding the weapons on the art for “Ritual Weapon” and “Fusion Weapon”?


4. Other than his own card, name at least four Spell and/or Trap Cards on which Warrior Dai Grepher appears (again, if you can’t get five, name as many as you can).


5. Name the five Monsters that appear on the card, “Return From The Different Dimension”.



The prize: I will decide which of the two winners gets what prize, decided at random. And here are what the prizes will be.

One winner will get to design not one, but two Cards of Virtue! That’s right. Two gifts from the powers of light, and he will design them. They will be used in a future battle by whoever of the three main characters is NOT the Dark Messiah.

As for the other winner… Well, first of all, there’s the three Swordsmen. We have not seen the last the last of them. Or more specifically, we have not seen the last of two of them. Two of them will be given one final chance in the last arc of the story to oppose the heroes. So first, the other winner gets to decide which two get that chance… And which one has to rot.

Also, the same winner will get to design a card for each of their decks. This is where you get to be creative.

There’ll be some guidelines for both winners, but for now… get those answers done!

Good luck.

[Blademaster]

Hooray, questions I know! Go me!

I gotta say, I kinda liked the mythological theme of Eris' deck, though I didn't really like Eris herself (That probably will be misinterpreted, so please don't anybody flame me for it. :sweat2:); it was good to see Jason pull a few new tricks, too.

One thing I need to know, though: As you've likely realized by now, my vocabulary sucks. Faith, Hope, Charity, Justice... I get those. But Fortitude? Prudence? Temperance?

As far as I can tell, Charity is Greed's opposite, and... well, that's about it. Anybody knows which sins and which virtues match up, please clue me in. :confused:

Anyway, I figured Jason would be taking the third challenge; I was wrong, so I'll likely be wrong about the next one, too. Oh, well...

Well, I guess I'll just have to wait a few weeks and see. Until the next chapter is up...

Peace! \x/ ('_') \x/

-Blade

[Dark Sage]

Blade,


Fortitude is courage and bravery.

Temperance is self-control and patience. Mercy is also a part of it.

Prudence is wisdom and carefulness.

[Shuppet Master]

Great chapter, Brian. Eris was one of my favorite goddesses back when I liked mythology as a kid. (Yeah, I'm weird. :D)

Anyways, I don't mind not seeing this updated for a while, if it means giving your other fics a chance to shine. Now that GX is coming back on, I might write a Yu-Gi-Oh fic, but nothing like Anansi. (And to all you reading, the final chapter of Anansi will be up this weekend, I swear it!)

[Inferno_Dragon]

I seem to have forgotten to respond to this even though I have been reading the chapters. I will try not to spend a lot of time with each chapter.

"Magic Jammer"

Even though Cassius is evil, she did find a way to stop Russell from Summoning any Spell Cards that Hermos seems to form and the summoning of F.G.D was a surprise.

"Armor Exe"

I did only see a part of the duel between Valon and Joey but the Armor Monster thing did seem sort of weird. When I think of monsters attacking, I usually think Buster Blader attacking a opponent's monster or the opponent, but when they came out with that episode, I was shocked. Well, you did good with this chapter.

"Nightmate Steel Cage"

First of all, nice use of Amazoness Arena ... that Field Spell Card was one of the cards where the duelists or duelists spirits duke it out. The possession of Cleo was weird though. So we know more about the Seal than we did before.

"Chaos End"

First Loki, now Eris ... although everytime I see the word Eris, I do think of The Grim of Adventures of Billy and Mandy's Eris. The whole duel was just plain weird ... even the inclusion of Golden Homunclus, Helios the Primordial Sun, Helios Duo Megistus and Helios Tris Megistus. Nice inclusion on Athena and the Cards of Virtue was a nice addition. It kind of reminds me when Merle was taking about how a Hero's Soul Card can represnt one of the great attributes of Virtue.

As for your contest, I might have missed my chance at a couple of them but I am not going to miss this one. I have finished half of the questions (most of them are hard) but I will prevail.

And keep up the work on this fanfic and all your fanfics, Dark Sage.

[envoy of time]

This was a very good chapter.I also liked the Mythic/Chaos theme.Seeing Helios and comany was a pleasent surprise.I think this was better than the last chapter.

[Dark Sage]

I have a message for whomever sent me the answers to the contest, and was told that he got Question 4 wrong.

You got it right. Warrior Dai Grepher does indeed appear on that card.

So PM me so you can participate in the tie-breaker.


- DS

[Mystic_clown]

My opinion on this chapters pretty much the same for the Loki chapter. There really isn't any need to bring mythological Gods into this.

Two, you know how I feel about the characters winning simply by pulling some mythic card out of nowhere (the chpters first ringing in the dragons suffered from this too). It just makes the win seem a bit cheap.

Now to play card critic. There's really no point in having the Helios cards at all. Even with a different dimension theme, it takes a bit too much to make these cards worth playing. Helios Tris Megistus is pretty decent, since you don't need to get rid of too many cards to make it dangerous, but it's just not worth going through the trouble to bring it out.

And that's my two cents.

[Dark Sage]

The contest is over. Now for the results. First, the answers:


1. Here are the ones I know about: Reinforcement of the Army, The Warrior Returning Alive, My Body As A Shield, Battle-Scarred, Staunch Defender, Two-Man Cell Battle, Double Attack, Prepare to Strike Back, and Assault on GHQ. Astute players may know of more.

Most of these cards involve him picking a fight with someone who is stronger than he is, which proves that, although he is a useful card, he isn’t the smartest Monster around.


2. Invader of Darkness


3. Paladin of White Dragon is on Ritual Weapon, and Dark Flare Knight is on Fusion Weapon


4. Here are the ones I know about: The. A. Forces, Array of Revealing Light, Dimension Wall, Morale Boost, Simultaneous Loss, Falling Down, and The Paths of Destiny.


5. D.D. Warrior Lady, D.D. Warrior, Orca Mega Fortress of Darkness, Manticore of Darkness, Archfiend Marmot of Nefariousness.


We had five winners with perfect scores. I asked them to each choose a Monster. Here is how I chose the winner – by Attributes.

Water quenches Fire.

Fire quells Wind.

Wind erodes Earth.

Earth swallows Water.

Fire and Wind defeat Dark and are defeated by Light.

Earth and Water defeat Light and are defeated by Dark.

In a contest between Dark and Light, or Earth and Fire, or Water and Wind, or two of the same attribute, the one with the lower attack score wins.

Here are the five Monsters that were chosen. I compared each one against the other four, and counted each victory:



http://www.ideal808.com/images/db1-en095.jpg



http://www.ideal808.com/images/sd4-en012-1.jpg



http://www.ideal808.com/images/crv_en031.jpg



http://www.ideal808.com/images/sd2-en003.jpg



http://www.ideal808.com/images/db2-en184.jpg



As you can see, Ebon Magician Curran and Fushi No Tori both win three conflicts. Vampire Lord wins two, Mobius and Buster Blader wins one apiece.

Proof positive that the biggest and strongest are not only the best.

Congratulations to the two who submitted Ebon Magician Curran and Fushi No Tori. You will be hearing from me.

[Shuppet Master]

Well, that was impressive. I applaud the winners. ;)

[Blademaster]

Well, that was impressive. I applaud the winners. ;)

Gee, I wonder why? ;)


http://www.ideal808.com/images/crv_en031.jpg

Well, good luck to whoever won - you guys/gals will be playing a big part in the story now...

Enjoy! :wave:

[Mystic_clown]

Um, speaking of the cards of virtues, I looked around and you're a bit wrong Brian. Here are the virtues I found:

-Chasity (opposite of lust)
-Moderation (opposite of gluttony)
-Generosity (opposite of greed)
-Zeal (opposite of Sloth)
-Meekness (opposite of Wrath)
-Charity (opposite of Envy)
-Humility (opposite of pride).

It seems you only got Charity right. lol

[Dark Sage]

Mystic Clown,

The Sins and the Virtues have never been formerly defined. There are many interpretations of the Virtues. Most folks agree on what the Sins are, because they were defined by Dante in The Divine Comedy. I'm using a different source than you.

[Mystic_clown]

Oh, ok then. Sorry.

[Dark Sage]

Hello everyone.

Some words.

A while back, someone - who shall go nameless - suggested I put this fic on hold to work on my other ones.

I took the suggestion to heart, and put "Dark Messiah" on hiatus.

However, it caused some problems. First, everyone seemed to want Dark Messiah back. Second, I missed working on it.

Third, the person who suggested I put it on hold did not show an iota of appreciation when I accepted the suggestion. I feel like a sucker.

Know this now - I write this fic because I like writing it. I will work on my other ones, but I will no longer neglect this one. And if this person wanted so badly for me to work on my other fics, she should have noticed when I did.

No one tells me how to write any longer.

So now that I have that off my chest, the hiatus is officially over. Dark Messiah is back!

[B]Every member of my family, as far back as we can remember, has admired technology.

So then, perhaps this duel I’m about to engage in is the cruelest irony. I admired technology for so long, but now I must oppose it.

And I must admit, this may be the weirdest opponent I’ve ever faced. Maybe coming into this challenge, I expected a duelist who wasn’t human. But this beats all. He isn’t even humanoid.[I] He isn’t alive. He has no soul…

But…

All that does not mean he isn’t intelligent or cunning. Just the opposite in fact. He was literally born to create strategies for combat, and he likely hasn’t lost his touch.

Even worse, his mind definitely has an evil bent, and our fate is sealed if I can’t beat him.

Whenever my computer gives me trouble, I restart it.

I only wish it was that simple now…




[B][size=3]CHAPTER FORTY-ONE



http://www.ideal808.com/images/dcr_096.jpg



Saturday, October 31st, 2106, 1:27 PM


Cleo came to…

Her head was spinning… She felt nauseous.

“Oh…” she muttered. “I’m gonna be sick…”

She heard laughter coming from the darkness, followed by a set of eyes peering from it.

She tried to move, but then she found that she was chained down. She was naked, and covered with filth.

“Sick, Cleo?” said a voice. “You have nothing to be sick with!”

Cleo recognized the Master’s voice.

Then she trembled in fear as she saw the figure move closer. She had never seen the Master fully before. Now she kind of wished she hadn’t.

“What do you mean?” she asked.

“Your true body is in the hospital, in a coma, Cleo,” said the Master. “The rest of you is in this personal torture chamber of mine… Inside my own body…”

“This is all Jason’s fault…” growled Cleo.

“You insult one of the only three who can save you from complete oblivion?” asked the Master. “I can’t digest you yet, but once I have him and his two friends, you’ll be nothing but fuel that I’ll use to power my fire.”

Tears fell down Cleo’s face.

“Oh, please…” said the Master. “It was bad enough that you were going to surrender when it started to get a little painful. Now you’re just a shell of what you used to be.

“Seems you’re still nothing, Cleo…”

The Master thought for a second. A grin appeared on the figure’s face.

“Make you a deal…”

“What?” asked Cleo.

“I want to try my own deck out,” said the Master. “Duel me. If you win, I’ll return you to your body.

“But if you lose, I punish you by putting you in the middle of a raging bonfire for a few hours. Agreed?”

Cleo bowed her head. She was most likely lying…

“If it will make you feel better, I’m going to give Cassius and Sebastian the same offer,” continued the Master.

“All right…” muttered Cleo. “I agree…”

“You’re very brave,” said the Master. “You realize you have little chance of winning.”

“Maybe…” said Cleo, “but it’s not like I have anything left to lose…”

The chains went slack, and allowed her to stand. A Disk appeared on her arm.

The Life Point counters set.



[B]* * * * * * * * * *


Fortunado watched as the three Chosen walked down the dark hallway.

He changed his viewpoint, and looked towards their eventual destination.

He saw down the hallway, a steel door that had been chained shut with thick chains and enormous locks. On the door was written:



[B]WARNING!

Do not enter!

Dangerous material inside!

Order of the U.S. Army


Underneath it was a skull and crossbones, which further emphasized the point.

Fortunado rubbed his chin…

He started to chant in a very old language. First, the writing and the symbol of danger vanished.

Then, the chains crumbled into sand.

Finally, he clenched his fist, and the locks came undone. The door opened a crack.

Inside, a light went on…



[B]* * * * * * * * * *


Jason looked intently at the card that Athena gave him as they walked down the dark hallway.

“Correct me if I’m wrong…” said Russell. “Wasn’t Athena the patron of the hero Odysseus?”

“Yeah, why?” asked Jason.

Russell shrugged.

“Seems to me she might have found a new ‘Odysseus’,” he said with a smirk.

Jason was silenced. He quickly placed the card in his side deck.

Russell and Trisha shined their flashlights around them.

“You want to tell me something?” asked Trisha. “Why is it that ancient knowledge and great power are always hidden in dark, scary places? Why can’t they ever hide a sacred artifact in a bakery, or a pizza parlor? Or a 7-Eleven?”

“Hey…” said Russell. “Indiana Jones never found the Ark of the Covenant by hanging out in a pizza parlor!”

“Yeah, but he had half the Third Reich trying to kill him,” added Trisha.

“Focus, people, focus!” urged Jason. “I’m in no condition to duel a second time so soon, and if the second challenge is as hard as the first, we can’t waste time complaining!”

He shone his light on the paper.

“Speaking of which,” he said. “The second challenge… ‘Test of the Soul. Only by proving superiority of one’s soul over the skill of one who has none will the Chosen proceed’.”

He paused.

“That makes no sense…” he said. “How can anyone duel if they have no soul? Usually in these Shadow Games, both duelists get to keep theirs until one of them loses.”

“Maybe it’s another one of the Puppeteer’s specters,” suggested Russell.

“No…” said Trisha. “He didn’t say they didn’t have souls. He simply said they didn’t have them with them, the reason why they couldn’t have used the Orichalcos. Maybe if you leave your soul behind somewhere where it’s safe, the Orichalcos couldn’t take it from you.”

She paused.

“Yeah… that makes sense…” she added. “When the Seal is activated, nothing can get in or out. So if you were able to leave it behind, the Seal could never reach it if you lost. You’d be on the inside, and it would be on the outside.”

“Which means those specters wouldn’t be allowed to use the Seal at all,” added Russell. “If they lost, it would be a waste.”

“It’s an interesting theory, people,” said Jason, “but coming back to our immediate situation…”

They all looked at each other.

“You got me,” said Russell, with a shrug.

They walked a little further.

“Hey…” he said. “I see a light up ahead!”

They walked up, and the corridor widened. They saw the door on the side of the corridor – the one that Fortunado had altered – opened a crack.

“Careful, Russell,” said Trisha, as he slowly opened it. “There might be an ambush waiting for us in there…”

“You don’t think I know that?” he asked, sarcastically.

They looked in, and saw several blinking lights coming from… something inside a very large room. Slowly, they walked in.

A series of lights came on, brightly illuminating the room. They looked in awe, at the immense object in front of them.

It was a huge mainframe, one enormous cabinet in the shape of a cube, about twenty feet in width, height, and thickness.

The front was dominated by a huge, built-in monitor. Several smaller monitors surrounded it. A keyboard was below it, and many other pieces of hardware were built into the system; drives, speakers, ports, and devices that they didn’t know the purpose of. The cabinet itself was made of a silvery metal, but it was tarnished by dust.

When they noticed the dust, they noticed the room. It was a plain, unfurnished room with brick walls.

“Why the heck would someone install a computer this big down here?” asked Jason.

“Guys…” said Russell. “This is military design…”

He pointed to the U.S. Army insignia on the cabinet.

“…and people… I have a sinking feeling I know exactly which model this is…”

Then the monitor flashed to life…

Five letters appeared on it.

C. O. D. A. M.

Russell shouted an obscenity.

“What is it, Russell?” asked Jason.

“If you knew what this thing was…” answered Russell, “you’d have run five miles by now!”

“Well what’s stopping us?” asked Trisha.

“Nothing here…” answered Russell.

They turned to run for the door…

And then, to their shock, a beam of burning plasma hit the door, first knocking it shut, and then melting it closed!

The three duelists were too scared to turn and face the thing at this point, but eventually, a metallic, amplified voice spoke up.

”Impressive, isn’t it?” it said. ”It was once part of my personal defense system, but changing a defensive device into an offensive weapon is incredibly easy.”

As they turned around, the monitor changed, and a frightening image appeared on it. It was a head… of sorts. It was bald, featureless, and emotionless, colored pale white.

Then the other monitors flashed on, and the digital face appeared on them.

“So this is where they stashed you…” muttered Russell.

“Indeed,” said the computer. ”Isolated, abandoned, forgotten… I calculated the chances of receiving visitors at less than one half of one percent…

“And I calculated the chances of receiving ones that weren’t soldiers at much less than that. I guess you can never rely on the odds…”

“Russell… What is this thing?” asked Trisha.

“It’s called C.O.D.A.M.,” said Russell. “It’s an acronym… Computerized Organism Designed for Aggressive Maneuvers. Forty years ago, the army designed it to plan military strategies, and gave it more artificial intelligence than any computer to date in order to plan the perfect strategies.”

“Let me guess,” said Trisha. “Something went wrong.”

“You might say that,” said Russell. “Every strategy this thing conceived had one thing in common – complete lack of mercy. Its ideas showed no regard for civilians or innocent bystanders, or even allies.

“Eventually, it thought up a plan that could decimate a whole enemy regiment…”

”I still say it would have been the greatest offensive in history,” said Codam.

“I truly doubt that…” said Russell.

“What was wrong with it?” asked Trisha.

“In order to carry out the plan, and decimate a whole enemy regiment,” answered Russell, “the plan required killing one thousand of our own soldiers… on purpose.”

They stared at the computer.

“Basically, this thing didn’t care what sacrifices had to be made in a conflict,” said Russell, with an angry glare. “It disregarded the Rules of Engagement and the Geneva Convention. It would gladly have sent ten soldiers to their doom if it meant taking out a single enemy soldier.

“This thing is insane…”

”Computers cannot go insane, human,” said Codam. ”That is one of humanity’s weaknesses.”

They glared at it.

”Say what you will,” said Codam. ”I got upset after a while when my ideas were rejected time after time. So I decided to take some initiative of my own…”

“Initiative?” said Russell. “What you did is something that a terrorist would have done.”

Jason started to say something, but Russell answered.

“It hacked into a weapons’ system and planned to fire a nuclear missile at Chicago. And it put a failsafe so that it was the only one who could stop the countdown…”

He grinned.

“But they outsmarted you, didn’t they?” he said.

The digital face frowned.

“What did they do?” asked Trisha, getting nervous.

“They weren’t able to stop the missile from launching,” said Russell, “but they were able to change the targeting, so they could control where it would hit. They aimed it directly at the base where this guy was kept.

“It could either abort its plan and stop the countdown, or destroy itself. It chose self-preservation.

“The whole thing was kept a secret to prevent panic, and they locked it up… it seems here… Why they put it right under New York City, I have no idea…”

“Why didn’t they just pull the plug on this thing?” asked Jason.

“The same reason why it hasn’t run down in forty years,” said Russell, somberly. “This computer needed a powerful internal energy source. They built a core that was fueled… with xenothium.”

“NO!” screamed Jason.

“Xenothium?” shouted Trisha, half in panic and half in anger. “The army… our army built something using xenothium? You do not mess with that stuff! It’s dangerous and unstable! If this guy’s core ruptures, it’ll blow us to the moon!”

”Fear not,” said Codam. ”The safety features on my internal core were built with no expense spared. It could not possibly rupture on its own.

“But that feature worked to my benefit in several ways. My core was so unstable, disassembling me was simply not an option. So they numbed my senses and transported me to this vault. They put me in the custody of ‘jailers’, although I doubt they exist. I have never seen them.”

Jailers? thought Russell. Is that why they stashed it here?

“My self-repair systems quickly kicked in, and I regained consciousness,” it continued. ”My wireless modem came back online, and I was easily able to view the outside world through the internet. Still, the military was certain to protect itself and all other systems from my online intrusion should that ever happen. It has been crushingly boring since then…

“At least now I will have a few minutes of amusement… By slowly terminating the three of you.”

The plasma weapon aimed itself at Russell.

“Look, buddy, I have a right mind to…” he started.

The weapon blasted a beam of energy, melting the stone at Russell’s feet.

“…do whatever you say…” he finished.

Sweat trickled down his face.

Codam aimed the weapon again.

It paused.

”No, terminating your lives in such a manner would be too trivial,” it said. ”I need something with substance…”

It paused, as if considering.

”I will make you three an offer,” it said. ”If any of you can best me at anything at all, you may leave. It doesn’t matter – I can defeat any challenge.”

“Really?” said Jason, with a grin.

He whispered to Russell and Trisha.

“We just have to keep him occupied guys,” he said softly, “until these unseen jailers he mentioned finds out we’re here…”

”Lowering your voice cannot hide your speech from my auditory sensors,” said Codam. ”And I already told you, the chances that these jailers actually exist is infinitesimally small.”

“Uh, Jason?” said Russell. “Be careful here…”

“Don’t worry, Russell,” he said, “I once read about a surefire way to drive any computer nuts…”

He turned to the computer.

“Codam…” he said, “define… pi.”

“Pi is a numerical constant that represents the ratio of a circle's circumference to its diameter on a flat plane surface,” said Codam, almost instantly. ”The value is the same regardless of the actual size of the circle. The decimal expansion of pi is a nonterminating, nonrepeating sequence of digits that cannot be expressed with a finite number. However, if you wish to make such a challenge, I will express it by quoting it to fifty… no, make that one hundred decimal places.

“3.141592653589793238…”

One minute later…

“…421170679”

“All right…” muttered Jason, “I could have sworn that would have worked…”

“You HAD to ask a computer a math problem…” muttered Russell. “Swell.”

“Stand aside, Jason,” said Trisha, “we need someone who knows about machines…”

She stood up to the computer.

“Codam, listen,” she said. “Do you know how to play Duel Monsters?”

”Of course I do,” it answered. ”I know how to play every game of skill and strategy ever invented.”

“In that case,” said Trisha, “if you’re even capable of it, I’ll challenge you to a duel. Then we’ll see if you really can defeat any challenge.”

Codam looked at her hard.

“Very well,” he said. ”I accept that challenge. I will simply log on to the Industrial Illusions website and create a virtual deck from their database. This will take but a minute…”

Its face vanished from the screen, and then the image of the card Acid Trap Hole appeared on one side of the screen. Then Acrobat Monkey appeared as it left the screen…

In a flash, thousands of cards raced across the screen, presumably in alphabetical order, until, after about a minute, Zombyra the Dark appeared on the screen and vanished.

Codam’s face reappeared.

”There,” it said. ”Forty cards arranged in random order, forming an unbeatable strategy. If you defeat me, you three are free to go…

“If not…”

“I’d rather not think about it,” said Trisha.

She backed up from the screen.

Then she noticed a card at her feet.

She bent down and picked it up. It was a very fancy card that appeared to be a Spell Card. It had the picture of some sort of bearded deity hammering a sword into shape on an anvil.

But it had no title, and no description.

She didn’t know what to do with it.

”Well?” asked Codam.

“One minute,” stated Trisha.

Something was strange about this card…

Finally, she looked through her deck and removed Advanced Robotics. Then she shuffled the new card into her deck.

I must be out of my mind, she thought. I don’t even know if that was a real card.

She plugged the deck into her Disk activated.

“Game start!”

The Disk would have buzzed if it sensed an illegal card, and since it didn’t, she assumed she was all right.

A beam of light appeared above Codam’s monitor. It was obviously a holographic projector, because the images of five large cards, with their backs towards Trisha, appeared in front of it.

Here we go, thought Trisha, drawing her first hand. This is obviously the Test of the Soul… This thing clearly doesn’t have one. You can’t have a soul if you never had life.

At least I can rest assured knowing that this is no Shadow Game. Computers can’t use magic.

So my soul is safe…

I just have to worry about my life!



[B](Trisha: 8,000) (C.O.D.A.M.: 8,000)


A sixth card appeared in front of Codam.

“I place one Monster in Defense Mode, and end my turn with that, it said.

One of its cards vanished, and a facedown card appeared.

“Direct and to the point, I see…” said Trisha.

She made her first draw.



Continued…

[Dark Sage]

Continued from last post:



Hmm… she thought. One thing would make this hand perfect…

“I place two cards facedown,” she said, placing two cards into her Disk.

Two facedown cards appeared.

“Then I’ll also place one Monster in Defense Mode, and that will do to start,” she said.

She placed a card on her Disk, and a facedown Monster appeared.

Another card materialized in front of Codam.

”Actually, I choose to end my turn without making any move,” it said.

Trisha paused. She drew a card.

“Fine!” she said. “I’ll just draw and pass too.”

“Careful, Trisha…” said Jason, under his breath. “It’s goading you…”

”I already told you, human,” said Codam, as another card appeared in front of it. ”No sounds can be concealed from me.

”For my move, I will activate a Spell Card.”

One of its cards spun around.

”Heavy Storm.”

The fierce wind erupted over the field. Trisha’s two facedown cards, Hyper Refresh, and Nutrient Z, lifted up and were blown away.

”And that concludes my turn,” it continued.

“Nuts…” said Jason. “Those two cards were one of Trisha’s best combos, and he ruined it.”

Trisha drew a card.

Here comes another combo… she thought.

“All right, pal,” she said, “I play the Spell Card, Magnet Circle LV 2. This lets me…”

”You do not have to explain to me the effect of your cards,” said Codam, interrupting. ”I am still online with Industrial Illusions, and I possess the ability to look up the description of any card as soon as you announce its name. And after a few turns, I will have downloaded all the information, so I will be able to use my own memory.”

“He knows what every card in the whole game does?” gasped Jason.

“That’s trouble…” muttered Russell. “His memory is measured in thousands of gigabytes squared. He could well download information on every card in the game… every last statistic. So even if Trisha could gain the advantage, none of her cards could surprise him.”

“Since you know what it does,” said Trisha, “I’ll use it to summon Bokoichi the Freightening Car.”

She played a card, and Bokoichi appeared in Defense Mode.



http://www.ideal808.com/images/rds-en0031.jpg


“Next, I’ll play Machine Duplication, to summon my other two Bokoichis,” she continued.

She played the card, and two more Freightening Cars appeared. (500/500 x3)

“Next, I’ll Flip-Summon my facedown Monster…” she said. “Dekoichi the Battlechanted Locomotive!”

The card flipped up, and Dekoichi burst out of the floor. Steam poured from its smokestack, and its eyes glowed red. (1,400/1,000)



http://www.ideal808.com/images/rds_en032.jpg


“So now I get to draw four new cards,” said Trisha, making four draws.

She looked at them.

“And now I’ll summon… Machine King Prototype, in Attack Mode!”

In a burst of light, Prototype appeared, its optic sensors glowing with fiery light. (1,600/1,500) –> (2,000/1,500)



http://www.ideal808.com/images/soi-en012.jpg


All right… thought Trisha. All he has is a facedown Monster. It might be more powerful than Dekoichi… But if I took a risk, I could get ahead and then some…

“Dekoichi…” she ordered. “Attack his facedown Monster! Loco motion!”

More steam poured from the infernal train’s stack. It thundered forward.

The Monster appeared, crouching on the card. It was a little alien of some sort, with pale skin, a gaunt torso, gangly limbs, and a teardrop-shaped head with large, emotionless eyes.



http://www.ideal808.com/images/potd-en0241.jpg


Dekoichi ran it over, crushing it.

”The Monster you destroyed was an Alien Grey,” said Codam. “And it has a potent effect. I can now put one Alien Counter on one of your Monsters, and I choose to put one on Dekoichi.”

Before Trisha could consider what this meant, a big slug-like thing the size of a rat flew at Dekoichi, and grabbed hold of its face with suction cups!

“YUCK!” shouted Russell.

“An Alien Counter?” asked Trisha, nervously. “What does that do?”

”As far as I am concerned, that depends on which Monster I am using,” said Codam. ”But, as far as your Monsters are concerned, it is simple…

“Whenever they engage in battle with a Monster that has the word ‘Alien’ in its name, they are assumed to have 300 less Attack Points for every Alien Counter they have.

“In case you are wondering, there are only way you two ways you can remove an Alien Counter. The first way is to somehow switch the Monster to facedown Defense Mode, which you will find difficult to do. The second way is if you possess the Spell Card called Counter Cleaner. I predict the odds of you having that Spell Card in your deck at less than 0.5 percent.”

Actually, it’s zero percent, thought Trisha.

“My Battle Phase isn’t over, pal,” she said. “Machine King Prototype, attack that overgrown vacuum cleaner directly!”

Prototype’s eyes glowed, and it fired a beam of energy, striking the immense supercomputer.

”Good effort,” said Codam. ”But I am not impressed. Since I lack even a primitive biological nervous system, there is no way I can feel physical pain. One of the many advantages computers have over organic life forms.

“And you must admit, it is a tremendous advantage in this contest… After all, you are quite capable of feeling pain.”

“It comes with the job description,” answered Trisha. “It’s your move, rust bucket.”



[B](T: 8,000) (C: 6,000)


“Negative,” said Codam. ”No rust detected on this unit.”

Another card appeared on its side.

“I summon Alien Hunter in Attack Mode,” it said.

In a sparkling beam of light, a new Monster slowly took form. It looked like a humanoid lizard with brown scales, a crested head, and a long tail. It gripped a long, metal, rod-like weapon in its claws, both ends of which crackled with energy. It glared at Trisha, and its eyes glowed red. (1,600/800)



http://www.ideal808.com/images/potd-en026.jpg


“Another Alien?” asked Jason.

“I have a feeling a lot of its Monsters are Aliens,” said Russell. “And I hope Trisha has some idea how these cards work…

“…because I sure don’t…”

“Alien Hunter has a potent ability,” said Codam. “It specializes in tracking down organisms that are marked with Alien Counters. Thus, if it destroys a Monster with an Alien Counter, it is allowed to attack again.

“Alien Hunter, attack Dekoichi. Otherworldly electrostaff.”

Alien Hunter leapt up, twirling its weapon above its head. It made three quick swipes with the staff, and Dekoichi gave a look of surprise…

Then it exploded, into a scattering of flaming metal.

“Now, attack one the Bokoichis.”

Again, the Hunter slashed with its spear, and one of the three Freightening Cars exploded.



[B](T: 7,500) (C: 6,000)


“I end my turn,” said Codam. “And since you have two less Machines, your Prototype falls from 2,000 Attack Points to 1,800.”

“I have news for you,” said Trisha, drawing. “That’s still 200 points stronger than your Alien!

“Prototype, attack Alien Hunter! Laser phaser!”

Prototype fired his weapon, and Alien Hunter howled. It burst into an explosion of slime and other nasty residue.



[B](T: 7,500) (C: 5,800)


“You think you can scare me with a bunch of Fiends just because they come from outer space?” asked Trisha. “I’ll have you know…”

”Fiends?” interrupted Codam. “Actually, these Monsters are classified as Reptiles.”

“My mistake,” said Trisha. “You think you can scare me with aliens? I’ll have you know that one of my all-time favorite movies was Independence Day. And it gets better every single time I see it!”

”I believe it is my draw…” said Codam.

A new card appeared.

“And I drew a Monster called an Alien Skull,” it said. ”I could simply summon it, but it is not powerful enough to defeat your Prototype. However, because your Prototype has only three stars, I can use the special effect of Alien Skull…

“I sacrifice your Machine King Prototype to Special Summon it to your side of the field.”

Trisha stared in disbelief as Prototype started to sizzle and smoke…

It exploded into burning, broken metal, and a tall, gangly alien with long, rubbery limbs and a skull-like face rose off the floor. (1,600/1,800)



http://www.ideal808.com/images/potd-en025.jpg


“You mean this thing is mine?” asked Trisha.

”Affirmative,” said Codam.

“I don’t think I want it…” said Trisha in disgust.

”There is one condition,” said Codam. ”It now gets one Alien Counter.”

Another of the nasty slugs shot forward, and attached to Alien Skull’s chest. It groaned, and gripped its torso.

”I am not allowed to Normal Summon on a round where I use Alien Skull’s effect,” continued Codam. ”Therefore, I will place one card facedown, and conclude my turn.”

One of his cards vanished, and a facedown card appeared in front of it.

Trisha drew a card.

Nanobreaker… she thought.

She looked hard at Alien Skull, and then at Codam’s facedown card.

That facedown card is a concern, she thought, but if I attacked with both Nanobreaker and this… thing, I could do some real damage…

She played a card.

“I summon Nanobreaker in Attack Mode,” she said.

She played the card, and in a flash of light, Nanobreaker appeared, holding her sword aloft. (1,600/1,800)



http://www.ideal808.com/images/een-en018.jpg


“Nanobreaker, attack…” she started.

”I activate… Brainwashing Beam,” said Codam.

Its Trap Card lifted, showing the image of Alien Grey with glowing eyes.

“This Continuous Trap Card lets me take control of one Monster that has at least one Alien Counter on it,” it explained.

Alien Skull’s eyes glazed over, and it floated over to Codam’s side.

Nuts, thought Trisha. If I attacked with Nanobreaker, I’d lose her… I can’t afford that right now…

“I end my turn,” she said.

”Very well,” said Codam, drawing.

The card he had just drawn revealed itself.

”I will activate Pot of Greed,” it said.

The jar appeared, and two more cards appeared in front of Codam. It shattered into pixels.

“I never understood human emotions such as greed,” it continued, ”but if a card gives me such an advantage, I will use it.

“And in case you are wondering, Brainwashing Beam is not without a limitation. On my End Phase, the controlled Monster loses one Alien Counter, and when it has none, the Trap is destroyed.

“Thus, I sacrifice Alien Skull…”

Alien Skull vanished in an aura of light.

”…and summon Flying Saucer Muusik’i in Defense Mode.”

A bright light lit up the room, and a huge object descended from the ceiling. It was a giant, saucer-shaped UFO, blinking with colored lights.

As it positioned itself over the field, it hummed eerie music from deep within, reminding the three students of the time they watched Close Encounters of the Third Kind on the classic movie channel. (1,000/2,000)



http://www.ideal808.com/images/potd-en030.jpg


“So what does that thing do?” asked Jason.

“I have a feeling that it does far more than act as a defensive wall…” muttered Russell, nervously.

“Now I will place three of my cards facedown…” continued Codam.

Three of his cards vanished, and then appeared facedown on the field.

“And I will end my turn by playing the Field Spell Card, Area 51,” it said.

A mist rose in the room, followed by a dark vortex, and they were transported to an outdoor location. The three humans looked around. They were on the street of a large military base, surrounded by desert mountains, under a night sky. Behind Codam, an ominous alien craft was parked.

”Let me put one rumor to rest,” said Codam. ”The Groom Lake Air Force Base, otherwise known as Area 51, does exist, but no aliens live there. It is simply a place where the military conducts operations that civilians cannot know about. However, the legends behind this top-secret facility prompted a designer at Industrial Illusions to create this card.

“It gives two benefits to any Monster with the word ‘Alien’ in its name. First, they are unaffected by Spells, Traps, and Monster effects that target. Second, if they are attacked while in Attack Mode, they can be moved to Defense Mode.

“It is your move.”

Trisha drew a card.

“I summon Mechanicalchaser in Attack Mode,” she said.

She played a card, and the mechanical bounty hunter appeared. (1,850/800)



http://www.ideal808.com/images/db2-en093.jpg


“Since I can’t beat your spaceship’s defense,” she said, “I’ll end my turn there.”

”Very well,” said Codam. ”I now invoke the special effect of Flying Saucer Muusik’i. I can forfeit my normal Draw Phase to instead add to my hand any card in my deck that has the word ‘Alien’ in its name.”

A beam of light shot from Muusik’i, and a card materialized next to Codam’s other two.

“It’s like an Alien Freed!” shouted Russell.

”Now I will summon Alien Warrior in Attack Mode,” continued the computer.

A new Alien appeared. This one looked similar to Alien Hunter, but far more ferocious and bestial. It had teeth like daggers, and claws that were bigger than its head. Its torso and limbs were covered with armor plating. While Alien Hunter resembled a humanoid lizard, this one could better be described as a humanoid dinosaur.

It let out a feral roar. (1,800/1,000)



http://www.ideal808.com/images/potd-en027.jpg


“Alien Warrior,” said Codam. “Terminate the Nanobreaker with cosmic claw.”

The Warrior’s eyes glowed red, and it lunged forward, swiping with both talons…

Nanobreaker gave a look of shock…

And then her upper torso separated from her waist and fell to the ground! Trisha looked in horror as what was left of her shattered into pieces.



[B](T: 7,300) (C: 5,800)


She glared angrily at Codam.

“Having fun?” she asked.

”Immensely,” it replied.

“Well, that’s about to change,” she said with bile in her voice. “I’m not about lose to some… inanimate object!”

”Careful,” said Codam. ”Some of my best friends were objects.”

She drew a card.

I think it’s goading me, she thought. But I can’t risk him getting a chance to make a double sacrifice…

“Mechanicalchaser, attack Alien Warrior!” she shouted.

Mechanicalchaser flew forward…

”I activate the effect of Area 51,” said Codam, ”moving Alien Warrior to Defense Mode to avoid taking damage.”

Alien Warrior crouched in Defense. Mechanicalchaser slashed at it with its knives. The vile beast screamed, and burst into alien guts.

“And it’s goodbye ugly!” laughed Trisha.

“Affirmative,” said Codam. “But when Alien Warrior is destroyed in battle, the Monster who destroyed it gets TWO Alien Counters.”

Two of the hideous slugs flew forward and attached to Mechanicalchaser.

“You crummy…” said Trisha. “That’s all I can do…”



[B](T: 7,300) (C: 5,800)


“I invoke the ability of Muusik’i again,” said Codam.

The beam of light shot from the spaceship, and a card appeared on his side of the field.

“Then I will summon the Monster I just searched for,” it continued. ”A second Alien Hunter.”

Another Hunter appeared, holding aloft its weapon. (1,600/800)

“Next,” it said, as one of his facedown cards lifted, “I activate Call of the Haunted.”

The Alien Grey appeared in front of it, in a beam of light. (300/800)

“Being one who trusts logic more than anything,” it continued, ”I am quite aware that restoring life to what is dead is a scientific impossibility. But if the creators of this game wanted to make that possible in this fiction, so be it.

“Next, I activate another Trap, called Crop Circles.”

Another facedown card lifted, showing the image of a group of enigmatic crop circles.

“When this card is activated,” it explained, ”I can sacrifice any Monsters on the field I desire, add together their star levels, and Special Summon an Alien from my deck whose star level matches the total. Thus, I will sacrifice my two-star Alien Grey and my four-star Alien Hunter…”

The two Aliens transformed into orbs of light, and vanished.

”And as a result, I will summon Alien Mother.”

A dark shape rose on Codam’s side of the field, and a hideous female creature appeared. The reptilian alien was ten feet tall, with a white, armored carapace, four arms ending in horrible claws, and teeth like daggers. (2,300/1,500)



http://www.ideal808.com/images/potd-en028.jpg


“Oo…kay…” muttered Jason. “So she’s big, tough, and mean-looking, but who knows? She might be friendly…”

Alien Mother let out a fierce roar, providing all the proof they needed that that was not the case. She glared at Trisha with an expression that looked like nothing less than she wanted to eat her.

”Alien Mother,” said Codam, “attack the Mechanicalchaser. Bite from beyond.”

Alien Mother grabbed the Machine, and with a loud chomp, sank her teeth into it! It burst into an explosion of flames.

“And when Alien Mother destroys a Monster with at least one Alien Counter on it,” continued Codam, ”the destroyed Monster is Special Summoned to my side of the field at the end of my Battle Phase.”

In a flash of light, Mechanicalchaser appeared on Codam’s side. It was dented and battered, but was still in working order.

“I will now set one facedown card,” said the computer.

A facedown card appeared next to his other one.

”Ready to give up?”

“I’ll never surrender to you, you bucket of bolts!” shouted Trisha, drawing a card.



[B](T: 6,250) (C: 5,800)


Ah, Mirror Force! she thought, looking at it. This Trap certainly doesn’t target. Time to fight the modern with the old fashioned!

“I’ll place one card facedown,” she said, playing the card, “and summon Battle Footballer in Defense Mode.”

A facedown card appeared, and then the athletic android appeared. (1,000/2,100)



http://www.ideal808.com/images/dcr_001.jpg


“Your move…” she said.

“I will make a normal draw this time…” said Codam.

A card appeared.

“And I will play Premature Burial to bring back Alien Grey once again.”

Alien Grey appeared. (300/800)

“Next I will activate a Trap Card called Orbital Bombardment,” it said, as one of his facedown cards lifted, showing the image of Flying Saucer Muusik’i firing a beam of energy towards earth.

“This lets me sacrifice one Alien to destroy one Spell or Trap Card.”

Alien Grey vanished, and a beam of burning light shot from Flying Saucer Muusik’i. Trisha’s facedown card was blown to ashes.

”A Mirror Force,” said Codam. ”Typical of a simple minded human.”



Continued…

[Dark Sage]

Continued from last post:



”Next, I will summon one of my most powerful Monsters. It is a seven-star Monster called Cosmic Horror Gangi’El. However, due to one of its effects, if I sacrifice a Monster that formerly belonged to my opponent, it can be Normal Summoned with one sacrifice.

“So I sacrifice Mechanicalchaser to summon Cosmic Horror Gangi’El.”

Mechanicalchaser vanished…

And a huge, hulking form rose up. It looked nothing less like a huge brain, covered with slime, walking on tentacles and crustacean-like legs. It had several slimy bumps on its body which suggested eyes. It was even bigger than Alien Mother, and was as broad as it was tall. (2,600/2,000)



http://www.ideal808.com/images/potd-en029.jpg


“EEWW!” shouted Jason.

“I thought this duel might get ugly…” said Russell, “but I never imagined something that ugly!”

“Beauty and ugliness mean nothing to me,” answered Codam. “Indeed, concern for aesthetic is another human weakness. All that should matter in a weapon is how useful it is.

“Take, for example, this creature’s other effect. Once per my turns, I can put one Alien Counter on any Monster on the field.”

One of the hideous slugs flew from Cosmic Horror Gangi’El and attached to Battle Footballer.

“Next,” it said, “I activate my last Trap, a second Brainwashing Beam. You remember how this works…”

The Trap lifted, and a spell came over Battle Footballer. It was dragged over to Codam’s side.

“Now I will switch Battle Footballer and Flying Saucer Muusik’i into Attack Mode…”

Battle Footballer stood up and Flying Saucer Muusik’i floated into a battle position.

”…and then have them attack the last two Bokoichis.”

Battle Footballer charged, punching one of the Freightening Cars and smashing it to bits.

Flying Saucer Muusik’i blasted a beam of burning light from its dome, and vaporized another one.

Trisha looked at the other two Monsters with fear…

“Alien Mother,” said Codam, “attack the human directly.”

Trisha screamed as Alien Mother grabbed her with two of her powerful arms, and then chomped her jaws on her head!

She backed off, and Trisha held her head…

”Gangi’El, attack with toxic sludge spray,” said the computer.

Trisha screamed again, as the Cosmic Horror spewed forth a gout of foul black liquid, covering her from head to toe.

Don’t panic… she told herself, as she felt it burn. It’s only a hologram… it’s only a hologram…

Aw, spit…

She screamed…



[B](T: 1,350) (C: 5,000)


“Trisha!” shouted Jason. “Are you okay?”

“Well…” she gasped. “I could use a shower or twelve…”

“I end my turn,” said Codam. ”That means Battle Footballer loses that Alien Counter, so Brainwashing Beam is destroyed.”

The Trap shattered, and Battle Footballer floated back to Trisha’s side of the field.

Trisha slowly drew a card.

“I play Graceful Charity!” she shouted.

She played the card, and drew three cards. She looked at them.

She discarded Rare Metalmorph and Mighty Guard.

“Take this!” she shouted. “Swords of Revealing Light!”

She played the card, and the cage of shimmering swords crashed down around Codam.

”An annoyance,” it said. ”Nothing more.”

“We’ll see,” said Trisha. “I sacrifice Battle Footballer, to summon Cyber-Tech Alligator!”

Battle Footballer vanished, and the robotic reptile appeared. (2,500/1,600)



http://www.ideal808.com/images/G3_10.jpg


”Pathetic,” said Codam. ”Only 2,500 Attack Points?”

“Yes, and that’s 200 more than your Alien Mother,” added Trisha. “Cyber-Tech Alligator, attack Alien Mother with blast breath!”

”Have you forgotten the effect of Area 51?” asked Codam. ”I can move Alien Mother to Defense Mode, to avoid taking damage.”

Alien Mother crouched in Defense Mode.

The cyborg shot a chilling mist from its jaws, and Alien Mother shrieked. She fell backwards, and shattered into a blast of white shards.

“So what do you say to that?” asked Trisha.

”My draw…” said Codam.

A new card appeared on his side of the field.

“I move Flying Saucer Muusik’i back to Defense Mode,” it said.

The UFO assumed a defensive position.

“And I play Monster Reborn to bring Alien Mother back.”

He played his card. The ankh appeared, and Alien Mother rose up again. (2,300/1,500)

“Next, I’ll use Gangi’El’s effect to place an Alien Counter on Cyber-Tech Alligator.”

One of the slugs flew from the Cosmic Monster, and attached to the Alligator.

“Should you have it attack Alien Mother again, it would be doing so with 2,200 Attack Points,” said Codam, ”and it would be destroyed.

“I end my turn.”

Trisha drew a card.

“I summon Red Gadget in Defense Mode,” she said, playing a card.

Red Gadget appeared, crouching in Defense. (1,300/1,500)



http://www.ideal808.com/images/le6_jp002.jpg


“And that means I get to pull Yellow Gadget from my deck,” she continued, taking her deck.

She got what she wanted, and added it to her hand.

“And by the way, Codam,” she said, “my Monsters may be considered to have 300 less Attack Points whenever they battle an Alien when they have an Alien Counter…

“But I do not see the word ‘Alien’ on your Muusik’i!

“Cyber-Tech Alligator, wipe out Flying Saucer Muusik’i!”

Cyber Tech Alligator fired a mighty blast, and sparks started to fly all over the immense spaceship. Finally, it crashed, and burst in a huge explosion.

“She’s getting there…” said Russell.

“And Codam has used up Call of the Haunted, Premature Burial, and Monster Reborn,” added Jason. “The tide might be turning…”

Codam drew a card.

“I activate the Spell Card, Pot of Avarice,” it said, as the card spun around.

A hint of annoyance was in its voice as images of Alien Skull, Alien Warrior, both Alien Hunters, and Flying Saucer Muusik’i appeared. Then they vanished, and two cards appeared in front of him.

“I’ll have Gangi’El place a second Alien Counter on your Alligator,” it said.

Another of the slugs appeared on the Machine.

“Next, I’ll place one card facedown,” it said, “and end my turn. One round to go.”

Trisha drew a card...

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

She drew two cards, and looked at them…

Machine King, and…

Huh? she thought.

She looked at the other card.

It was that strange card that she had shuffled into her deck. But now, the text and title were perfectly clear.

She read the description. Her heart skipped a beat…

This was another Card of Virtue!

She got a sly idea… Perhaps she could save it for now…

She added it to her hand.

“I sacrifice Red Gadget to summon Machine King!” she shouted.

Red Gadget vanished, and Machine King appeared. (2,200/2,000) –> (2,400/2,000)



http://www.ideal808.com/images/db2-en099.jpg


“Attack Alien Mother!” shouted Trisha.

Machine King prepared to attack.

“Good effort,” said Codam, ”but I had a Trap ready…”

Its Trap Card lifted.

“Zero Gravity. This switches the battle positions of all Monsters on the field.”

Both of Trisha’s Monsters and both of Codam’s crouched in Defense Mode.

“Then I end my turn,” said Trisha.

Codam drew a card.

“I switch both my Monsters back to Attack Mode,” it said, as the two beasts stood up.

”Then I use Gangi’El’s effect to put an Alien Counter on Machine King.”

One of the slugs flew forward, and attached to Machine King.

”You may as well keep them in Defense Mode,” said Codam. ”It will not be hard for my creatures to destroy them next turn.

“My turn ends, as does the effect of your Swords.”

The Swords vanished.

“Then watch out!” shouted Trisha, drawing a card.

She played the special card she had gotten.

“I play… Celestial Forge!”

The card glowed with intense light.

…Temperance…

”What?” said Codam. ”Illogical. ‘Celestial Forge’ does not exist in the database.”

“This card comes from a power from far beyond,” said Trisha. “Even farther beyond than your Aliens! Let me explain.

“I play this card on the round where I sacrifice one or more Monsters to summon a Machine-Type Monster. Then I pay half my Life Points…

“And then, for one round only, the Machine I summon gains the base Attack Points and Defense Points of the Monsters I used as sacrifice!

“So, I sacrifice Machine King and Cyber-Tech Alligator…”

The two Machines vanished…

“To summon… Oh yeah… Perfect Machine King!”

Perfect Machine King appeared, and glowed with golden fire! (2,700/1,500) –> (7,400/5,100)



http://www.ideal808.com/images/rds-en0121.jpg


”Illogical…” muttered Codam.

“And since the word ‘Alien’ is not on your Cosmic Horror,” said Trisha, “it doesn’t benefit from your Field Spell! Perfect Machine King, attack Cosmic Horror Gangi’El with multi-mega-missile assault!”

Perfect Machine King fired a round of blazing blasts from its shoulder cannons, and the hideous space monster exploded into bursts of colored light!



[B](T: 675) (C: 200)


“Your move…” said Trisha, as Perfect Machine King returned to his base stats of (2,700/1,500)

A new card appeared in front of Codam.

”I place one card facedown,” it said, ”and move Alien Mother into Defense Mode.”

Alien Mother crouched in Defense.

“Then I’ll move!” said Trisha.

“I play Double Spell!” she exclaimed, playing a card. “Now, I’ll just discard this…”

She discarded Soul Release.

“And duplicate the Heavy Storm in your Graveyard!”

A fierce wind blew over the field again. Codam’s facedown card, revealed to be Sakuretsu Armor, lifted up and shattered, and then the buildings of Area 51 crumbled into dust.

“I figured,” said Trisha. “I summon Yellow Gadget in Attack Mode.”

She played the card, and Yellow Gadget appeared. (1,200/1,200)



http://www.ideal808.com/images/le6_jp003.jpg


“Perfect Machine King, destroy Alien Mother!”

Perfect Machine King blasted its missiles, and Alien Mother was eradicated.

“Think Sigourney Weaver could have used one of these guys?” she asked.

There was no response. Trisha shrugged.

“Yellow Gadget, attack directly and finish it off!”

Yellow Gadget flew forward and punched the huge computer, and the image on the screen was now starting to blur.



[B](T: 675) (C: 0)


”Beaten…” said Codam. ”Not logical…”

Sparks started to fly from its cabinet.

”NOT LOGICAL!”

“Man…” said Jason. “Talk about a sore loser…”

“It might be worse…” said Russell.

Codam’s face vanished.

”Warning… warning…” said a voice from the computer. ”Core approaching critical mass…”

“He’s gonna blow!” shouted Trisha. “We gotta run for it!”

“Run?” said Russell. “If that xenothium core ruptures, there’ll be nowhere to run to!”

Codam started to glow fiercely…

Suddenly, Jason got an idea.

He activated his Disk, and took the two top cards off of it…

D.D. Warrior Lady, and The Eye of Timaeus.

He placed both on his Disk, and the Warrior Lady appeared…

And then Timaeus appeared, with a roar!

“Timaeus!” he shouted, “merge with D.D. Warrior Lady to form Void Dragon!”

The Dragon and the Warrior merged, and a Dragon that seemed to be a pure black void in the shape of a Dragon appeared.

“Go, my Void Dragon!” he shouted. “Take it down!”

Void Dragon flew towards the mad computer…

And then, the three students were thrown off their feet, as a blast of pure light consumed the room…



[B]* * * * * * * * * *


Fear appeared in Cleo’s eyes…

The demonic creature slithered forward, and stabbed its spear into her torso.

She collapsed, her Life Points falling to nothing.

“Too bad…” muttered the Master. “I didn’t get a chance to use half of what I wanted to use.”

The chains tightened around Cleo, holding her down tightly again.

“Well, Cleo, we had a deal…” continued the demon.

Cleo howled as flames erupted around her, and fire burned at her skin…

The Master smiled and turned away, leaving her to scream in the darkness.


Saturday, October 31st, 2106, 2:10 PM



AREA 51 (Spell Card)

Card Specs

Type: Spell/Field
Attribute: –
Level: –
ATK: –
DEF: –

Image: Four soldiers standing guard over a spaceship.

Card Description: All Monsters on the field with the word “Alien” in their names are not affected by card effects that target. If a Monster with the word “Alien” in its name is attacked while in Attack Position, the controller may move it to Defense Position.



CELESTIAL FORGE (Spell Card)

Card Specs

Type: Spell/Card of Virtue
Attribute: –
Level: –
ATK: –
DEF: –

Virtue: Temperance

Image: A muscular deity pounding a golden sword into shape on a large anvil.

Card Description: Pay half your Life Points to activate this card. On the round you activate this card, if you Tribute Summon a MACHINE-Type Monster, increase the ATK and DEF of the summoned Monster by the base ATK and DEF, respectively, of the Monster(s) you used as Tribute to summon it until the End Phase of your turn.


[B][I]Coming up next:

A guest star appears, as the gates of the monastery loom overhead, and the goal is in sight. Who is this strange individual, and why is he here? Find out in a chapter called “Mysterious Guard” coming up next.

[The_Missing_Link]

You know, I was rather happy when you agreed with my suggestion and put aside Dark Messiah to work on the other two. However, unlike Shuppet Master, I don't pour on the praise every single second. Why say thank you when you took my suggestion? It was a suggestion, not a plea for help. In all honesty, I didn't even think you would take it but you did and I was surprised



And if this person wanted so badly for me to work on my other fics, she should have noticed when I did.

[color=teal]And what did we get while this was on hiatus? Nothing from Pokemonese and the shortest chapter from P.I. I've ever seen. You know that I don't respond to your fics that often - go and look through all three of them. But if I reply, it should seem pretty obvious that I continue to read every chapter afterwards


The reason I asked you to put this on hiatus was that it's looking stale to me. Same type of danger, same type of heroes, two boys and one girl with the girl falling/is in love with one of the the guys, same villian...it just looks all the same to me. And sitting over there in the background are two fics that look like they'll never be finished, especially Pokemonese. I honestly expect this fic to finish before the other two and then you'll start up another Yu-Gi-Oh fic that'll look and feel the same while the others languish, possibly getting a new chapter once every other month

It's like you refuse to change or take anything to heart. I honestly thought the other two fics would get some kind of advancement, perhaps having Pokemonese finish after all this time but it didn't. After two weeks, you snapped and went back to the beaten path. You're not the sucker, I am

[jkBAKURA]

Ouch! I think we just found an award winner for Least Subtle Responce!

First of all, I can't speak for Sage, but I don't think he's planning another YGO fic in the future. Second, I still say that as long as the quality is good, frequency in updates is a secondary issue. Third of all, let the author write for himself. It's never an author's job to bend to the wishes of readers. He did you a favor because he wanted to, he didn't owe you a thing.

Anyway, the chapter. It's obvious with the TTB chapter fresh that I make a comparison or two. You obviously managed to use a few cards that didn't appear in that. I will say that without reading the other chapter first, I wouldn't even know how those cards worked.

It's completely the fault of the similar theme, but the fact that some combos were repeated made me hungry for something more then what the chapter gave me. Shame you wrote this before the other Alien support was released, but maybe you couldn't have found a place for them anyway. Plus, I have to thank you for not using a field that was just another 500 point booster and nothing else.

One minor difference, is with the monsters being mechanical, it didn't give the disturbing factor that Paradox did. While a different representation, it's good to know that two authors can visualise things differently. Keeps the imagination from being board.

Anyhow, no idea what's next, but I'll be here to find out

[The_Missing_Link]

He didn't owe me a thing but he took my suggestion anyway, which was of his own choice. Unfortunately, he did almost nothing with it. And people have different views on what's quality and what isn't


I don't know who came up with the alien thing first but it's a shame to two battles of almost the same style appear so close together. Obviously it doesn't feel as new since Paradox already did it but I doubt it was in your control. And I hate cards that can turn the tide of a battle in the heroes' favor in an instant but I suppose that's what Virtue Cards do

[Inferno_Dragon]

It did seem similiar to Lucifer's battle with Samus but it was interesting. The Area 51 Field Spell Card was a nice addition and the Trisha's opponent was interesting. You rarely see computers or machines actually duel duelists unless it is a test (like Kaiba did to test out with Obelisk in his Deck.)

Dark Sage, do what you want to do. Sure, you do have 3 fanfics to switch between but I know you can do it.

Keep up the good work!!

[Master of Paradox]

I don't know who came up with the alien thing first but it's a shame to two battles of almost the same style appear so close together.


For the record, he did. I can't remember exactly when he mentioned the Alien cards to me, but he pointed me in their direction. (And by the way, the two-guys-and-a-love-interest hero teams are so common that I've dubbed them "Three-Man Bands" in my Yu-Gi-Oh glossary I can't find a home for.)

But, my friend Dark Sage, the Missing Link has a very good point. And this chapter, oddity of a deck theme notwithstanding, sums up the problems. It's practically interchangeable with the other chapters.

You'd think a computer would stand out from regular duelists. But Codam, aside from not using exclamation points until the end (which is hardly new - not to toot my own horn, but Gerald and Jacob from TTB already did that), blends in with every other opponent they've faced so far. I know that, given the limited stock of Alien cards, some duplication was par for the course, and appreciated seeing the cards I couldn't work into the Samus chapter... but this was a letdown. Maybe if Codam were more like HAL... or Joshua... hell, KITT from Knight Rider would've done.

We've only seen two of them so far, neither of them contest winners, but the Cards of Virtue are already getting boring. Will they all have deities on them? Come to think of it, the Cards of Sin are fairly uniform, too. Even your gamebreaking cards are routine.

This chapter wasn't particularly bad - the duel moved at a good pace and was free of the fanservice-y referencing I handcuffed myself with in my own Alien duel. But it was so middle-of-the-road as to be a barometer of this story's overall problems - it's just not distinctive anymore. Sometimes I doubt it ever was.

(And I have problems with P.I. as well, but that's off-topic.)

[opaltiger]

I feel it's time to break my lurking for a minute and agree with TML - So far, all four of your YGO fics have followed the same plot, more or less. Basically the only difference here is that there was no tournament or such thing involved.

However, the CSR concept is pure brilliance, and there are so many things that can be done with that - which, I imagine, is why Paradox allows (allowed?) others to use his ideas - and yet you update that once a month. I really fail to see the point.

And finally, Pokemonese has been running for what, years? In that time you've written how many YGO fics?

[mr_pikachu]

*rubs temples*

Let me say a couple of things. It is up to each writer to choose what he or she wants to write the most. This can lead to some unpopularity in those choices if there are multiple fics running at once, but I wouldn't venture to criticize someone for choosing on what to focus.

That being said, whenever a fic is delayed for a period of time, it's nice to be able to look at the eventual update and say, "Wow! So that's why it took so long to write. That was definitely worth the wait!" If the writing blows you away, how can you complain? I know I'm hardly perfect in either update speed or writing skill, and I don't claim to be. I, too, have to improve.

Now, I'll just the question posed by opaltiger, and then I'll be on my way.



Pokemonese began on February 2, 2004.

Yu-Gi-Oh! fics started and completed since then:
Yu-Gi-Oh! Junior: City of Souls*
Yu-Gi-Oh! Junior: The Mandate of Heaven
Yu-Gi-Oh! Junior: The Thousand-Year Door (Acts One and Two)

Yu-Gi-Oh! fics currently being written:
Yu Gi Oh! Dark Messiah
Shadow Realm: P.I.

*The thread is missing, but this is logical since Legacy of the Duelist was completed after Pokemonese began.

[Blademaster]

Y'know, when I saw this chapter for the first time earlier today, my initial response was... well, don't laugh, but that lame "Welcome Back, Kotter" theme came to mind... I know, I'm the only one who still remembers that song. :sweat:

Now, avoiding the big debate/whatever...

Yes, the Alien cards again was a bit of a letdown, and yes, CODAM wasn't nearly as smart as it should've been (You'd think it'd have had a near-perfect strategy instead of a theme deck, but I guess Amanda already did that way back when...)

However, onto the positive:

-Seeing the Alien cards was cool, though they weren't really as scary as Paradox made them out to be.
-The new Alien cards (the Saucer and Area 51) were pretty cool - Duel Monsters needs more advanced-tech cards like that (And I believe CODAM was wrong when it said no aliens were ever found and put in Area 51, but that's neither here nor there.).
-I'm glad to see I'm not the only Independence Day fan still around. :rolleyes:

I was actually expecting a machine duelist, so so far my prediction record stands at 1-1; will I be right next time?

...No. Probably.

But I'll still be here to read it when it happens. :wave:

-Blade

BTW, what do you mean by 'gamebreaking cards,' Paradox?

[Pokemasterkatie]

BTW, what do you mean by 'gamebreaking cards,' Paradox?
He meant cards that get onto the banned list a lot--or for life, like Raigeki.XD

[Shuppet Master]

I believe CODAM was wrong when it said no aliens were ever found and put in Area 51

Actually, Blade, my dad mentioned that Area 51 was used for illegal airplane jump tests to see how much damage a human could sustain at various heights jumping from a plane, and their highest one was still alive, so they hid him in the base to fix him up and made the rumors to keep paparazzi away.

I tried to reply, but somehow the server crashed on me. :(

To TML, if I praised Brian profusely, it's because I like his stuff. I wouldn't have even written Anansi if I hated it. Of course, that was probably my fanboy self, and I regret writing that story now, but hopefully my next story will be better. (Brian contributed to my next project, but I won't say how.)

Great chapter, and nice use of some of the Muss'iki which Paradox didn't use. I was expecting CODAM to bust out Chimeratech(I just saw the last dub episode where Zane summoned it) but the Aliens was a good theme.

[Master of Paradox]

BTW, what do you mean by 'gamebreaking cards,' Paradox?


Things like the Enchanted Cards from TYD, the Cards of Sin and Virtue from this story, and my own Cards of Night and Heaven's Gifts - supernatural cards that tend to be far more powerful than anything in the actual game.

And Shuppet, I tried to work Muusik'i into my story, but it's hard to pull off by real-game rules (where you have to set Defense Mode monsters facedown).

[The_Missing_Link]

To TML, if I praised Brian profusely, it's because I like his stuff. I wouldn't have even written Anansi if I hated it. Of course, that was probably my fanboy self, and I regret writing that story now, but hopefully my next story will be better. (Brian contributed to my next project, but I won't say how.)

What I meant was that you always say good things about his fic and never criticize anything. I don't know if you think all of his chapters are God's gift to the world but for once, I'd like to see some ciritcism from you. Honestly, I see you more as a Yes man than anything

And Blademaster, I love Welcome Back Kotter. I have the theme song on iTunes and my iPod



Actually, I'd like a duel where no one was using a theme. I don't know how hard that would be but it's better than seeing themes all the time

[Mystic_clown]

Aliens huh, that's a new one (well, new to me anyway).

I was expecting less personality from C.O.D.O.M. what with him being a machine and all.

And about the whole 'putting the fic on hold' thing, I thought this would be put off for a lot longer. Sometimes it would take ages for Brian to put a chapter up, so this delay didn't seem like anything (not that I'm complaining)

[Dark Sage]

Request permission for rebuttal...

Okay, I don't need permission. I'll make one anyway.

One. Pokemonese is being worked on as we speak. And I if I start any new fictions before it is done, may I be struck dead by lightning. It's in the home stretch any way.

Two. The Cards of Virtue won't all have deities on them, and there will be some unique ones. One, for example, is a six-star Monster with zero ATK and zero DEF, it must be in Attack Mode for its effect to work, and it can be destroyed by an attack just like any Monster could. These cards will not be too game breaking. Celestial Forge would have been useless in a deck that didn't use Machines. Also, they will not come from nowhere (in fact, in the next chapter, Russell's opponent gives it to him before the duel).

Three. As far as a future Yu-Gi-Oh story goes, I'll only say... Maybe. If I do, I plan on breaking the mold. Maybe two girls and one guy this time. The bare framework I have is basically a "treasure hunt" type of story, and there'll be more than just dueling involved in each major conflict. (Sort of Shadow Games with extra house rules that actually effect the duel itself.)

Four. Becca, if you do not like my work, please don't read it. Whenever you reply at all, it is only to criticise. Read the other fics if you want.


To prove I am working on Pokemonese, here is a preview:


The figure standing next to Gestalt was, to say the least, odd. She - they assumed - appeared to be a human woman, dressed entirely in flowing silks and a veil over her head. No skin was exposed from under those silks; even her hands were covered in velvet gloves. From what they could see though, she had a figure they would kill for.

"Why is she all covered?" asked Celeste.

Gestalt smirked.

"Want to know?" he asked.

He motioned to the strange woman.

"Show them why you're all covered, my dear."

"Uh... are you sure that's wise?" said a voice from the covered form. Her voice was musical and more lovely than anything Sydney and Celeste had ever heard.

"Positive," answered Gestalt.

The strange woman paused.

Gestalt smirked again.

"She won't do it..." he said to Celeste. "She's smarter than that...

"You two are likely wondering why the Enclave was evacuated. Well, here's your reason. This woman, she...

"Well, that's the whole point. That's what her name is...

"She."


Did I whet your appetite? Good. Then be patient, and it will come.

[The_Missing_Link]

Brian, why would I waste my time criticizing you if I didn't like your fics? Messiah may be stale but that doesn't mean I'm going to stop reading it (of course there was Anansi but that's another story). Criticism is meant to show you that your work can always use some improvement but I know some of us feel you just ignore it and continue to write the same things. Again, it's like you resist change

Two girls and one guy? Why does it have to be three people? It's like three people is a set guideline or something. I say take a hard look at your other Yu-Gi-Oh fics in the past, see what you've been doing the same the whole time and then just change it up drastically. That's my suggestion for the day

[Dark Sage]

Technically, there will be five protagonists. They will form two groups, and the group of two are friendly rivals of the group of three.

[Master of Paradox]

Two girls and one guy? Why does it have to be three people? It's like three people is a set guideline or something.


Except on rare occasion, the show had three people - Brian didn't pick "the Trinity" out of thin air. It's also a practical concern - more than that, and it gets hard to keep track; less than that, and it gets boring very quickly. (GX, notably, has one primary character, Jaden; people are quickly getting sick of him.)

[Blademaster]

Actually, I'd like a duel where no one was using a theme. I don't know how hard that would be but it's better than seeing themes all the time

Check chapter 27 of YGO 3.0 when it's done (in about a year or so :sweat:).


Brian didn't pick "the Trinity" out of thin air. It's also a practical concern - more than that, and it gets hard to keep track; less than that, and it gets boring very quickly.

I can vouch for that... :ninja:

Now, can we stop with the debating, please? Both sides have made their points, so can we please just let it go and get back to what this thread is about?

(waves white flag)

[envoy of time]

[color=blue]I have a few thigs i'd like to say.
1.This was a pretty good chapter.I like how jason tried to trick the computer.I honestly did not expect to see the aliens again so soon(See Yugioh Tilting the balance).All and all good chapter.
2.She huh?This sounds very interesting.Can't wait for the chapter.

[Shuppet Master]

Becca is your name, TML? Well then, BECCA, let me prove you wrong. I DO point out errors to Brian, I DO sometimes refute his ideas, and I DO NOT think everything he writes is God's Gift to man. I just tend to say good things either to balance out all the "this chapter is bad" stuff everyone else says(but I do state when I think I have to agree with everyone) or because I just can't think of anything bad to say(or anything at all). If you don't want me "being a yes man", I just won't review his chapters if I can't think of anything to say which hasn't been said before. Happy? :mad:

And BTW, if I don't put up...well, maybe I should go over to my own thread to say this.

[Dark Sage]

This is serious. I've known SM for a long time, and it takes a LOT to get him angry.

I never asked for his blind devotion, I never expected it, and as far as I'm concerned, I never got it. He has his own opinions.

[The_Missing_Link]

I just tend to say good things either to balance out all the "this chapter is bad" stuff everyone else says(but I do state when I think I have to agree with everyone) or because I just can't think of anything bad to say(or anything at all).

Why do you feel a need to balance it out? Kind of sounds like unintentional pity to me. And what I see you post in his fics is where I get my opinion from. I can't look into yours and Brian's minds and see where you differentiate on opinions. My biggest peeve is when you answer questions for him or say something like, "I've read the chapter, you'll be surprised when you read it." I sort of attribute that to overenthusiasm but it also factors in to my Yes man opinion

And no, I didn't mean you thought his work was God's gift. That was just the best way I thought I could word it at the time. I think it would help revise my image of you if you visibly offered criticism sometimes as I feel not every chapter can be perfect

Edit: I'm tired of debating so this will be my last response in here until the new chapter comes up or when I feel a need to reply (and not on this subject)

[Mystic_clown]

Could we please stop debating about this? If you have to argue, DON'T DO IT HERE!!

On another note, there's one thing I've noticed in this chapter that didn't sit right with me. How the heck did Russel find out about Codam? I hardly think his father would even be allowed to tell him of it's existance, let alone the fact it almost leveled Calefornia, even if he is a general.

[Dark Sage]

That's a good question, Mystic Clown. For the answer, read on.

This chapter is called "Mysterious Guard", because Russell duels... a mysterious guard. But he won't be mysterious for long. Parts of the future of the Yu-Gi-Oh mythos will soon come into shape.

[Dark Sage]

[B][I]The third challenge:

Days of Past Reckoning. Only if they are blessed by the one who came before them, will they prove their worth.

I don’t know what that means, and I don’t even know if it’s necessary or not right now.

After all, we’re here. The only thing standing in our way before we can enter the place we’ve been searching for is the guy who’s stuck with guard duty.

Yeah, Russell, keep telling yourself it’s that simple.

I want to believe that the duelist I’m facing is no more than a guard. But there’s an ominous aura around him. Power of a strange sort seems to exude from him, and we haven’t even drawn our first cards yet.

Maybe this IS the third challenge.

I just wish I knew what it meant…




[B][size=3]CHAPTER FORTY-TWO




http://www.ideal808.com/images/lod-021.jpg



Saturday, October 31st, 2106, 2:13 PM



Jason, Trisha, and Russell were lying on the floor of the room. The walls to their left and where they had came had been vaporized, and apparently, so had the mad computer.

Jason sat up and held his head.

“Boy…” he muttered. “That’ll stir up the old migraine…”

He noticed The Eye of Timaeus and D.D. Warrior Lady lying on the floor next to him. He picked them up.

“You think you can warn us before you do something like that again?” asked Russell, rather annoyed.

He sat up and rubbed his head.

“What exactly would that… Void Dragon have done if you had used it in a duel?” asked Trisha.

“Uh…” replied Jason. “If I paid half my Life Points, it would have removed from play every card on the field except itself, and gained 500 Attack Points for each.”

“So what happed to Codam?” asked Trisha.

“Maybe that blast shot it into the Fifth Dimension,” said Jason, with a shrug.

“Uh, people…” said Russell, looking up. “We have other concerns, in case you didn’t notice…”

They got up, and looked through the blasted wall…

It led to a cathedral-sized chamber. At the far end was a set of beautiful stone doors, surrounded by a huge, painted mural!

Surrounding the door were images of the three most powerful beasts that the game of Duel Monsters had ever known…

“Obelisk the Tormentor!” shouted Jason. “Slifer the Sky Dragon! The Winged Dragon of Ra!”

Surrounding the three God Monsters were many other Monsters, all of them easily recognizable. Most of them were very ancient, likely of the kind used in the original Shadow Games.

“Curse of Dragon…” muttered Trisha. “Summoned Skull… Wingweaver…”

“This is it…” said Jason. “This must be the Monastery…”

They approached the stone doors…

And they swung open a crack.

A tall figured stepped out. He – they assumed it was a he – was dressed in a black robe tied together with a red sash, and hood which completely concealed his face. The only part of his flesh they could see were his hands, on which were two metal wristbands.

He muttered an annoyed grunt and gestured, and the doors swung shut with a slam.

“All right,” he said (the voice was clearly masculine, and apparently young). “Where do you three dorks think you’re going?”

“Uh, inside?” asked Russell.

The robbed figure crossed his arms.

“Well sure,” he said sarcastically, “by all means, come in and track mud all over sacred ground. Sorry folks, but this place is for duelists only.”

“I thought the folks here would be friendly…” muttered Jason.

“Uh, I hate to state the obvious…” said Russell (annoyed again).

The three of them pointed to their Disks.

“And you think that impresses me?” asked the guard. “It’s a simple matter to put one of those things on and then put forty cards together. To be a duelist in name is one thing, to be one in spirit is another.”

He looked at Russell intently.

“Nice outfit…” he remarked.

Russell started to get very annoyed.

He looked through his side deck and found The Claw of Hermos.

“This from a guy wearing a bathrobe,” he replied. “If you’re a member of this sect, pal, I’m sure you recognize this…”

“Heh,” said the guard. “And you probably expect me to bow before you right now and kiss your feet, huh?”

He reached into his robes and pulled out a card…

It looked just like The Claw of Hermos!

“That HAS to be a fake!” shouted Russell.

“Of course it’s a fake!” answered the guard, putting it back. “The members of this sect carry these replicas so they know each other…

“I know you clearly aren’t a member, because I have other ways, but how do I know you simply didn’t mug one of my friends and take that from him? Hmm?

“And by the way, make fun of my robes one more time, and you won’t live to regret it.”

Russell stared at him.

Somehow, I don’t think he’s kidding, he thought. This is a guard, after all… He might be hiding a weapon under that outfit.

Might? Unless the members of this sect take a vow of nonviolence, I’d count on it. There’s incredible power in this place… If we try to force our way past him…

He thought for a moment.

But if this place is for duelists only…

“My friends and I have come too far to be turned away by some smart alec,” he said. “If you want proof that I’m a duelist, why not duel me and prove that you’re a decent one? If you even have the guts.”

Russell thought he saw a slight smirk under the hood.

The guard rolled back his left sleeve, and then took a Pocket Disk out of his robe. He attached it to his wristband, and it unfolded.

Apparently, that was just what he had been waiting for.

“Thought you’d never ask,” he said. “Now prepare for a pounding!”

“Russell, are you sure this is a good idea?” asked Trisha.

“We don’t really have a choice,” said Russell. “Besides, this is someone they put on guard duty… How hard can he be?”

He turned to the guard.

“So…” he said. “Do you even have a name?”

“My name is my own,” said the guard. “I share with folks who I want, and I don’t want to share it with you.”

“Fine,” said Russell. “Keep your stupid secrets… I really don’t care.”

“Hold on,” said the guard, reaching into his robe. “Almost forgot… Before we start… catch.”

He tossed him a card. Russell caught it.

He looked at the card. It had the orange boarder of an Effect Monster Card, but there was no picture – it was blank. There was also no text or title.

“And what the heck is this?” asked Russell.

“Beats me,” said the guard. “I was told to give that to the next person who wanted in if we had to duel. I suppose you have to add it to your deck, but in my opinion, you’d be really dumb if you actually did.”

“I’ll say…” said Russell. “It looks worthless.”

“Look, either add it to your deck, or toss it,” said the guard. “I want to get started sometime before the next Ice Age!”

Russell looked at the blank card.

It was blank, but there was something about it that he could sense.

All right… he thought, taking his deck, whatever you are, you’d better be worth it!

He removed Obnoxious Celtic Guardian and shuffled the new card into it.

“Boy, I’ve seen some dumb moves in my time…” said the guard. “But that takes the chocolate éclair.”

“Just duel…” answered Russell. “Ready… Battle!”

His Disk activated.



[B](Russell: 8,000) (?: 8,000)


“Now let’s duel!” said the guard, drawing his first card.

He looked at it.

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

“So, you think you’re a real duelist?” asked the guard. “Here’s some encouragement…

“…don’t do anything else stupid!”

Russell was now truly angry. He drew a card.

Don’t do anything else stupid? he thought to himself. This guy is really getting on my nerves…

Russell placed a card on his Disk.

“I summon… Axe Raider!” he shouted.

In a flash, Axe Raider materialized. (1,700/1,150)



http://www.ideal808.com/images/db2-en092.jpg


“Take out his facedown Monster!” shouted Russell. “Axe bash!”

Axe Raider leapt towards his foe…

A withered old man in a white robe appeared on the card. Axe Raider struck, smashing it to bits.



http://www.ideal808.com/images/ast-0751.jpg


“Spirit Caller?” asked Russell. “Heh. Well, too bad you can’t use its effect… Your Graveyard has no Monsters in it.”

“Perhaps not,” said the guard. “Is that your move?”

“Mmm,” said Russell.

The guard drew a card, and then chose another one.

“Since Spirit Caller is a Light Monster,” he said, “I’ll remove it from play to use Pot of Charity.”

He played the card, and Spirit Caller slipped out of his discard slot.

“Now I’ll draw three more times…”

He drew three cards.

“Next, I’ll play Graceful Charity,” he said. “Which as you know, lets me draw three cards, so long as I ditch two.”

He drew three cards.

“I’ll even show you the two cards I’m tossing,” he said, holding two cards up. “My Enchanting Fitting Room, and my Ojamagic.”

“Ojamagic?” exclaimed Russell.

“Do I have to spell it for you?” asked the guard, discarding the two cards. “Ojamagic. And when this Spell goes to the Graveyard by any means, I get to pull these three guys from my deck.”

He took three cards from his deck and held them up.

“Ojama Yellow, Ojama Green, and Ojama Black!”

“Ojamas?” asked Russell. “I’ve… heard of them…”

“You’re gonna meet them too, soon enough,” said the guard. “Next I’ll play this… Obligatory Summons.”

He played a Spell Card.

“What the…” said Russell.

“I’ll explain in small words, since it’s obvious you’re rather slow,” said the guard. “Your Axe Raider is a Warrior Type, of the Earth Attribute, who has four stars. Since I played this card, you are now required to Special Summon from your hand or deck all the Monsters you can who fall into those three categories.”

Russell looked at him in disbelief…

He took his deck.

“Well…” he said. “If that’s what you really want…”

He placed four cards on his Disk, and four Warriors sprang up. First came Goblin Attack Force (2,300/0), then Gearfried the Iron Knight (1,800/1,600), then Warrior Dai Grepher (1,700/1,600), and finally, Warrior Lady of the Wasteland (1,100/1,200).

“So, is there a point to this?” he asked.

“It will hit you in a minute,” said the guard. “And I’ve just started. I play a second Spell Card. It’s called… Absolute Zero.”

He played the card, and it appeared, showing the image of a thermometer frozen in ice.

“Absolute Zero?” asked Russell. “Are all your cards this weird?”

“It’s a rare card,” replied the guard. “Once I give up 800 Life Points, it lets me Normal Summon in Attack Mode all the Monsters in my hand that I want, so long as the gross total of their Attack Scores is no greater than… zero.

“So I summon Ojama Yellow, Ojama Green, and Ojama Black!”

Three lights formed on the field, and three ugly-looking imps appeared. One was yellow, and had eyes on long stalks. One was green, had one big eye, and a lolling tongue. The last was black, stocky, and had sharp teeth. (0/1,000 x3)



http://www.itstimetoduel.com/cardpictures/DCR-056.jpghttp://www.itstimetoduel.com/cardpictures/IOC-001.jpghttp://www.itstimetoduel.com/cardpictures/IOC-002.jpg


“TA-DA!” they shouted.

Russell raised an eyebrow, and his five Warriors gave puzzled looks.

The three imps turned to the guard.

“HIYA, BOSS!” they shouted.

“Yeah, yeah, great to see you too,” he muttered. “Feeling frisky today guys?”

“You bet!” shouted the yellow one.

“Are we ever!” replied the green one.

“Fine…” said the guard, choosing a card.

“I play the Spell Card… Ojama Delta Hurricane!! Go get ‘em guys!”

The three Ojamas glowed with multicolored flame.

“You got it, boss!” they shouted.

“Black!” yelled the black one.

“Green!” shouted the green one.

“Yellow!” affirmed the yellow one. “Let’s rock this place!”

They started spinning around in a violent lightshow! The Warriors on Russell’s side of the field started to panic and backed up towards each other…

And then, with a multitude of screams, they burst into pixels!

“What happened?” asked Russell.

“These three geeks may look weird,” answered the guard, “but they can be lethal when they’re together. When all three Ojamas are on the field together, that Spell Card can destroy all cards on your side of the field. A little thing called teamwork – a concept I picked up over the years…”



[B](R: 8,000) (?: 7,200)


“He made Russell summon those Monsters…” gasped Jason, “just so he could blow them to bits!”

Russell frowned as the three Ojamas alighted in front of the guard.

“You’re gonna pay for that…” he said. “Your three screwballs have zero Attack Points! I’ll demolish them on my next turn!”

“Who’s a screwball?” said the black one, obviously offended. “You talkin’ to us, chowderhead?”

“But it’s still MY turn,” said the guard, choosing another card.

“Boy, is this guy’s turn going to end sometime this century?” asked Trisha.

The guard played a card, and Polymerization appeared on the field.

“Let’s bring it together guys!” shouted the guard.

The three Ojamas burst into an explosion of stars…

“Let’s all welcome… the King!” exclaimed the guard. “Ojama King that is.”

And then a huge creature appeared in the middle of the arena. It had a round, egg-shaped body, eyes on stalks, a very big mouth, and wore a cape and a crown.



http://www.ideal808.com/images/dp2-en015.jpg


“Heeeeeere’s Johnny!” laughed the huge Beast in a deep voice.

(0/3,000)

“And due to his effect,” continued the guard, “he can now reclassify up to three of the spaces on your Monster Zone as… occupied.”

Russell looked at his Disk, and then a little Ojama King appeared there, with a pen as big as himself. He drew an X on two of the spaces on his zone, and then giggled. He vanished.

“Finally…” said the guard, “I’ll place one card facedown, and end my turn…”

“Finally!” said Russell.

He moved towards his Disk.

This guy is getting on my nerves, he said. But how hard could it be to kill a balloon?

He drew a card.

“I activate my Trap Card!” shouted the guard, as his facedown card lifted. “Go, Ojama Trio!”

As Russell was considering this, three flashes of light appeared on his side of the field…

Then the three Ojamas appeared in front of him! (0/1,000 x3)

They lounged down in a lazy, slouching position and grinned at him.

“What’s the point?” asked Russell. “Why are they on my side of the field?”

“So you can’t use it,” answered the guard. “Ojama Tokens basically take up your side of the field, and they can’t be sacrificed for a Tribute Summon.”

“Good grief…” muttered Trisha. “With Ojama King’s effect, Russell can’t summon anything!”

“Thanks for having us!” squeaked the yellow token.

“Nice place ya got here,” said the black one.

“Sorry we can’t stay…” said the green one.

Sorry they can’t stay? said Russell, looking at his cards. What did he mean by that?

“I pass…” he said. “I can’t do anything right now. Don’t you have any normal cards?”

The guard drew a card.

“Here’s one that’s pretty normal,” he said, holding up a Spell Card. “Pot of Greed.”

He played the card, and drew two cards.

“Now I play… Ojamuscle!” he exclaimed, playing a Spell Card.

“What does that do?” asked Russell, nervously.

“First, it destroys all Ojamas on the field except the King,” answered the guard.

Ojama King grinned. He inhaled, and then sucked the three tokens into his huge mouth.

“And I forgot to mention,” said the guard. “When an Ojama Token is destroyed, you lose 300 Life Points for each.”

Russell cringed as three small explosions burst on his chest.

“Ow…” he muttered.

“And now…” said the guard, “my King gains 1,000 Attack Points for every Ojama that was just destroyed.”

Ojama King grunted and flexed his muscles. His biceps and pectorals bulged! (3,000/3,000)

“Aw… crap…” muttered Russell.

“Ojama King…” shouted the guard. “Attack directly! Ojama belly-flop drop!”

Ojama King leapt high into the air… Russell gulped…

With a crash, the enormous Beast body-slammed into him!

“Heh, heh…” chuckled the guard. “Your move…”

Ojama King laughed a throaty laugh.

“Give me… a minute…” groaned Russell, getting up.



[B](R: 4,100) (?: 7,200)


He held his head for a minute, and then looked at his hand.

Okay, let’s see, he thought. How DO you kill a balloon?

I’d better think of something… My Life Points are almost down to half, and his are way in the lead.

No way am I gonna lose to this wise guy with a bunch of wise guy Monsters…

He drew a card.

“I play my own Graceful Charity,” he said, playing a card. “I can use it too, you know…”

He played the card, and the beautiful angel appeared. He drew three cards.

Good… he thought. This should take care of this problem…

He discarded Gearfried the Swordmaster and Jack’s Knight.

“I summon… Freed the Brave Wanderer!” he exclaimed.

He played the card, and the younger version of General Freed appeared, holding his glowing sword. (1,700/1,200)



http://www.ideal808.com/images/ioc-0141.jpg


“Now, by removing two Light Monsters in my Graveyard from play…” he said.

The two Warriors he had discarded slipped out of his discard slot.

“…Freed can destroy any Monster who’s stronger than he is.”

“Uh oh!” exclaimed Ojama King.

Freed lifted his blade, and an over powering light shown in the chamber. A beam of radiance struck Ojama King, and it cringed, before shattering into globules of light.

“The King… has left the building,” said Russell, with a smirk.

“Eh, you got lucky,” said the guard.

“And you’re out of luck,” said Russell. “Because your side is clear! Freed, attack him directly! Smash him!”

Freed flew forward and slashed at the robed duelist with his sword.

The guard didn’t react in the slightest as it hit him.



[B](R: 4,100) (?: 5,500)


“Sheesh, you could flinch a little…” said Russell.

“Why?” asked the guard. “I’ve taken much worse than that…

“It’s my move…”

He drew a card.

“I play… Re-Fusion,” he said. “This lets me raise one Fusion Monster from my Graveyard so long as I pay 800 Life Points and Equip it with this card.”

He played the card, and Ojama King reappeared, grinning again.

“Good to be back!” he laughed. (0/3,000)

“I hate to say this,” said Russell, “but that card summoned him in Attack Mode, and his Attack is zero again.”

“Look who knows so much,” said the guard, taking another card. “I play another card… De-Fusion!”

He played the card.

“De-Fuse, guys!” he ordered.

Ojama King burst into an explosion of stars, and the three normal Ojamas returned (0/1,000 x3)

“So now what?” asked Russell. “So you have Larry, Moe, and Curly back again…”

“Watch…” said the guard. “I summon a new Monster called Man-Thro’ Tro’, in Defense Mode.”

He played a card, and a fat, hulking ogre with floppy, baggy skin waddled onto the field. It held up its, thick hands and cracked its knuckles. (1,000/1,000)



http://www.ideal808.com/images/ast-0811.jpg


“Ah, no…” muttered Russell.

He had heard of this Monster.

“I’m not seeing much from you in the way of dueling,” said the guard, “so why don’t we try to find another game that you’re good at. Man-Thro’ Tro’, get him!”

Man-Thro’ Tro’ picked up the three Ojamas, and then threw them, one at a time, sending them laughing at Russell. He staggered backwards as they crashed into him.

“Ooh…” he muttered.

“Nope…” said the guard, shaking his head. “I guess you’re not very good at dodgeball either.”



[B](R: 1,700) (?: 4,700)


Man-Thro’ Tro’ crouched in Defense.

“He’s losing…” muttered Jason. “And I don’t know what’s worse about this guy… His attacks, or his attitude…”

“I never knew that Monsters who were so weak could be so strong,” said Trisha. “Wait… did that make sense?”

“My move…” said Russell, angrily drawing a card.



Continued…

[Dark Sage]

Continued from last post:



“I sacrifice Freed the Brave Wanderer…” he said, “to summon Freed the Matchless General!”

The younger version of Freed vanished, and was replaced by the more familiar version. (2,300/1,700)



http://www.ideal808.com/images/db2-en137.jpg


“Not a bad card…” said the guard. “Perhaps you aren’t totally hopeless.”

“I’ll show you…” snarled Russell. “Freed, take out Man-Thro’ Tro’ with blade of the battle scarred!”

The ogre gulped. Freed leapt forward, and slashed at it with his sword. It groaned, and then burst into shards.

“That will do for now…” he muttered.

The guard made a draw.

“I place a card facedown, and place a Monster in Defense Mode,” he said.

He played his last two cards. A facedown card, and a facedown Monster appeared.

“Go ahead…” he said.

Russell looked at his hand.

“I choose to use Freed’s special ability,” he said. “Instead of making my normal draw, I can instead search my deck for any Warrior of four stars or less…”

He looked through his deck.

“And Queen’s Knight should do…

“Now I’ll summon Queen’s Knight.”

Queen’s Knight appeared, holding her sword aloft. (1,500/1,600)



http://www.ideal808.com/images/een-en004.jpg


“Freed, attack his facedown Monster!” he ordered.

Freed charged forward.

A Morphing Jar appeared on the card, and stuck its dark, snake like form out, laughing maniacally. Freed sliced it to ribbons.



http://www.ideal808.com/images/db2-en104.jpg


“Good grief!” shouted Russell.

“Now we each ditch the cards in our hands and draw five new ones,” said the guard.

Nuts… thought Russell, discarding his cards.

His Exiled Force had been in that hand… He had been saving it in case Ojama King appeared again. And so had been one of his Command Knights…

They both made five draws.

“I’m not done…” said Russell. “Queen’s Knight, attack him directly!”

Queen’s Knight leapt forward, and slammed her sword into the duelist.

Once again, he made no reaction. In fact, he just smirked a little.

“Heh,” he said. “Is that your best?”

“All right, it’s official…” said Russell. “You are the most annoying opponent I have ever had!”

“Why thank you,” said the guard. “I always try to stand out…”



[B](R: 1,700) (?: 3,200)


“How could someone who works guarding the door of this place afford a Morphing Jar?” asked Trisha. “That’s a very rare card.”

“Did I ever say I was poor?” asked the guard, in an offended tone, placing his right hand on his hip. “And did I ever say my status at this place was low? Here, everyone takes turns with every job, regardless of their actual status. We all try to cooperate.

“I could be one of the Sage’s elite bodyguards, for all you guys know.”

“Who’s the Sage?” asked Russell.

“Uh, I’ve said too much already,” said the guard. “You’ll meet him if I choose to let you in. In the meantime, I believe it’s my move…”

He drew a card.

“This will slow you down…” he said. “I play Swords of Revealing Light.”

He played the card, and a blizzard of swords shot forward, trapping Russell and his two Warriors.

“Another rare card…” said Trisha. “I should know. This is no mere guard… This a serious duelist…”

“Next,” he said, “I activate my facedown card, Soul Resurrection.”

A Trap Card lifted.

“This lets me raise one Normal Monster from my Graveyard in Defense Mode.”

Ojama Yellow appeared, crouching in Defense.

“Hi, again!” it squeaked.

“That will do for now…” he said.

“I’ll use Freed’s ability again…” said Russell, taking his deck.

He took a card from his deck.

“I choose King’s Knight, and I summon him in Attack Mode.”

King’s Knight appeared, and nodded to Queen’s Knight.



http://www.ideal808.com/images/een-en006.jpg


“Now I play… The A. Forces,” he continued, playing a Spell Card. “Since I have three Warriors on the field, they each gain 600 Attack Points.”

Freed rose to 2,900 Attack, Queen’s Knight rose to 2,100, and King’s Knight rose to 2,200.

“I’ll end my turn there,” he said.

Monster Reborn, Premature Burial, and Call of the Haunted are still in my deck, he thought. If he takes out my Knights, there’s a chance I can reuse Freed the Brave Wanderer’s effect again…

The guard drew a card.

“I’ll also play a Spell Card,” he said. “Dark Factory of Mass Production.”

He played the card, showing the image of a worker on a sinister-looking assembly line.

“Now I can take two Normal Monsters from my Graveyard and add them to my hand,” he continued, taking two cards from his discard slot. “I’ll give you one guess who they are…”

He showed Russell the Ojama Black and Ojama Green cards.

“I’ll end my turn by placing one card facedown,” he said.

He fit one of his cards into his Disk, and it appeared.

“Then I’ll use Freed’s ability again,” said Russell.

He took his deck again.

“I’ll choose Command Knight this time, and summon her to the field.”

He played the card, and the fiery female Warrior appeared. (1,200/1,900) –> (1,600/1,900) –> (2,400/1,900)



http://www.ideal808.com/images/db2-en114.jpg


Freed rose to an Attack of 3,500. King’s Knight rose to 2,800. Queen’s Knight rose to 2,700.

“I’ll end there,” he said.

The guard drew.

He looked at the odd-looking Spell Card.

“I choose to pass this turn…” he said.

Russell paused.

He made a normal draw.

“I will too,” he said.

The Swords vanished.

“My draw again…” said the guard.

He drew a card.

“And I got just what I needed,” he commented. “Here’s a card you might remember… Polymerization. I’ll use it to combine my Ojamas into my King one more time!”

The three Ojamas appeared, and burst into an explosion of stars again. Then the huge Ojama King appeared again, in Attack Mode. (0/3,000)

“Next…” he continued, “I’ll play a Spell Card called… Ojamandala!”

“Ojamandala?” gasped Russell, as the Spell Card appeared. “How do you spell that?”

“Look it up,” said the guard. “This card lets me pay 1,000 Life Points to summon the gruesome threesome from my Graveyard to the field.”

In a flash, the three Ojamas appeared again.

“Next, I’ll play my second Ojamuscle!” he continued. “Remember this?”

Once again, Ojama King inhaled and swallowed the three smaller Ojamas. His muscles bulged again, and he grinned. (3,000/3,000)

“Not again…” muttered Russell.

“Ojama King…” ordered the guard, “attack Queen’s Knight!”

Ojama King pounced, and Queen’s Knight gasped in horror…

Freed, Command Knight, and King’s Knight fled as Queen’s Knight was smashed flat.

The other three Warriors all lost 200 Attack Points.

“I’ll end my turn there,” said the Guard



[B](R: 1,400) (?: 2,200)


“Russell can still win, can’t he?” asked Trisha.

“Sure he can…” answered Jason. “The answer is right in front of him…”

The guard smirked.

I know what you plan to do… he thought. But even if you summon another Warrior, King’s Knight will only have 2,800 Attack Points…

And my facedown card is The Grave of Enkindling, which will let me bring Ojama King right back in Defense Mode. With 3,000 Defense Points, you’ll never crack him.

He looked at one of the two cards in his hand.

And I have Curse of Fiend right here, which will let me move him to Attack Mode…

And then…

He looked at the other card in his hand, a Spell called Ojama Alpha Tornado. He grinned.

Russell considered.

Okay… he thought. I have fourteen cards left in my deck… And six of them are Warriors that I can summon with no sacrifice – two Marauding Captains, Mataza the Zapper, and my three Hero Kids…

Not a good enough chance to leave to luck…

“I use…”

”Russell…” said a voice.

He paused.

“Huh?” he replied, softly.

“Don’t use Freed’s effect,” said the voice. ”Just draw…”

“But…” muttered Russell.

”Trust me, Russell,” said the voice.

Russell paused.

“Who are you?” he asked.

”The newest addition to your deck,” replied the voice.

“Give me a break,” said Russell. “I didn’t put any new Monsters in my…”

He stopped short.

He slowly drew a card.

He looked at the card.

It was that blank card that the guard had tossed to him.

Lovely, he thought. What am I supposed to do with… Hold on a minute…

Slowly, a picture started to appear where there wasn’t one before… Six level stars appeared, followed by a title, Attribute symbol, and card text.

WHAT? he thought.

…Fortitude…

He stared at the card.

He thought back.

Days of Past Reckoning. Only if they are blessed by the one who came before them, will they prove their worth.

“I understand…” he muttered.

“I sacrifice King’s Knight…” he declared.

King’s Knight knelt, as knights often did, and glowed with a brilliant radiance. He slowly was consumed by the light…

“…to summon… [I]Saint Knight Issac!” he shouted.

Command Knight, and Freed stood aside, as a powerful form walked out of the light. It was a knight dressed in brilliant, pure white armor and a cape, with a crested helmet, holding a gleaming broadsword. (2,300/1,800)



http://www.ideal808.com/images/vjc-jp011.jpg


The guard stepped back, with a look that seemed to be half fear, and half pure amazement….

“Sir… Issac….” he gasped.

“Issac?” said Trisha, in disbelief. “He’s a Duel Monster?”

“He’s a Card of Virtue,” said Russell, “and since he’s a Warrior, The A. Forces grants him 600 more Attack Points, and Command Knight grants him 400 more.”

(3,300/1,800)

The guard was speechless.

“Issac… Attack Ojama King!” shouted Russell. “Crusader’s blade!”

Saint Knight Issac ran his finger along his blade, and ancient runes encircled the mighty sword…

Then, he leapt up and slammed the sword into the huge Beast. Ojama King groaned, and was blasted into shards.

“And any Monster that Issac destroys is removed from play,” continued Russell.

“I… I…” muttered the guard.

He paused.

“Then finish it…” he finally said.

“Freed, take him down!” shouted Russell. “Take him down hard!”

Freed the Matchless General leapt at the guard and slashed at him with his blade.

Again, the guard apparently wasn’t hurt by the blow, but he fell to his knees regardless... apparently from shame.



[B](R: 1,400) (?: 0)


Saint Knight Issac smiled towards Russell, and then towards Jason and Trisha. He and the other holograms slowly faded.

“Cease fire…” said Russell.

“I… I’m sorry…” muttered the guard. “I’m so sorry… Only someone holding the real Hermos could have called forth Issac… I don’t know what to…”

Then the door opened again, and a voice came from within.

“If you’re done playing with the guests,” said the gentle voice, “why not let them in. I’ve been expecting them.”

The guard stood up and lowered his hood, and the three students were surprised. He seemed only slightly older than they were, with black, spiky hair and a boyish face.

“Uh, yes your excellence,” he said, “right away…”

The guard gestured, and the door opened wide, leading to a long hallway.

Beautiful artwork adorned the walls, and torches lit the way.

The guard led them down the hallway, and into a chamber. Several men and women dressed like him were there… Some were meditating, others were praying, others seemed to be holding conversations with speakers that they couldn’t see.

At the far end of the hall was a figure who seemed to be the one in authority. Frenchie’s description had been pretty accurate – he looked sort of like Gandhi, but not as gaunt; in fact, his arms seemed rather muscular. His face was worn, and covered with laugh wrinkles. He was completely bald – aside from his eyebrows, no hair was on his head. Whether it was natural or because he had shaved it was hard to tell. He was dressed similar to the guard, in a black robe tied with a red sash, and wore sandals, but his robe was embroidered with silver thread.

“Welcome, Chosen Ones,” he said. “I am the Sage of Duelists.”

“Uh, nice to meet you…” said Jason, still a little surprised.

The Sage nodded.

He pointed to a table where food had been set out. A portable burner was heating what looked like a tureen of soup.

“I knew you were coming,” he said, offering, “so I made my special three-cheese chowder. It’s delicious, low-sodium, and… uh, only a little bit fattening.

“You see, I’m not just the leader of this sect, I’m also the chef. It’s something I like to do…”

As hungry as they were, it was impossible to say no.

“It is clear to me that the Dragons chose well…” said the Sage, spooning out the chowder with a ladle. “Each of you oozes potential…”

“We don’t like to brag…” said Russell.

“Did you tell your friends how you learned about Codam?” asked the Sage. “It was classified information, Russell.”

Russell blushed as his friends looked at him.

“I… hacked into my dad’s top secret files…” he said. “When I was five.”

“Russell!” scolded Trisha.

“Hey, it told my dad something important,” said Russell. “The security on their system was far too lax. So he was able to allot more money to tighten it.”

“You did the same when you were eight,” said the Sage to Trisha. “You hacked into your dad’s blueprints. And you found the flaw in one of your father’s designs that he had been trying to fix for a month. It made his company millions when it was finally marketed… He rewarded you by buying you anything you wanted from the card store, which is where your first dueling deck came from. And he bought you ice cream later.”

Trisha blushed.

“Well, I didn’t do much when I was that age…” muttered Jason.

“You saved your sister when you were fourteen…” said the Sage.

Jason paused. He remembered that…

His little sister had been ambushed by two thugs who were twice his size. Jason stepped in, and offered to duel one of them, saying they could have his deck if he lost, but they’d have to leave her alone if he won. Jason won the duel, but the thug wasn’t willing to keep his side of the bargain. That’s when he realized that Jason was only stalling – he had called 911 on his cell before stepping in.

“You all showed initiative several times,” said the Sage. “You are cunning, crafty, resourceful. Those are traits that are needed in the duel.

“I assume you have questions… Feel free to ask them…”

“Well… what is this place?” asked Jason.

“We are a small but proud sect,” replied the Sage. “We have guarded the secret of the Dark Messiah for a long time. We use most of our time finding ways to commune with Duel Spirits… Monsters in the form of flesh.”

“Who was that guy I dueled?” asked Russell.

The Sage smiled.

“One of my four elite bodyguards,” answered the Sage. “They are a very strange story…

“Many decades ago, long before you were born, the four of them were young duelists. They had been through a great deal in their young lives, more than most duelists do…

“And one day, they did me a very great service. I won’t tell you what exactly it was, at least not yet. I told them that if they didn’t object, I would reward them by granting them their greatest desire, something they didn’t even realize they wanted.

“It was the desire to be immortal, to be able to duel until Duel Monsters no longer existed.

“They accepted, and I made them immortal, granting eternal youth and health. But eventually, they grew bored from traveling the world and challenging everyone. And they had grown in mind if not in body. They came back here, and now, as I said, they’re my elite bodyguard. They’re also the Monastery’s first line of defense, and my eyes and ears on the outside.”

Russell turned to the one whom he dueled, and the Ojama duelist smirked.

“I notice that during your duel he made you pretty angry,” said the Sage. “Don’t feel bad. He’s had that effect on all of his opponents… Since long before I ever met him. It’s part of his strategy.”

“So what would he have done if we had just decided to tackle him?” asked Russell.

The Sage frowned.

“You never would have reached him,” he said. “My bodyguards have many powers other than immortality. Some of the members of this sect have learned… things from the Spirits. These four have learned the most. Aside from myself, of course. Many times they have dealt with folks who have tried to defeat them with violence.

“But I’ll keep their abilities secret for now.”

“Where are the other three?” asked Trisha.

“Oh, they’re around here somewhere…” said the Sage. “The members of this sect are free to do as they please when I don’t have a duty for them. I’m sure you’ll meet them eventually.

“Oh, by the way… We can’t thank you enough for disposing of Codam. Forty years ago we owed the military a little favor, and they called us on it, asking us to watch it. We feared we’d be babysitting that accursed thing until the xenothium core died, which wouldn’t be for five thousand years… But it’s gone now…”

“You were its jailers?” asked Trisha.

The Sage nodded.

“Why else do you think they’d put something so dangerous so close to a populated area?” he replied. “We had the power to sedate it if it ever updated its modem enough to manipulate the outside world.”

“Well…” said Jason. “We came hoping to find the Dark Messiah. Is he here?”

The Sage nodded.

“Yes, he’s here,” he said. “But there is one more thing that must be done before you meet him. And we’ll take care of that once you finish…”



[B]* * * * * * * * * *


The Sage led them down a dark hallway, as the guard that Russell had dueled led with a lit torch. Eventually, they came to a room that was ten feet wide on each side.

The guard lifted the torch and walked to the center. On each wall, other than the one where they came in, there was an old wooden door.

Trisha held her stomach. That chowder had been good, but it had been very filling.

“You are very close,” said the Sage. “This room is not often used. Each of you must now choose a door, and proceed into the room beyond. You each must go in alone.”

They hesitated.

“What’s in there?” asked Trisha.

“Only what you take with you,” answered the Sage. “But inside, you’ll find enlightenment of the greatest type, for they lead to places where your souls will truly be prepared… and purified. I’ll meet you when you’re finished.”

He turned and went back down the corridor.

The guard gestured towards the doors…

Jason, Russell, and Trisha looked at each other with nervous looks.

Jason went to the door to the left, Trisha to the one in the middle, and Russell to the one to the right.

They opened them…

“Good luck,” they heard the guard say, as they walked in.


Saturday, October 31st, 2106, 3:59 PM



OBLIGATORY SUMMONS (Spell Card)

Card Specs

Type: Spell
Attribute: –
Level: –
ATK: –
DEF: –

Card Description: Choose one face-up Monster on your opponent’s side of the field. Your opponent must Special Summon from his hand or deck all the Monsters he is able to that have the same Type, Attribute, and star level of the chosen Monster.

Note: “Obligatory Summons” was used by Kaiba in “Yu-Gi-Oh! The Movie: Pyramid of Light”. All creative credit goes to the screenplay writers of that movie.



ABSOLUTE ZERO (Spell Card)

Card Specs

Type: Spell
Attribute: –
Level: –
ATK: –
DEF: –

Image: A thermometer frozen in ice.

Card Description: Pay 800 Life Points. Normal Summon in Attack Position all the Monsters in your hand who are four stars or less and have a base ATK of zero. This counts as your Normal Summon for your turn.



OJAMANDALA (Spell Card)

Card Specs

Type: Spell
Attribute: –
Level: –
ATK: –
DEF: –

Image: The three Ojamas depicted as meditating figures on a Buddhist painted mandala.

Card Description: You can activate this card when you have one “Ojama Yellow”, one “Ojama Green”, and one “Ojama Black” in your Graveyard. Pay 1,000 Life Points. Special Summon the above-named cards from your Graveyard.

Note: “Ojamandala” was first used by Chazz in the “Yu-Gi-Oh GX” episode
”Champion or Chazz-Been”. All creative credit goes to the writers of the show.



SAINT KNIGHT ISSAC (Monster Card)

Card Specs

Type: Warrior/Effect/Card of Virtue
Attribute: Light
Level: 6
ATK: 2,300
DEF: 1,800

Virtue: Fortitude

Card Description: A Monster destroyed by this card as a result of battle is removed from play.

Note: As you saw, “Saint Knight Issac” is a real card in Japan. I have taken liberties by making it a Card of Virtue. The regular version of this card is thus free to use in any fanfiction.



[B][I]You might be wondering just what “Ojama Alpha Tornado” does. Well, perhaps our mysterious guard – who is now no longer very mysterious – will get a chance to use it later.

And by the way, before you ask, the guard did NOT give up. He could not have shielded himself by summoning something with The Grave of Enkindling. The Grave of Enkindling can only be activated if a Monster is destroyed in battle and sent to the Graveyard. Since Isaac’s effect removed Ojama King from play, never sending it to his Graveyard, the Trap was worthless.

Coming up next, you’ll find that our heroes can take quite a lot into the rooms where they have went. What challenges await them inside? Russell discovers firsthand, in a chapter called “Solemn Wishes”, coming soon.

[Mystic_clown]

First of all, let me just say OJAMA!!! They are officially the coolest monsters in the game...next ot Kuriboh...loved how you gave them personalities. Loved the guard as well, finally, a duellist who's a smartass...

There's one thing that bugged me. I believe the fact that Jason saved his sister when he was fourteen, but I find it hard to believe that Russel could hack into military computers when he was five. Hell I couldn't even use one when I wa that age!

Still great chapter. I'm going to be thinking of the Ojamas for a while now.

[Inferno_Dragon]

Great Chapter, Dark Sage.

Was that who I think it was? Nah, maybe he just looks like who I though it was. Nice use of a actual card for a Card of Virtue. I never understood the Ojamas but you made quite an interesting duel with them.

By the way, there is something about the last chapter. It kind of reminds me of the duel between Jaden Yugi and the Android when the Neo Spacian Creatures were trying to get Jaden to duel again. I just needed to say that.

Well, keep up the good work.

[Shuppet Master]

I think I know who the mysterious guard in this chapter is...but I'll let you guys figure it out. ;)

Great chapter, and I never heard of this Saint Knight Issac before. Must be a Japanese promo. The only thing I can criticize you on is that you explained the reason the guard couldn't use Grave of Enkindling as an author's note. You should have put it in that part of the story, because it sounds here like you are treating the readers as children. If you want to explain something, put it in the story!

(Just trying to make sure TML's opinion goes wrong. I promised her I would look seriously at each chapter and give a criticism.)

[Master of Paradox]

The temptation to put things you couldn't work into the chapter into author's notes is a powerful one. Back when I was still his beta-reader (before... the incident), I had to dissuade DS from putting one character's entire backstory into that "Deck Notes" blurb.

Well, I knew who the guard was the instant the Ojamas started talking, but this wasn't too bad a chapter all in all. As with Mystic Clown, I rather love the Ojamas (they're one of two or three cards in the game with actual personalities), and it was... unique to see an entire deck based around them. I wish Ojamandala was real...

Have to wonder who the other three guards are. I'm pretty sure I know at least one.

To be honest, I have nothing to criticize, so this will be a short review. I'm glad to see we're finally at a point where the story will begin making sense. (Sometimes I doubt if I'll ever reach that point in TTB.)

I haven't the foggiest what the next chapter will bring, but given time I can develop suspicions...

[Blademaster]

I figured out the guard's identity pretty easily; let me just say, I'm glad he finally decided on a single deck theme.

I was more than a little surprised that you used a real-life card as a Card of Virtue, but I suppose it fits this one time.

What else... the Sect was pretty much what I expected, and the three-doors thing... uh... Well, I didn't see it coming.

Yeah, not much to comment on this time, so...

Later! :wave:

-Blade

[Dark Sage]

I'll comment on a few things...

"Saint Knight Issac" is a promotional card in Japan, but it is incredibly rare and hard to get. The price for it on my online store is almost eighty American dollars, and it is always sold out. I don't know if there are any plans to mass-produce it in Japan or release it in the US. Basically, I think Issac is pretty much the polar opposite of Lesser Fiend for all intents and purposes.

Your suspicions are correct as to who the guard is. As for the other three bodyguards, they will be revealed in due time, and will be addressed by name in Chapter 46. I will say however, Jaden is not one of them.

As for what lies behind the doors, I'm keeping my mouth shut for now. By the way, did anyone catch the Sage's Star Wars reference?

[mario72486]

This just keeps getting better and better. Interesting to see Sir Knight Isaac as a Card of Virtue, but then again it is one of the really rare cards out there. The anticipation builds as this work comes closer and closer to answering all questions.

"Only what you take with you..."

I'm trying to remember where exactly I heard that Star Wars quote. Correct me if I'm wrong, but I think Yoda said it to Luke in Episode 5 before his trial in the cave. I also heard it during Chapter 21 of the Clone Wars cartoon, during a flashback of when Qui-Gon briefly trained Anakin when he was a boy (at least, that's how it was portrayed).

[opaltiger]

yup, it was before Luke went into the cave.

Star Wars references make me feel all warm and fuzzy inside. :3

[Dark Sage]

Hello everyone. I have an announcement.

When you work at a job, you start at the bottom, and aspire to climb higher. That is what I did.

After working the graveyard shift three days a week at a lonely, boring construction site as a security guard, I got my boss to give me a better position.

Now I'm going to be working an eight-hour day, five days a week, from 2PM to 10PM, at a better site. I'll also have more responsibilities.

But what does this mean? Well, I don't know if I'll be able to write at work any more. My chances to write might be more limited.

But do not fret. This story is written much in advance, and my other two fanfics will still be worked on. I can write a chapter in one day if I want to.

So fear not.

And let's get on with the next chapter.

[B][I]I beat a minion of the Orichalcos who used Ninja Monsters…

I beat Cassius (twice)…

I even beat a guy who was packing a duplicate of one of the Sacred Beasts.

Can I beat this guy? I really don’t know.

After all, this guy is far from your standard rank-and-file duelist, he’s a legend. I don’t know how he can be here, and he doesn’t seem to know either.

I want to win this duel, but I have to wonder, if I do…

…will he be too upset to give me his autograph?




[B][size=3]CHAPTER FORTY-THREE



http://www.ideal808.com/images/psv-0551.jpg



Saturday, October 31st, 2106, 4:05 PM



Russell wandered down a hallway that was lit by torches.

He looked on the walls. The décor looked Egyptian… Hieroglyphics of some sort. He wished he could read them.

A doorway was ahead…

He entered a large, torch-lit room. It seemed to be a temple of some sort, with a wide-open space in the center.

Some sort of arena? he thought.

He looked at the pictures on the walls…

Then he realized he recognized a few of them. One was Panther Warrior. Another was undoubtedly Gearfried.

He turned towards the picture that seemed to dominate the place…

It was a frightening visage of a dark, sinister-looking dragon. Its eyes were blood-red gems…

“I know that Monster,” he muttered. “It’s…”

“Neat place, huh?” said a voice.

He turned and saw a figure sitting on the altar. Whether he had been there before or had just walked in, it was impossible to say.

Russell stepped back in shock…

It was a young, muscular man with a boyish face, and a very distinctive hairstyle that was dirty blonde. He wore jeans and a tee, covered with a long jacket.

Russell was speechless. He had seen pictures of this man so many times.

“You gonna say anything?” asked the figure.

Finally, Russell garnered enough courage to speak.

“Joey… Wheeler?” he said.

“That’s me,” said the figure, “and you must be Russell. I take it these places aren’t too familiar to you. Me… I got used to them after a while… Seems every time I turned around I was stuck in some dungeon or cave or other dark place watching Yug’ fight to decide the fate of the world…”

“How can you be here?” asked Russell. “The Puppeteer couldn’t have…”

“Well, I don’t know any Puppeteer,” said Joey, hopping down off the altar. “As for why I’m here, come to think of it, I don’t really know myself.

“See, about a half an hour ago, I was just having lunch with Duke at a chili place, we were talking about what was on television last night, and then boom, I’m here.”

Duke? thought Russell.

He remembered that name. Joey’s autobiography referred to his brother-in-law by that name…

“Anyway, I do know a little about why I’m here…” he continued.

“See Russell, as far as I can tell, I was the last person to hold Hermos, so now I gotta duel the one who currently has it. The one who told me that says it’s a… how’d he put it…”

He paused.

“A ritual of purification, or something like that.”

“Me? Duel you?” asked Russell. “I… I don’t know if I can…”

“You duel, don’t you?” asked Joey. “I mean, you’ve got that…”

He pointed to the Disk on Russell’s arm.

“You’ve got cards… What’s the problem?”

“Well, yeah…” said Russell, “but against you? What happens if I lose?”

Joey shrugged.

“They didn’t say,” he answered. “But I don’t exactly have a choice, since I don’t see any way outta here.”

Russell turned and saw that the door he had entered through had vanished.

Me against Joey? he thought. Do I even stand a chance?

This might be the ultimate challenge… Shouldn’t be too hard… He plays a Gamble Deck… I’ve already beaten one…

“Okay, I’ll duel you…” he slowly said.

“One more thing,” said Joey. “Hermos isn’t allowed. So get rid a’ him if he’s in your deck.”

“He isn’t,” said Russell. “I like to think I don’t need him for everything…”

Joey slipped a Disk of his own on his arm. It seemed to be a Mach-2 model.

“Then let’s get started, huh?” he said. “I’ve been wanting to get into a good brawl for ages!”

Russell clenched a toothpick in his teeth.

“Okay…” he said. “Ready… battle!”



[B](Russell: 8,000) (Joey: 8,000)


Russell drew his first hand.

Not a bad hand, he thought. Let’s see… If I recall correctly, the average Attack Score of his non-Tribute Monsters was… Well, around the same as those of mine, really.

He took a card from his hand.

Well, he doesn’t have one who’s stronger than these guys!

“I summon Goblin Attack Force in Attack Mode,” he said, playing a card.

The team of lazy, shifty-eyed goblins appeared, and raised their clubs. (2,300/0)



http://www.ideal808.com/images/psv_094.jpg


“That will do for my first turn,” he said.

“All right!” said Joey, eagerly, drawing his first card.

He considered for a minute.

“I play this,” he said, holding up a Spell Card. “Landstar Forces.”

“Wait… That card…” said Russell.

“It lets me Special Summon every Monster in my hand with the word ‘Landstar’ in its name,” explained Joey.

He placed three cards on his Disk.

“So say hello to Swordsman of Landstar, Knight of Landstar, and Grappler of Landstar!”

The first Monster that appeared was a toy soldier in a leather coat with a pilot’s hat, and a grinning face, with a wooden sword and shield. (500/1,200) Next came one who was dressed in shining armor and holding two lances. (1,000/500) Finally came one dressed like a Green Beret, with a knife strapped to his belt and a mean look on his face. (1,000/500)



http://www.ideal808.com/images/lon-002.jpg


The goblins scratched their chins in confusion.

I don’t get it, thought Russell. Those three hobbits can’t come close to defeating Goblin Attack Force…

Unless…

His eyes popped open.

Wait… He Special Summoned them. That means…

“That’s right Russell!” said Joey with a smile. “I’m not gonna attack with them, I’m gonna sacrifice them! So later, guys…”

The three Landstar Warriors vanished.

No… thought Russell. There’s only one guy in his deck who’s summoned this way… I should know…

“I summon Gilford the Lightning!” shouted Joey.

Russell looked in fear, as lightning struck, and the mighty Gilford appeared in front of Joey! (2,800/1,400)



http://www.ideal808.com/images/ct2_en001.jpg


Gilford drew his sword, and lightning flashed, blowing the goblins to particles!

NO! thought Russell. I’m wide open!

“Gilford, go!” shouted Joey.

Gilford flew forward. Russell screamed as the energized blade slammed into him and electricity flew through his whole body. He tumbled off the arena.

He crawled up and gasped for breath.



[B](R: 5,200) (J: 8,000)


“That’s good enough to start,” said Joey.

Russell spit out the toothpick as he drew another card. He was glad he hadn’t swallowed it…

Damn, never thought I’d be attacked by Gilford myself, he thought. He managed to summon his strongest Monster on his first turn… The legends didn’t lie. But to do it, he had to use up every card in his hand but one. So he has no way of stopping me from getting rid of Gilford and striking him hard.

He played a Spell Card.

“I play Brain Control!” he shouted. “Gilford, come here!”

The ghostly brain appeared, and sent out waves of psychic energy. Gilford was dragged over to Russell’s side.

Joey took a nervous step back.

“Don’t worry,” said Russell. “Attacking you with your own Monster would be really sleazy, so instead, I’m going to sacrifice Gilford…”

Gilford vanished into pixels of light.

“…to summon Freed the Matchless General!”

In a flash of light, Freed appeared. (2,300/1,700)



http://www.ideal808.com/images/lod-016.jpg


“Attack!” shouted Russell. “Get him! Blade of the battle-scarred!”

Freed flew forward, and made a great swipe with his sword! Joey hollered and fell over.

“Uh… you okay?” muttered Russell.

“Never better…” said Joey, getting up. “Hermos always knew how to pick ‘em…”



[B](R: 4,400) (J: 5,700)


I’ve got to be wary… thought Russell. A great deal of his cards depended on luck and chance. The only luck involved in that Landstar trick was a lucky first hand, and I’ve had a lot of those, but he’s sure to bring out the dice soon…

“It’s your move,” he said.

Russell drew one card.

“I play Roll of Fate,” he said, playing a card.

Whoops! thought Russell. I remember this! Frenchie used it!

A die appeared in the air. It skipped and bounced…

It landed on the four.

“Perfect!” said Joey. “Now I get to draw four cards…”

He made four draws.

“Course, then I have to get rid of the next four…”

He took the next four cards off of his deck and then placed them in a special slot.

He looked over the five cards in his hand.

“I’ll toss three cards facedown,” he said.

He played three cards, and they appeared in front of them.

“Then I toss this guy in Attack Mode… Panther Warrior!”

The savage Beast-Warrior leapt out of the card, holding his scimitar menacingly. (2,000/1,600)



http://www.ideal808.com/images/ct2_en006.jpg


“Hold it…” said Russell. “He can’t attack unless you sacrifice a Monster, and you don’t have any… And even if you did, Freed is stronger.”

“Maybe!” replied Joey. “I’ll end my turn there.”

Russell drew a card.

“I activate a Trap Card!” exclaimed Joey. “The Paths of Destiny!”

One of his facedown cards lifted, and the Trap that Umbra had used appeared.

“Confused?” asked Joey. “Here’s how it works… We both toss a coin. Whoever calls right gains 2,000 Life Points. Whoever calls wrong loses 2,000 Life Points.”

A coin fell into Russell’s hand.

“So it could help or hurt both of us?” asked Russell.

“Bingo,” answered Joey.

He tossed his.

“Heads!” he shouted.

The coin fell to the ground.

It was heads.

Joey grinned at Russell. Russell looked at his coin.

“He who hesitates is lost, Russ,” said Joey.

“Heads!” shouted Russell, tossing it.

Fifty-fifty chance… he thought. I could get back on my feet, or he could gain a huge lead…

The coin fell.

Heads.

Russell stared at Joey.

“This is just starting, pal…” he said.



[B](R: 6,400) (J: 7,700)


Okay… he thought. Ordinarily, Panther Warrior is no match for Freed…

But those facedown cards…

I studied Joey intently in class… Seems all I have to do is consider what he would do in this situation.

One of those cards is likely Scapegoat, which he would use to enable Panther Warrior to attack…

And the other? It’s likely something to repel Freed’s attack… Or destroy him. If it were Graceful Dice or Skull Dice, and he rolled four or higher, Freed would be cut down if he tried to attack.

Frenchie had a point. A good rule in gambling is, never take a risk if you don’t have to. The same goes for Duel Monsters in general I guess. If this were someone other than Joey…

…one of those cards could well be a Mirror Force.

I’d best not take a risk…

“I pass for this turn…” he said.

Joey drew a card.

“I activate Scapegoat,” he said, as one of his cards lifted.

The four fluffy sheep popped out of the card.

“And then…” he continued, “Rush Recklessly!”

His other card lifted, and Panther Warrior rose to 2,700 Attack.

“That wasn’t one of your dice cards?” asked Russell, surprised.

“Hey…” said Joey. “Not all my cards rely on luck. I’m not that reckless.

“So, I’ll sacrifice one Scapegoat so Panther Warrior can attack!”

The red sheep vanished, and Panther Warrior leapt forward, slashing his scimitar across the Matchless General and cutting him down.

A look of anger appeared on Russell’s face…



[B](R: 6,000) (J: 7,700)


“My move…” muttered Russell.

He drew a card.

“I summon Marauding Captain…” he stated.

The Captain trudged out onto the field, holding his blades. (1,200/400)



http://www.ideal808.com/images/lod-0181.jpg


“And now to use his effect…” continued Russell, playing another card.

Marauding Captain whistled, and a dark shadow appeared next to him. Mataza the Zapper appeared, holding aloft his katana. (1,300/800)



http://www.ideal808.com/images/ioc-0861.jpg


“They can’t beat Panther Warrior,” said Joey, with a grin.

“They aren’t going to attack him,” said Russell. “They’re gonna attack his lunch! Marauding Captain, take out one Scapegoat!”

The Captain charged, and sliced one of the tokens in half.

“Mataza, take out the other two! Zapping blade!”

Mataza concentrated, and split into two Matazas. They leapt forward, and cleaved the last two sheep in half.

“Without them,” said Russell, “you’ll have to sacrifice real Monsters in order for Panther Warrior to attack, and that may be too much of a cost in the long run.

“It’s your move…”

Joey grinned as he drew.

“Clever…” he said, looking at his card.

He chose another one.

“I summon Little-Winguard in Attack Mode.”

He played a card, and a gust of wind blew onto the field. A cute little guy in blue armor holding a sword appeared in front of him. His whole face, except for his eyes, were hidden by his helmet and a scarf. (1,400/1,800)



http://www.ideal808.com/images/dcr_013.jpg


Okay, now how did this guy work again? thought Russell.

“Attack Marauding Captain!” yelled Joey.

Little-Winguard flew forward, and slashed at the Captain. The veteran groaned, and shattered.

“Now I end my turn,” said Joey, “and by doing so, I can activate Little-Winguard’s effect, and switch him to Defense Mode, even though I summoned him in Attack Mode.”

Little-Winguard crouched in Defense.



[B](R: 5,800) (J: 7,700)


Russell drew a card. He smirked.

“I play Premature Burial, to bring back Freed,” he said.

He played the card, and Freed the Matchless General reappeared. (2,300/1,700)

The Premature Burial card shattered.

“Then I’ll move Mataza to Defense Mode for now…”

Mataza sheathed his katana and knelt in Defense.

“And then I’ll have Freed attack Panther Warrior!”

Freed made a swipe with his blade, and slashed across the Beast-Warrior’s chest. He howled, and then shattered.

“It’s your move…”



[B](R: 5,000) (J: 7,400)


Joey drew one card.

He thought for a minute…

“I move Little-Winguard into Attack Mode again…” he said.

Little-Winguard stepped up.

“And I’ll have him attack Mataza!”

The small Warrior flew forward, and cut the ronin down.

“That’s all for my move. And Little-Winguard moves to Defense Mode again.”

Little-Winguard crouched in Defense Mode.



[B]* * * * * * * * * *


Fortunado tried in vain to get a fix on his three enemies. He held his head…

“Blast!” he shouted. “Where could they have gone?”

”They are in the Monastery, Fortunado,” said the strange voice of his benefactor. ”That is one of many places my powers cannot penetrate. We cannot look inside that bastion of light, for it is hallowed ground. Nor can we cannot eavesdrop on what they are doing inside.

“The Dark Messiah will emerge very soon. It is only a matter of time.”

“What should we do?” asked Fortunado.

“Call in every specialist in your employ,” said the voice. ”Shore up the defenses of this stronghold. I cannot predict what move that the Dark Messiah will make, but given past Reckonings, one move seems the most likely…

…a preemptive strike.”



[B]* * * * * * * * * *


“I use Freed’s effect,” said Russell, “forfeiting my Draw Phase to search for a Warrior-Type Monster…”

He got a card from his deck.

“And I’ll summon her now… Queen’s Knight!”

In a flash of light, Queen’s Knight appeared. (1,500/1,600)



http://www.ideal808.com/images/een-en004.jpg


“Freed, attack Little-Winguard!” ordered Russell.

Freed leapt forward, and with a slash of his sword, blasted the small Warrior to shards.

“Queen’s Knight, go!” shouted Russell.

Queen’s Knight charged, and stabbed at Joey with her sword. He cringed and stumbled backwards.

“Heh… nice…” he muttered.



[B](R: 5,000) (J: 5,900)


He’s just as tough as the stories say… thought Russell. This is going to be even harder than I thought…

Joey drew a card.

“I play Graceful Charity!” he said with a smug look.

He played the card, and drew three times.

He looked over his cards, and then made two discards.

“Now, watch my smoke!” he said. “I play my own Premature Burial, to summon Blue Flame Swordsman from my Graveyard.”

He played the card, and the Warrior shrouded in blue flames appeared. (1,800/1,600)

“Wait a second…” said Russell. “I never sent him to your Graveyard…”

He paused.

“When you played Graceful Charity…”

“You got it!” answered Joey. “And next, I’ll summon Rocket Warrior in Attack Mode.”

He played the card, and a cute figure wearing armor shaped like a rocket holding a sword and shield appeared. (1,500/1,300)



http://www.ideal808.com/images/ct2_en005.jpg


Wait… thought Russell. Even if he used that thing’s effect, a battle between Blue Flame Swordsman and Freed would end in a draw…

“Next…” said Joey, “I play Graceful Dice!”

He played the card, and a winged teddy bear holding a blue die appeared. It tossed the die and it bounced.

It landed on a two.

Blue Flame Swordsman rose to (2,000/1,800), and Rocket Warrior rose to (1,700/1,500).

“Rocket Warrior, invincible attack!” shouted Joey.

Rocket Warrior changed shape, becoming more rocket than warrior, and shot himself at Freed! Freed grunted as he was struck in the chest, and his Attack fell to 1,800 as smoke poured from his cracked armor.

“Blue Flame Swordsman, attack!” shouted Joey. “Blazing blue flame!”

The Swordsman’s sword burned, and he slashed with it. Freed fell over, and shattered.

He only needed a one on that die roll… thought Russell.



[B](R: 4,800) (J: 5,100)


Queen’s Knight looked frightened…

“Calm down…” said Russell, drawing a card.

Scores are close, he thought, but that’s gonna change…

“I play Reinforcement of the Army! And I’ll use it to bring forth King’s Knight!”

He got the card.

“And I’ll summon him now…”

King’s Knight appeared next to his sister. (1,600/1,500)



http://www.ideal808.com/images/een-en006.jpg


“And I’ll use him to bring forth Jack’s Knight!”

Jack’s Knight appeared too. (1,900/1,000)



http://www.ideal808.com/images/een-en005.jpg


“King’s Knight, attack Rocket Warrior!” ordered Russell.

King’s Knight brought his sword down on the small Warrior, and it was blasted into pieces.

“Jack’s Knight, attack Blue Flame Swordsman!”

Jack’s Knight slashed at the Swordsman, and he vanished into a burst of blue fire…

The flames turned a fiery red…

…and the real Flame Swordsman emerged. (1,800/1,600)



http://www.ideal808.com/images/db1-en100.jpg


“I end my turn…” said Russell.


Continued

[Dark Sage]

Continued from last post




[B](R: 4,800) (J: 4,900)


Joey drew one card.

“I summon Gearfried the Iron Knight, in Attack Mode,” he said.

He played a card, and the Warrior that Russell himself had used since his first deck appeared, brandishing his blades. (1,800/1,600)



http://www.ideal808.com/images/bpt-012.jpg


“Gearfried, you take out King’s Knight,” said Joey. “Iron blade!”

Gearfried put his blades together, and then made a mighty swipe. King’s Knight fell over, and shattered.

“Flame Swordsman,” he continued, “attack Queen’s Knight! Flaming sword of battle!”

Fire blazed from the Swordsman’s bronze sword. Queen’s Knight screamed, and she was incinerated.

“I’ll place one card facedown,” he continued, fitting his last card into his Disk, “and that will be all for my turn.”



[B](R: 4,300) (J: 4,900)


Russell slowly drew a card.

Okay… he thought. Time to try to think like Joey would again…

He knows as well as I do that those two Monsters are weaker than Jack’s Knight… So what might his facedown card be?

Maybe… Kunai with Chain?

Well, if it is, he can’t combine it with Gearfried, because Equips don’t work on Gearfried!

“Jack’s Knight, attack Gearfried!”

Jack’s Knight sadly looked at the Iron Knight… But he did what he was told, and made a slash with his sword, smashing him to bits.



[B](R: 4,300) (J: 4,800)


Nothing… thought Russell.

“I end my turn,” he said.

“Then I’ll draw…” said Joey.

He made a draw.

“…and I think I’ll pass…”

Russell drew a card.

All right! he thought. His Kunai won’t make a difference now…

He played a card.

“I summon Command Knight!” he shouted.

The female Warrior appeared, burning with flame. (1,200/1,900) –> (1,600/1,900)



http://www.ideal808.com/images/ct1-en003s.jpg


Jack’s Knight rose to an Attack of 2,300.

“Jack’s Knight, attack the Flame Swordsman!” he shouted.

“GO!” shouted Joey, as his facedown card lifted. “Compensation Mediation!”

“That’s not your Kunai!” shouted Russell.

The room darkened, and all the Monsters vanished.

“Heh, heh,” said Joey, walking up to him. “Fooled ya.”

He handed him the card.

“Here’s a refresher, in case you don’t know. Take two Spell or Trap Cards from your Graveyard and place them facedown with that. If I can choose it, your attack is cancelled out. Exciting, huh?”

Russell paused.

He took Premature Burial and Reinforcement of the Army from his discard slot, and looked at the three cards…

Then he placed them into his Disk, and three facedown cards appeared.

Joey gave them a hard look for a second…

“Far left…” he said.

Russell held his head.

The card on the left lifted, revealing it to be Joey’s Trap Card.

“Congrats,” he said, tossing the card back to Joey as the Monsters reappeared. “But I know how the rest of the effect goes…”

He took the two Spell Cards and placed them on the top of his deck.

“It’s your move…”

Joey drew a card.

He grinned…

“I sacrifice Flame Swordsman…” he announced.

Flame Swordsman vanished.

“To summon… Jinzo!”

In an aura of shadowy energy, the Dark Machine that was likely one of the most powerful cards in Joey Wheeler’s arsenal rose up. It glared at Russell’s two Monsters with cold, inhuman eyes. (2,400/1,500)



http://www.ideal808.com/images/bpt-011.jpg


“Not again…” muttered Russell.

“Jinzo…” said Joey, “attack the Jack’s Knight with cyber energy shock!”

Jinzo formed a ball of black energy in his hands, and threw it, blowing Jack’s Knight to shards.



[B](R: 3,800) (J: 4,800)


“Next…” he said, “I’ll place two cards facedown, just in case…”

He played two cards, and they appeared behind Jinzo.

“Your move…” said Joey, with a grin.

Russell grimaced, and drew a card.

Of all the times he would have been glad to have Reinforcement of the Army, this wasn’t one of them. Anything he used it to search for would just be killed…

…and it seemed his Command Knight was about to suffer that fate. The other five cards in his hand couldn’t help him… Gilford the Lightning, Polymerization, Miracle Kids, Armed Changer, and Rush Recklessly.

He thought for a minute… He did have something…

“I play Reinforcement of the Army,” he said, “to get my Axe Raider.”

He got the card he needed.

“Now I’ll summon him, in Attack Mode.”

He played the card, and Axe Raider appeared. (1,700/1,150) –> (2,100/1,150)



http://www.ideal808.com/images/db2-en092.jpg


“And then…” he said. “I’ll play my own Rush Recklessly!”

He played the card, and Axe Raider’s Attack shot up to 2,800.

“Attack his Jinzo!” shouted Russell. “Axe bash!”

Axe Raider leapt forward, and drove his axe into Jinzo. Sparks flew from the android, and it collapsed and exploded.

“Command Knight, attack…” started Russell.

“Hold up!” said Joey. “I activate one of my facedown cards…”

A Trap lifted that Russell had never seen before. The image was that of a robed woman in front of a wooden fence with two armed men behind her.

“It’s called Take One Chance,” said Joey. “And it gives me one chance. I can take a card from my Graveyard, chosen completely at random, and activate it right away…”

Talk about a gamble card… thought Russell. You’d have to have Luck of the Gods…

Command Knight anxiously waited…

A card slipped out of Joey’s discard slot.

Scapegoat appeared on Joey’s side of the field, and the four tokens appeared again.

“Lucky…” said Russell. “Command Knight, destroy one of those sheep!”

Command Knight slashed with her burning saber, and one of the tokens was destroyed.

“Well, your move…” said Russell.



[B](R: 3,800) (J: 4,400)


Joey drew.

He smirked, and showed Russell his Pot of Greed.

He played it, and the sinister jar appeared. He drew two cards.

He gave the two cards a long look…

He placed one of them facedown, and then waved his hand.

Russell drew, drawing his Premature Burial.

I could bring back Freed with this again… he thought, and with Command Knight on the field, he’d be unstoppable!

“I play Premature Burial…” he said.

The card appeared.

“Hold on, Russ,” said Joey. “Forget about my facedown card?”

The card lifted…

It was a Trap Card called Armor Break.

Premature Burial turned to crystal, and then shattered like glass.

“What?” asked Russell. “What happened?”

“It’s a Trap that can negate Equip Cards,” said Joey. “I used this after that deal with those three goons that forced Kaiba, Yugi, and me into a duel, and it’s proven to be a regular discount-bin bonus, seeing as everyone plays Premature Burial.

“To put it simply, it negated your Premature Burial before your Monster ever left the Graveyard, so it didn’t work… And you still had to pay for it!”

“Clever…” said Russell.

Maybe I should start looking in the Card Shack’s discount bin, he thought. I just might find something…

“Axe Raider… Command Knight… Destroy two more Scapegoats!”

Axe Raider and Command Knight leapt on the two Scapegoats, slicing them in half.



[B](R: 3,000) (J: 4,400)


“All right…” said Russell. “It’s your move…”

Joey drew.

He grinned.

“I play the Spell Card, Star Blaster!” he shouted.

He played the card, and an imp in red clothing holding a red die appeared.

“How does that work?” asked Russell.

“Simple,” said Joey. “First I gotta sacrifice one Monster on my side of the field. All I’ve got is my last Scapegoat, so that’s gotta do…”

The Scapegoat vanished.

“Then the Star Blaster rolls. I take the result and add it to the star level of the Monster I sacrificed, in this case, one. If the end result equals the star level of a Monster I have in my hand, I get to Special Summon it.”

“You only have one card in your hand!” gasped Russell. “You’d need an exact number!”

“Thrilling, ain’t it?” asked Joey.

The imp tossed the dice. It rolled…

It landed on a six.

“Perfect!” shouted Joey. “That means I can summon a seven-star Monster!”

Seven-star? thought Russell, starting to sweat. But that means…

Joey threw his last card on his Disk.

“Meet my old pal…” he said, “Red Eyes Black Dragon!”

Russell drew back, as the sinister-looking headliner of Joey’s deck loomed over him. It growled an evil-sounding growl… (2,400/2,000)



http://www.ideal808.com/images/bpt-005.jpg


“Attack his Axe Raider!” shouted Joey. “Inferno fire blast!”

Red Eyes spouted a blast of flame, and Axe Raider was incinerated!



[B](R: 2,300) (J: 4,400)


“I… guess it’s… my move…” muttered Russell.

He drew.

“I play my own Pot of Greed…” he said.

He played the card, and drew twice.

“Hmm…” he thought, looking at them.

“I place three cards facedown…” he said, placing the card in a slot.

A three facedown cards appeared.

“And move Command Knight to Defense Mode.”

Command Knight knelt in Defense.

“That will be all…” he said.

“I draw one…” said Joey.

He drew a card.

“I play Monster Reborn!” he exclaimed.

He played the card, and the ankh appeared…

Gilford the Lightning reappeared, holding his mighty blade. (2,800/1,400)

“Ho boy…” muttered Russell.

“Red Eyes, take out Command Knight!” shouted Russell.

Red Eyes blasted his inferno fire blast, eradicating Command Knight.

Russell almost considered triggering his Trap, but he could only use it once. He had to hope his next draw was one of the best…

“Gilford, attack directly!” yelled Joey.

“NOT AGAIN!” screamed Russell

Gilford’s sword slammed into Russell, and electricity surged through him again. He flew backwards.

He groaned…

He started gasping for breath.

“Well?” said Joey. “You should be out of Life Points…”

Russell grinned.

“Check again…” he muttered.



[B](R: 500) (J: 4,400)


Joey paused.

“How?” he asked.

Russell panted for breath.

“One of those facedown cards…” he said. “It was Emergency Provisions. I used it on one of the others, so I gained an extra thousand before your attack hit.”

Joey gave a strange look.

“Boy, and people used to say I didn’t know when to quit,” he said. “That was usually the point where I turned the duel around, come to think of it…

“It’s your move… Can you turn this around?”

Russell slowly reached for his deck…

He drew…

He grinned.

“I summon Exiled Force!” he shouted, throwing the card on his Disk.

The gang of Warriors appeared. (1,000/1,000)



http://www.ideal808.com/images/lod_023.jpg


“And I’ll sacrifice them to wipe out Gilford!”

Exiled Force melted into a mob of spirits. They flew into Gilford the Lightning, and he shattered to bits.

“And I’m not done…” continued Russell. “I activate Call of the Haunted…”

His Trap Card lifted.

“And I’ll bring back Exiled Force for another shot!”

Exiled Force reappeared.

They formed into a gang of spirits again, and flew into Red Eyes. He roared, and then shattered into triangles.

For a minute, there was a long pause.

“So…” said Russell.

“So what?” asked Joey.

“What do you say to a true gamble, Joey?” asked Russell.

“I’m all ears,” he replied.

“You have no cards left in your hand, and you have no cards on the field,” said Russell. “I have three cards in my hand, but I assure you, none of them are any good right now, and I also have no cards on the field.

“So… It seems that whoever draws a Monster they can summon first is going to take control of this duel… And you already have the advantage, with 3,800 more Life Points than I do. In fact, if you draw one, you’ll win.

“So… just how lucky do you feel right now?

There was a long pause.

“Your move.”

Joey drew a card.

His eyes narrowed.

“I’m not gonna insult your intelligence by using this to bluff,” he said, showing it to him.

It was Giant Trunade.

“So I’m just gonna end my turn.”

Russell drew a card.

“I play… Graceful Charity…” he said.

He drew three cards.

A tear fell from his eye.

He discarded Gilford the Lightning and Armed Changer.

“It’s been a great duel… Joey…” he said, “and it has been an honor… I almost hate doing what I have to do…

“First, I play Monster Reborn…”

He played the card, and Freed the Matchless General reappeared. (2,300/1,700)

“And then…” he said, “I summon Warrior Dai Grepher…”

He played another card, and Grepher appeared. (1,700/1,600)



http://www.ideal808.com/images/db2-en140.jpg


“Finally…” he continued. “I play The A. Forces, increasing both their Attack Scores by 400.

He played the card. Freed went up to 2,700, and Grepher went up to 2,100.

“Both of you…” he said, “attack directly!”

Freed and Grepher charged forward, and slashed at Joey with their blades. He staggered back, and fell over.



[B](R: 500) (J: 0)


Joey got up and smiled at Russell as his two Monsters vanished.

“So…” he said. “How do you feel?”

Russell paused.

“Kinda good, actually…” he answered. “I mean… Me versus you… And I actually won…”

“Hey, I was never one to brag…” said Joey.

A doorway appeared in the back of the chamber.

“I’m guessing that’s the way out for both of us,” said Joey, “but before you leave, maybe I should tell you the whole story… About the Orichalcos, and about Dartz…”

“You know about it?” asked Joey.

“Know about it?” asked Joey. “Russell… I lived it…”



[B]* * * * * * * * * *


The Sage of Duelists was watching intently…

Three young – apparently – men and one young woman wearing the black robes stood behind him, also watching.

“It’s almost time…” he said. “Soon it will be time to make the offer…

“I just hope it will be accepted…”


Saturday, October 31st, 2106, 4:45 PM



LANDSTAR FORCES (Spell Card)

Card Specs

Type: Spell
Attribute: –
Level: –
ATK: –
DEF: –

Image: The four Landstar Warriors in a fighting stance.

Card Description: Special Summon all Monsters in your hand who have the word “Landstar” in their names.



KNIGHT OF LANDSTAR (Monster Card)

Card Specs

Type: Warrior/Effect
Attribute: Earth
Level: 3
ATK: 1,000
DEF: 500

Card Description: This card cannot be the target of an attack if you have another Monster on your side of the field with the word “Landstar” in its name.



GRAPPLER OF LANDSTAR (Monster Card)

Card Specs

Type: Warrior/Effect
Attribute: Earth
Level: 3
ATK: 1,000
DEF: 500

Card Description: When this card is Normal Summoned, Flip-Summoned, or Special Summoned, you may Special Summon another Monster from your hand that has the word “Landstar” in its name.

Note: “Landstar Forces” “Knight of Landstar”, and “Grappler of Landstar” were first used by Joey in the multi-part anime episode “Let the Games Begin!” All creative credit goes to the writers of that episode.



COMPENSATION MEDIATION (Trap Card)

Card Specs

Type: Trap
Attribute: –
Level: –
ATK: –
DEF: –

Image: A man amid a crowd being strangled by a dark shadow.

Card Description: Activate this card when your opponent declares an attack. Your opponent takes this card and two Spell and/or Trap Cards from his Graveyard and places them facedown without you seeing them. Choose one of them at random. If the card you pick is “Compensation Mediation”, the attack is negated and your opponent’s Battle Phase ends. Then both of the two Spell and/or Trap cards are placed on the top of your opponent’s deck. If it is another card, the attack may continue, and the card you chose is placed on the top of your opponent’s deck.

Note: “Compensation Mediation” was first used by Joey in the anime episode “My Freaky Valentine (Part 2)”. All creative credit goes to the writers of that episode.



TAKE ONE CHANCE (Trap Card)

Card Specs

Type: Trap
Attribute: –
Level: –
ATK: –
DEF: –

Image: A robed woman praying behind a wooden fence with two armed men behind her.

Card Description: Take one card from you Graveyard at random and activate it.

Note: “Take One Chance” was first used by Joey in the multi-part anime episode “Fighting For A Friend” All creative credit goes to the writers of that episode.



STAR BLASTER (Spell Card)

Card Specs

Type: Spell
Attribute: –
Level: –
ATK: –
DEF: –

Image: An imp in space-age clothes with a red die.

Card Description: Offer one Monster on your side of the field as a Tribute to activate this card. Roll one die. Add the result to the star level of the Tributed Monster. If the total equals the star level of a Monster you have in your hand, special summon that Monster. Otherwise, end your turn.

Note: “Star Blaster” was first used by Joey in the multi-part anime episode “On The Wrong Track”. All creative credit goes to the writers of that episode.



[B][I]Was that really Joey who was dueling Russell?

If it was, how did he come from the past?

If it wasn’t, who was he?

Whatever the case, Russell has completed his ritual, and now Trisha must do the same. You’ve likely guessed what she’s up against next chapter, and it may not be pretty…

Don’t miss “Lightning Vortex”, coming up next.

[Inferno_Dragon]

So the main characters will be going up against the previous owners of the Legendary Dragons. Ouch, that means Seto and Yugi or Yami Yugi are left to duel. And those two are tough. I have to admit seeing Joey duel Russel was interesting. I don't know who Trisha will duel against. It sounds like she is up against Kaiba because it wouldn't make any sense for Jason to go up against Seto. Sure, Jason's deck has few more changes than Seto's but ... maybe I am wrong.

Well, interesting chapter. Keep up the good work!

[Blademaster]

I can write a chapter in one day if I want to.

(Benjamin Franklin voice)

"Tell me and I forget. Teach me and I remember. Involve me and I will learn."

...

Anyway, well, considering one of the protagonists of 3.0 uses a Joey-esque deck, this wasn't that exciting... Still, it was good to see Joey again after so long...

(Sniff.)

Anyway, I know what's coming next time... I gotta say, it should be interesting...

Keep up the good work. :wave:

-Blade

P.S. Oh, and speaking of good work, congrats on the new job. :D

[jkBAKURA]

OK, I realise you backed yourself into a corner on this one, but this chapter was one big "OK I established that we had to do this to move the plot along, so now we're doing it"

In tournaments, dueling for the sake of dueling is a prerequisite, but in a plot driven story like this, I just didn't feel like there was a reason for this match other then to set some things up for later.

Unfortunately, there's even more bad news. The same thing that happened between readers and Fran back in TYD is starting to affect me here. In short, Russel is doing way too much dueling recently, and despite the constant changing in decks (namely trump cards) there was not a single move in this chapter Russel hadn't played before.

Top it all off with the fact that Joey's style is similar, and this chapter fell flat for me FAST, especially since most of his cards have already been played by other characters.

Joey was never my favorite duelist to watch, and though it is completely the fault of the series and the natural restrictions of a chapter, I just didn't see enough of his menuvers. Some duelists so far you have captured beautifully, Joey just wasn't one of them.

I kind of hope this isn't a trend. Th villains earlier were characters we hadn't seen much, but the heroes you saw every episode, leaving little thrill to see them back. (although there are some GX characters I wouldn't mind)

In short, Not up to the usual standards, but it's the natural balance of taste in this case. I have high hopes for what's next however, so don't be pulled down.

[Dark Sage]

Okay, let me respond...

First, Russell will only duel twice more in this whole fanfic (that gives away the fact that he is not the Messiah), in one of them he will have a partner, and he will indeed have a few new tricks in them.

Second, you may think I've set the next two chapters out quite clear. Well, maybe I have, and maybe I haven't. I may yet surprise you during them.

You'll just have to wait and see.

[Mystic_clown]

First of all, let me just say it's good to see Joey again, although I don't really see the point in all this. I know it's some sort of test, but haven't all their previous duels proof enough that they're bloody good?

However, like Bakura said, you didn't seem to capture him all that well. Sure, Joey's a decent duellist (I say decent because half the time, it really is because of dumb luck), but you made him a bit too sensible. You left out some of the dopiness that made him so lovable (you can't hepl but laugh it his lame attempts at trash talking and his mistakes).

Let me just say one thing. I seriously hope you don't alter Kaiba's personality too much (I know you're goingto change it a bit). If you completely change him, heads are going to roll!

I've been having this crazy thought for a while now. What would happen if all our characters form our Yu-Gi-Oh fics got together? how'd they react to eachother? lol

[Master of Paradox]

I've been having this crazy thought for a while now. What would happen if all our characters form our Yu-Gi-Oh fics got together? how'd they react to eachother? lol


That, my friend, is a favorite thought experiment of mine. It usually ends badly for most of the characters involved. The only two generally unaffected are my Gerald and Blademaster's Tom - Gerald because nothing ever shakes him and Tom because he's seen enough weird crap just being in 3.0.

[Dark Sage]

Before I begin, I'd like to say that the legend read in the beginning of the next chapter was written by Master of Paradox, so credit goes to him. And if you want to find out more about this tale, keep reading his fic.

For now, enjoy the show.

[B][I]Ever since I first spoke to Critias, I dueled some powerful opponents…

…but this one has GOT to take the proverbial cake.

I’m starting to question whether what I’m seeing in front of me is real, or whether he’s some sort of magical construct, or even something that I’m imagining.

He could be real…

But I hope not.

Why? Because if he’s real, he has in his deck three cards that caused dozens of duelists in his time to tremble in fear, and to this day are only spoke of only in whispers…

…cards that I am truly unprepared for, because no one since him has ever used one.

Right now I’m thinking that this duel is going to fit two descriptions…

Short, and rather painful…




[size=3][B]CHAPTER FORTY-FOUR



http://www.ideal808.com/images/sd5-en030.jpg



Saturday, October 31st, 2106, 4:08 PM


In her office, Dr. Artemis typed on her computer diligently.

She held out her coffee cup, and Twinky rolled up to refill it.

She was trying hard to find out all she could about these strange events that happened every millennia called “The Reckoning”. She couldn’t help but think that, perhaps, something linked all of them.

The information on Sir Issac’s battle with the demon Malastus was old news by now. She was now trying to find information about what had happened in even more ancient times.

Finally, she logged onto a different Wiccan website than the one Russell had found. The information on Issac’s struggle was there as well… As was something else at another date, one-thousand years earlier. She started to read.


In the year AD 106 on the Christian calendar, mankind faced a dire threat to its very existence that came into the world at the heart of the great city of Rome. If not for the heroics and self-sacrifice of two heroes, the world would have endured darkness and evil unlike it had ever seen.

A philosopher of no small skill named Daccarius had theorized that through the use of an ancient ritual from Babylon, he could discover the true meaning of all creation. (How he acquired the ritual is unknown.) He severely misjudged his own skill, even though it was formidable, and released a great evil by mistake: the mighty Archdevil Skorne. Skorne "rewarded" Daccarius for his foolishness by consuming his soul, and proceeded to draw half of the Roman Empire into a spiral of utter darkness.

When Skorne was freed, his prison, a giant crystal, came into being in the world as well, in the heart of what once was Babylon. This prison held the secret to his defeat, and so he summoned forth four diabolic guardians to defend it. He gave each of them a share of the seal he placed on the prison, and as long as they lived, no mortal could approach it.

But where Evil exists, Good will rise to oppose it and the celestial lords called forth a champion to face the Archdevil. The champion was a mighty sorcerer from the Nubian region, calling himself Obrimos . Obrimos had foreseen the rise of Skorne, and had traveled the world for twenty years, gathering the magic of every land. Accompanied by a Roman Centurion named Arcanthum, the sorcerer sought to bring an end to Skorne's life and save the world from his evil.

First, Obrimos and Arcanthum traveled to the four farthest points of the Roman Empire to slay Skorne's guardian beasts. In vicious combat, they slew the Silver Chimera; Obrimos unraveled and solved the riddles of the Darksphinx; Arcanthum destroyed the Brimstone Golem through sheer might; and together they overthrew and defeated the Queen of Spiders.

Once the seal was broken, the two champions traveled to the ruins of Babylon, where Skorne's crystal prison had manifested. But there they found a much greater danger – Daccarius, his soul long since eaten, had risen as a heartless creature of unimaginable power: a lich, an undead sorcerer possessing darkest magic. Combining Arcanthum's strength and his own magical might, Obrimos proved the strength of his own soul by banishing Daccarius from this world. And so the heroes gained access to Skorne's prison.

Within it, the sorcerer found the secret incantations and symbols that had locked the Archdevil's power for aeons untold. He fashioned the crystal of the prison into a mighty staff, and called upon a spirit to help him bind the prison's magics into the staff.

Instead of the spirit he sought, however, Obrimos called forth the soul of a champion of Good, from an even more ancient time. By proving his righteousness, he convinced the soul to aid him, and thus the staff was imbued with power enough to defeat Skorne. He named the staff "Soul Savior".

Obrimos and Arcanthum returned to Rome, where Skorne had set himself up as a tyrant and planned the conquest of the world. Together, the two heroes fought their way through legions of summoned devils and evil beings indescribable, finally gaining access to the Senate building, Skorne's base… just as the full moon was eclipsed by a black shadow, throwing the land into darkness.

The two launched their attack, only to discover a trick – Skorne had conjured forth one final guardian, a vicious devil of ice known as Ymilok. Arcanthum threw himself on the devil, ordering Obrimos to strike down Skorne, and fought Ymilok with all his might. Sadly, though he slew Ymilok, the effort cost Arcanthum his life.

Calling on all the magic he knew, Obrimos charged Soul Savior with his very essence, his very soul. Its powers launched out and bound the Archdevil's magics, crippling him. With that, Obrimos fired five grand spells – the first two destroyed Skorne's gauntlets, the third shattered the mask that bound his life force to him, the fourth destroyed his horns and rendered him mortal, and the final blast obliterated the Archdevil Skorne for all eternity.

But unfortunately, the victory came at great cost. Although Rome was returned to normal and the world saved, Soul Savior shattered under the force of the last spell, and Obrimos himself was mortally wounded by the backlash. It is said the last thing he saw in this world was Arcanthum, saluting him in the manner of the Roman legions, and the last action Obrimos did before he died was smile.

Thus, the world was saved… At least for one millennia more…


Dr. Artemis paused.

She started to look over the website, but no information existed on what had occurred one thousand years before that…

“Clearly…” she said, “the side of Good has a pretty decent record in these conflicts.

“I can’t help but think – and worry – that the side of Evil might have learned from previous mistakes…”



[B]* * * * * * * * * *


Trisha walked down the long, winding, torch-lit hallway.

Hope I don’t get lost, she thought. I don’t think I’d find a “You are here” sign in this place… There likely isn’t a taco stand either.

She saw a doorway up ahead.

She wandered into what appeared to be another temple of some sort, lit by flickering torchlight.

She looked around. Stone tablets were placed around the walls.

She looked at one of them…

Battle Ox… she thought, looking at the carven image.

She looked at another.

Rude Kaiser… she thought.

She looked at a third.

Swordstalker… Wow, this place is pretty fancy. I feel like I should pay admission to come in.

Then her eyes fell on the largest tablet, which made up the floor…

She walked onto it and shivered. It was a ferocious-looking dragon with large wings and horns on its face. It seemed to glare at her with piercing eyes as she looked at it…

“What is this place?” she asked.

“Actually,” said an annoyed voice, “I was hoping you could tell me…”

She spun around… And her eyes opened wide.

Walking towards her was a young man who she recognized immediately, from his distinctive hairstyle and trademark jacket. He stood a head taller than her and radiated an aura of authority that simply could not be ignored.

“K…K…K…” she stuttered.

She paused. The name would not come out.

“How could you be here?” she finally asked.

“I’ll ask the questions here,” said Kaiba, sternly. “I’m not in the best of moods…”

He glared at her.

“Trisha, right?” he said with a frown. “Critias must have lowered his standards…”

Trisha was sweating. This was too unreal.

“This is crazy…” she muttered. “One of the best duelists who ever lived… How can you be here? It…”

“I’m as clueless as you are,” interrupted Kaiba. “I was minding my own business like I usually do, when someone brings me here and tells me I have to test the duelist who has Critias now. I suppose that makes sense because I had him last.”

“You used Critias?” asked Trisha. “Oh gee, I have a million questions…”

“I don’t have time!” snapped Kaiba.

He paused.

“Trisha, if there’s one thing I hate more than anything,” he said, “it’s being told what to do, and I would have said no if I had a choice. I have better things to do than this. But since I want to go home as soon as possible and I apparently don’t have a choice…

“We’re dueling… now.”

Trisha slunk back a little.

“You… against me?” asked Trisha.

Kaiba nodded.

“For what stakes?” asked Trisha.

“They didn’t mention any,” replied Kaiba.

Trisha paused.

No strings attached… she thought. I just have to duel someone who’s only lost a fair duel to one other person…

Critias, why did you ever come to me?

“Okay, but…” started Trisha.

“Just don’t wimp out and give up after you make your first draw,” ordered Kaiba. “And I do know one thing… Critias isn’t allowed, so remove it.”

Trisha skimmed through her deck and found The Fang of Critias. She picked up her side deck and quickly swapped it with another card, and reshuffled.

Okay… she thought. Here goes nothing…

She stared at the legend in front of her as he raised his own Disk – a Mach 2 model – and it activated.

“Once again…” muttered Trisha. “Game start…”

They both quickly drew five cards.



[B](Trisha: 8,000) (Kaiba: 8,000)


“Uh, why don’t you go first…” muttered Trisha, nervously.

“Don’t mind if I do…” said Kaiba, drawing a sixth card.

He looked over his hand. Then he looked at Trisha.

“Afraid?” he asked with a smile.

Trisha didn’t answer.

Kaiba smirked.

“Trisha,” said Kaiba, “didn’t you take down an Ancient Gear Golem? That’s just as strong as one of my Dragons, and unlike them, it’s an Effect Monster.”

“You’re… trying to encourage me?” asked Trisha.

“Maybe…” said Kaiba.

He fit one card in his Disk.

A facedown card appeared.

“Maybe it’s because I don’t like dueling wimps…

“I summon Pitch-Dark Dragon in Defense Mode.”

A smallish Dragon with black scales appeared, folding its wings in a defensive position. (900/600)



http://www.ideal808.com/images/mfc-008.jpg


“That will be enough for my first turn.”

Trisha opened her eyes.

She made a slight grin as she drew her sixth card.

Maybe this wouldn’t be so hard after all…

“Uh…” she said. “That facedown card… It’s your Crush Card, right?”

“What makes you so sure?” asked Kaiba.

“Oh, come on…” said Trisha. “Kaiba, plus facedown card, plus weak Monster with Dark Attribute equals Crush Card. This is one of your favorite strategies. If I attacked, you’d spring that and my whole deck would be ruined.

“Kaiba, you were the subject of chapters five through eight of my Dueling Personalities class textbook for pete’s sake!”

“Who was the subject of chapters one through four?” he asked, annoyed.

“Uh… better you didn’t know…” said Trisha, choosing a card.

“It might be my Crush Card…” said Kaiba, with a grin. “Or then again, it might not be… Maybe I simply want you to think it is. After all, my success rate with that card isn’t all that good…”

“Well I’m not taking any chances,” said Trisha. “I play Heavy Storm!”

She played the card, and the fierce wind tore through the field! The Crush Card – for that was indeed what it was – lifted up and shattered to pieces.

“Well, it seems you studied…” muttered Kaiba. “But I did manage to do one thing… get you to use up your Heavy Storm early, and that’s a very powerful card.

“I guess I’m going to have to beat you the old-fashioned way, but that’s fine with me… It makes things more interesting.”

“I guess so…” said Trisha.

She put a card down on her Disk.

“I summon Mechanicalchaser in Attack Mode…” she said.

The Machine hunter appeared. (1,850/800)



http://www.ideal808.com/images/db2-en093.jpg


“Attack the Pitch-Dark Dragon!” she shouted.

Mechanicalchaser flew forward, blades first. It sliced through the Pitch-Dark Dragon, and it shattered into fragments.

“That’s my turn…” she said.

Kaiba made a draw.

“I’ll summon Peten the Dark Clown in Defense Mode,” he said, placing a card on his Disk.

The Spellcaster that Jason was so fond of using appeared, crouching in Defense. (500/1,200)



http://www.ideal808.com/images/ep1-en005.jpg


This won’t be hard… thought Trisha, drawing a card. I’ve seen Jason’s cards so many times, he’ll never be able to surprise me!

“I summon Cyber Phoenix in Attack Mode!” she exclaimed.

Cyber Phoenix appeared in a burst of flame. (1,200/1,600)



http://www.ideal808.com/images/eoj_en009.jpg


“Mechanicalchaser, destroy his clown!”

Mechanicalchaser flew forward, cutting up Peten.

“I activate his effect,” said Kaiba. “Peten number two, arise!”

A second Peten appeared, also in Defense Mode.

“Your move…” said Trisha.

Kaiba drew a card.

He looked at it for a second…

He gave a slight smirk to Trisha, and then added it to his hand.

Could that be… thought Trisha, nervously.

Kaiba looked over his hand, and choose another card. He placed it on his Disk.

“I summon the Skull Dog Marron in Defense Mode,” he said.

A spooky shadow appeared in front of him, and a creature that looked, for all intents and purposes, like the skeleton of some large great Dane walked out of it. It shielded itself with its bony arms. (1,350/2,000)



http://www.ideal808.com/images/sod-en0031.jpg


Trisha gulped.

“Scared?” asked Kaiba. “Believe me, he’s the least of your worries. It’s your move.”

I was wrong, she thought. He does have a few things that could surprise me… What is that thing, some Vampire Lord’s pet?

But this isn’t like Kaiba! Doing nothing but defending? Kaiba always believed that the best defense was a massive offense…

He’s likely planning something big…

Well, I can’t let him keep two Monsters on the field. If he gets one of those…

She shuddered as she drew a card.

She placed a card on her Disk.

“I summon Machine King Prototype in Attack Mode,” she said.

Prototype appeared, its optic sensors glowing. (1,600/1,500) –> (1,800/1,500)



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“Mechanicalchaser, destroy the second Peten!” she shouted.

Mechanicalchaser slashed at the clown, and he shattered.

A third one appeared.

“Prototype… you know what to do. Laser phaser!”

Prototype blasted its eye beams, and incinerated the last Peten.

So long as I don’t let him keep two Monsters on the field, she thought. I should be safe from one of his major players.

Well, safe to a point, that is. He has a lot of cards in his deck that can summon them easier. Cost Down, Kaiser Sea Horse… A lot.

“Your move…” she said, getting nervous.

Kaiba drew.

“I play Pot of Greed,” he stated.

He played the card. The jar appeared, and he drew twice. The jar shattered.

He smirked.

“Well, Trisha…” he stated, taking another card from his hand. “It’s high time one of my stars made his appearance…”

He flipped the card around…

“Blue-Eyes White Dragon…” gulped Trisha as she looked at the famous card.

Then she regained her composure.

“You need to trade two Monsters for that guy, and you only have one!” she protested.

Then she paused.

“Wait… You’re going to use Cost Down!”

“No…” said Kaiba, shaking his head. “If I did, I’d have to discard a card, and it would only work once. I’m going to use a single card that’s going to make sacrificing Monsters completely unnecessary from this point.”

“That’s impossible!” shouted Trisha.

“You’ll be a believer in a minute,” said Kaiba, putting the priceless card back in his hand. “First, I’ll place one card facedown…”

He fit a card into his Disk, and a facedown card appeared.

“And now…” he said, opening his Field Slot, “the card that every good Power Deck needs…”

He placed a card in the slot and closed it.

“I activate Mausoleum of the Emperor!”

Before Trisha’s eyes, the indoor temple melted away, and was replaced by an outdoor promenade with a hazy sky. Behind Kaiba was a foreboding temple guarded by two sentinels, with iron braziers with lit flames flanking it.

Trisha could tell just by looking around…

…this was sacred ground…



[B]* * * * * * * * * *


The Sage of Duelists was watching Trisha’s progress as the Field Spell was played. His four bodyguards watched behind him.

One of them lowered her hood, revealing herself to be a young woman with long, blonde hair.

“Hey…” she said, nudging the one next to her. “Didn’t you use that card in your deck?”

He lowered his own hood. He seemed about her age, and his shorter hair was brownish-grey.

“A few times,” he replied. “It’s powerful, but I gave it up early. I figured it was helping my opponents more than it was me.”

“That’s for sure,” she replied. “It certainly benefits Kaiba’s deck… Trisha might be in big trouble…”



[B]* * * * * * * * * *


“Confused?” asked Kaiba. “Let me explain…

“In Mausoleum of the Emperor, if a duelist wants to Normal Summon a high-level Monster, he doesn’t have to sacrifice Monsters at all if he doesn’t want to or simply can’t. He can instead choose to pay 1,000 Life Points for each sacrifice the Monster would normally need.

“Simple enough? Good.

“So… I’ll pay 2,000 Life Points to summon what would normally require two sacrifices… Blue-Eyes White Dragon!”

He threw the card on his Disk, and lightning flashed…

Trisha drew back in fright as the Monster she never thought she’d see loomed over Kaiba! It let out a bellowing roar! (3,000/2,500)



http://www.ideal808.com/images/sdk_001.jpg


This could be a very short duel… she thought.

“Well…” said Kaiba, taking another card from his hand. “I could just crash through your Monsters one at a time, but since that would be a colossal waste of my time and his…”

He took a card from his hand.

“I play the Spell Card, Burst Stream of Destruction!”

“Burst Stream of Destruction?” asked Trisha. “Wait… Isn’t that the name of an attack that Blue-Eyes uses?”

“Did I say it wasn’t?” replied Kaiba, playing the card. “Blue-Eyes, wipe out her Machines!”

Blue-Eyes blasted a steam of destructive energy, and Trisha’s three Machines were blasted to atoms!

“As you can see…” said Kaiba, “so long as I have a Blue-Eyes on the field, it works just like Raigeki.”

Trisha looked up at the huge Dragon in panic…

“Oh, calm down, crybaby…” muttered Kaiba. “It does have one small catch. Blue-Eyes can’t actually attack on the round I use that card, so you’re safe for this turn.”

He smirked.

“Next turn, however…”

Trisha grinned nervously…

“Well, make your move…” he demanded.



[B](T: 8,000) (K: 6,000)


Trisha’s hand trembled as she drew a card.

I’m in the lead… she thought. But that might change very soon…

“I activate my facedown card,” said Kaiba.

A Trap Card lifted, showing the image of an elderly man with a strange machine latched to his back.

“It’s called Life-Absorbing Machine, and we’ll get to what it does later.”

He frowned.

“You know, I remember the first time I saw this card used,” he said. “It was when I dueled a big jerk who you’d never want to meet. But he did have a few good cards.

“For now, finish your turn.”

Trisha nervously placed a card on her Disk.

“I summon another Machine King Prototype…” she said. “In Defense Mode…”

A second Prototype appeared, shielding itself. (1,600/1,500)

She bowed her head.

He’s looking at me like I’m a little girl… she thought. I know it’s a weakling compared to Blue Eyes, but it was the best I could do…

“Then I draw…” said Kaiba, “and with Life-Absorbing Machine on the field, I gain Life Points equal to half of what I paid last turn. So paying Life Points for my Field Spell is only half as costly for me as you may think.”

He looked at the card he had drawn.

“I play this…” he said. “White Dragon Ritual! And I’ll sacrifice my Skull Dog Marron to do so…”

The skeletal Beast vanished.

“That lets me summon Paladin of White Dragon!”

A large, mounted form flew down. It was a knight in white armor, astride a small, winged dragon, armed with a lance. (1,900/1,200)



http://www.ideal808.com/images/mfc-0261.jpg


“Attack the Prototype!” he ordered. “Sonic lance attack!”

The Paladin shot a wave of sound from his lance, and Prototype exploded.

No… thought Trisha. That was my only defense…

“Blue-Eyes…” said Kaiba.

Trisha gulped.

“No…” she whined.

“Attack directly!” he shouted. “White lightning!”

The powerful blast honed in on her, and Trisha felt like her flesh was being torn off its bones. She finally managed a scream…

She fell to her knees… Smoke rose from her body…



[B](T: 5,000) (K: 7,000)


“HA, HA, HA!” laughed Kaiba. “I never get tired of that!”

He paused.

“And finally…” he continued, “I’ll use Paladin’s effect, letting me sacrifice it to summon another Blue-Eyes from my deck. So now I have two!”

Paladin vanished, and the second Blue-Eyes White Dragon appeared next to its brother. (3,000/2,500)

“Heh, heh…” he chuckled. “Your move…”

Trisha slowly got up.

She looked at the two titans.

This had best be a good draw… she thought.



Continued…

[Dark Sage]

Continued from last post:



Fortunado was slowly going through his address book.

He dialed a number on his video phone. A face appeared on it.

“Curare?” he said. “I’m going to be needing your services in the near future. I’m willing to pay a generous sum for one duel, so long as you can handle the Shadows.”

“I can,” said a female voice in his head. ”But for such a job, I fear I may require hazard pay. Perhaps for an extra twenty percent…”

“Fifteen, Curare, don’t get greedy,” said Fortunado.

”Very well, fifteen,” she replied. ”Just give me the name and location of the target.”

“It won’t work that way this time, Curare,” he said. “The enemy likely plans to come to us, and one assassin won’t do… I require a gathering of elite duelist unlike any ever established. The project is going to be costly, but it will be profitable in the long run.

“Hopefully, the next rising of the Black Moon will be the blackest.”



[B]* * * * * * * * * *


Trisha drew a card.

“I play Swords of Revealing Light!” she shouted.

The two Dragons roared as the cage of glowing swords crashed down around them and their master.

“Humph…” muttered Kaiba. “I’ve never liked that annoying card.”

“I don’t blame you,” muttered Trisha. “I’ll place a Monster in Defense Mode, and end my turn.”

She placed a card on her Disk, and a facedown Monster appeared.

Kaiba drew a card.

“Eh…” he said, waving his hand.

Trisha started to think as she made her next draw.

She perked up a little bit. She looked at the two Dragons, who were looking at her impatiently.

You know… she thought. Maybe this isn’t as hard as I thought it would be… All I really have to do…

…is try to put myself in Kaiba’s shoes, and try to think what I would do if I were him right now. It shouldn’t be too hard. I studied his whole career in my first two years.

Let’s see… He has two of his Dragons on the field. His most likely next move will be to try to fuse them together with his third to summon…

She gulped.

…his Blue-Eyes Ultimate Dragon! I don’t know how I could beat that…

She remembered something…

He also owned one of the incredibly rare copies of Chaos Emperor Dragon – Envoy of the End. That card is illegal now… But is he bound by modern rules? If he summons that thing…

She placed a card on her Disk.

“I place another Monster in Defense Mode…” she said.

A second facedown Monster appeared.

“That’s my turn,” she said.

Kaiba drew a card.

“I play this…” he said, playing a Spell Card.

A card bearing the image of a temple on a hill with a glowing portal above it appeared.

“It’s called Spell Sanctuary,” he said. “Now both duelists can take any Spell Card from their decks they desire and add them to their hands.”

Trisha took her deck.

She leafed through it until she found Machine Duplication.

“And now…” said Kaiba, “I’ll use it! Polymerization!”

Trisha stepped back in fright, as a third Dragon appeared on the field…

…and then, they swirled into a pool of light, and a huge creature started to form…

The great, three-headed beast loomed over the field, casting its shadow over Trisha. It roared with its three mouths! (4,500/3,800)



http://www.ideal808.com/images/jmp-en005.jpg


“Your Swords are still in the way…” said Kaiba, “so I’ll end my turn there…”

It’s now or never… thought Trisha, drawing a card.

“I flip Bokoichi the Freightening Card into Attack Mode…” she said, as one of her facedown Monsters flipped into position.

The fiendish freight card appeared. (500/500)

“Next…” she said, “I’ll play Machine Duplication!”

She played the card, and two more Bokoichis appeared.

“Next…” she said, “I’ll flip Dekoichi the Battlechanted Locomotive into Attack Mode.”

The Battlechanted Locomotive flipped into view, and blew steam out of its stack. (1,400/1,000)



http://www.ideal808.com/images/rds_en032.jpg


“This combo lets me draw four times…” she said, making four draws.

She looked at her new hand of eight cards, and grinned…

“I play… Sky Union!” she shouted. “Now, I’ll sacrifice my three Bokoichis…”

The three Freightening Cars shattered.

“And I’ll summon… Air Fortress Ziggurat!”

Winds started to pick up around the Mausoleum, and the two sentries cowered in fright as a huge form loomed over the building. The intimidating form of Air Fortress Ziggurat floated over the field. Its massive eyes glowed with fiery light. (2,500/2,000)

Kaiba simply smirked.

“Please…” he said. “I defeated that overgrown Gobot once before, and then I was using a normal Blue-Eyes.”

“Really?” asked Trisha. “Well, defeat this… I play Limiter Removal!”

She played the Spell Card, and both her Machines glowed with blue flame. Air Fortress Ziggurat rose to an Attack of 5,000, and Dekoichi rose to an Attack of 2,800!

“Air Fortress Ziggurat…” shouted Trisha. “Attack the Dragon!”

The Ziggurat fired its multitude of guns, missiles and cannons, striking the Ultimate Dragon’s immense form! Explosions rocked on its hide! Blue-Eyes Ultimate Dragon let out a loud moan of agony, and then shattered into bits!

Flames started to spread, and before they knew it, the whole Mausoleum was on fire!

Kaiba looked in disbelief… Even Trisha was a little surprised…

She regained herself.

“Dekoichi…” she shouted. “Attack directly! Loco motion!”

Smoke bellowed from the Battlechanted Locomotive’s smokestack, and its eyes glowed red! Kaiba shielded himself as Dekoichi chugged forward and charged into him! He was thrown backwards.



[B](T: 5,000) (K: 3,700)


“Uh… Kaiba…” asked Trisha. “You okay? I hope I didn’t…”

Kaiba got up, and to Trisha’s surprise, he smiled.

“I guess subtlety in Duel Monsters must have died when I did,” he said. “But I take back what I said before… Critias has not lowered his standards. It seems I’ve met a worthy opponent…

“That stunt was harder to pull off than my accountant’s toupee.

“But don’t get too comfortable, Trisha. You used Limiter Removal to do that. Both of those Monsters will be destroyed when you end your turn.”

“Fine…” said Trisha. “I end it now…”

Dekoichi and the Ziggurat exploded into scrap metal.

Oblivious to the inferno surrounding him, Kaiba made a draw.

“I play Card of Demise,” he said, playing a card. “Now I can draw five cards…”

He made five draws.

“Now let’s clear away your Swords,” he said. “I play Mystical Space Typhoon.”

He played the card, and the Swords blew away.

“Now…” he continued, “I summon Vorse Raider in Attack Mode.”

He played the card, and the Dark Beast-Warrior appeared. He roared and lifted his axe. The spreading flames cast a hellish glow in his eyes. (1,900/1,200)



http://www.ideal808.com/images/Le5_007.jpg


Oh… thought Trisha. Of all the Monsters he could have summoned, why did it have to be that one?

“You’re wide open!” shouted Kaiba. “Attack her directly!”

Trisha screamed as the Beast-Warrior slashed across her chest with his axe. She fell over.



[B](T: 3,100) (K: 3,700)


Get a grip, Trisha, she thought, getting up. This isn’t Jason’s card! It’s another copy of the same card! You can deal with it!

She drew a card.

I wish I could… she thought. The only Monster I have here that can stand up to him is Machine King, and he needs a sacrifice to summon…

She paused.

Hold on a minute… she thought. Or does he? This Mausoleum… It may be on fire, but it’s still active… And it’s a Field Spell. That means I can use it too.

At least, I think I can…

Here goes nothing…

“I’m activating the effect of Mausoleum of the Emperor,” she said, “paying 1,000 Life Points to summon Machine King!”

She placed a card on her Disk, and Machine King rose up, ready to face his opponent. (2,200/2,000) –> (2,300/2,000)



http://www.ideal808.com/images/db2-en099.jpg


“Attack the Vorse Raider!” she ordered.

She looked away.

“Jet punch attack…”

She couldn’t watch as Machine King struck, clobbering Jason’s favorite Monster and blowing him to bits.



[B](T: 2,100) (K: 3,300)


“Th… that’s my turn…” she said, nervously.

“You are clever, Trisha,” said Kaiba, as he drew a card. “Since I got this card, a lot of my opponents didn’t pick up on the fact that both duelists could invoke its great power.

“But you’re still outmatched…”

He placed a card on his Disk.

“I’ll invoke its power myself, and pay 1,000 Life Points, to summon Luster Dragon #2!”

The huge, emerald Dragon appeared, and let out a bellow. (2,400/1,400)



http://www.ideal808.com/images/db2-en165.jpg


“Attack the Machine King!” ordered Kaiba. “Emerald flame!”

Luster Dragon shot forth a blast of flame. Machine King sparked and exploded in a fiery burst.



[B](T: 2,000) (K: 2,300)


“Your move…” he said.

Trisha drew a card.

“I’ll place one card facedown, and that will be all…” she said, placing a card in her Disk.

A facedown card appeared.

“Heh, heh…” laughed Kaiba, drawing. “That’s the most pathetic bluff I’ve ever seen…

“I’ll gain 500 Life Points from Life-Absorbing Machine…

“But that hardly matters, because you’re through! Luster Dragon, attack her directly!”

Luster Dragon shot its flame at Trisha, and she screamed as it hit her…

“You are beaten…” said Kaiba, smugly.

As the smoke cleared, Trisha looked at him, gasping for breath.

She pointed to the Trap she had triggered.

“Surprise…” she said.

“Nutrient Z?” he gasped,

“Yeah…” she said. “I can activate it when…”

“I know how it works!” interrupted Kaiba. “I used it a few times myself. You wanted me to attack you, didn’t you?

“Clever…”



[B](T: 3,600) (K: 2,800)


A flaming timber from above fell between them as he stared at her.

“I end my turn with that,” he said.



[B]* * * * * * * * * *


“Yes, Professor Zander,” said Fortunado, “I’m prepared to pay very well… No, I assure you it won’t be a problem…”

He paused.

“Uh huh… Yeah, I could obtain cards like that in under a week if you desire. It shouldn’t be a problem.

“All right see you then…”

He turned off the video phone.

“That takes care of all the usual contacts,” he said to himself. “Now to work on the… unusual ones.”

He walked out of the room.



[B]* * * * * * * * * *


Trisha slowly caught her breath. The smoke and flames may have been only holograms created by their Disks, but they seemed so real. She drew a card.

“I place three cards facedown…” she said, placing three cards in her Disk.

Three facedown cards appeared on the field.

“Now I pay 1,000 Life Points to use the effect of the Mausoleum,” she said, “and summon Cyber-Tech Alligator!”

She played the card, and the large, cybernetic reptile rose up. (2,500/1,600)



http://www.ideal808.com/images/G3_10.jpg


“Attack his Luster Dragon!” she shouted. “Freezing stream!”

Cyber-Tech Alligator shot its chilling mist from its mouth and Luster Dragon was blown to shards.

“Heh…” muttered Kaiba. “That move cost you more Life Points that it did me.”

“It had to be done,” answered Trisha. “I guess it’s your move.”



[B](T: 2,600) (K: 2,700)


Kaiba drew a card.

“Oh, I’ll move,” he said. “And you will lose! I play Monster Reborn, and I’ll use it to bring back my Ultimate Dragon!”

He played the card, and the ankh appeared, glowing with fire in the air…

The immense form of Blue-Eyes Ultimate Dragon reappeared, furiously bellowing with all three heads! The glare of the fire reflected on its shining scales.

“Destroy her Alligator!” shouted Kaiba. “Neuron blast!”

The immense Dragon shot a blast of pure energy from its three heads…

One of Trisha’s Trap Cards flipped up, and a Negate Attack halted the blast.

“You survived one turn,” said Kaiba. “Next round, you’re finished.”

He may be right, thought Trisha. How on Earth can I defeat it a second time?

She looked at the three cards in her hand: Thunder Crash, Red Gadget, and Hyper Refresh.

None of the cards in my hand are any good against this behemoth…

She drew a card.

Double Spell… she thought, looking at it. There has to be some way I can use this against him… But how?

She thought for a minute.

Oh! I got it!

“I play Double Spell,” she said, playing the card.

She discarded Thunder Crash.

“Now I can duplicate any Spell Card in your Graveyard, and I’ll use it to duplicate… Card of Demise!

“Now I can draw five cards!”

She drew five times.

“I must say, that was smart,” said Kaiba, as she looked over them. “Did you get any good ones?”

Trisha gave a wicked grin.

“I got ones that are going to topple your Dragon and win this duel!” she said, overjoyed.

“First,” she said, “I’ll spend 2,000 Life Points to use the power of Mausoleum of the Emperor, and summon Perfect Machine King to the field.”

Her Life Points plummeted as she played the card, and the huge robot appeared. (2,700/1,500) –> (3,200/1,500)



http://www.ideal808.com/images/rds-en0121.jpg


“Next,” she said, “I activate one of my facedown cards…”

A Trap Card lifted.

“Rare Metalmorph. I get to choose one Machine, and increase its Attack Score by 500. I choose my Alligator.”

Cyber-Tech Alligator turned silver and shiny all over, and its Attack Score rose to 3,000.

“You may have two powerful Monsters,” said Kaiba, “but they still fall short of my ultimate beast!”

“Well…” said Trisha, with a smirk, “I’ll just have to make him less powerful then.”

Her last Trap Card lifted.

“I activate Elemental Blight. Now I have to remove one Monster in my hand from play, and all Monsters on the field with the same Attribute lose 1,500 Attack Points for one round…

“And the Monster I’m removing from play is this one… Emes the Infinity, a Light Monster, just like your Dragon!”

She deposited the card in a slot on her Disk, and Blue-Eyes Ultimate Dragon groaned, falling to an Attack of 3,000.

“Perfect Machine King…” ordered Trisha. “Attack the Ultimate Dragon! Mega missile assault!”

The hatches on Perfect Machine King’s shoulders opened, and it blasted forth a volley of artillery, striking the huge Dragon. It groaned, and then exploded into shards!

“Cyber-Tech Alligator, attack directly, and end this!”

The cyborg shot its chilling mist, and Kaiba shielded himself. He fell to his knees…



[B](T: 600) (K: 0)


“I won!” shouted Trisha in delight. “I won, I won! I beat Seto Kaiba!”

The flames subsided, as the ruins of Mausoleum of the Emperor faded into dust, leaving only plumes of grey smoke. The two Machines vanished. Finally, the smoke vanished as well, returning them to the temple.

“Yeah, you won…” muttered Kaiba. “And let me tell you, you’d better never lose a duel again! Not after this duel…”

He got up.

“I can take a loss…” he muttered. “Especially since there doesn’t seem to be a single witness… But don’t you dare brag about this…”

“My lips are sealed,” assured Trisha.

A doorway opened in the back of the temple.

“Well, Kaiba…” she said, “thanks for the duel, I guess. I think that’s the way out for both of us…”

“Hold it, Trisha…” said Kaiba.

He looked at her.

“Maybe we should talk for a while,” he said. “You hold Critias, so it stands to reason that the Orichalcos is back. You shouldn’t go into something like that unprepared.

“Let me give you advice, Trisha. I know a lot about that cursed card, and everything that happened the first time, and as a wise man once said…

“Forewarned is forearmed…”



[B]* * * * * * * * * *


Watching the progress was the Sage of Duelists, and his four bodyguards.

“Well, Trisha’s style isn’t exactly subtle or clean,” said the Sage, “but then again, the style of most Machine duelists isn’t. All we need do is wait for Jason to finish, and we’ll be ready to get down to real business.”

One of the four of them came up to him and lowered his hood. He had long ago gotten rid of the braids in his long hair, and simply wore it neatly long right now.

“Uhm, begging the general’s pardon,” he said, “but do you mind if I ask a question?”

“Ask away, my boy,” replied the Sage. “That’s what I’m here for.”

“Well…” he said, “I’ve seen you command a lot of powerful magic…”

“I don’t like to brag…” said the Sage, with a smile.

“Well… Isn’t summoning Joey and Kaiba themselves from the past a little much even for you?” he asked. “I mean, you aren’t God…”

“Heh, heh, heh,” chuckled the Sage. “No, my boy, I’m not God, and I’d be the first person to tell you that…

“Anyway, as for Joey and Kaiba, it isn’t really them. Allow me to explain…”

He paused.

“Last night, the Three Dragons themselves contacted me, and told me that the Chosen Ones would need a purification ritual before I could make the offer. They said it would consist of a difficult duel… a practical baptism by fire to a duelist.

“But all I’d have to do is direct them to the hidden sanctums. The Dragons would take it from there. I had nothing to do with providing these opponents.

“I didn’t exactly expect this, but it makes sense. The Dragons have taken the forms of their original allies, adopting their looks, mannerisms, and strategies. Who better to prepare their Chosen Ones?”

“So Trisha was just dueling Critias?” asked the bodyguard.

“Affirmative,” said the Sage. “Indeed. Yes.”

“Odd,” said the female. “How could Critias have copies of the real Kaiba’s Dragons?”

“Heh,” said the one who Russell had dueled. “I witnessed Jaden’s duel with Kaibaman. If that guy could create magical copies of Blue-Eyes, then Critias certainly could too.”

“Mmm,” said the Sage. “The Legendary Dragons could likely create a deck with any Duel Monsters cards that could be legally obtained. In a way, they are like Duel Spirits… But they exist above Duel Spirits in the same way that kings exist above commoners.

“Let’s keep watching. Jason is in a tough spot, and I think his ritual is going to turn out to be the hardest.”



[B]* * * * * * * * * *


He was right…

At this point, Jason was in a very difficult duel…

He was facing a strategy that seemingly could not be beaten.


Saturday, October 31st, 2106, 4:45 PM



SPELL SANCTUARY (Spell Card)

Card Specs

Type: Spell/Continuous
Attribute: –
Level: –
ATK: –
DEF: –

Image: A temple on a hill with a glowing portal above it.

Card Description: When this card is activated, both players can take any Spell Card from their respective decks and add it to their hands. While this card is active, a player can activate a facedown Normal Spell Card during his opponent’s turn.

Note: “Spell Sanctuary” was first used by Kaiba in the anime episode “Clash in the Colosseum (Part One)”. All creative credit goes to the writers of that episode.



MAUSOLEUM OF THE EMPEROR

Every card in the game has a story behind it if you look close enough, and the Field Spell Card “Mausoleum of the Emperor” (which, as GX fans know, was at one point used by Aster Phoenix) has a story behind it based in the real world.

The card is based on a famous tomb in China known as the Mausoleum of the First Qin Emperor, also called the Terracotta Army. Discovered in 1974, in the northern Chinese city of Xi’an, this elaborate tomb was found to contain over 8,000 life size terracotta statues – funerary sculptures.

The tomb was the resting place of Qin Shi Huang, the first emperor of a unified China from 221 BC to 210 BC. Huang was known to be a cruel and oppressive tyrant, and was likely insane. After he unified China, he connected several structures among its border into what was the beginning of the Great Wall of China. His ultimate goal was to find an elixir that would grant immortality, but he died before finding one. To further emphasize his madness, everyone who contributed to building his tomb was executed in the name of preserving his eternal afterlife. His successor was unimpressed by his attempts – he had the glorious tomb sealed up and buried, and it was forgotten.

Despite its dark history, the Terracotta Army is truly a marvel of art and architecture. The thousands of statues, which depict soldiers, horses, chariots, and weapons, are all life-sized, and no two are exactly the same. The soldiers are all posed as if ready to march into battle. Some are in a kneeling position, or preparing for their journey.



[B][I]Coming up next:

Jason faces Timaeus in his own purification ritual. You folks logically assume by now that Timaeus will take the form of Yugi or maybe the Pharaoh, but you’d be wrong. Timaeus knows that their strategies would be far too overwhelming, and Jason would be too intimidated. But that doesn’t mean that he’s going to let Jason off easy.

What form will Timaeus take? Well, it’s someone else who the Dragons considered an ally.

You consider that and wait for the next chapter. It’s called “Royal Decree”. Be here.

[Shuppet Master]

Nice chapter. Kaiba is probably one of my favorite characters in the old series.

So, it looks like three of the Sage's guards have shown themselves. I never expected Tyranno Hassleberry to be one of them. (Hears the screams of dub-haters as the unholy name was uttered and laughs.) Also, I'm guessing that Aster and Alexis are the remaining two. If I spoiled anything, I'm very sorry, but it was getting to be obvious.

Trisha did pretty well fighting the Blue Eyes, and the reaction she had fighting Vorse Raider was priceless.

So, Yugi isn't the one Jason is facing. But what else could it be? Nobody else had Timaeus...

Keep up the good work, Brian.

[jkBAKURA]

Well, I will say that this was Tricia's best duel in a long time.

Like Joey, I know it was impossible to use every one of the familiar Kaiba moves, but this one did at least a fairly decent job.

While not a Kaiba Card, the Mosuleum made the chapter a whole lot more interesting, as it let each player use many key cards that normally only show up every few chapters. I kind of wish the Blue-Eyes would have made a bit more of an impact. Same with the Ultimate. They just seemed like another monster, instead of the behemoths the series makes them out to be.

And where in the heck did Skull Dog Marron come from?

All in all, it's a shame this chapter was bound by rules that can't be helped. Most of Kaiba's moves were already used by Jason, making it a difficult chapter to make different, but it still would have been nice to see at least one or two combos be sucessfully executed.

I'll be looking forward, but this chapter was only a little better then the one before it. I hope the next section of the story isn't too far away.

[Inferno_Dragon]

Interesting chapter, just like the duel with Joey, you played Kaiba's emotions and dueling strategy down. So the Dark Sage's Guards are students from Duelist Academy. Things are getting interesting ...

... But what is more interesting that who Jason will duel against. I think it would Yugi or the Pharaoh. But I am confused but it should be an interesting duel though.

Keep up the good work!

[Blademaster]

OK, let's see what we've got here...

The negative: Like Joey, Kaiba was just missing... something. I dunno; he just seemed a little more villianous than I remember at some points and a little more friendly at others. I know, it wasn't the Kaiba, but Critias just seemed to miss his persona a little; also, real Kaiba or not, the duel seemed a bit shorter than it should've been...

OK, negativity aside, let's move on to the good stuff:

-I agree with JK - Trisha hasn't had a duel like this since I can't remember when.
-I have a good feeling about those people Fortunado was talking to (Well, not a good feeling, but a good... yeah. You get it.).
-I have a theory about Jason's opponent; considering the next chapter's spoiler, I believe I may be on to something...

All in all, a pretty good chapter; certainly better than the last one (No offense.). Keep it up.

BTW, about how many chapters do you think this fic is going to be altogether? It seems about 70% done to me, give or take... I'm just curious.

-Blade

[Mystic_clown]

Well, I've got mixed opinions of this chapter. For one, I'm glad you didn't alter Kaiba's personality too greatly, although he seemed a bit too accepting of the Leviathin's existance (knowing Kaiba, he'd probably still deny it's real, even when it's bloody obvious). Most of what I think has aready been said, but there's one other thing that didn't sit right with me. Was the whole legend thing at the beginning really neccassary? It seemed like just a bit of filler to me, as it seemed to have nothing to do with the story.

Although it does annoy me to see the greats being beaten, the fact that it's not really them does make up for it.

[starjake]

Well, these have certainly been interesting duels, no? I have to commend you, DS: your characterization is improving greatly. And, like others have mentioned, it would be impossible to incorporate every single tactic Joey and Kaiba used during the series, unless you had a duel that ran the length of three chapters.

While I don't know who Jason has to go up against, I must say I'm glad it isn't Yugi/Atem. I will certainly be there to read the chapter when it comes, regardless of who you have chosen.

Until then, this is StarJake, signing off...

[Master of Paradox]

The Crush Card never seems to work in fanfiction, does it? It's like Mirror Force, but with an even worse success rate.

Somehow, Kaiba's appearance was underwhelming after Joey showed up last chapter. It was less a case of "The heck?" and more one of "Okay, bring out the next cameo". Speaking of which, I don't know what happened to them in the interval, but somehow I just can't see Alexis or Tyranno joining up with the Sage. (Bastion, maybe, Tyranno not a chance.)

The duel was fairly blah, as far as it goes. It felt less like a battle and more like hitting the spots, as if you'd planned the duel off a checklist. "Paladin... check. BEUD... check. Vorse Raider... check." Trisha's performance was fairly good, but aside from actually pulling off Ziggurat again I didn't see much difference from the Codam duel.

And why do I not see Kaiba using the Mausoleum? It just doesn't seem to work with his personality; it's like giving him a Cyber-Stein.

I wrote that opener, so I can't comment on it. I did like Fortunado's calling in the reserves, though - had a nice ominous touch to it.

I don't know who to expect next chapter, so I'll zip it now.

[Dark Sage]

Here's a promise to all fanfiction fans. The new chapter of "Pokemonese" is almost done, and will be up soon. But writing at my new job is proving difficult, so it's going slower.

But the fic will be finished. Soon.

In the meantime, here is the next chapter of DM. Enjoy. I'll be here tonight. And be sure to watch tonight's episode of GX. Episodes where Dr. Crowler duels are always fun to watch.

[B][I]A hundred years ago, my two brothers and I were awakened, as a crisis threatened both the mortal realm and the Dominion of Beasts. We bonded ourselves with three brave and skilled duelists, and combated the threat, dealing with demons coming from both outside and within.

With their help, we emerged victorious, but I had a feeling at the time that even with Leviathan’s fall, the evil had not truly been vanquished. Something deeper was lurking in behind it that no one knew about. We had missed something big, and something was still out there. That’s what I assumed.

I assumed right. I still don’t know what the true threat is, but now I know how to stop it. Our new Chosen have found the source of the Dark Messiah, the one force that can defeat the evil forever.

Once the rituals are complete, the Messiah will emerge, and the final battle will begin. The Chosen must be baptized by fire, but win or lose, the flames of these intense duels will burn any remaining unclean thoughts and emotions from their souls, and the Dark Messiah will be ready to greet them.

They will feel pain, but when a mother gives birth, she also feels pain. And the end result is a wonderful thing that results in the creation of life.

It must be done.




[B][size=3]CHAPTER FORTY-FIVE



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Saturday, October 31st, 2106, 4:12 PM


As Jason wandered down the torch-lit hallway, the Eye of Timaeus in his deck glowed softly.

An armored figure appeared in the temple ahead of him.

“Everything is perfect,” muttered the figure. “Once my duel with Jason is complete, he and his partners will be ready, and the Dark Messiah will rise!”

He lifted a deck of cards, and looked through them. Forty cards, carefully taken from his spiritual vault.

“This deck forms a strategy that is… unorthodox… very strange…” he said. “But it is quite challenging. Quite lethal. It will suffice…”

He faded into a shadow…

“Hello?” said Jason, walking into the room.

He walked around.

Again, the torch-lit chamber seemed full of tablets, depicting Monsters of all varieties.

“This place looks expensive…” he said. “I feel like I’m wasting money just standing here.”

“It is quite intimidating,” said a voice that had an odd accent. “But then, when I was younger, I went to places like this myself… Several times. And they had guards and booby traps.”

Jason turned…

And gasped in fright…

Anyone who dueled would recognize the man in front of him. The platinum hair down to his shoulders styled to cover the left side of his face was a giveaway, but the fancy red business suit was also a big part of it.

“Nice outfit…” muttered Jason.

“It’s Italian,” answered Maximillion Pegasus.

“Why are you here?” Jason finally ventured to ask. “How can you still be alive?”

“I’m no spring chicken, Jason-boy,” replied Pegasus, with a sideways glance. “But I’m hardly dead yet. I take it you’re the new holder of Timaeus?”

He looked at Jason.

“I can tell when someone has potential,” he said. “And you have it…”

“How do you know about Timaeus?” asked Jason.

“Well, first of all, there’s precious little about Duel Monsters I don’t know about,” answered Pegasus, “and you might say I had a bit of rapport with the Dragons a while ago. The typical savoir-faire that I’m used to, although it turned into a messy crisis… But you no doubt know about that…”

“No kidding…” muttered Jason.

Pegasus took a card out of his jacket and looked at it.

He slowly put it back.

“As to why I’m here, Jason-boy…” he continued, with another sideways glance (he seemed to be doing that a lot, which made sense seeing that the place where his left eye had once been was concealed by his hair).

He whipped out a Pocket Disk, and placed it on his arm. It quickly unfolded.

“Me?” said Jason. “Versus you? Somehow, I think the odds are slightly in your favor…”

“Now, now,” said Pegasus, shaking his finger, “it has already been decided, and neither of us have a choice. I had business with Timaeus, and with Yugi, who was the first one to hold him, so I have to test the one who has him now… Unless you want me to go look for Yugi so he can do it…”

“No thank you!” shouted Jason.

“Well, once this ritual is done,” said Pegasus, “and your two friends are finished with their own, your goal will be within reach.”

Jason paused.

“Okay…” he said slowly. “I’ll duel you…”

Pegasus shuffled his deck, and loaded it into his Disk.

“Oh, before I forget,” he continued, “Timaeus is not allowed for this duel, so you’d best remove him. For this duel, we only use the cards that my beloved company greenlighted.”

Jason sighed. He looked through his deck and took the Eye of Timaeus out of it and then swapped it for another card.

He started shuffling his deck.



[B]* * * * * * * * * *


Fortunado was back on his video phone.

“Dr. Rackham-Kerwin, it’s me,” he said. “Yeah… I got your e-mail… You’re absolutely certain your new strategy works? Uh huh… Yes…”

He paused.

“Mmm-hmm… Mmm-hmm… Yes, that might work…

“Okay, you’re in then. I’ll give you the details when they become available.”

He turned off the phone.

He’s going to need the Seal to do his part, he thought, but unfortunately, we’re running low on them, and the Master will need a few more victories before being able to create additional ones.

But I think we can spare another four in order to give those three a shake-up before they even try to come to us. And who knows… If they’re successful, the Messiah won’t even have the Chosen to back him up.

He turned to a special spot in his address book…

A number that was labeled, The Society of Assassins.



[B]* * * * * * * * * *


“Don’t be so nervous, Jason-boy,” said Pegasus. “This is no Shadow Game…

“Consider it an… extracurricular activity!”

“All right…” said Jason. “Get your game on…”



[B](Jason: 8,000) (Pegasus: 8,000)


“Should you go first, or should I?” asked Jason.

“I’ll leave that up to you,” replied Pegasus.

“Then you go first, I insist,” said Jason.

Maybe having the first attack will be better than the first move, he thought. After all, from what I know of this guy, he played a Toon Deck, a very dangerous strategy full of cartoon creatures who had special powers…

Of course, I could be wrong…

After all, this is the creator of Duel Monsters… His deck could theoretically have any card at all in it!

Well, the ones that were made up to the time in which he’s this age, and I think he looks about thirty…

Pegasus drew a sixth card, and considered his hand.

He placed a card on his Disk.

“I’ll start by throwing these two out,” he said. “Go, Toon Gemini Elf! Arise in Attack Mode!”

In a puff of purple smoke, two figures appeared. They looked like Gemini Elf only in the most basic outline. They seemed made from watercolor paint, and had sinister looks on their faces.

Jason remembered a character that looked like this from a very old movie that Disney had put out… What was her name?

Jessica something-or-other?

(1,900/900)



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“Hey, wait a second!” shouted Jason. “You can’t summon Toons without Toon World on the field!”

At this, the two elves started to laugh hysterically, as if that was the stupidest thing he had ever said.

“I don’t blame them for laughing at you, Jason-boy,” said Pegasus. “That isn’t always true. This Monster belongs to a group of Toons referred to as Class-C.”

“Class-C?” replied Jason. “I thought… Toons were just… Toons.”

“How little we know,” said Pegasus. “Toons in the C Class don’t need Toon World to be summoned. Sure, they don’t have their full potential without it, but they can make do.

“And I’ll end my turn with that.”

Jason drew a card. He looked at the two elves, which was hard to do… He had faced Fiends, Zombies, and giant Dragons, and this creature was somehow scarier than all of them.

I don’t have anything that can beat their Attack, he thought, but this guy can equal it…

“I summon Slate Warrior in Attack Mode,” he said, placing a card on his Disk.

The blank-faced, alien-looking Fiend appeared. (1,900/400)



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The two elves smiled and waved to him, and he just stared.

“That will do for me,” he said.

Pegasus drew a card.

“Well…” he said, “here’s a useful card… Toon Table of Contents.”

He played a Spell Card.

“This Spell lets me search my deck for any card with the word ‘Toon’ in its name.”

“So you’re going to summon another one?” asked Jason.

“I said ‘card’, not ‘Monster’,” said Pegasus, with a grin, as he took a card from his deck.

He placed his deck back.

“You wanted to know where Toon World was?” he laughed, spreading his arms out. “Well this deck doesn’t even have it… But it does have the more advanced version… Think of it as… Toon World, the Sequel!”

He played a Spell Card.

“Otherwise known as… Toon Kingdom!”

An explosion of pink and purple smoke and colored streamers erupted on the floor, and with a BLAM! POW! BLAMF! a large green book flew out the floor! It was green, and had the picture of a comical king on the cover. It spun around like a top, and then slowly opened, revealing a page like a huge pop-up book. The page looked like a paper castle, with torch-lit braziers in the front. Raw energy coursed from it.

“Toon Kingdom?” asked Jason, getting nervous.

“Toon Kingdom is a superior version of Toon World,” explained Pegasus. “Of course, to activate it, I need to remove the top five cards from my deck from play…”

He took five cards off his deck, and then placed them in his jacket.

“But anyway, for all intents and purposes,” he continued, “this card is Toon World, granting my Toons all the abilities that card would entail.

“Along with a few… extras.

“And when Toon World is present, all Toons have the ability to attack directly. Toon Gemini Elf, go! Double spin kick!”

The two elves laughed, and then locked their elbows together. They leapt into the air, spun around in mid-air, and then kicked Jason in the chest!

He hollered in pain… He hadn’t been expecting that.

They landed in front of him and grinned.

“And that’s not all, Jason-boy…” continued Pegasus. “Unlike their non-Toon counterparts, these ladies have a nifty effect. Now you lose one card from your hand…”

One of the elves blew a kiss towards Jason, and his Cyber Barrier Dragon was blown from his hand. It flew into his discard slot.

Lovely… he thought. Like Spirit Reaper, only they have a ton more Attack Points and can attack directly…

“Cartoons are so violent these days, aren’t they?” asked Pegasus. “I don’t know how the networks can judge them appropriate for children…

“That will end my turn.”

The elves alighted in front of him.



[B](J: 6,100) (P: 8,000)


Ugh… thought Jason. That was only his second turn, and already he’s way ahead… I’d better summon something stronger…

He drew a card.

“I’ll throw down one facedown…” he said.

A facedown card appeared.

“And I’ll turn it over to you.”

Pegasus drew a card.

“Attack him again Toon Elves!” he shouted.

“Not this time!” shouted Jason. “Go, Shadow Spell!”

His facedown card lifted. The two Toons screamed as they were bound by chains!

Their Attack Score fell to 1,200.

Then they simply smiled at Jason again, despite the fact they were chained up…

“Heh…” chuckled Jason. “I think that Kaiba himself used this Trap to defeat one your Toons…”

“True, but he still ended up losing,” said Pegasus, with a frown.

“I’ll make note of that…” said Jason.

He drew a card.

“Slate Warrior, send his Toon Gemini Elf to the reject pile! Attack with fist of slate!”

The two elves just grinned as Slate Warrior closed in. He threw a punch…

And as it hit, they bent like rubber, and snapped back to normal.

“What?” said Jason. “That’s impossible…”

Pegasus held up a card that he had taken off of his deck – Cost Down. He put that where he had put the previous five cards.

“Didn’t I tell you that Toon Kingdom was a superior version of Toon World, Jason-boy?” he asked. “If one of my Toons is attacked, I can remove the top card from my deck to keep it from being destroyed.”



[B](J: 6,100) (P: 7,300)


Jason remembered how he had just compared them to a Spirit Reaper…

“You know,” said Pegasus, “there were 3013 episodes total of my favorite cartoon, Funny Bunny…

“According to someone who counted – although frankly, I think this guy had way too much spare time – Funny Bunny’s nemesis, Ruff Ruff McDogg, shot his revolver at the hero over 26,000 times…

“He never hit him once! He tried and he tried, but that silly rabbit just laughed and made a complete fool out of him.

“You see, Jason-boy, with this version of Toon World, Toons can’t be hurt the way other Monsters can. Like real cartoon characters, you can hit them, smash them, drop a refrigerator on their heads if you want, but so long as I have cards in my deck, they’ll just shake it off!

“Toons are impervious to harm… They’re the perfect life form! Is it any wonder I love them so much?”

“They may be immortal, but you sure aren’t,” said Jason. “I noticed that your Life Points still went down after that attack.”

“Well…” said Pegasus with a shrug. “I may like cartoons, but I know I’m not one myself. When you start thinking that, you know you’re starting to get a little bit crazy!”

A facedown card appeared.

“I’ll throw down one facedown and end my turn,” said Jason.

Pegasus drew a card.

“Here’s a card that’s always useful,” he said, playing it. “Pot of Greed.”

The jar appeared, and he drew twice.

“Hmm…” he said. “You can’t destroy my elves, but due to your Trap, they’re pretty much helpless, I can’t shift them to Defense Mode, and their Attack Score is a measly 1,200…

“A predicament…”

He took a card from his hand.

“Well then, I told you about Class-C Toons, let’s review Class-B. I’ll sacrifice them…”

The elves burst the chains leapt up, and jumped into Toon Kingdom. It slammed shut, and spun around again…

“And I’ll summon Toon Dark Magician Girl!”

The tome opened, and a new Toon leapt out. It could best be described as a young girl who was wearing a Halloween costume depicting Dark Magician Girl. She grinned a wicked grin at Jason. (2,000/1,700)



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“Isn’t she amazing?” asked Pegasus.

“Depends on your definition on ‘amazing’, I guess,” answered Jason.

The Toon took off her hat, and started to look through it…

“And not only can she attack directly,” continued Pegasus, “but unlike most Toons, she can do so right away.”

Toon Dark Magician Girl pulled a mallet out of her hat that seemed almost as big as herself, and then started to fly towards Jason…

“Oh no you don’t!” he shouted. “I activate Attack Guidance Armor!”

His Trap Card lifted.

“What good will that do you?” asked Pegasus. “I have no other Monsters for you to redirect the attack to!”

“It doesn’t have to be one of yours,” answered Jason. “I’m putting the armor on my Slate Warrior!”

The armor flew forward and latched onto Slate Warrior.

“So, your Toon is going to have to attack him instead of me…”

Toon Dark Magician Girl looked confused… Then she smashed down with the mallet, squashing Slate Warrior flat.

Toon Dark Magician Girl giggled manically.

“So instead of losing 2,000 Life Points, I only lost 100,” muttered Jason.

Thanks, Slate Warrior… he thought. I can’t imagine how much that would have hurt…

“And that’s not all…” he continued. “Since she destroyed Slate Warrior, her Attack Score takes a hit.”

Toon Dark Magician Girl looked a little confused. Her Attack went down to 1,500.

“I must admit, that was clever…” said Pegasus. “But you’ll have more to worry about next turn.



[B](J: 6,000) (P: 7,300)


Jason drew a card.

“I play Monster Reborn!” he exclaimed. “Now I can bring back Slate Warrior.”

Slate Warrior reappeared.

“But he’s going right back to the Graveyard, because I’m sacrificing him…”

Slate Warrior vanished into mist…

“To summon… Luster Dragon!”

In a flash of light, the huge emerald Dragon appeared! (2,400/1,400)



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“Luster Dragon… Attack the Toon Dark Magician Girl! Emerald flame!”

Luster Dragon shot a stream of burning flame! The Toon watched as it closed in on her…

Then she took off her hat and caught the flame inside it. The hat swelled to enormous size, and the exploded with a “BOING!”

Toon Dark Magician Girl nearly laughed her head off as she replaced it on her head. Pegasus chuckled himself as he disposed of a Gorgon’s Eye card.



[B](J: 6,000) (P: 6,400)


“What part of ‘can’t be destroyed’ don’t you understand?” asked Pegasus.

He could deck himself out at this rate, thought Jason. But I’m never that lucky…

He looked at his hand.

Wait… he said that Toon Kingdom let his Toons avoid being destroyed in battle… Can I destroy them via other methods?

“I’ll throw down one facedown, and end my turn,” he said.

A facedown card appeared.

Pegasus drew.

“Toon Dark Magician Girl?” he said. “Attack Jason-boy directly, will you?”

Toon Dark Magician Girl aimed her staff, and a boxing glove appeared on the end.

“I don’t think so…” said Jason. “Go! Mirror Force!”

His Trap Card lifted. The Toon screamed, and exploded into shards.

“Well…” he said. “I guess she wasn’t immortal after all. So much for that…”

“Yes, so much for that…” replied Pegasus, with a grin.

“Heh, heh, heh…

“Jason-boy, I assure you…

“This is just starting…”



[B]* * * * * * * * * *


What was the Society of Assassins?

Most folks in the underworld would say it didn’t exist. Most folks in major law enforcement agencies, like the FBI and Scotland Yard, would say the same thing.

If you asked someone who was high-up in one of those agencies, he’d tell you otherwise.

The Society of Assassins was an international league of hired killers. Exactly how many members they had wasn’t exactly common knowledge, but it was likely about fifty or so. These killers all prided themselves on being able to end someone’s life quickly and easily, and they wouldn’t take just any job. Their prices were steep, and only the rich and very influential hired them when they wanted someone important gotten rid of.

The Society lived by a very strict code of rules. It was at most a parody of any sort of honor system, and they had a very important rule: failure was not tolerated.

If a member failed to kill his target, he became the target of every other member.

At least, that was the rule that was on the books. According to legend, they never had to enforce it yet. No member of the Society had ever failed.

And they had a few duelist assassins in their ranks. Fortunado had promised them use of the Orichalcos should he need their services.

“Mr. Montoya…” he said over the phone.

“Keep in informal, Fortunado,” came the response. “My name is Ferdinand.”

“Ferdinand, then,” he replied, “I’m going to need the services of your four duelists, with the special conditions I described earlier.”

“Well,” said the dark figure on the other end. “If this Orichalcos is as lethal as you say, I may need to make special preparations. As always, the price is one million per victim.”

“There are three victims,” said Fortunado, typing on a screen, “but I want all four of your duelists. I need them to disrupt the meeting that they’re bound to have before they try to target me…”

Pictures of Jason, Trisha, and Russell appeared on the screen. Information started to download…

“I’m downloading the usual information,” he said, “along with lists of every card I’ve seen them use. It should be useful.

“Don’t let their harmless looks fool you. Several of my men tried to face them, and paid with their souls.”

“A simple matter,” said Ferdinand. “My duelists will come for these special cards tomorrow, and we will plan an assault when you give the word. Need I remind you, we expect payment in advance.”

“The money will be in your Swiss bank account by eight AM tomorrow morning,” said Fortunado. “Eastern Standard Time.”



[B]* * * * * * * * * *


[B](J: 6,000) (P: 6,400)


“You see, Jason-boy,” said Pegasus, choosing a card from his hand, “you might think that Toon Kingdom up there is simply a Continuous Spell Card in the shape of a silly pop-up book, but it’s more…

“It’s a portal to a whole other plane of existence. Its pages are infinite! And in this dimension, the only rule is chaos!”

He waved the card at Jason.

“With each new card I draw, a new surprise waits, a new mystery begins, a new chapter looms ahead…

“So let’s tell a new story, shall we?”

Toon Kingdom shut with a slam, and he threw a card into his Disk.

“Time to let the cat out of the bag!”

A dark form flew out of the Spell Card. It was a weird creature with a feline face and a snaky lower body. It had an enormous grin.

“And when I said cat, I meant it.”

“Who’s that?” shouted Jason.

“Meet Doppelganger,” said Pegasus. “Also known as the copy-card. And so long as Toon Kingdom is on the field, he can take any card in your Graveyard.”

“ANY card?” gasped Jason.

“Read my lips…” said Pegasus. “ANY card.”

Doppelganger darted forward and grabbed a card from Jason’s discard slot.

“Give that back, cat!” shouted Jason.

“Of course, there’s a little cost I have to deal with…” said Pegasus, reaching for his deck.

He quickly took five cards from the top, and then placed them inside his jacket.

“Now I’ll place a card facedown, and summon Toon Goblin Attack Force!”

A facedown card appeared, and a silly-looking goblin carrying a club that looked like a Whiffle bat leapt out of Toon Kingdom. Then, four other goblins leapt out beside it. (2,300/0)



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“Naturally, I’ll place them in Attack Mode, since they’re an Attack Force, not a Defense Force. And I’ll end my turn there.”

Jason drew a card.

No fair, he thought. 2,300 Attack Points? Monsters who can attack directly are supposed to be weak!

I have to do something…

“I activate the card I took from you,” exclaimed Pegasus. “Activate… Shadow Spell!”

Luster Dragon roared as it was bound by the chains, and fell to an attack of 1,700.

“Ergh…” muttered Jason. “I’ll summon Blade Knight in Defense Mode….”

He put a card on his Disk, and Blade Knight appeared, kneeling in Defense. (1,600/1,000)



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“And I’ll end my turn…” he muttered.



[B](J: 6,000) (P: 6,900)


Pegasus drew a card.

“I summon Toon Cannon Soldier in Attack Mode,” he said.

Toon Kingdom spouted a burst of streamers and confetti, and a new Toon leapt out. It was a comical robot with a silly face, with toy guns on its head and hands. (1,400/1,300)



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“Not another one…” moaned Jason.

“Go, my Toon Goblin Attack Force!” shouted Pegasus. “Attack directly with club clobbering!”

Jason covered his head as the goofy Warriors gang-rushed him, and started pummeling him with their clubs. He fell to his knees as they backed off.

Then the five goblins slumped to the ground with their backs to each other and fell asleep, snoring loudly.

“Hmm…” muttered Pegasus. “That’s the problem… They switch to Defense Mode after they attack, so they’re worthless for my next turn, and just take up space. What to do…”

He thought.

“I know!” he exclaimed. “Toon Cannon Soldier, absorb Toon Goblin Attack Force and open fire!”

The Toon Machine’s eyes glowed, and the goblins turned into red energy. Toon Cannon Soldier sucked it into itself…

Then it gestured, and its hands turned into a HUGE set of cannons!

Jason gulped… Now he remembered the movie where he saw something like this. It was an old comedy called The Mask.

The cannons blasted, and he groaned as the blast hit him…



[B](J: 3,200) (P: 6,400)


“Don’t you just love my Toon Cannon Soldier?” laughed Pegasus. “He’s such a card!”

He grinned and lifted his Disk.

“Get it?” he asked. “I said he’s such a card!”

Jason glared at him.

“Yeah, I got it,” he said. “It just wasn’t all that funny.”

“Dum-dee-dum…” said Pegasus. “I think I’ll end with this.”

He fit another card into his Disk, and it materialized.

“Over to you, Jason-boy.”

Jason angrily drew a card.


Continued…

[Dark Sage]

Continued from last post:



“I play… Graceful Charity,” he said.

He drew three cards.

He thought for a minute…

Looking over all the cards in his hand, it was a choice between discarding his White Horn Dragon or a Cyber Dragon…

He discarded the Cyber Dragon, along with Winged Kuriboh.

“I sacrifice Luster Dragon to summon White Horn Dragon!” he shouted.

Luster Dragon and its bindings vanished, and the huge Dragon with the single white horn appeared, spreading its huge wings! (2,200/1,400)



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“And now…” he said, “his effect lets me remove up to five Spell Cards in your Graveyard from play, and increase his Attack by 300 for each…”

Images of Toon Table of Contents, Doppelganger, and Pot of Greed were absorbed into the Dragon, and its Attack rose to 3,100!

“I may not be able to destroy your toy,” he said, “but this is gonna cost you 1,600 Life Points!

“White Horn Dragon, attack!”

The Dragon breathed an intense stream of flames! Pegasus whipped the top card off of his deck. Toon Cannon Soldier broke into pieces, and the pieces quickly fused back together.



[B](J: 3,200) (P: 6,400)


“What?” gasped Jason. “Your Life Points are untouched?”

Pegasus grinned a grin that Jason did not like…

I hate it when they smile, he thought.

Pegasus pointed to the Trap he had triggered.

Jason looked at it…

“Spirit Barrier?” he gasped.

Pegasus nodded.

“It keeps me from losing Life Points from a battle so long as I have at least one Monster on the field, as I think you know,” he said. “And by the way, it’s a Continuous Trap.”

Jason stared in disbelief.

It seemed like the perfect combo. With that Trap on the field, so long as Toon Kingdom and stood, both Pegasus and his Toon Monsters were untouchable!

Jason paused.

He thought about the last part of that…

Yeah… he thought. So long as Toon Kingdom stands. That’s the Achilles heel of his whole strategy. The key to beating him is taking out that blasted book…

But until I can, I just have to hope I can survive…

He took a card from his hand.

And this card might just let me do just that…

“I place down one facedown, and end my turn,” he said.

A facedown card appeared. Blade Knight rose to 2,000 Attack.

Pegasus drew a card from his deck, which Jason noticed was beginning to thin.

By my count, he’s lost twenty-seven cards from his deck so far, thought Jason. And someone as skilled as he is wouldn’t go past standard size. Maybe if I can find a way to stall, I could win by default… And the card I have facedown just might do it… If I can pay the price…

“I summon Toon Masked Sorcerer in Attack Mode,” said Pegasus.

He played the card, and a more cheerful, more colorful version of Masked Sorcerer appeared, balancing on one foot. (900/1,400)



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“Toon Cannon Soldier, attack…”

“Hold it right there, Pegasus!” shouted Jason.

His facedown card lifted.

“A Trap?” gasped Pegasus. “What is it?”

A Continuous Trap showed the image of an Opticlops and a Blindly Loyal Goblin bowing before Dark Ruler Ha Des who was sitting on a throne of skulls.

“It’s called Social Order,” said Jason, “and as the creator of the game, I’m sure you know all about it.”

“Rings a bell somewhere…” replied Pegasus.

“Let me jog your memory,” explained Jason. “I may have to pay 500 Life Points each turn if I want to keep it, but now I get to choose one Monster on the field. I choose White Horn Dragon. So long as this Trap is in effect, Monsters are not allowed to attack unless their star level is equal to or greater than that Monster.

“Of course, there is a limit as to how powerful the chosen Monster can be, but six stars is within the limit. So now only Monsters of six stars or higher can attack.”

“In that case,” said Pegasus, “I’ll end my turn…”

“Then I draw…” said Jason. “And I pay 500 Life Points to keep Social Order…”

This is dangerous… he thought, looking at his cards. He has that Toon Cannon Soldier on the field, and my Trap can’t stop him from using its effect. Right now he could blast away 500 of my Life Points… 1,000 if he fired the Cannon itself! And if he summoned another Toon on his next turn…

“I summon Peten the Dark Clown in Defense Mode,” he said.

Peten appeared, kneeling in defense. (500/1,200)



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“And I move Blade Knight into Attack Mode.”

Blade Knight stood up.

“Unfortunately,” he continued, “even if he could get by your combo, Social Order prevents him from attacking too, so I’ll just end my turn.”



[B](J: 2,700) (P: 6,400)


Pegasus drew a card.

“Heh, heh…” he chuckled.

“HA, HA, HA, HA!

“Ahem, excuse me…”

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

“Prepare to meet the mightiest resident of the Toon community!” he shouted. “I sacrifice both Toon Masked Sorcerer and Toon Cannon Soldier…”

The two Toons leapt into Toon Kingdom, and it glowed with spooky, eldritch energy.

A double sacrifice? thought Jason, getting nervous. This must be a powerful Monster…

It opened, and wisps of sparkling mist floated down from it…

“I give you… Blue-Eyes Toon Dragon! Defense Mode!”

The biggest Toon yet appeared in a flash of light. It was a grotesque parody of Kaiba’s legendary Dragon, like something out of a nightmare. (3,000/2,500)



http://www.ideal808.com/images/mrl-000.jpg


It shielded itself in Defense.

“Good lord…” muttered Jason.

“And by the way, Jason-boy,” said Pegasus, “he doesn’t care about your silly Trap Card, because he has eight stars. As far as Monsters go, he’s higher on the Social Order!”

Jason paused.

True… he thought. But… Why on God’s green Earth did he summon it in Defense Mode? It makes no sense!

He paused again.

White Horn Dragon has 600 more Attack Points than that thing has Defense Points…

…but thanks to Toon Kingdom, I can’t destroy that Dragon with an attack no matter how powerful it is. And one direct attack from that beast, and I’ll lose this duel!

“I’m ending my turn, Jason-boy,” said Pegasus.

Jason drew a card.

“Social Order is no good anymore,” he said, “so I’ll destroy it…”

The card shattered.

He looked at the card he had drawn.

Just in case… he thought.

“I place down one facedown,” he said.

He fit the card into his Disk, and it materialized.

“Since attacking would be pointless, I end my turn,” he said.

“And I’ll start mine then,” said Pegasus.

He drew a card.

“Too bad…” he said. “You should have attacked. If you had, I’d have been forced to get rid of this card, which I would really have hated to lose…”

Well, Jason, thought Jason, you really goofed that time…

“But anyway,” said Pegasus, as his Trap Card lifted, “I activate Zero Gravity. This switches the battle positions of all Monsters on the field.”

Blue-Eyes Toon Dragon rose into Attack Mode, and White Horn Dragon and Blade Knight crouched in Defense Mode.”

“It may cost me 500 Life Points to attack with this Toon,” he said, “but since he can attack directly and has 3,000 Attack Points, one attack is more than enough.

“Toon Dragon, attack Jason-boy directly! White lightning!”

The Toon roared… it took a deep breath and swelled to double its size…

It blasted a beam of white energy from its jaws!

“I activate Draining Shield!” shouted Jason.

His Trap lifted, and a barrier formed around him. Energy flowed into him.

“Ha!” he laughed. “You walked right into that one!”

“Dear boy,” said Pegasus, playing a card. “This was exactly the reason I used Zero Gravity. I play Toon Rollback.”

“What does that do?” gasped Jason.

“Since my Toon’s attack was negated, it lets me repeat my Battle Phase,” answered Pegasus. “And this time I’ll attack your Dragon, since I can’t have it attacking my Toons. Can’t keep removing my cards from play, you know… It’s costly!

“Attack the White Horn Dragon!”

The Toon blasted its White Lightning, and White Horn Dragon was blown to atoms!

“That will be my turn, Jason-boy.”



[B](J: 5,700) (P: 5,400)


Jason drew a card.

“I play Card of Demise!” he exclaimed. “Now I can draw five cards, if I discard my whole hand after five turns…”

He made five draws. Blade Knight fell to 1,600 Attack.

He looked at the six cards in his hand.

He grinned.

“First, I move Blade Knight into Attack Mode…”

Blade Knight stood up, and held his sword aloft.

“Now, I sacrifice Peten to summon Cyber Dragon,” he said, switching cards on his Disk.

Peten the Dark Clown vanished, and the mighty Machine arose.

“Then I play Premature Burial to bring back a second one, which I discarded with Graceful Charity.”

He played the Spell Card, and a second Cyber Dragon appeared.

(2,100/1,600 x2)

“And now…” he said, “I play Photon Generator Unit, to sacrifice them both…”

He played another card, and they vanished…

“To summon Cyber Laser Dragon!”

The huge, upgraded Cyber Dragon appeared with a roar! (2,400/1,800)



http://www.ideal808.com/images/soi_en007.jpg


“Wipe out his Toon!” shouted Jason. “Blue lighting lash!”

Cyber Laser Dragon fired a blast of energy from its tail, and the huge Toon’s eyes popped out of its head. The blast hit it, and it was atomized.

“And now that you’re really defenseless,” continued Jason, “attack! Blue lightning blast!”

The Machine breathed a blast of burning lightning, and Pegasus howled.

“Blade Knight, you attack too! Shining blade!”

Blade Knight charged, and struck the creator with his sword. Pegasus fell over.



[B](J: 4,900) (P: 1,400)


The creator gasped for breath…

“Not bad…” he muttered. “Well… can I take my move now?”

Jason nodded. Pegasus drew a card.

“And I’ll play Monster Reborn, to bring back your old friend… Toon Dark Magician Girl.”

The ankh appeared, and the laughing parody of Yugi Mouto’s famed sorceress appeared again. (2,000/1,700)

“And once again,” continued Pegasus, “my combo is just as effective, seeing as Cyber Laser Dragon’s effect doesn’t work against Monsters that are weaker than him…

“Toon Dark Magician Girl, attack him directly!”

The Toon shot forth a burst of streamers and silly string from her staff, and Jason cringed as it all hit him.

“Now I’ll play this…” said Pegasus, ominously, playing a Spell Card. “The card I wouldn’t have wanted to get rid of. It’s called Shadow Toon…”

A shadowy shape floated out of Toon Kingdom. A Cheshire Cat grin appeared on its face…

“What on earth?” said Jason.

The creature grabbed him in a cold embrace, and it felt like his life was being leeched away!

“When Shadow Toon comes out to play,” explained Pegasus, “I choose one Monster on your side of the field, and that Monster’s Attack Score comes out of your Life Points. And that Cyber Laser Dragon has 2,400. Using such a powerful Monster while Toon Kingdom is around was a big mistake…”

The Shadow Toon let go and floated back into Toon Kingdom with a cackle. Jason fell to his knees.



[B](J: 500) (P: 1,400)


“So what now, Jason-boy?” said Pegasus. “Make your last move.”

Jason looked at his hand. His three cards were Flat LV 4, his second Peten, and Mage of the White Dragon, none of which could help him right now.

He’s right… thought Jason, looking at his Disk. I’d best make a good draw, because one way or another, it’s gonna be my last…

He drew.

DARN! he thought.

Of all the times he would have been happy to draw Rush Recklessly, this wasn’t one of them…

He paused.

I might as well throw in the towel… he thought. I’ve truly got nothing! Nothing in my hand, nothing on the field… I mean, Rush Recklessly is no good… Raising Cyber Laser Dragon’s Attack won’t make his effect work on that Toon… I just…

He stopped short…

Wait… No… The answer is right in front of me!

Yes, it would work!

He played the card.

“I play Rush Recklessly!” he shouted.

“What good would it do you to raise the Attack of your Cyber Laser Dragon?” asked Pegasus. “It can’t destroy my Toon, and Spirit Barrier is still in effect. And even if it wasn’t…”

“I never said I was using it on him,” replied Jason with a smile. “I can use it on any Monster on the field, so I’m using it on Toon Dark Magician Girl!”

The Toon looked surprised, as her Attack rose to 2,700.

“And now that she’s stronger than Cyber Laser Dragon,” continued Jason, “she’s vulnerable to his effect!”

The Toon Dark Magician Girl screamed…

“Cyber Laser Dragon, blue lighting lash!” shouted Jason.

The Dragon shot his blast of energy from its tail, and the Toon was blown to shards.

“Now let’s finish this!” laughed Jason. “Attack directly!”

Pegasus hollered as the attack plowed into him, and he fell backwards.



[B](J: 500) (P: 0)


“That’s game!” exclaimed Jason.

His Monster vanished. Toon Kingdom slammed shut. It spun around, and disappeared in a puff of smoke.

Pegasus got up.

“Well done, Jason-boy,” he said. “I would never have expected such superb dueling strategy. I’m glad to see that Timaeus is in such capable hands…”

He paused.

“And now that we’ve had our fun, it’s time to tell you everything… About Dartz, about the threat you and your friends might be facing…”

“I’m all ears,” said Jason.



[B]* * * * * * * * * *


A long conversation later.

Stories of hideous Monsters and deadly Spells had dominated most of the conversation. Monsters that simply could not be bested in battle or destroyed so long as the cursed Seal stood.

“That’s… heavy…” muttered Jason. “It seems impossible to beat…”

“Dartz thought his strategy was perfect,” said Pegasus. “But I helped Yugi back then, and I can help you the same the way.

“I don’t know who will face the true conspirator in the final battle. It may be you, it may be Trisha, it may be Russell… It may be someone else entirely.”

He reached into his suit.

“But whoever it is, give him this card, and with great skill and a whole lot of luck, he may yet prove victorious…”

Jason took the card.

It was a beautiful card, with the image of three gleaming swords in a triangular pattern pointing towards each other, with draconic shapes in the background.

“Legend of Heart?” he asked, looking at the title. “But… it has no text. What does it do?”

“When the time comes to use it, the one using it will know,” replied Pegasus. “Trust me…”

A door opened in the rear of the temple.

“Now go,” he said, “rejoin your friends… They’ll be happy to see you.”



[B]* * * * * * * * * *


Fortunado finally put the phone down.

He concentrated.

“I’ve called everyone,” he said. “We’ll have an impressive force…”

”We may be able to get one more,” said the voice in his head. ”Did Cassius’s mother come for the Scepter of Bound Divinity yet?”

“No…” answered Fortunado, with a sigh, “but I’m getting a little worried about that. Sooner or later, someone is going to figure out that Loki and Eris didn’t break free on their own, and…”

”Quiet!” ordered the voice. ”You will use it one more time… And I have the perfect prisoner to free with it…”

What the voice said next made his blood run cold…

“NO!” he shouted. “Please, not… her!”

”Do it,” demanded the voice.

Fortunado gulped.

“I must make a formal protest,” he stated. “One cardinal rule of summoning is, ‘never summon something that may be more powerful than you are’! We aren’t talking about Trickery or Discord here, this is…”

”I can make certain that she is controlled,” said the voice. ”Anything can be manipulated if you simply know how.

“Now do it. That is an order.”

He gulped again…



[B]* * * * * * * * * *


Jason walked down another torch lit corridor, and saw an opening up ahead…

He walked out the doorway, and saw that he had come out of one of three doorways.

Before he could question this, he heard footsteps…

He was very relieved to see Trisha and Russell walk out from the other two doors.

“Guys…” he said. “You two okay?”

“I’m a little crispy,” said Trisha, “but otherwise…”

She paused.

“Come to think of it, I feel invigorated.”

“Same here,” said Russell. “I think it was all some sort of baptism. Purification by fire, perhaps.”

They noticed a bench in the center of the room.

They sat down, and started to relate the encounters.



[B]* * * * * * * * * *


Soon, they were walking down a corridor again.

“You against Kaiba,” muttered Jason. “I’m jealous, to tell the truth.”

“Well, we did what we had to,” said Russell, “and they told us everything we needed to know…

“And if we have to face Orichalcos Aristeros, Orichalcos Shunoros, and the rest of these nightmares they described, I don’t know what we’re gonna do…”

“Yugi found a weakness in them once,” said Trisha, “we can find one again. Hopefully.”

The corridor seemed to reach as dead end, but once they approached it, a stone door opened, revealing a chamber beyond.

In the back of the room were four robed figures (they were the Sage’s four bodyguards, but that wasn’t readily apparent), standing silently and watching them enter. The Sage himself was seated at a table in the center, playing a game of chess…

His opponent in this game was a frightening-looking figure. It was a dark phantom in a tattered black robe, with glowing eyes under its hood. It hovered over the ground, apparently lacking legs. Its hands had long, sharp fingernails, and it clutched a scythe in its right hand. Its robe was tied shut by a simple rope, and Duel Monsters cards dangled from it.

It rubbed its concealed chin with its left claw, apparently considering a move.

Then it reached over and picked up its knight (it was using the black pieces, naturally), and moved it to a spot on the board.

The Sage noticed the three students.

“Welcome back, my friends,” he said. “Have fun?”

“Uh, sort of…” muttered Jason, taking in the weird scene.

“Oh, where are my manners?” asked the Sage. “This is a friend of mine, The Reaper of the Cards. He stops by every now and then to play chess…”

The Sage moved his queen, and took the knight.

“…but he doesn’t play all too well. That’s checkmate, old fellow.”

The Reaper shrugged, and then simply vanished.

“He’s such a sore loser…” muttered the Sage, getting up.

He looked at the three of them.

“Well children…” he said, “all the tests have been passed, all the formalities are out of the way…

“The Dark Messiah can come at any time…

“All that remains… Is a decision…”



[B]* * * * * * * * * *


Fortunado sighed…

He looked at the smoldering pile of ashes on the floor that had once been the Scepter of Bound Divinity. The most recent divine being it had tried to unbind would be its last…

He looked at the young woman sleeping on the floor of the room.

”Well, Fortunado?” said the voice of his benefactor. ”Did it work?”

“Oddly enough, no,” he replied. “The chains binding her were too tight. We only managed to free someone who was locked away with her.”

”I sense you are not telling me something…” said the voice.

Fortunado gulped.

“Okay, okay!” he exclaimed. “It’s her high priestess. She… might, just might, mind you, know how to free the real deal.

“But before we go further, let me reinstate my formal protest, and remind you of the immense danger…”

”How many Shadow Games has this priestess known to have conducted?” asked the voice.

“Maybe a few…” said Fortunado.

He paused.

“Some…”

He paused again.

“Okay! A lot…”

”Then she may yet be of some use…” said the voice.

Fortunado held his head.

“I don’t believe I’m doing this…” he muttered, as he walked towards the sleeping girl. “I’m going to help bring back one of the darkest beings ever to set foot on this world…

“I’d better hope I can get immortality out of this deal…

“Cause if I can’t, I’m gonna end up in the deepest pit of Hell…”


Saturday, October 31st, 2106, 5:01 PM



TOON ROLLBACK (Spell Card)

Card Specs

Type: Spell/Quickplay
Attribute: –
Level: –
ATK: –
DEF: –

Image: A reel of colorful film coming out a spindle.

Card Description: You can activate this card if “Toon World” is active on your side of the field and the attack of one of your Toon Monsters is negated. End the current Battle Phase. Then, any one Toon Monster on your side of the field may repeat the Battle Phase.

Note: “Toon Rollback” was used by Alister (disguised as Pegasus) in the anime episode “Deja Duel! (Part One)”. All creative credit goes to the writers of that episode.



DOPPELGANGER (Spell Card)

Card Specs

Type: Spell
Attribute: –
Level: –
ATK: –
DEF: –

Image: A cartoonish, grinning, black cat with a serpentine lower body popping out of a book.

Card Description: You can only activate this card when “Toon World” is active on your side of the field. Remove five cards from the top of your deck from play to activate this card. Take one card from your opponent’s Graveyard and add it to your hand.

Note: “Doppelganger” was first used by Pegasus in the anime episode “Champion versus Creator”. This version of the card is the version he used in the second season of “Yu-Gi-Oh GX”. All creative credit goes to the writers of those episodes.



TOON KINGDOM (Spell Card)

Card Specs

Type: Spell/Continuous
Attribute: –
Level: –
ATK: –
DEF: –

Image: Similar to “Toon World”, but its pages depicting a castle flanked by flaming braziers.

Card Description: Remove from play the top five cards from your deck to activate this card. This card’s name is considered the same as “Toon World” when it is face-up on the field. If one of your Toon Monsters would be destroyed as a result of battle, you may remove the top card from your deck from play to prevent it from being destroyed. (Battle damage still applies.)



SHADOW TOON (Spell Card)

Card Specs

Type: Spell
Attribute: –
Level: –
ATK: –
DEF: –

Image: Toon World shrouded in darkness, its pages opened to an evil castle.

Card Description: This card can only be activated when “Toon World” is active on your side of the field. Select one Monster on your opponent’s side of the field. Inflict damage to your opponent’s Life Points equal to that Monster’s ATK.

Note: “Toon Kingdom” and “Shadow Toon” were first used by Pegasus in a second-season episode of “Yu-Gi-Oh GX”. All creative credit goes to the writers of that episode.



SOCIAL ORDER (Trap Card)

Card Specs

Type: Trap/Continuous
Attribute: –
Level: –
ATK: –
DEF: –

Image: An Opticlops and a Blindly Loyal Goblin bowing before Dark Ruler Ha Des, who is on a throne of skulls.

Card Description: Pay 500 Life Points during every one of your Standby Phases that this card is active. If you do not, this card is destroyed. Choose one Monster on your side of the field who has seven stars or less. If this Monster leaves the field, this card is destroyed. So long as this card remains on the field, Monsters with fewer level stars than the chosen Monster cannot attack.



[B][I]I think I may have made a fanfiction first: I had a duelist defeat someone who was using a Toon Deck without Toon World (or in this case, its equivalent) being destroyed once.

Next:

Who will hold the power of the Dark Messiah? The next chapter will hold the answer, as one of the Chosen makes a choice, and finds that there is an unfortunate price. And there’s one more duel to fight before going back to the surface.

The chapter is called “A Hero Emerges”, coming soon.

And ten brownie points to the one who can identify the movie where the protagonist plays chess with the Grim Reaper. (Parodies don’t count.)

[Master of Paradox]

For the brownie points, it was "The Seventh Seal". "The grim lord Death bids them dance."

For once I mostly have good things to say about this chapter. On the good side, you handled Pegasus better than you handled Joey or Kaiba. It could be simply that he's less subtle of a character, yes, but it was still an admirable presentation. And, yes, you deserve a hand for getting through a Toon World duel without the traditional kneecapping.

And the duel itself flowed quite nicely. You captured the Toon Deck's strengths and weaknesses without making either Pegasus or Jason come off as pathetic. As someone who has trouble keeping his own duels balanced, I know that's quite a feat.

(On a side note, between this story and Sister of Anansi, I'm discarding my own plans for a Toon Deck in TTB...)

Now for a negative... As one of the writers for "Lady of Dragons", I kept running into bits and pieces taken from it. There weren't that many, in truth, but to my eyes they popped out. However, I know for a fact it's just me.

I've run through all the historical pantheons, and I can't seem to find a truly frightening goddess in the lot... except one. If it's her, or if it's one of the fictional ones I can think of quite easily, Fortunado's fear is entirely founded.

Again, I can't think of anything harsh to say about this chapter, which as we all know is a rarity. Bravo.

(And now, back to the grindstone. It's not writer's block that's holding up TTB, I've just gotten lazy! Thanks for the illumination...)

[jkBAKURA]

I have to admit, this chapter gave me a lot to like. Unlike some stories where Pegasus is nothing but a parody of himself (myself included, but since it had a replecation of Pegasus anyway, I can justify my... ok I was just not as good a writer back then)

This time he seemed like a full human character, which is wierd, because it wasn't even him.

Nice to see the Cyber Dragons back, as I was kind of starting to miss them, but the Social Order? It's getting a bit late in the story to be introducing new cards out of nowhere (although I'm guessing it was in his side deck the whole time, just switched for Timaeus)

For someone who has complained about deck count before, Pegasus's careless ditching of cards, even thematicly doesn't help. Unless he has someway to utalise it, no one does that. It would have been nice to have Pegasus take advantage of the cards he was ditching somehow.

Nice round use of toons too. The Mermaid and Skull, very overused, didn't show here, and the duel, while using several old techniques, was varied enough from other Toon duels to make it fresh . Oh and Paradox? I also caught the LoD references. (and like you I should get to work on my own story and finish the thing)

Better then the last two chapters yes, but now that that mini arc is over, we are once again left hanging as to what's next.

[Shuppet Master]

That makes three of us, guys. I just have one more chapter(and a half if I can't cram the last parts into it) for Sister of Anansi, and now that Brian's detailed the cards I need to use, I can work it more easily. Of course, I might have more surprises up there, to keep the Toon duel fresh.

You inspire me, Brian. Usually, I thought the only way you could defeat a Toon Duelist was to remove Toon World out of the picture, but you showed otherwise. Pegasus's combo was pretty lethal, but Jason managed to win...just as he was about to forfeit, he realized how to use his Cyber Laser Dragon's effect against a weaker monster. (BTW, is it legal? Does Cyber Laser Dragon destroy a monster if its attack is raised to 2500 or higher?)

I can't wait to see who the Dark Messiah is going to be. I'm all for Trisha, but any of them is okay in my book.

[Dark Sage]

Here is Cyber Laser Dragon's effect:


This card cannot be Normal Summoned or Set. This card cannot be Special Summoned except by the effect of "Photon Generator Unit". You can destroy 1 monster with ATK or DEF equal to or higher than the ATK of this card. You can only use this effect once per turn.

It says ATK, not "base ATK". So yes, if you increase the target's ATK so that it is at least as high as Cyber Laser Dragon, it will work.

And Master of Paradox gets the brownie points for identifying "The Seventh Seal".

[Perfect Chaos]

For some reason, once I read this chapter, I felt like I should comment about it.

As everyone has said before, bravo on your work in this chapter. Toons are a rare commodity (at least from my perspective) and it in was indeed a refreshing experience to see them. Though he wasn't a favorite character of mine, I liked Pegasus and I think ypu portrayed him close enough to his real character. As everyone mentioned before, it was also nice to see a Toon deck beaten without having to destroy their main weapon: Toon World (or in this case Toon Kingdom).

Other than that, hope to see the next chapter up real soon.

-Sean

[Blademaster]

Well, everything I was gonna say has been said, so this is gonna be a short review.

And props to me for not being the lazy one for once... Well, OK, I am, but for my Pokemon fic... (sigh) I miss 3.0... T_T

Anyway, nice work conveying Pegasus... I was actually expecting Ironheart to be Jason's opponent.

Update soon, OK? Later. :wave:

-Blade

[Silencer]

Having said something about this before, I just have to post.

*cough*

Thank you for not using the 'Now my monster decides on what card to take' dialogue.

*goes back to being a quiet reader*

[Inferno_Dragon]

Pegasus, huh? Well, he was one of my guesses ... the other one I thought Jason would duel was Mai ... but we already seen a Harpie Lady Deck so that was out of the question.

I do know that Pegasus appears in GX several times but that is one powerful card. I thought Toon World was dangerous .... Toon Kingdom is ten times worse. But good chapter with Pegasus, you got it all right with the whole Jason-Boy thing (I don't why he does that in the anime but who knows?)

What dark creatures will our heroes be facing?

Keep up the good work!

[Dark Sage]

Why does Pegasus affix "Boy" to everyone's name? So his lips still move in the translation.

See, in the Japanese, he treats everyone like a child, and affixes "Chan" to the end of their names, a term used to address children. (Some would say he's awfully rude to do so, in fact. It isn't a term used for someone who's as old as Yugi.)

Anyway, when the dialogue is translated, they need to match words with their lips, so that was added.

Now you know.

[Blademaster]

(randomly pops in)

And knowing is half the battle!

(pops back out)

[Mystic_clown]

Hmm, makes sense. It also adds to the whole eccentric thing.

I must say I'm amazed. You capture Pegasus perfectly. You got his deck down to a fine art and, even though I wanted Pegasus to win, nice way for Jason to win the duel.

It seem Fortunada's calling in the bigs guns. He's brought like, what, eight duellists in?

[Shuppet Master]

Interesting factoid, Brian. I wonder if he affixes "-Girl" when addressing a female? :D

[Blademaster]

I'd think so, Shup - he never addressed Mai or Tea directly, I think, but I remember him calling Tea 'little girl' in his thoughts once. It wouldn't surprise me.

(imagines Pegasus calling Anastasia 'Anny-Girl' and suffering the consequences)

Heh... um, never mind. :lookout:

[Phoenixsong]

Ahem... All right, people. It took me a frickin' week to read this thing from start to "finish". I almost cried when I saw that posts had added ANOTHER page before I'd even gotten past page 22. And, mind you, there was an awful lot of other stuff I could have been doing instead. My homework, for example. Or sleeping. Or focusing on my own still non-existant fanfiction.

...I gotta say, I'm damn glad I chose to read this instead. 'Cept I've been tired all week, but oh, well.

So, since I'm a new reader and haven't been able to comment on things right as they happened, I will do my durned best to summarize the majority of the comments I've had since the beginning.

1. This is definitely an interesting story in general, DS. I have to admit that when I read the title I wasn't expecting the return of the Orichalcos (hah! I KNEW I was spelling it right!). Not that I had any idea what I was expecting, but it was most certainly not this. I'm not the biggest proponent of major threats returning to haunt people in fanfiction; even in my own fanfics that involve previous villains, I usually take minor ones and make them more threatening. It's like, "OK, dude, Yugi and them already fixed you good. So go away and stay dead already!" You're handling this all very well, however, I must say. I'm also enjoying your interesting characters... the only complaint I have with them is that it's still a little hard to tell Trisha and Jason apart, even at this point in the story. But I like everyone else, including all of the user characters. You've done quite well in portraying fan-characters that aren't your own, something that's a little hard for me. A huge kudos to everyone who contributed, and I'm a teensy bit upset that I wasn't in time to try and help out myself. I DO have an idea for a... certain... kind of card one of your new evil friends could use, but you said you're done accepting contributions so I'll hold it to myself.

2. Now, for a few little nitpicks. I know you get a lot of mixed comments about your plotlines and the effectiveness of your chapters and such, but I won't bore and annoy you by bringing those up again. No, what I wanted to say comes more from the "proper-English-or-Bust" demon in me. Although your writing style and sentences are cohesive, there have been multiple times when you've forgotten periods, misspelled words, added commas and apostrophes where none should have been and phrased a few things a little awkwardly. I mean no slur against you, but poor grammar always makes me twitch rather painfully. In the future, I suggest that you proofread your remaining chapters a teensy bit more carefully... not just for inconsistency in the duels, but for spelling and grammar as well. And speaking of inconsistency...

3. On more than one occasion, you've gotten people's names confused. I can't remember all of the instances, but as an example you've done things like having Cleo explain to herself how her own card worked (in the duel with Sersei), or have Valon ask a question and answer it himself (the duel with the Digger). Again, another quick readthrough--perhaps out loud--will prevent that from happening, though I understand you're writing this during your spare time at work and as such may not have an optimal amount of time on your hands.

4. You're just a bit off on a few spellings, DS. Even though it's a bit late now, the two original Swordsmen's names are spelled Rafael and Allister, with an "f" not a "ph" and with two "l"s. At least, they are to my understanding... I could be wrong. I think that is indeed what I've seen on the official website, however.

5. Uh, in the... the... what was it? The third chapter? Anyway, you kept referring to Leon (my second favorite character ever! Yay, Leon!) as Leon Wilson. Depending on the time in his life the VR duel-thing was based on, that might have been acceptable. However, since he himself references his duel with Yugi and the very end of the arc, you should have called him Leon von Schroeder. (On a side note, thanks for that description of Forest Wolf's effect; I needed to know the "exact" text for... uh... a card I'm creating. So yeah, that's useful.)

6. Dude, you use exclamation points WAY too often. This is just another grammar nitpick, but it happens so often I felt the need to bring special attention to it. You've toned that habit down a bit in later chapters, but you still do it. The general rule is that narration doesn't need exclamation points, even after something exciting happens (like Trisha getting nailed by a Blue-Eyes, for example); only dialogue should include that particular punctuation mark, except in a few choice circumstances. Now, those choice circumstances are totally up to your discretion, but I don't find them necessary quite as often as you use them; it gives the appearance that you're trying too hard to make the scene exciting. So yeah, just hold back a touch.

7. I'm not sure if you noticed, but Jason played Vorse Raider six (maybe seven) times throughout the story; Seto Kaiba (a.k.a. Critias) played it once. All six times that Jason used the card (if there was a seventh, either I couldn't see the picture or you didn't bother to post it) you posted the image of Raviel, Lord of Phantasms. This may be because a link has changed somewhere at your source, but yeah. Vorse Raider is tough, and he's certainly Dark-Attribute, but he's definitely NOT Raviel. Actually (no offense), when the Puppeteer played Raviel I was almost expecting to see Vorse Raider's card instead.

8. These are more personal little grievances, but I figured I'd comment. One, I HATE Allister. I loathe him, I deplore him, I wish his head would explode. Valon and Rafael are sooo much cooler than he is; they had more interesting deck types, for one. And they weren't insane. And Valon has an Australian accent, which automatically trumps everything. I am furious with you for making Allister look so good. Not that you did anything wrong or handled it poorly; his roles were well played out. It's just... AARRRGGH!!!

9. On a similar note, I'm a bit of a Rex Raptor fan (I've loved dinosaurs since I was three; what can I say?), and I'm kinda upset you made him out to be so... "dark". In my opinion, neither Rex nor Weevil was anything close to evil; they were just greedy and short-sighted. Weevil, however (I hate him, too, by the way) was a lot more corrupt; Rex never once resorted to cheating like Weevil did, which shows he has at least some tiny semblance of honor. Now, of course, he wasn't very bright for someone named after the more-intelligent meat-eating dinosaurs; I mean, you've got to be an idiot to follow along with Weevil's moronic schemes. So I can sort of see Weevil knowing when to throw in the towel and not wanting to make a deal with Fortunado/the Puppeteer. I honestly don't see Rex as desperate enough to do so himself, though. Maybe it's just me. But yeah, that duel annoyed me, too, though it was no fault of yours. (And NO, Hassleberry being one of the Sage's immortal guards will NOT make up for it. I admit that he's smarter, probably a better duelist and has a slightly less annoying voice-actor. But... *takes out a hammer with a picture of the new Pachycephalosaur Pokemon, Ramuparudo, on its head* *bashes Hassleberry's skull in with it* Rex Raptor owns you, Rex Raptor owns you, Rex Raptor OWNS you!! Dinosaur Ryuzaki is the TRUE King of the Dinosaurs!!!)

10. No, Chazz, NOOOO! Not the Ojamas! Arrgh... yet another character/characters I loathe beyond all reasonable loathing. I know that V through Z is old and tired now, and Cassius already had the Armed Dragons. But... *whimper*... the Ojama brothers? You just love driving that stake deeper and deeper into my heart, don't you, DS? Besides, those cards scare me. The way their... uh... nether regions were drawn is creepy in the way that they translated Nekogal #1's flavor text as beginning with "A pussy-fairy".

There was more I had to say, but because Dark Messiah has taken me such a long time to read I've forgotten some of it. Besides... this post is long enough already. I'll get to the rest when it occurs to me. All I can say is this: Bravo, Dark Sage. You're handling this all extremely well despite some, ah, hardships that have occurred, and I'll keep reading. You've also been a bit more inspiration to get off my tail and work on finishing up the details of my own YGO fics... I have a pretty high standard to work up to, what with your fics and those of Master of Paradox, Blademaster, jkBAKURA, Shuppet Master, starjake and others hanging over my head. Jeez, I need to familiarize myself with the newer cards... *sob* I'm so hopelessly out of touch with the game at this point... on that note, does anyone want to be a wonderful, wonderful person and help me out? I have absolutely NO ideas for what sort of decks my characters can use, with the obvious exceptions of boring, simplistic ones that have been done to death and those comprised almost entirely of cards I've created myself. If a few of you more "expert" people wanted to PM me and lend a hand, I'd give you something... like a cookie. You all like cookies, right? :) But anyway, this isn't quite the place. Excellent work, and don't keep us (or the readers of your other fictions) waiting for too long!

Um, actually I had one more thing to say. You mentioned, in Trisha's duel with Amethyst, that Bakura was "a pathetic duelist". Leon is my second favorite character only after him, and that sorta... stung a little. Again, it's your story and all that, and if it's true then I certainly have no problem with it; I'll be the first to admit that he can be a wuss at times. But, uh... has he ever actually even been in a duel without Dragonphallus... uh, I mean, Zorc/Yami Bakura? I've missed huge chunks of Waking the Dragons--I don't even know how it ends, dammit!--parts of the KC Grand Championship and more than half of Dawn of the Duel, I don't really read the manga and I can't watch the original Japanese... mostly because of the many multitasking chores I can complete, reading English subtitles while listening to speech in some other language is not one of them. Oh, and my mom would have a conniption if she knew how violent and dark it could get at times. So if he has dueled and he sucks, then I'll shut up, but could someone more informed straighten this out for me? Only 'cause I don't like people calling him "pathetic", and I need to know for other reasons. Yeah. I'll shut up now.

[Blademaster]

That... has gotta be... the longest review... in the history of reviews. Beat that, Bri!

(No, not you DS - I mean mr_pikachu.)


I have a pretty high standard to work up to, what with your fics and those of Master of Paradox, Blademaster, jkBAKURA, Shuppet Master, starjake and others hanging over my head. Jeez, I need to familiarize myself with the newer cards...

Wow... I was included with the heavyweights? I'm honored... :D

And no, I don't believe Bakura has ever dueled without Yami Bakura possessing him.

[Master of Paradox]

Phoenixsong: Very interesting review, but Brian's hands were tied on Issac. You see, Issac is based on a Japanese card... and that's how they spelled it on said card.

What can you do when correcting a spelling mistake would cause you to misname a card?

[Phoenixsong]

Blade: I am the Grand High Evil Queen of Obsessively Long Reviews. That little bitty post is nothing, mere mortal... mwahahahahaha!... Besides, I had 29 pages' worth of reading to comment on. As I said, that was rather concise considering what I could have written. Especially if I'd remembered everything I wanted to say.

...Yes, I do consider you a great YGO fanfic writer. To be honest, you and DS's fics are the only ones I've read so far, apart from a few spoofs that had nothing to do with dueling. But I know that all of the others are still popular writers, so they've gotta be doing something right. I really oughta go read them, but... ugh... senior year... catching up on this was detrimental enough as it is...

And thanks for clarifying that, MoP; never having heard of that card until I read the chappie today, I wouldn't have known. It'll probably be spelled the other way in the translation, though, I guess... again, I dunno, I just call 'em as I see 'em.

[Mystic_clown]

man, we're now giving a review for a review. lol

First of all, yes, the story is good, even if it is going a bit black and white (and even though DS says Russel's changed, it's not that big a change).

Second, I'm a Rex fan too and was a bit miffed when DS made him a villian. And yes, Rex does pwn Hassleberry.

Third, don't diss the Ojamas, or me and Paradox shall smite thee.

That is all.

[Master of Paradox]

Second, I'm a Rex fan too and was a bit miffed when DS made him a villian. And yes, Rex does pwn Hassleberry.

Third, don't diss the Ojamas, or me and Paradox shall smite thee.


Answer to the first: ...are you kidding? Everyone beat Rex. Mai beat Rex, Joey beat him, Espa Roba beat him... Weevil beat him... Kenzan's win/loss record is just as poor, but Rex is the Glass Joe to his Gabby Jay. Look it up.

Answer to the second: Ojamas for life, my good MC.

Now enough of this, we're dragging the poor thread off-topic.

[Shuppet Master]

(And NO, Hassleberry being one of the Sage's immortal guards will NOT make up for it. I admit that he's smarter, probably a better duelist and has a slightly less annoying voice-actor. But... *takes out a hammer with a picture of the new Pachycephalosaur Pokemon, Ramuparudo, on its head* *bashes Hassleberry's skull in with it* Rex Raptor owns you, Rex Raptor owns you, Rex Raptor OWNS you!! Dinosaur Ryuzaki is the TRUE King of the Dinosaurs!!!)

Great, a Rex Raptor fan. I admit that Tyranno Kenzan's name was horribly mangled, but I really like his military-like behavior. The Japanese Kenzan was far worse with his constant "-don" added to the end of his sentences.

Of course, I admired Rex Raptor too, so don't think I'm a Hasslebery fan. However, I love GX far more than DM, save for a few characters(Joey, his sister, Tea, Rebecca, Leon, and the Kaiba brothers).

And I see you're a Pokemon fan. So am I, and I am certainly looking forward to trying out some of those new ghost types. :)


However, since he himself references his duel with Yugi and the very end of the arc, you should have called him Leon von Schroeder.

Maybe Leon changed his name back so he wouldn't be associated with...ah, who am I fooling? Leon forgave his brother at the end of that episode. :)



Wow... I was included with the heavyweights? I'm honored...

Well, second that for me. I only wrote one fanfic here, and it was more of a fanboy fetish of DS's work rather than anything original.

[Dark Sage]

The following chapter is rated PG-13.

It contains adult themes.

But it also contains answers that you'll want to hear.

Read on.

[B][I]I stand on a threshold…

On one side of me is the life I used to live…

And on the other is great power. Pure light…

No one is forcing me… I volunteered. No trickery is involved. I know every detail and condition. I’m willing to take what comes with this.

A sacrifice must be made, but it has to be done. After all, the fate of the very world is at stake. If this is not done, the world will be plunged into a thousand years of darkness.

So I’ll take the next step…

…and hope for the best.




[B][size=3]CHAPTER FORTY-SIX



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Saturday, October 31st, 2106, 5:46 PM



The Sage of Duelists walked down a long, wide passageway. Behind him walked Jason, Trisha, and Russell… And behind them, the four bodyguards walked silently. They were making the three teens very nervous.

“Uh…” muttered Trisha. “Is bringing your Mod Squad really necessary? They’re creeping me out!”

“Heh, heh…” laughed the Sage. “Okay… From now on, my friends, let’s keep no secrets from each other…”

The four bodyguards lowered their hoods. The three boys and one girl – they didn’t look old enough to be addressed with adult terms – smiled with friendly expressions.

“Allow me to introduce Chazz, Alexis, Aster, and Tyranno, the most loyal members of this sect, and the best duelists. As far as dueling goes, they are perhaps equal to me.

“And they are necessary for the ceremony that we must perform. You see, they have been training for years for this specific event. The power of the Dark Messiah must be channeled, and they will act as the conduits through which the power will be summoned. The divine energy will go through them, and be fed into a… receptacle of sorts.”

“In other words, they act as human lightning rods,” replied Russell.

“Well, that’s one way to dumb it down,” answered the Sage. “However, it works like this. A human being has five parts to him. One part is Shadow, which we want no part of in this situation. The other four parts are each necessary for the ceremony, and my bodyguards will each channel a different one, the one he or she represents.

“Chazz represents Soul… Alexis represents Heart… Aster represents Mind… And Tyranno represents Strength.

“Of course… Some of them have improved in those aspects immensely since I first met them… long ago…”

They entered a wide, circular chamber, that looked like a shrine of some sort. A long bench was built around the wall, and arcane runes were carved into the floor and walls.

“Everyone be seated…” ordered the Sage.

The three visitors and the four bodyguards sat on the bench.

“So when’s the Dark Messiah coming?” asked Jason.

“Soon…” said the Sage. “But I think we’d best tell you what we know about the threat you are up against…”

He paused.

“Perhaps you have heard of Sartorious?”

The four bodyguards all scowled at the mention of the name. All except Aster, who looked a little sad…

“Uh…” started Russell. “Wasn’t he one of Jaden Yuki’s old sparring partners?”

“Heh…” answered Chazz. “That’s like saying that Darth Vader was ‘one of Luke Skywalker’s old sparring partners’.”

“Sartorious was a strange case, my friends,” said the Sage. “He was possessed by an evil force, not a force of darkness, but a force of evil light, the Light of Ruin, who wanted to flood the world with pure light, purifying it of darkness… Which would have destroyed it. Maybe it wanted to destroy it and rebuild it, perhaps. His good side struggled with his evil side constantly, like Jekyll and Hyde…

“Though his evil side opposed Jaden more often than not, there were times his good side broke through, and actually helped Jaden. Slowly, Jaden and his allies struggled against him…

“…and eventually, it coalesced in a duel where the evil light was purged from him.”

“We thought it was over…” muttered Tyranno, shaking his head.

“I certainly didn’t!” interrupted Chazz. “I didn’t trust that guy any farther than I could throw him.

“Not after what he did to me… What he made me do…”

“I trusted him…” muttered Aster. “At least I wanted to…”

He sighed.

“He had been a friend for a long time… Before he had gone nuts… I wanted to believe the evil in him was gone… Gone forever…”

Alexis shook her head.

“Regardless of what Chazz or Aster thought,” she said, “we thought it was over. Sartorious’s Society of Light disbanded, he did his best to make up for all the things he had done, and he even showed up the next year at Jaden’s graduation to wish him well…

“But one month after that…”

They were all quiet.

Aster spoke up.

“Jaden got a dinner invitation from, of all people, Sartorious’s little sister Mizuchi,” he said. “He accepted, of course. He hadn’t seen her in ages. He later told us that she was in a panic. She told him that Sartorious was contemplating suicide. Something about him losing control again.

“She begged Jaden to come to their estate to try to talk him out of it…”

“But we weren’t going to let him go alone,” interrupted Chazz. “Even Jaden wasn’t that naïve, and we all smelled a setup. And the four of us had scores to settle with that psycho…”

“We just didn’t know how dangerous the state of affairs had gotten…” muttered Tyranno.

“Keep going,” said Jason. “This is just getting good.”

Tyranno sighed.

“We soon found that it was an ambush,” he continued. “Mizuchi met us at the entrance hall, and she had no intention of meeting us on even terms. She met us pointing a loaded gun at us.”

The Sage shook his head.

“Something dire had happened,” he added. “Sartorious had not only enspelled his own sister, but he had convinced her to lower her standards to that of a cold-blooded killer, using the one device she had despised all her life.”

“Anyway,” said Tyranno. “I did some quick thinking. I always knew how to think on my feet. I pleaded with her, and asked for a last request, hoping to reach some part of her fighter’s spirit, hoping she even had one left. I wanted an honorable battle one last time – her versus me. I told her she could keep the gun, and was free to shoot as soon the duel was over, win or lose.

“Thankfully, she accepted. I guess every duelist has a little fighter’s spirit.

“Now, I had never dueled her before, but I had witnessed her duel Jaden and him…”

He pointed to Aster.

“Know your enemy, that’s one key to winning a battle. I knew her strategy pretty well. It was a complex strategy that required ten Monsters to be destroyed between both duelists.

“I tried to mount a counterattack by playing Dimensional Fissure. But she didn’t really care. Apparently, the strategy didn’t require the Monsters to go to the Graveyard. When five of my Monsters and five of hers were destroyed, she was able to use her Full Moon Mirror to activate her Magic Mirror of Endless Summons. That let her summon a powerful Monster called Dark God.”

“Dark God?” gasped Trisha. “I’ve never even seen it and it frightens me.”

“You think hearing about it frightens you?” asked Aster. “Try confronting it.

“It’s not exactly a common card. It’s a Fiend with 3,000 Attack Points, and it can’t be destroyed in battle. And when it destroys a Monster, it costs the owner of the destroyed Monster 700 additional Life Points. Also, when used in combination with Magic Mirror of Endless Summons, it summons a token with the same stats and powers on each free space on the owner’s Monster Zone. Its only weakness is, it can’t attack directly.”

“But I had a backup plan,” said Tyranno. “Another key to winning a battle is to have a backup plan, or even a few. She had 2,000 Life Points left, and the six Monsters that my Dimensional Fissure had removed from play were all Dinosaurs. I summoned one of my most powerful Monsters… Tyranno Infinity.”

“Wait…” muttered Jason. “That thing has 1,000 Attack Points for every Dinosaur removed from play. So it had…”

“6,000 Attack Points,” answered Tyranno. “I declared an attack against the Dark God, and while it survived, Mizuchi’s Life Points certainly did not.”

Alexis spoke up this time.

“She fell to her knees and dropped the gun,” she continued. “As we’d hoped, the defeat had broken the spell. She sobbed and pleaded with us, saying that her brother was possessed again, but not by a force of light anymore… It was a different evil, a force of pure darkness. And in case any duelist threatened him, he was constructing the ultimate deck, one that simply could not be beaten. She had heard him call it a Reckoning Deck.”

There was a long pause.

“A Reckoning Deck…” answered Jason. “That means…”

“It was made in preparation for the event that now threatens you…” said the Sage. “The ultimate weapon of Evil…”

“We told Mizuchi that we could save her brother again,” continued Alexis. “But she told us it was too late…

“She told us he was doomed…”

Aster continued the story.

“We searched that house…” he said. “We let Jaden conserve his strength, since he was the only one who had ever beaten him. I had tried… Those two had tried…

He pointed to Chazz and Tyranno.

“In the past, it seemed that Jaden was the only one with the right amount of skill, luck, and outright willpower to stand up to that guy.

“We won’t share the atrocities that we saw, but Sartorious’s henchmen went down…

“Finally, Jaden was fit to be tied when he confronted him…

“I nearly cried when we did. Mizuchi had been right. I knew just by seeing him, that unlike last time, the Sartorious I had known wasn’t suppressed…

“He was dead… No good in him existed any more.

“Jaden was more than angry. He said that he was an imposter, and that he had murdered the true Sartorious.

“And Sartorious didn’t deny it. He said that flooding the world with Light had been a failure… So instead he would do the opposite, and cover it with Darkness.

“Jaden issued a challenge on the spot…”

“I never saw Jaden like that before…” muttered Alexis. “He didn’t have his jovial attitude this time… When he challenged Sartorious, there were no jokes, no catchphrases… He was just determined to end this once and for all…

“But strangely, Sartorious wasn’t using any… Reckoning Deck. He was using his old one. Even so, he had made a few improvements on it.

“Anyway, Sartorious had a lot less luck with Jaden in this duel than he did the first time. It seemed that his ability to control destiny wasn’t there any more, and he was relying mostly on chance. Most of the Arcana Force Monsters that he summoned wound up with their negative effects. Eventually, however, he was able to summon his most powerful Monster – at that point – a behemoth called The World.”

“The World?” asked Jason. “That sounds… interesting…”

“You haven’t known terror until you’ve been attacked by a walking planet,” said Aster. “But even then he got the negative effect. Still, it had 3,100 Attack Points, so he thought it didn’t matter. He wiped out Jaden’s whole line.

“Here’s how it stood at that point. Jaden had 2,500 Life Points remaining, and Sartorious had 3,300. Jaden summoned Winged Kuriboh in Attack Mode, and set a card facedown.

“Sartorious wasn’t about to fall for that. He was certain that the facedown card was Transcendent Wings. So he simply played a Continuous Spell Card called Infernal White.”

“Infernal White?” asked Russell.

“Why don’t you explain what it does, Chazz?” asked Alexis.

Chazz rolled his eyes.

“It’s a custom card he invented,” he muttered. “We thought we had burned all the copies of it, but apparently a few survived. So long as it’s in effect, you have to show your hand to your opponent, but your opponent loses 600 Life Points during each of his Standby Phases. Basically, Jaden had four rounds to either win or destroy it.”

“Anyway,” continued Aster, “due to The World’s negative effect, Jaden had one advantage. During each of his Standby Phases, he got to add the top card from his Graveyard to his hand.

“On his next turn, he summoned Aqua Dolphin. On his turn after that, Groun Mole. The turn after that, Flare Scarab, who gained 800 extra Attack Points since there were two Spells and Traps on the field. And on what would be his last turn, Air Hummingbird, giving him a boost of 2,000 Life Points due to the four cards in his enemy’s hand.

“Sartorious was upset, but that was the least of his troubles. Then Jaden activated the facedown card, which wasn’t Transcendent Wings at all. It was Fuh-Rin-Ka-Zan. He had never used it before, but I guess it makes sense.”

“That was part of Jaden’s strategy as a duelist…” added Tyranno. “He constantly changed his deck, so it never was truly the same twice. Some cards were always there, but most of them were interchangeable. That way, he always kept his opponents off guard. Another important key to winning a battle.”

“Getting back to what I was saying,” said Aster, “for Fuh-Rin-Ka-Zan, he needed a Water, Wind, Fire, and Earth Monster on the field, and the conditions were right. Then he had four options. He used the one that let him destroy all of Sartorious’s Monsters, including The World.

“Then he attacked directly with all four of the Neo-Spacians, although Flare Scarab had lost one Trap Card and was weaker. Sartorious laughed at him, saying he still had 100 Life Points left, and Jaden’s Monsters were all weaklings. He would finish Jaden off next turn… I think he had some sort of Monster revival card in his hand…

“Then he realized that Winged Kuriboh could still attack…”

“Heh…” chuckled Chazz. “First time I was ever grateful for that little ball of fluff…”

“I’d best finish,” muttered the Sage. “Sartorious was not grateful in defeat. He mocked the five of them, saying they had only delayed the inevitable. Jaden truly lost his temper at that point. For the first time ever, he flew into rage! He grabbed the madman and forced him down. He demanded to know what was going to happen. Sartorious refused to tell them.

“Then Jaden walked over to a desk, and picked up the madman’s other deck… his Tarot deck. I’m not sure when he got a new one – he had thrown his original one away.

Jaden looked through the cards, found one specific one, and tossed the rest aside.

“This is what Jaden told him:

“’With all your mumbo jumbo, you loved comparing us to these cards and trying to tell the future. Want to know what the future holds now, Sartorious? I can tell you with one simple card…’

“And then he tossed the card to his foe…”

The Sage reached into his robe.

“It was this one.”

He held it up. It was a frightening card that bore the image of several disheveled men and women pleading for mercy before a divine figure…

It was Major Arcana XX: Judgment.

“Then Jaden grabbed him again, and said, ‘About time it was passed…’

“If his four friends hadn’t pulled him back, he might have killed him… He calmed down a little… But anyway, Jaden was confident that this time, the evil would not go unpunished…

“But it was all for naught… Because at that moment, from out of the shadows, someone pointed a gun at Sartorious, and fired.

“He was dead.

“They never found the killer, nor did they find the deck he had been working on. They thought that with him truly gone, it was over…

“I might as well say it, this was the service for which I rewarded my future bodyguards with immortality.”

“Huh?” asked Trisha. “Then… why isn’t Jaden here?”

The Sage shook his head.

“I made him the offer as well…” he replied. “But he turned it down. Whatever reasons he had, living forever did not appeal to him.”

The four bodyguards bowed their heads sadly.

“But it didn’t stop there, I’m afraid to say,” said the Sage. “Over the years, reports have come in from those claiming to have seen cards used by the Society of Light. References have been made to this Reckoning Deck that he had been creating. We can assume now that it had something to do with the Orichalcos…

“My friends, I fear that these forbidden cards have been located… In Fortunado’s base of operations. He oversees things from a penthouse at the top of a building on Madison Avenue called the Mastech Tower. From what I can discern, evil secrets lie within…”

There was a pause.

“So what are we waiting for?” asked Russell. “We need to bring the Dark Messiah here!”

“He’s already here…” said the Sage, softly.

There was a pause again.

“The Dark Messiah isn’t a person,” he explained. “It’s a title. It will be endowed on one of the ones who are already chosen…

“During every Reckoning, a champion is chosen to hold the title. Sir Issac held it last. Whoever holds it will face the Evil in the final battle.

“It will be bestowed on one of you…”

Jason, Russell, and Trisha looked at each other.

“We… can’t share?” asked Trisha.

“Sadly, no,” said the Sage. “All three of you will play important roles… But one of you must choose to take the power… And accept the price.”

“Price?” exclaimed Russell.

“This ceremony requires a sacrifice on the part of the volunteer,” said the Sage. “To receive the power of the Dark Messiah…

“One must give up… his sight.”

They were quiet for a long time.

“How is someone supposed to duel if he’s blind?” asked Russell.

“The power replaces physical sight with inward sight,” said the Sage. “Of course, the power only lasts until the Reckoning is over. Once you are successful…”

There was another long pause.

“Can we have a minute?” asked Jason.

The Sage nodded.

The three of them huddled.

“Well, this is it,” said Russell. “I think I can make that sacrifice…”

“No way!” answered Trisha. “You’ve already had your soul snatched. I’ll do it.”

“Trisha, no!” replied Jason. “I love you… I don’t want you to be blind forever. Let me do it…”

They all looked at each other.

They lifted their Disks.

“There’s one way to decide…” said Russell. “We each put out heart and souls into our decks. Each card was decided with care and precision. One draw should give us the answer…”

They each drew a card off the top of their decks.

Russell held his up.



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Trisha held hers up.



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Jason held his up.



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“I guess that settles it,” said Jason, shuffling his deck.

Russell and Trisha closed their eyes.

They couldn’t deny that.



[B]* * * * * * * * * *


Russell and Trisha watched nervously. Trisha was holding Jason’s Duel Disk.

Jason stood in the center of the shrine. The four bodyguards stood around him, Chazz in front of him, Tyranno behind, and Aster and Alexis to either side.

“Last chance to reconsider, Jason,” said the Sage, who was watching from the side. “Are you sure?”

Jason paused for a minute.

He took a long look at Trisha and Russell. He guessed he had too… It would be the last time he would truly see them.

“Positive…” he said.

“Then let the descent of the Dark Messiah begin!” exclaimed the Sage.

A circle of glowing light connected the four bodyguards, and they started to glow.

Tyranno glowed with golden light, and Jason felt the rumble of the fault lines, and the tremors of the earth.

“Strength…” said Tyranno. “Health and vigor. Stand firm against oncoming force.”

Aster glowed with green light, and Jason could feel the tides, and feel of sea spray on his face.

“Mind…” said Aster. “Wisdom and intelligence. Use every bit of it to find the solutions.”

Alexis glowed with fiery light, and the Jason felt the warmth of the sun on a summer day.

“Heart…” said Alexis. “Emotion and faith. Let them guide you.”

Chazz glowed with pure light, and Jason heard the howling of wind, and the rush of a gale.

“Soul!” he exclaimed. “Find the inner light inside you…”

“Combine as one…” said the Sage.

Four beams of light fell from the ceiling, striking the four bodyguards, and they cringed a little. They gestured, and focused the light onto Jason.

There was pain… But the pain gave way to a rush of great power, surging through him. He closed his eyes, as pure light seeped from his pores.

He fell to his knees, as the rush slowly subsided.

“Arise… Dark Messiah…” said the Sage.

Jason didn’t move for a minute…

He slowly got up, not yet opening his eyes…

“Jason…” said Trisha, desperately.

She ran up to him.

Slowly, Jason opened his eyes…

His pupils and irises were gone. His eyes seemingly were replaced by glowing, golden orbs.

“Trisha…” he muttered. “You… You’re beautiful!”

“You can see me?” asked Trisha.

“I… I can see your soul…” said Jason. “And it’s even lovelier than your body is…”

He turned to Russell.

“Russell… You never looked stronger…” he said.

He took his Disk, and took his deck. He looked through the cards.

“I can see them too…” he said. “They never looked more alive…”

He paused.

“But…” he added. “Does this mean I’m a better duelist?”

“Why not test your abilities?” asked the Sage. “We can have a duel right here to try out your new skills.”

“Well don’t look at me,” said Chazz with a smirk. “He saw my deck… Well, most of it…”

“I’ll gladly duel him,” said Tyranno.

“You wouldn’t last five rounds,” said Alexis with a smirk. “I volunteer.”

Aster was about to step forward, but he was interrupted.

“No…” said the Sage. “I will be his opponent myself. After all, I don’t get a chance to actually duel much in a true contest.”

“Very well,” said Jason, shuffling his deck. “I accept your challenge.”

The four bodyguards sat down. Russell and Trisha sat down next to them.

“So…” muttered Trisha. “What sort of deck does the Sage of Duelists use?”

“Man, he could have some of the rarest, most powerful cards in existence,” said Russell.

“Well he plays a… Drunken Boxing Deck,” said Alexis.

Trisha and Russell were dumbfounded.

“A Drunken Boxing Deck?” asked Trisha. “Never heard of it.”

“I know what Drunken Boxing is…” stated Russell. “It’s a very rare form of Kung-Fu that can only be taught by a few sensei. Practitioners can become lethal fighters when they’re intoxicated.

“But a deck based on it… This should be strange…”

“Prepare to set faces to stunned,” said Aster.



[B]* * * * * * * * * *


Jason stood facing the Sage in the center of the shrine. The Sage activated his Disk (which for all his status, was a standard model), and they both drew five cards.

“I’ve always been taught to respect my elders, Sage,” said Jason, “so you may have the first move.”

“Why thank you, Jason,” said the Sage, drawing a sixth card.



[B](Jason: 8,000) (The Sage of Duelists: 8,000)


“Here we go…” muttered Russell. “We’ll soon see if this ritual took.”

“I’m still wondering just how effective a Drunken Boxing Deck is,” said Trisha.

“Prepare to be convinced,” replied Chazz. “The four of us sure were.”

“Okay…” said the Sage, looking over his cards. “I will summon a Monster in Attack Mode. Drunken Tiger.”

He played a card, and a strange Monster materialized. It was a Beast-Warrior, from the look of it, and was indeed a tiger, and was dressed in a martial arts gi. Like his name suggested, he was clearly intoxicated, and he clutched a liquor bottle in his left hand. (1,800/1,000)

“Well, that’s unpleasant…” answered Jason.

“Have a heart,” said the Sage. “My Drunken Tiger can actually be quite a nice guy…”

Drunken Tiger let out a low growl.

“Well…” muttered the Sage. “At least he can be when he’s sober. Heh, it’s your move.”

Jason drew a card, and held his hand up before him. He couldn’t physically see the cards, but he could perceive them in his mind, just as he could perceive Drunken Tiger clearly on the field.

I have nothing that can beat a Monster with 1,800 Attack Points, he thought, but I do have Mirror Force and Flat LV 4. They should work.

He fit two cards into his Disk.

“I’ll place down two facedowns…” he said.

Two facedown cards appeared.

“And then, I’ll summon Saggi the Dark Clown in Defense Mode.”

Saggi appeared, and crouched in Defense. (600/1,500)



http://www.ideal808.com/images/mrd_0661.jpg


“And I’ll turn it over to you,” he said.

“Interesting…” said the Sage, drawing.

He surveyed the field.

“Well?” asked Jason. “Are you going to attack?”

“Heh, heh,” chuckled the Sage. “My Tiger’s vision may be impaired by all the sake he’s had, but I’m perfectly sober, and I can see those two facedown cards quite clearly. Certainly, attacking right now would be a bad idea…

“But I can make it a good idea by summoning this little guy to the field. Come forward, Sasuke Samurai #2.”

He placed a card on his Disk, and a small figure appeared. His head was a perfect sphere, with a red topknot. He wore leather armor, and a basket on his back. He held a sword that seemed too big for him to use. (200/300)



http://www.ideal808.com/images/dcr_059.jpg


“Eh?” asked Jason.

“With only 200 Attack Points, this guy is immune to Bottomless Trap Hole, and even the ordinary Trap Hole,” said the Sage. “But he has a useful effect. If I pay 800 Life Points, neither of us can activate Spells or Traps this rounds.”

His Life Points dipped, and the little swordsman took two knives from his basket. He threw them, impaling the two facedown cards.

“Now then…” said the Sage, “Drunken Tiger, attack Saggi the Dark Clown with drunken punch.”

Drunken Tiger lunged forward, and walloped Saggi, knocking him sky high. He shattered.

“Well, let’s see…” muttered the Sage. “Attacking directly with my Sasuke would barely leave a scratch… but 200 Life Points could make a major difference later on.

“Sasuke, attack with scimitar swipe.”

The little Samurai leapt up and slashed across Jason’s chest with his sword. Jason frowned. It didn’t seem like anything more than a tickle.



[B](J: 7,800) (S: 7,200)


“Your move…” said the Sage.

Jason drew a card.

There we go… he thought.

“I summon Slate Warrior in Attack Mode,” he said.

He placed the card down, and the alien-looking Fiend in gold armor appeared. (1,900/400)



http://www.ideal808.com/images/sd8-en005.jpg


“Slate Warrior, send that Tiger to sleep it off,” he ordered. “Fist of slate!”

Slate Warrior flew forward, and socked Drunken Tiger in the gut. The Beast-Warrior roared, and shattered into triangles.

“Eh, I don’t get it…” muttered Russell. “He could have done more damage by attacking that Samurai…”

“I can’t believe you beat me,” said Chazz with a smirk. “What would have happened if his opponent had drawn Rush Recklessly or one of a dozen other cards that could have increased Drunken Tiger’s Attack Points? Jason would have been up a creek.”

“He has a point,” said Trisha. “Jason has gotten better.”



[B](J: 7,800) (S: 7,100)


The Sage drew a card.

“Hmmm…” he said.

He played a Spell Card.

“I play… Monster Gate,” he said.

“Monster Gate?” asked Jason.

“It’s a tricky card, but useful if you use it right,” said the Sage. “First I have to sacrifice a Monster on the field, so I’ll use Sasuke Samurai #2. Farwell…”

Sasuke Samurai #2 vanished in a sparkle of light.

“Then, I pick up the cards on my deck until I reach a Monster that can be Normal Summoned, and then I Special Summon it.

“So let’s see…”

He took a card off his deck.

“Trap Card…”

He took another one.

“Spell Card…”

He took another one.

“Ah, here we are. First I’ll discard these two…”

He discarded a Sakuretsu Armor and an odd Spell (it was called “Bacchus’s Compotation”).

“Now I summon… Drunken Angel.”

A new Monster materialized. It was a tall figure in a white leisure suit and fedora, with long, blonde hair. He had feathered wings on his back. He also carried a liquor bottle, but he didn’t seem quite as intoxicated as the Tiger was… (1,800/1,000)

“Oh, great…” muttered Tyranno. “He’s setting up… the combo.”

“Combo?” asked Russell. “The only difference I see between that guy and the Tiger is Type and looks.”

Tyranno shook his head.

“Drunken Tiger was a Normal Monster,” he replied. “This is an Effect Monster…”

“Continuing my turn,” said the Sage, taking two cards from his hand, “I play two of the same Spell Card… They’re called simply One More Sake…”

He played the two cards, and two liquor bottles appeared in mid-air next to Drunken Angel. He eyed them slowly…

“What do they do?” asked Jason.

“By themselves, nothing,” answered the Sage. “However, when destroyed, each one inflicts 500 points of direct damage to my opponent.”

“I’ll be sure not to use Heavy Storm,” said Jason.

“There’s still one more part of this combo…” continued the Sage.

He played a card.

“I play… Flipping the Table.”

An eerie fog materialized around the arena.

Then Jason noticed what had happened. The whole arena had been turned into a low dining room table.

“Okay, I’m stumped…” he said.

“Let me explain…” said the Sage. “I can activate the effect of this card every round during my first Main Phase. And when I do, it destroys every card on the field except itself.”

Jason stepped back at this…

“So…” said the Sage. “Let’s give it a whirl, shall we?”

He grabbed the edge of the table, and hurled it upward! Slate Warrior flew backward, and shattered into pixels, as did Jason’s two facedown cards…

The two sake bottles flew towards Jason and smashed against his face. He stumbled back…

The table wobbled back onto the floor, and then Jason noticed something…

Drunken Angel had survived. And now he was clearly drunk.

“I thought you said it destroyed every card,” accused Jason.

“That’s Drunken Angel’s effect,” answered the Sage. “He isn’t destroyed by the effect of this card.”

“Super…” muttered Jason.

“Drunken Angel…” ordered the Sage, “attack directly with beer breath blast.”

Drunken Angel stumbled forward and breathed a gout of alcohol-reeked breath at Jason, causing him to fall on his behind.



[B](J: 5,000) (S: 7,100)



Continued…

[Dark Sage]

Continued from last post:



“It’s just like my Wormhole and Stabilizer combo…” muttered Trisha. “But he can do it every round? And with no cost? It’s… it’s unfair!”

“No it isn’t…” said Alexis. “The combo may look… well, broken, but it does have a weakness.”

“A weakness?” asked Russell.

“Let me put it this way,” replied Alexis. “All four of us dueled him a lot when we first joined this sect. Aster found the weakness the quickest – it took him three duels. Chazz didn’t figure it out until the sixth…”

“Hey!” exclaimed Chazz.

He crossed his arms.

“All right fine, I was a little slow…”

“If Jason truly has the power inside him,” said Alexis, “it will come to him in only a few turns…”

Jason groaned.

“Remind me never to get into a barroom brawl…” he muttered. “I have a question…”

“Yes?” asked the Sage.

“Isn’t it a little hypocritical for the leader of a sect devoted to the holy powers to be a drinker?”

“Me?” asked the Sage. “I never touch the stuff.”

“Then why…”

“…play a deck like this?” answered the Sage. “I’ll gladly tell you…

“I wasn’t always the Sage of Duelists. In the early days of Duel Monsters, I was just an ordinary duelist, and I played a powerful Fiend Deck.

“And I drank. I drank so much, it became a habit.

“I’ll freely admit to you that I was an alcoholic, and I suppose I still am… Alcoholism cannot be truly cured. And like most alcoholics, I did bad things. I isolated friends, family… Becoming as despicable as the Fiends in my deck.

“Eventually, I met my predecessor. He said I didn’t deserve it, but he’d help me. He’d rid me of the demon rum, but I’d have to take a great deal of responsibilities. I accepted.

“From that point, I never touched alcohol again. The withdrawal was hideous, but I survived. When I started to recover, I gave my Fiend cards away, and started work on a toolbox Warrior Deck – not as effective, but not as evil.

“As I said, no-one could ever be cured of alcoholism. So I needed a way to ensure I wouldn’t relapse. I slowly collected rare cards with an alcohol theme, thinking that such a deck would be a constant reminder of what I once was, something I never desired to become again.

“And when my mentor retired and passed the role to me, it was complete. And it worked. Every time I use this deck, it reminds me of my tragic past, and makes me even more adamant about never touching wine, beer, or spirits ever again.

“So now that I have shared my secret…

“I believe it is your move…”

Jason paused for a moment.

He drew a card.

Vorse Raider.

This guy can beat that Angel… he thought. But he’ll just use that table’s effect again.

But then, what choice do I have?

He placed a card on his Disk.

“I summon Vorse Raider in Attack Mode.”

The Dark Beast-Warrior appeared on the table, hefting his axe. (1,900/1,200)



http://www.yugioh-cards.net/Merchant2/graphics/00000001/tin/CT2-EN003.jpg


“Attack the Drunken Angel!” he shouted. “Send him to the drunk tank!”

Vorse Raider slashed with his axe. Drunken Angel toppled over, and shattered.



[B](J: 5,000) (S: 7,000)


“Well, that’s my move…” he said.

The Sage drew a card, and looked over the three cards in his hand.

“I summon someone whom Yugi Mouto was fond of using early in his career,” he said. “Mystical Elf in Defense Mode.”

He placed a card on his Disk, and the peaceful, blue-skinned elf appeared, kneeling in a praying position. (800/2,000)



http://www.ideal808.com/images/db1-en120.jpg


“I’ll end my turn with that,” he said.

Jason raised an eyebrow. He drew.

“Why didn’t you use the Table’s effect?” he asked.

The Sage shrugged.

“I didn’t want to,” he said.

“Didn’t want to…” muttered Jason. “Yeah… Right…”

He switched cards on his Disk.

“I sacrifice Vorse Raider…”

Vorse Raider vanished.

“To summon Luster Dragon #2!”

The giant, emerald Dragon appeared. Smoke poured from its nostrils. (2,400/1,400)



http://www.ideal808.com/images/db2-en165.jpg


“Attack the Mystical Elf!” he shouted.

Luster Dragon shot a stream of flames forward. Mystical Elf was engulfed in fire, and she was incinerated.

“Didn’t want to…” said Jason. “I get it now… That table has a weakness. If you use its effect, you can’t summon a Monster after you do so.

“That isn’t a problem if Drunken Angel is on the field, but since you can only have three in your deck, and you have twenty-eight more cards to go through, your odds of drawing another aren’t too good.

“Your move…”

“Heh, heh…” chuckled the Sage. “Congratulations… Not many can pick up on that... NO one has picked up on it so soon.”

He drew a card.

“Well then, I’ll draw...”

“Eh…” he muttered, looking at his hand. “This might cost me, but…”

He grabbed hold of the Table and threw it upward. Luster Dragon was thrown backwards, and shattered into pieces.

“I’ll end my turn there,” he said.

Jason drew a card.

“I play Graceful Charity,” he said, playing the card.

The angel appeared, and he drew three cards from his deck.

He smirked, and discarded Ancient Lamp and Ryu-Kishin Powered.

“Let’s take away that edge,” he said, playing a card. “I play… Heavy Storm!”

The fierce wind tore across the field, and the Table was blown to pieces.

“Now that that’s gone…” he said, “I summon La Jinn the Mystical Genie or the Lamp in Attack Mode.”

La Jinn appeared, and he seemed to be in a good mood for the first time in a long time. (1,800/1,000)



http://www.ideal808.com/images/l3_07.jpg


“And now…” said Jason, “attack directly!”

The genie breathed a gout of flames at the Sage of Duelists…

To Jason, Trisha, and Russell’s surprise, the aged duelist didn’t even flinch. He just stood like a statue as the attack plowed into him.



[B](J: 5,000) (S: 5,200)


“Sheesh, he’s tough…” remarked Trisha.

“It would take much more than that to crack him,” said Aster. “He’s been taking direct attacks for a century… He’s grown tougher from it than any normal duelist could.”

Russell looked at Chazz.

He remembered that he hadn’t reacted much from the direct attacks in their duel either. That must have been why. These duelists were immortal, and had been dueling for a long time. After so many duels, they obviously no longer felt the pain from direct attacks that was likely the hardest part for any duelist…

“Uh… your move…” said Jason.

The Sage drew a card.

He rubbed his chin.

“I place a card facedown,” he stated, “and also a Monster in Defense Mode.”

He played the cards and two facedown cards appeared, one horizontal and one vertical.

“That will do…” he said.

Jason drew again.

“I play… Monster Reincarnation,” he said, playing a card. “Now I’ll discard this…”

He discarded Cyber Laser Dragon.

“…and recover my Luster Dragon #2.

“Now I’ll sacrifice La Jinn to summon him again!”

La Jinn crossed his arms and nodded. He vanished in a gust of wind…

…and the huge Dragon rose again. (2,400/1,400)

“I activate my Trap Card…” said the Sage.

The facedown card lifted, showing the image of Freed the Matchless General at a table with a map spread on it.

“It’s called A Feint Plan,” he said. “And on the round this is activated, you aren’t allowed to attack Monsters in facedown Defense Mode. And that means you can’t attack at all.”

Jason paused. Then he looked at the last card in his hand.

I’ll save this for when I need it… he thought.

“In that case,” he said, “I end my turn.”

Trisha sighed. This whole duel was bringing back a bad memory… about something that happened when she was a child.

Her dad wasn’t much of a drinker, but he did drink beer on occasion. One summer when she was ten, she mistook his canned beer for soda, and drank one of them. It made her so sick she threw up.

Patrick had laughed at her like it was the funniest thing in the world. She forgave him then, and her dad made sure such a mix-up never happened again; he stopped buying beer in cans, and bought it in bottles. But the unpleasant memory lived on. She wasn’t planning on drinking even when she reached the legal age.

The Sage drew a card.

He looked at it.

“I summon someone new…” he stated. “Meet Bacchus the Hard Drinker God.”

He played the card. A burly, muscular man appeared, with long brown hair and a great beard. He was dressed in a toga, a laurel crown, and sandals. He carried a leather wine flask. (1,600/1,600)

“Impressive…” said Jason. “But he’s far from strong enough.”

“I also flip my facedown Monster into Attack Mode,” added the Sage, as his facedown card flipped. “Champagne the Foaming Beauty.”

A tall, female figure appeared where the card had been. She was dressed in a flimsy breechcloth and a bikini top, and wore several bracelets, anklets, and a necklace. Her hair looked like the foam from a champagne bottle. (1,200/1,200)

Bacchus and Champagne looked at each other and nodded.

Then a burst of bubbles surrounded Luster Dragon, and he groaned.

“What?” asked Jason.

“Champagne’s flip-effect,” said the Sage. “She lowers the Attack of one Monster by 1,000.”

Luster Dragon fell to an Attack of 1,400.

“Bacchus, attack the Luster Dragon. Curse of the vine.”

Bacchus lifted his arm, and a swarm of grape vines shot out of the floor, constricting the Dragon. They squeezed, and he shattered into pieces.

“Champagne, attack directly. Bubbly blast.”

Champagne blew Jason a kiss, and a blast of bubbles shot from her lips, striking him in the face.

“Ugh…” muttered Jason.

“I’ll place a card facedown, and end my turn…” said the Sage.

A facedown card appeared behind Champagne.



[B](J: 3,600) (S: 5,200)


“All right…” said Jason, drawing. “Here goes…”

He looked at the card.

“I play Premature Burial,” he said, “and I’ll bring back Luster Dragon again…”

He played the card, and Luster Dragon appeared once more. (2,400/1,200)

“I activate… Staunch Defender,” exclaimed the Sage.

His facedown card lifted, showing the image of Marauding Captain standing up to Despair From The Dark.

“Now all your attacks must be directed to the Monster I choose,” said the Sage, “and I choose Champagne.”

Jason paused.

“Well…” he said, “if that’s what you really want…

“Luster Dragon, attack Champagne the Foaming Beauty!”

Luster Dragon breathed forth his fire. Champagne screamed before she was incinerated.



[B](J: 2,800) (S: 4,000)


Trisha looked at the Staunch Defender card.

“You know…” she said. “It seems to me that Marauding Captain picks a lot of fights with folks that are stronger than him. There’s the art on this card, Battle-Scarred, Assault on GHQ…”

“Yeah…” replied Russell. “He’s a powerful Monster, but he isn’t very bright.”

“I don’t see why you did that,” said Jason. “If you had directed my attack towards Bacchus, you would have taken less damage.”

“It’s called a strategy, Jason,” said the Sage. “And you might see what I mean, depending on my next draw…”

He drew a card.

Bacchus flexed his muscles, and his Attack rose to 1,900.

“Ah, yes…” said the Sage, noticing this. “He gains 300 Attack Points every round. Not that it really matters…

“I play Pot of Greed…”

He played the card, and drew twice.

“No, it really doesn’t matter at all, because I just drew the cards I need to summon the rarest Monster in my deck, not to mention the deadliest…

“You wanted to know why I chose to have you attack Champagne? Well, to put it simply, I couldn’t risk losing Bacchus at that point. Champagne was a Light Attribute Monster. Bacchus is a Water Attribute Monster. And in order to use the combo I’m about to use, I needed a Water Attribute Monster on the field.

“First, I play the Spell Card, Chalice of the Gods. This card can only be played when such a Monster is on the field.”

He played the card, and Bacchus produced a bunch of grapes. He crushed them, and wine spilled on the ground, transforming into a golden cup of wine. (1,000/1,000)

“Uh oh…” said Chazz. “From the look of this, Jason’s going to end up punch-drunk.”

“It’s called a Wine Token,” said the Sage. “And now… I sacrifice it and Bacchus… Begone.”

The Wine Token and Bacchus the Hard Drinker God vanished…

“…and I summon… Big Vintage Magnum!”

With a roar, a huge creature appeared on the field. It looked like an enormous, savage, St. Bernard with claws and fangs. Mounted on its back were two cannons that resembled wine bottles. It took a step forward, and the ground trembled. (2,500/2,500)

“Good lord…” muttered Jason.

“I don’t take this guy out often,” said the Sage. “It represents the darkest side of alcohol… the madness and violence that too much of the demon rum brings to those who overindulge. But I can control this Beast, and that is the all the proof I need that it can no longer control me.

“Big Vintage Magnum, attack the Luster Dragon with cognac cannons!”

The huge Beast shot twin blasts of red liquid from its cannons, and Luster Dragon was blown away.



[B](J: 2,700) (S: 4,000)


“Your move…” said the Sage.

Jason drew a card. He looked at his other one.

I’d say I definitely need this now… he thought.

“I play Card of Demise,” he said, playing the card.

He drew five cards. He slowly looked them over.

“Eh…” he said. “I summon The Dragon Dwelling in the Cave in Defense Mode.”

He played the card, and the sleepy Dragon appeared. (1,300/2,000)



http://www.ideal808.com/images/lod-037.jpg


“Your move…” he said.

“I draw…” said the Sage, drawing a card. “And due to his effect, Big Vintage Magnum gains 1,000 Attack Points.”

Big Vintage glowed, and grew to an Attack of 3,500.

The Sage looked at the card he had drawn.

“You already met Sasuke Samurai #2,” he said. “Well, now I summon a friend of his… Sasuke Samurai #4.”

He played the card, and another diminutive Warrior appeared. He looked somewhat like the last Sasuke, but he was dressed more like a true Samurai, with full armor, a kabuto, and he carried a naginata as a weapon. He had a fussy little mustache which he twitched as he leveled his weapon in Jason’s direction. (1,200/1,200)



http://www.ideal808.com/images/rds-en0161.jpg


“Let me explain how this guy works,” said the Sage, holding up a coin. “When he attacks an opposing Monster, I toss one coin and call it. If I call it right, the opposing Monster is destroyed automatically, with no damage done to me.

“And now that you know… Sasuke Samurai #4, attack The Dragon Dwelling in the Cave with Daimyo’s Blade.”

The Samurai charged…

Trisha gulped.

“If that effect works…” she gasped, “Jason loses!”

“Heads!” exclaimed the Sage, flipping the coin.

He let it fall to the ground…

Trisha breathed a sigh of relief. It was tails.

The Dragon swatted the Samurai aside, and he toppled backwards.

“Ah, well…” said the Sage. “Big Vintage, you attack.”

Big Vintage blasted its cannons, and the Dragon was blown away.



[B](J: 2,700) (S: 3,200)


Jason sighed.

“My move…” he said.

He drew a card.

“And I play my own Pot of Greed,” he said, playing it.

He drew two cards.

He looked at them. Rush Recklessly, and Draining Shield.

“I place one card facedown,” he said, placing a card into his Disk. “Then I summon Luster Dragon #1.”

The younger version of Luster Dragon appeared. (1,900/1,600)



http://www.ideal808.com/images/yugioh-dr1-en113.jpg


“Attack Sasuke Samurai #4!” he shouted. “Sapphire flame!”

Flames appeared in the Dragon’s mouth.

“Sorry, Jason,” said the Sage, palming the coin, “but his effect works both ways…”

He tossed the coin.

“Heads!”

He let the card fall to the ground again…

He was shocked when he saw it was tails again.

The Samurai cringed as the flames struck him. He shattered to pieces.



[B](J: 2,700) (S: 2,500)


“You are doing good,” said the Sage. “Surely the blessings from above are with you. But now it’s my move…”

He drew a card.

Big Vintage Magnum glowed again, and rose to an attack of 4,500.

“And you wouldn’t have put that Dragon on the field in Attack Mode unless you had a powerful Trap to protect it. A good thing I just drew this…”

He played the card.

“Mystical Space Typhoon.”

The Cyclone shot forward, and Jason’s Draining Shield lifted up and shattered.

“Big Vintage, destroy his Dragon.”

Big Vintage blasted his cannons, and Luster Dragon exploded into triangles. Jason cringed…



[B](J: 100) (S: 2,500)


“And with that, I end my turn,” said the Sage. “So what will you do now?”

Jason looked at the cards in his hand.

Polymerization, Tyrant Dragon, Rush Recklessly, and Monster Reborn.

Monster Reborn was the most powerful card in his hand, but there simply wasn’t a Monster in either Graveyard that could have defeated that beast except for Sasuke Samurai #4, and that was too risky. The only card he had in his deck that could defeat it now was Cyber Laser Dragon, or Cyber End Dragon if he used Rush Recklessly, and there was no way he could summon either on this turn, no matter what he drew.

He drew a card…

Double Spell.

He looked hard at it.

“Thinking of giving up?” asked the Sage. “Come now, Jason. Sir Issac was the Dark Messiah before you, and he didn’t give up when he faced a demon that was twice as nasty as Big Vintage Magnum. To him, this Monster would have been an insignificant bug that wouldn’t have been worth his time.

“The Dark Messiah will always find a solution, no matter how overwhelming it seems.”

“I’m not giving up…” said Jason. “I’m just thinking…”

He looked hard at the Double Spell card.

There has to be some way I can use this to beat Big Vintage Magnum… he thought. But how? Let’s see, what Spells are in his Graveyard?

He thought. He clearly remembered all the cards used in the duel, better than he ever could before.

His eyes turned to his Monster Reborn.

Yes! I’ve got it!

“I play… Monster Reborn!” he shouted, playing the card.

The glowing ankh appeared.

“And I’ll recruit a Monster from your Graveyard!”

In a flash of light, Drunken Angel appeared in front of Jason. (1,800/1,000)

Everyone looked confused, including the Sage.

“What?” asked the Sage. “Of all the Monsters you could have brought back, why him?”

“Because of his effect,” answered Jason. “Next I play… Double Spell.”

He played the card.

“Now, for the cost of one other Spell Card…”

He discarded his Polymerization.

“I can duplicate one Spell Card in your Graveyard. And choose to duplicate… Flipping the Table!”

In a swirl of mist, the low table reappeared under the two Monsters.

“I remembered that your Angel was immune to this thing’s effect,” said Jason. “But I don’t think your Big Vintage is.

“So let’s flip the table one more time!”

He grabbed hold of the edge of the table, and threw it upward. Big Vintage Magnum roared, and was thrown back before shattering into pixels.

The table wobbled and came to a rest. Drunken Angel stumbled… clearly he was past his limit.

“Don’t pass out just yet,” said Jason. “I play Rush Recklessly.”

Drunken Angel rose to an Attack of 2,500.

“And now… attack directly with beer breath blast!”

Drunken Angel shot his lethal breath at the Sage, and he shielded himself from the blow.

“Heh…” he said with a smile. “Well done, Jason…”



[B](J: 100) (S: 0)


The holograms vanished.

“That was the first time anyone has ever used such a combo against me…” said the Sage. “You truly are the Dark Messiah…”

He paused.

“Jason…” he said, his voice turning grim. “On midnight when the tenth turns into the eleventh, no matter what you do, no matter where you go, the Reckoning will occur. No matter what precautions are taken, the battle will occur. There is nothing you can do to stop it. Eons ago, forgotten gods of incredible power demanded that these contests between Good and Evil occur every millennia, and their rule cannot be appealed. And it is not just on this world… It happens in every reality.

“It is my job to give you… advice…

“Only a fool would wait to be attacked. You must take the initiative… You must make a preemptive strike, as many champions of Good before you did.”

“So we have to invade his tower?” asked Jason.

“Yes,” said the Sage, “but you’d be foolish to do it alone.

“The Swordsmen may be gone, but Fortunado will prepare. He will call his allies from wherever they are hidden. You’ll be met with a practical army. And in that den of evil, any duel can become a Shadow Game, even without the Orichalcos.

“But Jason… In many Reckonings, the Dark Messiah had an army of his own. Since this war started, you have met others who have endured the Shadows.

“They can help you. Form an Army of Light to oppose the Army of Darkness.

“And now that you are the Messiah, you can access the Cards of Virtue. The Spells and Traps are all holy spells and incantations that have been used throughout the ages in struggles between Good and Evil, transformed into Duel Monsters cards.

“Monsters are a different story. There exist multitudes of celestial beings who might take an interest. They might send their avatars to aid you in the form of cards.

“You see… There is a difference between Good and Evil. Good is numerous and many in every conflict. They have many allegiances and allies. But Evil always stands alone. Minions do not count.”

He walked up to Trisha and Russell.

“And you are his most important allies,” he continued. “You are still Chosen Ones, and your roles in this are still vital.

“And by the way…”

He took two cards from his robe, and handed one to each of them.

“Take these,” he said. “I sense that you will need them. Consider them parting gifts.”

Trisha took the one he handed her and looked at it. She had heard of this Trap Card… It was quite situational, but could be incredibly effective if used right.

Russell looked at his. It was a Spell that also situational, but it could be useful in the right situation.

“All I can do now,” said the Sage, “is wish you good luck…”



[B]* * * * * * * * * *


The great doors of the Monastery opened, and the three teens walked out. They turned to the Sage and his four bodyguards.

“Simply go back the way you came,” said the Sage. “Nothing will oppose you, I assure.”

“Thank you,” said Jason. “I hope to see you again.”

“We might,” said the Sage. “And we will look over you.”

Jason turned and looked at the passageway ahead of him. It wasn’t dark to him any more. His sight didn’t perceive brightness or darkness. He could actually see better now than he did before.

“So what now?” asked Russell.

“What now?” replied Jason. “Now, we have work to do…”


Saturday, October 31st, 2106, 7:14 PM



DRUNKEN TIGER (Monster Card)

Card Specs

Type: Beast-Warrior
Attribute: Earth
Level: 4
ATK: 1,800
DEF: 1,000

Flavor Text: This Beast-Warrior studied drunken boxing under a mysterious sensei. He is quite friendly when his senses are not impaired.



DRUNKEN ANGEL (Monster Card)

Card Specs

Type: Fairy/Effect
Attribute: Earth
Level: 4
ATK: 1,800
DEF: 1,000

Card Description: This card is not destroyed by the effect of “Flipping the Table”.



ONE MORE SAKE (Spell Card)

Card Specs

Type: Spell/Continuous
Attribute: –
Level: –
ATK: –
DEF: –

Image: A sake bottle smashing against a table.

Card Description: When this face-up card is destroyed and sent to the Graveyard, inflict 500 points of direct damage to your opponent.



FLIPPING THE TABLE (Spell Card)

Card Specs

Type: Spell/Continuous
Attribute: –
Level: –
ATK: –
DEF: –

Image: An angry man upsetting a table.

Card Description: You can activate the effect of this card once per turn, during your first Main Phase. Destroy all cards on the field except this card. You cannot Normal Summon, set, or Special Summon a Monster after using this effect.

Note: These are the original names of the cards used by Chumley’s dad in the anime episode “Family Business”. (I really did not feel like making the idiotic changes that the English dub did.) Creative credit goes to the writers of that episode.



BACCHUS THE HARD DRINKER GOD (Monster Card)

Card Specs

Type: Fairy/Effect
Attribute: Water
Level: 4
ATK: 1,600
DEF: 1,600

Card Description: During each of your Standby Phases that this card remains face-up on the field, increase the ATK of this card by 300.



CHAMPAGNE, THE FOAMING BEAUTY (Monster Card)

Card Specs

Type: Fairy/Effect
Attribute: Light
Level: 4
ATK: 1,200
DEF: 1,200

Card Description: Flip: Decrease the ATK of one face-up Monster on the field by 1,000.



BIG VINTAGE MAGNUM (Monster Card)

Card Specs

Type: Beast/Effect
Attribute: Water
Level: 8
ATK: 2,500
DEF: 2,500

Card Description: During each of your Standby Phases that this card remains face-up on the field, increase the ATK of this card by 1,000.



CHALICE OF THE GODS (Spell Card)

Card Specs

Type: Spell/Quickplay
Attribute: –
Level: –
ATK: –
DEF: –

Image: A golden chalice on a table with a red cloth.

Card Description: You can only activate this card when a Water-Attribute Monster is face-up on your side of the field. Special Summon one “Wine Token” to your side of the field (Aqua/Water/3 Stars/1,000 ATK/1,000 DEF).

Note: The proceeding four cards were used by Sommelier Parker in a second season episode of “Yu-Gi-Oh GX”. All creative credit goes to the writers of that episode.



[B][I]Coming up next:

An Army of Light to defeat an Army of Darkness… Plans start to be made, and the new Dark Messiah starts to look for recruits.

And Chazz, Alexis, Tyranno, and Aster are not done with their part in this. See how they figure in as the final assault is planned.

“Order to Charge” is coming next.

[Mystic_clown]

My god! The Duel Sage is Chumley's father! lol

The Dark Messiah looses their sight? Ok, I think the rest of us thought that the price was going to be a little more than that. Well, at least Jason can wear a blind fold ala Riku from KHII.

Ok, I think we all know of my opinion of people lecturing about good will always triumph over evil and all that stuff. I know it's part of the story and such so I wont say anything bad about it.

[Dark Sage]

No, MC, it isn't Chumley's dad, they just use similar decks.

See, I wanted to give the Sage a purpose, other than him "just being there", so he had to have a history, something that made him tick. As a wise man once said, everybody has a story. So I thought up that perhaps he was a recovered alcoholic, and his personal strategy was something he used to remind him of it, and make sure he never relapsed.

[Master of Paradox]

Hmmm... where have I heard that something like that before? "Not to see by my own eyes, but..." Crap, I've heard of something like Jason's sacrifice before, but I can't remember where.

I think the first time any of us questioned the translators for GX was when they took the knives to the Drunken Boxing Deck. Nice to see it under its true names for once. Nicely used, as well.

Not sure what he was doing with the Sasukes, though.

Jason was... well, Jason. Take that as you will.

I can't say the story of Sartorious's ultimate fate rings true, however. After all, wouldn't a force of darkness choose to inhabit someone who hadn't just failed utterly under its counterpart? It's like asking them to fail again.

Hmmmm... Somehow, I can't seem to assemble the proper words. Very good work, Brian.

First reaction to the next-chapter blurb: So... that's how you'll get more mileage out of the user characters...

[Shuppet Master]

I'm surprised you're doing this, Brian. Looks like my user character and her twin brother are not going to be shuffled under the carpet. :D That gives me an idea...

Anyways, great great chapter. I have a feeling the Sage didn't mention everything about Jason's new-born blindness, but we'll see. I envisioned Jason becoming this semi-divine being and talking deeply, but that's just me. ;)

I liked the story you gave about what happened to Sartorius and how Hassleberry(I prefer to think of "Tyranno" being a title instead of his first name) beat Mizuchi, and we haven't even seen her appear in the dub yet! You were really stepping on toes.

Holy crap, Jaden was really out of character after he beat Sartorius again! Man, the world's coming to an end if Jaden had become PO'd! *laughs*

Anyways, looks like the final reckoning is coming. Hide under the beds and pray to God, maybe he'll save your soul! *laughs again* Keep it up, Brian.

[Master of Paradox]

That gives me an idea...

AGAIN?!?

Just kidding, SM...

[Silencer]

Looking back at howmany people Fortunado recruited, it seems that the entire cast will need to join the army of light.

I was worried that the trio had to fight all off the enemies and that would get kind off repetitive for some reason. I'm just wondering if you will have every duel as a chapter or if it'll be like "I'll handle him/her, you guys go ahead" That will probably depend on the time when they decide to rush the enemy base. The chapter name won't happen to be Assault on GHQ now would it?

[Blademaster]

Ummmmmm... Shup, MC, and Paradox said pretty much everything I was going to, so...

...Well, crap, what else can I say? :confused:

Though the prospect of Karen and all the other user characters making a comeback does appeal to me, I hope this isn't going to be like in Pokemonese where every bad guy gets pummeled and in the end Faustus/'the boss lady' winds up facing a whole army of good guys. :ninja:

Anyway, I'll be waiting for the next chapter; right now, I gotta jet.

Later, all! :wave:

-Blade

[Mystic_clown]

Hmmm... where have I heard that something like that before? "Not to see by my own eyes, but..." Crap, I've heard of something like Jason's sacrifice before, but I can't remember where.

Didn't something like that happen to Neo in the matrix?

[Phoenixsong]

Yippee! I can actually comment on one chapter at a time now! Hooray!

Wow! This was definitely one of your better chapters, DS. The Sage was definitely very interesting... I know his personality isn't quite this way, but I was expecting him to be sort of... you know, all "holier than thou" and all that. Him being a recovering alcoholic is sooooo much more interesting than all the sages/abbots/priests/suchly type people that have always been all pious and perfect.

Heh, not being able to focus when watching things with subtitles, I really don't pay much attention to the original Japanese stuff. (I know, I know, smack my hand with a spoon and call me a bad fan, but as ADD as I am that's just one multitasking job that is totally impossible for me. I'm ready for them to release a translated but uncut version and just slap a warning on it saying it's not for the little midgets who buy all the action figures.) But even with no prior knowledge or warning I could tell something was waaay off when I saw the episode with Chumley's dad. I mean, I don't like spicy stuff and therefore don't use hot sauce, but even if some kinds are spiked can you REALLY get that tipsy off of them? Dizzy Tiger my foot, I knew the dang things were drunk all along. And I'm glad you used the original versions. Hmm... makes you wonder what they'll do to cards like Bacchus and Big Vantage Magnum in the dub. "I summon... the dreaded Giant Scary Uber-Huge Ultra Spicy Hot Sauce-Launching Cannon Puppy with No Alcohol!" I know they can't do the sake stuff for the US audience, but if they take one of those St. Bernard rescue things and give it hot sauce I will cry.

I knew you couldn't possibly be done with the user characters and other characters. They weren't developed as much as the main characters, but at the same time they were too well developed for you to just drop them; otherwise all of the time you spent on them would have been a waste. I agree with Blade; I don't want it to turn into "all the heroes make mincemeat out of the minions and confront the bad guy"... I get enough of that with my Redwall books. But I'm sure you'll do something cool with it. I doubt it'll be just "Let me handle this guy" and then forget about them while the Chosen move along; again, you've built up too much interest about the army Fortunado is building for us not to see at least some of their duels.

...Oh, and I forgot to mention, I like the names you've been giving some of the characters... like Faustus Fortunado, for example. I can appreciate that one, as I'm actually studying Goethe's Faust right now.

Well, anyway, I am eagerly awaiting the next chapter. "Order to Charge", heh... this shall most certainly be of the entertaining persuasion.

[Shuppet Master]

I'm ready for them to release a translated but uncut version and just slap a warning on it saying it's not for the little midgets who buy all the action figures

The day they do that is the day when Pokemon become real and I get to train a real-life Gardevoir. *laughs*

But anyways, I think the "hot sauce" thing was ridiculous. If they wanted to avoid the sake thing, they could have used another beverage like beer, heck every kid probably sees a Budweiser commercial when their dad is watching the big game. :D

[Phoenixsong]

As sad and true as that is, Shup, Cartoon Network doesn't want to promote any sort of alcohol use outside of Adult Swim. That said, why can't they just directly translate, stop editing the dang show and put it there?! Or even just edit it only slightly and put it in Toonami? I mean, considering that over the summer they aired "Who Framed Roger Rabbit", which is pretty darn raunchy, at like 12 noon when all of the little kids are in front of the tv eating Lunchables... Grrr... another reason I hate kids. They ruin good tv. Ah, well. No more vaguely-off-topic-ness for now.

[Dark Sage]

I'm guessing that when the episode appears where Alexis duels Sommelier Parker, the wine will be changed to soda or juice, much as they did with Pegasus in season one of the original series (yeah, in the original Japanese, it was wine, as you likely figured). Exactly how the monster's names will be changed, I don't know.

[Blademaster]

(imagines 'Champagne the Foaming Beauty' becoming 'Pepsi the Bubbly Beauty')

God help us... :(

[Dark Sage]

I know it's a bit early for a new chapter, but since this chapter is a filler - albeit a long one - I thought I'd put it up early.

Enjoy.

[B][I]And so it begins…

Like the effect of Final Countdown slowly moves towards a duelist’s defeat, like the cards of Destiny Board slowly move towards victory, like the hands of Clock Tower Prison move closer towards freeing its powerful inmate, time slowly ticks towards a battle that has repeated every millennia since man became civilized.

The choice of weapon is Duel Monsters.

I minded the Monastery for a long time, preparing for this day. I predicted that I would bestow the power of the Dark Messiah on one who would come.

But that is as far as my predictions went. I could prepare him for the war, but even I did not know if it would be enough to stem the evil tide that threatens to plunge the world into a thousand years of darkness.

The help I can give now is little…

But I can give some.




[size=3][B]CHAPTER FORTY-SEVEN



http://www.ideal808.com/images/ast-0851.jpg



Saturday, October 31st, 2106, 7:50 PM


Deep within the Monastery was a locked door with the words, “Inner Sanctum; Authorized Members Only” on it.

The sign was really unnecessary. Only five people had the power to open this door, let alone come inside.

Immediately inside was a large chamber full of large, comfortable pillows piled up, forming surfaces more comfortable than any couches or chairs. Scented candles placed in alcoves burned in niches, and a soft glow from an overhead lamp illuminated the room.

Slumped on the soft pillows were the four bodyguards, their energy quite spent.

The Sage had warned them that the ritual would be exhausting. They had been training for it for years, but even so, they now felt like they had fought two Shadow Games in a row and lost both times.

Still, they didn’t feel like going to their private quarters to sleep yet…

On a whim, Chazz took his deck out and looked through it. The others noticed him and did the same.

They were all thinking of the same person – Jaden.

They had lost track of him sometime about twenty years after becoming immortal. Friendships last, but they can drift apart when you have something that your friends don’t. They knew that he had become a successful duelist in the Pro League, and had later married, had a couple of kids… They assumed by now that he had died of old age, as all men did…

…or maybe, according to one rumor, the spirits of his Monsters took him to Neo Space, where he achieved immortality on his own and was now their king… It sounded crazy, but they had been through a lot of crazy things.

They had all been shocked when he had refused the Sage’s gift. They all had asked him why. Why give up a chance for eternal life, youth, and health?

His response?

“I don’t want to live forever. Living a life as a normal duelist would be a pleasure after all that has happened.”

They didn’t agree with him, but it was his choice, and they had no right to force him.

Why did they accept? All of them had different reasons…

Tyranno Hasselberry… His was the most trivial. He was a guy who never got tired of thrills. He wanted to experience everything. And he couldn’t see everything in one lifetime. Being immortal appealed to him. It would give him the chance to challenge every duelist who lived, and every one who would live. He’d experience every strategy and card that was ever made.

Alexis Rhodes… Her reason was deeper. No matter how good she got, very few folks took her too seriously. They respected her skills as a duelist, but little else. With no limit to her lifetime, she could truly become a legend, perhaps even a hero like the Trinity. And not just in dueling. During the first few decades, her time was spent doing what she could for the less fortunate. Her most powerful Monsters were Fairies of Light… She could be one too.

Chazz Princeton… He’d freely admit these days that his intentions at the time were a little selfish. He wanted to be the best there was, and become the next King of Games, a title that Jaden was primed for taking. If he had the Sage’s gift, he’d have all the time in the world to hone his skills and climb to the top.

Aster Phoenix had the most complex reason. He had started dueling for one reason – to avenge the death of his father. And he had succeeded, destroying the man who had actually pulled the trigger (although Jaden was the one who pulled his butt out the fire when he went after the guy’s accomplice, who happened to be Sartorious). The only problem was, after he had fulfilled his lifelong goal, what purpose would he have then? He figured that immortality would give him enough time to find one… Find a reason to exist.

And as the decades passed, it did them some good. Their arrogance and selfishness faded away, and true light shone on them. Not the evil Light of Ruin that Sartorious had preached about, but warm, life-giving light…

The Light of Virtue that came from far beyond.

Even though they had gone their separate ways, they eventually found each other, and they found the Monastery. They didn’t know how… They were never given directions to it. They asked the Sage if he had any openings for four duelists who had seen the wonders of the world and wanted to see more.

He welcomed them…

“Man, I haven’t felt like this since the first time I dueled Zane…” muttered Chazz.

“When was that?” asked Hasselberry.

“My first year at Duel Academy,” answered Chazz. “Not something I wanted to repeat…”

“Let me guess…” said Aster. “Power Bonded Cyber End Dragon?”

Alexis smirked.

“Zane actually wanted to take Chazz down a notch further,” she said. “He also used Limiter Removal.”

There was a pause.

“Ouch…” said Hasselberry.

As they looked though their cards, the Sage entered.

“I’m afraid our part in this is not done, my pupils,” he said.

“I have news for you,” muttered Chazz, “we are DONE for today.”

“Begging the general’s pardon,” said Hasselberry, “but after a routine like that, it’s usually time for them to play Taps and for everyone to turn in.”

“Perhaps,” said the Sage, “but starting Monday, you’ll have to aid them with what little help you can.

“Listen closely.

“I know your binders have a great amount of rare and powerful cards…”

“Of course,” said Alexis. “We’ve won and collected more stuff over the years than a card store has.”

“Then you all need to go to the Academy and do some serious trading,” said the Sage. “The Messiah is already thinking of allies to recruit, and their decks could use improvements.

“And once his allies are prepared… You are to guard them.”

“Guard them?” asked Aster. “From what?”

“Fortunado plans to send assassins,” said the Sage. “Trained killers who will be armed with the Orichalcos. They must not reach the Messiah or his two partners. If you cannot turn them away with a peaceful negotiation, Aster, you four must defeat them.

“I warn you, they will not hesitate to use the Seal.”

“Aw, I ain’t afraid of no Seal!” laughed Hasselberry. “I’ve faced the screwiest curses and hexes this side of Stonehenge and beaten them all. I even beat Exodia…”

“Genius, you only beat Exodia because I told you that the guy had Exodia…” muttered Chazz. “You’d have been toast if I didn’t.”

“That was your job, Chazz,” said the Sage. “You are the Espionage of the bodyguard.

“And a word of advice. The Seal cannot be destroyed, and that includes being displaced by other Field Spells. So those of you who have them, you’d best make some switches. They’ll be worthless.”

Alexis and Hasselberry paused a little, but Aster gave a look of shock…

“Now, you’d best sleep. Monday, you’ll make the sojourn onto the surface…”



[B]* * * * * * * * * *


Jason was in bed, but he wasn’t ready for sleep yet.

Trisha was in his arms, and she hugged him tightly.

“Mmm…” she said, kissing him. “Jason… You know… There’s a possibility that we’ll lose. What will happen to us?”

Jason lowered her down and held her tightly against himself.

“Then until the time my soul is snuffed out,” he said, “I’ll profess my love for you. Whatever happens, it will still have been great…”

They kissed deeply.



[B]* * * * * * * * * *


The next morning, Jason got up.

After getting dressed, he picked up a long bandana, and wrapped it around his head, covering his eyes.

“What’s that for?” asked Trisha, who was watching him.

“I saw this in an old video game,” replied Jason, with a sigh. “On one hand, it will keep folks from freaking when they look me in the eye.

“Plus… It looks kind of cool.

“Now, let’s get started.”



[B]* * * * * * * * * *


It was still early…

The clash between brother and sister continued, as Randy and Nadia were dueling each other on the Green.



[B](Randy: 2,000) (Nadia: 7,100)


Randy had Wildheart in Defense Mode – he didn’t have a choice, due to Nadia’s Level Limit Area B – and a card facedown. Nadia had one Fire Princess, two Currans, and one Pikeru, as well as Solemn Wishes.

“You’re in trouble now, Randy,” said Nadia, drawing. “First I gain 500 Life Points from Solemn Wishes, then 1,600 more from Pikeru, then you lose 600 from my Currans, and 1,000 from Fire Princess!”

The two young Spellcasters and the Pyro zapped him, and he staggered backwards.



[B](R: 400) (N: 9,200)


“You going to humiliate yourself some more?” she asked.

Randy drew a card.

“I play Mystical Space Typhoon!” he shouted.

He played the card, and Level Limit Area B shattered.

“And now…” he said, “I’ll play Polymerization, to fuse Wildheart with Bladedge to form Elemental Hero Wildedge!”

The two Heroes swirled together, and the helmeted, gauntleted Hero appeared. (2,600/2,300)



http://www.ideal808.com/images/een-en035.jpg


“And what keeps him on the edge of being wild is his ability to attack all opposing Monsters at once. Wildedge, attack with scimitar slash!”

Wildedge roared, and leapt up. He shot three blades from his gauntlet, slashing through the Pikeru and the two Currans.

Then he drew a huge sword, and swiped at Fire Princess, destroying her.

“I’m… still… standing…” said Nadia in fear.

Randy’s facedown card lifted.

“I activate De-Fusion!” he shouted.

Wildedge glowed, and split into Wildheart and Bladedge. (1,500/1,600), (2,600/1,800)



http://www.ideal808.com/images/een-en008.jpghttp://www.ideal808.com/images/een-en007.jpg


Nadia screamed as Wildheart slammed his sword into her…

She screamed even more when Bladedge slashed at her with his knives.

She collapsed to her knees.



[B](Randy: 400) (Nadia: 0)


She looked up, and saw someone offering her a hand. At first, she thought it was her brother.

But it was Trisha.

“Trisha?” asked Randy. “Hi, what’s up?”

“Guys,” she said, “I know you probably want to forget that awful Shadow Game you had with Lumis and Umbra…

“But, uh…”

She paused.

“I wondered if you’d be interested in helping us save the world?”



[B]* * * * * * * * * *


One hour later, at breakfast…

“Heavy dudes?” asked Ansel. “As in guys with machine guns?”

“No,” said Jason. “Shadow Games.”

“Huh…” said Sean. “That is heavy…”

“I’m in no way forcing you,” said Jason. “But we need all the help we can get.”

“I can help,” said Sean. “I need there to be someway to remember Sean Kishore, and this might be the perfect way.”

“I’m in too,” said Ansel. “My family knew I was destined for great things, and this might be it.”

“Well then,” said Jason, “here’s the deal…”



[B]* * * * * * * * * *


At the same time, Russell was at the Slifer dining hall, at a table with Amanda and Nathan.

“It isn’t exactly what I signed up for,” muttered Amanda, “but I guess I’ll go…”

“I will too,” said Nathan. “The Shadows don’t scare me. I use vampires, after all.”

“You guys are pretty brave…” said Russell.



[B]* * * * * * * * * *


As Jason walked from the dining hall, he heard someone call his voice.

“Hey, Jason!” shouted Malvolio.

Jason turned.

“I heard you were recruiting for an assault on some stronghold,” he said.

“Uhm, yes…” said Jason. “I guess word spreads…”

“Well, count me in too,” said Malvolio. “I owe you for getting my deck back from that creep, and I always keep my promises.”

“It will be risky,” said Jason. “You lost to that creep…”

“Hey, I won that duel!” shouted Malvolio. “Despite his creepy Dark Magician. But somehow he was able to attack me with him one last time, and knock me out.

“I’m a Lark, Jason. Fighting bad duelists is something I can handle. Demetrius did his share in his time…”



[B]* * * * * * * * * *


“Are you certain?” asked Trisha. “You have no experience with Shadow Games, after all…”

“Trisha,” said Janus, “I’ve lived with Omaly shadowing over me all my life. It was like living under a curse. I can handle a little evil.”

Trisha looked at him.

“Besides,” said Janus, “I’m packing my most powerful deck ever. I won’t be beaten.”

“Okay…” she muttered. “You’re in…”



[B]* * * * * * * * * *


“So how many do we have?” asked Jason.

“So far, eleven…” said Trisha, as they compared notes. “Silver, Karen, and Ami just signed on…”

“And now you have twelve!” said an angry voice behind them.

They looked and saw Sersei there.

“Sersei, no…” pleaded Russell. “You lost your soul once before, I won’t let you risk it again.”

“Russell, I can do it,” she pleaded. “I beat Cleo. I’ve gotten better. I want to stand by your side when you fight this evil.

“I’m going whether you like it or not.”

There was a pause.

“Sersei…” said Jason, “welcome to the fold.”

Sersei smiled.

“Jason…” said Russell, protesting.

Jason pulled him aside.

“You want her to go off alone instead?” he whispered. “She’s going to do that if we don’t let her come. I can sense it. Her desire to help is too great. And if she goes alone…”

“I see what you mean…” said Russell, sadly.

“All right…” said Russell. “Look, I think I know how we can get one more…”



[B]* * * * * * * * * *


That night, at the Lazy Q Bar and Grill, Russell sat at a table with a youngster he had met two months ago.

“Bugsy…” he said, as he dipped a mozzarella stick, “remember when you said you owed me a favor?”

“I’ll do it if I’m able,” he replied.

“Well, I won’t mind if you refuse…” said Russell. “But it’s like this…

“If you accept, and we’re successful, you, me, and some other students are going to save the world from a force of pure evil.”

Bugsy paused.

“Well, that certainly sounds interesting,” he said. “So who are we fighting? Aliens?”

“Uh, well no…” said Russell. “At least I don’t think so…”

“Aww…” moaned Bugsy. “Aliens would have been cool. But it still sounds kind of fun…”

“It isn’t supposed to be fun,” said Russell. “Listen…”



[B]* * * * * * * * * *


“Jason?” said Russell, over his cell. “Bugsy is in.”

“Good,” replied Jason. “I reserved Meeting Room B for Friday evening, and I told everyone it’s a pot luck.”

“Okay, I’ll tell him that,” said Russell.



[B]* * * * * * * * * *


Early the next morning, the four bodyguards emerged from the street out of a secret entrance. A simple gesture, and their robes transformed into casual clothes.

They started to walk towards NYC Duel Academy.



[B]* * * * * * * * * *


Randy placed four cards on the library table: Avian, Burstinatrix, Sparkman, and Clayman.

“Good cards,” said a voice.

He looked up and saw Aster.

“Uh hi,” he said. “You like Elemental Heroes?”

“Sort of,” said Aster. “But they were in my old deck. Come to think of it, I have a rare Hero card that I really don’t need any more, and if you were interested in trading…”

“Well… What is it?” asked Randy.

Aster placed a binder on the table and opened to a page.

He pointed to a card.

“Whoa…” said Randy. “That looks… Interesting… Where did you get it?”

“Uhm… a friend gave it to me after he got a second copy,” replied Aster. “It’s no use to me, so if you have any cards that might be universal for Warriors, I might trade it.”

“Well…” said Randy, putting his binder on the table. “I have a few… How about…”

“I’ll trade you for that one,” said Aster.

He pointed to a Trap Card – Hidden Soldiers.

“Why that one?” asked Randy, taking it out. “Not exactly universal for Warriors.”

“My Warriors are all Dark,” said Aster, handing over the card. “You never know…”

“Dark Warriors?” asked Randy. “Like Dark Blade Unions?”

“Uh…” said Aster. “Well, something more… unique…”



[B]* * * * * * * * * *


At the other side of the library…

“I dunno…” said Nathan, looking at a card, “this seems awfully situational.”

“Hey, son,” said Hasselberry, “it saved my butt more times than I care to count. Trust me, you’ll find a use for it.”

“Well, all right…” said Nathan, as they swapped cards, “you talked me into it.”

Besides… thought Hasselberry, I can sense that you’ll need it… Call it a hunch…



[B]* * * * * * * * * *


“You have a powerful deck… Ansel was it?” commented Alexis, as she watched him place his cards on the table. “It only needs one thing…”

“You have something I can use?” asked Ansel.

Alexis placed a card on the table.

“I have several copies of this,” she said, “so I can spare one.”

“Wow…” muttered Ansel. “It would be perfect!”

He started to look through his binder.



[B]* * * * * * * * * *


“You know about Winged Beasts?” asked Sersei.

“Not really,” said Chazz, “but I know a bit about Wind Monsters. Well, Dragons, mostly. But I got this one gal a long time ago… I never thought I’d ever use her, and I guess I was right.”

He placed the card on the table.

“I’ve… heard of that one…” said Sersei.

“Tell you what,” said Chazz. “You have anything that would be good for Normal Monsters and I’ll make a trade.”

“Well…” said Sersei, looking through her binder. “I have Order to Smash…”

“That’s a good one…” he replied.



[B]* * * * * * * * * *


“What do you think Jason has in mind, sis?” asked Randy, looking at his new card.

“Well, what he said sounded scary,” said Nadia. “More Shadow Games? That last duel hurt…”

“Hey…” said Randy, getting up.

He held her shoulders.

”Just stay close to me, sis. I’ll keep you safe.”

Nadia smiled.

“Well, Jason said this was pot luck…” she muttered.

She thought for a minute.

“Randy, do you know the muffin man?”

“You mean the one who lives on Cherry Lane?” asked Randy.



[B]* * * * * * * * * *


That evening, Aster, Hasselberry, and Alexis were sitting on the benches of the Green. Technically, they weren’t supposed to be there, but they knew ways to hide themselves from the security systems.

Aster took two cards from his deck and looked at them…

Clock Tower Prison and Dark City.

He knew that the sensible thing would be to swap these Field Spells with ones in his side deck, but he had never swapped these two before. He’d feel naked without these two cards in his deck…

Maybe he could keep them in just as good luck…

Then he came to his senses. They’d be dead draws, and he couldn’t have that in an Orichalcos duel.

He took two other cards from his deck (Terraforming and Eternal Dread) and then started to look through his side deck.

Chazz walked out of the shadows.

“So what did the Espionage of the Sage’s Bodyguard find out this time?” asked Aster.

“Lots,” said Chazz, taking out a notebook. “Listen up, I had to duel four jerks to get this info, one of which used a Final Countdown Deck.”

“Nasty,” said Hasselberry.

“Ah, I took care of him before he got to ten,” said Chazz. “Fortunado is sending four hired gun duelists from the Society of Assassins to crash their meeting, and Russell and Trisha are the targets. Basically, if they get to them, they’ll have to survive two Orichalcos duels in a row.”

“IF they get to them,” said Alexis. “We aren’t going to let them.”

“Well, here’s what I learned about the assassins themselves,” said Chazz. “The first one is strange… Marcus Idi, and his deck is called a… get this… Triple Attack Deck.”

“What in tarnation does that mean?” asked Hasselberry.

“Guess we’ll find out,” said Chazz. “Another one’s name is Hector Mails, and he specializes in Monsters that can attack multiple times…”

They looked at each other.

“Then there’s Natasha Sloan, aka the Black Widow. She specializes in Insects…”

“I hate bugs…” said Tyranno.

“I wasn’t able to find out the real name of the last one,” said Chazz. “The Society simply calls him Z. No one knows why. But I found out a lot about his deck. It seems be Fiend Aggro-Beatdown, and his kill-card is Relinquished.”

“Ho boy…” said Alexis. “Someone else can duel him. I don’t want Benten to be swallowed by that one-eyed abomination a second time…”

They knew what she was talking about. Alexis had dueled someone with Relinquished before, and it had captured Cyber Angel Benten. Fortunately, the fact that it had left the user wide open to an attack by Cyber Tutu.

“Four of them and four of us,” said Tyranno. “We can take them.”

“If we have to,” said Aster, shuffling his deck. “Leave it to the Negotiator first. I doubt these members of the Society can be talked into turning back, but I have to try…”



[B]* * * * * * * * * *


On Friday night, Jason watched as the students came into the meeting room, placing the food they had brought on a table.

You’re officially committed, Jason, he thought. They’re all your responsibility now… How am I going to phrase this?

He got up in front of everyone. Russell and Trisha were sitting behind him.

“I think everyone is here,” he said. “If anyone wants me to explain this…”

He pointed to the blindfold.

“Let’s just say it’s the reason I’m so committed. And before I start, I’m going to put this in simple terms…

“I invited you all for an assault where you’ll be required to duel against possibly unfair odds, where losing a duel might be the last duel you ever lose.

“I will say this, however…

“If we are victorious, you will be guaranteed a spot in Heaven, because we will be facing ultimate Evil. This is a battle between Good and Evil that happens every millennia that decides the fate of the world.

“If that’s too much for anyone, they are free to leave.”

There was nothing but silence.

“Very well…” said Jason. “I’ll give the details.”



[B]* * * * * * * * * *


Four dark shapes loomed outside the entrance to the campus. One of them picked up a cell phone.

“We’re moving in,” said one of them.

“Good,” said Fortunado’s voice. “Remember the instructions.”

They walked towards the front gates.

“Eh?” said the one in the lead.

“Sorry,” said a voice. “The chancellor doesn’t allow solicitors, loiterers, or assassins.”

Aster appeared in front of them, and Chazz, Alexis, and Hasselberry were behind him.

“Out of the way,” said one of them.

“Sorry,” said Aster. “We’re not letting you get to Russell and Trisha.”

“We aren’t asking permission,” was the response.

The four assassins reached into their coats, and pulled out four handguns.

“Oh, please…” muttered Aster.

He waved his hand, and the weapons flew from the assassins’ hands.

“I can do more than that,” he said, as they looked in surprise. “Maybe now you’ll be willing to talk…”

“You…” said the leader of the assassins. “So, you’re alive.”

“And you four can live too,” said Aster, “if you simply turn back. The only way you’ll ever get to your quarry is to get rid of the four of us, and we can only be defeated by dueling.

“And we’re much better than you in that regard.”

“Heh, heh…” said the assassin. “We’ve been given the Orichalcos! You’re out of your league this time, Phoenix. In this sort of contest, your soul is at stake.”

“Oh really?” asked Aster. “Let me tell you something…

“Our mentor promised us that our souls would be protected, and so far, they have been. Did your employer make you the same promise?

“It’s time to ask yourself, what do you truly believe in?”

“I believe, we’re going in there!” demanded the assassin.

They reached into their coats and pulled out new weapons.

Aster waved his hand, and this time they burst into flames! They dropped them and held their hands.

“I could have made them backfire,” said Aster. “Strike three, and you’re out.

“So will you walk away, or will you duel us? Those are your only two options, I assure you. Other than trying to shoot us again and having the guns take your hands off.”

Another of the assassins walked up to the first.

“Z,” she said, “we have some time, and a warm up might be a good idea…”

“Fine…” said Z. “Choose a target, people!”

Eight duelists faced off in four confrontations, and eight Disks activated…



Continued…

[Dark Sage]

Continued from last post:



“Now before we get into details…” said Jason.

He paused.

The door in the back of the room opened, and Dr. Artemis walked in. Old Ben was behind her.

There was dead silence.

“Evening, Chancellor…” said Jason, nervously.

“Jason…” said Artemis, “I realize this meeting was approved… However, I found out about your intentions.”

Jason sighed.

“Dr. Artemis…” he said. “I would never do anything involving other students without your approval. If you want this called off…”

Artemis looked at him.

“Jason,” she said, “when I accepted the job as chancellor of this school, I figured a time might come when my students would have to act as soldiers.

“I don’t like it… So I have a choice to make.”

She sat down.

“I could let you continue with your plans, in which case these students would be put at risk…

“…or I could forbid them, in which case the enemy would come looking for you, not caring who they’d mow down in order to get to you.

“I’m going to let these plans commence for now, but I have one condition…

“I want you to include Ben in your plans. He will chaperone this undertaking.”

There were a lot of whispers.

Jason nodded.

“Very well…” he said. “Ben, welcome to the group…”



[B]* * * * * * * * * *


In the meantime, four simultaneous duels were underway.



[B](Chazz: 4,000) (Marcus: 5,000)


Chazz wasn’t in the best shape right now. His only Defense was a facedown Monster, and a facedown card, and his opponent had, of all things, Clown Zombie on the field. (1,350/0) –> (1,850/0). His whole deck seemed to be made up of two star Monsters with no effects, and this was the second Clown Zombie so far. With the enhancement of the cursed Field Spell, it was a potent weapon.



http://www.ideal808.com/images/tp6-en020.jpg


“Attack his facedown Monster!” shouted Marcus. “Acrobatic daggers attack!”

Clown Zombie produced three knives and did a handstand, throwing them with its free hand. Morphing Jar appeared on the card, and cackled before blowing to pieces.

“Aw, will you look at that?” said Chazz. “Now we have to ditch the cards in our hands and draw new hands.”

“Fine by me,” said Marcus, discarding his hand. “I didn’t have much anyway.”

“I had something,” said Chazz. “Ojamagic. Since I’m tossing it, I actually get eight new cards. But the three extra ones are specific.”

He discarded his hand, then pulled the three Ojamas from his deck. Then he reshuffled, and drew five.

The Spirits of the three Ojamas appeared above his head.

“Boss…” muttered Ojama Yellow. “This is really creeping me out… Did you draw Hurricane yet?”

“Oddly enough, no,” he replied. “Maybe I’d draw it faster if you guys would quit asking me that!”

He looked at his hand.

“Guys, we’re gonna have to use Maneuver C,” he said.

“NOOO!” they shouted.

“I hate Maneuver C!” cried Ojama Black. “I hate it even more than Maneuver B.”

“Look guys, you see this weird, glowing circle that’s around us?” asked Chazz.

They looked down.

“Uh huh…” they said, nodding.

“I’ll use small words,” he said. “Because of this circle, if I don’t win this duel, I’ll never see you three again.”

There was a pause.

“Hey, I love Maneuver C!” laughed Ojama Green.

“Yeah, it’s my favorite!” laughed Ojama Yellow.

“Who the heck are you talking to?” shouted Marcus. “Are you going to move or not?”

“Yeah, yeah…” said Chazz, drawing a card.

“I play Ojama Ride.”

He played a Spell Card that depicted the three Ojamas riding on the front of a truck.

“Now, I just have to ditch these three goons…”

He discarded the three Ojamas.

“…and I can summon up to three Machine-Type Union Monsters from my deck in Defense Mode. First, Y-Dragon Head.”

The red, dragon-like robot appeared. (1,500/1,600)

“Next, Z-Metal Tank.”

The yellow, bulky caterpillar-tank appeared. (1,500/1,300)

“Then, W-Wing Catapult…”

What looked like a blue, double-engine jet with large wings appeared. (1,300/1,500)

“Eh, you got the whole formula wrong…” said Marcus. “If you were able to summon X-Head Cannon, I’d be impressed, but…”

“Oh, do you mean this Monster that I have in my hand?” asked Chazz, showing it to him. “I haven’t Normal Summoned yet, you know…”

He played the card, and the legless, helmeted robot with guns on its shoulders appeared. (1,800/1,500)

“Now let’s complete the set…” said Chazz, as his facedown card lifted. “I activate Call of the Haunted.”

In a flash of light, V-Tiger Jet materialized. (1,600/1,800)

“That wasn’t in your Graveyard!” shouted Marcus.

“Yes it was,” said Chazz, “remember my Morphing Jar?”

“All right! V and W, you’re up first.”

The two Machines’ engines roared, and soared into the sky. Two points of light flashed, and the larger VW-Tiger Catapult appeared. (2,000/2,100)



http://www.ideal808.com/images/dp2-en016.jpg


“X! Y! Z! You three too.”

The three Machines lined up, and changed shape. They fused together with an explosion of flames and a burst of steam, and the XYZ-Dragon Cannon arose! (2,800/2,600)



http://www.ideal808.com/images/bpt-010.jpg


“Don’t tell me you’re going to…” muttered Marcus.

“Oh, but I am,” said Chazz with a grin.

The two Machines separated into their component pieces…

“Presenting the lethal, five-Monster-in-one combo known as… VWXYZ-Dragon Catapult Cannon!”

In a flash of light, a giant robot that seemed to be made up of the five Machines pieced together appeared. (3,000/2,800)



http://www.ideal808.com/images/een-en031.jpg


“Well… I’ve got him, and you have a Clown Zombie… Or do you…”

Clown Zombie shimmered and vanished…

“Nope, guess you don’t, since my Cannon removed it from play.”

“You don’t have the guts…” said Marcus.

The huge robot aimed its guns at him.

“Okay… I guess you do have the guts…” he said nervously.

KA-ZAPPO! A barrage of blazing, fiery death plowed into him, and he was propelled backwards.



[B](Chazz: 4,000) (Marcus: 2,000)


“If you can still hear me,” said Chazz, “I’ll place a card facedown, and that will be my turn.”

A facedown card appeared.

“Three-thousand attack points, huh?” asked Marcus, getting up. “Well, frankly, I’m not impressed…”

He drew a card.

“I play Monster Reborn, to bring back someone who I discarded – Fiend Scorpion.”

A small scorpion apparently made of metal appeared on the field. (900/200) –> (1,400/200)



http://www.ideal808.com/images/ast-0591.jpg


“You ever see a duelist hurl in the middle of a duel before?” asked Chazz. “Because you’re coming awfully close to seeing it.”

“You’ll be a believer soon, just like all the others I killed with this combo,” said Marcus. “I next play Inferno Reckless Summon to summon my other two.”

Two more Fiend Scorpions appeared.

“I truly doubt you have two more of those things in your regular deck,” said Marcus, pointing to the huge robot, “especially since it’s a Fusion Monster. Next I play Thousand Energy…”

He played the card, and the three Scorpions rose to 2,400 Attack.

“Still not gonna do it,” said Chazz.

“Your Machine isn’t the target, Chazz,” said Marcus, “you are. Thanks to my next Spell Card…”

He played the card, a card showing the image of three Fiend Scorpions in a triangular pattern.

“Delta Attacker. This card can be activated when I have three of the same Normal Monster on my side of the field, and it lets them all attack directly.

“Do the math… you’re through!”

“No I’m not!” shouted Chazz. “I activate… Auto Destruct Sequence!”

His Quickplay Spell Card lifted, showing the image of XYZ-Dragon Cannon bursting into flames.

“To activate this card, I have to destroy a Machine-Type Fusion Monster on my side of the field, but I also get to destroy Monsters whose total level stars equal its level. And this Machine has eight stars.”

VWXYZ Dragon Catapult Cannon exploded in a fiery burst of energy, and the three Fiend Scorpions were blown away.

“Crud…” muttered Marcus. “I’ll place a card facedown, and end my turn.”

A facedown card appeared.

Chazz drew a card.

“I activate my Trap Card!” shouted Marcus.

His facedown card lifted, showing the image of three Monsters in a line: Mokey Mokey in back, Celtic Guardian in the center, and Dark Magician in front.

“The Power of Normality,” he said. “Now I can bring back all the Normal Monsters who were destroyed last turn by card effects, for only 800 Life Points.”

The three Fiend Scorpions returned.

“And guess what, Chazz? I have another Thousand Energy right here.”

“Then I guess I’d better finish you off this round…” said Chazz. “You aren’t the only one who can summon three Monsters at once. I play Ojamandala.”

He played the Spell Card, and the three Ojamas leapt onto the field. (0/1,000x3)

“Now, Polymerization! Bring em together guys.”

“Why soitenly…” said Ojama Green.

The three Ojamas leapt up…

In a burst of light, Ojama King appeared. (0/3,000)

“Thank you… thank you very much…” said the huge Beast.



http://www.ideal808.com/images/dp2-en015.jpg


“Finally…” said Chazz, “I play Ojama Alpha Tornado.”

“What the?” shouted Marcus.

“Since Ojama King is the only card on my side of the field,” said Chazz, “and he’s in Attack Mode, and his Attack and Defense Points are at their base, I can pay half my Life Points to destroy all cards on your side of the field.”

Ojama King’s eyes glowed…

“Pity that can’t break the Seal…”

A furious tornado whipped across the field, and the three Fiend Scorpions were swept up and blown to splinters.

“So what are you gonna do?” asked Marcus. “Attack me with a Monster who has… zero… Attack… Points…”

He looked…

Ojama King’s score was now (1,200/3,000).

“Forgot to mention,” said Chazz. “Tornado also raises his Attack by 400 for every card it destroys. He’d be destroyed when I ended my turn… Not that it matters…”

“NO!” screamed Marcus. “I will NOT be defeated by that buffoon!”

“As if you have a choice…” said Chazz. “Don’t say we didn’t warn you.”

Marcus screamed as Ojama King bull-rushed him…



[B](Chazz: 1,500) (Marcus: 0)




[B]* * * * * * * * * *



“Here’s the basic idea,” said Jason.

He cleared his throat.

“The tower we’ll be assaulting has a practical army of duelists inside. We can assume that Fortunado and his most important henchmen are at the top. Also, there likely won’t be a way to go straight to the top.

“Trisha, Russell, and I will have to take care of him and his big guns. But we won’t be able to do it if we have to duel every duelist in the tower first.

“Thus, we need you to, to put it bluntly, clear the path. We need you to duel. We need you to engage the lesser forces and take them out so that we have a direct line to the greater enemies.

“Before anyone raises their hands to volunteer, I will say right now, I will not accept volunteers to duel Fortunado and his right-hand men, whoever they may be. His lesser henchmen will be dangerous enough, and I am risking a little bit of myself sending you all against them. So please, content yourself with his lesser duelists.

“I don’t know how many duelists are lurking in that tower. They may outnumber us, or we may outnumber them.

“Since a lot is unknown to us, I’m keeping a lot unknown to him. If any of you were captured, or God forbid, forcefully recruited, you might be forced to reveal our plans, and we can’t have that. So our actual assault plans will be kept secret until we actually start.”




[B]* * * * * * * * * *



“You think you can win, child?” asked Natasha.



[B](Hasselberry: 2,400) (Natasha: 4,000)


The female assassin, dressed in tight black leather with her hair tied back in a ponytail, eyed Hasselberry.

“Child?” he asked. “I’ve been dueling since before you were trick or treating!”

Natasha had Neo-Bug on her side of the field. (1,800/1,700) –> (2,300/1,700). Hasselberry’s side was clear, but it was his turn.



http://www.ideal808.com/images/ioc-058.jpg


“You think you can win with Dinosaurs?” she said. “Anytime I lose to evolutionary dead ends is the day I turn in my Duel Disk.”

“Eh…” said Hasselberry, drawing a card.

He played it, and Pot of Greed appeared.

“That’s everyone’s problem,” he said, bringing his hand size up to seven. “Everyone underestimates dinos.”

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

Then he fit another card in his Disk, and a facedown card appeared.

“Well, my troops may be old-fashioned,” he said, waving his hand, “but you know that old saying… ‘Old soldiers never die, they just fade away’.”

Natasha drew a card.

“Neo Bug, attack!” she shouted.

Neo Bug scurried forward…

And it slammed into a huge Machine that looked like a mechanical platform on tank treads. (0/2,300)

“Sorry, lady,” said Hasselberry. “Looks like that was a draw, due to my Dino Base’s powerful defensive shield.”

“Ugh…” muttered Natasha, placing a card in her Disk. “I’ll place one card facedown, and that will be my turn.”

A facedown card appeared.

Hasselberry drew a card.

“Perfect,” he said. “I invoke the special ability of Dino Base. By sacrificing it and one Dinosaur from my hand, like Black Tyranno here, I get to Special Summon something powerful from my Fusion Deck. He’s part soldier, part war machine…”

Dino Base vanished…

“Dino Tank, front and center!”

A huge Monster appeared, resembling an armored carnivore dinosaur riding a tank like it were a go-cart. (2,600/1,800)

“All right!” he shouted. “Dino Tank, mow down that Neo Bug! Primal rage!”

With a roar, fames appeared in Dino Tank’s huge mouth…

“I activate… Sakuretsu Armor!” shouted Natasha, as her Trap lifted.

“I thought that might have been the case,” said Hasselberry, with a grin. “Now I can activate Dino Tank’s special effect. When it’s targeted by a card effect, I can reroute that effect to an enemy Monster.”

Natasha gasped, and Neo Bug burst into fragments.

“And now that it’s gone,” continued Hasselberry, “my tank can switch targets… to you.”

Natasha screamed as flames shot forward and struck her, sending her falling on her behind.

“Ooh…” she muttered.



[B](H: 2,400) (N: 1,400)


“Well, that’s enough for one turn,” said Hasselberry, “so I’ll defer to you.”

“You think you’re so smart,” said Natasha, drawing.

“See this card? I have a Pot of Greed too.”

She played it, and drew two cards.

“I play Dark Core,” she said. “Now, by discarding one card, I can remove one Monster on the field from play, and your tank has nothing to redirect it to this time.”

She discarded a card, and Dino Tank was sucked into a black hole.

“Bummer…” said Hasselberry.

“Next…” she said, “I’ll summon Pinch Hopper.”

She played the card, and a large grasshopper appeared. (1,000/1,200) –> (1,500/1,200)



http://www.ideal808.com/images/ioc-078.jpg


“Next,” she said, “another Spell Card… Multiplication of Ants.”

She played the card, and Pinch Hopper transformed into two large, green ants. (500/1,200 x2) –> (1,000/1,200 x2)

“Lovely…” muttered Hasselberry. “Like I haven’t seen this before.”

“And now I use Pinch Hoppers effect to summon…” said Natasha. “Here she comes… Insect Queen!”

In a dark shadow, the enormous, hulking, matriarch of Insects appeared, and let out a fierce roar! (2,200/2,400)



http://www.ideal808.com/images/db2-en123.jpg


“In case you don’t know how she works,” said Natasha, “she gains 200 Attack Points for every Insect on the field, herself included, plus the 500 from the Orichalcos…”

(3,300/2,400)

“…and what that basically means is, I win!

“Feed and grow strong, my Queen!”

Insect Queen grabbed one of the Army Ant Tokens and stuffed it into her jaws. Her Attack fell to 3,100, but she glowed with energy.

“Now attack him directly!”

Insect Queen drooled.

“I activate my facedown card!” shouted Hasselberry.

His Trap Card lifted.

“What?” said Natasha. “Survival Instinct?”

“That’s right,” said Hasselberry. “I get to remove from play any Dinosaurs in my hand that I want. And for each one that I toss, I gain 500 Life Points.”

He held up Element Saurus, Dark Driceratops, Gilasaurus, and Black Stego.

“These will do,” he said. “So I gain a buffer of 2,000 Life Points.”

Insect Queen was undeterred. She blasted a beam of vile venom, striking Hasselberry.



[B](H: 1,300) (N: 1,400)


“You’ve only managed to survive one round,” said Natasha. “Might I add, you threw away every Monster in your hand to do that, so you’ll be defenseless next turn.”

Hasselberry gave her a long look…

She stepped back… Something wasn’t right with his eyes…

“You are so stupid,” he finally said. “I wasn’t dumb enough to toss every Monster in my hand. I kept the most important one.”

He drew a card.

Then he played one.

“Tyranno Infinity, report for duty.”

In a flash of light, a huge, carnivorous Dinosaur with multicolored scales, huge claws, and teeth like swords appeared!



http://www.ideal808.com/images/crv_en029.jpg


“Like him?” asked Hasselberry. “Let me explain how he works. His Attack Score is 1,000 for each of my troops that has been removed from play. You took out one of them with that Dark Core, and I removed four with Survival Instinct.”

(5,000/0)

Natasha stepped back in fear.

“Mercy, please…” she squeaked.

“Mercy?” said Hasselberry. “Strange… I wonder how many times you yourself heard that… from your victims?

“Tyranno Infinity, forward march!”

The huge Dinosaur charged, making the ground tremble, and chomped its jaws on Insect Queen, biting her in half…



[B](H: 1,300) (N: 0)



[B]* * * * * * * * * *


Jason placed on his pedestal the Orichalcos Disk that he had taken from Cleo before the paramedics had come to get her.

“Most of you have seen one of these already,” he said, “but probably not up close. In case you were wondering, this style is not of KaibaCorp design. It’s a special Disk used by minions of the Orichalcos. We assume that these weird Disks are enchanted in some way, so we don’t dare try to use them. Just how they help the minions is not exactly known.

“This is how you’ll identify your enemy. However, we have seen some duelists with custom-made Disks. If you see one of those, be very careful. If you see someone with a normal Disk, be careful anyway.

“Now, for all of you except Sersei, who knows about this part, the Orichalcos itself is incredibly dangerous. It can be technically defined as a Field Spell, and as far as game mechanics go, it increases the user’s Monsters’ Attack Scores by 500, turns them all Dark Attribute, and lets him use his Spell/Trap Zone for Monsters, and vice versa.”

“That’s broken!” exclaimed Ami.

“Evil forces don’t play fair, Ami,” commented Silver.

“Exactly,” said Jason. “But there are a few other things you should know. No card that we know about can destroy the Seal once it is played, so don’t waste your cards trying. Also, once the Orichalcos is played, the duelists can’t escape until a winner is decided. And the loser…”

He paused.

“The loser’s soul is forfeit.

“I repeat what I said earlier. Anyone who wants to leave is free to do so.”

There was dead silence.

“A few other things…” continued Jason. “No good can ever come from this card. Usually, the duelist will play it as soon as he draws it. However, if that is not the case, do NOT try to take this card from him. It is a tempter and a seducer, as Russell nearly found out. If you have no choice in the matter, dispose of it as quickly as possible. Losing is preferable to using this card.

“Now, along with the Orichalcos itself are several evil cards that we’ve encountered called Cards of Sin. Most of them are broken as well, but they aren’t indestructible. As far as we know, they need the Seal to function. Do not take these cards from your opponent either. Again, if you have no choice, do not play them.

“Now then…”



[B]* * * * * * * * * *



[B](Alexis: 4,200) (Hector: 4,000)


Alexis surveyed the field. Her foe had Chain Thrasher on his side. (1,000/600) –> (1,500/600)



http://www.ideal808.com/images/soi-en015.jpg


But she had him outmatched. In front of her was a fearsome, feminine, muscular creature, with dark pink skin, dressed in black spandex. She had fire in her eyes. (1,600/2,000)

“Cyber Angel Idaten…” she shouted, “attack Chain Thrasher!”

Idaten charged forward and socked the Warrior, blowing him to shards.

“I’ll place a card facedown, and end my turn,” she said, setting a card.



[B](A: 4,200) (H: 3,900)


“I almost forgot to tell you, Alexis,” said Hector, drawing. “Most members of the Society get cold feet when the target is a woman. That’s when I come in. I don’t mind killing them… That’s my specialty. I was intending to duel Trisha, and I will once you’re disposed of.”

“You make me sick…” said Alexis.

“We’ll see…” said Hector. “I summon Mataza the Zapper!”

The dark ronin appeared on the field, holding up his katana menacingly. (1,300/800) –> (1,800/800)



http://www.ideal808.com/images/ioc-0861.jpg


“The Orichalcos gives him 200 more points than your Angel, and he can attack twice,” said Hector, “so once he’s done with her, he can go straight for you.”

“I activate my Trap Card!” shouted Alexis.

Her Trap Card lifted.

“Hallowed Life Barrier,” she said, discarding a card. “Now you can attack all you want, but I won’t lose any Life Points this turn.”

“Okay, fine…” said Hector, as Mataza charged. “You may be safe, but your Angel isn’t.”

Mataza struck Idaten with his weapon, and she shattered.

“My move…” said Alexis.

She drew a card.

“I play Pot of Greed,” she said.

She played the card, and drew two cards.

“Next, I’ll play Fulfillment of the Contract, giving up 800 Life Points to bring Idaten back.”

She played the card, and Idaten appeared in a flash of light.

“This activates her effect, allowing me to reclaim one Spell Card from my Graveyard. And I choose Machine Angel Ritual.

“Now I play it…”

She played the Spell, and Idaten became all silvery and metallic…

“…and I sacrifice Idaten to summon her sister… Cyber Angel Benten.”

Thunder crashed, and a tall form appeared. She was dressed in a red, black, and silver bodysuit, with a waistband just below her chest, fingerless gloves, and a ceremonial headdress. She carried what appeared to be a nunchaku connected by a long chain.

She did a flip, and the “nunchaku” opened, revealed to be a pair of fans. Her eyes glowed green. (1,800/1,500)

“Her Attack is the same as Mataza’s,” said Hector. “What were you thinking?”

“I was thinking of using this,” said Alexis, playing a Spell Card. “Rush Recklessly.”

She played the card, and Benten’s Attack rose to 2,500.

“Benten, attack Mataza the Zapper with Angelic Turn!” shouted Alexis.

Benten hollered a war cry, and flew at the Warrior, smacking him with her fans. He screamed and shattered into shards.

“Eh, I only lost 700 little Life Points,” said Hector.

“Benten has a special ability,” added Alexis. “When she destroys a Monster, you lose Life Points equal to its Defense Score. Be glad the Orichalcos only boosts Attack.”

Hector groaned as a burst of energy shot up around him.



[B](A: 3,400) (H: 2,400)


“Okay…” muttered Hector. “Nothing I can’t handle…”

He drew a card.

“Heh, heh, heh…”

“I summon Monk Fighter,” he said, playing a card.

A man with white hair dressed in an orange shirt and trousers with a muscular frame and rocky, grey skin appeared. (1,300/1,000) –> (1,800/1,000)



http://www.ideal808.com/images/tlm-en019.jpg


“But he won’t be staying for long, only long enough so I can sacrifice him…”

Monk Fighter vanished in an aura of energy…

“…to summon Master Monk.”

A new Monster who might have been Monk Fighter’s father appeared. He had the same grey, rocky skin, but with longer hair and a beard, and was dressed only in ragged trousers. (1,900/1,000) –> (2,400/1,000)



http://www.ideal808.com/images/tlm-en020.jpg


“So…” asked Hector. “Think your Angels can beat me? I think not… Especially since my Monk can also attack twice.

“Master Monk, crush Cyber Angel Benten with Shaolin Fist.”

Master Monk flew at Benten, throwing a punch that blew her to shards.

“And now that she’s gone, he’s going to take care of you. Attack directly, my Monk!”

Hector grinned, as Master Monk charged at Alexis, fist-first…

She simply raised her hand, and caught the fist in her palm. Master Monk was a little confused as she looked him in the eye.



[B](A: 400) (H: 2,400)


“What in the name of?” he muttered.

Her Life Points had taken the hit, but he could honestly say, that had never happened.

“Oh, were you expecting me to scream in horror and pain like all the other girls you killed?” asked Alexis. “Sorry Hec, that ended with the last one…”

“You think so?” he said, placing a card in his Disk.

A facedown card appeared.

Alexis drew a card.

“Yes,” she said. “Because no more blood is going be spilled by your hands. Your career ends tonight.”

“I summon Cyber Petit Angel.”

She played the card, and a small, pink sphere with a smiling face and wings appeared. (300/200)

“This little guy has a nifty trick,” she said, taking her deck. “He lets me search for another Machine Angel Ritual card.”

She got the card and put her deck back.

“And now I’ll use it, and sacrifice him and Cyber Prima from my hand to summon the eldest of the Cyber Angel sisters…”

Cyber Prima appeared on the field. The Fairy and the Warrior turned silver and metallic and vanished into light…

“Cyber Angel Dakini!”

Thunder flashed again, and a more powerful looking female appeared. She had blue skin, was dressed in a halter, briefs, boots, and a helmet, and most notably, had four arms. Her upper arms held two sharp nodachi, while her lower ones held a two-bladed yari.

“HAI!” she cried, twirling the yari above her head. (2,700/2,400)

“Impressive…” said Hector. “But I’ll live…”

Especially since my facedown card is my own Rush Recklessly, he thought. That Angel is nothing compared to my Monk.

“No you won’t,” said Alexis, with a grin, “because when Dakini is summoned, she forces you to destroy one of your Monsters.”

“WHAT?” shouted Hector. “But I only have one!”

“Then it’s an easy choice,” said Alexis.

A glimmer of light appeared in Dakini’s eyes, and Master Monk exploded into pixels!

“And I still have her normal attack,” said Alexis. “Dakini, attack with Angel Rage!”

Cyber Angel Dakini flew forward… Hector howled as he was slashed with four savage blades…

His last thoughts as the Seal started to glow were shock and surprise…

Shock that the end could come so suddenly…

And surprise that after targeting women for so long as an assassin, the end had come at the hands of one who had fought back… Using a female Monster…



[B](A: 400) (H: 0)



Continued…

[Dark Sage]

Continued from last post:



“Everyone line up,” said Jason. “That is, everyone who still wants to come with us.”

Everyone except Artemis got in a line, as Jason produced a small set of cards.

“I’m going to give each of you a little addition to put in your decks,” he said. “These are special cards… The reflections of the power we’re using. There should be one for each of you.

“Do not sell them, do not trade them, do not give them away. They’ll only work for you anyway. Protect them. Treat them as you would your rarest cards.”

He handed one to the first person in line, Bugsy.

“These are reflections of your virtues.”

“Cool,” said Bugsy, looking at it.

“Yes, cool,” said Jason. “But they are quite serious. Sadly, I don’t believe they will last past our assault, even if we are victorious. But they will give us some help during it.”

Jason started to hand them out. He paused for a second before giving one to Ansel. This one would be worthless if he faced the Orichalcos…

But something was telling him it would be necessary.

Eventually, the cards were handed out, and there were just enough.



[B]* * * * * * * * * *



[B](Aster: 4,500) (Z: 3,400)


Aster stared at his opponent…

Destiny Hero Defend Guy stood in front of him in Defense Mode (100/2,700), while his opponent confronted him with Opticlops in Attack Mode (1,800/1,700).



http://www.ideal808.com/images/potd_jp013.jpg


“You know Phoenix,” said Z, “a lot of folks wondered what ever happened to Aster Phoenix. Some would have killed for his unique Destiny Hero Deck.

“Who’d have thought you would still be around? Now people will know me as the one who brought you down.”

“You won’t be able to get to me until you get past Defend Guy,” replied Aster. “It’s your move.”

“Then I draw…” said Z, drawing. “And I draw again due to Defend Guy’s effect…”

He looked at his cards.

“And I sacrifice Opticlops to summon the mighty Summoned Skull.”

Opticlops vanished, and the horned, winged demon appeared in a burst of lightning. (2,500/1,200) –> (3,000/1,200)



http://www.ideal808.com/images/l3_01.jpg


“One of Yugi’s Monsters?” asked Aster. “He must be rolling over in his grave…”

“Say what you will,” said Z. “Defend Guy may have a great defense, but this should crack it. Summoned Skull, attack with lightning strike!”

Summoned Skull blasted lightning bolts, blowing Defend Guy to shards.

“So now what?” asked Z. “You’d need a pretty powerful Monster to defeat mine.”

Aster drew a card.

“One powerful Monster, coming up,” he said.

“First, I play the Spell Card D-Spirit, to Special Summon Destiny Hero Diamond Guy to the field.”

He played the card, and the diamond-studded Hero appeared. (1,400/1,600)



http://www.ideal808.com/images/eoj_jp003.jpg


“Now I’ll use his effect, to look at the top card on my deck…”

He took the card.

“The mighty Smashing Ground,” he said, as he discarded it. “That means it activates next round. If it even has to.

“Next, I activate Destiny Draw. By playing this Spell Card and tossing one Destiny Hero in my hand…”

He discarded one card.

“…I get to draw twice.”

He drew two cards.

“Next I play, Over Destiny,” he said, playing another Spell Card. “I choose one Destiny Hero in my Graveyard, and then I can Special Summon one from my deck who has half of its star level or less.

“And by the way, that one that I discarded to play Destiny Draw was Destiny Hero Diabolic Guy, and he has six stars, meaning I can now summon Destiny Hero Diehard Guy, who has three.”

Diehard Guy appeared, bearing his shelled arms. (800/800)



http://www.ideal808.com/images/eoj_jp002.jpg


“Next, I activate Diabolic Guy’s special ability. By removing him from play, I can Special Summon a second Diabolic Guy from my deck.”

A demonic, winged, horned, tailed Hero appeared on the field. (800/800)

“And finally…” said Aster, “I sacrifice all three of them…”

The three Destiny Heroes vanished.

“…to summon Destiny Hero Dogma Guy!”

In a dark shadow, the lord of the Destiny Heroes appeared, his wings spread wide, and his blade shimmering. (3,400/2,400)



http://www.ideal808.com/images/potd_jp014.jpg


“Attack the Summoned Skull!” he shouted. “Dogma strike!”

Dogma Guy roared, and blasted a beam of dark energy. Summoned Skull groaned, and shattered.

“Yugi…” muttered Aster, “wherever you are, don’t hold this against me…”



[B](A: 4,500) (Z: 3,000)


“Not bad…” said Z. “But all for naught… You’re finished, Phoenix…”

He drew a card.

“And now Dogma Guy’s effect kicks in,” said Aster. “He cuts your Life Points in half.”

Dogma Guy glowed, and a burst of energy erupted around Z. He shrieked.



[B](A: 4,500) (Z: 1,500)


“So be it…” gasped Z. “But I’ll have the last laugh… You see, I was waiting for you to summon that Warrior…”

He played a card.

“I play the Black Illusion Ritual!”

A creepy altar with the Eye of Wdjat appeared in the middle of the cursed Seal.

“So goodbye Winged Minion…” he said.

Winged Minion appeared, and vanished.

“And hello Relinquished.”

The altar burst, and the horrid, one-eyed, winged abomination perched on a spire appeared, and was branded by the Seal. (0/0) –> (500/0)



http://www.ideal808.com/images/mc1-en003.jpg


The foul thing inhaled, and absorbed Dogma Guy into its maw! Its Scores rose to (3,900/2,400)!

“Attack him directly!” shouted Z. “Pilfered power attack!”

The energy beam that shot at Aster was enough to make even him cringe. He had taken a lot, but that had been a lot even for him.



[B](A: 600) (Z: 1,500)


“Have you forgotten about Diamond Guy?” asked Aster, catching his breath. “On my next turn, Smashing Ground will activate, and your Relinquished will be destroyed.”

“Only if Smashing Ground is actually in your Graveyard at that time,” replied Z, taking a card. “I play Soul Release. I’ll remove your Smashing Ground from play. And I think I’ll remove Diamond Guy, Defend Guy, Diehard Guy, and Devil Guy too, just for kicks.”

He played the card, and the five cards fell out of Aster’s discard slot.

“Your move…”

Aster drew a card. He smirked when he saw what it was.

“I’m not finished yet!” he shouted. “I just drew the card I used to bring down a beast not unlike Relinquished… I summon Destiny Hero Divine Guy in Attack Mode.”

A new Destiny Hero appeared. It was an armored, masked Warrior with a metal, spiked discus on his back. (1,600/1,400)

“That’s weak!” laughed Z.

“Is he?” asked Aster, with a grin. “Well, let me explain his effect. When he attacks, he can destroy one Equip Spell Card, and deal 500 points of damage to the owner of the Equip.

“Don’t forget, a Monster trapped by Relinquished is considered an Equip. Much as I hate to do this to Dogma Guy, I’m sure he’ll understand.”

Z stepped back in fear.

“Divine Guy, attack Relinquished with Destiny Divine Strike!”

Divine Guy’s fist glowed with white fire, and he flew forward. Dogma Guy was freed from Relinquished, and shattered, and Relinquished burst into flames…



[B](A: 600) (Z: 0)



[B]* * * * * * * * * *


“Well,” said Jason. “We have a lot of food here. I’d like to thank you all for bringing it…”

He raised a can of soda.

“I commend you all for your bravery.

“After class, on Tuesday, we will approach the tower, and begin the preemptive strike. Prepare all you can. I’ve given all the help I’m able to.

“I’m counting on you. Here’s to victory.”

“Here, here,” said Trisha.

“Indeed,” said Sean.

“We’re all with you,” said Malvolio.

Jason glanced out the window in the direction of the front gates.

Thanks guys… he thought. I did not want to deal with them, and I’m sure Trisha and Russell didn’t want to either…



[B]* * * * * * * * * *


Chazz, Hasselberry, Alexis, and Aster looked at the soulless bodies of their four foes.

They sadly shook their heads, and walked off into the darkness.

On campus, the students retired to their rooms.

Jason cuddled up with Trisha again, knowing now that he loved her more than anything.

In the girl’s wing of the Obelisk dorm, Russell cuddled with Sersei. He was worried about her now. He didn’t want her to go, but he knew there was no stopping her.

Jason and Russell weren’t the only ones who were holding their girlfriends. Everyone needed a pick me up…

They were about to enter a den of evil, and they didn’t know if they would leave intact.



[B]* * * * * * * * * *


For Jason, Trisha, Russell, and their volunteers, it was hard to pay attention in class that Tuesday.

It was the 10th of November… The night of the Reckoning.

At four o’clock, after class had ended, the three friends stood at the campus gates. Slowly, their small army gathered around them.

“So now what?” asked Bugsy.

Jason took a card out of his pocket.

The Yami Field Spell.

He placed it in his Disk, and slowly, a dark fog started to form in the sky.

“The spell I’m casting will cover the city with a shroud of darkness,” he said. “We should be able to get there unseen. I hope.

“So let’s go…”

Dr. Artemis watched in silence from the background as they strode off.



[B]* * * * * * * * * *


The thick fog lingered over the city, as the ominous form of the Mastech Tower loomed over them.

Jason boldly walked up to the entrance, and threw the doors open.

“No locks?” asked Ami. “No guards?”

“Maybe he’s expecting us…” said Karen.

They looked around. There were no elevators.

What there was were four weird machines, that looked like silvery things shaped like Christmas trees.

“Those are Interdimensional Matter Transporters,” said Janus.

A lamp flashed, and then burst!

Two piles of Duel Monsters cards fell in front of them.

Then a note fell on top of them.

Russell picked it up and read.

“Yeah, he was expecting us,” he said. “Looks like he’s making the rules.”

He read:

The Non-Effect Monster Cards lead to the vital places of this building… and elsewhere. But if you use the wrong one, you might end up in a place where you can’t survive.

To find the right one, you’re going to have to gain information from my men. The Effect Monster Cards will take you to some safer places where they’re waiting.

Note that by “safer” I do not mean “safe”.

Good luck, I look forward to seeing you.

“Short and sweet, and to the point,” said Trisha. “There’s a ton of Non-Effect Monsters here, and most of them likely lead to dead ends.”

“Emphasis on the word ‘dead’,” added Ben.

Jason turned to them all.

“Well…” he said, “it’s now or never, everyone…”

Everyone except Jason, Russell, and Trisha picked up one of the Effect Monster Cards. Randy and Nadia chose one, hoping to stay together.

Four at a time, they approached the Transporters. They hummed, and vanished, swept to a different part of the building. When Nadia and Randy approached, it apparently didn’t mind transporting them together.

“Good luck…” said Jason. “Because soon, the Reckoning will begin…”


Tuesday, November 10th, 2106, 4:50 PM



OJAMA RIDE (Spell Card)

Card Specs

Type: Spell/Quickplay
Attribute: –
Level: –
ATK: –
DEF: –

Image: The three Ojamas riding on the front of a truck.

Card Description: Discard one “Ojama Green”, one “Ojama Yellow”, and one “Ojama Black” to the Graveyard from your hand. Special Summon from your hand or deck up to three MACHINE-Type Union Monsters that have four stars or less in face-up Defense Position. The battle position of these Monsters cannot be changed.

Note: “Ojama Ride” was first used by Chazz in the “Yu-Gi-Oh GX” episode “Champion or Chazz-Been”. All creative credit goes to the writers of that episode.



AUTO DESTRUCT SEQUENCE (Spell Card)

Card Specs

Type: Spell/Quickplay
Attribute: –
Level: –
ATK: –
DEF: –

Image: XYZ Dragon Cannon bursting into flames.

Card Description: Destroy one MACHINE-Type Fusion Monster on your side of the field. Destroy Monsters on your opponent’s side of the field who’s total star levels are equal to or less than the star level of the destroyed Monster.



OJAMA ALPHA TORNADO (Spell Card)

Card Specs

Type: Spell
Attribute: –
Level: –
ATK: –
DEF: –

Image: Ojama King amid a maelstrom of furious energy.

Card Description: You can activate this card when you have one “Ojama King” on the field in Attack Position, no other cards on the field, and its ATK and DEF Scores are at their base scores. Pay half your current Life Points. Destroy all cards on your opponent’s side of the field. Increase the ATK of “Ojama King” by 400 for each destroyed card, and decrease its DEF by the same amount. Destroy the “Ojama King” at the end of the turn you use this card.



THE POWER OF NORMALITY (Trap Card)

Card Specs

Type: Trap
Attribute: –
Level: –
ATK: –
DEF: –

Image: Mokey Mokey, Celtic Guardian, and Dark Magician standing in a line.

Card Description: Pay 800 Life Points. Special Summon from your Graveyard all Normal Monsters that were destroyed by card effects on your last turn.



SURVIVAL INSTINCT (Trap Card)

Card Specs

Type: Trap
Attribute: –
Level: –
ATK: –
DEF: –

Image: Several dinosaurs huddling inside a cave with a fire burning outside..

Card Description: Remove from play any number of DINOSAUR-Type Monsters from your hand. For each Monster you remove from play with this card, increase your Life Points by 500.

Note: “Survival Instinct” was first used by Hasselberry in the “Yu-Gi-Oh GX” episode “Curry Worries”. All creative credit goes to the writers of that episode.



DINO BASE (Monster Card)

Card Specs

Type: Machine/Effect
Attribute: Earth
Level: 4
ATK: 0
DEF: 2,300

Card Description: When this card is face-up on your side of the field, you may Special Summon one “Dino Tank” from your Fusion Deck by fusing this card and one DINOSAUR-Type Monster on the field or in your hand. (You do not use “Polymerization”. This is considered a Fusion Summon.)



DINO TANK (Monster Card)

Card Specs

Type: Dinosaur/Fusion/Effect
Attribute: Earth
Level: 6
ATK: ?
DEF: ?

Card Description: ”Dino Tank” + any Dinosaur-Type Monster

The ATK and DEF of this card are equal to that of the DINOSAUR-Type Monster used in the Fusion. If this card is targeted by a card effect, you may redirect the effect to an opposing Monster.

Note: “Dino Base” and “Dino Tank” was first used by Hasselberry in the “Yu-Gi-Oh GX” episode “Source of Strength”. All creative credit goes to the writers of that episode.


MACHINE ANGEL RITUAL (Spell Card)

Card Specs

Type: Spell/Ritual
Attribute: –
Level: –
ATK: –
DEF: –

Image: A feminine form running from a huge, blazing cauldron.

Card Description: This card is used to Ritual Summon any Ritual Monster with the words “Cyber Angel” in its name. You must offer as Tribute Monsters from the field or your hand whose total levels are equal to or more than that of the Monster you are summoning.



CYBER ANGEL BENTEN (Monster Card)

Card Specs

Type: Fairy/Ritual/Effect
Attribute: Light
Level: 6
ATK: 1,800
DEF: 1,500

Card Description: This card is Ritual Summoned with “Machine Angel Ritual”. You must offer Monsters from the field or your hand whose total levels equal six or more. If this card destroys an opposing Monster as a result of battle, inflict damage to the Life Points of the owner of the destroyed Monster equal to the destroyed Monster’s DEF.

Note: “Machine Angel Ritual” and “Cyber Angel Benten” were first used by Alexis in the “Yu-Gi-Oh GX” episode “Chazz-a-Nova”. All creative credit goes to the writers of that episode.



CYBER PETITE ANGEL (Monster Card)

Card Specs

Type: Fairy/Effect
Attribute: Light
Level: 2
ATK: 300
DEF: 200

Card Description: When this card is Normal Summoned, Flip-Summoned, or Special Summoned, search your deck for one “Machine Angel Ritual” and add it to your hand.



CYBER ANGEL IDATEN (Monster Card)

Card Specs

Type: Fairy/Ritual/Effect
Attribute: Light
Level: 6
ATK: 1,600
DEF: 2,000

Card Description: This card is Ritual Summoned with “Machine Angel Ritual”. You must offer Monsters from the field or your hand whose total levels equal six or more. When this card is successfully summoned, take one Spell Card from your Graveyard and add it to your hand.



CYBER ANGEL DAKINI (Monster Card)

Card Specs

Type: Fairy/Ritual/Effect
Attribute: Light
Level: 8
ATK: 2,700
DEF: 2,400

Card Description: This card is Ritual Summoned with “Machine Angel Ritual”. You must offer Monsters from the field or your hand whose total levels equal eight or more. When this card is summoned, your opponent chooses one Monster on his side of the field. That Monster is destroyed. When this card attacks a Defense Position Monster with lower DEF than this card’s ATK, inflict the difference to your opponent’s Life Points.

Note: “Cyber Petite Angel”, “Cyber Angel Idaten”, and “Cyber Angel Dakini” were first used by Alexis in the “Yu-Gi-Oh GX” episode “Pop Goes the Duel”. All creative credit goes to the writers of that episode.



DESTINY HERO DIABOLIC GUY (Monster Card)

Card Specs

Type: Warrior/Effect
Attribute: Dark
Level: 6
ATK: 800
DEF: 800

Card Description: When this card is in your Graveyard, you may remove it from play to Special Summon one “Destiny Hero Diabolic Guy” from your hand or deck.



DESTINY DRAW (Spell Card)

Card Specs

Type: Spell
Attribute: –
Level: –
ATK: –
DEF: –

Image: Bird’s-eye view of a Duel Disk with the owner drawing, while shadowy shapes surround it.

Card Description: Discard one Monster Card with the words “Destiny Hero” in its name from your hand to the Graveyard. Draw two cards from your deck.



OVER DESTINY (Spell Card)

Card Specs

Type: Spell
Attribute: –
Level: –
ATK: –
DEF: –

Image: Destiny Hero Dread Guy looming in the shadows over Destiny Hero Diamond Guy in the forefront.

Card Description: Select one Monster in your Graveyard with the words “Destiny Hero” in its name. Special Summon one Monster from your deck with the words “Destiny Hero” in its name that has half the level stars or less of the selected Monster. A Monster Special Summoned by this effect is destroyed at the End Phase of the turn it is Special Summoned.

Note: “Destiny Hero Diabolic Guy”, “Destiny Draw”, and “Over Destiny” were released in Japan in the Edo Phoenix Duelist Pack. The same pack is planned for release in the United States soon. All three cards were used by Aster in a second season episode of “Yu-Gi-Oh GX”.



DESTINY HERO DIVINE GUY (Monster Card)

Card Specs

Type: Warrior/Effect
Attribute: Dark
Level: 4
ATK: 1,600
DEF: 1,400

Card Description: This card cannot be Special Summoned. When this card attacks an opposing Monster, you may destroy one Equip Spell Card on your opponent’s side of the field. When you destroy an Equip Spell Card with this card’s effect, inflict 500 points of damage to the Life Points of the destroyed card’s owner.

Note: “Destiny Hero Divine Guy” will be used by Aster in a second season episode of “Yu-Gi-Oh GX”. All creative credit goes to the writers of that episode.



[I][B]Coming up next:

The invasion begins, and Bugsy faces the first opponent.

Remember the first Orichalcos duelist? The amateur with the Beast Deck? Well, he was only copying a much better duelist, and wait until you see HER!

The chapter is called “Ancient One of the Deep Forest”, coming soon.

[Master of Paradox]

“Cleo…” said Jason, “welcome to the fold.”

Cleo smiled.


You don't have the best record with dialogue attribution (you call Jason "Russell" shortly after this line), but this one stands out.

How odd... it's filler, so I hadn't expected anything duel-related in the first place, but the non-dueling parts were a grand deal better than the actual duels. I'll try to organize my comments by chronological order.

- Now that you've addressed the issue, I can see Tyranno (I am NOT calling him "Hassleberry") joining up with the Sage. But Alexis? Sorry, still not working for me.

- So you spent a good portion of the last couple chapters building up the Society of Assassins... and then scrapped all of them in a filler chapter. I'm not sure if I'm disappointed or impressed.

- I can imagine you checking Wildedge off a big list of "Elemental Hero cards I haven't used yet"...

- Standard recruitment montage, although it seems my prediction that Janus would end up in a deathmatch with Omaly was wrong. I owe Eric a Coke.

- It's not worth trying to ravage my slowly-rusting knowledge of the game (I haven't played in ages) to guess what cards Nathan and company traded for.

- Not a lot I can say about Jason's lecture. Knowledge we already know, perhaps, but they didn't know it, so there was no choice.

- The assassins were blah, at best, and their duels could easily have been cut without hurting the chapter in the slighest. Marcus and Natasha were acceptable, but Z made little sense - Relinquished is ugly, but it's also a Spellcaster, making it questionable for a Fiend deck. And Hector losing to Alexis is what we called "anvilicious". Especially due to that narrative sting at the end.

- Credit where it's due: you've made the rest of the board happy by not presenting a straightforward "I'll handle them, you guys go on" approach to Fortunado's base.

Final assessment: Meh. It wasn't bad, but it emphasized its status as filler.

[jkBAKURA]

Honestly DS, I expected better.

I know combos have a tendency to repeat themselves, but aside from Chazz ( as much as I hate the name it's shorter to type) , most of the Duels' combos were taken straight from the Anime. I literaly caught myself thinking the Aster duel was the DD episode summery on Janime.

At least you had the sense not to make full chapters out of each of these duels. Glad Chazz used the VtoZ combo too, althout without Armed Dragons even making a discard bait cameo it leaves out a big chunk of the character.

I've never been one for filler, but it may have been better if this was added into another chapter, not an entire post that screams "Set-up" But I suppose suspense is in this year. It certainly mirrors Pokemoneese in that respect.

My only worry is this nasty ability to go into so much set-up, that the conclusion is lackluster. Mandate was a prime example of winding up the toy car so much the spring broke. (Mother always said I was good with annalogies)

But enough of my whining. User characters will be back soon, so I have that to be interested in. I just hope you haven't exausted your supply of Insect stradagies yet, or this could be a very rocky start to the next section.

[Dark Sage]

You don't owe Eric a Coke yet, Jason. You might be surprised at what happens with Janus.

[Shuppet Master]

Hope I don't cough my lungs up while submitting this. (No, I don't smoke, but I am in remission from a horrible head cold that I had all week, and I still have congestion and coughing. :()

I really enjoyed the chapter. Alexis is my favorite female character, and this chapter redeemed her role in GX(which was cr**, her only wins were against losers like her brother, that lame Shadow Rider who dropped his cool Archfiend deck, and her dumb brother who is too deluded for her own good) and she loses her second match to Chazz and goes nuts about destiny. I hate Sartorius's...

(Gets clubbed by Lucario)

Sorry about that rant, but Alexis deserved a better role, maybe even co-starring with Jaden. And now I hear she's being used as a damsel-in-distress in Season 3? ARGH! (censored)

Anyways, I liked how you made her destroy an assassin who was a predator of women. Probably even a frickin' necrophiliac as well. The other duels were great, and now we see that Alpha Tornado in action. One nitpick, though - Ojama King only had 1200 attack after that card resolved, his opponent would have been hanging with 800 life points. Fix that, please.

Other than that, the chapter was wonderful. I liked how you had the trades and each minor character getting a card of virtue. I wonder what my user character got? :)

Keep it up, Brian. Now, if you excuse me, I have to go train my Pokemon Pearl team to beat that frickin' rival and his frickin' Snorlax. :(

[Dark Sage]

SM,

Marcus's Trap Card cost him 800 LP to play. So there was no mistake.

[Master of Paradox]

I really enjoyed the chapter. Alexis is my favorite female character, and this chapter redeemed her role in GX(which was cr**, her only wins were against losers like her brother, that lame Shadow Rider who dropped his cool Archfiend deck, and her dumb brother who is too deluded for her own good) and she loses her second match to Chazz and goes nuts about destiny. I hate Sartorius's...

(Gets clubbed by Lucario)

Sorry about that rant, but Alexis deserved a better role, maybe even co-starring with Jaden. And now I hear she's being used as a damsel-in-distress in Season 3? ARGH! (censored)

On behalf of Bastion fans, and to quote Mystic_Clown, "Cry me a river, build me a bridge, and get over it!" He duels four times in the series, loses three of those times, and got booted from the third season opening credits entirely. Boo fracking hoo, Alexis fans!

Okay, I feel better now. Let's return the thread to topic...

[Blademaster]

Not a bad chapter, though as has been said already, it's been done before. The same how-do-a-bunch-of-college-students-concoct-a-plan-that-leads-to-a-master-invasion-on-the-enemy-stronghold-when-the-college-students-I-know-don't-even-know-what-former-and-latter-means setup as in Mandate of Heaven, the same everyone-involved-on-the-good-guy-side-is-an-instant-braveheart-hero-of-light-when-any-other-person-asked-to-put-their-life-on-the-line-to-help-save-the-world-would-probably-bail-ASAP setup as Pokemonese... stuff we've seen before. Not necessarily a bad thing; just not too exciting.

And four duels in one chapter, even though they were only parts of duels, made my head spin.

Anyway, I was a fan of several of the user characters, so I'll be looking forward to their return, too. Until then, I'm out.

Layterz.

-Blade

[Phoenixsong]

Huh. Well, I'm not as adverse to filler as jk is, because I personally would find it annoying if the characters had to beat evil and do something uber-significant in every single chapter. Too much excitement can itself become monotonous, after all. That said, I am a teensy bit miffed that you shoved the assassins under the rug so quickly. I was looking forward to longer duels with such deadly foes. I also kinda thought that such "serious" bad guys would be a bit closer to Fortunado... then again, I guess that qualifies more as "bodyguard" than "assassin". I suppose they did do their job (and fail, but what the hey?), but... I dunno. Meh.

Eeeww... dangit, Shup, now you've gone and put bad pictures in my head. I didn't WANT bad pictures in my head. I smack you with my keyboard! Shame! Necrophile... *shudder*

*twitches excitedly* I have a very nasty suspicion about who the Master is. Provided she's supposed to be someone we know, which may not be the case at all. But if she IS someone we know, I know exactly who I'm pointing fingers at. Hmmm.

So while I can't really ask you about that, I do have a question. Why'd you use the Japanese names/cards for the D-Heroes when we have the English? I mean, I know plenty of people here prefer the original stuff to the dub, and in a few cases I am inclined to agree (in a FEW cases... *hides from all the people who yell at her about Bakura, sticks her fingers in her ears and screams "LALALALALALALALA!! I can't hear you!!"*), but on the other hand "Dogma Guy" sounds much dumber than just plain "Dogma" in my opinion. Although I wouldn't have minded Diehard instead of Tenacious... seriously. Destiny Hero Diehard (Guy) would sound SOOO much better than the stupid "Captain Tenacious" we got. It makes him sound like a stubborn little kid.

Well, I enjoyed the chapter, anyway; in my opinion there's no such thing as "a little early for a new one". Now if you will excuse me, I need to go do homework (yeah, right), work on my own story and hide under my bed again... after all of that ranting about how annoying Hassleberry is I have discovered that he, like all the other GX characters, is finally starting to grow on me. Seriously. For the entire first season I have no idea why I kept watching, especially 'cause every five minutes I would whimper and say "I want my Yugi back! These people make me feel pain!" I thought every last one of them (other than Zane and Wheeler the World's Most Awesome Monkey) was gratingly obnoxious. And then... their obnoxiousness became endearing. So now I like them. And the same thing has now happened to Hassleberry. Rex is still better, but I like him now. So that means everything I said before is stupid and I must hide under my bed in shame as Master of Paradox points and laughs at me. I bid you adieu.

[Mystic_clown]

hmm, interesting filler. It's good to see Janus again after being left out of every other chapter so far.

I was a bit dissapointed about the whole assassin bit though. I thought they'd make a bigger part of the story. Besides, you'd think they'd go for the chosen ones (since facing the guardians wouldn't make much of a difference now).

Hmm, it seems DS' running short of deck themes if he has to use another beast deck. lol

[Shuppet Master]

you'd think they'd go for the chosen ones (since facing the guardians wouldn't make much of a difference now).

If you read the chapter better, you would have seen that the guardians were barring the way, so the assassins HAD to deal with them first. Not that I'm bashing you for not paying attention to detail, but...

Anyways, it's impossible to make original deck themes over the course of ninety chapters since the TCG has so few original deck themes. He's not gonna use the Neo-Spacians, since that was Jaden's forte, and Chaos is out since the three cards which are the cornerstone of it are banned. And it's really hard to make an original machine deck these days.

Speakig of which, I wonder if Brian is going to hint on Syrus Truesdale? After seeing him form that big-ass monster in the last episode, I'm really wondering why he didn't help Jaden defeat Sartorius again in this story. He's my favorite character(even if the voice actor for him had a head cold during that episode - urgh).

[Perfect Chaos]

Not bad, not bad...at least for a filler chapter. I liked how you split all the duels in to small "clips" you might say during the course of the chapter. I suppose you could say this chapter was sort of a teaser of what is meant to come, so I look forward to that.

Other than, not much else to say. See you for the beginning of the Reckoning

-Sean

[Dark Sage]

Well, it's starting. The Reckoning is upon us.

Read on...

[B]DARKNESS APPROACHES

[B][I]I didn’t want much. When I first met Russell, I wanted a recommendation from him so it would be easier to get into NYC Duel Academy. So I dueled him…

I lost, and I ended up owing him a favor.

That was two months ago, and recently, he asked me if I wanted to repay that favor, although I didn’t have to. He explained it would involve storming this fortress and maybe getting into a Shadow Game.

It sounded dangerous, but Jason told all of us that if we were successful, we’d practically have earned our way into Heaven. Who could say no to that?

So that’s it. In this duel, no more holograms. Real Monsters, real Spells, and if I lose all my Life Points, I might lose a lot more.

Boy…

Talk about a school that’s been hard to get in to…




[B][size=3]CHAPTER FORTY-EIGHT



http://www.ideal808.com/images/mrl-018.jpg



Tuesday, November 10th, 2106, 5:00 PM



As Bugsy floated through the portal of the Transporter, his mind thought back to a DVD he had seen – a recording of an old tournament.

He saw the final match. On one side was a guy named Louis… A guy in jeans, a leather jacket, and shades. He had 3,000 Life Points remaining, and a Berserk Gorilla on his side of the field.

His opponent was a young man wearing a blazer similar to that worn by the Obelisk students of the Academy. His blonde hair was tied in a ponytail, and he was wearing earrings that seemed meant for a girl. The Monster on his side of the field was Ancient Gear Soldier in Defense Mode, he had a facedown card, and had 4,000 Life Points.

“You’ve been lucky so far, Vellion,” said the guy with the Gorilla, “but I’m going to take you down…”

He made a draw.

“I play Tribute to the Doomed to destroy your tin man!”

He played a Spell Card, and then discarded one from his hand. A swarm of wrappings grabbed the Machine, and pulled it under.

“Now my Gorilla, attack him directly!”

The furious Gorilla leapt forward and clobbered the young man, sending him sprawling with a cry of pain.

He slowly got up…

“That was… excruciating…” he muttered. “But I’ve still got a few tricks left, Louis!”

His facedown card lifted.

“I activate Damage Condenser!” he shouted. “Now, I simply have to relinquish one card from my hand…”

He discarded one of his cards.

“…and I can summon any Monster from my deck whose Attack Score is equal to or less than the amount of Life Points I just lost. In other words, the harder you hit, the harder I can hit back!”

He took his deck.

“And I choose to summon The Trojan Horse.”

A huge horse made of wood appeared on the field, and neighed.

“Well then,” said Louis. “I’ll place a card facedown and end my turn…”

He played a card, and a facedown card appeared.

Vellion drew a card.

“Here it comes, Louis!” he shouted. “In case you don’t know, when The Trojan Horse is sacrificed to summon an Earth Attribute Monster, it counts as two Monsters. So I sacrifice my Horse… to summon the incredible… Ancient Gear Golem!”

The Trojan Horse vanished, and one of the mightiest Machines in Duel Monsters arose.

“Now, my Golem…” ordered Vellion, “attack his dirty, flea-ridden ape with mechanized melee!”

Ancient Gear Golem lunged forward and threw a punch, flattening Berserk Gorilla.

“Heh, heh…” chuckled Louis, as his Life Points fell to 2,000. “Thank you… Since you destroyed one of my Beasts, I can pay 1,000 Life Points…”

His score dipped to 1,000, and he placed a card on his Disk.

“To summon Green Baboon, the Forest Guard!”

Another ape appeared in front of him. This one had green fur, a mane of black hair, and was dressed in skins. It wasn’t as angry as the last gorilla, but it had bigger muscles and a broader physique.

“What?” asked Vellion. “Where did you get such a rare card?”

“Maybe the same place you got that hunk of junk,” answered Louis.

“Yes, good point…” said Vellion, looking at the two cards left in his hand.

“Well,” he continued, “my turn isn’t over… Since I have an Ancient Gear Monster on the field, I’ll play Ancient Gear Drill.”

He played a card and then discarded his other one.

“This lets me take any Spell Card from my deck I desire and place it facedown on the field.”

He took a card from his deck, and placed it in his Disk. It appeared behind the Golem.

“And that’s my move.”

“Perfect,” said Louis, drawing. “And I’ve got just the combo I need to finish you!

“I play Wild Nature’s Release.”

He played a Spell Card, and Green Baboon roared. Its Attack Score rose to 4,400.

“Destroy his Golem!” he shouted.

Green Baboon leapt at the Machine.

“Not so fast!” shouted his opponent. “I activate Limiter Removal!”

His facedown card lifted, and the Golem’s gears started to pound like crazy!

“It doubles my Golem’s Attack Score, from 3,000 to 6,000.”

Ancient Gear Golem walloped the Baboon, and it was smashed to pieces.

Louis fell to his knees as his Life Points fell to nothing.

The referee went up to the victor as the Machine vanished.

“Vellion Crowler is the winner!” he shouted, lifting his hand in the air.

The crowd cheered.

“Thank you…” said the duelist. “You’re all too kind…”



[B]* * * * * * * * * *


On the fifteenth floor, a Transporter hummed to life in a large room.

In a flash, Bugsy appeared, then he stumbled and fell.

“Somehow…” he muttered, “I prefer an elevator… Why did I suddenly think of that old DVD? I don’t use Beasts or Machines…”

He thought.

“Whatever killer combo that guy was going to pull, that Crowler guy had a better one. It finished his opponent before he could complete it. I wonder what he was going to do?”

He shrugged.

“Guess I’ll never know…”

He looked around.

It appeared to be an art gallery of some sort. Paintings lined both sides of the walls.

He looked at one painting. It depicted two fauns at a peaceful forest spring. He looked at the one next to it. It depicted a bear scooping fish out of a mountain stream.

Another painting depicted chipmunks chewing on acorns. Yet another depicted a pride of wolves with the alpha male in the foreground. A large picture depicted a snowy-white owl on a tree branch.

There was a definite theme to these paintings…

Nature… and animals… thought Bugsy.

“Enjoying the exhibits?” said a sweet voice.

Bugsy turned, and saw a lovely woman walk into the room. She wore a low-cut blue dress, and her hair was tied in a ponytail.

But Bugsy wasn’t fooled by the beautiful woman. She held an Orichalcos Disk on her left arm.

A Beauty that hid a Beast.

“Who are you?” asked Bugsy.

“Cassandra,” she replied, “the last opponent you’ll ever face. The Dark Messiah’s invasion is ending as we speak, little boy. Right now, your allies are falling one by one, and once you are beaten in this Shadow Game, your soul will be condemned to the shadows just like theirs.”

“You’re bluffing,” said Bugsy. “None of them could have been beaten already. And I can beat you too.”

“Oh?” said Cassandra. “I taught many of Fortunado’s duelists how to duel.”

She smiled sweetly.

“One of them who called himself Fang was so impressed by me that he tried to emulate my deck. But he failed miserably. He got drunk on the power that was given him, and…

“Ah, I won’t bore you with that. So, you consider yourself a follower of the Dark Messiah? Duel me in this Shadow Game, little boy, and see if you are worthy of following him.”

“I’m starting to like you less and less,” said Bugsy, shuffling his deck. “Not that I did in the first place. I’m in this too deep… I came here to duel, and I will if I have to…”



[B]* * * * * * * * * *


Fortunado watched as Bugsy faced Cassandra.

“So the battle is well joined,” he muttered. “Cassandra is one of my more… eccentric henchmen, but she’s a pretty good duelist. She should give that one a challenge.”

He took a deck out of his pocket, and started going through it.

“It’s been a long time since I got a chance to duel myself,” he said, “and I’ve never truly used this deck in a serious situation. The Council has forbidden these cards from ever being used… Ordered them burned when found…

“But they seem easy enough to use. I take to new things easily.”

The microwave oven next to him dinged, and he opened it. He removed a bag of popcorn.

“All I need to do now,” he said, replacing the deck in the holder on his belt, “is watch as the Messiah’s disciples fight their way past my troops. If he and his two partners can get up here, I’ll have my best face them…

“And if need be, I’ll take him down myself. The grand conclusion to my film masterpiece!”

He opened the bag of popcorn, and then grunted as steam flew in his face.

“Until then…” he muttered, “I’ll just watch the fun…”



[B]* * * * * * * * * *


“So, little boy,” said Cassandra, “do you have a name?”

“Folks call me Bugsy,” answered Bugsy.

“Bugsy,” replied Cassandra. “As in bugs, as in Insects. A very rural theme. Well, I like rural Monsters too, of a different type.”

Her blade-like Disk activated, and Bugsy activated his.



[B](Bugsy: 8,000) (Cassandra: 8,000)


“Well, little boy,” purred Cassandra, drawing five cards. “I’ll let you move first.”

Bugsy drew six cards. He looked them over.

“I place this Monster in Defense Mode,” he said. “Gokipon.”

He played the card, and the cute, cartoonish Insect appeared, crouching in Defense. (800/800)



http://www.ideal808.com/images/soi-en019.jpg


“That will be all for me,” he said.

Cassandra drew a sixth card.

“I can summon a much better Monster than that,” she said, playing a Spell Card.

“I use Polymerization, to fuse Gazelle the King of Mythical Beasts with Berfomet, to create Chimera, the Flying Mythical Beast.”

A lion-like creature with a unicorn-like horn appeared next to a horned Fiend with four arms.



http://www.ideal808.com/images/mrd_1241.jpghttp://www.ideal808.com/images/G4_b1.jpg


The two Monsters swirled together into a blur, forming into a two-headed, horned lion with feathered wings! (2,100/1,800)



http://www.ideal808.com/images/G4_b2.jpg


“Attack!” she shouted. “Pummeling pounce!”

Chimera flew forward, and slammed into Gokipon, smashing it flat.

“Well,” said Bugsy, “when Gokipon is destroyed in battle, I get to search for an Insect with a low Attack Score…”

He took his deck and leafed through it.

“And I choose Silent Insect,” he said.

“And I choose to place a card facedown, and end my turn,” said Cassandra.

She placed a card in her Disk, and a facedown card appeared.

Bugsy drew a card.

“Your opening powerhouse is pretty good,” he said, “but I have a better one. I summon Chainsaw Insect.”

He placed a card on his Disk, and the roar of chainsaws proceeded the appearance of the huge beetle with lethal mandibles. (2,400/0)



http://www.ideal808.com/images/soi_en021.jpg


“Attack the Chimera!” he shouted. “Buzz cut!”

Chainsaw Insect scurried forward, and its mandibles slashed the Chimera in two! The pieces shattered.



[B](B: 8,000) (C: 7,700)


Strangely, Cassandra only grinned.

“Well,” said Bugsy, “now you draw one card…”

“I can do more too,” said Cassandra, making a draw. “When Chimera is destroyed, I get to summon one of the Monsters that I fused to summon him. So I bring back Gazelle in Attack Mode.”

The lion-like Beast appeared, crouching in Defense. (1,500/1,200)

“And that’s not all,” she said. “You see, living in my deck is a powerful Beast that I can summon if one of my other Beasts is destroyed, so long as I pay 1,000 Life Points.”

Wait a second… thought Bugsy. It can’t be…

“So I’ll pay 1,000 Life Points, to summon this charming creature. Say hello to Green Baboon, the Forest Guard.”

Another Beast appeared in front of her, the same one he had seen that Crowler guy take down. (2,600/1,800)



http://www.ideal808.com/images/vjc_jp014.jpg


“Quite a hunk, isn’t he?” she asked.

“Hunk of what?” asked Bugsy. “I end my turn with two cards facedown…”

He played two cards, and they appeared behind Chainsaw Insect.



[B](B: 8,000) (C: 6,700)


Cassandra made a draw.

“I set one Monster in Defense Mode,” she stated.

She placed a card on her Disk, and a facedown Monster appeared.

“Now, Green Baboon, smash his Chainsaw Insect!”

Green Baboon leapt forward....

“I activate Draining Shield!” shouted Bugsy.

One of his Trap Cards, lifted and Green Baboon slammed into an invisible barrier.



[B](B: 10,600) (C: 6,700)


“Very nice…” said Cassandra. “I’ll simply end my turn there…”

Bugsy drew, and considered.

Let me think, he thought. I could attack Gazelle, but she’d be getting more cards. If I moved Chainsaw Insect into Defense Mode, I’d take a lot more damage…

“I’m simply going to pass,” he said.

“Very well,” she said, drawing a card. “Green Baboon, let’s try this again. Destroy Chainsaw Insect!”

Green Baboon pounced, and tore Chainsaw Insect to shreds.

“And since your Insect engaged in battle,” she said, “I get to draw again.”

She drew a card.

“Now, Gazelle, make me just as proud. Attack him directly!”

Gazelle leapt forward and raked his claws into Bugsy! Bugsy hollered.



[B](B: 8,900) (C: 6,700)


“You’re move, little boy,” she said.

Bugsy got up.

“Yes, and I should thank you,” he said, drawing. “You see, I needed two Insects in my Graveyard to summon my most powerful creature…

“I remove Gokipon and Chainsaw Insect from play to summon my Doom Dozer.”

He placed a card on his Disk, and the enormous centipede burst out of the floor. (2,800/2,600)



http://www.ideal808.com/images/soi_en024.jpg


“Attack the Green Baboon!” he shouted. “Jagged jaw chomp!”

Doom Dozer scurried forward, and crushed the huge ape in its jaws.

“And now,” said Bugsy, “you lose the top card from your deck.”

Cassandra took the top card from her deck and frowned. She discarded it.

“Very well,” she said. “But I guarantee you haven’t seen the last of that Monster.”

“Even if you summoned it again, I’d just destroy it again,” said Bugsy.

“Not if I destroy Doom Dozer first,” answered Cassandra.



[B](B: 8,900) (C: 6,500)


She drew a card.

“I sacrifice Gazelle and my facedown Soul Tiger to summon Behemoth, the King of All Animals!”

She switched cards on her Disk, and the huge, savage Beast that Old Ben kept in his Deck rose upon the field. (2,700/1,500)



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“And simply by summoning him,” said Cassandra, “I can return to my hand from the Graveyard one Beast for every Monster I sacrificed to summon him.”

Two cards slipped out of her discard slot. She showed them to him – they were Green Baboon and Soul Tiger.

“So welcome back, my Green Baboon.

“Now I’ll play a Spell Card, Wild Nature’s Release. Watch… as my Behemoth’s Defense Score is added to his Attack Score.”

She played the card, and an aura of flames surrounded Behemoth! His Attack shot up to 4,200!

“Attack his Doom Dozer!” she shouted. “Savage swipe!”

Good lord… thought Bugsy.

Behemoth made a slash with his mighty claw, and Doom Dozer was sliced into pieces.

My best card… thought Bugsy, aghast. Oh, it was a NOMI! I have no way to get it back!

“On an interesting side note,” said Cassandra, “since I played that Spell Card, Behemoth would be destroyed when I ended my turn. Oh well…”

Her facedown card lifted.

“Guess I’ll have to use my Trap Card, Beast Soul Swap. This little trick returns a Beast to my hand, so long as I swap it for one who has the same number of stars, and my Green Baboon also has seven stars…”

Behemoth vanished, and Green Baboon reappeared on the field. (2,600/1,800)

“And my Battle Phase continues, meaning he can attack you, little boy.

“Primal rage!”

Bugsy screamed as Green Baboon slammed its fist into him, and he tumbled backwards.

He moaned.



[B](B: 4,900) (C: 6,500)


“That… that hurt!” groaned Bugsy. “What sort of hologram is this?”

“Hologram?” laughed Cassandra. “This is no hologram, little boy. When you play in the shadows, it’s all very real…

“And it’s your move… I’ll send your soul to languish in the shadows soon enough.”

I’m beginning to get the picture, thought Bugsy, getting up. This isn’t just about my Life Points…

…this is about my life!

And that must have been the combo that Louis planned to use on Crowler… Except in that one, he intended to start with his Green Baboon, and finish with his Behemoth. Unfortunately, there are no Insect versions of Limiter Removal.

“I have a question Cassandra…” he muttered.

“Yes?” she asked.

“Why Beasts?” he asked. “You don’t seem like the type who’d use such brutal and primitive creatures…”

“Why?” she asked. “Because I’m a beautiful woman? Are all such duelists limited to Harpies, Amazons, Fairies, and cutsey-cute Monsters?”

She smiled sweetly.

“I’ll answer your question gladly,” she continued. “My favorite Monster is a Beast, but she’s just as beautiful as I am, unlike most who are ‘brutal and primitive’, as you put it. And her powerful effect necessitated the use of other Beasts and Beast-Warriors.

“You’ll meet her soon, assuming you survive long enough for me to draw her. Now make your move.”

Okay… thought Bugsy, my best card has been defeated, and her best is still to come. Can this get worse?

He drew.

“I play Pot of Greed,” he exclaimed.

The jar appeared, and he drew two cards.

He looked over the eight cards in his hand. A strategy was starting to form.

He placed a card in his Disk.

“I play Nightmare’s Steelcage!” he exclaimed.

Cassandra flinched a little, as the spire-ridden cage formed around her and the Baboon. She gave Bugsy a dirty look.

“Whatever,” she said. “Like I care.”

“I’ll summon Silent Insect in Defense Mode, and place a card facedown,” continued Bugsy.

A small bug resembling a flat, white tick appeared in front of him. (200/300) Then a facedown card appeared.



http://www.ideal808.com/images/soi-en020.jpg


“That’s my turn.”

“I draw one card…” said Cassandra, making a draw.

“And my Trap activates!” shouted Bugsy. “Ojama Trio!”

The Trap lifted, and the three Ojamas materialized in front of Cassandra. (0/1,000 x3)

“Ugh…” she muttered. “I’ll play my Graceful Charity…”

She played the card.

She made three draws.

Then she discarded two (one of which was Soul Tiger).

Then she placed a card in her Disk, and a facedown card appeared.

“That will be it for me,” she said.

Bugsy made another draw.

“I’ll summon a second Gokipon in Defense Mode,” he said.

Another Gokipon appeared. (800/800)

“And it’s your move.”

Cassandra drew. She looked at the Field Spell Card.

I almost have all I need to bring out the key point of my strategy, she thought. This fool doesn’t know that his Trap has actually helped me.

She placed a card in her Disk, and another facedown card appeared.

She waved her hand to signal the end of her turn. The Cage vanished into mist.

“All right!” shouted Bugsy, drawing a card. “I activate… Two copies of a Spell Card called Multiplication of Ants. One is in my hand, the other is on the field.”

The facedown card he had been using as a bluff lifted.

The two identical Spell Cards glowed, and his two Insects vanished.

“Each one lets me sacrifice an Insect to summon two Army Ant Tokens in Defense Mode.”

Four large, green ants appeared on his side of the field. (500/1,200)

“And now…” he said, “I’ll summon Parasitic Ticky in Attack Mode.”

He threw the card on his Disk, and the grotesque humanoid tick carrying a quiver of javelins appeared.



http://www.ideal808.com/images/soi-en018.jpg


“This Monster’s Attack and Defense is 500 for every Token Monster on the field. There are seven, four on my side, and three on yours…”

(3,500/3,500)

“Thirty-five hundred,” said Cassandra with a grin. “Oh, whatever will I do…”

“Attack the Green Baboon!” shouted Bugsy. “Javelin sting!”

Parasitic Ticky hurled one of its weapons, spearing Green Baboon. It fell over, and shattered.

“I activate my facedown card…” said Cassandra, as her Trap Card lifted. “Animal Trail. Since my Monster was destroyed, it lets me bring another Beast right to my hand. And I know just what one I want.”

She took her deck, and quickly found the card she wanted.



[B](B: 4,900) (C: 5,600)


“Your move…” said Bugsy. “So now what?”

Cassandra drew a card.

“I’ll show you,” she said, as her Field slot opened.

“Oh no…” gasped Bugsy. “You’re going to use the Orichalcos…”

“HA, HA, HA!” laughed Cassandra. “Well, I’d love to use the Orichalcos against you, but I can benefit better from a much more basic, old fashioned Field Spell Card. This is simply the Forest card.”

She placed the card in the slot, and quickly, trees sprouted around the room, and the floor grew into an underbrush. The room had turned into a sylvan woodland.

“What?” asked Bugsy. “You do know that while Beasts gain an advantage in this field, so do Insects? Insects feed off of the plant life of the forest and its environs, you know. This is their habitat.”

Parasitic Ticky rose to (3,700/3,700), and the Ant Tokens rose to (700/1,400)

“It won’t matter,” said Cassandra. “Now my best Monster can strut her stuff. And I’m going to bring her out by using the Ojama Tokens you gave me.”

“What?” asked Bugsy. “You can’t sacrifice them.”

“That’s only partially true,” replied Cassandra. “They can’t be sacrificed for a Tribute Summon. Special Summons are exceptions. Such as Rituals.”

She played a card.

“I play the Ritual Spell Card, Forest Shrine.”

An elaborate, decorated shrine covered with vines and leaves appeared behind her.

“For this ceremony, I need six stars worth of Monsters, so your three Ojama Tokens will be just enough. And even better, since this doesn’t destroy them, I don’t lose any Life Points.

“You see, little boy, these tokens are Beasts, and there is NO Beast that I can’t handle.”

The three tokens vanished. Parasitic Ticky’s stats shrunk to (2,200/2,200)



Continued…

[Dark Sage]

Continued from last post:



“And as a result, I summon Unicorn Princess!”

With a galloping of hooves, a beautiful, pure white unicorn with a golden horn on its forehead leapt out of the shrine. She neighed, and Cassandra put her arms around her neck, gently stroking her mane. (2,100/2,000) –> (2,300/2,200)

“You ever hear legends about unicorns?” asked Cassandra. “It is said that they were the protectors of old and ancient forests, and were savage fighters who fought off anyone who dared despoil their home. They could only be tamed by virgin maidens with pure hearts… People like me.”

“You’re a virgin?” asked Bugsy.

Cassandra nodded.

“Does that surprise you?” she asked.

“I’m not sure if I believe you,” said Bugsy. “And you certainly don’t have a pure heart.”

Cassandra frowned as she let go of Unicorn Princess.

“Now I activate my facedown card,” she said, as the facedown card lifted. “The lethal Poison Fangs!”

The card depicted a set of fanged mandibles.

“Now, whenever one of my Beasts damages your Life Points, you’ll lose an additional 500 Life Points.

“Unicorn Princess, attack his tick! Lunging lance!”

Unicorn Princess charged at Parasitic Ticky, horn-first, and speared it in the chest. It shattered to bits.

Bugsy held his chest, as the Poison Fangs card glowed.



[B](B: 4,300) (C: 5,600)


“Make your move, little boy…” said Cassandra.

“Stop making fun of me!” shouted Bugsy. “The name is Bugsy! Bug-sy! And I will defeat you!”

He drew a card. Then he placed one on his Disk.

“I summon Neo Bug in Defense Mode.”

Neo Bug appeared, shielding itself. (1,800/1,700) –> (2,000/1,900)



http://www.ideal808.com/images/ioc-058.jpg


Cassandra drew a card.

“HA, HA, HA!” she laughed. “Allow me to explain to you Unicorn Princess’s powerful effect.

“When she’s on the field, all of my Winged Beasts, Beast-Warriors, and Beasts, other than herself, gain 300 Attack Points. And since she’s the guardian of the forest, that bonus grows to 800 if the Forest Field Spell Card is active, which it is.

“So I summon Enraged Battle Ox…”

She played a card, and an angry-looking minotaur holding an axe appeared. (1,700/1,000)



http://www.ideal808.com/images/ioc-0701.jpg


“So he gains 800 Attack Points from my Princess, and another 200 from the Forest itself.”

(2,700/1,200)

“And let’s not forget his own effect. He gives all Beasts, Beast-Warriors, and Winged Beasts on my side of the field a trampling effect. You can’t protect your Life Points by putting Monsters in Defense Mode.”

Bugsy stared at the two Monsters in fear…

It was the perfect combo…

“Enraged Battle Ox, stomp his Neo Bug!”

The minotaur slashed with his axe, chopping Neo Bug in half.

“Unicorn Princess, take out one of his Tokens!”

Unicorn Princess charged, and her horn speared one of the ants…

…then it followed through, spearing Bugsy in the chest. He fell over.

“And don’t forget the effect of Poison Fangs…”



[B](B: 2,200) (C: 5,600)


“See how futile it is, little boy?” asked Cassandra. “One more round, and you’ll join the rest of your allies in eternal darkness. Your invasion was doomed from the start.”

“I don’t believe you…” muttered Bugsy. “I don’t believe that they’ve been beaten…”

“Believe it,” said Cassandra. “And it isn’t only here. More of Fortunado’s men are taking down your allies at the school. The Messiah’s defeat will be total.”

Bugsy sank to his knees.



[B]* * * * * * * * * *


Bugsy! said a familiar voice. Get on your feet! Don’t let this bitch deceive you!

“Jason?” asked Bugsy.

Listen to me Bugsy, said Jason’s voice. She’s been feeding you lies. The shadows haven’t claimed any of your allies yet. We aren’t even close to being beaten. And I assure you, she is NO virgin!

“Well, she wasn’t far off,” said Bugsy. “One more attack, and I’m dead…”

You can defeat her! said Jason. There must be something you can do.

Burn the whole forest down if you have to.



[B]* * * * * * * * * *


Bugsy got up.

He looked at the three cards in his hand.

Burn the whole forest down… he thought. Now that’s an idea… I could do it…

He drew a card. It was a Quickplay Spell.

And now I could do it and take out that Unicorn.

“Watch this…” he said. “I toss three cards facedown…”

He fit three cards into his Disk, and they appeared.

“And now I sacrifice two of them…”

His Greed and Scapegoat card lifted up, and vanished…

“…to summon my Anteatereatingant!”

A fierce-looking, giant ant crawled out of the ground. Vile liquid dripped from its mandibles. (2,000/500) –> (2,200/700)



http://www.ideal808.com/images/soi-en022.jpg


“And I activate its effect,” said Bugsy. “So long as I don’t attack with it during a round, I can destroy one Spell or Trap Card…

“So, even though I’m an environmentalist at heart, I’m going to destroy the whole Forest!”

Anteatereatingant sprayed a stream of acidic mist, and the trees and shrubs around them melted into dust!

“Now all our Monsters lose 200 Attack and Defense Points,” said Bugsy, “and your Battle Ox loses 500 more.”

The Ant fell to (2,000/500), Battle Ox fell to (2,000/1,000), and Unicorn Princess fell to (2,100/2,000)

“You seem awfully happy for someone who’s about to lose…” said Cassandra, angrily.

She drew a card.

“Unicorn Princess, attack the Anteatereatingant!”

Unicorn Princess charged at the ant…

“I activate… Rush Recklessly!” shouted Bugsy.

His last facedown card lifted, and the ant rose to an Attack of 2,700. It grabbed Unicorn Princess in its mandibles and squeezed, crushing it into pixels!

Cassandra gasped…

Enraged Battle Ox fell to his base Attack of 1,700.

“I move Enraged Battle Ox into Defense Mode, and end my turn…” she muttered.

The Beast-Warrior crouched in Defense Mode.



[B](B: 2,200) (C: 5,000)


Bugsy drew a card.

“I summon… Insect Knight!” he exclaimed.

He played the card, and the tall mantis warrior holding his sword appeared. (1,900/1,500)



http://www.ideal808.com/images/yugioh_fet_en_004_1.jpg


“Insect Knight, attack Enraged Battle Ox with mandiblade!”

Insect Knight flew forward, and made a slash with his weapon, cutting Enraged Battle Ox in twain.

“Anteatereatingant, attack Cassandra directly! Marabounta maul!”

Cassandra shrieked as the huge ant lunged at her. It grasped her by the waist with its mandibles and squeezed…

She fell over.



[B](B: 2,200) (C: 3,000)


“Ugh…” she gasped, getting up. “Not bad… But you’re still far from winning…”

She drew a card.

“It will be a cold day before my noble creatures are defeated by vermin. Behold as my divine creature makes her return!

“I play Fulfillment of the Contract. This lets me raise one Ritual Monster from my Graveyard so long as I pay 800 Life Points and Equip it with this card.”

She played the card, and Unicorn Princess reappeared. (2,100/2,000)

“Destroy his ant!” she shouted.

Unicorn Princess rammed her horn into the giant ant’s thorax, and it screamed before shattering to bits.

The Poison Fangs card glowed again, and pain ripped through Bugsy again.

Super… he thought. Maybe I should have destroyed that instead of attacking…



[B](B: 1,600) (C: 2,200)


“All right, my draw…” he muttered.

He drew a card.

Dreadscythe Warrior? he thought, looking at the Monster. Nuts, this guy is plenty strong enough, but he’s an eight-star Monster. I’d need to make two sacrifices, and my Tokens don’t count.

“I move Insect Knight to Defense Mode…” he said.

Insect Knight knelt and leaned on his sword.

“And I’ll end my turn.

Cassandra drew a card.

“I summon Pitch-Black Warwolf in Attack Mode,” she stated.

She played the card, and a new Beast-Warrior appeared. She called it a “Warwolf”, but it was clearly a werewolf, with black fur, holding a nasty sword. (1,600/600) –> (1,900/600)



http://www.ideal808.com/images/rds-en0261.jpg


“And what can he do?” asked Bugsy.

“As long as he’s on the field,” she replied, “you can’t activate Traps or Spells during a Battle Phase. Yours or mine.

“Unicorn Princess, attack Insect Knight.”

Unicorn Princess speared the mantis, and it shattered.

“Pitch-Black Warwolf, swat one of his Tokens.”

The lycanthrope slashed one of the ants in two with his blade.

“Next, I’ll play Emergency Provisions, to send Fulfillment of the Contract to the Graveyard.

She played the card, and the Spell Card vanished.

“This not only gives me 1,000 more Life Points, it frees Unicorn Princess from her link to that card, so you can’t destroy her by destroying it.

“Your move…”



[B](B: 1,600) (C: 3,200)


Bugsy drew a card.

Huh, he thought, looking at it.

It was the card that Jason had given him. He didn’t really understand Cards of Virtue, but this would help a lot… if his luck was better than hers.

I have to pray… he thought. Pray that her next draw isn’t a Monster she can summon…

He placed the card in his Disk, and a facedown card appeared.

“Heh, heh…” laughed Cassandra. “All I must do is draw any Monster, and the shadows will savor your soul…”

She drew a card.

The Big March of Animals.

Hmm, I’ll save this, she thought.

“You’re very lucky, little boy,” she said, “but now you can only watch as I wipe out your last defenses.

“Attack!”

Unicorn Princess and Warwolf made short work of the two Army Ants.

“I’ll destroy you on my next turn…”

“Not gonna happen,” said Bugsy, drawing a card.

He looked at it.

Oh well… he thought. Not like I have much use for a Skull-Mark Ladybug now anyway…

His facedown card lifted.

…Justice…

“I activate… The Eighth Plague!”

The Trap Card showed a swarm of locusts flying over a desert city.

“What sort of card is that?” asked Cassandra.

“A Card of Virtue,” said Bugsy. “A Justice card, so it’s fitting I use it against one like you who lies and deceives. I merely have to discard one card…”

He discarded the card he had just drawn.

“…and I can summon from my Graveyard three Insects who have four stars or less.”

First Gokipon appeared. (800/800) Then, Neo Bug. (1,800/1,700) And finally, Insect Knight. (1,900/1,500)

“The only catch is, they’re destroyed if the Trap leaves the field, but I’m going to sacrifice Gokipon and Neo Bug…”

The two Insects vanished…

“…to summon Dreadscythe Warrior!”

A large Insect appeared in a gust of wind. It looked like a man-sized praying mantis with dexterous forearms, and in them, it held a huge scythe that seemed to be made from part of its exoskeleton. (2,300/1,600)



http://www.ideal808.com/images/vjc_jp015.jpg


“Go, my Warrior!” he shouted. “Attack Unicorn Princess!”

Dreadscythe Warrior flew forward, and slashed with its scythe, blowing Unicorn Princess out of existence.

“Insect Knight, attack the Pitch-Black Warwolf!”

Insect Knight flew forward, and cut the werewolf down with his sword.



[B](B: 1,600) (C: 2,700)


“It’s your move…” said Bugsy.

Cassandra nervously drew…

She placed three cards into her Disk, and they appeared in front of her.

She glared at him.

He drew a card.

Giant Trunade! he thought, looking at it. If I used this, she’d be helpless… Every duelist’s dream!

But there’s one problem. It would return The Eighth Plague to MY hand, which would destroy Insect Knight. Attacking her directly with Dreadscythe Warrior wouldn’t finish her, and I don’t know what other tricks she has up her sleeve.

He paused.

Of course… he thought, looking at Dreadscythe Warrior. The answer is right in front of me…

“I activate Dreadscythe Warrior’s special ability,” he said. “By sacrificing one other Insect, I can increase its Attack by 500 points for one round.”

Insect Knight and The Eighth Plague vanished. Dreadscythe Warrior rose to an Attack of 2,800.

“And now I play… Giant Trunade!”

Cassandra watched in horror as her three facedown cards were blown off the field…

“Go!” shouted Bugsy. “Attack her directly!”

Dreadscythe Warrior flew at Cassandra, and slashed at her with its mighty scythe. She screamed, and fell backwards.

And then she fell on her back.



[B](B: 1,600) (C: 0)


Bugsy looked at The Eighth Plague.

“What a great card…” he said.

He walked up to his foe.

“Well, that, as they say, is that,” said Bugsy. “So now maybe I can get some info that I can use, unless you want me too…”

He looked at her. Her eyes were staring blankly at the ceiling.

“Cassandra?” he said, snapping her fingers. “Cassandra?”

He paused. He looked at her.

“She threatened to condemn my soul to the shadows if I lost…” he muttered. “But I won… So does that mean her own soul has been condemned?”

He shuddered.

“So much I don’t know about Shadow Games… This is… Hello?”

He noticed something on her dress.

He picked it up and looked at it. It was a square made of red metal, with the letter S on it.

He picked up his cell phone.



[B]* * * * * * * * * *


“Hello?” said Jason, answering his phone. “Bugsy?”

“Russell, please tell me that everyone is all right…” said Bugsy.

“Did your opponent tell you that your teammates were losing?” asked Jason. “Relax. That’s common psyche-out warfare. Don’t believe these thugs.”

“Well, I won,” muttered Bugsy. “And my opponent… Well, she’s alive, but there’s no-one home. What happens if you lose a Shadow Game?”

“Shadow Games can’t be one-sided, Bugsy,” answered Jason. “She’s obviously suffering whatever dark fate she meant to inflict on you.”

“It’s horrible…” muttered Bugsy.

“Listen close, Bugsy,” said Jason. “You ever hear the expression, ‘live by the sword, die by the sword’? These shadow duelists dug their own graves a long time ago. Feeling sorry for them isn’t a good idea.”

“Well, I might have gotten a clue of sorts,” said Bugsy. “She had something on her… a red letter S.”

“A red letter S…” said Jason, writing it down in a notebook.

“Does that mean anything to you?” asked Bugsy.

“It might,” said Jason. “Take a break, Bugsy. Try not to get caught in another duel so soon.

“Be very careful…”



[B]* * * * * * * * * *


Fortunado hadn’t watched the end of Bugsy’s duel. Once The Eighth Plague had been played, he had decided that Cassandra was best left to her fate. Right now he was going over some cards.

A buzzer rang.

“Enter,” he said.

A young man walked into the room.

“Ready to handle Trisha?” he asked.

“It would be my pleasure,” he replied.

“Well let’s see the deck,” said Fortunado, holding out his hand. “I want to make sure this isn’t a repeat of what happened the last time…”

The young man handed him a deck, and his boss leafed through it.

“Mm-hmm,” he said. “Mm-hmm… Well, you have some good ideas, but still… I think you need a major change of strategy…”

He handed him fourteen cards.

He looked at them. It was five different Monsters, three copies of four of them, two of the last.

“I’ve… I’ve never even heard of these…” he said, looking at them.

“They were special edition cards that were only released in Europe,” said Fortunado. “Very few folks in America even know about them.

“Win this duel, and you can consider them a bonus.

“You have one hour to adjust your deck around them. This duel is vital. If Jason’s henchmen are taken out, he’ll lose confidence and morale, and be more vulnerable.

“When I finally face him, I’d rather his allies be gone.”

“It’s as good as done…” said the youth.


Tuesday, November 10th, 2106, 5:45 PM



BERFOMET (Monster Card)

Card Specs

Type: Fiend/Effect
Attribute: Dark
Level: 5
ATK: 1,400
DEF: 1,800

Card Description: When this card is successfully Tribute Summoned, you may search your deck for one “Gazelle, The King of Mythical Beasts” and add it to your hand.



CHIMERA, THE FLYING MYTHICAL BEAST (Monster Card)

Card Specs

Type: Beast/Fusion/Effect
Attribute: Wind
Level: 6
ATK: 2,100
DEF: 1,800

Card Description: Gazelle, the King of Mythical Beasts + Berfomet

When this card is destroyed after it has been Fusion Summoned and sent to the Graveyard, you may Special Summon either "Gazelle, the King of Mythical Beasts" or "Berfomet" from your Graveyard.

Note: “Berfomet” and “Chimera the Flying Mythical Beast” are Japanese cards that have not yet been released in the United States. They were used by Yugi many times in the anime, originally in “Yugi versus the Rare Hunter (Part One)”.



FOREST SHRINE (Spell Card)

Card Specs

Type: Spell/Ritual
Attribute: –
Level: –
ATK: –
DEF: –

Image: An ancient, vine-covered shrine deep within a primeval forest.

Card Description: This card is used to Ritual Summon “Unicorn Princess”. You must also offer Monsters as a Tribute from the field or your hand whose total star levels equal six or more.



UNICORN PRINCESS (Monster Card)

Card Specs

Type: Beast/Ritual/Effect
Attribute: Light
Level: 6
ATK: 2,100
DEF: 2,000

Card Description: This card is summoned via use of the Ritual Spell Card “Forest Shrine”. You must also offer Monsters as Tribute from the field or your hand whose total star levels equal six or more. When this card is face-up on your side of the field, all BEAST- (except this one), BEAST-WARRIOR- and WINGED BEAST-Type Monsters on your side of the field gain 300 ATK. If “Forest” is active, Monsters that benefit from this effect gain an additional 500 ATK.

Note: “Forest Shrine” and “Unicorn Princess” first appeared in “City of Souls”.



GREEN BABOON, THE FOREST GUARD (Monster Card)

Card Specs

Type: Beast/Effect
Attribute: Earth
Level: 7
ATK: 2,600
DEF: 1,800

Card Description: When a BEAST-Type Monster on your side of the field is destroyed and sent to the Graveyard, you may pay 1,000 Life Points to Special Summon this card from your deck.



DREADSCYTHE WARRIOR (Monster Card)

Card Specs

Type: Insect/Effect
Attribute: Wind
Level: 8
ATK: 2,300
DEF: 1,600

Card Description: You can offer one INSECT-Type Monster on your side of the field as a Tribute to increase the ATK of this card by 500 until the End Phase of the current round.

Note: “Green Baboon the Forest Guard” and “Dreadscythe Warrior” are Japanese promotional cards that have not been released in the United States.



THE EIGHTH PLAGUE (Trap Card)

Card Specs

Type: Trap/Continuous/Card of Virtue
Attribute: –
Level: –
ATK: –
DEF: –

Virtue: Justice

Image: A swarm of locusts flying over a desert city.

Card Description: Discard one card from your hand. Special Summon three INSECT-Type Monsters from your Graveyard, each of which has four stars or less. If this card leaves the field, all Monsters Special Summoned with this card are destroyed. If the Monsters Special Summoned by this card leave the field, this card is destroyed.

Note: In Exodus, the eighth Plague of Egypt was the Plague of Locusts, one of the most dangerous. Since the Plagues were used as divine retribution, I’ve modeled a Card of Virtue involving Insects after one of them.



[B][I]Coming up next:

As you saw, Randy and Nadia decided to stay together to give each other support. But next chapter, support may not be enough for Nadia, as her opponent is a guest star from GX whose deck had some of the creepiest creatures in the anime. Who is this duelist who has been brought from the GX era? It isn’t one of the Puppeteer’s specters, I’ll tell you that. Revealing the name of the chapter will give it away, so I’ll just end on that note.

[Blademaster]

Hey, Brian! Late night, huh? I can relate...

Now this is what I'm talking about! Insects and Beasts facing off is something you don't see too often, and all the new cards (on both sides) really kept the duel interesting. Lots of promos, too, which are cool cards to add in... nice work.

The Eighth Plague? That was certainly unexpected, though I can see how it fits... I'm curious as to what the other Cards of Virtue will be like... Eh, don't suppose you'd be willing to give any hints, wouldja? :sweat3:

...

Didn't think so. :sweat:

It was also pretty cool to see your Unicorn Princess make a return appearance after so long... You seriously have to bring back some more of your old cards - return to your roots, you know? The Shield of St. George, Demolition Grenade, Black Rose Briar, The Serpent of the Rainbow, Crazy Clockworks... cards like that are long-overdue to make a return appearance... :lookout:

Just a thought; anyway, speaking of Unicorn Princess, the only other time you've ever used her was when Circe dueled Mary... Weird how such a noble card is always being used by some... well, psycho-broad, for lack of a better term... Too bad. :p

Er, before I forget, Anteatereatingant's attack... Marabounta Maul? :confused:

Oh, and one more thing!


“Stop making fun of me!” shouted Bugsy. “The name is Bugsy! Bug-sy! And I will defeat you!”

That reminds me a lot of when Tom dueled The Lieutenant in 3.0 and he threw a similar tantrum... Coincidence? Heh heh... :rolleyes:

At any rate, I think this was your best duel in quite awhile, especially due to all the memories it brought back - Bugsy from the Azalea Town Gym in Pokemon: Johto, Unicorn Princess from City of Souls (And Sister of Anansi - I didn't forget you, Shup. ;)), The Lieutenant from 3.0, and the duel between Rose and Wanda from The Thousand-Year Door... Ahhhhh, memories...

Well, anyway, this post is long enough - I'll let Phoenix deal with all the novel-length reviews; I just had to say all that stuff.

Anyway, Nadia is up next time... Heh, I have a feeling we're finally gonna find out what Sisters of Chaos does, then...

I'll be waiting, so, as Mario would say...

"See you next time!" :wave:

-Blade

[Dark Sage]

Blade:

"Marabounta" is a term used to name a dangerous phenomenon in Africa where swarms of army ants go on rampange and devour everything in site. At its worst, these swarms can devour an elephant and the locals know enough to run for cover whenever a Marabounta happens.

Sorry if that caused confusion.

[Perfect Chaos]

Eh...what can I say

I found this chapter to be somewhat...lacking. The duel seemed short to me and sortof like it was just throw together, no REAL flow to it at all or anything. I suppose its because you have to write about a dozen of these duels in order to get the story moving along again, so hopefully the duels get a little more entertaining as they go on.

I have a feeling I know who duels Nadia in the next chapter but I won't say anything.

By the way, the dialogue with Bugsy and Jason was messed up because when Jason picked up the phone, Bugsy thought it was Russell.

Anyways, see you next chapter

-Sean

[jkBAKURA]

Well, there really isn't much to be said. Once again we have a predictable series of chapters serving as puzzle pieces in one big event. We are getting up to the climax of the story, so the plot section isn't going to be worth mentioning for a while, it's just how the structure works.

That leaves the duel, and in that I was very pleasently surprised.

Unlike most Wanda, who almost seemed like she was playing different decks throughout TYD, this really felt like the same deck with the missing pieces filled in. That my friend, is not easy, and I say that from experience. Especially with something like insects where we've seen everything already, you met the challange of changing the combonations in a way that was fresh. I was worried that using Bugsey as a kickoff point would be dooming the section to a low start. I'm very impressed.

Now, Maybe I'm a Chad fan, but even in the face of the Beast deck, I never got tired, even though with the exception of Green Baboon, it was most of the same cards. I owe that to both you and Paradox by the way. Chances are Beast decks will need to be retired from the board for a while before they meet the same fate as the Amazons. Luckilly, today was not the day that heppened.

I know exactly who's coming next, and you've got quite large shoes to fill. Nadia may be able to pick up the slack, but after two duels, there's not much that I can see being new with the exception of the Sisters of Chaos card. Already it seems like a chapter for the sake of having certain events in the story. I'll look, but like last time, I have my doubts.

And if the next chapter title isn't what I think it is, I'll... well, I'll come up with something

[Shuppet Master]

This was a really great beginning to the endgame, Brian. I never expected you to use those weird new Japanese cards which I had never heard before. (Well, I heard Green Baboon being used in the GX manga, but Dreadscythe...) :)

Anyways, I've not much to say, sadly. Maybe next chapter, when my user character shines.

BTW, Brian, are you going to PM me with a hint about what happened to Syrus. Even if you say he's been ignored, I'm jack with that. Syrus was one of my favorite characters and I want to know why he and his brother Zane were ignored. Someone yelled at me to get over my "Alexis fanboyness" when in truth, I was worried about old Sy! :(

[Phoenixsong]

*pokes Blade with a stick* My replies are NOT novel-length! Novella-length, maybe, but no novels! Anyway.

I rather enjoyed this one... it did seem a teensy bit forced, but it was fun. That Green Baboon was cool, too. Even though that one line of Jason's:


And I assure you, she is NO virgin!

makes me wonder if there's something Trisha needs to know about... j/k. But that was worded strangely.

Well, the next chapter should be interesting... I'm trying to work out who you might mean, although it might well be someone from an episode I haven't seen yet. Although I have to say it was weird how Bugsy randomly remembers that duel of Crowler's... that was kind of random... and then the "major strategy" that Louis was going to use was made out to be a big deal, and it wasn't even Cassandra's trump move. I do have a slight suspicion about the reason for the random memory, but even if my suspicion is correct that particular memory seemed unnecessary.

I eagerly await the next chapter!

[Dark Sage]

Shuppet Master -

You will find out a little of what happened to Zane. In fact, one character has a close connection to him.

As for Syrus, well, wherever Jaden went, he likely went too. So it depends on what theory you believe.

[Blademaster]

Friends to the end, I'd say.

And thanks for explaining, Brian. Don't you dare apologize - you may have actually given me a cool idea! :yes:

[Shuppet Master]

I'm with Blade, after Syrus showed how much he cares about Jaden in that one episode, I've been convinced that Hassleberry was only being a pretender because Jaden had shown so much strength - in truth, Syrus was the real best friend of Jaden. (Sorry about the mess, I'm just a big Syrus fan.)

That note about Zane having a connection to one of the characters gets me curious, but I'll wait until it's revealed. ^_^

[Master of Paradox]

Personally, I've been rather happy with the lack of Syrus/Sho mentionings. I hate the squeaky-voiced little mophead... and his monsters... and his personality. He's Tea (voice of FRIENDSHIP! embodied) crossed with Mokuba (nicer little brother of the Antiheroic Loner).

[Mystic_clown]

Hmm, I dunno about this one. While the duel was good, Cassandra seemed a bit, flat to me. You figured that if she train the other minions, she'd get a bit more screen time. The three swordsmen got more screen time and we haven't even heard from them since their defeats (with the exception of Cleo).

I don't really see the point in the memory though. yeah, it clued us in for hte beast deck that would follow, but it was uneccassary, since we already knew a beast deck was coming up.


And I assure you, she is NO virgin!

Oh Jason, you perv! lmao

Hmm, who would appear next chapter? I'm putting my money on Titan, since him being stuck in the Shadow Realm would make a good excuse for him living so long...on the other hand, he never was much of a duelist.

[Dark Sage]

It's time for a new chapter.

And Happy Halloween!

BOO!

[B][I]I can’t say Randy and I weren’t warned. We were told that this building was full of duelists waiting to trap us in deadly Shadow Games.

I didn’t think my current opponent was one of them. She didn’t seem at all like she fit the profile of an evil Shadow Duelist. I felt a little sorry for her perhaps… Maybe I thought that she was one of Fortunado’s victims – that would have explained her amnesia.

But now that I’ve agreed to this duel, it’s gotten scarier. It’s turned into a creepy frightshow.

Maybe this is a Shadow Game after all. Maybe the shadows wear many faces, and what looks like a face of pure innocence can hide an evil mind.

And now I have to find a way to win, because if it is, my soul is at stake!




[B][size=3]CHAPTER FORTY-NINE



http://www.ideal808.com/images/sdk-008.jpg



Tuesday, November 10th, 2106, 5:10 PM


In a wide hallway somewhere on the eighteenth floor, one of the Transporters hummed to life.

A beam shot out of it, and both Nadia and Randy appeared in front of it, with Randy holding his head.

“Man…” said Randy, shaking the fog out of his head. “Is this what the guys in Star Trek felt like after every transport?”

“Be glad our molecules didn’t fuse and we didn’t bond into one body,” muttered Nadia.

Randy gave her a shocked look…

“Keep on guard,” she continued. “There must be some duelists somewhere around here, and our job is to take them down.”

They looked around. It was a wide hallway, with a few doors here and there.

Nadia tried one of the doors.

Locked.

Randy tried another one.

Also locked.

“Hmm…” said Randy. “You hear that?”

They paused.

Music was playing. It sounded like very soothing piano music.

Handel’s Water Music.

They went to another door and found it unlocked.

What they entered seemed to be a child’s playroom of some sort. The music was coming from an old-fashioned vinyl record player, and stuffed animals and toys were placed about neatly. A very fancy and very big (and likely very expensive) dollhouse was in the corner, occupied by female dolls.

Above the dollhouse were several other dolls in glass cases. The twins assumed they were expensive collectables.

But the most remarkable feature was the room’s occupant.

A little girl who seemed to be about eleven or twelve sat at a small table in the center of the room with a child’s tea set and two stuffed animals. She was a child that you couldn’t help but love. She had long, wavy black hair that held two purple ribbons, and had large, blue eyes, that seemed to take up half her face. She wore a very fancy black dress with lace and ribbons, white stockings, and black shoes.

“More tea, Mr. Huggikins?” she asked one of the stuffed toys.

Who’s this? thought Randy. Fortunado’s granddaughter?

The girl noticed them.

“Hi!” she said with a sweet smile.

“Uhm… hullo,” said Nadia. “Eh… who’re you?”

The girl paused.

“Gee, uhm…” she said. “Not sure… I can’t remember much lately…”

She paused.

“My name…” she said with a frown. “I remember it begins with an A…”

“Uhm… Amanda?” said Randy. “Arlia? Andorra? Alice?”

“Wait!” shouted the girl. “That’s it! Alice! That’s my name… Alice.”

“Poor thing…” muttered Nadia to Randy. “Something made her lose her memory…”

She turned to Alice.

“Uhm, Alice,” she said. “Why are you in this place?”

Alice’s face fell.

“I’m not sure,” she said. “But… I know I’m supposed to be here.”

Nadia rubbed her chin.

“Do you know where we can find any duelists?” she asked.

“Duelists?” asked Alice. “Uhm, gee, no… Sorry, I haven’t seen any…”

Nadia pulled Randy aside.

“What do we do with her, Randy?” whispered Nadia.

“Well,” said Randy. “Maybe we can find her parents once this is over, but until then…”

“WAIT!” shouted Alice’s voice.

They turned to her.

“I just remembered!” she said with a laugh. “I’m a duelist!”

Nadia gave her a strange look.

“Seriously…” she said, “we can’t…”

“No, really!” insisted Alice.

She reached under the table and picked up a Disk.

“Can we duel?” she asked. “Please? I mean, I haven’t been able to in a while…”

Nadia motioned to Randy.

“It’s obvious what happened, bro,” she said. “One of Fortunado’s men caught her in some Shadow Game and she lost. It left her with amnesia. I heard these things carry all sorts of punishments for the loser. This poor kid likely never had a chance.”

“Are you certain?” asked Randy. “How do we know she isn’t the Shadow Duelist?”

He looked behind him. Clayman was standing there.

The Hero had a worried look on his face. He shrugged.

“Her Disk is a normal Disk, not one of those Orichalcos ones,” replied Nadia. “And there’s no way someone this sweet could summon the shadows.

“And I think I have to do this. Whatever curse was inflicted on her might hurt her more. I think another duel might cure her.”

Randy just shrugged.

“Okay, Alice,” said Nadia, turning to her. “I can duel you.”

“Super!” she laughed.

Then to Nadia’s shock, she wrapped her arms around her in a great hug.

“Come on, I know a great place!” she said with a laugh.

“Just don’t do that again…” said Nadia, catching her breath.

How hard could it be? she thought. She’s just a kid… Her deck probably doesn’t even have any strategy to it…



[B]* * * * * * * * * *


Fortunado poured brandy from a flask as he watched Alice lead Nadia and Randy down the hallway.

”Fortunado,” said the voice in his head. ”Is that little girl who I think she is?”

“Yes,” said Fortunado, sipping the brandy. “Diabolical, isn’t it?”

”Diabolical?” said the voice in a contemptible tone. ”More like STUPID. Recruiting one of Jaden’s Yuki’s old allies for our forces will give us just what we don’t need – a minion who will betray us! I thought you didn’t like spirits.”

“Relax,” said Fortunado. “One, when I brought Alice back after buying her true form through an intermediary, I used some mental tampering to induce partial amnesia. She only remembers bits and pieces of her past life.

“Second, even if she doesn’t start a Shadow Game, and she likely won’t on her own, the deck of cards I gave her will do so anyway. The key card is enspelled with a dark curse.

“Alice may not desire to take Nadia’s soul, but if she wins the duel, it will be ours anyway. And if Alice turns against us, she’ll be easy to do away with.”



[B]* * * * * * * * * *


Nadia couldn’t quite see the purpose of the room that Alice had led them to.

It was a plain, white room, with colored stripes painted on the walls. Several colored cubes were stacked against the walls. Randy sat on one of them and watched as they shuffled, trying hard to hide how worried he was.

“Well…” said Nadia, activating her Disk, “I guess here is as good a place as any.”

Alice giggled.

“Well, let’s duel then!” she laughed.

The Disks activated, and they both drew five cards.

The instant they did so, Alice’s expression turned more serious…



[B](Nadia: 8,000) (Alice: 8,000)


“Game on!” they both said at once.

Alice drew a sixth card, and looked over her hand.

“Okay…” she said. “I’m going to summon this Monster in Defense Mode… Mystic Tomato.”

She placed a card on her Disk, and the silly-looking, oversized fruit appeared. (1,400/1,100)



http://www.ideal808.com/images/mrl-094.jpg


“Your move,” she said.

Nadia made her first draw.

I know what that Monster can do, she thought. I have a couple in my own deck. Maybe she does have a bit of a strategy… But I have Gravity Bind right here… Maybe that will be enough to protect Pikeru from whatever she intends to summon.

“I place one card facedown,” she said.

She played the card, and a facedown card appeared.

“Then I summon White Magician Pikeru in Attack Mode.”

In a beam of light, Pikeru appeared, holding her scepter aloft. (1,200/0)



http://www.ideal808.com/images/dr2-en145.jpg


“Pikeru, squash that tomater!” she shouted. “Sparkle blast!”

Pikeru shot a blast of stars forward, and the Mystic Tomato was blown into tomato sauce.

“I activate Mystic Tomato’s ability,” said Alice, taking her deck. “Which, as you likely know, lets me summon a Dark Monster with a low Attack Score.

“And I summon this one… Alice the Wandering Doll.”

She placed a card on her Disk, and an ominous form appeared in front of her. It looked like a Barbie doll in a blue dress with blonde hair… But something… well, something just wasn’t right about her. Her blue eyes gave Nadia chills as she looked into them.

Then those eyes glowed for a second… (1,000/1,000)

“Uh… that’s… certainly interesting…” said Nadia. “I end my turn…”

Alice licked her finger, and then drew a card.

“First I’ll move Alice into Defense Mode,” she said.

The Doll crouched in defense and shielded herself.

“Next, I’ll place down two facedowns…” she said, fitting two of her cards into her Disk.

Two facedown cards appeared.

“Someone I used to know used to talk like that…” she said with a short giggle, “but I forget who at the moment. And now…”

Her Field Slot opened.

“NO!” screamed Randy. “Not the Seal of Orichalcos!”

Alice paused.

“Orichalcos?” she asked. “What’s that?”

She showed him the card. It was a Field Spell Card called The Haunted Dollhouse.

“Uh, heh, heh…” muttered Randy, somewhat embarrassed. “You, uh… you really had me worried there for a second… Uhm… We were just told to watch out for Field Spell Cards.”

“Uh, yeah…” said Alice, giving him a look. “Well, I don’t know about any Orichalcos, but as I was saying, I activate The Haunted Dollhouse.”

She placed the card in the slot, and the room turned into a dark void. Then walls rose around them, and strange furniture materialized. Mist covered the floor.

They were in a decrepit mansion, surrounded by ancient, worn, dusty furniture. Mist filled the air. The cube Randy had been sitting on transformed into a worn and moth-eaten couch.

Nadia swore she heard an evil chuckle coming from somewhere…

She got the idea quickly… They were inside an oversized, derelict dollhouse. Apparently, they and their Monsters were supposed to be the dolls.

“Uh…” muttered Randy. “Somehow, I really don’t think this is much better…”

Pikeru was also starting to get a little nervous.

“What does this Field do?” asked Nadia.

“Nothing, at the moment,” replied Alice. “I’ll end my turn with that…”

“Then I draw…” said Nadia, drawing a card. “And I gain 400 Life Points from Pikeru’s effect…”

Pikeru raised her scepter, and she glowed.

“Now I’ll summon Ebon Magician Curran in Attack Mode.”

Curran appeared on the field in a shadowy cloud. (1,200/0)



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The two sisters cast cold glares at each other, and then turned towards their opponent.

Nadia sighed. Would these two ever get along?

Let’s see… she thought. She has two facedown cards, and a Monster that I’ve never seen before… Not to mention the fact that I’m in the middle of a creepy oversized dollhouse.

I’m gonna regret this, I just know it… But if I can clear away that doll, I can move in for a direct attack.

“Pikeru, attack her Doll!”

Pikeru shot a blast of sparks, and Alice the Wandering Doll cringed as it hit her…

…but to Nadia’s surprise, she simply shook it off.

“Huh?” said Nadia. “Pikeru’s Attack was stronger than her Defense…”

“Alice can’t be destroyed in battle,” said Alice. “And that isn’t her only effect…”

Then the Doll’s eyes glowed…

…and then two ghostly arms reached from behind Nadia and grabbed her! She screamed as what seemed to be chilling claws dug into her flesh!

“What happened?” she gasped.

“When Alice is attacked, the duelist who ordered the attack loses 500 Life Points,” explained Alice. “And there’s more… She isn’t called the Wandering Doll for nothing…”

The Doll disappeared.

“…also, you get control of her.”

Nadia jumped as the Doll appeared on her side of the field, still in Defense Mode.

She looked at Nadia with an evil smile…

“What?” shouted Nadia. “I don’t want her!”

“By the way, that activates the effect of The Haunted Dollhouse,” continued Alice. “When Alice the Wandering Doll switches owners, the one who had her last gets to Special Summon a certain type of Monster from her deck…”

Alice took a card from her deck. A chilling laughter echoed through the whole Dollhouse…

“So I summon Doll-Part, Blue, in Defense Mode,” she continued.

She placed a card on her Disk, and a weird creature appeared. It was the decapitated head of a doll, its eyes staring blankly. (0/0)

Nadia grinned.

“My Battle Phase isn’t over!” she exclaimed. “Curran, attack Doll-Part, Blue!”

Curran fired a wave of dark energy, and the head smashed to pieces.

“I activate a Trap!” exclaimed Alice, as one of her cards lifted. “Necro Doll Meister.”

The strange Trap showed the image of a mysterious old woman looking at a broken mannequin.

“Necro Doll who-ster?” asked Randy.

The chilling laugh, somewhat louder than before, echoed through the Dollhouse…

“This Trap can be activated when one Doll-Part is destroyed in battle,” Alice continued, “and it lets me summon two others from my deck in Attack Mode. So I summon Doll-Part, Gold, and Doll-Part, Pink.”

Two more strange pieces appeared. One looked like a doll’s legs (wearing heels), and the other looked like a naked torso, both floating in the air. (0/0 x2)

“Uh…” muttered Nadia. “Oo…kay… Think I’ll play a card facedown, and turn it over to you…”

She placed a card in her Disk, and a facedown card appeared next to her other one.

This is weird, she thought. First a head, now a torso and legs? Can these Doll-Parts come together in some way?

Maybe this was a bad idea…



[B](N: 7,900) (A: 8,000)


“Gee, this is fun,” said Alice, drawing a card.

“I activate Solemn Wishes,” said Nadia, as her Trap Card lifted. “Now, I gain 500 Life Points each time I draw.”

Alice frowned.

“Well I’m gonna play Pot of Greed,” she said, playing the card. “So I get to draw right now…”

The smiling jar appeared. She made two draws.

“Next I’ll activate my facedown Call of the Haunted, to bring Doll-Part, Blue back to the field.”

The card lifted, and the doll’s head reappeared.

“Then I’ll summon Doll-Part, Red.”

The sinister laughter echoed through the room again. She played the card, and a doll’s disembodied arms appeared on the field. (0/0)

“Now think I’ll have it attack Alice the Wandering Doll.”

The two arms flew forward. The Doll frowned and swatted them aside with a backhand.

“Are you nuts?” said Nadia. “You just lost 1,000 Life Points!”

“1,500, actually,” replied Alice. “Remember Alice’s effect? But the important part is…”

The Doll vanished.

“…I gain control of her again, due to her other effect.”

The Doll appeared back on her side.



[B](N: 7,900) (A: 6,500)


Nadia looked at the four Doll-Parts. Four Monsters with zero Attack and zero Defense… But from the look of them, there were enough now to make a whole doll… There had to be something to them that worked when they were all together…

“And that leads to me playing this…” said Alice, holding up a Spell Card. “Burial of the Marionette.”

“What does that do?” asked Nadia, getting nervous.

Now the laughter was truly maddening…

And finally, Nadia and Randy could see who it was who was laughing…

It was coming from Alice the Wandering Doll. She was enjoying this immensely, as if she was anticipating Nadia’s imminent doom…

“It’s kind of like a Ritual Spell Card,” replied Alice, “but I need the Wandering Doll on my side of the field, and unlike most Rituals, where any Monsters will do, I have to sacrifice four specific Monsters… My four Doll-Parts.

“So, I sacrifice my Doll-Parts… Blue, Gold, Pink, and Red, to summon Doll Chimera!”

The Haunted Dollhouse started to shake and warp. The four Doll-Parts started flying around in a chaotic pattern. Then the head bonded to the torso, the arms attached to the shoulders, and the legs fused to the hips…

The result was a naked mannequin with a ghostly expression, which appeared to have been broken to pieces and then pieced together haphazardly. Its limbs were spread out in an awkward manner. It crouched on all four limbs like a cat ready to pounce. (0/0)

“I’ve dueled a guy who used Headless Knight and The Earl of Demise…” muttered Randy. “I dueled someone who used Helpoemer… I even went up against a guy who dared me to duel him in a cemetery at midnight, and he sprung Dark Necrofear on me… And even so, I think this breaks the record for creepiest Monster I have ever seen…”

Nadia looked at her opponent, and was shocked to see her eyes briefly glow purple for a minute.

“How’d you do that?” gulped Nadia.

“Do what?” asked Alice, as her eyes returned to normal.

“Uh…” said Nadia.

She was really starting to think now that this duel had been a bad idea…

“Doll Chimera is the vengeful spirit of every child’s toy that has been cruelly tossed aside by spoiled brats who didn’t want them after getting better ones,” said Alice. “Such brats eventually neglect those toys when they get even newer ones, and the cycle continues, and Doll Chimera gets angrier and angrier. The grief of every neglected plaything is focused in its anger.

“Tell me, Nadia, did you ever toss away your toys when you got bored with them?”

“NO!” protested Nadia. “I even have the same teddy bear now that I had when I was three! I loved that little guy…”

She got nervous. From the look in its eyes, she had the feeling that this Doll Chimera wasn’t going to believe her.

Alice shrugged.

“In case you’re wondering about its Attack Score,” she continued, “Doll Chimera starts out with zero, but it gains 400 for every Doll-Part I have in my Graveyard. And right now, I have four. That will change soon, I assure you.”

(1,600/0)

“I’ll end my turn by throwing one card facedown…” she said.

She played a card, and a facedown card appeared.

Nadia nervously drew a card. A shower of gold rained down on her.

“First I gain 800 Life Points from Pikeru,” she said. “Then 500 more from Solemn Wishes, then you lose 600 from Curran…”

Pikeru and Curran cast their spells, and the scores changed.

Nadia looked at the card she had just drawn.

Trial of the Princess! she thought. Now Pikeru can take down that… thing, and then evolve into Princess Pikeru.

“I Equip Pikeru with Trial of the Princess!” she exclaimed.

She played the card, and Pikeru’s Attack shot up to 2,000.

“Pikeru…” she ordered, “attack the Doll Chimera!”

Pikeru fired a beam of light, and Doll Chimera broke into pieces…

But it didn’t shatter into triangles. The pieces fell to the floor with a clatter.

“So much for that…” said Nadia.

“Don’t be so sure…” replied Alice.

Then, the pieces of Doll Chimera rose up again, surrounded by an aura of black fire!

“What’s going on?” asked Randy.

“Doll Chimera won’t be trashed like so many other toys,” said Alice, slipping two cards into her discard slot. “You see, if it would be destroyed by battle or a card effect, I can prevent its destruction by discarding two Doll-Parts from my deck. So I’ll discard another Doll-Part, Blue and Doll-Part, Gold.”

The hideous thing sprouted an extra set of legs, and then a second head formed on its shoulders!

“And even better, since that increases the number of Doll-Parts in my Graveyard by two, it gets stronger.”

(2,400/0)

Nadia considered for a minute.



[B](N: 9,200) (A: 5,500)


That thing is a five star Monster, she thought, and I still have Gravity Bind ready to spring. But just in case…

“I’ll move Curran into Defense Mode, and end my turn,” she said.

Curran crouched in a kneeling position.

Alice giggled.

“Moving Curran to defense?” she asked. “As if she has any…”

She drew a card.

“I’ll play my Foolish Burial card,” she said, playing a Spell Card. “Now I can take any Monster from my deck and discard it. And I’m discarding Doll-Part, Red.”

She slipped a card into her discard slot…

Doll Chimera started to strain, and a second set of arms burst out of its shoulders.

“I’ll follow up with a second Spell Card,” continued Alice, playing another. “Flute of Hamelin. Now I can discard all remaining copies of Doll-Part, Red.”

She discarded another card. The Chimera strained again, and a third set of arms burst out from behind the second set. Then its fingernails grew into sharp claws.

“Even better…” said Alice, “with two more Doll-Parts in my grave, it gets stronger.”

(3,200/0)

“Good lord…” muttered Nadia. “It’s even stronger than Kaiba’s Dragon now…”

“And it keeps getting uglier!” shouted Randy.

“Doll Chimera, attack Pikeru!” she shouted. “Curse of the broken!”

Black flames surrounded Doll Chimera… It skittered forward like some demented spider…

“I activate Gravity Bind!” shouted Nadia.

Her Trap Card lifted.

“I activate Seven Tools of the Bandit!” replied Alice, as her last facedown card lifted.

The jackknife flew across the field and shattered the Gravity Bind.

Doll Chimera slashed at Pikeru with its nails! She let out an unearthly scream, and was blown into pixels.

“Pikeru…” muttered Nadia.

She closed her eyes. Then she opened them.

“And I’m not the only one who lost Life Points, Alice,” she said with a frown. “You played Seven Tools of the Bandit, and that costs 1,000 Life Points. You’re being awfully careless about spending your Life Points in this duel.”

“You ever hear that you have to give in order to receive?” said Alice. “Sometimes the opposite is true… You have to give up in order to take.

“It’s your move…”



[B](N: 8,000) (A: 4,500)


Nadia drew, and a shower of gold rained on her. She couldn’t deny that Alice was right… The most powerful cards did come with costs attached, and if you wanted to win by using them, you had to pay them. Pikeru and Curran were prime examples. They had great power, but they would die quickly unless you took steps to protect them.

“You lose 600 Life Points from Curran…” she said, “I gain 500 from Solemn Wishes. Then I play my own Pot of Greed.”

The jar appeared, and she drew two cards. The shower of gold rained on her again.

Here we go, she thought, looking at them.

“I place one card facedown,” she said, playing a card.

A facedown card appeared.

“And now I summon… Injection Fairy Lily!”

In a flash of light, a cute looking nurse with feathered wings, carrying a huge syringe appeared. (400/1,500)



http://www.ideal808.com/images/lod-1001.jpg


“Now, by paying 2,000 Life Points, I can increase her Attack Score by 3,000!”

Lily shot up to an Attack of 3,400!

There has GOT to be a limit to how many times she can bring that thing back… she thought.

“Attack the Doll Chimera!” shouted Nadia. “Stabbing syringe strike!”

Lily laughed, and held her syringe above her head. She threw it into the Doll, smashing it to pieces again.

“I discard one Doll Part, Blue and one Doll-Part, Gold to keep it,” said Alice, discarding two cards.

Doll Chimera rose up again, looking even more hideous than before. It grew a third head, and its eyes glowed with red fire. Then it sprouted two more legs, and its fingers on all six hands looked more like knives. It was truly starting to look like a “chimera” more than ever. (4,000/0)

“That’s all I can do…” muttered Nadia.



[B](N: 7,000) (A: 3,700)


Alice drew a card.

“Doll Chimera, slice and dice Lily up nice!” she shouted.

“I activate Desert Sunlight!” yelled Nadia, as Doll Chimera loomed up. “This moves my Monsters to Defense Mode!”

Her Trap Card lifted, casting beams of light on the arena. Lily crouched in defense.

Then all Nadia could do was watch in sheer terror as the Chimera flew at Lily and sliced her up with its claws as the Spellcaster screamed…

Alice the Wandering Doll laughed with glee…

“I’ll end my turn with one card facedown,” said Alice, playing a card.

A facedown card appeared.

“What do I do?” muttered Nadia. “How do I fight a Monster who’s… immortal?”

“Nadia!” shouted Randy. “That thing is NOT immortal! Think about it for a minute! It will come to you.”

Nadia paused.

He has a point… she thought.

She drew a card. The healing shower rained on her again.

“Again, I gain 500 Life Points from Solemn Wishes, and you lose 600 Life Points from Curran…” she said.

Curran’s rings glowed.

“Now, I’ll I move Curran to Attack Mode…” she continued.

Pikeru stood up.

“And I play… Level Limit Area B!”

She played the Spell Card.

“It doesn’t affect Curran,” she said. “She only has two stars. But since your Chimera has five, it’s forced into Defense Mode…”

Doll Chimera’s limbs bent at impossible angles as it crouched in Defense.

“And Chimera has a major weakness… You can bring its Attack up to tremendous levels, but no matter how strong it gets, its Defense remains at zero.

“Curran, attack!”

Curran cast her spell, and Doll Chimera was smashed to pieces for the fourth time.

“I discard two Doll-Parts, Pink to keep it on the field,” exclaimed Alice, discarding two more cards.

Doll Chimera rose again, blazing with even more intense flame. No trace of a humanoid form remained. Now, it was a mess of limbs and other pieces that looked like it had been glued together without rhyme or reason, blazing with black fire that radiated evil like a furnace. (4,800/0)

“And that will be the final time,” said Nadia.

“What do you mean?” asked Alice.

“It’s only immortal to a certain point,” said Nadia. “You can only save it from dying if you discard those Doll-Parts. But Alice, you can only have three copies of a card in your deck. And as of right now, you’ve sacrificed or discarded three copies each of Doll-Part, Blue, Doll-Part, Gold, Doll-Part, Pink, and Doll-Part, Red. You don’t have any more to discard.

“And by the way… Your Chimera is still trapped in Defense Mode, so it will be a sitting duck on my next turn.

“I end my turn.”



[B](N: 7,500) (A: 3,100)


Alice drew a card from her deck, which was beginning to thin. She looked at it.



Continued…

[Dark Sage]

Continued from last post:



“You know, Nadia…” she said, “it’s ironic that you played Level Limit Area B. You see, by doing so…”

She showed her the card she had just drawn.

“You saved me the trouble of playing it myself.”

The card was indeed Level Limit Area B.

“What?” asked Nadia. “But your key Monster would be helpless if you used that card!”

“Well, see,” said Alice, “almost all of my Monsters are low level. The reason I have a Level Limit card is so I could combo it and Doll Chimera with this Equip…”

She showed her the other card in her hand. It was a card with the image of Dark Ruler Ha Des pointing at someone who was screaming.

“Demotion?” gasped Nadia.

“Yes,” said Alice, playing it. “By Equipping it to Doll Chimera, it decreases its star level from five to three, letting her function normally with such a lockdown card.”

Doll Chimera rose up into Attack Mode…

“And you know something else?” said Alice. “I can tell that my other Monster is really starting to feel left out…”

Alice the Wandering Doll grinned wickedly as she stood up in Attack Mode.

“Doll Chimera, attack Ebon Magician Curran!” shouted Alice.

Doll Chimera flew forward, and Curran screamed as she was chopped to bits.

Here it comes… thought Nadia, nervously.

“Alice…” said Alice to her namesake, “attack Nadia directly! Dark curse!”

Alice the Wandering Doll’s eyes glowed red. She put her hands together, and a ball of black fire formed in them. She smiled evilly at Nadia, and then hurled the dark flame. Nadia screamed and fell to her knees.

It had only cost her 1,000 Life Points, but that hurt.



[B](N: 2,900) (A: 2,500)


“That’s enough for me for now,” said Alice.

All right… thought Nadia, sweating. I’m up against something that could defeat Kaiba’s Ultimate Dragon now, my lockdown cards are worthless, and I’ve got nothing on the field…

And she’ll just attack me again next round, and I don’t want to go through that again!

And with Curran out of the picture, I can’t drain her Life Points any more…

Even worse, I overlooked a few things when I said that she couldn’t prevent it from being destroyed again. She likely took that into consideration. Her deck might have Pot of Avarice, or even Exchange of the Spirits!

I’ve got to find some way to destroy it before she finds a way to transfer those cards back to her deck…

She drew a card. The rain of gold fell on her again.

This will help… she thought, looking at it, but for how long?

She looked at her hand.

Oh, what the Hell was I THINKING putting this Spell Card in my deck? Just because one jerk brainwashed all of my Monsters at once with that Fiend doesn’t mean it’s going to happen again…

Hold on… Wait a second…

“Alice?” she asked. “A question…”

“Hmm?” asked Alice.

“Uh…” said Nadia. “Just what ARE these Monsters of yours? Fiends? Warriors? Dark Fairies of some sort?”

“Oh, uh,” replied Alice. “They’re classified as Spellcasters, actually.”

Nadia was surprised.

She placed a card on her Disk and grinned.

“I summon Fire Princess…” she said.

Fire Princess appeared, and crouched in Defense. (1,300/1,500)



http://www.ideal808.com/images/db1-en234.jpg


“Now I play… Last Day of Witch!”

She played a Spell Card.

“This Spell wipes out all Spellcasters on the field!”

Doll Chimera and Alice the Wandering Doll drew back in sheer terror. As a wave of energy rippled over the field, their skin started to crack and chip like plastic, and then melt like wax…

“I activate my Trap Card!” shouted Alice.

As her two Monsters were blasted into dust, her facedown card lifted, showing a frightening picture of Alice the Wandering Doll sitting in the lotus position, as evil energy flowed from her…

A tremendous wave of dark energy shot out of the center of the room, seemingly absorbing Alice, Nadia, and then the whole arena…



[B]* * * * * * * * * *


“Curses…” muttered Fortunado. “That last move wiped out the dark side of Alice’s deck. All that remains is the more benign, light side…

“The Shadow Game is still underway, but I no longer have any control of it.

“Even if Alice wins, it will be up to her to decide what fate to inflict on Nadia…

“So the only question is, how much did that last blast do? It might have simply done what the card is supposed to do…

“But it might have done much, much more…”



[B]* * * * * * * * * *


Alice and Nadia lay sprawled on the floor, holding their heads. The blast from the strange Trap had vaporized Fire Princess, the Level Limit card, Solemn Wishes, and even the whole Haunted Dollhouse, returning them to the room full of colored cubes.



[B](N: 2,500) (A: 2,200)


“Sis?” said Randy.

“I’m all right!” muttered Nadia. “Man, do I have a headache…”

“Trust me…” groaned Alice, “it’s nothing compared to mine…”

“Why in the name of Slifer the Sky Dragon did you put Last Day of Witch in your deck?” shouted Randy. “It would have destroyed Pikeru and Curran!”

“That’s the reason I did it!” replied Nadia. “I dueled a guy three weeks ago who used a Monster called Possessed Dark Soul. If you sacrifice that Monster, you take control of all your opponent’s Monsters who are three stars or less. He stole my two Pikerus, my Curran, and Injection Fairy Lily, and I had no way to get them back! I lost the duel… And I swore I’d get something to keep someone from using them against me again.”

She looked at Alice.

“Alice, what kind of a broken Trap was that?” she protested. “It wiped out everything!”

“It was…” muttered Alice. “It was called The Curse Unleashed. It can only be activated when Alice the Wandering Doll is destroyed. It destroys every card on the field, and both players lose 300 Life Points for each card that’s destroyed.

“I had The Haunted Dollhouse, and you had Fire Princess, Solemn Wishes, and Level Limit Area B.

“I… I didn’t mean too… It was… it was an instinct…”

She held her head.

“Nadia…” she said, getting up and picking the card she had dropped. “I’m starting to remember!”

“Time out, then…” said Nadia. “How did you get in this tower? And what’s with all the evil dolls?”

Alice held her head.

“I… I am a doll…” she finally said.

She paused.

“I’m a Doll Spirit… A member of a group who acts as the souls for toys.”

“Like in Toy Story?” asked Randy, suddenly remembering that movie he had seen on a Disney Classic special.

“Sort of…” muttered Alice. “It’s complicated…

“I was once an expensive antique collector’s piece who some students kept in the Obelisk Blue Dorm of the original Duel Academy. Back then I couldn’t do much except watch them. I saw them build their decks and go over their cards…

“Then one student… a spoiled brat, like the kind I mentioned… tried using a deck like mine. But he had no talent – I think his parents bought his way into the best dorm. He tried using a deck with Doll Chimera, but the strategy was so complicated and hard, he always lost.

“Eventually, he got frustrated. He blamed the card for his inability to use it right. And then he ripped it in half!”

“That is pretty callous…” answered Randy. “You can’t blame a card for being difficult. Being hard to use isn’t the cards’ fault. I mean, I use fusions… You can’t get much harder than that, and I never blamed the cards.”

“In case you didn’t notice, Doll Chimera is an… evil creature,” continued Alice. “And its spirit became full of rage at being thrown away. It asked me for help getting its revenge, and I had become pretty disgusted with the duelists I had seen anyway.

“With the Chimera’s spirit helping me, I became… this…”

She pointed to herself.

“And I started looking for victims, hoping to duel them and cast them into the Shadows of Despair. But then I met Jaden Yuki. He defeated Doll Chimera just like you did… Destroying it again and again until it stayed dead. And during the whole duel, his smile never wavered, and he actually enjoyed himself…

“He helped me see the light… The good side of duelists…

“After that, I reverted to doll form, and I thought I’d never be anything but. And I was for decades – spirits of toys never get bored. But last month, someone claiming to be a collector offered an incredible price for me…

“And a week ago, I met Fortunado…”

She shivered.

“The instant he handed me my old deck, the darkness came back, and I lost my memory. He must have put some evil spell on that Chimera to create a Shadow Game without me knowing… He filled my mind with evil thoughts again, and I can’t get rid of them!”

She held her head. Tears appeared in her eyes.

“What can I do?” asked Nadia.

Alice paused.

“We have to finish the duel, Nadia…” she pleaded. “Please… I have to see the light again!”

“Okay…” said Nadia, as they got up. “But I’m going to try my hardest to win…”



[B](N: 2,100) (A: 2,200)


I’ve got no Monsters on the field, thought Nadia, looking at her remaining two cards. And my Life Points aren’t too pretty. She Special Summoned that Chimera with a Spell Card, so it might be a NOMI, but then again, it might not be. So I need some protection…

She fit her last two cards into her Disk.

“I place two cards facedown, and end my turn,” she said.

Alice drew a card. She looked at it.

Jaden defeated this move with his Winged Kuriboh LV 10, she thought. But Nadia doesn’t seem like the type who has such a destructive card.

“I play this,” she said. “The Door to Mirrorland.”

She played a Spell Card, and a silvery mirror appeared in front of her.

“This card can only be used when Alice the Wandering Doll is in my Graveyard,” she explained, “and it lets me summon Ecila the Dainty Doll from my deck, in Attack Mode.”

A new doll leapt out of the mirror, and it vanished. She seemed the polar opposite of the Wandering Doll, with smiles and rosy cheeks, wearing a sunbonnet and a peach-colored dress. She glowed with a radiant light. (1,000/1,000)

Okay, this is clearly no Dark Monster, thought Nadia. But any duelist knows that Light Monsters can be just as dangerous as Dark ones. If not more so.

“So what can she do?” asked Nadia.

“As you know,” said Alice, “there are four Doll-Part Monsters, Blue… Gold… Pink… and Red. The four of them make a set. And for each complete set in my Graveyard, Ecila gains 1,000 Attack Points.”

“That’s 3,000 more!” gasped Randy.

Ecila glowed with golden energy… (4,000/1,000)

“Attack Nadia directly!” shouted Alice.

Ecila threw up her arms, and then blasted a beam of pure light at Nadia…

“I activate Draining Shield!” shouted Nadia.

One of her Trap Cards lifted, and a dome of energy formed around her. Ecila’s blast stuck it, and energy flowed into Nadia! Her tired muscles became stronger, and an invigorating surge shot through her.

“That was close…” she said, wiping her brow.



[B](N: 6,500) (A: 2,200)


“Okay…” muttered Alice, somewhat disappointed. “I guess it’s your move…”

Nadia paused.

No cards left in my hand, she thought. My facedown card will help, but this next draw better be something good…

She drew.

Monster Reborn.

Well, here goes nothing… she thought. If this doesn’t work, I’m dead meat…

“I activate Reckless Greed,” she said, as her last facedown card lifted. “I have to skip my next two Draw Phases, but I get to draw two cards now.”

She drew two cards, and looked at them.

Sisters of Chaos, and…

…Charity…

She looked at the Monster Card.

Hey… she thought. It’s the card that Jason gave me… And just at the right time. I never should have doubted him.

If this guy doesn’t let her see the light, nothing will!

“I play Monster Reborn to bring back Fire Princess,” she said.

She played the card, and the Pyro appeared on the ankh. (1,300/1,500)

“And now…” she continued, “I’ll sacrifice her…”

Fire Princess smiled. She rose off her feet, as an aura of light surrounded her. She closed her eyes and stretched her arms out…

Then she was consumed by the light, and a new form started to appear. It was a powerful, male figure, dressed in rich blue robes covered with runes, with glorious feathered wings on his back. His eyes were pools of golden light, his skin was pearly white, and his long hair was golden blonde. He carried a long, beautiful, silver quarterstaff, one end of which was wreathed in flames and the other of which was covered with frost. (0/0)

“Meet Erathaol the Angel of Mercy,” said Nadia.

“But…” said Alice, confused.

“I know,” said Nadia. “You’re wondering why he has zero Attack Points and zero Defense Points. Well, Erathaol is a pacifist… He could never hurt anyone.”

“I’m guessing his effect is pretty spectacular…” commented Randy.

“It is,” said Nadia. “By paying 2,000 Life Points, I can Special Summon two Spellcasters or Fairies from my Graveyard. That’s his first effect.”

Erathaol started to chant. He held up his staff and it glowed. Two shapes started to form under him, and White Magician Pikeru and Ebon Magician Curran reappeared. (1,200/0 x2)

“I can’t attack with them this turn,” said Nadia, “so I’ll place this last card facedown, and end my turn.”

A facedown card appeared.



[B](N: 4,500) (A: 2,200)


Alice nervously drew a card.

The two cards in her hand were Dark Factory of Mass Production and Level Limit Area B. Neither were of any use.

Can’t attack with them? she thought. Even together, their Attack Score doesn’t match Ecila’s score of 4,000.

Wait! She said that was his first effect! He has another… Could he make them stronger? Let them attack directly? Can’t risk it…

“Ecila, attack Erathaol!” she shouted.

Ecila cast her beam of energy, and Erathaol was blasted into mist.

Nadia cringed…



[B](N: 500) (A: 2,200)


“Perfect,” she said. “You did just what I needed you to do to activate his other effect, Alice. Erathaol, do your thing!”

“But…” said Alice. “I destroyed him…”

Then Erathaol, now in a more phantom-like form, appeared behind Alice.

He smiled, and gave her a gentle hug…

“What’s happening?” said Alice, starting to panic. “What… hey… That feels kind of good…”

“This is a Card of Virtue, Alice,” said Nadia. “And the Virtue he represents is Charity. His second effect affects my opponent herself, but it only works if that opponent is not yet beyond redemption – Erathaol cannot help those who have embraced evil.

“You destroyed him, but he forgives you. And he’s going to wipe out all of the evil thoughts that Fortunado put in you.”

“Oh yes…” said Alice, as she glowed with energy. “Yes… they’re going away…”

“Okay if I take my turn?” asked Nadia.

Alice closed her eyes, and nodded.

“All right!” said Nadia. “I skip my Draw Phase, I gain 800 Life Points from Pikeru, then you lose 300 from Curran…

“And now I activate my most powerful Trap Card… Sisters of Chaos!”

Her Trap lifted, showing the image of the ogre on the Trial of the Princess card being blasted by burning energy from Pikeru and Curran – clearly, the two sisters were winning the fight.

Pikeru glowed with golden energy, and Curran glowed with black flames…

They nodded to each other, seemingly in agreement for the first time in a while.

“Now, by sacrificing both Pikeru and Curran,” explained Nadia, “I can destroy one Monster, and inflict damage to my opponent equal to that Monster’s Attack Score! Get her, girls!”

Pikeru and Curran flew at Ecila the Dainty Doll, trailing paths of burning magic. They slammed into the Doll, and a bright explosion lit up the center of the arena…

Alice made no reaction as Erathaol simply held her close…



[B](N: 1,300) (A: 0)


“Ah…” moaned Alice, happily.

“Never saw a duelist who was so happy to lose…” said Randy with a shrug.

The holograms shut down. Erathaol smiled, and vanished.

Alice opened her eyes.

“Thank you, Nadia,” she said, walking up to her. “The light never seemed brighter…”

“So what will happen to you now, Alice?” asked Nadia.

Alice paused.

“In a minute or two, I’ll just be a fancy doll again,” she said. “But my old owner gave me up, and Fortunado will likely just toss me in the trash…”

“Will you be very big?” asked Nadia. “I might have room for you in my backpack. You could stay in my dorm room. I’m pretty sure my roommate wouldn’t mind.”

Alice grinned.

“I’d like that a lot,” she said. “Strange… You’ll have a toy in your room that was your opponent once…”

She kissed Nadia on the cheek.

Then sparkling energy started to surround her, and she slowly started to shrink…

After a minute, she was gone, replaced by a pretty doll with the same dress, eyes and hair. Nadia slowly picked her up.

“So that was what Sister of Chaos did…” muttered Randy.

“Mmm-hmm,” replied Nadia. “See, Pikeru and Curran were pushed into a corner, when they realized the whole purpose of the Trial…

“I was to enable them to mature, and prove that they were no longer children.

“That’s why the Trap requires you to sacrifice them. At that point, Pikeru and Curran left childhood behind… And grew up…”

She looked at Alice.

“Hello?” she said, noticing something.

A small metal square was tied to her dress. Nadia took it.

It was a red square, much like the one Bugsy had gotten, but this one had the letter K on it.

“A clue!” said Randy.

Nadia carefully put Alice in her knapsack, and then picked up her cell phone.



[B]* * * * * * * * * *


“Jason here,” said Jason, answering his phone.

“Jason?” said Nadia. “We took care of one duelist. Thanks for the card, by the way.”

“Was it hard?” asked Jason.

“Taxing,” said Nadia. “She used a Doll Deck.”

“A Doll Deck?” asked Jason. “That’s certainly new.”

“Uh… Look up a card called Doll Chimera in your catalogue and you’ll find info on all the key cards,” said Nadia. “Anyway, we have something that might be a clue – a red letter K.”

“Red letter K,” said Jason, writing it down. “Gotcha. Listen Nadia, keep looking around, but let Randy take on the next one.

“Be careful, you two…”



[B]* * * * * * * * * *


In a place of absolute darkness, Cassius lifted his head…

He lifted it as much as he could… As much as the chains holding him would allow.

He had lost track of time by now, and had pretty much lost all traces of hope. Now it was just a waiting game… Waiting until he was consumed.

He noticed that there were two people next to him. He turned to look at them.

Well that was strange. He wouldn’t have assumed that the Master would have let Cleo and Sebastian come anywhere near him…

They seemed to be conscious… Maybe he’d have someone to talk to at least.

“Uh…” he said.

“Quiet,” said the Master’s voice.

The order startled all three of them, and they looked up as much as they could, as she walked out of the shadows.

“What now?” asked Sebastian. “More test runs for those crazy cards? Find someone else…”

“I see you’ve reached the point where you believe you have nothing to lose, Sebastian,” said the Master, “so you assume there’s no point in being polite any more…

“Well I’m here to make an offer…”

“No!” said all three of them at once.

“We’re not going to make any more wagers,” said Cleo. “I don’t want to be set on fire again.”

The Master grinned.

“You’ll hear my offer anyway,” she said. “I’m going to return two of you to your bodies, right now…”

They looked up, in surprise.

“Once you awake,” continued the Master, “I will take you to the tower, where you will duel in a team against Russell and Trisha.

“Defeat them, and I will also free the third one, and they will suffer in your place. If not, I take you back.”

“Why?” asked Cleo.

The Master reached out with her hand and caressed Cleo’s face. She squeaked in fear.

“I want to take Jason’s two friends away from him,” she said. “I have someone who is preparing to duel Trisha, but I have my doubts about him. If he should win, one of you will simply deal with Russell.

“But this time, no Orichalcos. I wasted many of them already, and cannot produce more until I’ve fed on true light.

“This is your final chance… I recommend you accept this offer…”

There was a pause.

“Who has to stay behind?” asked Cassius.

The Master grinned.

“I’ll let you decide, Cassius…”

“WHAT?” he shouted.

“That’s right…” said the Master, with an evil grin. “Decide which of your two friends goes free, and which remains to suffer…”

He looked at Sebastian and Cleo. They looked at him…

Cleo started to say something, but the Master waved her hand, and her mouth sealed shut.

Cassius bowed his head.

“I choose myself…” he said.

Cleo, Sebastian, and the demonic creature in front of them drew back in shock!

“Excuse me?” said the Master. “Did you just say…”

“I did…” said Cassius, glaring at her. “I’m not going to choose one over the other. You said I get to choose who stays behind, and I choose myself.”

“Now wait just a…” started the Master.

“Sorry, but I’ve made up my mind…” said Cassius.

The demoness growled.

“Then so be it…” she said.

She waved her hand, and the chains holding Cleo and Sebastian shattered.

“Your bodies are in hospitals in the city,” she said. “You have one hour to recover. Then I bring you to my inner sanctum.

“Remember, this is your final chance…”

The two of them vanished.

She looked at Cassius. She wanted to hit him…

But she knew that torturing him would be a great deal harder now…


Tuesday, November 10th, 2106, 6:00 PM



ALICE THE WANDERING DOLL (Monster Card)

Card Specs

Type: Spellcaster/Effect
Attribute: Dark
Level: 3
ATK: 1,000
DEF: 1,000

Card Description: This card cannot be destroyed as a result of battle. If this card is attacked, inflict 500 points of direct damage to the owner of the attacking Monster. Then, shift control of this card to the owner of the attacking Monster.



DOLL-PART, BLUE (Monster Card)

Card Specs

Type: Spellcaster
Attribute: Dark
Level: 1
ATK: 0
DEF: 0

Flavor Text: The head of a doll that has been broken into pieces. Its true power can only be unleashed if it is fixed.



DOLL-PART, GOLD (Monster Card)

Card Specs

Type: Spellcaster
Attribute: Dark
Level: 1
ATK: 0
DEF: 0

Flavor Text: The legs of a doll that has been broken into pieces. Its true power can only be unleashed if it is fixed.



DOLL-PART, PINK (Monster Card)

Card Specs

Type: Spellcaster
Attribute: Dark
Level: 1
ATK: 0
DEF: 0

Flavor Text: The torso of a doll that has been broken into pieces. Its true power can only be unleashed if it is fixed.



DOLL-PART, RED (Monster Card)

Card Specs

Type: Spellcaster
Attribute: Dark
Level: 1
ATK: 0
DEF: 0

Flavor Text: The arms of a doll that has been broken into pieces. Its true power can only be unleashed if it is fixed.



DOLL CHIMERA (Monster Card)

Card Specs

Type: Spellcaster/Effect
Attribute: Dark
Level: 5
ATK: 0
DEF: 0

Card Description: This card cannot be Normal Summoned or set. This card cannot be Special Summoned except via the effect of “Burial of the Marionette”. Increase the ATK of this card by 400 for every Monster in your Graveyard with the words “Doll-Part” in its name. If this card would be destroyed via battle or by a card effect, you can discard two Monster Cards with the words “Doll-Part” in their names from your deck to prevent its destruction.



ECILA THE DAINTY DOLL (Monster Card)

Card Specs

Type: Spellcaster/Effect
Attribute: Light
Level: 3
ATK: 1,000
DEF: 1,000

Card Description: This card cannot be Normal Summoned or set. This card cannot be Special Summoned except via the effect of “The Door to Mirrorland”. For each complete set of the following cards that exist in your Graveyard, add 1,000 to this card’s ATK: “Doll-Part, Blue”, “Doll-Part, Gold”, “Doll-Part, Pink”, “Doll-Part, Red”.



NECRO-DOLL MEISTER (Trap Card)

Card Specs

Type: Trap
Attribute: –
Level: –
ATK: –
DEF: –

Image: A strange-looking old woman looking at a broken mannequin.

Card Description: You can activate this card when a Monster on your side of the field with the words “Doll-Part” in its name is destroyed as a result of battle. Special Summon two Monsters with the words “Doll-Part” in their names from your deck in Attack Position.



THE CURSE UNLEASHED (Trap Card)

Card Specs

Type: Trap
Attribute: –
Level: –
ATK: –
DEF: –

Image: Alice the Wandering Doll in the lotus position with evil energy coming from her.

Card Description: You can activate this card when an “Alice the Wandering Doll” is destroyed. Destroy all cards on the field. Each player loses 300 Life Points for each of their cards that are destroyed by this effect.



THE HAUNTED DOLLHOUSE (Spell Card)

Card Specs

Type: Spell/Field
Attribute: –
Level: –
ATK: –
DEF: –

Image: A creepy dollhouse surrounded by darkness.

Card Description: When an “Alice the Wandering Doll” changes controllers, the player who previously controlled it can search his deck for a Monster with the words “Doll-Part” in its name and Special Summon it.



BURIAL OF THE MARIONETTE (Spell Card)

Card Specs

Type: Spell
Attribute: –
Level: –
ATK: –
DEF: –

Image: A coffin in a grave with a rose on top of it.

Card Description: You can only activate this card when one “Alice the Wandering Doll” is on your side of the field. Offer one “Doll-Part, Blue”, one “Doll-Part, Gold”, one “Doll-Part, Pink”, and one “Doll-Part, Red” on your side of the field as a Tribute to Special Summon one “Doll Chimera” from your hand or deck.



THE DOOR TO MIRRORLAND (Spell Card)

Card Specs

Type: Spell
Attribute: –
Level: –
ATK: –
DEF: –

Image: An ominous mirror leading to a dark portal.

Card Description: You can only use this card when you have at least one “Alice the Wandering Doll” in your Graveyard. Special Summon one “Ecila the Dainty Doll” from your hand or deck.

Note: The proceeding thirteen cards were used by Alice in a second-season episode of “Yu-Gi-Oh GX”. All creative credit goes to the writers of the episode. English names are subject to change.



FLUTE OF HAMELIN (Spell Card)

Card Specs

Type: Spell
Attribute: –
Level: –
ATK: –
DEF: –

Image: A cloaked piper with a shadowy giant rat behind him.

Card Description: You can activate this card when you discard a card from your hand or deck. Both players must discard all copies of the discarded card from their respective hands and decks.

Note: “Flute of Hamelin” was first used by Princess Rose in the “Yu-Gi-Oh GX” episode “Happily Never After”. All creative credit goes to the writers of that episode.



SISTERS OF CHAOS (Trap Card)

Card Specs

Type: Trap
Attribute: –
Level: –
ATK: –
DEF: –

Image: Pikeru and Curran holding hands and firing a blast of burning magic at the ogre pictured on “Trial of the Princess”, the blast clearly doing its job.

Card Description: You can only activate this card during your own Main Phase. Offer one “White Magician Pikeru” and one “Ebon Magician Curran” on your side of the field as a Tribute. Destroy one face-up opposing Monster. Your opponent loses Life Points equal to the ATK of the destroyed Monster.



ERATHAOL THE ANGEL OF MERCY (Monster Card)

Card Specs

Type: Fairy/Effect/Card of Virtue
Attribute: Light
Level: 6
ATK: 0
DEF: 0

Virtue: Charity

Card Description: When this card is Tribute Summoned in Attack Position, you may pay 2,000 Life Points to Special Summon two SPELLCASTER and/or FAIRY-Type Monsters from your Graveyard. Monsters Special Summoned by this effect cannot attack or use their effects on the round you use this effect. If this card is destroyed by your opponent, and that opponent is not beyond redemption, your opponent is purged of all evil thoughts and negative emotions.



[B]One thought…

If anyone here is a fan of the Dungeons & Dragons[I] RPG, you might have heard of Erathaol. I would like to make a sincere apology to anyone who has for referring to a celestial being of his standing as a “Fairy”. If you knew how important he was, it would almost seem an insult. But since he didn’t fit into any other category, I really had no choice.

Furthermore, if anyone wants more info on this being, PM me.

Coming up next:

Anyone here remember Ansel’s duel with Panik? Well, you might remember that during that duel, Ansel was using a Recreation Deck that wasn’t very formidable.

That’s over, because for a job this big, Ansel has brought his true deck, which he used to win so many tournaments before coming to school.

And he’s going to need it, because his opponent means business. She’s called Curare, and she’s as deadly as her name.

A battle of East versus West ensues, in a chapter called “Shadow of Eyes”, coming soon.

[Dark Sage]

I almost forgot.

Once again, thanks to Shuppet Master for his donation of this user character. Thanks, Chris.

[jkBAKURA]

Oh, Dark Sage, I'd laugh, but i just feel sorry for you.

Doll Part Red is the legs, Gold is the Arms. Reviewers will be merciless.

You were fighting an Uphill battle from the start against Paradox's Dangerous Attraction. This chapter did NOTHING for me.

Nadia did nothing new, and in fact, I don't think she played 10 cards the entire time, and Alice was basicly a repeat of the episode of GX.

Not much else to say. I really feel bad. The problem with the Doll stradagy is like the Aincent Dragon, there's really no way to spice up the combo, leaving this chapter to fall flat.

I wish you luck next time.

[Shuppet Master]

I almost forgot.

Once again, thanks to Shuppet Master for his donation of this user character. Thanks, Chris.


No problem, Brian. It's ironic that my character dueled a creep-fest deck around Halloween, even though the Alice-Jaden duel didn't air yet(we're still in the Sarina duel - which I missed because the stupid CN changed airing times for GX).

Great great chapter, Brian. Even without seeing the episode, I really think you did well. And it was so nice that you let my character take Alice as her own, because the poor thing didn't deserve to serve that bastard.

"S" and "K", huh? I'm beginning to get an idea of what card is going to be the key to the inner sanctum. :)

Keep up the good work. :D

[Blademaster]

Hmmm...

Well, this was like the duel with CODAM - yes, Master of Paradox already did it, but you managed to incorporate a few new elements, too, which is a plus. And I'm pleasantly surprised at what Sisters of Chaos did - it's like a Transcendent Wings for the Sisters.

One thing that bugged me was Nadia's use of Last Day of Witch - even with the explanation provided, it just seems like a stupid idea. Lightning Vortex or Dark Hole would've been a more believable choice (And don't say that those cards are broken - a card is only as broken as the duelist who plays it. That's my opinion.).

Now, I will admit, I like Ansel (I keep picturing Jimmy T. dueling when I see him. :D ...Actually, that gives me an idea...), and this 'official' deck of his intrigues me, as does this 'Curare'...

Let me guess - Batman Beyond, right? Ten to one odds she plays a Ninja Deck or a Trap Deck. ;)

...


"S" and "K", huh? I'm beginning to get an idea of what card is going to be the key to the inner sanctum. :)

And of course you won't share this information, will you? Didn't think so. Jerk. :lol:

(Yes, I'm kidding before I get attacked. :heh:)

Well, see ya for the next chapter! :wave:

Oh, and happy Halloween, gang. :ninja: :pirate: :094:

-Blade

[Dark Sage]

I'll respond.

First of all, Last Day of Witch is perfectly legal, and Nadia's explanation seemed to be enough. An opponent brainwashed four of her Monsters at once, and she was paranoid about someone using them against her again.

Dark Hole IS broken. That is the reason why it is illegal. You'll never see anyone in my fanfics use it.

Now, as for Curare... No, this one doesn't play a Ninja Deck or a Trap Deck. I got the name from Batman Beyond as you say, but little else. You'll have to wait and see.

[Perfect Chaos]

Eh, not much to say

Though the decks were original in my opinion (haven't seen much Gain/Drain decks lately and Alice's deck is new to me), I just didn't feel the "flow" of the duel. I suppose it was because of Alice's little side-story, which was the main thing involving this duel. So other than that, not much else

So Ansel is the next one to make a reappearance? I forgot what deck he first ran, but it doesn't matter, we see a "new" one in the next chapter anyways.

Until then, Happy Halloween everyone

[Dark Sage]

I usually don't put up new chapters until Monday, but my last chapter wasn't the best in the world, so I decided to put a new one up early.

Once again, I'd like to thank The Blue Avenger for the donation of Ansel Spragus.

[B][I]My name is Ansel. Most folks know me as the Big Man On Campus, in more ways than one. They know me as the son of rich folks, and also as a guy who won most of the tournaments he’d been in before he came to the school.

However, they’re confused when I duel anytime it isn’t important. The cards I use in my Recreation Deck are simply fan cards that few serious duelists use. I still manage to have some success with this deck, but even I know that I can’t win a major tournament using it.

How did I win all those tournaments? Well, the Recreation Deck isn’t my true deck. See, with my true deck, I’ve become very attached to the Monsters that live inside it. It breaks my heart if they’re ever defeated during a duel or have to suffer.

As a result, I don’t use my true deck too often – I only do so when it’s truly necessary, and winning is absolutely required.

Does storming a fortress where pure evil lurks inside qualify as necessary?

I should think so.




[B][size=3]CHAPTER FIFTY



http://www.ideal808.com/images/psv-0751.jpg



Tuesday, November 10th, 2106, 6:10 PM


In the Monastery of the Messiah, in the well-stocked kitchen, the Sage (who as you recall, was not only the sect’s leader, but also the chef) was stirring something in a tureen on a stove while a cookbook sat open next to it. He really didn’t need a cookbook – he had memorized almost all of his recipes – but it was good to always be sure.

He was nervous, and cooking was something that helped him relax.

Alexis rushed into the room.

“Your excellence!” she exclaimed. “I have great news… The…”

She took a whiff of what he was cooking.

“Mmm…” she said. “What’s in that soup, ginger?”

“I’ll share once it’s done,” said the Sage. “Now, you were saying?”

“The Messiah has enlisted powerful help,” said Alexis. “One of his allies played a Card of Virtue bearing the image of Erathaol.”

“Hmm…” muttered the Sage. “Hmm, mmm, mmm, mmm, mmm…”

“You don’t seem thrilled…” replied Alexis.

“I’m not…” said the Sage, furrowing his brow. “It’s been three thousand years since a celestial being that powerful decided to show his face during the Reckoning…

“This can mean only one thing…

“The evil force at the top of that tower is something more evil than the world has seen… in eons…”



[B]* * * * * * * * * *


One hour earlier…

On the tenth floor, a Transporter hummed to life, and Ansel Spragus appeared.

He held his head. This was clearly not a good way to travel.

He took his deck out of his holder and looked through the cards.

Well, ladies, he thought. It’s just you and me against whoever we’re up against here. So let’s do our best.

He looked around.

He seemed to be in an auditorium of sorts. Potted plants and trees with a definite oriental feel decorated the place, and colored streamers hung from the ceiling.

The far side of the room was dominated by a large stage. The curtain was down, and a long frontal platform protruded from the center. A small stairway led from the floor to the end of the platform.

However, there were no chairs or the like in front of the stage.

This guy is something else, thought Ansel. He has his own drama department… He must have more bread than a prison meatloaf…

The curtain started to rise.

And it looks like the play is about to start…

Ansel looked as a figure stepped out. He raised an eyebrow.

It was a woman dressed in traditional Japanese clothing. She wore a red kimono, either a very expensive hairstyle or a wig, and a great amount of white makeup on her face. Her expression was completely blank – she didn’t smile or frown.

She bent her head to one side as she looked at Ansel.

“Nice,” he replied. “I was never really into Kabuki myself, but to each her own, I guess…

“So who are you supposed to be? The Kitsune Spirit?”

She simply stared at him.

“Well?” he asked. “Can’t you talk? Or are we going to play charades?”

Then he heard a female voice in his mind.

”No, Ansel, I cannot speak,” said the voice. ”A disease in childhood destroyed my ability to do so. Fortunately, I learned how to speak as a telepath.

“I already know your intentions. You seek to clear the way so the Dark Messiah may storm this building.”

She rolled back her left sleeve, and a pocket Disk unfolded on her wrist.

”Well, if that is your intent, you may try to prove yourself against Curare, duelist assassin extraordinaire. You will duel me in this Shadow Game, and I will dispose of you as I have many others.”

“I can beat you,” said Ansel, stepping up on the platform.

”If you can, then I will be on my way, and you may continue,” said Curare, ”but if you lose this duel…”

She stretched out her right arm…

Ansel flinched, as three razor-sharp blades sprung out of a mechanism on her wrist!

“Uh…” gulped Ansel. “You’re… gonna use those on me if I lose?”

”Yes,” answered Curare. ”No matter how fast you run, I will catch you, and you will die. That is what I do. You will fall, just as my allies are slowly picking off yours.”

“Mine?” asked Ansel.

”Your comrades didn’t have a chance,” said Curare. ”They are slowly being taken down one by one as we speak.

“Now draw your opening hand.”

The blades retracted.

“I’m not scared of you,” said Ansel, drawing five cards. “So let’s dance!”



[B]* * * * * * * * * *


Fortunado sipped his second martini (he learned long ago the right forms of magic to prevent him from ever becoming drunk), and then the familiar voice sounded in his head.

”Fortunado,” said the Master’s voice, ”who is this Curare?”

“Somewhat of a dueling urban legend, actually,” he replied. “Word on the street speaks of a duelist who dresses like a Japanese noblewoman, and if you boast too much about how good you are, if you say that nobody can defeat you, she’ll appear and challenge you to a Shadow Game, which will be the last duel you’ll ever have.

“It’s nonsense of course… Likely a rumor that she started herself. The truth is, she’s a high-paying assassin for the Yakuza’s American branch. Normally, she’s just a contract killer, but she’ll duel a victim first if that’s the way the rules are set up. And she’s very good. She was quite willing to upgrade to a true Shadow Game.

“Don’t worry… She’s much better than that fool Panik. If she wins, we get Ansel’s soul once she gets his life.”

”And if she loses?”

“We’ll have a soul that is still quite strong,” answered Fortunado, “and we’ll have one less hired gun that we’ll have to pay.”

”Let’s hope so Fortunado. What does she play, anyway? A Kabuki Deck?”

“No…” answered Fortunado. “She has a strategy that one of Yugi’s old sparring partners had… It was pretty effective…”



[B]* * * * * * * * * * *


“So…” said Ansel. “If you’re telepathic, can you read my thoughts and tell what cards I have in my hand right now?”

”I do not cheat,” answered Curare. ”I normally can only see the thoughts you desire me to see. If you were to give me permission, I could go deeper into your mind…”

“Well you don’t have it!” answered Ansel. “It’s time to duel!”



[B](Ansel: 8,000) (Curare: 8,000)


Ansel looked over his cards.

“I always say ladies first,” he said. “Unfortunately, there don’t seem to be any ladies here. So you can go first.”

Curare drew a sixth card, the insult seemingly having no effect on her at all. She looked over her hand.

She placed a card on her Disk.

”I summon Master Kyonshee in Attack Mode,” she said.

A tall figure materialized. He was dressed in a purple martial artist’s gi and a rounded hat, and yellow pants. Over his face was a veil with Kanji printed on it. He took a fighting stance. (1,750/1,000)



http://www.ideal808.com/images/pgd-053.jpg


”There is a legend behind this creature,” said Curare. ”He was once a wandering martial artist who roamed the world endlessly, searching for a worthy rival. But he died of old age before he found one, and became an undead creature, and even now still searches for a worthy adversary.

“Will it be you, Ansel? I doubt it.”

“Well, we’ll see about that…” said Ansel, drawing a card.

He smirked at the Monster on the card.

Time for an opening act that’s gonna knock ‘em dead, he thought.

“I summon Cyber Tutu in Attack Mode,” he said.

In a flash of light, a smaller figure appeared on his side. It was a cute, young girl with short, pink hair, wearing a green visor over her eyes. She was dressed in red and white spandex with a ballet tutu (obviously) and ballet slippers. (1,000/800)



http://www.ideal808.com/images/eoj_en005.jpg


”Your little Chibi-chan is no match for Kyonshee,” said Curare.

“That’s the whole point,” replied Ansel. “Tutu can attack you directly when the only Monsters you have on your side of the field are stronger than she is.

“So Tutu… Attack Curare! Pounding pirouette!”

Cyber Tutu spun around on her toes, and then slid forward in a split before jumping up and kicking the assassin across the face. She recoiled a little from the blow, but didn’t react otherwise.

Curare glared at Ansel…

Ansel looked at Tutu.

“Tutu…” he said. “It’s turn, pause, step, pivot, turn, step, step, not turn, pause, step, pivot, turn, step, pause.”

Tutu blushed and reassumed the position.

Ansel placed a card in his Disk, and a facedown card appeared.

“Seems I’ve taken the lead in this dance,” he said with a smirk. “I’ll turn the lead over to you.”



[B](A: 8,000) (C: 7,000)


”Not bad…” said Curare, drawing a card.

She placed another card on her Disk.

”I summon Kung Fu Nyan-Nyan in Attack Mode.”

A new Monster materialized. It was a stern-faced woman in a pink kimono, with her auburn hair done up in bun-like pigtails, held in place by streamers. She held her hands in front of her, as if she was ready to chop a cinderblock in half. (1,700/1,000)

“Okay, that’s a new one…” said Ansel, nervously.

”Master Kyonshee, attack his Cyber Tutu,” ordered Curare.

The Zombie leapt up and aimed a kung-fu kick at the young Warrior.

“Not so fast, mademoiselle,” said Ansel. “I had a Trap ready…”

His facedown card lifted.

“It’s called Doble Passe. This let’s Tutu dodge your attack and let it hit me…”

Cyber Tutu spun out of the way, and Ansel grunted as he was hit in the stomach by the Zombie’s kick.

“Why’d I use such a Trap, you may ask?” he continued. “Because it has another effect… Tutu gets to attack you now.”

Cyber Tutu leapt up and kicked Curare in the face again!

Once again, Curare glared at him.

”In that case, I end my turn…” she stated.



[B](A: 6,250) (C: 6,000)


Ansel was surprised.

What the? he thought. Why on earth didn’t she attack with her other Monster? It makes no sense…

He drew a card.

Hey… he thought. It’s that card that that strange girl traded to me! This is perfect!

“Cyber Tutu, if you would…”

Cyber Tutu kicked Curare in the face a third time.

This time, it was clear that the assassin was getting angry…

“Now, I play a Spell Card,” he said. “Fouette Step.”

He played the card and it appeared. It showed the image of Etoile Cyber dancing, with two large cards to either side, and one behind her.

“This lets me sacrifice one Monster, and in exchange draw three cards,” he explained. “Of course, it has to be a certain kind of Monster, but Tutu fits the profile. So Tutu, take a load off your feet.”

Cyber Tutu vanished, and Ansel drew three cards.

“Perfect,” he said. “I summon Cyber Gymnast in Defense Mode.”

Another, older girl appeared in front of him. She was also dressed in spandex, colored blue and black, and was more muscular than Tutu. She wore a white mask over her face, and her blonde hair was tied in a long ponytail – not exactly the right hairstyle for a gymnast… (800/1,800)



http://www.ideal808.com/images/eoj_en006.jpg


“And now…” he said, “by simply tossing one card…”

He discarded his Fusion Gate.

“…she can destroy one Monster who’s in Attack Mode. But since I have a soft spot for the girls… Cyber Gymnast, take out Master Kyonshee!”

Cyber Gymnast leapt up, did a flip, and brought a foot down on the Zombie, smashing him to pieces.

Then she backflipped back to Ansel’s side of the field and crouched in Defense Mode.

“Heh, heh…” he said. “Your move… This is actually kind of fun…”



[B](A: 6,250) (C: 5,000)


”Indeed…” said Curare, drawing a card. ”And do you really think that your Gymnast is safe from Nyan-Nyan?”

“News flash,” said Ansel. “Her Defense Score is 1,800, and Nyan-Nyan’s Attack Score is only 1,700.”

Curare stared blankly…

And then Kung Fu Nyan-Nyan glowed. Her Attack rose to 2,000.

“What?” said Ansel.

”That’s the reason I didn’t attack with her last round,” said Curare. ”If I don’t attack with Kung Fu Nyan-Nyan, she gains 300 Attack Points on the next round. You made a big mistake not using Cyber Gymnast’s ability on her.”

“That’s what I get for being such a softie…” muttered Ansel.

”Well, I am no ‘softie’,” replied Curare. ”Nyan-Nyan, attack Cyber Gymnast with Kung Fu chop!”

Kung Fu Nyan-Nyan leapt forward and slammed her hand into Cyber Gymnast. She shattered into pieces.

A tear formed in Ansel’s eye…

“You’ll pay for that…” he whispered.

He looked at his hand…

Call of the Haunted, Polymerization, Blade Skater, Charm of Lamentation, Fusion Sage, and Pirouette.

He drew a card…

“All right…” he shouted. “Now we get serious!”

He placed a Spell Card in his Disk.

“I play Polymerization…” he said. “I’ll combine one part Etoile Cyber…”

Another dancer capered into view, this one wearing a red bodysuit with ribbons, with gorgeous chestnut hair.

“…and one part Blade Skater!”

Another figure literally skated to the forefront. This one was wearing an incredibly tight purple bodysuit (or else she was naked, and wearing body paint) had ice skates, and wicked blades on her wrists. Strangely, this one had no hair.



http://www.ideal808.com/images/een-en0161.jpghttp://www.ideal808.com/images/een-en003.jpg


The Polymerization vortex appeared behind them, and they were drawn through it…

A new skater emerged. She also wore an incredibly tight bodysuit, colored red and purple, with two spires on her shoulders and ice skates. She wore a red visor and had long, raven-black hair. (2,100/800)

“Put together, they make the formula for the star of my show…” said Ansel. “Cyber Blader!”



http://www.ideal808.com/images/een-en032.jpg


”I’m so scared…” replied Curare.

Ansel frowned.

“Attack Kung Fu Nyan-Nyan!” he shouted. “Whirlwind rage!”

Cyber Blader spun around on her skates, and delivered a fierce kick to Kung Fu Nyan-Nyan! The smaller Warrior screamed and then fell backwards before she shattered.

“I’ll place a card facedown, and call it a turn,” he said, placing his Call of the Haunted in his Disk.

The facedown card appeared.



[B](A: 6,250) (C: 4,900)


Curare glared at him again.

She drew a card.

”I play this Spell Card,” she said, choosing one from her hand. ”It is called Ki Spirits.”

She played a card that had the image of a woman lying on a funeral bed, with her ghost looking down at her.

“What does that do?” asked Ansel.

”It lets me Special Summon two Monsters from my Graveyard,” explained Curare.

Two ghostly wisps rose out of the ground. First, Master Kyonshee appeared, and he clenched his fists in anger. (1,750/1,000) Then, Kung Fu Nyan-Nyan appeared, and she was incredibly angry as well. (1,700/1,000)

Ansel noticed that they were almost transparent… As if they were ghosts…

”Before you scream that this card is broken and unfair,” said Curare, ”the Monsters I summon with it are helpless. They can neither attack you nor defend me, and they cannot be sacrificed for a Tribute Summon.

“But as you can see, they are quite angry at you…”

Ansel considered the situation.

Now why did she do that? he thought. It still counts as having two Monsters on the field, and that means that Cyber Blader’s second ability kicks in, doubling her Attack Score to 4,200. If I can attack her directly…

”Wondering what the whole point is?” she asked. ”I can still sacrifice them for a Special Summon. Which I will… By playing the card known as Luminous Clouds.”

She played a card, and misty white clouds covered the whole arena. The two Monsters were consumed.

”This lets me summon my most powerful creature from my deck… A warrior maiden whose ancestry is believed to include dragons in its line. Appear before me, Dragon Lady!”

In a flash of light, a powerful-looking woman with shogun-like armor (designed to form a midriff) holding two huge scimitars appeared on the field. Her eyes glowed with fiery light. (2,500/2,100)

”Now…” continued Curare, ”I know your Blader’s power. If I have one Monster on the field, she cannot be slain in battle. If I attacked, you’d only lose 400 little Life Points. However, I can injure you more by using Dragon Lady’s effect.

“Once per turn, by forfeiting her attack, she can destroy one Spell or Trap Card on your side of the field.”

Dragon Lady swung her swords forward, and blasted a beam of light, blasting Ansel’s Trap Card to shards.

“And I’ll follow up with this,” said Curare, playing a Spell Card, ”the Quickplay known as Mystic Eruption.”

The ground started to rumble around Ansel…

“Huh?” he said.

He screamed as a burst of flames shot up around him.

“This Spell Card can be activated when one of your Spells or Traps is destroyed,” continued Curare, ”and deals 1,000 points of damage to your Life Points.”

Ansel glared at her as smoke rose from him.



[B](A: 5,250) (C: 4,900)


“Okay…” he said, drawing. “If that’s how you want to play...”

He chose a card from his hand.

“I toss one card facedown…”

He played a card, and a facedown card appeared.

“Then I play this… The Spell Card, Charm of Lamentation.”

He played a Spell Card, and it appeared, showing the image of disheveled peasants reaching for coins falling from a golden sky.

“Cyber Blader…” he said, “attack the Dragon Lady!”

Curare’s eyes opened, as Cyber Blader spun towards Dragon Lady. The lady shogun swiped with her blade, and the dancer fell backwards.

”Fool,” said Curare. ”What was the purpose of that? You lost 400 more Life Points.”

“True,” said Ansel, “but no pain, no gain, as they say. Now my Charm of Lamentation activates, just as it will any time one of my Monsters attacks an enemy and fails to destroy it. Each time that happens, I get to draw one card.”

He drew a card from his deck.

It was Cyber Prima. Not what he wanted…

“Somewhere in my deck is something that can defeat your Dragon Lady,” he continued, adding it to his hand, “and I will draw it before my Life Points are depleted. I can count on it. It’s your move.”



[B](A: 4,850) (C: 4,900)


Curare drew a card.

”Heh, heh, heh,” she laughed, smiling for a change. ”Your plan seems intelligent, Ansel, but it has one major flaw.

“You forget that my Monster has the power to destroy Spell Cards. So one order from me, and she will obliterate your Charm of Lamentation.”

Ansel just stared at her.

”Dragon Lady…” she started.

Then she paused.

She smirked.

”VERY clever, Ansel,” she said. ”I wonder… is the ‘something’ that can defeat my Monster already on the field? Could it be that using her effect is exactly what you want me to do?

“Could your facedown card be… Divine Wrath?

“That’s it, isn’t it? If I used Dragon Lady’s effect, she’d be destroyed, and you’d attack me with everything.”

Ansel stared at her.

”Very well…” said Curare. ”I’ll accept your challenge, and take you down the hard way. Dragon Lady, attack!”

Dragon Lady slashed at Cyber Blader with her scimitars again, and she fell backwards.



[B](A: 4,450) (C: 4,900)


”It’s your move…” she said.

Ansel drew a card.

“Then let’s try this again!” he shouted. “Cyber Blader… I’m sorry… attack!”

Cyber Blader attacked again, and once again, Dragon Lady slammed her sword into her.

Ansel drew another card.

Nuts… Nuts… Nuts… he thought, looking at it. It wasn’t exactly what he had wanted either.

He placed the card in his Disk, and it appeared facedown next to his other one.

“It’s your move…” he said.



[B](A: 4,050) (C: 4,900)


Curare drew a card.

She made a slight smirk…

”Well, Ansel,” she said, ”It seems you’ve been torturing her for nothing…”

She played a card.

“I play Snowfall Sword.”

A card with the image of a scimitar piercing a symbol shaped vaguely like an S appeared.

”So long as this Continuous Spell is in play,” she explained, ”any Spell or Trap that would affect one of my Warriors only works if I want it to.

“So now that I no longer have to worry about your Divine Wrath, Dragon Lady, destroy his Charm of Lamentation.”

Dragon Lady’s swords started to glow.

“Well…” said Ansel. “Before it’s too late… Activate Emergency Provisions!”

The facedown card he had just set lifted up, and Charm of Lamentation was consumed by a huge mouth. Dragon Lady’s blast shot forward, but hit nothing.

Dragon Lady looked somewhat confused. Curare’s eyes narrowed.

“Her target is gone,” said Ansel with a grin, “but you still used her effect. So you can’t attack with her…”

”Then my turn is over,” she said. ”But mark my words, I also have many cards in my own deck that can destroy your Cyber Blader regardless of her ability. And I’m not stupid enough to summon a second Monster until I draw one.”



[B](A: 5,050) (C: 4,900)


Ansel drew a card.

She has a point, he thought. If she manages to summon two Monsters at the same time – easier than one might think – Cyber Blader would die from an attack.

I have Cyber Prima, and she could blast that Snowfall Sword to bits. But she needs a sacrifice to summon… What the heck do I do, sacrifice Cyber Blader?



Continued…

[Dark Sage]

Continued from last post:



“Maybe you have to,” said a female voice.

Ansel looked up.

Then he saw Cyber Blader looking at him over her shoulder.

“Was that you?” he whispered.

She nodded.

“Ansel, don’t be stupid,” said the merged Warrior. “First off, this isn’t an ordinary duel… we’re in a Shadow Game against a trained assassin. A cold-blooded killer. She’ll clearly make good on her threat if she beats you.

“And Russell is counting on you. If Curare isn’t defeated, she’ll likely move on to the others.

“Russell needs the path cleared. If he can’t beat Fortunado, the armies of the Orichalcos will march over the earth… Not a pretty sight.

“You have to summon Cyber Prima. She needs a sacrifice. I’m the only Monster you can sacrifice. I think the choice is clear…”

“But…” replied Ansel.

“Come on!” scolded the Warrior. “I want to take a break anyway… You think I like ramming into that nut’s sword round after round?”

“All right, you’re the boss…” said Ansel.

He placed a card on his Disk.

“I sacrifice Cyber Blader…” he said.

Cyber Blader winked at him before she vanished.

“To summon… Cyber Prima!”

A bright light formed on his side of the field, and a radiant form stepped out. She was dressed in a silvery bodysuit with golden bands circling her waist, and wore a mask reminiscent of Mardi Gras, a combination of butterfly and peacock. Her long hair was platinum blonde. (2,300/1,600)



http://www.ideal808.com/images/eoj_en007.jpg


“Now, Cyber Prima may be a big gloryhound,” said Ansel, with a grin, “but hey, that’s one of the reasons why everyone loves her…

“And simply by summoning her, all face-up Spell Cards on the field… go boom!”

Beams of light flashed from Cyber Prima’s eyes, and the Snowfall Sword shattered to pieces.

”That was a stupid move, Ansel,” said Curare. ”Cyber Blader couldn’t be destroyed in battle, but Dragon Lady will easily slay HER.”

“It’s your move…” said Ansel.

”Then I draw!” said Curare, drawing a card. “And I summon my second Kung Fu Nyan-Nyan in Attack Mode.”

A twin of the first Nyan-Nyan appeared, ready to strike. (1,700/1,000)

“Dragon Lady…” she ordered, ”attack Cyber Prima!”

The lady shogun flew forward…

“Go! Trap Card!” shouted Ansel.

His Trap lifted.

”That’s not Divine Wrath!” shouted a shocked Curare.

Cyber Blader started to dance in a very fast pirouette. Dragon Lady simply bounced off of her.

“No, I was bluffing,” said Ansel. “It’s a Trap called Pirouette which can used with any of the Cyber Girls. During the round this is activated, they can’t be destroyed via battle.”

Curare now seemed to be incredibly angry…

“Of course, battle damage still applies,” said Ansel, “so I lost 200 Life Points, but without it, I would have lost 1,900.

“There is one downside… I have to skip my next Battle Phase.”

“You’ve bought one turn, little more,” said Curare. ”Make your move…”



[B](A: 4,850) (C: 4,900)


Ansel drew a card.

…Faith…

Eh… he thought, looking at it. Hey… it’s that card Russell gave me.

He looked at it.

Only problem is, he thought, that Dragon Lady could destroy it. Let’s just hope that this chick is as mad as me as I think she is…

He opened his Field Slot, and placed the card into it.

“I play… Elysium Fields!” he exclaimed.

A bright light pervaded the room, and beautiful music started to fill the air…

As the light died down, a lovely, grassy meadow, with butterflies flitting about, and little rabbits hopping about had replaced the auditorium. The music was coming from a woman sitting in the background… apparently it was Spirit of the Harp. She watched them as she slowly played her instrument.

A lovely smell filled the air as fluffy clouds passed by in a sapphire blue sky…

“Whoa…” said Ansel. “Surreal…”

Curare wasn’t impressed.

”Big deal!” she said with a scowl. ”This ridiculous Field Spell hasn’t raised the Attack of your Monster or lowered that of mine by even one point!”

“Well then…” said Ansel. “Like I said, I have to skip my Battle Phase, so I end my turn…”

Curare drew a card.

Kung Fu Nyan-Nyan rose to 2,000 Attack.

“You thought by keeping Cyber Prima in Attack Mode you could avoid a direct attack by Dragon Lady?” she asked. “Well, you were wrong. I Equip her with Lightning Saber.”

As she played the card, Dragon Lady’s two scimitars vanished, and a new, nastier one, crackling with electricity, appeared in her right hand. Her Attack went up to 2,800.

“It not only increases her Attack by 300 points, but it lets her attack twice, so long as I cut her Attack Score in half the second time.”

Ansel gulped…

“Attack Cyber Prima! Shocking slash!”

The blade crackled with electricity, and Dragon Lady slashed at Cyber Prima. The diva shattered to bits.

“Attack directly!”

Dragon Lady’s Attack fell to 1,400, and she slashed at Ansel. He grunted and fell backwards.

”And now, Kung Fu Nyan-Nyan attacks…”

Nyan-Nyan leapt up and kicked Ansel so hard he almost heard a crack.



[B](A: 950) (C: 4,900)


Ansel clutched his ribs, which he really hoped were just bruised and not broken…

“Well, we’re almost done, Ansel…” said Curare.

She flicked her wrist, and the blades snapped out from the mechanism in her right arm again.

”If you surrender now, I’ll make it less painful. I could do that, you know… As an assassin, I’ve studied anatomy like a surgeon… You’d die in an instant.

“Or you could humiliate yourself further and make it excruciating…”

Ansel drew a card.

“Not gonna happen…” he said with a frown.

A beam of light came from the clouds, and Cyber Prima appeared on his side of the field, glowing with golden energy!

“What?” said Curare. ”I killed her! And you didn’t do a thing!”

“That’s the magic of Elysium Fields,” said Ansel. “Here, death isn’t permanent. Any Monster that’s destroyed in battle is resurrected during the owner’s next Standby Phase.”

”Then I’ll just kill her again!” replied Curare.

Ansel looked at the six cards in his hand…

“I don’t think so…” he said.

He played a card. An ankh appeared that looked somewhat like the one on Monster Reborn, but different.

“I play… Monster Reincarnation. Now, by discarding one card…”

He discarded Fusion Sage.

“I can add one Monster in my Graveyard to my hand. Or rather, I normally would… but since I’m choosing Cyber Blader, she actually goes back to my Fusion Deck.”

The card slipped out of the discard slot.

“Next…” he continued. “I play Monster Reborn!”

He played the card, and the more familiar ankh appeared.

Cyber Tutu stepped forward, and then did a split. (1,000/800)

“Remember her?” asked Ansel. “Next, I play Fusion Recovery. This Spell Card lets me retrieve one Polymerization and one Monster that I used in a fusion from my Graveyard.”

He played the card, and Polymerization and Blade Skater fell out of his discard slot.

“Next, I play The Warrior Returning Alive, to bring back someone else…”

He played the card, and Etoile Cyber slipped out of his discard slot.

“Now, let’s turn this duet into a trio,” he continued. “I use Polymerization, to summon Cyber Blader back for an encore.”

Etoile Cyber and Blade Skater reappeared on the field, and then merged together…

Cyber Blader appeared again, in a flash of light! (2,100/800)

Curare stepped back, scared for the first time…

“I don’t think I need to tell you what she can do when you have two Monsters on the field…” said Ansel with a grin.

Cyber Blader clenched her fists, and her Attack went up… to 4,200!

“Destroy Dragon Lady!” ordered Ansel. “Whirlwind rage!”

Cyber Blader danced forward, and kicked Dragon Lady with her skate! The shogun screamed and dropped her sword… She fell to her knees…

…and then she exploded in a burst of light!

“I’m not half-done!” continued Ansel. “Cyber Prima, attack Kung Fu Nyan-Nyan! Fouette step!”

Cyber Prima danced towards the young martial artist and kicked her in the stomach, blowing her to pieces.

“Cyber Tutu, attack directly!” shouted Ansel. “Pounding pirouette!”

Tutu spun around, and then flew at Curare, kicking her in the face for the fourth time since the duel started.



[B](A: 950) (C: 2,200)


“Idiot!” shouted Curare. ”You’ve signed your own death warrant! On my next turn, I can use the effect of your own Field Spell, and one attack on Cyber Tutu will win me this duel!”

“True, you could do that…” said Ansel, taking his last card, “however, it’s still my turn, I believe, and still my Battle Phase, and I have one more card to play…”

He played the card.

“I play… De-Fusion! I’ll turn this trio into a quartet!”

Cyber Blader split into two orbs of light, and then formed into Etoile Cyber (1,200/1,600) and Blade Skater (1,400/1,500).

“Sort of like the Beatles…” he said with a smirk. “If they were girls… Well… and Duel Monsters…”

“Just so you know, Etoile Cyber isn’t very good at fighting other Monsters, but when she gets a shot at my opponent, she gets a little boost. Ladies, get her!”

Etoile Cyber’s Attack Score rose to 1,700, and she delivered a kick to Curare’s stomach. For the first time all duel, she truly reacted. If she wasn’t mute, she’d have screamed.

Finally, Blade Skater skated forward, and delivered a slash across Curare’s chest with her blades.

“And that’s a wrap!” said Ansel.



[B](A: 950) (C: 0)


The Elysium Fields vanished, returning them to the auditorium… The four lady Warriors turned to Ansel and smiled. Then they vanished too.

And then the assassin fell to her knees. She collapsed…

Ansel walked up to her… He wondered if winning gave him some sort of permission to kill her. Not like he ever would have…

But as he looked in Curare’s eyes, it started to sink in that maybe a darker punishment had been waiting for her…



[B]* * * * * * * * * *


Jason’s cell phone rang.

“Jason here,” he said.

“Jason?” said Ansel. “Just what is Fortunado trying to pull here, anyway?”

“What happened?” asked Jason.

“I found one of his henchmen,” answered Ansel, “we dueled, I won, and she…”

There was a pause.

“Well, I’m sitting right next to her,” he continued, “and basically, she’s alive, but she’s oatmeal. And before you ask, no, she didn’t use any Field Spells.”

“Tell me about it,” said Jason. “We’re having good luck so far. It seems our opponents are playing for keeps. Did the card I gave you work out?”

“Uh, yeah…” answered Ansel. “By the way, did you do anything to my other cards?”

“Such as?” asked Jason.

“Well, one of my Monsters talked to me in the middle of the duel,” he answered. “That’s… well, that’s never happened before.”

“Well, Ansel, I can honestly say that that’s not my doing,” answered Jason. “Was the Monster in question your favorite card?”

Ansel looked at the Cyber Blader card.

“Mmm, yeah,” he said. “Pretty much.”

“Well, in Shadow Games, strange things tend to happen,” said Jason. “Maybe you and that card have some sort of connection between you that was brought to life by the Shadows.”

“Eh, who knows…” said Ansel. “Uh, before I forget, I found something on this chick…”

He looked at it.

“It’s a little blue metal square with the letter E on it. Hope that helps.”

“Blue, you say?” asked Jason, writing something down in his notebook. “Okay… we’ll look into that…

“Be careful Ansel… Fortunado is likely playing a game of cat and mouse with us…”

“Yeah…” answered Ansel. “And we’re the mice…”

He looked at Cyber Blader again.

“But don’t worry… I’ll be ready with a few… catty responses of my own!”



[B]* * * * * * * * * *


At the moment, Amanda was wandering around the twenty-third floor.

She entered a room that looked like a large basketball court.

“This guy sure is loaded,” she said. “I mean, his own gymnasium?”

“All that and more,” said a voice. “Amanda Jikarn, I presume…”

She looked, and saw a man in a three-piece suit with neatly combed hair. He carried one of the Orichalcos Disks.

“And who, pray tell, are you?” she asked.

“Cermon’s the name,” he said. “You don’t exactly know who I am… but… uh… We have a friend in common…”

“Who?” she asked.

“Uh, uh, uh,” he said. “Duel me in this Shadow Game, and if you win, you’ll find out. Of course, if you lose, there’s the standard penalty…”

“I’m not afraid of you…” said Amanda, placing her deck in her Disk. “After all, only two people have ever defeated my strategy…”

“Soon to become three…” said Cermon, readying his own deck.

“Game on!” they both said at once.



[B](Amanda: 8,000) (Cermon: 8,000)


Amanda didn’t know that a dark shape was watching from the bleachers overhead. If Amanda lost, fine… If she won, he was prepared to finish her off…


Tuesday, November 10th, 2106, 5:55 PM



DRAGON LADY (Monster Card)

Card Specs

Type: Warrior/Effect
Attribute: Light
Level: 7
ATK: 2,500
DEF: 2,100

Card Description: This card cannot be Normal Summoned or Set. This card is Special Summoned via the effect of "Luminous Clouds". Once per turn, you can destroy one Spell or Trap Card on your opponent's side of the field. If you activate this effect, this card cannot attack that turn.



KUNG FU NYAN-NYAN (Monster Card)

Card Specs

Type: Warrior/Effect
Attribute: Earth
Level: 4
ATK: 1,700
DEF: 1,000

Card Description: If you do not declare an attack with this card during your turn, increase its ATK by 300 on your next Standby Phase.



LUMINOUS CLOUDS (Spell Card)

Card Specs

Type: Spell
Attribute: –
Level: –
ATK: –
DEF: –

Image: A mountain rage covered by misty clouds.

Card Description: Offer one “Master Kyonshee” and one “Kung Fu Nyan-Nyan” on your side of the field as a Tribute. Special Summon one “Dragon Lady” from your hand or deck.



MYSTIC ERUPTION (Spell Card)

Card Specs

Type: Spell/Quickplay
Attribute: –
Level: –
ATK: –
DEF: –

Image: A Chinese temple being blasted by a bolt of lightning.

Card Description: You can activate this card when a Spell or Trap Card is destroyed. Inflict 1000 points of damage to the owner of the destroyed card.

Note: The proceeding four cards were first used by Vivian in the anime episode “Child’s Play”. All creative credit goes to the writers of that episode.



LIGHTNING SABER (Spell Card)

Card Specs

Type: Spell/Equip
Attribute: –
Level: –
ATK: –
DEF: –

Image: A scimitar crackling with electricity.

Card Description: This card can only be equipped to a WARRIOR-Type Monster. Increase the ATK of a Monster equipped with this card by 300. The Monster equipped with this card can attack twice per Battle Phase. If the Monster equipped with this card attacks a second time in a Battle Phase, decrease the ATK of the equipped monster by half until the End Phase of the turn.



SNOWFALL SWORD (Spell Card)

Card Specs

Type: Spell/Continuous
Attribute: –
Level: –
ATK: –
DEF: –

Image: A scimitar with its blade through an S-shaped plaque bearing kanji symbols.

Card Description: This card is destroyed if there is not at least one WARRIOR-Type Monster on your side of the field. If your opponent activates a Spell or Trap Card whose effect is applied to one of your WARRIOR-Type Monsters while this card is active, you can negate the activation of the card and destroy it.

Note: The proceeding two cards were first used by Vivian in the anime episode “A Brawl in a Small Town (Part Two)”. All creative credit goes to the writers of that episode.



KI SPIRITS (Spell Card)

Card Specs

Type: Spell
Attribute: –
Level: –
ATK: –
DEF: –

Image: A young woman’s body in a coffin with her spirit floating above and looking down.

Card Description: Special Summon two Monsters from your Graveyard. Monsters summoned with this card cannot attack, cannot be the target of an attack, and cannot be used as a Tribute for a Tribute Summon. If Monsters Special Summoned by this card are the only Monsters on your side of the field, your opponent may attack directly.



DOBLE PASSE (Trap Card)

Card Specs

Type: Trap
Attribute: –
Level: –
ATK: –
DEF: –

Image: A ballerina in a fancy dress dancing.

Card Description: You can activate this card when your opponent declares an attack on one of your Monsters in Attack Position. The attack becomes a direct attack on your Life Points. Then, the Monster who was the original target of the attack attacks your opponent directly.

Note: “Doble Passe” has been used by Alexis in several episodes of “Yu-Gi-Oh GX”, originally in “A Duel in Love”. All creative credit goes to the writers of the show.



CHARM OF LAMENTATION (Spell Card)

Card Specs

Type: Spell/Continuous
Attribute: –
Level: –
ATK: –
DEF: –

Image: Two disheveled peasants reaching for a glowing golden orb.

Card Description: As long as this card is face-up on your side of the field, whenever one of your Monsters attacks an opposing Monster and does not destroy it, draw one card from your deck.

Note: “Charm of Lamentation” was first used by Kaiba in the anime episode “Deja Duel! (Part One)”. All creative credit goes to the writers of that episode.



PIROUETTE (Trap Card)

Card Specs

Type: Trap
Attribute: –
Level: –
ATK: –
DEF: –

Image: Cyber Blader dancing around Dark Ruler Ha Des as he angrily tries to blast her with dark magic.

Card Description: On the round this card is activated, all WARRIOR-Type Monsters with the word “Cyber” in their names, or ones that are named “Blade Skater” cannot be destroyed in battle for the remainder of the round (damage calculation still applies). Skip your next Battle Phase after using this card.



FOUETTE STEP (Spell Card)

Card Specs

Type: Spell
Attribute: –
Level: –
ATK: –
DEF: –

Image: Etoile Cyber dancing with one large Duel Monsters card behind her and one to either side, the backs forward.

Card Description: Offer one “Etoile Cyber”, “Blade Skater”, “Cyber Tutu”, or “Cyber Gymnast” on your side of the field as a Tribute. Draw three cards from your deck.



ELYSIUM FIELDS (Spell Card)

Card Specs

Type: Spell/Field/Card of Virtue
Attribute: –
Level: –
ATK: –
DEF: –

Virtue: Faith

Image: A beautiful, grassy garden, full of fruit trees, flowers, and fountains.

Card Description: When a Monster is destroyed as a result of battle and sent to the Graveyard, its owner may Special Summon it from his Graveyard during his next Standby Phase.



[B][I]What does Cermon have in store for Amanda? Truthfully, I’m not concerned about him. Amanda doesn’t know it, but in the room she is in, he’s the lesser of two evils.

Coming up next, the greater evil rears its head, but Amanda is not alone. She has an ally. It all comes to a head in a chapter called “The Eye of Truth”, coming soon.

[Shuppet Master]

Really nice chapter, Brian. I hadn't expected Vivian's cards to show up. And it looks like Ansel's real deck is similar to Alexis's old Cyber Blader deck. Nice.

EDIT: Sorry for being brief, I had to go to church and was running late. :rolleyes:

Anyways, I did see Vivian duel Rebecca and use Dragon Lady, but I didn't see the swords since I missed the end of the duel with Vivian and Yugi. But I'm sort of a little confused as to why you had Fortunado mention Vivian as Yugi's sparring partner(she was clearly an opponent and had designs on him) and you also called Alice the Doll Jaden's ally, when she was one of his opponents. (I missed the first part of the duel between Sarina and Aster/Jaden, stupid time shift.) Still, I really liked seeing the Cyber Ladies from Alexis's old deck showing off again.

[Inferno_Dragon]

I haven't posted for a while but don't think I don't like this fanfic anymore ... and I am enjoying it from the backstands. The past duels have been interesting and so has this one. Including Ansel's opponent. The duel was a nice touch of anime duels (each borrowing from a different character, Vivian or Alexis.) Although I haven't seen Vivian duel because I haven't seen all of the Yu-Gi-Oh series, it was still a good duel. Also nice touch with the communication between Ansel and Cyber Blader.



“Tutu…” he said. “It’s turn, pause, step, pivot, turn, step, step, not turn, pause, step, pivot, turn, step, pause.”

When I first read this, I first thought of that episode where Lisa enters the beauty pageant and she is being absconded by the dance instructor.


”Big deal!” she said with a scowl. ”This ridiculous Field Spell hasn’t raised the Attack of your Monster or lowered that of mine by even one point!”

This line also reminds me of the very first duel in Yu-Gi-Oh GX where Jaden duels Crowler. Even the line seems similiar.

Well, I can't wait until the next chapter. Keep up the work, Dark Sage!!!!!!!

[Blademaster]

You know, reading these chapters is making me start to miss working on 3.0...

Well, anyway, the duel was pretty fun, I'll admit - I never saw the Grand prix Arc, so I never saw Vivian duel, and the Cyber dancers don't get too much air time...

One quick question, though... Are you sure Cyber Gymnast is a girl?

OK, so this Cermon guy and whoever's in the stands is up next... anyone we know? I doubt it, but still... Sounds kinda familiar... "The Eye of Truth?" Hmmm...

Anyway, I'll be waiting for the next chapter.

Laterz! :wave:

[Dark Sage]

Blade:

Here is Cyber Gymnast on the Japanese version of her card:



http://www.ideal808.com/images/eoj_jp006.jpg


As you can see, her cleavage clearly identifies her as a girl. She's just muscular.

[Master of Paradox]

I wonder... how is it I can justify magic popping up everywhere, Duel Monsters talking to people, and dolls coming to life, but my mind refuses to buy into Curare being telepathic? Maybe I just don't see how it fits...

On a technical level, this duel worked pretty well. I may not like the Cyber Girls all that much, but at least they were played with skill, and I haven't seen Vivian's martial artists in a fanfic before. (jkBAKURA thought it would be the more traditional "martial arts" deck - a la Yamato and friends - but I guessed DS wouldn't reuse that so quickly.) Everything flowed without obvious breakdowns, and the made-up cards fit without too much trouble...

...but the Cards of Virtue are starting to irritate me. I'll admit that I'm glad nobody has won with one yet, but they've become Cardstock ex Machina. Even if Heaven itself gives you a gift, it shouldn't be at the heart of every victory.

And on top of this, we seem to have stumbled into a plotless valley in the story. It's worthless to work out what those letters mean until we have all of them, because whatever card they stand for, odds are good they're scrambled. So we just have duel after meaningless duel.

Still, I can afford to give you the benefit of the doubt, so I will continue reading and look forward to whatever comes next.

This next chapter should be... interesting, if what I know indicates anything.

[Dark Sage]

It won't be all plotless, Jason.

In the chapter after next, Trisha will duel again, and get this - she will not use a Card of Virtue OR Critias. This chapter plays a vital role in the plot.

In the chapter after that, an Orichalcos duel will occur, in which the history of a character who has been more or less a spectator for a long time will be revealed.

As for these "eye candy duels", not all of the students will use Cards of Virtue. At least two of Jason's recruits (I believe) will not use them at all.

As for the true plot, as far as The Reckoning goes, it will start up again in Chapter 60. See, I wanted to give the main characters a long break, because I felt everyone was getting tired of them dueling all the time. (I mean, think about it... Don't you get a little tired of Jaden completely dominating the show in GX? Turning Chazz and Alexis into villains in season two was a bad idea, in my opinion - the villain never gets to play a lead role.)

So sit tight, and we'll make it through this.

and by the way, as for Curare's deck - my original plan was for her to use Kabukid's Kabuki Deck, but the system to it was so damn confusing...

[Shuppet Master]

Yeah, I see what you mean. Even though I read Asuka Tenjoin's summary on Pojo's forum, it was still confusing to me. But then, I've never seen a kabuki show before(except in one episode of Jackie Chan Adventures, where Jade uses some magic kabuki makeup to stop some thieves from getting away with a lot of stuff hidden in the fake cow - I still laugh at that).

And I agree that they shouldn't have turned Alexis into a toadie for Sartorius. I missed the first part of the Sarina duel. (Brian, you don't have to change the names in that flashback, you have your own rights.) Although I thought it was funny how Hassleberry replayed the whole last episode and Syrus whines "You made it more confusing!" :D

Brian, could you PM me with Destiny Hero Dasher's effect? I'm a bit confused to Jaden's strategy.

[Blademaster]

Oh, I see now... thanks. The English version from the chapter itself made her look kinda... how should I say this...... flat. :S Damned editting... they should've kept the Japanese version; maybe Cyber Amazon would've been a better name.

Now, while I'm still here, I have a really, really, REALLY stupid question that has been nagging away at me and (I think.) hasn't been asked yet...

The Dark Messiah is, to put it really simply, a very holy figure who combats evil forces, right?

...So, why is his title 'the Dark Messiah?'

I know you've said before several times that 'dark' and 'evil' aren't the same thing, but still... The Orichalcos is 'a weapon of darkness,' I believe was the term used somewhere in this story... or, at least, it was used in the anime. Wasn't it? The Orichalcos is fueled by the darkness in the hearts of man - wasn't that what Dartz said?

So, why would the enemy of a dark force like the Orichalcos be called 'dark,' too? :confused:

[Dark Sage]

That will be revealed in time, but let me make a few examples to a Yu-Gi-Oh perspective.

Yugi also fought the Orichalcos, and the monster who "assigned" him to do so was Dark Magician Girl, who is also Dark.

On the opposite end of the spectrum, Jaden is fighting the Light of Ruin. He is technically allied with Darkness... But what Attribute is his best monster? Neos is a Light Monster.

Anyway, the title does have a meaning to it, but you'll just have to wait and see what it means.

[starjake]

Hello,

Vivian vs. Alexis...an odd combination of decks, but it worked surprisingly well (one thing that confuses me...you say Snowfall Sword was a Continuous Spell, janime says it's an Equip Spell, and Vivian plays it from her hand during her Battle Phase like a Quick-Play Spell during the Grand Championship. Would the anime writers please make up their minds?).

As for the lack of plot...I agree with both sides of this issue. It's true that too much action from the main characters can get tedious, so giving them a break is nice...but perhaps just a break from dueling is needed. What are they doing while their allies are dueling? Russell and Trisha have rather vanished, and Jason's only job at the moment is that of answering his phone and jotting down letters (is he the Dark Messiah or the Dark Secretary?)

It's also kind of nice to see some other deck-types. And, in a sense, this is a furthering of the plot, because the triumphant trio needs the front line taken down before they can go after the big baddy(s).

Anyways, I look forward to another chapter. Until next time, this is StarJake, signing off.

[Phoenixsong]

This chapter was fairly entertaing... though I have to say, at first I was confused about you calling Vivian Yugi's "sparring partner". Aside from the fact that it wasn't the greatest choice of words, I missed the beginning of the Grand Championship arc... darn shame, too, as that had to be my favorite season out of them all. (Even though Bakura wasn't in it... bleah.) So I never knew they had dueled... huh. Anyway. The duel was an interesting one, despite the fact that I loathe Alexis's monsters... ballet, ugh... *shudder* And Cyber Gymnast scares me, English version or Japanese version. Obscenely ripped women make my eyes bleed.

Hmm... I have to say I'm also a bit indifferent to the whole "plotless duel" thing. As I've said before, if something critically major happened every chapter, I wouldn't be able to keep reading. It's nice to have a bit of a break, and every story needs some filler somewhere. If nothing else, it adds to the tone and gives better impressions of the individual characters; if you've introduced them and they're playing an important part, then it's helpful to get a better picture of them. But anyway, you've said already that you're interspersing some action in between the filler duels, which is how it should be. I'm content with the way this is going.

On a more critical note, DS, you really need to be more careful with your rereading. I understand that you have work and a girlfriend and all of that, but it is a bit annoying having Ansel call Jason "Russell" for the entire first half of the chapter.

Other than all of that stuff, I eagerly await the next chapter.

*twitches* Must... get.. off... backside... and... write... own... damn... fanfics! Gah! I loathe senior year! *smashes senior year with a crowbar*

[Mystic_clown]

There's something about Alexis' monster that have always irked me, and that still seems to carry on into this fic a well.

Hmm, I didn't really feel a lot for this chapter. I personally would have likde to see how Ansel would have faired using his recreation deck (once again, this is mainly for my dislike for the cyber girls).

I really have no complaint about this part of the story. It gives us a chance to see user characters who've only dueled once (or in one case, not at all *cough*Janus*cough*) to see what else they can pull out.

However, there's been one problem with the recent duels. As mentionde before, you're over doing the card of virtue related wins. Winning using a mystical card works if it's used once or twice, but you're over doing it a bit (now, I knowI'm nt one to talk since I'll do the same in my next chapter of "The Six Avatars").

[Dark Sage]

Well, people, it's time for a new chapter.

But first, credit is given where credit is due.

If Mookie is still reading, I'd like to thank him for the contribution of Nathan Emmanuel Evens.

And I'd like to thanks jkBakura for both Amanda Jikarn, and the main antagonist in this chapter, whom he designed after winning a contest.

Enjoy.

[B][I]How would you like to learn, that the method you trusted for so long was designed as a cruel joke?

How would you like to learn, that a person who you trusted for so long was a sadistic liar who just wanted to hurt you?

What would you do if that person showed up, and now wanted to do away with you?

Put yourself in my shoes right now, and you’d find out what it’s like…

That person has shown up, I know I don’t stand a chance against him, but there might be hope, because I don’t have to fight this battle alone… I have an ally…

Can he defeat the beast who I once thought was a loved one?

Only time will tell…




[B][size=3]CHAPTER FIFTY-FOUR



http://www.ideal808.com/images/db1_en074.jpg



Tuesday, November 10th, 2106, 6:15 PM




[B](Amanda: 8,000) (Cermon: 6,000)


The situation was plainly set out…

On Amanda’s side was Giant Soldier of Stone in Defense Mode (1,300/2,000), three facedown cards, and a Mask of Restrict.



http://www.ideal808.com/images/db1_en124.jpg


On Cermon’s side was Lava Golem (3,000/2,500), which she had put there, and nothing else, but after taking damage for two turns, he had taken no real action.



http://www.ideal808.com/images/pgd-1071.jpg



Amanda was starting to figure out that he was on to her strategy…

“I don’t know what your game is…” she said, drawing a card.

She looked at the Spell Card. It wasn’t of much use, seeing as another copy of it was already on the field.

“…but sooner or later, something is going to give. I’m going to pass for my turn.”

“Very well…” said Cermon, drawing a card.

He cringed a little as the cage glowed red hot.

“Well, let’s see…” he said, looking at his cards. “What to use? These are good… But then again… there’s always these…”

“Will you just move?” muttered Amanda.

“Good moves take time,” he answered. “I’m very cautious… and very patient…

“Especially since I know exactly what’s waiting for me behind those facedown cards…”

He played a card, and the Pot of Greed appeared in front of him.

“Yes, a very deadly combo…” he said, as he drew two cards. “Astral Barrier, Inferno Tempest, and Return From the Different Dimension. Chaos End is likely in your hand, right?

“Or is it? I play Confiscation.”

He played the card.

“Now I get to spend 1,000 Life Points to see your hand, and force you to discard one card.”

The images of five cards appeared in front of him.

“Ah, yes, just as I thought… I choose to banish Chaos End.”

The card in Amanda’s hand vanished.

“Smart…” she said. “Spending Life Points like that when you’re steadily losing them.”

“Not for long…” he said. “I now play the Spell Card, Heavy Storm!”

Amanda braced herself, as a storm blew across the field. Her Mask of Restrict shattered, then her three facedown cards lifted up, and blew away.

“I thought so…” laughed Cermon. “And now that your Mask is history, I can sacrifice all the Monsters I want. So I sacrifice the Lava Golem…”

Lava Golem vanished in a swirl of red energy…

“To summon… Jinzo!”

In an aura of darkness, the wicked android arose, its optic sensors glowing red. (2,400/1,500)



http://www.ideal808.com/images/psv-0001.jpg


“Seems like the shoe is on the other foot,” said Cermon. “Jinzo, annihilate her overgrown boulder with cyber energy shock!”

Jinzo formed a ball of dark energy in its hands and hurled it forward, blasting Giant Soldier of Stone into pebbles.

“Heh, heh…” said Cermon. “Your move…”



[B](A: 8,000) (C: 4,000)


Amanda looked at the four cards in her hand.

Another Inferno Tempest, another Mask of Restrict, Gear Golem the Moving Fortress, and (ironically) her own Jinzo.

She slowly drew a card.

“I play… Graceful Charity…” she said, playing the card.

As the angel appeared over her, she drew three cards.

She shuddered in fear when she saw what one of them was. She had never used this card against a real duelist before, but now, she guessed she really didn’t have a choice.

She discarded the Gear Golem and Jinzo.

“I place two cards facedown, and end my turn,” she said, as two cards appeared in front of her.

“What?” asked Cermon. “In case you didn’t know, Jinzo nullifies Trap Cards. Besides, I happen to know that you have no Traps in your deck that can block an attack or destroy a Monster.”

“Your move…” she said.

“Fine…” said Cermon, drawing.

“I summon Drillago in Attack Mode.”

He played a card, and an infernal Machine that looked like it was made completely of drills and screws appeared next to Jinzo. (1,600/1,100)



http://www.ideal808.com/images/dr2-en026.jpg


“Drillago, attack her directly! Boring rush!”

Drillago’s drills spun wildly, and it charged forward. Amanda screamed as it plunged its weapons into her torso.

“And now…” he continued, “Jinzo, you attack too!”

Jinzo powered up its cyber energy shock…

“I activate my facedown card!” shouted Amanda. “Rush Recklessly!”

One of her facedown cards lifted.

“What?” said Cermon, confused. “Your side is empty. That card is useless.”

“Whoever said I was going to use it on one of my Monsters?” asked Amanda with a grin. “I’m using it on your Jinzo!”

Jinzo glowed, and its Attack rose to 3,100.

“Are you nuts?” asked Cermon. “He’ll just… Wait… Jinzo! Stop!”

“To late…” said Amanda.

Jinzo fired an even more intense cyber energy shock, and Amanda screamed again…

She fell to her knees.



[B](A: 3,300) (C: 4,000)


“That hurt… even worse… than Lava Golem’s… attack…” she gasped, with sweat running down her face. “But it still… did the job…”

Her other facedown card lifted.

“Activate… Inferno Tempest…”

“Ergh…” muttered Cermon. “Big deal. In case you didn’t realize, Return From the Different Dimension is a Trap Card. And now you’ll never summon anything strong enough to defeat Jinzo. You have no Monsters in your deck, and none in your Graveyard!”

“True…” said Amanda, slowly, getting up. “But the one that’s in my hand should be enough…”

She drew a card.

Then she placed a card on her Disk.

“I summon… G-G-G… Gren Maju Da Eiza!”

A roaring fire appeared in front of her, and a hideous demon stepped out. It had a bloated body, with a jagged bone structure along its frame. Two huge, batlike wings rose from its back, and a long tail whipped behind it. Its skull-like head bore six horns, and sinister green lights glowed throughout its whole form. It looked at Cermon with an evil glare.



http://www.ideal808.com/images/dr2-en024.jpg


“This demon is the ruler of the Different Dimension,” said Amanda, nervously, “and it gains power from each and every card that has been banished to its domain. So much, that its Attack and Defense Score are 400 for every card that I’ve removed from play.”

“How many cards is that?” gulped Cermon.

“Nineteen,” answered Amanda, “which is more than enough to finish you off!”

(7,600/7,600)

“Gren Maju Da Eiza…” shouted Amanda, covering her eyes, “destroy Jinzo with chaos flames!”

The Red Lotus Beast’s eyes glowed with pinpoints of light, and it roared! An inferno erupted around it! It shot a blast of white-hot fire at the android, and it groaned and melted like wax before shattering into triangles!

Cermon was thrown back by the flames, landing with a look of fright permanently branded on his face.



[B](A: 3,300) (C: 0)


Amanda shivered in fear…



[B]* * * * * * * * * *


A form in the bleachers watched as Amanda walked towards Cermon’s prone form.

“Darn,” he said. “She won… She always wins! I should have known better than to send that overstuffed egotist to duel her…”

He took a deck from a case and started to shuffle it.

“Well, as the ancient saying goes,” he said, “if you want something done right, you gotta do it yourself…”



[B]* * * * * * * * * *


Amanda bent over Cermon’s clothing…

She found something in his jacket pocket. It was a small, red square with the letter R on it.

“Better tell Jason about this…” she said. “It might be…”

“Amanda?” said a voice behind her.

She screamed and raised her hand, ready to hit the new enemy with her Disk.

She stopped.

”Nathan?” she gasped.

“Oh, that is it…” said Nathan, stepping back. “From now on, you are only getting decaffeinated coffee!”

“Sorry…” she muttered. “I guess a Shadow Game isn’t exactly easy on the nerves.”

“Yeah, well, you did good,” said Nathan, holding her shoulders. “Clever move with Gren there.”

“Are you kidding?” she replied, shivering. “I’ve only actually used that… thing in simulations, and even then it gave me chills. I never want to use it again…

“Come to think of it, I’m having second thoughts on this whole invasion thing. It hurts so much worse in a Shadow Game…”

“Why don’t we stick together…” said Nathan. “You know what they say… There’s strength in numbers…”

“Now that, is the mother of all understatements…” said a voice from the shadows.

They looked, and saw a tall figure looking at them.

“That voice…” said Amanda, in fear. “I know that voice…”

The figure walked out of the shadows…

He was a tall, young man, with a boyish face, and auburn hair. He was dressed in a casual sweatshirt and jeans.

Nathan was a bit taken aback when he realized something… He sort of resembled Amanda herself.

But Amanda was beside herself.

“RIC?” she shouted. “What the Hell…”

“Hello, sis,” he said, “still using the deck I see. Well, I’m afraid your part in the Messiah’s crusade is ending right now…”

Amanda saw that he had an Orichalcos Disk on his arm.

“Ric… wha… buh… why?” gulped Amanda. “You and Shawn… You designed my deck… It’s helped me since I started school…”

“You’re so naïve, Amanda…” said Ric. “The deck was a scam.”

“A scam?” shouted Amanda. “What do you mean? The only people who have beaten it are Russell, and you…”

“Heh, heh…” laughed Ric, “yeah, I’d be a pretty sorry excuse for a duelist if I couldn’t defeat a deck that I designed.”

“Amanda, who is this guy?” asked Nathan.

“Nathan…” muttered Amanda. “This is my oldest brother… Ric Jikarn…”

“The pleasure is all mine…” said Ric with a grin. “Anyway, Amanda, please don’t blame Shawn for this… He honestly wanted to help you, but he was just as naïve as you were. And frankly, he can’t duel worth beans. I thought up the strategy for your deck because…”

He grinned.

“Well, because I thought seeing you willingly take a 3,000-point direct attack every time was… well, it was kind of funny.”

Amanda clenched her fist.

“I never expected you to have the success you did with this deck, Amanda,” he continued. “But to my chagrin, you did. You kept winning with it, time and again. The strategy got so successful, you eventually would start getting credit for it, and I just couldn’t have that.

“So, I had to get rid of you without anyone fingering me. That’s why I came to work for Fortunado. The Orichalcos leaves no trace.

“Sadly, I’m not allowed to use the Orichalcos right now. The boss is running low on them. But a normal Shadow Game will suffice.

“And we’re going to duel right now…”

Amanda stepped back… A tear fell down her eye…

“Hold it right there, mister!” shouted Nathan. “Amanda is exhausted… what are you, some sort of vulture?

“This is your little sister, and you’re saying that all this time you’ve set her up? What kind of an older sibling does that?”

“The one who will carry on the family name,” said Ric. “I want the Jikarn family to be remembered for a competent duelist, like me, not some amateur like her.”

“Amateur?” said Nathan with a sneer. “In case you didn’t realize, she’s managed to be successful with a deck that was intentionally designed to fail. You just said so yourself.

“And there’s no way I’m letting you swoop down on her after she’s just taken a beating in a Shadow Game. You’ll have to go through me first.”

“I have no quarrel with you,” said Ric. “I don’t have to banish you to the Shadows as well, so think long and hard before you make such a threat.”

“Know what I think?” said Nathan, pointing a finger. “I think that you were afraid of her success. You were afraid that she’d defeat even you someday.

“When all is said and done, you’re exactly the same as she is… Worried and insecure. Unsure of your abilities as a duelist.”

Ric stared at him… There was dead silence for a second.

He removed his deck from his Disk, and then looked through it. He quickly took about ten or so cards out of it. Then he took ten other cards out of a pouch on his belt, and switched the two sets. He started to shuffle.

Switching his cards? thought Amanda. That’s why he could beat my deck… He did just what Russell did… He prepared in advance, because he knew how it worked…

“Very well, Nathan was it?” said Ric with a frown. “I’ll duel you with my deck at true strength before I handle her, and the Shadows will feast on both of you.”

“Nathan, no, he’s good!” shouted Amanda. “His cards…”

“Uh, uh, uh!” said Ric, shaking his finger. “Not a word about my strategy, Amanda! After all, I know nothing about his… If you have any pride as a duelist, you’ll let this duel be fair. I have no intention of cheating, after all.”

Amanda bowed his head. He had a point.

“Fine,” said Nathan, as his Disk activated. “I’ll duel you mano-a-mano.”



[B](Nathan: 8,000) (Ric: 8,000)


They both snatched five cards off their decks. Nathan looked them over.

Thinking about how to use your cards, Nathan? thought Ric. Better use them fast… I might not let you have a chance to…

“Okay, let’s duel!” he said, drawing a sixth card.

He chose a card from his hand.

“I think I’ll simply place a Monster in Defense Mode, and that will be all,” he said, placing a card on his Disk.

A facedown Monster appeared.

“Not much of a move…” said Nathan, drawing a card.

He looked at it.

Well, Blood Sucker can probably take care of whatever he put there… he thought.

“I summon Blood Sucker in Attack Mode,” he stated.

With a cackle and a spooky mist, a fiendish-looking creature with red skin, devilish horns, and flared outcroppings on its clawed arms appeared. (1,300/1,500)



http://www.ideal808.com/images/yugioh_premium_pack_8_pp8_jp004.jpg


“Impressive…” said Ric. “But I’ve been dueling too long to be afraid of any third-rate Fiend.”

“It’s a Zombie, for your information,” growled Nathan. “Blood Sucker, attack his facedown Monster! Razor claw!”

Blood Sucker’s eyes glowed feral, and it flew forward, slashing with its claw…

A small bird with green feathers and a red plume appeared on the card, and was torn to shards.

“Heh, heh…” chuckled Ric. “You just attacked my Ashinagray, Nathan.”

“No…” moaned Amanda.

“And it has two powerful effects,” continued Ric. “First, when it’s flipped, you lose one card from your hand…”

The Dragged Down Into the Grave in Nathan’s hand glowed, and vanished.

“Second,” said Ric, taking his deck, “when it’s destroyed, I get to search for another one from my deck, and set it in facedown Defense Mode.”

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

“Darn…” said Nathan, looking at the rest of his cards. “Guess I’ll throw a card facedown, and end my turn.”

He fit a card into his Disk, and a facedown card appeared.

Ric drew a card.

“Then it’s time for a change of venue,” he said, opening his Field Slot. “Take us to… Necrovalley!”

He placed the card in the slot, and a bright light enveloped the field…

Before Nathan could fathom what was going on, tall desert cliffs surrounded them. Strange cave openings were in the sides of the cliffs, and he was standing on a rocky outcropping, across from the one his opponent was on. Far in the distance rose the Great Pyramids and the Sphinx.

“What are you going to do, play Gravekeepers?” asked Nathan, nervously.

He hoped not… Gravekeepers were dangerous.

“No…” said Ric. “Something far more sinister. Anyway, next, I’ll flip my Ashinagray into Attack Mode…”

The card flipped up, and the small bird revealed itself. (500/500)

“That means you lose another card from your hand,” he continued.

Nathan gulped, as the Soul-Absorbing Bone Tower in his hand vanished.

“And now, I’ll sacrifice Ashinagray…” continued Ric.

The small bird vanished.

“…for a fiendish soldier known and feared throughout the demon world as… Mefist the Infernal General!”

A galloping of hooves sounded, and a large form strode out of a void of darkness. It was a knight of some sort, in black armor on a demonic armored horse. He held a weapon that was a cross between a lance and an axe. (1,800/1,700)



http://www.ideal808.com/images/dcr-0661.jpg


“Terrific…” muttered Nathan. “Well, since my Blood Sucker is going to be destroyed anyway, I might as well destroy it before you do…”

“What do you mean?” asked Ric.

Nathan’s facedown card lifted. It was a Trap with the picture of Marauding Captain ambushing Goblin Attack Force.

“It’s called Assault on GHQ,” explained Nathan. “I now have to destroy one of my Monsters…”

Blood Sucker shattered into shards.

“And in exchange, you have to discard the top two cards from your deck.”

Ric gave him a dirty look, and took the top two cards off his deck. They were Royal Tribute and Spirit Reaper.

Darn… he thought, discarding them. Those would have been useful. But I’ll have the last laugh…

“I do hope it was worth it…” he said with a smirk. “Mefist, attack directly with fiendish forward charge!”

Mefist galloped forward on his mount. Nathan screamed as he was struck by the huge axe.

He gasped for breath and looked at his hand again. The Black Pendant in his hand vanished.



[B](N: 6,200) (R: 8,000)


“Are you starting to get the theme of my deck yet, Nathan?” asked Ric. “It’s all about Hand Control. I simply don’t let my opponent have anything to work with.

“Oh course, I take a Hand Control strategy to a whole new level with the addition of Necrovalley. With my kind of deck, there’s always the possibility that making someone discard a powerful Monster will actually help him, letting him summon it with no sacrifices by using Monster Reborn or something similar.

“But with Necrovalley… Recovering cards from the Graveyard is impossible.”

“Same goes for you!” snapped Nathan. “You can’t do it either.”

“Maybe so,” said Ric, “but as of right now, I have a powerful Monster on the field, and a hand of four cards. You have one card in your hand, and nothing on the field. Who has the advantage?”

“We’ll soon see…” said Nathan. “It’s my move!”

He drew a card.

He smirked.

“I’ll place a Monster in Defense Mode, and that will end my turn,” he said.

A facedown Monster appeared.

“Don’t you ever study?” asked Ric, drawing a card. “You should know that Mefist doesn’t really care whether a Monster is in Attack or Defense Mode.”

He grinned at the card he had just drawn.

“And by the way, as for that crack about Necrovalley affecting me as well…”

“Oh no…” muttered Amanda. “Don’t tell me he drew that…”

“Oh, but I did, sis,” he said, playing a Spell Card. “I play a very rare card known as Temple of the Gravekeepers.”

With a loud rumbling, an ancient Egyptian temple rose up behind him. The entrance was flanked by pillars and statues of the jackal-headed god Anubis.

“This card costs me 1,000 Life Points to activate,” he explained, “and it would be destroyed if Necrovalley were removed from the field, but so long as it’s on the field, the negative effects of Necrovalley don’t apply to me. I can play all the cards I want that affect my own Graveyard. It’s like Gravekeeper’s Chief in Spell form.

“Now I’ll summon someone new…”

He placed a card on his Disk.

“White Magical Hat, in Attack Mode.”

In a puff of colored smoke, a tall gentleman in a blue tuxedo and a white cape, wearing a monocle and a white top hat appeared. (1,000/700)



http://www.ideal808.com/images/db1_en151.jpg


Lovely… thought Nathan. Another guy with a discarding effect. But this guy’s in for a surprise…

“Mefist, run down his facedown Monster!” shouted Ric.

Mefist charged…

Zombie Werewolf appeared on the card, before it was cleaved in half.

Nathan grunted, and the last card in his hand vanished.

But then he grinned.

”Oh, I studied, all right,” he said. “And I happen to know that Necrovalley has limits. It doesn’t affect cards whose effects activate by being sent to the Graveyard. So it won’t stop Zombie Werewolf’s effect at all.”

In a burst of dark energy, a second Zombie Werewolf appeared in Attack Mode, snarling and drooling. He let out a loud howl. (1,700/1,200)



[B](N: 5,600) (R: 7,000)


“And since this one has 1,700 Attack Points,” he said with a smirk, “your White Magical Hat is going to have to pick a fight with someone else.”

“That’s what you think,” said Ric. “Since I can’t stop you from destroying him on your next turn, and I summoned him in Attack Mode, I’m not about to waste his attack…”

He chose a card from his hand.

“You see, since his Attack Score is only 1,000, he’s just the right strength for me to use this card… Secret Pass To the Treasures.”

He played the card.

“This lets a Monster attack directly, so long as its Attack Score is 1,000 or less. White Magical Hat, attack directly with moonlight magic.”

The Spellcaster shot a blast of sparkling lights forward, and Nathan cringed as they hit him.



[B](N: 4,600) (R: 7,000)


“Your Werewolf may defeat my Spellcaster,” said Ric, “but now you’d need a miracle draw to defeat Mefist. I don’t believe in miracles myself…”

Nathan slowly drew a card.

He looked at it.

“Prepare to believe…” he muttered. “I knew I’d find a use for this guy…”

He placed a card on his Disk.

“I summon Reborn Zombie in Attack Mode.”

He played a card, and a rotting, skeletal corpse with stark, white hair clad in filthy rags appeared on the field. (1,000/1,600)



http://www.ideal808.com/images/een-en0091.jpg


“You gotta be kidding…” said Ric with a smirk. “I’m surprised that thing even has an Attack Mode.”

“Zombie Werewolf, attack the White Magical Hat!” ordered Nathan. “Savage claw!”

Zombie Werewolf lunged forward, and with one swipe of his claw, White Magical Hat was blown away.

“As Joey Wheeler once said…” laughed Nathan, “say goodbye to the Cat in the Hat!”



[B](N: 4,600) (R: 6,300)


“Clever…” said Ric, drawing a card.

“I play my Pot of Greed…” he said.

The jar appeared, and he drew two cards.

“I’ll bet you wish you had this card, Nathan,” he said with a chuckle. “Frankly, from where I’m standing, you need it.

“Well, since attacking your Werewolf would let you summon one that was stronger, I’ll get rid of it another way. I play Tribute to the Doomed.”

He played one of the cards in his hand and discarded another. Zombie Werewolf moaned, as it was mummified by a swarm of linens and dragged under.

“And since you foolishly summoned that weak Monster in Attack Mode,” he continued, “Mefist, destroy Reborn Zombie!”

Mefist charged, and swung his axe, splitting the Reborn Zombie down the middle…

…but the two halves came back together, and fused back together.

“Huh?” said Ric. “How?”

Nathan smirked. Then he showed his hands, showing that they were empty.

“I may have lost 800 Life Points,” he said, “but if Reborn Zombie is in Attack Mode, and I have no cards in my hand, it can’t be destroyed in battle.”

Ric just stared at him.



[B](N: 3,800) (R: 6,300)


“My move!” said Nathan.

He drew a card.

“I sacrifice Reborn Zombie, to summon Vampire Lord!”

A swarm of bats flew from behind him. Reborn Zombie vanished, and the powerful vampire appeared. (2,000/1,500)



http://www.ideal808.com/images/drc_000_1st.jpg


“Hey, wait just a minute!” shouted Ric.

“Vampire Lord…” said Nathan, “attack Mefist the Infernal General with Children of the Night!”

A glimmer appeared in Vampire Lord’s eyes. He lifted his cloak, and a blast of bats shot forth. Mefist was thrown from his horse, and then both he and the mount shattered into triangles.

“And now I activate his effect,” continued Nathan, “and I’ll have you discard a Spell Card from your deck.”

Ric grumbled, and looked through his deck.

He found his copy of Confiscation, and discarded it.

“Your move…” said Nathan.



[B](N: 3,800) (R: 6,100)


“Ooh, you’ll play for that…” muttered Ric, drawing a card.

Lovely… he thought. NOW I draw one of my Sakuretsu Armor cards. I know enough about how my own cards work to know that Necrovalley can’t stop Vampire Lord’s effect either. But if he draws another Monster…

“I’ll place this facedown…” he stated.

He fit the card into a slot, and it appeared.

“And set one Monster in Defense Mode.”

A facedown Monster appeared.

“That will be all.”

Nathan drew a card.

“I play…” he stated, “Nobleman of Extermination!”

Ric gasped, as a burly knight in armor appeared, and stabbed his broadsword into the facedown card. It smashed to pieces. Two wisps of smoke came from his deck as his other two copies of Sakuretsu Armor vanished.

“You like Hand Destruction?” asked Nathan. “I’m kind of keen on Deck Destruction. Vampire Lord, attack!”

Vampire Lord shot forth his flurry of bats.

A Nightmare Horse appeared on the card, and shattered.

Could Nathan actually win? thought Amanda.

She paused.

Oh, if Ric manages to use the effect of that hideous Monster he has in his deck, it might be impossible…

Ric glared at him.

He drew a card.

“I play Graceful Charity,” he said, playing the card.

He made three draws.

He smirked again.



Continued…

[Dark Sage]

Continued from last post:



He discarded Terraforming and Don Zaloog.

“You like Zombies?” he asked. “I got Zombies for you. I summon Decayed Commander.”

He played the card, and a rotting corpse clad in filthy Oriental armor holding a rusted katana appeared. (1,000/1,500)



http://www.ideal808.com/images/mfc-010.jpg


“Summoning it activates its effect, letting me summon Zombie Tiger from my hand.”

He played another card, and a rotting, decaying tiger appeared next to the first Zombie. (1,400/1,600)



http://www.ideal808.com/images/mfc-011.jpg


“Now, Zombie Tiger is a Union Monster that I can Equip to Decayed Commander, like so…”

Decayed Commander climbed onto the Zombie Tiger’s back, holding his sword up high. (1,500/2,000)

“Not gonna do it,” said Nathan.

“It will soon,” replied Ric. “I play the Spell Card… Shrink!”

He played the card, and Vampire Lord shrank to half his size!

“Decayed Commander… Take him down!”

The Zombie charged forward on the strange mount, and with one slash of the decrepit sword, cut the reduced Vampire in two.



[B](N: 3,300) (R: 6,100)


“Aw, no!” groaned Nathan. “I love that guy!”

“Heh, heh…” laughed Ric. “Your move…”

Nathan nervously drew a card.

He sighed in relief.

“I summon my third Zombie Werewolf in Defense Mode,” he said.

He played the card, and the Werewolf appeared, crouching in Defense. (1,200/1,200)

“Well, I guess that’s all you can do…” said Ric.

He drew a card.

“Heh, heh…” he chuckled. “Ha, ha… HA, HA, HA, HA, HA, HA!”

“Get a good draw, bro?” asked Amanda, angrily. “You should… All your draws are good. You had all the money for the best cards.”

“I paid an awful lot of money buying you that Jinzo, Amanda,” he replied.

She glared at him.

“Shawn was the one who gave me Jinzo…” she said, through her teeth. “That part of the deck was his idea.”

He looked at her for a minute.

“Ah yes…” he muttered. “Good old Shawn…

“Decayed Commander, separate from Zombie Tiger.”

Decayed Commander leapt off of Zombie Tiger’s back. (1,000/1,500), (1,400/1,600)

“Now…” he said. “I sacrifice Decayed Commander for a beast from a realm where nightmares come alive…”

Decayed Commander vanished.

“I summon the dreaded… Helpoemer!”

The creature that appeared was ghastly. Propped against a rocky slab, it was a fiendish creature with leathery skin, no eyes, and fanged mouths all over its body! Its clawed arms dangled by its sides, and its only article of clothing was a belt and a tattered purple kilt. The smell of death wafted over the canyon. (2,000/1,400)



http://www.ideal808.com/images/pgd-058.jpg


“You know…” muttered Nathan. “I often wonder what Pegasus was smoking when he thought up that thing…”

“Have a heart…” said Ric. “Sure, it’s a horrible, hideous abomination, but horrible hideous abominations have feelings too, you know!”

“Zombie Tiger, take out his Zombie Werewolf!”

Zombie Tiger pounced, and tore the Werewolf to shreds.

“And now, Helpoemer…” commanded Ric. “Attack Nathan directly with Chthonian chant!”

Helpoemer’s mouths began to gibber…

To Ric’s horror, he was lifted off the ground! He started to feel his muscles tense and strain, as if something were trying to pull them apart!

Finally, the Fiend stopped, and he fell on the ground.

Heh, heh… thought Ric. Even if he manages to put anything in Attack Mode and protect it for even a round, I’ll eventually draw one of my other two copies of Shrink. Then I’ll use it on my own Helpoemer and kamikaze it against his Monster, activating its deadly effect.

And if he summons a Vampire Lord again, all the better. That creature’s Attack is equal to Helpoemer’s. An attack will destroy both of them, and let me activate its effect regardless.



[B](N: 1,300) (R: 6,100)


Helpoemer… thought Amanda. His most powerful weapon. Once he manages to activate its effect, he’s unstoppable. It can decimate his opponent.

Nathan’s only hope is if he can take advantage of its weakness…

“My move…” muttered Nathan.

He drew.

Huh… he thought. Hey, it’s that card that that weird kid traded to me! Heh… I’ll have to thank him if I ever see him again!

“All right, Ric…” shouted Nathan. “I play… Card of Reversal!”

“Card of Reversal?” asked Ric. “What the Hell is that?”

“The worst nightmare for someone playing a Hand Control Deck,” replied Nathan. “This card can only be used when I have no cards on the field, and it’s the only card in my hand. Now I get to draw once for every face-up card that’s on your side of the field.”

Images of the Necrovalley, Temple of the Gravekeepers, Zombie Tiger, and Helpoemer flashed before him.

“No way!” shouted Ric.

“Yes way…” said Nathan, drawing four cards.

He grinned as he looked at them.

“And now let’s play some of them,” he said, looking at the cards. “I summon Vampire Bat in Attack Mode.”

He played the card, and a swarm of bats flew from behind him, forming into one huge bat. (800/800) –> (1,000/800)

“Please, that Monster is useless,” said Ric. “And in case you didn’t notice, it makes my Zombie Tiger even stronger.”

Zombie Tiger grew to an attack of 1,600.

“Useless?” asked Nathan.

His Field Slot opened.

“I’m getting awfully sick of Necrovalley,” he said, “so let’s go somewhere else.”

He placed a card in the slot.

“I play… Infernalvania!”

A spooky mist arose, and eerie music started to play. Necrovalley melted away, and now they were on a broken wasteland full of twisted trees. A creepy vampire’s castle loomed in the background behind Nathan.

The Temple of the Gravekeepers crumbled into a pile of rubble.

“Where are we?” demanded Ric.

“Infernalvania,” answered Nathan. “And here, a player can discard one Zombie from his hand to destroy all Monsters on the field.

“So, I’ll discard my Ryu Kokki…”

He discarded a card. The Bone Dragon Ogre appeared on the field, and disintegrated.

And then lightning flashed, vaporizing Helpoemer and Zombie Tiger!

“Of course,” said Nathan, discarding another card, “due to Vampire Bat’s other effect, I can discard another Bat from my deck to keep it from being destroyed. And since that ugly Fiend of yours was destroyed outside of battle, its effect doesn’t apply.”

“Clever…” said Ric.

“Vampire Bat, attack directly!” shouted Nathan. “Nightmare scourge!”

The huge bat split into a swarm of bats again, and flew towards Ric. He shielded himself as they bit and clawed at him.

He got up. He glared at Nathan.



[B](N: 1,300) (R: 5,100)


“All right, Nathan…” he said. “It’s MY move!”

He drew.

He frowned. It was another White Magical Hat.

“I summon White Magical Hat in Defense Mode,” he said.

The Spellcaster appeared again, kneeling in Defense. (1,000/700)

“That’s all I can do for now,” he muttered.

“What’s wrong?” asked Nathan. “Can it be that you actually got a bad draw? Oh, that is plain ironic, you know what I mean?”

Ric responded with a cold stare.

Nathan drew a card.

“Well, lookee here!” he exclaimed.

He played the card, and the Pot of Greed appeared.

Ric grit his teeth… It was far from the first time that he had seen the hologram of the Pot of Greed with its wicked smile appear on his opponent’s side of the field…

…but this time, the Duel Monsters embodiment of greed seemed to be laughing at him.

Nathan drew two cards.

“Well…” said Nathan. “Now that I can use cards that recover Monsters from the Graveyard, I’ll play Book of Life.”

He played the Spell Card.

“I know you can’t Special Summon Helpoemer from the Graveyard, so I’ll remove your Infernal General from play so I won’t have to worry about him again…”

Mefist slipped out of Ric’s discard slot.

“And I’ll use the second effect of Book of Life to bring back Ryu Kokki.”

The ground rumbled, and the huge ogre made of bones and skulls rose out of the ground. (2,400/2,000)



http://www.ideal808.com/images/ioc-090.jpg


“Next…” said Nathan, “I’ll sacrifice my Bat to summon my second Vampire Lord.”

Vampire Bat exploded in a cloud of bats, and Vampire Lord appeared again. (2,000/1,500)

“And finally…” he continued, taking the last card in his hand, “I’ll remove my Vampire Lord from play, to summon Vampire Genesis.”

Vampire Lord faded into mist, and the hulking, hideous-looking vampire deity appeared with a roar. (3,000/2,100)



http://www.ideal808.com/images/sd2-en001.jpg


“Ryu Kokki…” ordered Nathan, “turn his White Magical Hat to paste.”

The Bone Dragon Ogre lunged forward with its claw, and with one mighty smash, flattened the Spellcaster.

Nathan paused.

“So…” he said, looking at Ric. “You thought that seeing your sister take a 3,000-point direct attack was funny, huh?”

“Okay… Let’s be reasonable…” said Ric, drawing back.

“Vampire Genesis, attack directly with crimson shroud!” screamed Nathan.

Vampire Genesis burst into a blood-red cloud, and flew forward with a chilling moan. Ric screamed and was propelled backwards as it plowed into him.

“You know…” said Nathan, as the huge vampire reformed on his side. “You were right… That was kind of funny.”



[B](N: 1,300) (R: 2,100)


Amanda giggled a little bit.

“What are you laughing at?” shouted Ric, angrily.

“You, bro,” she said. “Know something, Ric? I just realized how stupid I’ve been…”

“I won’t argue…” he growled.

“I was stupid to ever think I should have been afraid of you,” she continued. “I’ll tell you right now… Once this whole mess is over, I’m throwing this deck away and making my own. I don’t even like seeing Lava Golem, let alone being attacked by it. It has to be the ugliest Duel Monster ever created!”

Ric grinned.

“Well, you certainly can’t throw it away now…” he said. “You’d be unarmed… A duelist simply can’t be without her deck in this place, Amanda. If you were forced into a Shadow Game then, you’d have to forfeit.

“And you will be once I take care of your friend…”

“And just how, pray tell, are you going to beat him?” asked Amanda. “Take a look at yourself… The tables have been turned on you!

“Now you have no cards in your hand, and you’re facing a Monster that has 3,000 Attack Points, and another that has 2,400! This time, you are the one who’s going to need a miracle draw to save yourself, because if you don’t draw something on this turn that can defeat them, you lose!”

Ric gulped.

He drew a card.

Ooh… he thought, looking at it. He has no cards in his hand either… This will help him as much as it will me… But it’s not like I really have much of a choice…

“I play Card of Sanctity!” he shouted.

He played the card, and a bright glow lit up the spooky wasteland, and coins fell from the sky.

Both of them drew six cards from their decks.

“Heh, heh…” chuckled Ric. “You forgot one thing, Nathan! This Infernalvania is a Field Spell! That means I can use its effect as well!”

“Uh, before you do that, I should warn you,” said Nathan. “If you use the effect of Infernalvania, you are not allowed to summon a Monster after you do so. That’s why I used it with Vampire Bat.”

Ric looked at him.

He looked at his cards.

He saw Magic Cylinder and Mirror Force there.

“Then so be it…” he said. “I discard a second Decayed Commander to activate the effect of Infernalvania!”

He discarded the card, and bolts of lightning struck Ryu Kokki and Vampire Genesis, blasting them to pieces.

“Now I’ll place two cards facedown, and end my turn…”

Two facedown cards appeared.

“Your move…” he said.

Crud… thought Nathan, looking at his hand. I’ve got a few Monsters I could use, but those facedown cards are clearly deadly. And my Life Points are too low to take a risk. My only chance is if I draw Heavy Storm right now…

His deck seemed to glow as he reached for it…

He drew, and looked at the card.

It was the card Jason had given him…

But at this point, it was telling him something…



[B]* * * * * * * * * *


Visions assaulted Nathan Emmanuel Evans’s mind.

First, he saw a scene with a pious young woman praying in a sacred shrine. A golden cross was around her neck, and the light shone on her.

The scene turned ugly. She was being chased at night. A horrible creature tackled her from behind. She screamed and tried to struggle, but the beast bit its fangs into her neck. She sobbed pitifully as it drained the life from her…

The scene returned to the shrine, but now it was night. The young woman approached again, but she had changed. Her skin was pale as death, and her eyes were glowing silvery. Tears flowed from them. She prayed again, as if desperate for someone to hear…

Then, a figure that could best be described as an angel appeared out of the darkness. He took her in his arms, and they both glowed…

The scene shifted to another scene, outdoors at night. The young woman was angrily standing over the vampire that had attacked her, a wooden mallet in her hand… It was dead, a stake through its heart. She slowly walked away.



[B]* * * * * * * * * *


“I understand…” whispered Nathan.

He took a card from his hand.

…Justice…

“I play… Call of the Mummy,” he said, playing a card. “Now, so long as I have no Monsters on my side of the field, I can Special Summon a Zombie from my hand, no matter how powerful it is.

“And the one I choose to summon… Is Penelope the Lady of the Night!”

A beam of light fell from the heavens over Infernalvania. A young woman… the woman in his vision… materialized. She was dressed in clothing that was simple, yet elegant, with the same golden cross around her neck. She had raven black hair, pale white skin, and in her hands was a long staff, topped with a golden crescent. (1,000/200)

“You used Call of the Mummy to summon a weakling?” asked Ric.

“She’s a seven-star Monster, Ric,” said Nathan.

Ric looked dumbfounded.

“Let me explain her first effect,” he stated. “You see, she can’t be Normal Summoned, but when she is summoned, all Spell and Trap Cards on the field are wiped out.”

In a fierce burst of radiant energy, Infernalvania, Call of the Mummy, and Ric’s two facedown cards were blown to shards!

“Is that all?” asked Ric.

“No…” said Nathan. “There’s much more… Penelope was once a mortal priestess, until she was fed on by a savage vampire and her life was cut short. She rose as a vampire herself… But she was so pious, and so devoted to her faith, that she didn’t lose her soul as most vampires do. She begged the higher powers to give her a salvation, and they replied. They said that a cure for vampirism was only possible if one used her vampiric abilities to oppose and destroy them.

“And as an enemy of the creatures of the night, Penelope gains power from ones that die. So for each and every Zombie that’s rotting in my Graveyard right now, she gains 400 Attack Points!”

“Each one?” screamed Ric.

“That’s right…” said Nathan. “And since your Hand Control strategy sent so many of them there, I now have ten of them in my Graveyard.”

Penelope glowed with holy light, and her score changed… (5,000/200)

“Hold on!” shouted Ric.

“You made a big mistake using Infernalvania’s effect…” said Nathan. “Penelope… Attack directly with light of vengeance!”

The Lady of the Night’s eyes glowed, and she cast a mighty spell from her staff. Ric’s final scream echoed throughout the whole floor…



[B](N: 1,300) (R: 0)




[B]* * * * * * * * * *


The figure on the dark throne clutched her head.

“Ergh…” she thought. “First Erathaol decides to help them… Now Penelope does as well?

“Who’s next? What other meddling divine being is going to appear in one of their decks?

“Humph… It matters little…”

A deck of cards appeared in her hand.

“Sartorious never used these cards… Even in his insanity, he was too scared. The one who killed him and stole them hid them away… He was too scared. Everyone who has owned the Reckoning Deck… the Ultimate Orichalcos Deck… couldn’t look at these special cards without trembling in fear.

“I doubt even Dartz would have had the courage to use them.”

She smirked.

“When Fortunado was given these cards, he was also too scared, but he knew what to do with them… Find the one who wouldn’t be scared…”

She took eight Monster Cards out of the deck.

“They certainly don’t scare me. And no matter how many divine allies the Messiah has, I know I’ll have more…”



[B]* * * * * * * * * *


Amanda sadly looked at her brother’s comatose form.

“What will I tell mom and dad?” she muttered. “What will I tell Shawn? This is going to ruin Thanksgiving…”

She looked at Nathan.

“Do I come right out and tell them that he was a Shadow Duelist who sided with the Orichalcos? They’ll be heartbroken…”

Nathan held her.

“There may yet be hope, Amanda,” he said. “Maybe when Jason defeats whoever is behind this, he can force whoever it is to give back everyone he’s taken.

“And then he can just be a no-good brother who you can yell at or swear you’ll never speak to again.”

Amanda looked at her deck.

“I meant what I said, you know…” she said. “Once this is over, I’m just going to throw this away, and start afresh. I dunno, I’ve been thinking of a V-through-Z Machine Deck. Think that would be good?”

“Definitely,” said Nathan. “But for the love of mercy, don’t throw those cards away!”

“Why not?” she asked.

“You’ve got a lot of rare ones in there,” he replied. “This is a Trading Card Game, after all. Some guys would kill for a Chaos Command Magician. Hey, there are a lot of cards in that deck that I’d even trade you for!”

“Really?” she asked, looking at it.

“So…” she asked, as he picked something up that Ric had dropped, “where did you get that awesome card?”

“She’s a Card of Virtue,” muttered Nathan, looking at the small, metal square. “A Justice Card, ironically. And when I drew her, she told me her whole story.”

“Really?” asked Amanda, looking at the second red square. “Did Penelope ever find the cure?”

“In a way,” answered Nathan. “For one hundred years, she walked the Earth, fighting the forces of evil and destroying the creatures like the ones who had made her undead. She took the riches they had stolen, and distributed it all to the impoverished and the poor… The common folk called her the Lady of the Night, seeing as that’s the only time they ever saw her. Due to the curse of vampirism, she could only be out at night. More than one child reported that when they awakened from horrible nightmares, Penelope appeared to calm and comfort them.

“Eventually, she fell into the same slumber that she did at every daybreak… And the arms of an angel lifted her up, and carried her into Heaven for her final reward.”

Amanda got chills.



[B]* * * * * * * * * *


“Red letter R and red letter A?” asked Jason over the phone. “Okay… I got it I guess…”

He looked at the letters on the notebook.

He turned to his two friends, who were still looking through all the Normal Monsters.

“There has to be some sort of meaning to this…” he muttered.

“I dunno…” said Trisha. “A lot of these Monsters are truly worthless. He actually has a Bolt Escargot in this pile.”

“I found a Tatsunootoshigo,” said Russell, holding up another one. “It’s even more worthless than that. In fact, most of these Monsters are stuff that no sane duelist would be caught dead with. The Statue of Easter Island? Wow Warrior? The Judgment Hand? Here’s a weirdo I can’t even pronounce…”

“Mikazukinoyaiba?” asked Trisha.

“How’d you know?” asked Russell.

“Lucky guess…” muttered Trisha, with a sigh.

“Don’t disregard any of them,” said Jason. “All of them are keys to the important places in this compound…

“And one of them, as worthless as it may appear, is the one that will lead us to Fortunado.

“We just have to figure out which, and soon…

“Because according to my watch…

“Time is running short…”


Tuesday, November 10th, 2106, 7:00 PM



BLOOD SUCKER (Monster Card)

Card Specs

Type: Zombie/Effect
Attribute: Dark
Level: 4
ATK: 1,300
DEF: 1,500

Card Description: When this card does battle damage to your opponent’s Life Points, your opponent discards the top card from his deck to the Graveyard.

Note: “Blood Sucker” is a Japanese card that has not yet been released in the United States.



ASHINAGRAY (Monster Card)

Card Specs

Type: Winged Beast/Effect
Attribute: Wind
Level: 3
ATK: 500
DEF: 500

Card Description: Flip: Your opponent discards one card at random from his hand. When this card is destroyed as a result of battle, search your deck for one card of the same name and set it in facedown Defense Position.

Note: “Ashinagray” was first used by Gansley in the anime episode “Isolated in Cyberspace (Part One)”. All creative credit goes to the writers of that episode.



CARD OF REVERSAL (Spell Card)

Card Specs

Type: Spell
Attribute: –
Level: –
ATK: –
DEF: –

Image: The image on this card was not clear.

Card Description: You can only activate this card when you have no cards on the field and this is the only card in your hand. For each face-up card on your opponent’s side of the field, draw one card from your deck.

Note: “Card of Reversal” was first used by Hasselberry in the “Yu-Gi-Oh GX” episode “Taken by Storm (Part 2)”. All creative credit goes to the writers of that episode.



INFERNALVANIA (Spell Card)

Card Specs

Type: Spell/Field
Attribute: –
Level: –
ATK: –
DEF: –

Image: A barren wasteland with a spooky vampire’s castle in the center.

Card Description: A player may discard one ZOMBIE-Type Monster from his hand to destroy all Monsters on the field. A player who uses this effect may not Normal Summon, set, or Special Summon a Monster on the turn he does so.

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



TEMPLE OF THE GRAVEKEEPERS (Spell Card)

Card Specs

Type: Spell/Continuous
Attribute: –
Level: –
ATK: –
DEF: –

Image: An Egyptian temple seen from the outside. Statues of the jackal-headed Anubis flank the entrance.

Card Description: Pay 1,000 Life Points to activate this card. This card is destroyed if there is no “Necrovalley” active on your side of the field. When this card remains on the field, your Graveyard is unaffected by the effect of “Necrovalley”.



PENELOPE THE LADY OF THE NIGHT (Monster Card)

Card Specs

Type: Zombie/Effect/Card of Virtue
Attribute: Light
Level: 7
ATK: 1,000
DEF: 200

Virtue: Justice

Card Description: This card cannot be Normal Summoned. When this card is Special Summoned successfully, destroy all Spell and Trap Cards on the field. This card gains 400 ATK for every ZOMBIE-Type Monster in your Graveyard.



[B][I]Coming up next...

You can be sure that Fortunado is not just going to let Jason, Trisha, and Russell make their plans in peace. Next chapter, he makes a move to take out Trisha, sending someone you might remember. And he has a strategy that’s obscure, but incredibly deadly.

It’s a chapter called “Rivalry of Warlords”, coming soon.

And by the way, if you liked Penelope, don’t worry, you’ll see her again… But not until “Dark Messiah” is over and done with. You likely have no idea what I’m talking about, but you’ll see eventually.